These are the best smartwatches you can buy

Right now, the best smartwatch for Android users is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. It’s optimized for Samsung phones but runs well on all Android devices and has all the smartwatch and fitness features you’d expect. It’s compact and lightweight but still offers good battery life. But if you’re not into that one, the good news is that there are so many other amazing options from Fossil to Garmin to Fitbit and more.

The best smartwatches at a glance

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 — The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is great for all Android users, not just Samsung phone owners, with an incredible balance of features, battery life, and aesthetics.
. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active — If you want something a bit cheaper and need the extra sensors, this is your best option.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 — The Galaxy Watch 3 is a solid upgrade pick that offers LTE connectivity, a beautiful design, and improved health/fitness tracking.
Skagen Falster 3 There’s no better option if you want to wear Google’s Wear OS on your wrist.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE — The TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE lets your watch stay independent with a built-in SIM card that connects to services without your phone nearby.
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music — Garmin is a name pros know, and the Forerunner 245 Music has impeccable GPS accuracy, long battery life, and support for notifications and music services.

What are the best smartwatches?

If you’re in the market for the best Android smartwatch, your choices should include our two best overall picks, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and the slightly older and cheaper Galaxy Watch Active. The differences are minor — the Active 2 has a couple more sensors and comes in two size options — but together with the new Galaxy Watch 3 they make up Samsung’s most impressive wearables lineup to date.

What makes them great is the fluid Tizen OS mixed with beautiful hardware. Unlike the original Galaxy Watch, which has a physical rotating bezel, the Watch Active line uses a “virtual” bezel that lets you move around the software by rotating around the edge of the vivid AMOLED display. Samsung Health has also improved immensely over the last couple of years and features a well-rounded selection of workout tracking options as well as a built-in GPS for monitoring outdoor runs or bike rides. Battery life on both watches is measured in days, not hours, and the included sports bands are comfortable enough that you’ll forget you’re wearing anything on your wrist at all — until a notification comes in, which is easy to activate or dismiss.

Galaxy wearables are optimized for Samsung phones but can be worn with any Android or iOS device (yes, they work great with iPhones, too), and Samsung has done a fantastic job keeping older models updated with new features years after their release.

If you’re not interested in a Samsung smartwatch, or prefer how Google does things, we recommend the Skagen Falster 3, an absolute knockout of a Wear OS watch. Its exposed metal lugs are very Skagen, but the included side-mounted digital crown lets you navigate around the software without covering up what’s on the screen. Plus, it runs the latest Qualcomm chip paired with 1GB of RAM for fluid performance.

The best smartwatches

1. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: Best Smartwatch Overall

Bottom line: The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has all of Samsung’s best wearable ideals rolled up into one smartwatch. It’s stylish, comfortable, has great battery life, and plenty of health tracking features to make you happy and keep you motivated.

Pros:

Compact and well-designed
Easy to use
Capacitive bezel
Excellent performance and battery

Cons:

Third-party app support could be better
Health tracking not as accurate as Garmin

$280 at Amazon
$280 at Best Buy
$279 at Walmart

You don’t have to use a Samsung phone to enjoy the benefits of owning a Samsung smartwatch, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 provides the most well-rounded wearables experience for Android users right now. It’s compact and lightweight but features an extremely sharp and vivid touch display that’s easy to navigate and fun to use thanks to the new capacitive bezel. The Tizen OS is smooth and battery-friendly, unlike Google’s own Wear OS, and while the app selection isn’t massive, the core tenets are there, like Spotify, Strava, and more.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 contains its primary purpose in its name: exercise tracking. The watch comes with GPS built-in, and features automatic workout-tracking, along with sleep tracking, water, food and caffeine consumption tracking, and more. The Running Coach feature is improved, which now gives you real-time pace metrics and a rundown of what to expect from your workout before you start. You’ll receive audio cues that can be heard through the watch speaker or Bluetooth headphones.

If you mainly wear a smartwatch for notifications, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 delivers there, too, with excellent support for Android’s notification system, letting you reply using your voice, the built-in keyboard, or with one of the many quick answers.

Finally, battery life, while not quite as good as some of the other larger watches on the list, is still pretty impressive, and the watch can be topped up with select Qi wireless pads or with the Galaxy’s Wireless PowerShare feature.

Best Smartwatch Overall

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

$229 at Amazon
$230 at Best Buy
$279 at Walmart

The Active 2 offers a pretty display, onboard GPS, ample activity tracking, and a unique capacitive bezel for easy navigation.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active: Best Value Smartwatch

Bottom line: It’s barely six months older than the Galaxy Watch Active 2, but it loses only a few of the features and a lot of the price tag. The Watch Active is small and light but has a beautiful AMOLED display and battery that lasts multiple days. It also has all of the incredible features Samsung’s wearables are known for.

