The Best Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers You Can Buy Right Now

From smartwatches and health trackers to Bluetooth rings and sleep-logging wristbands, if it’s know-how you possibly can put on, we’ve reviewed it. Whether you’re an Apple diehard otherwise you stan for Android, these are the wearables you should purchase.

Buying forecast for summer season 2021: Things are about to alter for Android smartwatches in a dramatic method. At this 12 months’s Google I/O, Google and Samsung introduced they’re working collectively on a unified platform that meshes one of the best of their two smartwatch platforms, Tizen OS and Wear OS. That means Android customers ought to maintain off till after Samsung reveals off its next-gen smartwatches someday in August earlier than shopping for something new. Don’t rely out Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatch making an look both. Late summer season/early fall can also be once we count on to see a brand new flagship Fitbit, and September is once we’ll possible see the Apple Watch Series 7. The finest time to discover a deal is in late summer season, proper after new product bulletins.

The editorial employees of Gizmodo independently check and overview every product present in our Buyer’s Guides. If you buy one thing utilizing our affiliate hyperlinks, G/O Media might earn a fee. Affiliate linking doesn’t affect our editorial content material.

The Best All-Around Smartwatch

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Who Are You?

You need one of the best of one of the best and don’t thoughts paying for it.

Our Pick: Apple Watch Series 6 ($400-$1,500)

It’s a bit cliche at this point to say that the Apple Watch is the best, especially because the Series 6 is a very iterative update. You’re getting blood oxygen-monitoring via a new SpO2 sensor, an always-on altimeter, better battery life (though it’s still not multi-day), a brighter always-on display, and new S6 processor. As far as watchOS 7 goes, we liked new features that seem designed to help us through the pandemic, like cycling directions and handwashing timers, but some things, like the much-awaited native sleep-tracking, are just okay. And now with Family Setup you could, if you wanted, set up an Apple Watch for kids or elderly parents who may not have iPhones. However, while the Series 6 did eke out yet another win as the best overall watch, the competition is a hell of a lot closer than in previous years.

Also Consider

Most Apple users should seriously consider the Apple Watch SE. It’s got all the same motion sensors—including the always-on altimeter—as the Series 6 and the same processor as the Series 5, but costs $120 less at $280. You’re giving up an always-on display and advanced health features like ECG and blood oxygen-monitoring, but if you’re young and in excellent health, you might want to prioritize savings. If you don’t want to compromise on advanced health, but you’re not keen on the Series 6’s prices, you could also hunt around for a discounted Series 5 while they still last. But this only covers iOS users. Android users should absolutely consider the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (starts at $400), especially if you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy phone. It’s gorgeous and hands down the best Android smartwatch out there. You should also consider the Fitbit Sense ($330). If you don’t care too much about LTE connectivity and don’t have a Samsung phone, this is one of the most feature-rich options available to you.

The Best Fitness Smartwatch

Who Are You?

You start your mornings guzzling protein shakes and are determined to crush that 10,000-step goal every day. You want a wearable with enough battery life to keep up with your epic lifestyle and don’t mind if it’s a little ugly.

Our Pick: Suunto 7 ($500)

The Suunto 7 is a big, beefy smartwatch with an equally hefty price tag. That said, it’s also a comprehensive fitness beast. It’s an extremely accurate fitness tracker, and also comes with the ability to download offline maps and tracks 70 sports. You get nifty heat maps, so you can see where other Suunto users like to run, hike, and cycle. As for advanced smartwatch capabilities, you’re not missing out on that front either. You get NFC for mobile payments, as well as access to all the apps in the Google Play store—something Garmins and Polars lack with their closed ecosystems. Plus, despite the huge 50mm case, it’s actually quite light, and amazingly, it isn’t hideous.

Also Consider

If you’re into working out and want your watch to keep up, Garmin and Polar always offer solid options. Both companies’ smartwatches report in-depth metrics, and while their communities are smaller, Polar and Garmin fans are loyal. We like the Polar Ignite ($230) and Polar Unite ($150)—both are a better fit for more “casual” athletes who are interested in seeing how recovery impacts their performance. As for Garmins, the company’s Fenix 6 series is as top-of-the-line as you can get, though the company’s first touchscreen watch, the Venu ($300), is value a look. If you’re on a tighter funds, the Timex Ironman GPS R300 ($120) is an correct, reasonably priced possibility with a monstrously lengthy battery life.

The Best Android-Friendly Smartwatch

Who Are You?

Someone who has an Android telephone and needs a smartwatch that works intuitively with it.

