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I’ve been using a smartwatch since 2015, when my sister gifted me the first Apple Watch. At the time, I liked its convenience, but now I struggle to imagine my life without a smartwatch. In addition to being an excellent fitness tracker, it’s become integral to how I go about my day. I use voice input to jot down quick notes and ideas, and I skip or favorite tracks with it on Spotify as I blitz through chores around the house.
To be honest, if you’re just looking for basic tracking for workouts and sleep, you may be better off with a more affordable fitness tracker. But smartwatches can not only do everything fitness trackers do, they also provide some of the functionality of your phone. They can even be used without your phone to make or receive calls and respond to texts if you need to run a quick errand (though you’ll need it to sync things or have a cellular plan for your watch), download music for offline playback, and mirror your phone’s notifications so you don’t have to reach into your pocket for every ping. Most smartwatches can also download third-party apps, like the fitness tracker Strava, a sleep tracker, or even an app to make voice-to-text notes. Most flagship smartwatches also allow you to make contactless payments straight from your wrist, plus access membership cards and airline tickets for more convenient scanning. If you want to listen to music on a run without having to carry your phone, you can pair a smartwatch with Bluetooth headphones as well. Most fitness trackers don’t offer all those features in one package.
Picking a smartwatch isn’t as simple as buying the best-looking or most feature-packed one you can find. In addition to finding a stylish design that you like, you’ll want one that has the right health-tracking features for you, and one that integrates well into your smartphone’s ecosystem. That means being able to see and react to notifications from your wrist, sync apps and data between your phone and watch, and having some sort of voice assistant built in.
To make things easier for you, I tested nearly every flagship smartwatch available over the course of a year and a half. I also spoke with a marathon runner, a smartwatch reviewer, and a fitness writer to make sure I left no stone unturned. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just looking to spend a little less time looking at your phone, I’ve found the best smartwatch for every kind of person, in both major ecosystems.
Update on November 5, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
What we’re looking for
Platform support
Every time I think about switching to Android, I remember how tethered my life is to the Apple Watch now. Over the past few years, the big three companies in the smartphone space — Apple, Samsung, and Google — have started treating smartwatches as a way to further lock you into their respective platforms. Victoria Song, senior reviewer at the Verge, says that approach makes things tricky for consumers. “Your smartwatch has a very close relationship to your phone because it’s there to make you look at your phone less, and if it’s not a stand-alone device, you’re more tied to your phone,” she says, “so think about how married you are to your phone and its ecosystem; that’ll tell you which smartwatch is best for you.”
Thomas Watson, editor and running coach at Marathon Handbook, echoes that sentiment. “It’s also a big deal because there’s a big switching cost if you change devices. If you’ve used one platform for a couple of years, you’ve built up swathes of personal health and fitness data on that platform,” he says. “Changing to another manufacturer will probably mean you can’t port all that information straight over and may lose it.” The solution, he suggests, is to think long-term about what brand you’ll still be happy with in a few years and which one you’ll trust with all your health data.
Given the commitment a smartwatch requires, that sort of longevity is important — you want one that’ll get plenty of software updates for both security and new features, as well as support all the apps you want to run. To avoid having your new smartwatch left in the dust when new features arrive, Song suggests staying clear of watches with anything but the newest chip, even if you can find one for a good discount. She also recommends paying attention to the watches that have a third-party app ecosystem (an app store that’ll let you download apps like Strava or Spotify), as they’ll offer more capabilities than a watch without one.
If you like to keep all your personal data close to the chest, a smartwatch probably isn’t for you, Song says. Even an Apple Watch, with all of Apple’s promises of protecting your personal data, can’t protect you once you hand that data over to a third party like Strava or Peloton. “Once you use their HealthKit API with another app, all bets are off,” Song says. “Apple doesn’t have control over what that third party does with your data.”
Health and fitness tracking
Most smartwatches these days flaunt pretty robust capabilities for tracking workouts and overall health. Companies like Apple and Samsung highlight features like ECG (electrocardiogram) and blood-oxygen monitoring, as well as sleep tracking and even fall detection. These flagship watches will have more health-related features than cheaper models, but for more serious monitoring like heart health, Song says those features don’t mean much, although she suggests making sure any watch featuring ECG capabilities be FDA-cleared.
Casey Johnston, author of the She’s a Beast newsletter, says tracking all that data can be useful for athletes training for specific cardio-based workouts, but that for regular people just looking to be a little more healthy, it can be more detrimental than helpful when taken too seriously. “Virtually all long-range studies on workout-tracking via smartwatches have shown that, while the tracking can be exciting and motivating feedback maybe at first, the feeling wanes for almost everyone,” she says. “Most people need a more personal or impactful reward than data in order to achieve long-term adherence to exercise.”