Pros:

Compact and well-designed
Easy to use
Capacitive bezel
Excellent performance and battery

Cons:

Third-party app support could be better
Health tracking not as accurate as Garmin

$179 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$199 at Walmart

The Galaxy Watch Active has already been replaced by the Watch Active 2, but the original came out in early 2019 and is still a great choice for anyone who wants a compact Android smartwatch with amazing capabilities at a reduced price tag.

The main draw here is the beautiful AMOLED display, which is readable in all lighting conditions including bright sunshine. The watch is light and comfortable to wear all day — which is good because the battery lasts that and then some. While it lacks the capacitive “rotating” bezel of its more expensive counterpart, the original Watch Active has everything you’d need to stay, well, active: GPS, NFC, storage for music, and wireless Qi charging through Samsung’s Wireless PowerShare feature.

Best of all, it’s been heavily discounted since the sequel was released, so you can get it for much less than its original price.

Best Value

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

$179 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$199 at Walmart

Smaller, cheaper, and nearly as good

If you don’t want to spend all of that money on the Galaxy Watch Active 2, the original Watch Active is a great choice.

3. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Best Upgrade Pick

Bottom line: If you’re looking for the latest tech, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is a worthwhile pick. It’s a premium lifestyle wearable packed with some new health and fitness features that allow users to enjoy the best of all worlds.

Pros:

Built-in GPS
Optional LTE connectivity
Activity/sleep tracking
5 ATM water resistance
MIL-STD-810G durability
Music Storage & Samsung Pay

Cons:

Expensive starting point
Battery life isn’t great

$400 at Amazon
$400 at Best Buy
$400 at Walmart

One of Samsung’s latest releases, the Galaxy Watch 3 is more than just a lifestyle wearable. The predecessor wasn’t the best pick for fitness fans since it was more of a fashionable smartwatch with some bonus features sprinkled in. Now, the Galaxy Watch 3 is back and better than ever. It’s an excellent upgrade pick for those who want a premium smartwatch with advanced health and fitness tracking. It comes in two sizes and offers optional LTE connectivity, built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, 5 ATM water resistance, and military-grade durability.

Two of the new health features include SpO2 and VO2 max readings. A SpO2 reading measures your blood oxygen saturation levels while the VO2 max tells you how much oxygen your body is consuming during a workout. These two new features are also accompanied by an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor as well as blood pressure monitoring, which will soon be available in the U.S. Other new features include built-in run coaching and recovery tools, along with access to over 120 home workout videos on the Samsung Health app.

If you’re new to the scene, you might experience some sticker shock when you notice the price tag on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. Sure, it’s got some impressive features, but this price point may be out of the question for some people. If you’re an experienced smartwatch user with confidence in Samsung wearables, this upgrade might be worth considering.

Best Upgrade Pick

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

$400 at Amazon
$400 at Best Buy
$400 at Walmart

Worth the upgrade

The new Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is a worthy upgrade with a stunning design, optional LTE, and improved health/fitness features.

4. Skagen Falster 3: Best Wear OS Smartwatch

Bottom line: The Skagen Falster 3 is one of the best-looking smartwatches on the market and is one of the best Wear OS watches out there. If you’re looking for something a bit more stylish, or want to experience Google’s version of a smartwatch OS (which has its pros and cons), the Falster 3 should be near the top of your list.

Pros:

Attractive, classic design
Digital crown is fantastic
Speaker lets you take calls
Excellent quality display
Built-in Google Pay support

Cons:

Expensive
Uses proprietary 22mm bands

$295 at Amazon

Sometimes you just want a smartwatch that actually looks like a watch. You want a simple design, excellent quality strap, and a finish that doesn’t scream, “this is a piece of technology!” Well, the Falster 3 from well-known Danish watch brand Skagen is precisely that.

One of the Skagen Falster 3’s main benefits is its three-button layout, which includes a rotating crown that helps to scroll through Wear OS without having to touch the screen — an enormous benefit once you start using it. You also get a beautiful stainless steel body, well-constructed straps in either leather, metal, or silicone in a variety of colors, and all the essential features you’d expect, like water resistance, GPS, a heart rate monitor, NFC, and more.

The Falster 3 is the 2020 update to Skagen’s smartwatch line, and is improved in every way — you get more RAM for smoother performance, a speaker for making and taking calls, and much-improved battery life thanks to Skagen’s new Extended Battery modes.

Best Wear OS Smartwatch

Skagen Falster 3

$295 at Amazon

Day and night ready

The Skagen 3 is a perfect blend of style and sophistication in a smartwatch. It’s one of our favorite versatile Wear OS watches.

5. Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE: Best Connected Android Smartwatch

Bottom line: Big and imposing, Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE is the premiere connected smartwatch, allowing you to stream music or receive calls even when your phone isn’t nearby. Plus, its two-in-one display lets you see it in direct sunlight.

Pros:

LTE connectivity
Dual-layer display
Good battery life
Google Pay
MIL-STD-810G durability

Cons:

Expensive
Outdated processor
Bulky on small wrists

$291 at Amazon
$239 at Walmart
$239 at Newegg

If you prefer big things in big packages, you’ll appreciate what the TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE is bringing to the table. This giant smartwatch comes with a dual-layer display, which helps prolong battery life. You can expect it to last between 2-5 days in Smart mode depending on usage. You’ll also enjoy built-in GPS, activity tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and Google Pay. Of course, the most important feature here is the LTE connectivity. You’ll never have to worry about leaving your phone behind with this watch on your wrist. Take calls, send texts, and use data anywhere with Verizon NumberShare.

As long as you don’t mind spending a pretty penny on a smartwatch with LTE, you won’t find too many issues with the TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE. At just over 45mm, it’s just large enough to feel bulky on small wrists. It’s also running on the old Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, so you can expect some lag when it comes to performance, The good news is that you do get 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, which should help even things out a bit.

Best Connected Smartwatch

TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE

$291 at Amazon
$239 at Walmart
$239 at Newegg

Always connected

Want heart-rate monitoring, activity tracking, and LTE connectivity? You’ll have met your match with the TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE.

6. Garmin Forerunner 245 Music: Best Smartwatch for Long-Distance Runners

Bottom line: If running is the name of your game, the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is easily the best choice. It has a transflective display that is easy to read in direct sunlight. It comes with a comfortable band, stellar battery life, and unmatched workout tracking.

Pros:

Advanced workout tracking and guidance
Incredible battery life
Sunlight-friendly transflective display
Music streaming
Extremely comfortable strap

Cons:

Limited smartwatch features
Basic design may not be for everyone

$329 at Amazon
$350 at Best Buy
$350 at Walmart

There’s a smartwatch for every type of Android user, and the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is an outstanding choice for anyone who runs, bikes, or swims. It’s not the best smartwatch, but it does receive notifications from your phone. If you don’t need much more than that — and who does these days? — the Forerunner 245 makes up for it with incredible 7+ day battery life, or six hours with GPS enabled, which is more than enough for a marathon (or two if you’re really good).

Better yet, the transflective screen means that the Forerunner 245 is easily visible in direct sunlight, making it perfect for extended outdoor excursions. There’s also music storage and the option to stream from Spotify or Deezer, which is seriously great if you’re trying to hit those personal bests. Add in 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, advanced workout capture, and advanced features like VO2 max estimation, a recovery advisor, and more, and this becomes a wonderful option.

Best for Long-Distance Runners

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music

$329 at Amazon
$350 at Best Buy
$350 at Walmart

A solid, slim GPS tracker.

Garmin’s GPS tech is paired with a reliable heart-rate tracker in a slim watch that syncs to its own app and other popular apps.

7. Fitbit Versa 2: Best Smartwatch for Casual Athletes

Bottom line: As one of the most popular names in the wearable world, Fitbit is always a good option. The Versa 2 is centered around health and fitness tracking, so it’s ideal for workout enthusiasts. You have activity/sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and Fitbit Pay.

Pros:

Low-profile, attractive design
Excellent battery life
Solid smartwatch features
Lots of different colors
Built-in Alexa support

Cons:

Limited app selection
Installing new bands can be tricky

$199 at Amazon
$199 at Best Buy
$From 199 at Walmart

Fitbit has gone to great lengths to convince the world that it’s more than just a fitness tracker company. The Fitbit Versa 2 is a fantastic, colorful product that combines the best of the company’s athletic DNA with solid smartwatch features, a bevy of useful apps, and nearly a week of battery life. The new Versa 2 also has a sleek modern design, a faster processor for smoother performance, a microphone so Android users can dictate replies to incoming notifications, and built-in Alexa support for when you need to know the weather or who won last night’s game.

The best part of Fitbit is how seamlessly it interacts with your Android phone. You just wear it — to work, to bed, in the shower — and it uploads your results in the background, syncing with your phone and, potentially, your group of friends who are constantly keeping you challenged. Yes, that’s the other best part of Fitbit: its social network. Enjoy weekly challenges, or compete with the company’s many experts in pre-made discovery challenges and adventures.

