As a marathon runner, cyclist and swimmer, I’ve been wearing various smartwatches and fitness trackers for years, collecting new health and fitness data and comparing my trends over time. While these little devices have certainly helped make positive changes to my routine, I’ve also learned over the years that not all smartwatches are created equal.
For those who want a smartwatch that truly can help them achieve their health and fitness goals, it’s important to find one that is accurate, sensitive, easy to use and provides useful data that can inform training and day-to-day habits. Plus, it should look decent and be comfortable enough to wear daily.
To find the best smartwatches to inform real positive health changes, the BestReviews Testing Lab put more than a dozen top models from the most recognized brands through rigorous tests in real-world scenarios. Ultimately, we were most impressed by the performance and interface of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but a few other watches hit high marks, too. Here’s what to know about our top picks.
After testing numerous smartwatch models, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 stood out for several reasons. This watch has a lengthy battery life, is highly durable, provides insightful fitness and health tracking, and is overall easy to use. It’s a heavy-duty wearable that one of our testers summed up as “a workhorse designed for the outdoorsy person.”
Apple isn’t known for producing the longest-lasting batteries in its watches, but this latest iteration of the Apple Watch is an exception. During testing, the watch lasted an average of 72 hours, which is impressive given the amount of information it processes. The watch reaches a full charge in 60 to 70 minutes, and the simple magnetic charging cable is easy to use.
We were impressed by the watch’s durability. With months of daily wear, including extensive hiking, ocean swimming and other fitness-related activities, the watch had only minor scuffs on the rim. We never had issues related to water or dust exposure.
The Ultra 2 scored top marks in data tracking and health information interpretation. To test the accuracy of its data, our tester wore a Whoop and the Ultra 2 simultaneously. The health data, including HRV, blood-oxygen levels, step count and heart rate, were very similar across the two devices. One of our testers noted, “The Apple Watch has been my main source of data for years now. I think the readings are consistent and accurate. I wear it daily and notice my results match my effort levels always.”
The watch face on the Ultra 2, which has a more rugged design than the sleeker and cheaper Apple Watch options, is similar to an iPhone background. It’s brightly lit and responds to changing light conditions, so the watch is always readable, even in super bright direct sunlight. Even the interface is responsive and easy to use. “The screen feels elevated over the other Apple Watches,” one of our testers said. “It feels more like a mini computer than a watch display.”
The Ultra is further equipped with smart features designed for outdoor adventures. For hikers and others in remote conditions, the watch can contact emergency services without cell reception. When it comes to connectivity with other apps, the watch performs best with the native Apple apps it arrives with. There aren’t many in the App Store that add great functionality or an improved user experience.
All that, and the watch is comfortable, to boot. Though the design is bulkier than the Apple Watch SE, once you get used to having it on your wrist, you barely notice it. That said, you’re more likely to bang the thicker, more elevated watch face into things than a more minimalist watch.
If you’re looking for a different brand or a slightly cheaper option, you have choices. We also love the Garmin Vivoactive 5, the Fitbit Versa 4 and the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen).
Garmin is known for producing accurate GPS-enabled smartwatches and other devices — and its Vivoactive 5 is no different. A high-performing smartwatch, it’s packed with a suite of features that are especially useful for runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes.
Like many Garmin watches, the Vivoactive has an impressive battery life. Even with regular GPS usage and tracking athletic activities, the battery lasted over a week. With no GPS, it could easily last for several weeks between charges and even longer on “low power” mode. If you want to use the GPS continuously, the watch will still last longer than a full day, and it takes about 90 minutes to charge from zero to 100%.
This watch is bulkier than the sleekest Apple Watch but not as clunky as other Garmin options. During testing, I found it uncomfortable to sleep in, and the design isn’t quite attractive enough to wear to the office or a more formal event — it’s definitely sporty looking. That said, I never had any irritation or discomfort with the watch on my wrist. It takes some getting used to, but eventually, you’ll forget it’s there. The wrist strap is also easy to adjust to any size.
The watch display is clear, bright and colorful. It’s easy to read in direct sunlight, and the text can be enlarged. I didn’t notice a huge change in brightness when I moved from bright to low-light environments, but the text was consistently legible and clear. I found the touch screen slightly less responsive than the Apple Watch. It often took more than one press to wake the watch from sleep mode, and it was easy to accidentally hit buttons during daily wear.
The Vivoactive syncs quickly with your smartphone, and the corresponding Garmin Connect app provides a helpful, clear and user-friendly interface to manage all settings and dig deeper into your health data. However, I found the watch alerts for texts, emails and other phone notifications to be pretty jarring — the vibration is serious, so I preferred to silence most notifications. But if you don’t mind the ping, the watch provides instant alerts that mirror your phone notifications.
This watch shines when it comes to fitness and health data tracking. The health metrics, including sleep data, were very similar to those from an Oura ring. This watch also had the best GPS performance of any I’ve used. I wore the watch during a marked 5-mile race and on an outdoor track, and it matched the real-world mile markers almost exactly.
After a workout, the data on the Garmin Connect mobile and web apps are accurate and well visualized. You can view everything from pace and cadence to segment splits and elevation changes during your workout. I also loved how easy it was to program an interval workout using the app. Once I sent the workout to my watch, I didn’t have to do any quick math on the run; the watch guided me through the workout, including telling me if my pace was too fast or slow.