Watson agrees. “While this information is undoubtedly valuable, unless you’re competing for a podium position in your field and working with a coach who can interpret all the data, focusing too much on the myriad of metrics available can take your mind further away from where it should be: on the activity in hand.” With this in mind, I use my phone’s health data as a general point of reference to notice trends over time but don’t pay too much attention to the nitty-gritty details.
Battery life
Flagship smartwatches can have a battery life ranging anywhere from 18 to 65 hours, depending on your usage and if there’s a low-power mode. Fitness trackers, on the other hand, often have days-long battery life, though they sacrifice more powerful software features like app-syncing and voice assistants.
You should also look for a smartwatch that supports quick charging. If you only charge overnight, that might not seem like an important feature with a fresh watch, but batteries deteriorate over time and you’ll need to plug it in more often, so you’ll want a watch that’s with you for the long haul. This has come in handy for me when I’ve needed to top off my aging watch before a night out, especially on days where I tracked a workout.
Water/dust resistance
Unlike smartphones, smartwatches don’t have the benefit of being protected by something like your pocket, bag, or a protective case. They’re exposed on your wrist all the time, leaving them more vulnerable to damage from falls, general clumsiness, or unfortunate weather.
Most smartwatches will come with an IP (Ingress Protection) rating, which indicates how resistant they are to water and dust. The higher the IP rating, the better the protection. Some watches use the more traditional water-resistance rating, given in atmospheres (ATM) of pressure.
Screen size
The bigger your watch’s screen, the easier it’ll be to read at a distance. At the same time, bigger screens may look and feel more obtrusive on your wrist, depending on your wrist size (I have fairly small wrists and even larger screens feel fine to me, so your mileage may vary). Smartwatch sizes usually range from 36 to 46 mm., but if you’re unsure of which size to go with on models with multiple options, it’s best to go into a store and see how each looks on your wrist before taking the plunge.
Cellular support
Many smartwatches offer both GPS-only and cellular models of their flagship smartphones. The Bluetooth-only models (sometimes labeled as the GPS model) can only receive notifications and new information when in close proximity to your phone, while the cellular options allow you to take a call from your wrist even if you’ve left your phone behind. Typically, you’ll need to pay an additional fee for your watch to access a cellular network, so keep that in mind. Do note, though, that you don’t need a cellular model to track workouts without your phone nearby; if you go on a run or bike ride (or any other activity your watch can track), the watch will sync that data when you’re back near your phone.
Best smartwatch overall for iOS
Platform support: iOS | Health and fitness tracking: Blood oxygen, heart rate, and irregular heartbeat, ECG monitoring (FDA cleared), ovulation cycle, sleep cycle, fall and crash detection, and workout tracking for walks, runs, cycling, and strength training | Battery life: 18 hours (36 hours in low-power mode) | Water/dust resistance: IP6X | Display size: 42-mm. and 46-mm. models | Cellular support: Bluetooth only and cellular models
I’ve been using an Apple Watch since 2015, and it’s still my favorite option. The Series 10 is the latest version and came out in September. I’ve been using it for about a month, and the experience is nearly identical to last year’s Series 9 (which I loved), but it has some minor improvements that’ll give it more longevity. Both models got a new water-temperature sensor, a faster processor, a new titanium finish, and a slight increase in screen size, putting them at 42- and 46-mm.
The Series 10 is truly a case of the best for most — whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, sleep-data nerd, or just someone who likes to check your notifications without pulling out your phone. It has all the basic functions of a good fitness tracker, including monitoring for runs, bike rides, and strength training. That, paired with its passive monitoring of things like your steps and heart rate, make it a viable option for those who like to keep an eye on their health but don’t need precise data about today’s run being faster than yesterday’s. On the health front, the Series 10 can monitor your blood-oxygen levels (though it’s not a diagnostic tool), your heart rate (and any irregular rhythms), and your ovulation cycle.
The display features an always-on screen that’s bright enough to see even in full sunlight and provides information at a glance without having to raise your wrist. Apple says it can last up to 18 hours on a single charge and can go as long as 36 hours when kept in low-power mode, though that disables the always-on display, heart-rate and blood-pressure monitoring, and automatic workout tracking. I usually charge mine once a day to be safe, but you can get about a day and a half out of it if you need to.
If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll get the best smartwatch experience with an Apple Watch: It integrates better with iOS than a third-party watch. No other watch that works with the iPhone will allow you to download apps from the App Store, which can significantly expand your watch’s capabilities.
