These smart watches track your activity, display your notifications, and do plenty more than just track time and look nice.

Its 2020. If your watch isnt at the very least tracking your steps, it belongs in a museum. The era of the smartwatch is well and truly upon us, and theres a plethora of options out there to fit every wrist and need.Of course, any good smartwatch will do far more than step tracking: notifications, music control, sleep tracking theres heaps on offer. Here are the best smartwatches you can buy right now.TL;DR These are the Best Smart Watches:
1. Apple Watch Series 5
Best Smart Watch
Size: 44mm, 40mm Thickness: 10.7mm Display: LTPO OLED (1,000 nits) Processor: 64-bit dual-core S5 processor Storage: 32GB Battery Life: 18 hours Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer Connectivity: Cellular (optional), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Water Resistance: Up to 50m
Not only the most famous smartwatch, Apples wearable is also the best. Just one problem: it only works with iPhones. Still with us? Great.The Apple Watch Series 5 gets two things right. First, its incredibly easy to use, with a nice smooth interface. Its not perfect, but good enough that your grandparents will be able to use it. Second, its absolutely jam-packed with health and fitness features, from workout tracking to an electrocardiogram monitor that will alert you if it detects signs of atrial fibrillation an irregular heartbeat that can lead to other serious conditions.
The Series 5 model also has an (optional) always-on display so you can always see the time. Granted, not something that your dumb wristwatch struggles with, but Apple has managed to pull it off without it hammering the battery life. Its a big deal, trust us.
Speaking of which, the Series 5 nets a little over a day of battery life, which should get you from breakfast to bedtime. Apple doesnt offer sleep tracking for this reason, though there are third-party apps you can try out if thats a must-have.
2. Ticwatch E2
Best budget smartwatch
Size: 47mm Thickness: 13mm Display: Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 Storage: 4GB Battery Life: 2 days Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Water Resistance: Up to 50m
If youre looking for a smartwatch that doesnt break the bank, allow us to recommend the Ticwatch E2. At $160 its less than half the price of an Apple Watch, while still delivering features such as GPS and a waterproof design. In fact, swimming is one of the big selling points of the E2, which can track both your pool workouts and surfing sessions.At 47mm wide and 13mm thick its quite a large watch, one that wont be earning plaudits among the fashionistas. But it has plenty of function, and a battery life that can run to two days.
3. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Best Smart Watch for Android
Size: 44mm, 40mm Thickness: 10.9mm Display: Super AMOLED Processor: Dual-core 1.15GHz processor Storage: 4GB Battery Life: 48 hours Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer Connectivity: Cellular (optional), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Water Resistance: Up to 50m
Most Android-compatible smartwatches run Googles Wear OS platform, but the best one doesnt. Samsungs Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the companys latest and greatest Tizen-powered wearable, and we thoroughly recommended it. It comes in 40mm and 44mm options and in several colours.Samsungs health features now run as deep as Apples too, giving you insight into general trends as well as tracking specific workouts. Theres also the option of LTE if you want it.
Battery life goes a little further than the Apple Watch at two days, but heavier usage will bring this down. If you want the Samsung experience but with better battery life, check out the companys flagship Galaxy Watch, which can stretch up to six days.
4. Garmin Forerunner 945
Best Smart Watch for Runners
Size: 47mm Thickness: 13.7mm Display: Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) Processor: Proprietary Storage: 16GB for maps and activities, 4GB for music Battery Life: 2 weeks, or 36 hours in GPS mode Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer, Thermometer, Pulse Ox Connectivity: Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO Water Resistance: Up to 50m
Garmin is the undisputed trophy-holder for sheer number of wearables to its name. And as far as running and multisport watches go, the Forerunner 945 is top dog. GPS is built in, as is an optical heart rate sensor, onboard maps, a barometric altimeter, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, and a pulse oximeter, which can be helpful when climbing to high altitudes. Phew.In our testing the 945 performed admirably in GPS tracking and monitoring our heart rate. But so focused on fitness is the Forerunner 945 that it falls down on the design. The 945 case is 47mm wide, 13.7mm thick and made from fiber-reinforced polymer; its lightweight and comfortable enough, but it doesnt look very good. Its also quite big.
If you want something more smartwatch-like then the Garmin Venu is a more stylish option with a richer display.
5. Fitbit Versa 2
Best Fitness Smart Watch
Size: 40mm Thickness: 12mm Display: Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) Processor: Proprietary Storage: 4GB (2.5GB available for music storage) Battery Life: 4+ days Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, Altimeter, Relative SpO2 sensor, Accelerometer Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Water Resistance: Up to 50m
Probably the second-most famous wearable company after Apple, Fitbit has been in this business for well over a decade. Yet it was only a couple of years ago that it started churning out smartwatches. The latest of those is the Fitbit Versa 2, a wearable trying its best to go toe-to-toe with Apple and it succeeds for the most part.Like Apple, the Versa 2 has a rounded-square shape. Unlike Apple,however, it only comes in one 40mm size. That still makes it small enough to fit most wrists, and theres a wide range of colors and straps to choose from.
Where Fitbit really stands out is with its range of fitness features which are accessible both on the watch and in Fitbits ever-expanding app. That app delivers a comprehensive overview of your activity over time, from heart rate to step count and calories. And of course, all those workouts you went hard on.
