The Best Smartwatches in 2023 (2024)

By Rahim Amir and Marc Storch

Updated Sep 10, 2023

Up your watch game with our picks for the best smartwatches you can buy right now!

Smartwatches are the latest rage, thanks to a push led by Apple. They increasingly concentrate on fitness as one of their core design tenets, making sure the technology stays relevant as people find new ways to monitor their health. They offer the ability to control music, receive notifications, make and receive calls, communicate with a voice assistant, and make payments, among other things, while also doing their most basic function: keeping time.

Some smartwatches focus on fitness and athletics and tracking, others concentrate on functionality that allows a wide range of applications to support them while helping to make tasks more straightforward, and some simply focus on looking as impressive as possible with premium design features and materials being used to compete directly with luxury watches that currently do make up a sizable piece of the timekeeping market.

When looking for a new smartwatch, be sure to keep these factors in mind to find the perfect smartwatch:

Compatibility: Make sure the smartwatch works with the Smartphone for its intended use.
Aesthetics: What style of watch works best for each use case?
Fitness Features: What fitness features are needed to make the watch perfect? Like GPS tracking or being able to wear it swimming.
Battery Life: What length of battery life works best? Remember that some watches with the longest battery life might not offer the most features.

Apple Watch Series 8 Midnight
Best Overall Smartwatch

$399 at Apple
Fitbit Charge 5
Best Budget-Friendly Smartwatch

$150 at Best Buy
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Best Android-Based SmartWatch

$258 at Newegg
Garmin Venu 2
Best Fitness Smartwatch

$298 at Best Buy
Withings Steel HR
Best Hybrid Smartwatch

$180 at Withings

Apple Watch Series 8 Midnight

Best Overall Smartwatch

The 8th iteration of the Smartwatch that started it all is an impressive amalgamation of the best Apple has to offer in addition to tight integration with its ecosystem. With a renewed focus on health and safety and improved durability, the Apple Watch Series 8 does everything its predecessors did well - simply better.

Brand: Apple
Heart Rate Monitor: yes
Color Screen: Yes, 1000 nits retina display
Notification Support: Yes
Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
Operating System: WatchOS
Onboard GPS: GPS
Customizable Strap: Yes
SIM Support: Optional
Calendar: Yes
Weather: Yes
Smartphone Music Control: Yes
Colors: 7 case finishes
CPU: S8 Dual Core Processor
RAM: 1 GB
Storage: 32 GB
Battery: Li-on 308 mAh
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Health sensors: Oxygen, heart rate, temperature
Weight: 42.3G (41mm)
Mobile payments: Yes, Apple Pay Integration
Workout detection: Yes
Exercise modes: Yes

Pros

Has an impressive ecosystem built around it and is also deeply integrated with Apple's hardware offerings
One of the brightest smartwatch displays in the business, making direct use in sunlight an easy task
Is one of the most fitness/sports centric smartwatches in the business while being a capable contender as a daily driver too

Cons

Somewhat expensive compared to the competition; custom straps from Apple cost significantly more than competing smartwatch accessories

Fitbit Charge 5

Best Budget-Friendly Smartwatch

If you are looking for a fitness tracker that costs under $150 while delivering the full fitness shebang without compromising on the details, the Fitbit Charge 5 was designed for you. Comfort and ease of use are two easy takeaways from a fitness-centric wearable that gets the job done and then some; The Fitbit Charge 5 is an excellent fitness tracker that also doubles as a capable GPS-enabled smartwatch in a nutshell.

Brand: Fitbit
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Color Screen: Yes, 1.04' AMOLED
Battery Life: Up to 7 Days
Mobile payments: Yes
Workout detection: Yes

Pros

Has an excellent OLED display, a break from older fitness trackers that tended to be extremely limited in the display department
Excellent battery life, offering upto 7 days of standard use
Has a comprehensive array of sensors meant to aid you with your fitness-related needs
Trades at a competitive price versus smartwatches with the same feature set

Cons

Lacks an altimeter which limits its ability to track floors or heights
Some of the extra analytics are locked behind a premium subscription that costs $10/month: Fitbit Premium

See at Amazon$150 at Best Buy

The Fitbit Charge 5 is a different tier of smartwatch. It isn't marketed as one, and with good reason. It is a competent fitness tracker that does do the basics when it comes to telling the time, and while it lacks some of the more taken-for-granted features of smartwatches, such as being able to control music (there are limited workarounds, but they are too time-consuming), it doubles down on extremely-good value and detailed statistics, as well as excellent battery life under the hood. It also can make contactless payments thanks to its NFC connectivity (using Fitbit Pay).