Best less-expensive smartwatch for iOS
![Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS 40mm]](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/52d/56a/43f7ca08addedbfccd4614b0e81d06d204.2x.rsquare.w600.jpg)
Platform support: iOS | Health and fitness tracking: Heart rate and irregular heartbeat, ovulation cycle, sleep cycle, fall and crash detection, and workout tracking for walks, runs, cycling, swimming, and strength training | Battery life: 18 hours | Water/dust resistance: IP6X, water-resistant up to 50 meters | Display size: 40-mm. and 44-mm. models | Cellular support: Bluetooth-only and cellular models
If you’re new to the smartwatch game or are an intermediate athlete who doesn’t need every metric possible, you should consider the more affordable Apple Watch SE. It starts out $200 cheaper than the Series 10, comes in slightly smaller 40-mm. and 44-mm. sizes, lacks ECG and blood-oxygen monitoring, and doesn’t have an always-on display.
That said, it still covers all the bases of a good smartwatch. It can track your workouts, monitor your heart rate for peaks and lows as well as irregular rhythms, and track sleep and ovulation cycles (though the Series 10 also has the ability to give retrospective ovulation estimates), plus fall and crash detection.
Best (more expensive) smartwatch for iOS
Platform support: iOS | Health and fitness tracking: Heart rate and irregular heartbeat, ovulation cycle, sleep cycle, fall and crash detection, and workout tracking for walks, runs, cycling, swimming, and strength training | Battery life: 36 hours standard, up to 72 hours in low power mode | Water/dust resistance: IP6X | Display size: 49-mm. | Cellular support: Bluetooth-only and cellular models
When the Apple Watch Ultra debuted in 2022, I assured myself I wouldn’t need the extra features and that I’d be perfectly content with my Series 8. Then in 2023, after a week of testing the Apple Watch Ultra 2, I immediately started rearranging my budget. Its bigger screen, longer battery life, more durable design, and additional Action Button for quickly triggering workouts have left me reconsidering which model I’ll be upgrading to. I think it outpaces the series 10. However, I don’t think the price point merits a best-in-class designation.
The Ultra 2’s 49-mm. display may seem alarmingly large, but even with my fairly small wrists, the display never feels cumbersome or overly flashy. The extra screen space allows for a more information-dense watch face that can display more complications (widgets) on a single screen to show you the weather conditions, your daily tasks, calendar events, or sleep and fitness tracking. Even if you’re not heavy on fitness, you may appreciate the extra room if you hate squinting down at your wrist.
The Ultra 2 has an additional button on the left side of the display known as the Action Button. You can program it to quickly trigger a workout, timer, the watch’s flashlight mode, or run a custom Shortcut automation.
Unlike the standard Apple Watch, the Ultra 2 is a bit trickier to fit to your wrist. If it’s not set right (the position will depend on your wrist), it can dig into your skin a bit, which causes a good deal of discomfort. That’s not an issue once you figure out your sweet spot, but it’s not as straightforward as other smartwatches.
The Series 10 is still an excellent option for most smartwatch users, but the Ultra 2’s additional tweaks make it worthwhile for anyone who truly swears by getting things done on their wrist.
Best smartwatch overall for Samsung phone users
![Samsung Galaxy Watch7 - 40mm [GPS]](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/aa2/325/b05f5ba4b245da3f917a0638732c01c0db.2x.rsquare.w600.jpg)
Platform support: Android | Health and fitness tracking: Heart rate and ECG monitoring (FDA-cleared), sleep cycle, and workout tracking for walks, runs, cycling, and strength training | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Water/dust resistance: IP68 | Display size: 40-mm. and 44-mm. options | Cellular support: Bluetooth-only and cellular models
If you’re on Android, especially a Samsung device, the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 is the best smartwatch you can get. It works with any Android device that runs at least version 8 of Android, making it more compatible with other devices than an Apple Watch (though it’s still tied to Android). Its 44-mm. casing didn’t look too big or small on my wrist and made glancing at notifications from a distance squint free. The Watch7 is slightly larger than last year’s model and has a larger display that is easier to read, but it still looks good and fits comfortably on the wrist.
On the fitness front, the Watch7 has all the same features as last year’s Watch6, including workout tracking for runs, swims, and bike rides; sleep tracking; and heart-rate monitoring. You can use the watch without using Samsung’s Health app (which has features like turn-by-turn directions while hiking or cycling), but not all features are accessible outside Samsung’s first-party apps, which you’ll have to use for things such as ECG monitoring and sleep-apnea detection. Overall, you’ll have to use two apps to totally manage the watch (Galaxy Wearable and Samsung Health). If you’re already in the Samsung ecosystem, that won’t be too much of a hassle, but you’ll have to deal with a bit more friction if you’re on a Google Pixel or other Android device.
