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The best smartwatches for tracking fitness, messages and more
From playing music to keeping tabs on your whereabouts, a good smartwatch can give you clues about your lifestyle and enhance your daily activities.
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Samsung - Galaxy Watch6 Aluminum Smartwatch 40mm BT | Apple Watch Se | Fitbit - Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch | Garmin Lily 2 | Apple Watch Ultra | Google Pixel Watch Wifi | Garmin - epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition 51mm Fiber | Fitbit Inspire 3 Health & Fitness Tracker | |||||
Price You save $50 (16.67%) $249.99$299.99 | Price $249 | Price $199.95 | Price $299.99 | Price $799.99 | Price You save $80 (28.57%) $199.99$279.99 | Price $1,099.99 | Price $9,740 | |||||
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Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars at Best Buy | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars on Best Buy | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars at Best Buy | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 5 out of 5 stars at Amazon | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars at Target | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4 out of 5 stars at Target | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars at Best Buy | Consumer ratings Average star rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars at Walmart | |||||
Specifications | ||||||||||||
Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | Voice assistant? | |||||
Compatibility Android | Compatibility iOS | Compatibility Android, iOS | Compatibility Android, iOS | Compatibility iOS 16 or later | Compatibility Android | Compatibility Android, iOS | Compatibility Android, iOS | |||||
Special features Advanced BIA sensor that measures body fat and body mass index | Special features Contacts emergency services and informs emergency contacts when a fall is detected | Special features Sends notifications on irregular heart rhythms | Special features Sends your live location to your emergency contacts during activities that you’ve programmed | Special features Depth gauge and water temperature sensor activates automatically when you submerge | Special features Automatically calls 911 when heavy fall is detected | Special features Multiple sensors to recognize altitude changes and respiration rate | Special features One month Fitbit Premium membership included | |||||
Pros & cons
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If you’ve breezed through smartwatch reviews before, you’ll know that smartwatches do more than tell time. Apart from having call and messaging functions integrated, new smartwatches often have several apps dedicated to your overall mental health and physical well-being.
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Specifications:
Charging time: 75 minutes
Usage time: 40 hours
Compatible apps: Bixby, Google Assistant
Pros & Cons
Large display screen
Water and shock resistance
Advanced BIA sensor that measures body fat and body mass index
Not compatible with iOS
Looking for a smartwatch that can do it all? Get the Samsung Galaxy Watch6. Featuring a wide range of fitness tracking from calories burned to skin temperature, this watch gives you up to 40 hours of use time on a single charge.
Compatible with Bixby and Google Assistant, you can easily use voice commands to play music, read mobile notifications or display your travel distance. It’s even water-resistant up to 164 feet.
With a big screen of 44mm, you’ll get to manage your fitness data. And if that’s not enough, simply connect it to your Samsung phone for more in-depth information.
Best for safety
Specifications:
Charging time: 75 minutes
Usage time: 18 hours
Compatible apps: Apple HomeKit, Siri
Pros & Cons
Available in a range of band sizes and colors
Sends emergency services to your location when a fall is detected
Takes calls and sends texts
Less than 24 hours of usage time
The Apple Watch Se is designed with personal safety in mind. Not only does it track your fitness, but it also ensures you stay safe and connected. With Fall Detection, Crash Detection, and Emergency SOS, you’ll get the help you need no matter where you are. These features will not only contact emergency services when it senses your fall but it also helps inform your emergency contacts on your location.
In terms of fitness tracking, the watch can track your different sleeping stages, recommend different ways of staying fit and take notes of your mental wellbeing. It’s also water-resistance of up to 50 meters.
And with multiple band sizes and colors to choose from, it’s definitely a smartwatch women and men would look good wearing.
Best minimalist design
Specifications:
Charging time: 80 minutes
Usage time: 24 hours
Compatible apps: Google Assistant
Pros & Cons
Scratch-resistance glass screen
Automatically calls 911 when heavy fall is detected
Long usage time
Not compatible with iOS
Out of all the smart watches for men and women, this Google Pixel Watch Wifi impresses us the most. Its sleek and minimal design does more than it looks. The scratch-resistant display glass allows you to focus on your fitness activities while additional bands let you style your Pixel watch to match your outfit.
Not only does it track a range of fitness data from heart rate and calories burned, but it’s also programmed to call 911 when it detects a heavy fall. The best part is, that you can sync the watch with phones and earbuds to synchronize all your apps and activities.
And because it’s Google, you’ll also get to enjoy other apps like GooglePay and GoogleMaps directly from your watch.
Best splurge
Specifications:
Charging time: 90 minutes
Usage time: 36 hours
Compatible apps: Siri
Pros & Cons
Withstands higher temperature
Made for diving and scuba diving up to 40 metres
Has customizable action feature
Up to three days battery life
May be too bulky for some
If you don’t mind splurging on a new smartwatch, we recommend getting the Apple Watch Ultra. Designed for explorers, the watch features better operation temperature tolerances to accommodate a more diverse environment and an advanced safety feature including a Siren, backtrack, fall and crash detection and emergency SOS.