There are some concerns about the future of the Charge 5 after Google's acquisition of Fitbit and the underlying software the fitness tracker runs on. If a Wear OS upgrade is available, it could become a much more capable device altogether. Currently, the Fitbit Charge 5 is a great budget-friendly option for anyone who wants Smartwatch features but doesn't need all the flashy features of flagship models.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Best Android-Based SmartWatch

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is an excellent iteration of Samsung's watch lineup that keeps everything that made the Watch 4 lineup a success while adding to the recipe with better battery life, Type C charging, and much better durability in tow. With a feature-packed offering that also tends to come with an extensive array of sensors while being cheaper than competing Apple Watches, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is an excellent product offering.

Brand: Samsung
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Color Screen: 330 PPI Super AMOLED display
Notification Support: Yes
Operating System: Android Wear OS
Onboard GPS: Yes
Customizable Strap: Yes
Case Material: Sapphire Crystal Glass in aluminum frame
Smartphone Music Control: Yes
Colors: Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold
CPU: Exynos W920
RAM: 1.5 gb
Storage: 16 gb
Battery: Li-Ion 284 mAh
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2
Health sensors: Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Altimeter
Weight: 28.7g
Mobile payments: Samsung Pay, Google Wallet
Workout detection: Yes
Exercise modes: 90 different exercises

Pros

Has a significant battery upgrade that Samsung claims lasts as much as 40 hours on a single charge for the larger version
The skin temperature sensor is a nifty add-on from Samsung for its Watch 5 lineup
Much more durable this generation with the Sapphire Crystal Glass display in play

Cons

Seems to be an overall minor upgrade to the Watch 4. Shares the same hardware while offering minor upgrades mostly save the battery

See at Amazon$258 at Newegg

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, which also happens to be the mainstream Android-based smartwatch choice, is also the contender for the best of them. It has a significantly modest battery upgrade from the Watch 4, and even if Samsung is optimistic about its battery life, it should easily power through a day of heavy use. For those who need an even bigger battery or a more premium dial, the more costly Galaxy Watch 5 Pro might be a better way to go.

All in all, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a minor upgrade on the already excellent Watch 4. Still, it does add a temperature sensor, a brighter screen, and a bigger battery life to make the Watch 5 a compelling purchase or upgrade for users unsure about splurging on the latest Galaxy Watch. With Android's Wear OS in tow, it has better software support and 3rd party app support than most of its competition and tends to be the face of Android-based smartwatches more often than not.

Garmin Venu 2

Best Fitness Smartwatch

$298 $350 Save $52

The Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch has advanced health monitoring and fitness features to help users better understand what’s happening inside their bodies. Switch up the activities with animated workouts and more than 25 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps. With up to 11 days of battery life, there is no need to worry about recharging every night; do more, track more, and know more about overall health.

Brand: Garmin
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Color Screen: Yes
Battery Life: Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days Battery saver smartwatch mode: Up to 12 days GPS mode with music: Up to 8 hours GPS mode without music: Up to 22 hours
Mobile payments: Yes
Notification Support: Yes
Onboard GPS: Yes
Lens Material: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Case Material: Fiber-reinforced polymer
Display: AMOLED optional always-on mode

Pros

Great fitness tracking features
Impressive battery life
Excellent AMOLED display

Cons

Limited app support

See at Amazon$298 at Best Buy$400 at Garmin

Garmin is a name that is probably recognized by avid runners or fitness buffs, and for a good reason: they have an excellent reputation, especially when it comes to tracking health stats. The Garmin Venu 2 is easily one of their most popular smartwatches; it rides the line of a straight-up fitness tracker and a typical smartwatch. The Venu 2 doesn't exactly scream fitness watch, but it is built robustly enough to be worn regardless of the activity, including pool swimming. Built into the watch, there are many training tools like an accurate GPS tracker, heart rate monitoring, Garmin trainer workout plans, and much more.