As with any smartwatch, battery life will vary depending on your usage. The more fitness tracking you do, the more you’ll drain your battery. Things like the always-on display and push notifications will affect battery life, too. In general, though, even on days when I used the Watch7 to track my long bike rides, I managed to get about a day out of a single charge with a bit of juice to spare, so I’d recommend recharging it every night before bed.
Unlike last year’s Galaxy Watch, this year’s lineup doesn’t have a Classic model, which included a physical dial to navigate the system. It was one of my favorite features of the Watch6 Classic, and I missed it while testing the Watch7. The Galaxy Watch Ultra (Samsung’s equivalent of the Apple Watch Ultra 2) has a dial, but that model is significantly more expensive than the Watch7. It’s a great option for those who love to track their health metrics, but those who just want a smartwatch with a fun dial have one fewer option than last year.
Best smartwatch for non-Samsung Android users
Platform support: Android | Health and fitness tracking: Heart rate and ECG (FDA cleared), sleep cycle, and workout tracking for walks, runs, cycling, and fall detection | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Water/dust resistance: IP68 | Display size: 41-mm. and 45-mm. | Cellular support: Bluetooth-only and cellular models
While I liked last year’s Pixel Watch 2, this year’s Watch 3 is an improvement in nearly every way. I tested it for two weeks while trying out Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and in that time, it became my favorite Android-friendly smartwatch. The watch’s screen — which features a domed display that gives it a unique look compared to the flat screen of the Galaxy Watch7 — now comes in both 41-mm. and 45-mm. sizes, which is a noteworthy improvement over Google’s single-size offering on the Pixel Watch 2. Like Apple and Samsung’s flagship smartwatches, the Pixel Watch 3 features an always-on display (which is brighter than the Watch 2’s), all-day battery life, robust fitness tracking, and better notification management than Apple’s software.
On the health front, it can monitor your heart rate for irregular rhythms (with FDA-approved ECG alerts), has sleep and workout tracking, comes with six free months of Fitbit Premium, and has Fitbit integrations like more accurate heart-rate monitoring, A-fib detection, stress monitoring, and sleep tracking. It’ll also track your heart rate in “zones” depending on the intensity of your workout and give you guidance on pacing to prevent you from pushing yourself too far. Just like the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch 3 can automatically start tracking workouts when it notices a spike in your activity, so you can quickly toggle the watch into workout mode once you’ve already started.
This year’s Pixel Watch also has some nifty new fitness updates, such as custom or AI-generated running workouts, cardio-load measurements, a running dashboard with form analysis, and loss-of-pulse detection (only in Europe for now).
Last year, I praised Google’s Pixel Watch 2 for not having any features exclusive to the Pixel line of phones. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with this year’s model. It’s still true that the Pixel Watch 3 works better with Android devices made by manufacturers other than Samsung, but some minor features only work when paired with a Pixel phone. For instance, you can now unlock a Pixel phone automatically using the Pixel Watch 3 without having to use any biometrics or passcodes, just like on the Apple Watch, but this won’t work if you have a non-Pixel Android phone.
Best for fitness tracking
Platform support: iOS and Android | Health and fitness tracking: Heart rate and ECG monitoring (FDA-cleared), sleep cycle and menstrual cycle tracking, and workout tracking for walks, runs, cycling, golfing, swimming, and fall detection | Battery life: Up to 11 days | Water/dust resistance: 5 ATM (water resistant up to 50 meters) | Display size: 30.4-mm. | Cellular support: Bluetooth-only
If you’re not sure whether you can commit to Android or iOS for more than a year or two, or you like to lean heavily into the fitness aspect of wearables, get Garmin’s Vívoactive 5, which works with both operating systems.
Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa recommends this running watch for its subtle design and ability to track 25 different types of workouts, including cardio, HIIT, yoga, elliptical training, Pilates, golfing, cycling, and swimming, which is just a bit more than the other smartwatches we recommend.
In addition to being a solid fitness tracker, the Vívoactive 5 has the longest battery life of any watch on this list, and it’s not even close. This watch can last for up to 11 days on a single charge, meaning you might not even have to worry about bringing a charger with you if you’re just going on a weekend trip.
In exchange for longer battery life, you do lose the integration that true smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch offer. You won’t be able to download the same apps, make payments from your wrist, or unlock your phone without passcodes or biometrics; notification interactions are also more limited than what you can get with a first-party smartwatch. If you’re mostly looking to track your workouts and stay on top of your health data, Garmin’s tech can’t be beat, but you won’t get a full-blown smartwatch experience. For that, it’s best to go with one of our other recommendations.
Our experts
- Casey Johnston, writer of She’s a Beast
- Victoria Song, senior reviewer at the Verge
- Thomas Watson, ultrarunner and editor-in-chief of Marathon Handbook
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