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Best for iPhone Owners
Apple Watch Series 9
Best for Samsung Owners
Samsung Galaxy Watch7
Best for Android Owners
Google Pixel Watch 2
Best Fitness Watch
Garmin Vivomove Trend
A great timepiece doesn’t just display the time of day, it can elevate your outfit and make you feel good. The best smartwatches can do even more, from tracking your workouts and measuring your heart rate to serving up notifications and access to voice assistants. While you’re wearing a connected watch, you can leave your phone in your pocket and use your wrist for simple tasks.
The Apple Watch is our favorite for iPhone owners, but Samsung’s Galaxy Watch7 and Google’s Pixel Watch 2 are great wearables for anyone on Android. We also like several other options—in various styles and with different levels of smarts. Below is a roundup of the best smartwatches we’ve tested. Looking for a fitness or sleep tracker instead? We’ve got plenty more options in our Best Fitness Trackers, Best Fitbits, Best Garmin Watches, and Best Sleep Trackers guides.
Updated July 2024: We’ve added the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch7, and CMF Watch Pro 2.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Best for iPhone Owners
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch money can buy. It has the best operating system, WatchOS, with plenty of apps to help reduce the number of times you need to pull out your phone. The Series 9 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is nearly identical to its predecessor, the Series 8, but can process Siri requests on the device, making it snappier and more private (unless Siri needs to access the web for the answer). That means you can ask the voice assistant about your health data from the week prior and get results quickly. This is thanks to the S9 chip, which is more efficient and delivers slightly better battery life—you’ll still need to regularly recharge the watch. The most exciting new addition is Double Tap. You can tap two fingers together on your watch hand to accept or reject calls, reply to messages, start or end timers, and more. It’s super handy.
There’s a new second-gen ultra-wideband chipset, which can help you precisely locate your iPhone at greater range. As usual, the health features remain robust. There’s an FDA-cleared electrocardiogram sensor, plus you can measure oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2)—helpful for athletes training at altitude or anyone with an underlying health condition. However, this feature is no longer available in the US on Apple Watches sold after January 18, 2024, due to a patent dispute. Our Best Apple Watch guide has more details, and check out our Apple Watch Accessories guide for extras.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Best for Samsung Owners
Samsung Galaxy Watch7
The Galaxy Watch7 is the latest iteration in Samsung’s smartwatch lineup, and I really like the refined and simple rounded design—the accented 20-mm straps add a nice touch, especially the green (though you can swap them if you want). The smartwatch experience gets more elevated every year, and this year’s model infuses some artificial intelligence algorithms to improve your health tracking data, like the Energy Score and updated sleep tracking capabilities. The former gives you a nice number at the start of your day, and I found it helpful to dig through the data and see whether I should push myself or take a break. The sleep tracking offers a lot of information, but I did notice a few times when it had a gap in my data because it stopped tracking mid-sleep. You also get FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, though this isn’t a feature you’ll turn on all the time—it takes two nights to track and afterward, you’ll get a note saying whether or not you show symptoms. It’s worth noting that this feature, along with the electrocardiogram and irregular heart rhythm notifications, is only available when paired with a Samsung phone, but otherwise, this watch functions well with any other Android.
There are two sizes you can choose from, and you can opt for a Bluetooth-only model or one with LTE. I tested both sizes and found battery life frustrating compared to older models. With the always-on display, I struggled to hit a full 24 hours with two tracked activities and sleep tracking overnight. With it turned off, things fared a little better, but I was still just barely hitting a full day. You’ll have to baby the battery and utilize the power-saving modes when you can. The rest of the smartwatch is rich and feature-filled. It’s dead simple to check notifications, respond to messages, and even control your smart home devices via SmartThings or Google Home. If you keep the charger handy, the Galaxy Watch7 is very nice companion.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Best for Android Owners
Google Pixel Watch 2
Note: Google is expected to announce the Pixel Watch 3 soon on August 13, so I recommend holding off until we see what’s new. You’ll likely see some steep discounts on the Pixel Watch 2.
The original Pixel Watch was missing a lot of features when it launched, but Google slowly added them over a year. That means the Pixel Watch 2 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has nearly everything you’d want. There’s auto-start and auto-stop workout detection, fall detection, SpO2 measurements, and even a redesigned Fitbit app that looks much more modern. Google has even added Safety Check, allowing you to share your location with emergency contacts if you don’t respond after a certain time. A Body Response feature can also detect good and bad stress and offer ways to cope, like with a guided breathing session. And newer updates since have added features like Car Crash Detection and Bicycle Fall Detection.