Even though this watch isn't a complete standalone device like an Apple Watch, it does onboard storage that can hold up to 650 songs, plus third-party music apps from Spotify and Deezer, so there is no need to have a phone for a run. Thanks to the super bright 1.3" AMOLED display, this is incredibly easy to access. With just a glance, users can gather a whole wealth of information from this watch, like their daily calendar, heart rate, water intake, stress level, and phone notifications, so most of the time, there is no need to pull their phone out of their pocket. For those users who want to add the ability to use voice controls, Garmin also now sells a version of the Venue 2 with an onboard mic.

Withings Steel HR

Best Hybrid Smartwatch

The Withings Steel HR is a hybrid smartwatch that gives users the features of a smartwatch but the classic look of a traditional watch. Easily track steps, heart rate, and up to 30 unique exercises. The battery life of up to 25 days makes it hard to beat compared to any other smartwatch on the market currently. Spend more time moving and less time charging.

Brand: Withings
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Notification Support: Yes
Battery Life: Up to 25 days
Onboard GPS: Yes
Customizable Strap: Yes
Case Material: Stainless steel case featuring chrome indexes and a soft silicone wristband.
Calendar: Yes
Weather: No
Smartphone Music Control: No
Workout detection: Yes

Pros

Very accurate heart rate monitor
Easy to use companion app
Incredible battery life

Cons

Limited fitness features
Watch face is not entirely a smartwach

$180 at WithingsSee at Amazon

For users who want the extra features of a smartwatch but don't want the look of a smartwatch, hybrid watches are the way to go. The Withings Steel HR combines a classic look and smart features perfectly. The dial on the side of the watch controls a small digital display. This display shows stats like heart rate, steps, and even phone notifications. People looking for a comprehensive fitness tracker might find some of its features lacking, but for people who like to keep count of their steps and track their heart rate, this watch offers just the right amount without being overkill.

Because the digital display draws such little power, this watch can last off one charge for up to 25 days, which is absolutely insane. Additionally, Withings has many customization options for this watch to make it match its users' style, and the bands can be easily changed.

How To Choose The Perfect Smartwatch?

Compatibility

Compatibility plays a massive role in picking out a smartwatch; without a compatible device, most smartwatches are just dumb plain watches. Most smartwatches work with both Android and iOS, so device compatibility isn't a huge issue; what plays more of a factor is the app or feature compatibility.

For example, if the watch says it supports NFC or contactless payment, make sure the app used to do this supports the bank or card planned to use it. On smartwatches like the Apple Watch or the Garmin Versa 2, this doesn't matter because they use Apple Pay and Android Pay, respectively, to make those payments, but on FitBit watches, users have to use the FitBits app to add their card to the watch, and the app does not support every bank out there.

Aesthetics

While not entirely vital to the watch's performance, the watch's look plays a pretty important role in choosing a smartwatch. Even the most utilitarian of us care about how devices look, especially a device like a watch. Traditional watches are usually worn as fashion accessories and tools, so there is no reason that a smartwatch should be different.

There are many different styles to choose so picking out one that best fits the user's style is well worth it.

Fitness Features

Pretty much every smartwatch can track steps and heart rate, but that is not enough for some people. For example, if the user is a swimmer and wants to track their swims, they should ensure that the watch is waterproof and can track activities like swimming.

GPS tracking is a great fitness feature for runners who want to share their runs with friends or for walkers who like to see where they walked in the day rather than just the number of steps.

Battery Life

Last but not least is the battery life of a watch. For the most part, this comes down to personal preference. For users who don't mind charging all of their devices every night, a smartwatch with long battery life will not matter as much. But for those users who want to go a month without worrying about charging their watch, this is an essential thing to pay attention to.

This perfect battery life range can be different for every user, but it is usually better to shoot for a smartwatch with a longer battery life than a shorter one. Not everyone needs a watch that can last for weeks at a time, but especially for those smartwatches that track sleep habits, having one that can last at least a full day is an excellent goal to shoot for.

FAQ

Are smartwatches worth it?

Smartwatches are totally worth it. Being able to check phone notifications without pulling out your phone is incredibly convenient, and being able to track fitness stats makes it so much better. Plus, with features like AFIB tracking and fall alerts, smartwatches can become a safety device and a convenience.

Do you need a phone if you have a smartwatch?

Pretty much every smartwatch on the market must be connected to a phone to access the complete set of features. Some with 3G/LTE capabilities can operate without a connection to another device.