Should I Charge My Smartwatch to 100%?: Myths & Facts

Have you thought about the best way to charge a smartwatch? Are you confused about whether should i charge my smartwatch to 100%? There is a lot of advice in the market, but what is myth and fact? We are going to clear this up in this blog post.

What is the science behind it, and what happens when you overcharge your smartwatch? Don’t worry! In the next 2 minutes, you are going to learn all about smartwatch battery tips to keep it healthy and long-lasting.

The Science Behind Smartwatch Battery Life

For a better comprehension of smartwatch battery life, consider the chemistry. Smartwatches operate on lithium-ion batteries whose principle is to move lithium ions between two electrodes: positive and negative. such constant movement eventually leads to a gradual loss of battery capacity. 

The apps, screen & GPS all drain the battery, but how you charge it also matters. When you frequently charge the smartwatch & let consume the battery completely can stress the battery’s performance. By knowing some tips, we can make smarter choices to keep our smartwatches running longer.

Should I charge my smartwatch to 100%

As we all know, the smartwatch battery capacity is good. Several smartwatches come with a battery life ranging from 1 week to 3 weeks or even more. It’s advisable not to keep at 100 percent charging for your smartwatch always.

If you charge it between 20 and 80 percent, the battery life will be longer. Occasionally a full charge is fine, but if you regularly charge it to 100% and use it until it reaches 0%, then it is not healthy for your smartwatch’s battery life.

What Happens When You Overcharge Your Smartwatch?

If we talk about overcharging, it means you forgot to remove your smartwatch from charging even after it reached 100% because who wants to do this intentionally? But what happens when it overcharges? It is not bad when it happens rarely but it becomes dangerous for battery health when it happens occasionally.

while most modern smartwatches have built-in protections to prevent damage, overcharging still generates heat in modern smartwatches & this heat can gradually harm the battery by reducing its performance & battery lifespan. Therefore It is better to prevent overcharging whether it is a modern or normal smartwatch.

Expert Opinions on Smartwatch Charging Practices

How Often Should You Charge Your Smartwatch?

The answer is simple: whenever it is lower than 20% or higher than 80%, you need to charge your smartwatch. It typically takes 1 hour to charge from 20% and 10 to 15 minutes from 80%. As I told you, the average smartwatch battery life is 5 to 7 days. According to this, you need to charge it every 3 to 4 days with normal usage.

Tips To Increase Smartwatch Battery Life

1. Manage notifications: Turn off the notifications for apps you don’t use frequently.
2. Screen brightness: Lower the screen brightness or enable auto-brightness.
3. Always-on display: You need to Disable the always-on display if your watch has it.
4. GPS: Turn off the GPS when it is not in use.
5. Background apps: you need to turn off the background running apps.
6. Watch face: Choose a simple watch face that is darker. Avoid those with animations or excessive complications & with lighter colors.
7. Power saving mode: Enable power saving mode when the battery is low.

Quick Charging vs. Slow Charging: Which Is Better for Your Smartwatch?

There’s always a battle on whether slow charging is better than fast charging when it comes to charging our smartwatches. the heat generated can sometimes be higher due to quick charging which might affect the battery lifespan. On the other hand, slow charging would less stress on cells since it will not cause high temperatures & increase lifespan.

It depends on urgency and lifestyle as well. Quick or slow charging can also work depending on their needs, but I always prefer to go with slow charging, which typically is 1.5% / 2 minutes and takes 1.5 to 2 hours to fully charge from 10%.

Myths and Facts About Smartwatch Charging

Myth #1: You should always charge your smartwatch to 100%.

Fact: It’s okay to charge to 100% occasionally, but it’s not necessary every time. It is better to charge to 80 to 90%.

Myth #2: Overcharging your smartwatch damages the battery.

Fact: Modern smartwatches come with built-in protection to prevent overcharging damage; however, it is not recommended to overcharge intentionally, thinking that smartwatches will protect themselves.

Myth #3: Quick charging is always better than slow charging.

Fact: Quick charging is better for a few occasions but it is harmful in the long run. That is why slow charging is always preferable.

Myth #4: You should drain the battery completely before recharging.

Fact: it’s best to recharge it before it reaches to 0% to keep your smartwatch battery healthy as this helps extend its lifespan.

Myth #5: Turning off your smartwatch while it’s charging helps the battery last longer.

Fact: It’s generally unnecessary; smartwatches manage to charge efficiently even when in use.

Myth #6: You should only use its original charger to charge your smartwatch.

Fact: Charging using the original charger is good practice, but relying on it completely is not good. When you are in an emergency and its original charger is not around, you can charge the smartwatch through other chargers, and you can even charge the smartwatch without a charger.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best way to have a healthy battery for your smartwatch is by being strategic about when you charge it. While sometimes charging the battery to 100 percent is all right, most of the time it would be good if we could leave our smartwatches with levels between 20 and 80 percent so that they can last longer. Do not overcharge and go for slower charging techniques as well, they will lead to an increased life span of your battery. What are your preferred strategies for maximizing your smartwatch’s battery life? You can share your tips and experiences below.