On top of the basic heart rate monitor, it also features a water temperature sensor that activates automatically when you’re submerged in water and a depth gauge to measure how deep you go. For active people, this watch can also help you improve your fitness by showing you advanced ways to train.
Out of all the best smartwatches on our list, this one is worth the splurge.
Best for health tracking
Specifications:
Charging time: 12 minutes
Usage time: 24 hours
Compatible apps: Android, Apple iOS
Pros & Cons
Sends notifications on irregular heart rhythms
Can last up to six days with proper charging
Six-month Fitbit Premium Membership included
Voice replies only available with Android
With thorough heart rate zone tracking and access to the Fitbit App, the Fitbit Versa 4 makes the perfect companion if you’re looking for a reliable smartwatch that caters to your health and well-being.
Programmed with more than 40 exercise modes and a daily readiness score that lets you know if you should focus on working out or recovery, you’ll have all the tools you need to manage your daily activities better.
We also love that it sends notifications on irregular heart rhythms and high and low heart rates to keep you alert. On top of the well-rounded health trackers, this watch also lets you answer calls, reply to text messages and use GooglePay to purchase items.
A stylish option
Specifications:
Charging time: 2 hours
Usage time: 120 hours
Compatible apps: Android, Apple iOS
Pros & Cons
Multiple bang style choices
Long usage time
Compatible with all types of smartphones
May not perform as well in extreme conditions
Looking for a stylish smartwatch to don? You’ll love the Garmin Lily 2. With this watch, you’ll get to choose between a nylon, silicone or leather band and a hidden display pattern lens that reveals all the information you need only when touched.
In terms of fitness tracking, the Garmin Lily 2 is programmed with blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors and body battery energy monitoring so you’ll know how much energy you have for different activities. You’ll even love the menstrual cycle and pregnancy monitor included.
When paired with your iPhone or any other Android phone, you’ll get notifications on texts, calls and other alerts. Plus, it can even send your live location to your emergency contacts during activities that you’ve programmed.
Best for outdoor activities
Specifications:
Charging time: 2 hours
Usage time: Up to 31 days in smartwatch mode or up to 58 hours in GPS mode
Compatible apps: Android, Apple iOS
Pros & Cons
Built-in LED flashlight
Battery can for last days
Can withstand high temperatures
Emergency protocol programme
High price point
Built for adventurers and thrill seekers, this Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) is tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance. It’s the most durable smartwatch to keep up with your rugged activities.
It has a built-in LED flashlight to provide you with more awareness of your surroundings and a long-lasting battery life that can go on for days. This smartwatch is equipped with multiple sensors to recognize altitude changes and respiration rate and a compass and a heart rate sensor to keep your progress in check.
It’s also built with safety protocols that send texts and emails to your emergency contact when a fall is detected. And of course, like most smartwatches, this Garmin epix Pro is water-resistant up to 328 feet.
Best budget pick
Specifications:
Charging time: 2 hours
Usage time: 8 days
Compatible apps: Android, Apple iOS
Pros & Cons
Affordable price
One month Fitbit Premium membership included
Doesn’t have GPS
You don’t have to spend a fortune when shopping for the best smartwatches. At just under $100, the Fitbit Inspire 3 Health & Fitness Tracker does a great job at tracking your heart rate, oxygen levels, stress levels and even your sleep profile.
With a one-month Fitbit Premium membership included, this water resistance watch will help you gain more insights into your overall health and well-being. It may not have a GPS function or the ability to answer calls but if tracking your fitness is your goal and you can do without the extras, the Fitbit Inspire 3 won’t disappoint.
Which of the best smartwatches gets our vote?
We’ve selected our top picks from multiple smartwatch brands on the market and we vouch for every single one of them. However, if we have to play favorites, these two will make it to our shortlist:
Samsung - Galaxy Watch6 Aluminum Smartwatch 40mm BT: From our pick of the best smartwatches, this one gets top place due to its long battery hours, large display screen and the BIA monitor that lets you identify your BMI and fat percentage, which is a plus point for fitness enthusiasts.
Garmin - epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition 51mm Fiber: Built to military standards, this smartwatch can withstand extreme temperature, shock and wear and tear. It also has a long battery life and a safety feature that calls your emergency contact when it detects a big fall.
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Prices updated on 03/20/2024. We are not responsible for any changes to the prices mentioned above.
A journalism graduate from Curtin University, Afina Najib specializes in writing tech, finance, automotive and wellness content. Now residing in Kuala Lumpur, Afina spends her weekends hitting the gym or watching Formula 1 races.