PSC’s Guide to Wearing Safety on Your Sleeve
Today’s smartwatches are sought after for their ability to do so much more than tell time. Making a run for hardest-working accessory, smartwatches track vitals, stream music, navigate workouts, and sometimes even make phone calls. And as they grow sleeker on the outside, what’s under the face grows more mysterious and complicated.
That complexity brings real safety considerations. When your product is connected to WiFi, powered by lithium-ion, and pumping data through sensors, it has to do more than perform. It has to protect its users.
At Product Safety Consulting, we’ve tested and certified smartwatches of every shape and function. Here’s your go-to checklist for making sure your blockbuster product isn’t a ticking time bomb for your business.
1. Battery Safety: Start at the (Power) Source
Smartwatch batteries are small but mighty. Add wireless charging, constant syncing, and a tight enclosure to the equation, and you’ve got a thermal challenge on your hands (or wrist).
What to check:
- Proper battery isolation
- Protection against overcharge and thermal runaway
- Heat rise during high-load use (for example: GPS + music + heart rate monitoring)
On PSC’s Watch: We simulate worst-case usage to make sure the battery never becomes the device’s Achilles’ heel.
2. Charging System: Don’t Let Convenience Compromise Safety
Wireless and magnetic charging make smartwatches more user friendly. But they can also introduce heat and electrical exposure right where the device meets the skin.
What to check:
- Safe current flow through charging contacts
- Effective heat dissipation during charge cycles
- Protection against short circuits when the charger is misaligned or obstructed
On PSC’s Watch: We test under real-life conditions: sweat, movement, even partial alignment on magnetic docks.
3. Thermal Management: Keep Customers Cool
A smartwatch may not seem like a device with fiery potential. But processors, radios, and sensors all generate heat, especially during data-heavy activity. That heat is going somewhere. Usually, it’s your user’s skin.
What to check:
- Internal heat distribution
- Enclosure temperature limits under heavy use
- Hot spot detection and mitigation
On PSC’s Watch: We use thermal imaging and embedded sensors to catch heat before your customers do.
4. Skin Contact Safety: Aim for a Frictionless Launch
From nickel allergies to prolonged exposure to heat or electrical current, smartwatches bring their hardware into direct contact with the body for hours on end.
What to check:
- Contact material compatibility (especially metals)
- Protection against electrical leakage
- Irritation or thermal thresholds during long-term wear
On PSC’s Watch: We verify skin-safe design and flag risky materials. Remember: One rash can derail a launch. That’s an irritation we can help you avoid.
5. Wireless Safety: Antennas Can Mean Risky Business
With Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and sometimes LTE onboard, smartwatches juggle multiple radios in a tiny frame. That proximity to the body amplifies RF exposure concerns.
What to check:
- Compliance with IEC 62479 for low-power RF devices
- Safe antenna placement
- RF exposure under typical and max transmission loads
On PSC’s Watch: We evaluate radio performance and emissions together. So your signal doesn’t interfere with safety.
6. Durability: Fasten in for Real-World Wear
Smartwatches take a beating. They get dropped, soaked, banged against countertops, and left charging overnight. Your safety systems should work just as well on day 100 as they do on day one.
What to check:
- Shock and drop protection
- Moisture resistance (not just IP rating—actual electrical safety in wet conditions)
- Post-abuse safety verification
On PSC’s Watch: Our durability tests simulate wear and tear across months of real-life use. We go beyond a lab checklist.
7. Documentation: Keep Time with Regulators
Even if your hardware is ready, your paperwork might not be. IEC 62368-1 requires hazard-based risk documentation. These are more rigorous than your run-of-the-mill product spec sheet.
What to check:
- Hazard analysis and risk assessments
- Clear, testable safety objectives
- Proper safety language in the user manual
On PSC’s Watch: We help you build a documentation package that regulators (and retailers) love.
Final Word: Smarter Testing for Smarter Watches
The future of smartwatches is only getting more advanced and more regulated—mostly for good reason. As features grow and form factors shrink, the room for error gets tighter.
Certification has become a lot to wrap your wrist around. It comes down to knowing what to test, when to test it, and how to fix it if it fails. That’s where Product Safety Consulting comes in. We combine electrical, thermal, RF, and skin-contact expertise under one roof. Whether you’re refining your prototype or prepping for launch, we’ll help you get certified safely, quickly, and smartly.