The 8 Best Smartwatches to Keep You on Track
Sometime in the early aughts, tracking daily steps became a thing among the fitness-obsessed. That was years before watches had smarts, and apps were something new. Fast-forward a decade, and the wearables on our wrists do everything from track your health, fitness, and sleep, plus take calls, stream music, and, you know, tell time.
While smartwatches will never replace the basic wristwatch and re-released classics like Casio’s calculator watch will always have a fanbase, it’s fair to say that they’ll be even more ubiquitous and do cooler stuff as times goes on. These days, there are so many brands and models on the market, it can be tough to choose which best suits your lifestyle and budget. We’ve rounded up our favorite smartwatches for your consideration and added some helpful advice to consider before shopping.
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The Best Smartwatches
What to Consider
The most important considerations when shopping for a smartwatch are compatibility, battery life, and the features you’ll use most—along with ones you won’t. There’s also comfort and style, of course. Below, we’ve outlined all the need-to-know essentials to get you started in your search.
Compatibility
Your smartphone’s operating system needs to be compatible with the smartwatch you choose—that’s typically iOS or Android, and some smartwatches support both. A smartwatch is only as smart as its operating system: Apple’s latest is watchOS 9 and Samsung uses Wear OS from Google.
Battery Life
Read the fine print when looking at battery life and comparing different models (in this case, we did it for you). It varies depending on individual usage and which battery-zapping feature settings your watch is running. For instance, turning on GPS or having an always-on display drains the battery quicker.
Features
Budget aside, ask yourself what you need your watch for most and which features are must-haves versus nice-to-haves. Are you a marathoner in the market for a smartwatch for runners that tracks mileage and stride length, or a weekend road warrior looking for a solid smartwatch for cyclists? Do you frequently hike or ski in the backcountry and want a smartwatch with a backtrack feature and comprehensive GPS coverage? Consider these use cases, as well as how the watch handles things like notifications from your phone, before you buy.
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Style
The size and quality of display are often overlooked, but they’re incredibly important—particularly if you want to be able to glance at the smartwatch while you’re in motion. Because you’ll likely break a sweat if you use your watch for tracking workouts, comfort is also important. Most have silicone sport bands, ideal because they’re lightweight and wipe clean, while others come with leather, nylon, or canvas straps.
How We Selected
To put together our list, we relied on our own smartwatch testing experience and consulted with our colleagues at Runners World and Bicycling to include the best smartwatches we’ve tested. We also took into expert advice from the folks at Wired and Techradar. To make our final selection, we compared smartwatch specs as mentioned above and took into account overall design, as well as upgrades from previous generations and value based on price point.
1) Watch Series 8 (GPS, 41mm)
$439.00
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The Apple Watch Series 8 may not have a ton of splashy new features from its predecessor, but a handful of useful health and safety upgrades plus improved battery life that comes with the latest operating system make it the best smartwatch on the market for iPhone users.
New additions include crash detection and a skin temperature sensor that can helpful for fertility and sleep tracking. While battery life has never been the Apple Watch’s strong suit, WatchOS 9 gives you the ability to switch off the always-on display, which ups battery life from 18 to 36 hours.
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2) Galaxy Watch5
$229.99
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One of the Galaxy Watch5’s most impressive attributes is battery life, staying powered for up to 20 hours— and that’s with GPS turned on.
Its fitness and health features are also robust and include workout tracking, body composition analysis, and sleep tracking. Because it’s powered by Wear OS, you can take advantage of Google Maps navigation and Google Assistant as you go about your day.
With all that retailing for $279—$120 less than the Apple Watch Series 8—plus its sporty looks, it isn’t hard to see why this smartwatch is the best overall for those with an Android phone.
3) Watch Ultra GPS + Cellular Smartwatch
$779.99
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The Apple Watch Ultra is arguably the most exciting wearable that debuted in 2022. It’s designed for extreme sports and outdoor adventures, but its high-end looks and top-notch features make it an attractive purchase for any flush horologist.
There’s a customizable action button that gives you quick access to your most-used functions, plus important safety and emergency features. There’s also an 86-decibel siren that can be heard at a distance of 600 feet for emergencies.
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This smartwatch is tested to meet military standards and it offers solid performance as a diving watch with water-resistance up to 100 meters. Other highlights include a durable titanium case, a screen that’s twice as bright as any other Apple Watch, and up to 36 hours of battery life with GPS turned on.
4) Galaxy Watch5 Pro
$499.99
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Samsung Galaxy owners who hike and require a smartwatch with outdoorsy features should consider the Galaxy Watch5 Pro. It’s almost twice as expensive as the Galaxy Watch5, but it boasts up to 48 hours of battery life and a durable titanium case and screen.
Another major highlight is an all-new route-tracking feature, which pairs well with turn-by-turn navigation and voice assistance courtesy of Google’s Wear OS. We also love its oversized face and rugged watchband.
5) Watch SE (2nd Gen) GPS Smartwatch
$239.99
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There’s an awful lot to like about the second-gen Apple Watch SE. Its solid lineup of features and reasonable price point make it the best iOS smartwatch for anyone who wants to up their activity level, get some basic health insights, and make use of everyday workhorse tasks like streaming music and taking calls.
It runs on Apple’s latest watchOS 9, so it offers the same battery life as the Series 8: up to 36 hours in low power mode, which disables the always-on display. It also measures up in terms of safety and navigational features.
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The biggest drawback is that it doesn’t support fast charging and lacks the latest health features, like blood-oxygen monitoring and a body-temperature sensor.
6) Instinct Smartwatch
$165.00
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Garmin is hands down the best smartwatch if outdoor adventures are your jam. For hiking in the backcountry, running trails, and camping well off the beaten path, the Instinct’s features have you covered.
For starters, there’s a three-axis compass and barometric altimeter, along with coverage from the three major global navigational systems—GPS, Glonass, and Galileo. There’s also a trackback feature and pre-hike route planning through the Garmin app.
This smartwatch is tested to military standards and water-resistant to 100 meters, plus it offers standard health-monitoring features. Battery life is also impressive, with up to 40 hours in battery-saver mode, 16 hours with GPS turned on, and up to 14 days in smartwatch mode.
7) Fenix 6X Sapphire
$399.99
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The Fenix 6X Sapphire is the smartwatch to buy if you’re an all-around when it comes to sports. It’s ideal for running, hiking, and HIIT workouts. It’s particularly good for skiing as it comes preloaded with maps from more than 2,000 worldwide ski resorts as well as advanced support for altitude acclimation at high elevations.
The smartwatch is also built for performance, featuring a large display that’s easy to read in direct sunlight, a scratch-resistant crystal face, and a choice of stainless steel or diamond-like carbon-coated bezels.
Other highlights include advanced training features for grade-adjusted pace guidance and global navigational system coverage from multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, Glonass, and Galileo). The battery life is also impressive: up to 80 days on the lowest power setting.
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8) Versa 3 Smartwatch
$155.95
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The original Fitbit debuted in 2009 as simple health and fitness tracker. Since then, the brand has come a long way, launching its first smartwatch in 2017. Fast-forward a couple years to the Versa 3’s debut, which is by far its best model yet.
The smartwatch is compatible with iOS and Android and features all the basic must-haves and then some. Along with daily workout recommendations, built-in GPS, and built-in Alexa and Google Assistant, there’s also a 24/7 heart rate monitor and sleep tracker.
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The Versa 3’s main drawback is battery life, maxing out at 12 hours with GPS turned on. Still, it’s a solid smartwatch for most people, and reasonably priced to boot.