Our Pick: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (starts at $400)

You finally did it, Samsung! This is the comprehensive, Android-friendly smartwatch we’ve been waiting for. Like the Apple Watch Series 6, it can do spot checks of your blood oxygen levels and has an FDA-cleared ECG app. Sleep-tracking is pretty robust, and Samsung added quite a few new health-tracking features, including a new VO2 Max app and advanced running metrics. You can also cast workout videos to your Samsung TV and see your metrics overlaid on the workout—which sounds awfully similar to Apple’s Fitness+ service. Plus, it’s a beautiful round smartwatch with an intuitive rotating bezel. And, it fixed the software inaccuracies we had issues with in previous Samsung smartwatches. One thing to note, however, is that the Galaxy Watch 3 works best with Samsung phones. Unfortunately, some features, including ECG, won’t carry over to other non-Samsung Android devices.

Update: Samsung and Google have announced they are building a unified smartwatch platform based on Google’s Wear OS. Tizen OS devices like the Galaxy Watch 3 will receive three years of support from launch, but you may also want to wait and see what the next generation of Android smartwatches holds before making any decisions. Samsung is expected to announce its new smartwatch at an event in August.

Also Consider

Again, the Fitbit Sense ($330) is a great—and cheaper!—alternative if you have a non-Samsung Android phone. Not only is its FDA-cleared ECG feature platform-agnostic, but it also has a more robust community if competing with friends is something that motivates you. Plus, it’s the only smartwatch currently available that has meaningful stress-tracking and the best sleep-tracking of the bunch. The one thing you’re missing out on is LTE connectivity. But if you want a Wear OS watch, Fossil’s cheaper Gen 5E watch ($250) added some much-needed feature updates. You can also opt for the Fossil Gen 5 LTE ($349), if you happen to have Verizon. We also like the Skagen Falster 3 ($295), as it’s pretty darn nice to look at. However, you should also consider Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3 ($300). It’s the one one with the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip—you’ll have to attend a bit longer for different 4100-powered Wear OS watches.

The Best Hybrid Smartwatch

Who Are You?

An individual who takes pleasure in wanting good and wishes a smartwatch to match. Someone who values basic design with primary performance over superior options.

Our Pick: Skagen Jorn ($195)

The Skagen Jorn is principally the extra Scandinavian minimalist cousin of the Fossil Hybrid HR. You get the identical stunning E ink show and prolonged 2-week battery life, however in our opinion, it is available in a classier package deal. Fossil—which owns Skagen—has additionally added some software program updates to the app, together with GPS maps, real-time climate, challenges, and automated activity-tracking. It lacks NFC funds, and navigating between menus is usually a little finicky, however so far as a simple-yet-stylish smartwatch goes, the Skagen Jorn delivers among the finest bang in your buck.

Also Consider

If the Skagen Jorn’s design isn’t fairly to your style, you possibly can at all times go for the Fossil Hybrid HR ($195-$215). The Garmin Vivomove Style is a bit pricier at $350, however it certain is an aesthetic watch. It’s received 5 days of battery life, coronary heart rate-monitoring, NFC funds, and a stunning hidden AMOLED show. While it appears to be like like a typical analog watch, you possibly can faucet the display to disclose a delicate good show. This is the higher selection for the extra fitness-oriented person, as Garmin’s platform is likely one of the finest round. Also, whereas it’s not fairly a hybrid tracker, the Timex Metropolitan R is reasonably priced at $180, has built-in GPS, and appears fairly modern on the wrist.

And, if you’d like one thing that has extra of a health tracker really feel, take a gander on the $150 Fitbit Luxe. Its colour touchscreen offers it a smartwatch really feel however in a a lot lighter and compact kind issue. You additionally get entry to Fitbit’s platform, which is likely one of the most complete on the market.

The Best Tracker That’s Not a Watch

Who Are You?

Someone who hates watches, however needs one thing to trace health or exercise.

Our Pick: Oura Ring ($300)

This good ring has gotten a number of renewed buzz these days, as many medical researchers are at the moment utilizing it in research to see if it may be used to detect covid-19 early. That stated, it’s primarily a sleep tracker. You get detailed breakdowns of how properly you slept, and your “readiness”—principally a rating measuring how properly you’ve recovered. It doesn’t actually observe exercise in the way in which different wearables do. The focus right here is totally on assembly a day by day calorie burn and minutes spent in low, medium, and high-intensity ranges. It’s nice for a macro, holistic take a look at your exercise. Plus, you may have the choice to log mindfulness classes inside the app.

