The Apple Watch SE Can Monitor Your Heart Rate and Call for Help in Case of an Emergency—and It's on Sale Right Now

Amazon's annual Prime Day and early deals sales event is one of the best times of the year to buy a smartwatch if you're looking for a way to better track and care for your health. And right now, the site is running a serious early deal on the Apple Watch SE—$40 off, at just $230.

While we'll see many smartwatch and health trackers on sale during Amazon's Prime Day and early deals (including the Series 7 and Series 3), the Apple Watch SE is one of the best models if you're looking for an affordable option that provides insight into your heart health, need help lowering your stress levels, or want to have a backup plan in case you or a family member falls and needs help. And it's one of our favorite health trackers.

To buy: Apple Watch SE, $230 (was $270); amazon.com

What sets the Apple Watch SE apart from the rest of the devices out there is that it has a ton of useful health features. It automatically records your steps and workouts (no button pressing required), and it consistently tracks your heart rate and sends out a notification if it gets alarmingly high, concerningly low, or if you have any kind of irregular heart rhythm—all three of which could be life-saving. This information is also useful if you want to get a better handle on what your healthy normal is or would like to know when you're overexerting yourself.

In addition to insight into your heart rate spikes, the Apple Watch SE offers guided breathing exercises to help manage your stress levels—or just prompt you to take a minute of calm. And it also has automatic sleep tracking to help paint a holistic picture of your daytime activity levels and your nighttime recovery.

The watch is a particularly great purchase for people who live alone, as the device detects if the wearer takes a hard fall, and it'll alert emergency services and designated contacts if you want, too. Note that if you have the GPS model without cell connectivity you'll need to have your iPhone nearby or be connected to Wi-Fi for the emergency call feature to work. If you upgrade to the plan that includes cellular data on the watch, emergency calls can be made right from your wrist.

Compared to other Apple Watch models, the SE has more features and a larger screen than the Series 3 and a lower price tag than the Series 7. Like all smartwatches, this model connects to your phone to deliver alerts around emails, texts, phone calls, and news updates right to your wrist. It also features the Watch's signature large retina display and water resistance up to 50 meters, which means you can wear it in the shower or in the pool.

With nearly 2,500 five-star ratings on Amazon, the Apple Watch SE is a hit. Multiple reviewers commented how they've tested other brands of smartwatches and fitness trackers, including Samsung and Fitbit, but the SE is superior. A reviewer especially liked that the heart rate data the watch collects goes to your phone, so it's easy to share the information with your doctor "if you think things aren't right." And a shopper whose heart rate tends to run low got it for its monitoring capabilities and to stay on top of her well-being, and is "very happy with this purchase," they noted.

A reviewer who owned three Fitbits before switching to Apple Watch said "the features are insane." And even compared to other Apple models, they said the SE is the "best apple watch for your money."

And if you work in front of a computer all day, this watch can help you establish healthy habits. "I use my Apple Watch SE to keep track of my steps daily as well as monitor my heart rate. Plus, it lets me know when it's time to stand up, which is helpful as someone who works from home and tends to be glued to the computer for a while," said Christina Butan, a Health senior writer.

This early Prime Day Apple Watch deal is available to all Amazon shoppers, but Prime members can have their watch delivered sooner with free two-day shipping. If you're not a Prime member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial to take advantage of the speedy delivery and shop exclusive deals during Prime Day. Note that the $40 discount is applied at checkout and is only available for a limited time. So don't wait, better health might be just one tracker away—and this deal won't last long.