This is easily still the prettiest smartwatch in my eyes, and it’s super comfy on the wrist. It also nails its health and fitness features, from reliable heart rate and sleep-tracking data to an improved workout screen that shows you the most important information at a glance, including heart rate zones. You can take electrocardiograms and monitor for an irregular heart rate too. The battery life is unfortunately just OK—it’ll last about a day—and this watch is also not repairable. If you have issues, you’ll have to get a replacement under the one-year warranty. I also don’t love that it has yet another proprietary charger that is different from the original Pixel Watch charger, though it does juice up the smartwatch quicker.
Comes in a 41-mm size.
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Photograph: Garmin
Best Fitness Watch
Garmin Vivomove Trend
Fitness watches are typically not as sleek or simple to operate as more robust smartwatches, but the Vivomove Trend (8/10, WIRED Recommends) oozes elegance. This is also the first Garmin to include wireless charging, which means you’re now free to ditch your annoying Garmin plug-in charger.
The watch has it all—wireless charging, blood oxygen measurements, sleep tracking, auto-activity tracking, and Garmin’s proprietary and excellent algorithms for measuring your fitness. It’s a little clunky to operate—it’s not anywhere near as feature-rich as the other smartwatches above—but that might be OK if you prioritize battery life, as this tracker can last five days on a single charge. Read our Best Fitness Watches guide for more recommendations.
Comes in a 40.4-mm size.
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Photograph: Adrienne So
Best Kids’ Watch
Fitbit Ace LTE
There are a lot of poor-quality kids’ smartwatches—with potentially dangerous vulnerabilities. That’s why we’re a little more comfortable recommending the Fitbit Ace LTE (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Google-owned Fitbit promises not to store children’s health data for research, and it will delete location history after 24 hours and all health data after 30 days. This watch requires a subscription to Fitbit Ace ($10 per month), but that includes cellular connectivity, so you don’t need to add it to your carrier’s cellular plan. You can set contacts and your kids can make phone calls and texts through the watch to the Fitbit Ace app, and they can share their location via Google Maps.
Fitbit is bringing the gamified fitness tracking experience that adults are used to for kids with Fitbit Arcade, and there’s even a Tamagotchi-like virtual character (Eejie) your kids can take care of. These games are time-based, so your kids can hit their activity goals by completing them, and the parental controls let you set limits, like School Time, which locks down many of the watch’s features. It’s a great way for your kid to go out and be independent, while also giving you the peace of mind in knowing how to reach and find them—without the problems that come with giving them a smartphone at such a young age.
Comes in a 40-mm size.
★ An alternative: The second-gen Apple Watch SE ($219) is a nice option for kids if you set it up for them via Apple’s Family Setup. It doesn’t come with fancy features like the electrocardiogram, the always-on display, or the skin temperature capabilities, though it does have fall detection. You can find your kids through Find My and message through the usual messaging apps, but the parental controls on the SE are not as robust.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Best Cheap Smartwatch
CMF Watch Pro 2
CMF is a sub-brand by Nothing, and its Watch Pro 2 is shockingly good value. It looks attractive (very minimalist!), and you can swap out the strap or even the bezel shape if you’d like. This is one of the rare sub-$100 smartwatches I like wearing that feels great on the wrist. So many of them look so bland and lack personality.
It runs a proprietary operating system, but it works with both iPhones and Android devices. I’ve been able to view notifications from my phone (you can only respond to some with canned responses), and the heart rate and sleep tracking have been exceptionally accurate for a budget device, even if it takes a little longer to process and show you the results. My step count, however, has been considerably off compared to higher-end smartwatches. You can track exercises with it, and it even has GPS to provide mapping data, though the details are pretty basic and there’s no additional context to the numbers. You can also control music playback, change watch faces (they’re all very pretty on the AMOLED display), and check the weather. The app is slick, though I have noticed the watch tends to get disconnected, so some notifications don’t come through all the time. Sometimes, the screen on the watch gets stuck on one screen and I have to press the crown to go back to the home screen. These are fairly minor quibbles, especially considering the excellent 10-day battery life I was able to hit. I went to Paris for a few days and came back, and I didn’t even bring the charger. It’s rare to find this kind of value for $69.
Comes in a 33.5-mm size.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Great Battery Life
OnePlus Watch 2
The OnePlus Watch 2 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is great for anyone with an Android phone looking for a Wear OS smartwatch that prioritizes battery life. It can last roughly three days on a single charge, a little more if you enable some power-saving settings. Technically, this watch is powered by two chipsets and two operating systems to enable this feat of battery longevity, but the user experience is very similar to that of the Galaxy Watch6 or Pixel Watch 2, just with OnePlus taking the helm on the health and fitness features. And one of its most underrated features is the charger—you can plug any USB-C cord into it, so you don’t have to set up a new cable somewhere. It’s worth noting that this is a large watch, so consider it carefully if you have small wrists.