Also Consider

Whoop is one other attention-grabbing restoration and exercise tracker. The metrics are spot on, and whereas they take a little bit of time to know, when you do it’s fairly useful. Technically, the default is carrying it in your wrist, however you may also go for equipment that allow you to put on it in your arm. The tracker itself is free, however it does require a month-to-month $30 subscription.

The Best Budget Fitness Tracker

Who Are You?

You need a primary health tracker however don’t wish to pay so much for it.

Our Pick: Amazfit Bip S ($70)

I know, this looks more like a smartwatch than a fitness tracker, but it’s hard to beat for the price. You get extremely accurate GPS and heart rate-tracking, as well as a decent companion app. It’s about half the price of a Fitbit Charge 4, and yet it also comes with built-in GPS. You can swap custom watch faces, and it’s really hard to beat 15-day battery life—up to 40 if you tweak the power-usage settings. It’s truly a bargain that’s reminiscent of the old Pebble watches.

Also consider:

OK, but let’s say you actually want a fitness tracker form factor. Then the Fitbit Charge 4 ($150) is a pretty great option, because it has built-in GPS, though the Fitbit Inspire 2 is even cheaper and has 10-day battery life. If you want something a little more stylish and are ambivalent about outdoor activity, also consider the $150 Fitbit Luxe. The Garmin Vivosmart 4 ($130) is barely cheaper than the Charge 4 and the Luxe, however its display interface is wonky and you’ll’t swap straps. The show makes it a bit extra irritating to make use of throughout a exercise, and also you’ll must make peace along with your colour selections at checkout. You’ll get a lot of the similar options because the Charge 4, on high of stress-tracking and strong battery life in addition.

How has this record modified? Read again by means of our replace historical past:

5/15/2019: Added Samsung Galaxy Watch Active to the “Also Consider” for finest total smartwatch. Added Polar Vantage M as finest health smartwatch, moved Fitbit Ionic to “Also Consider.” Replaced Fitbit Alta HR with Fitbit Inspire HR as finest funds health tracker.

11/14/2019: Replaced the Apple Watch Series 4 with the Series 5 for finest total smartwatch; changed Samsung Galaxy Watch Active with the Galaxy Watch Active2 within the “Also Consider” for a similar class. Replaced Fitbit Versa with the Fitbit Versa 2 for the “Also Consider” in one of the best Android-friendly watch class. Replaced Garmin Vivomove HR with the Fossil Hybrid HR as finest hybrid smartwatch; changed Misfit Path with the Garmin Vivomove Style for the “Also Consider” in the identical class.

05/05/2020: Replaced Polar Vantage M with Suunto 7 for finest health smartwatch; moved Polar Vantage M to “Also Consider,” together with the Polar Ignite, Garmin Venu and Fenix 6 sequence, and Timex Ironman GPS R300 for a similar class. Replaced Fossil Sport with Skagen Falster 3 in one of the best Android-friendly watch class; added Fossil Gen 5 to the “Also Consider” for a similar class. Replaced Fitbit Inspire HR with Fitbit Charge 4 in one of the best funds health tracker class; eliminated Fitbit Charge 3 from the “Also Consider” in the identical class.

10/15/2020: Replaced the Apple Watch Series 5 with the Series 6 for finest total smartwatch; changed Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch within the “Also Consider” part with the Apple Watch SE, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, and Fitbit Sense; changed Polar Vantage M with the Polar Unite within the “Also Consider” part for the Best Fitness Smartwatch class; changed Skagen Falster 3 with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 for the Best Android Smartwatch; moved Skagen Falster 3 to the “Also Consider” part for a similar class, together with the Fossil Gen 5E, Fitbit Sense, and Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3; added Timex Metropolitan R to the “Also Consider” part for Best Hybrid Smartwatch; changed Motiv Ring with Oura Ring for Best Non-wrist Tracker; added Whoop to the “Also Consider” for a similar class; changed the Fitbit Charge 4 with the Amazfit Bip S in one of the best funds health tracker class; moved Fitbit Charge 4 to the “Also Consider” part for similar class together with the Fitbit Inspire 2.

07/01/2021: Added an replace to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 within the Best Android Friendly Smartwatch class to mirror the upcoming change from Tizen OS; added the Fitbit Luxe to the “Also Consider” part for Best Hybrid Smartwatch and Best Budget Fitness Tracker classes; added the Garmin Lily to the “Also Consider” part for Best Hybrid Smartwatch.