Better still, Fitbit has the best sleep tracking in the business, both from an accuracy and data perspective. And if Fitbits health toolkit isnt enough for you, theres a Premium subscription service that offers up even more insights and guidance. The company is in the process of being acquired by Google, but both companies promise that user data will not be sold for Googles advertising purposes.
6. Skagen Falster 3
Best Looking Smart Watch
Size: 42mm Thickness: 11mm Display: AMOLED Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 Storage: 8GB Battery Life: 1 day Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, Altimeter, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Water Resistance: Up to 30m
Fossil and its licenced brands have been churning out gorgeous smartwatches for quite some time, and it offers the most variety of any brand. But for our money, the Skagen Falster is the best of the bunch.You get the full-blown display, but the design of the watch is quite minimal. Its a unisex 42mm case size with a choice of leather, silicone or metal mesh strap.
There are features like a heart rate monitor and NFC for Google Pay, but sadly Googles health tracking isnt as good as Apples or Fitbits. Thankfully, the Play Store gives you access to third-party apps like Strava that go some way to scratching that itch.
If you want a Wear OS smartwatch that looks the part, the Falster 3 delivers.
7. Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000
Best Rugged Smartwatch
Size: 55mm Thickness: 20.4mm Display: MIP LCD Battery Life: 66 hours (Time Mode + heart rate monitor), 12 months (Time Mode) Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, VO2max, GPS, Magnet (compass), Accelerometer, Altimeter, Barometer, Thermometer Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, GLONASS, Michibiki Water Resistance: Up to 200m
The Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000 is designed to run and run and run wherever you go. It may be one of the chunkiest smartwatches on this list, but it’s packed full of features. It has a suite of sensors to track your fitness activities, including your steps, heart rate, location, VO2Max, and even the altitude and temperature. With a water resistance rating for up to 200 meters under water, or 20 ATM of pressure, you can get truly adventurous with this smartwatch.It may have a simple display, but the Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000 offers easy button navigation so you won’t be fussing around with a tiny touchscreen. You also can still get plenty of information on that display, including notifications from your phone while connected over Bluetooth. The story just gets more exciting with the battery life. When the watch is just tracking the time, your steps, and delivering notifications, it can run for up to a year. What’s more, you can actually keep it topped up in that mode because it’s capable of drawing some solar power to recharge the battery. Of course, if you want to use more of the sensors and tracking, you’ll want to use the USB charging, which can give you 14 hours of continuous tracking power in just 2.5 hours of charging.
8. Polar Ignite
Best Smart Sports Watch
Size: 43mm Thickness: 8.5mm Display: 240×204 Color IPS TFT Battery Life: 17 hours (training mode), 5 days (watch mode) Sensors: Optical Heart Sensor, VO2max, Accelerometer GPS, Ambient Light Connectivity: Bluetooth LE, GPS, GLONASS Water Resistance: Up to 30m
Maybe you want a smartwatch that’s ready for all of your fitness activities without looking like it was made for them. That’s where the Polar Ignite can come in. This smartwatch isn’t so overt about its sportiness compared to some of the other fitness smartwatches that have massive frames with all sorts of chamfered edges. It’s not just low-key but also low-profile in comparison. At just 8.5mm thick, the Polar Ignite is thinner than all the other smartwatches on this list, making it a great partner for exercise since it won’t bulk up your wrist.And, when it comes to sports, the Polar Ignite is ready for serious tracking with an advanced heart rate sensor and built-in GPS that can keep track of many activities, including swimming, and give you detailed summaries of your exercises. The watch can even give you training tips and track your sleep. Despite its compact size, the Polar Ignite offers up to five days of battery life with continuous heart-rate tracking or up to 17 hours with GPS enabled in Training Mode.
What to look for in a smartwatch
Smartphone compatibility
This is the big one. Your choice of smartphone will determine your list of possible smartwatch options. The good news is that that list has grown massively for both iOS and Android camps, but there are still some notable absentees, the biggest of which is the Apple Watch still being an iPhone-exclusive.Google has made big headway in equalizing the Wear OS for Android and iPhone users, but its not a totally level playing field. And among all the smartwatches that work with both platforms, there tend to be a few differences, often in the messaging experience. So pay special attention to those.
Battery life
Were all accustomed to plugging in our smartphones at night, but watches? Are you serious? Sadly in most cases, its something you need to think about. But battery life is almost always a trade-off.The Apple Watch and many of the Wear OS smartwatches have rich screens and deep features but require daily (or nightly) charging in return. Fitbits watches will run for several days and unlocks sleep tracking, but the watches have a less premium design.
Also think not just about the features you want, but how much youll be using them. Weekend warriors will need to be much more conscientious about running the GPS in an Apple Watch than a Garmin Forerunner 945, for example.
To LTE or not to LTE
For a long time all smartwatches required a Bluetooth connection with your phone in order to receive texts, make calls and play music, but slowly were seeing more watches cut the tether and offer a standalone data connection.This can be handy if you want to workout without a phone in your pocket. On the other hand, it will hammer that battery life a little more, particularly under intense use.
A data connection will also come with a monthly cost, usually around $10 a month tied to your phone contract, assuming you want to use the same number.
Hugh Langley is a tech journalist whos fascinated by wearables, health tech, the smart home, and more. You can find him tweeting (often nonsense) over at @hughlangley.