Health capabilities are lacking—there’s no fall detection or electrocardiogram—but there’s sleep tracking, and it’s generally pretty accurate. Some features, like heart-rate tracking, distance traveled, and steps, have mixed accuracy in our testing, which means you shouldn’t buy this smartwatch if you’re primarily using it for those functions. Otherwise, I was able to control my smart home devices via Google Home, control my music playback, respond to Slack messages, and delete those pesky emails—all without having to take my phone out of my pocket. OnePlus has since unveiled a cheaper version, the OnePlus Watch 2R, but I haven’t tested it yet.
Comes in a 46-mm size.
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Photograph: Apple
Best for iPhone Weekend Warriors
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Frequently escaping to the hills every weekend? If your activities often take you to remote areas in rough terrain, then it might be smart to pony up for the expensive, uber-durable, and gigantic Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). A bigger watch means a bigger battery—we got nearly four days with normal use. The Ultra 2 has better mics than the Series 9 to pick up your voice, an 86-decibel siren to alert your position to anyone nearby, and a more precise GPS to better track your hikes (plus help you find your way back with the Backtrack feature). There’s a spare customizable button on the left side called the Action Button, which you can use to trigger an activity of your choosing. It’s made of titanium, and the case rises up to protect the edges of the display, which is also covered with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
New in the Ultra 2 is the ability for the screen to hit a crazy bright 3,000 nits, which is a little overkill and really only meant for extreme situations. This smartwatch is faster, with the same new S9 chipset as the Series 9, supports Double Tap, and Siri processes basic interactions much more quickly. You can see topographic maps on the screen, but there’s still no way to view offline maps without an iPhone.
Comes in a 49-mm size.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
For Samsung Loyalists
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra (7/10, WIRED Review) is the company’s Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin competitor, and it’s a solid first entry into the world of pricey, feature-rich, and powerful smartwatches designed for professional athletes. It lasts a little over two days on a charge because it’s a big 47-mm watch and can pack a beefy battery. There’s a titanium case and sapphire glass face, plus it’s rated to 10 ATM and IP68, so you can submerge it up to 100 meters underwater. The heart rate tracker is remarkably consistent with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the dual-band GPS delivers accurate mapping. The software isn’t as intuitive, and a few features are lacking when compared to other performance smartwatches, but this is a good start if you’re in the world of Android.
Comes in a 47-mm size.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
The Calculator Watch
Casio CA53W-1CR Calculator Watch
It’s a calculator … on a watch. How much smarter can you get? Seriously, the buttons might be tiny, but you can calculate how much your tip will be when grabbing the bill at the restaurant, and everyone will marvel at your brilliance. This cheapo watch from Casio is a classic—it’s comfy and lightweight—and you can cycle through a few modes, including a stopwatch, an alarm, and a second time zone. There’s a five-year battery life, and the fully automatic calendar goes through the year 2099 (that’s 15 battery changes).
Comes in a 43-mm size.
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Photograph: Withings
An Analog-Looking Smartwatch
Withings ScanWatch 2
Withings’ ScanWatch 2 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) can pass for an analog watch. Its health-tracking feature set is comprehensive—you get heart rate monitoring, an electrocardiogram, blood oxygen measurements, and sleep tracking. Battery life is stellar too, as it can live up to 30 days with light use. (Heavier usage will see roughly 22 days before needing a charge.)
The main problem is the tiny display on this watch, which is too small to read some notifications. The GPS is also connected, meaning it requires your phone to be tethered and nearby. There’s an optional Health+ subscription, but we’d advise against it, as it doesn’t offer much utility. The ScanWatch 2, like the Garmin Vivomove Trend, doesn’t have the rich features and apps you’ll find on the likes of an Apple Watch, but if you just want to monitor your health data—and you don’t want your watch to look too techy—this will do the job.
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Photograph: Casio
Best Barely Smart Watch
Casio ProTrek PRW-61
I had this Casio on my wrist for more than a month and used one of its handful of functions every single day, something I can’t say for many smartwatches. I used the stopwatch to track my rest intervals between sets at the gym. I set my world time to New Delhi, India, the time zone my sister is in. I’ve used the compass to navigate when I emerge from the subway in New York City and can’t get my bearings, and I’ve learned to read the barometer—mostly just to see how cool it is to predict the weather without having to ask a voice assistant.