If you’re looking for a smartwatch with highly accurate data collection and endurance sport-friendly features, the Garmin Vivoactive 5 is a great choice.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a slightly less expensive smartwatch with many of the same health data metrics and fitness-tracking capabilities.
The Versa 4’s battery life is longer than the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s, but not as robust as the Garmin Vivoactive’s. It lasts about four days and takes 80 to 90 minutes to charge from zero to 100%. The watch is largely comfortable, but our tester had to take it off when typing for an extended time because the band dug into his wrist against the keyboard (of course, this may not be the case for everyone).
The Versa 4 offers fewer health data metrics than the Apple Watch and Garmin, which may be nice for a first-time smartwatch user who might feel overwhelmed by too much data. Overall, we found the watch to be speedy and responsive, and the heart rate data was very similar to other smartwatches. But every now and then, the watch would pause or take longer than expected to perform a task.
The interface is responsive and the buttons are easy to operate, but not so easy that you hit them accidentally. The Versa 4 is compatible with Amazon Alexa, which is a handy voice-activated feature that worked well when we tested it. However, the Versa 4 does not provide a GPS map of a run or walk, unlike the Garmin and Apple watches. Indeed, this more pared-down smartwatch is a solid choice if you don’t need every fitness-tracking bell and whistle and will save you a few dollars.
For everyday use, the Apple Watch SE is the sleekest, most comfortable smartwatch that offers in-depth fitness data and a smooth user interface.
The initial setup is simple enough, with clear guidance, especially if you’re syncing with an iPhone. The watch has a bright, clear and colorful face that responds to changing light environments and automatically wakes when you raise your wrist. I’ve never had an issue with accidental button-pressing, though the touch screen is nearly impossible to use when wet.
The watch comes loaded with dozens of workout options, from martial arts to pickleball to social dance. For GPS activities like running, cycling and open-water swimming, the watch provides a map with elevation changes and splits after your workout. You can also program interval workouts, but I found them less accurate than the workouts run by the Garmin Vivoactive. Otherwise, the health data points, including heart rate, blood oxygen levels and sleep timing are accurate and useful, especially as the watch gathers more data over time.
Like the Ultra 2, the SE performs best with the native apps it comes with (of which there are 45). These will be familiar to iPhone users, such as Apple Podcasts, Find My Device, Apple Maps and Messages. As a longtime Apple Watch SE wearer, I use the same handful of apps regularly (activity tracking, Podcasts, and weather) and never use others, like Apple News, Contacts, and Memoji.
The SE has a markedly shorter battery life than the Ultra 2. It needs daily charging, especially if you use the GPS or the always-on display. But if you don’t need something as high level as the Ultra 2, the SE is a great choice that costs several hundred dollars less.
We put each of these smartwatches to the test in real-world situations. Our carefully designed testing protocol sought to measure each product’s durability, battery life, suite of features, design, comfort and usability.
We unboxed each product and followed the manufacturer’s quick-start guide to connect the watch to a smartphone. We took note of how many steps were involved in the initial setup, how much time it required, and how complicated the process was. We connected the devices to iPhones and Androids and, when applicable, set up any additional apps necessary, such as the Garmin Connect app.
We used each smartwatch in various lighting situations to test screen readability and usability under low-light and nighttime scenarios, as well as outside under a bright sun. We navigated through the features on each watch, including fitness tracking, additional apps, playing music and interacting with notifications. We considered usability and whether the screen was overly sensitive or not responsive enough. We wore the watches for weeks to test how long it took to feel fully comfortable with the user interface.
Each of these smartwatches is designed for fitness tracking and health data collection. We used endurance sport modes to test GPS performance and the accuracy and usefulness of the data. We also tested additional features, such as HRV and sleep tracking, and compared the health metrics to data from other fitness trackers.
We measured how long each watch lasted on a single charge as well as how long it took to charge from dead. We also assessed how much GPS and always-on display impacted battery life.
When possible, we downloaded new apps to each smartwatch. We tested how well these external apps worked and if they were helpful for any specific task. We also used watch-specific apps on our smartphones, such as the Garmin Connect, Apple Watch and Fitbit. We considered how user-friendly these apps were, whether they displayed useful information or features, and how much they enhanced the overall experience of the smartwatch.
We wore each smartwatch for several weeks, including at night. We considered band material and watch face shape and size and took note of how comfortable and attractive each one was.
We enabled notifications from our smartphones to come through on the watches to see how intrusive or useful the alerts were. We configured notification preferences and noted how much customization each watch allowed for.
Each of the smartwatches on our list has its merits. But the Apple Watch Ultra 2, though pricy, is a powerhouse of a wearable that’s built to last and comes equipped with useful, in-depth health data tracking and smart safety features. If you’re looking to make positive changes to your health and fitness routines, there’s simply no other smartwatch that offers more.
That said, if you don’t want to pay top dollar for one, our testing found some other solid options that can help you achieve your goals almost just as well. The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is a great choice for distance runners, cyclists, triathletes and swimmers. The Fitbit Versa 4 is a slightly cheaper, more minimalist watch that’s great for first-timers, and the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) is an all-around user-friendly and stylish smartwatch that fits the needs of most people.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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