I love how this watch looks. It’s rugged and outdoorsy, but still relatively classy. Even better, it’s incredibly comfortable to wear. Seriously, I never took it off in the month I tested it. It’s been fine in the shower and through workouts. I love that it’s made of biomass plastics from regenerative resources, such as castor seeds and corn. Don’t let that worry you about durability; I’ve been through a move, dinging it on various walls, and got paint on it, and yet it looks pristine. The dial is easy to read—the indices glow or you can press a button right below the case to light ’em all up for nighttime visibility. And you never need to recharge it. Casio’s Tough Solar tech means it recharges itself via sunlight.
Comes in a 47.4-mm size.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Other Watches Worth Considering
Honorable Mentions
The number of smartwatches on the market is staggering. I’ve tested models from Tag Heuer, Citizen, Montblanc, and many other fashion brands, but most of them are simply too expensive for what you get. Here are a few options I like.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic for $200 and $279: Why not save some cash and buy last year’s smartwatches from Samsung? The Galaxy Watch6 series came in multiple flavors (7/10, WIRED Recommends), as in you could choose from two sizes in the standard version and two sizes in the Classic model, which featured a mechanical rotating bezel to scroll through the interface. Just remember that while these work with any Android phone, only Samsung phone owners can enjoy electrocardiograms and irregular heart rate alerts. The larger size Classic lasted two full days for me, and a day and a half with the always-on display.
Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro 5 Enduro for $350: A smartwatch’s design is important. You have to enjoy wearing it! Unfortunately, I feel absolutely nothing with Mobvoi’s latest watch; the Enduro is just plain boring. That’s a shame because it’s a solid Wear OS watch that’s snappy and can deliver a whopping four days of battery life on a single charge thanks to the company’s clever dual-display technology (it uses a low-power panel for the always-on screen, and an OLED for when you start interacting with it). The other problem? This watch runs Wear OS 3.5, whereas the latest version is Wear OS 4. Mobvoi has a spotty track record in issuing updates to its devices in a timely fashion, and I don’t expect that to change here.
Apple Watch Series 8 for $307: If you can find the 2022 Apple Watch Series 8 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) for a good deal less than the Series 9 (under $300), you should snag it. It’s nearly identical to the latest model, especially the health features. Save your cash!
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Photograph: Montblanc
Avoid These Smartwatches
No Thanks
Not every smartwatch is a winner. Here are a few ones we’ve tried that aren’t worth the dough.
Fossil Smartwatches: Fossil has officially exited the smartwatch business, yet it still sells many on its storefront. I highly recommend you skip those models as they will not get many updates (if any).
Montblanc Summit 3 for $1,270: This is a beautiful (and large) smartwatch, and it runs Wear OS 3, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth the high price. There’s no speaker, no Google Assistant, and the fitness features feel half-baked. It just doesn’t offer all that much other than a pretty face.
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Photograph: Natalya Trofimchuk/Getty Images
Swap Your Straps
Fresh Band
You don’t need to stick with the strap you get in the box! Nearly every smartwatch these days has straps that can easily be swapped out. Apple Watches and Google’s Pixel Watch have a proprietary strap system, but analog watch straps will work for others, making your options nearly endless. All you need to do is figure out the strap size of your smartwatch. You can usually find this on the back of the strap itself (you’ll see “20 mm” or just “22”), or you can check the manual or the website you purchased the watch from. It’s an easy way to further match your timepiece to your look.
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Photograph: Fitbit
Fitness Trackers vs. Smartwatches
What’s the Difference?
If you don’t see an option here, you might have better luck in our Best Fitness Trackers guide. It depends on what you are looking for. Smartwatches typically replicate many of the functions found in your smartphone via apps—you can control smart home functions, start conversations via WhatsApp, respond to Slack messages, and call up smart assistants like Siri or Google Assistant to ask almost anything. This is in conjunction with the standard health and fitness tracking features, plus a more familiar touchscreen interface. However, the downside is the battery life typically lasts a day or two, if not a little more.
Fitness trackers, on the other hand, aren’t as feature-rich. You typically won’t be able to access many other apps. Yes, there’s the ability to read emails and texts, control music playback, or even access tap-to-pay features, but you’re generally much more restricted. The screens are often smaller, but they deliver the same if not better health- and fitness-tracking capabilities (depending on the model) than smartwatches. Battery life is where fitness trackers win out, typically lasting days if not a week. If battery life and fitness and health are top of mind, get a fitness tracker. But if you want rich notifications, the ability to respond to them, and the option to access apps without having to pull out your phone, a smartwatch is the better pick.
Julian Chokkattu is a senior reviews editor at WIRED, and has been covering personal technology and reviewing consumer products for nearly a decade. He specializes in smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, and covers augmented and virtual reality devices, office chairs, electric scooters, home office equipment, and more. Previously he was the… Read more