While the Versa 2 lacks GPS, it makes up for it by including on-screen workouts and collecting plenty of useful data. Plus, if you’re into sleep tracking, no one beats Fitbit for insights and accuracy.

Best Smartwatch for Casual Athletes

Fitbit Versa 2

$199 at Amazon
$199 at Best Buy
From $199 at Walmart

A fitness tracker that’s good at everything

The Versa 2 improves on everything over the original, including a sleeker design, better battery life, and built-in Amazon Alexa.

8. Mobvoi TicWatch C2+: Best Smartwatch for Beginners

Bottom line: When you’re just starting out on your fitness tracking journey, you might prefer to keep things simple with a watch that won’t break the bank, like the TicWatch C2+, for example. It’s got activity tracking, GPS, heart-rate monitoring, and Google Pay.

Pros:

Subtle yet elegant design
Affordable price tag
-Automatic exercise tracking
Built-in GPS
Google Pay

Cons:

No speaker
Lacks ambient light sensor

$210 at Amazon
$210 at Walmart

While it might not seem like much when compared to the TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE mentioned earlier, the C2+ is geared toward a different type of user. Those who aren’t seeking a fully connected smartwatch will appreciate the simple yet efficient nature of the TicWatch C2+. It’s surely an improvement from its predecessor thanks to its increased RAM, which offers much smoother performance. It’s nice that the stainless steel case and AMOLED display are easy on the eyes.

As far as features go, this smartwatch is stacked pretty nicely considering the low price tag. You’ll have built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, automatic activity tracking, and mobile payments with Google Pay. The battery should last for up to two days depending on usage. The lack of an ambient light sensor means you’ll have to adjust the brightness yourself based on surroundings. The frustration of this alone may inevitably lead to shorter battery life. It also lacks a speaker, so you won’t hear responses when using Google Assistant.

All things considered, this is a great pick for those who want a smartwatch they can wear every day while also using it to track their health and fitness. Beginners who don’t want to spend a fortune but want a decent watch will love the TicWatch C2+.

Best Smartwatch for Beginners

TicWatch C2+

$210 at Amazon
$210 at Walmart

Time to get started

The TicWatch C2+ is great for beginners. It offers better performance than its predecessor. It’s sleek and affordable, too.

9. Fossil Hybrid HR: Best Hybrid Smartwatch

Bottom line: The Fossil Hybrid HR provides you with a perfect balance of style and features. You get a taste of certain smartwatch perks and the look of a traditional timepiece. It will track your activity and sleep, monitor your heart rate, and give you over two weeks of battery life.

Pros:

Lovely design
Customizable display
Activity/sleep tracking
Heart-rate monitoring
2+ weeks of battery

Cons:

Lacks GPS options
Limited features
Not the best for serious tracking

$157 at Amazon
$175 at Best Buy
$157 at Walmart

Hybrid smartwatches are unique in many ways. Most importantly, you often can’t tell it’s a smartwatch at all. The Fossil Hybrid HR comes with just enough features to claim the ‘smart’ title but it’s not identical to some of the other picks on this list. For instance, you won’t have a touchscreen, so all of your navigating will be done with the three side buttons. It also doesn’t have a colorful display, but at least you get a solid two weeks of battery life in return.

You can customize the display to your liking, which will include at-a-glance info of your choosing, such as weather, steps, and notifications. Other than basic activity/sleep tracking and heart-rate monitoring, don’t expect a well-rounded smartwatch experience from the Fossil Hybrid HR. It’s only a hybrid, after all. You’ll miss out on GPS, NFC payments, music storage, and other premium features.

Best Hybrid

Fossil Hybrid HR

From $157 at Amazon
From $175 at Best Buy
$157 at Walmart

A hybrid lifestyle

Want to enjoy some great smartwatch features without sacrificing battery life or style? The Fossil Hybrid HR is an ideal pick.

10. Suunto 7: Best Wear OS for Serious Athletes

Bottom line: Wear OS users who want a fitness smartwatch designed for serious athletes will love the Suunto 7. It’s also the best pick if you want a giant piece of tech on your wrist. It offers built-in GPS with offline outdoor maps, superior activity tracking, Google Pay, and an array of vibrant color options.

Pros:

Built-in GPS and offline outdoor maps
Attractive, sporty design
Various color options
Excellent activity tracking
Water-resistant up to 5ATM
Google Pay

Cons:

A bit too huge for some
Battery life is mediocre
Extremely pricey

From $450 at Amazon
$499 at Best Buy
$500 at Walmart

If you’re partial to Wear OS and looking for the perfect Android smartwatch to handle your activity tracking, you can’t go wrong with the Suunto 7. This wearable is fairly new to the market but it’s got potential to be great — especially if you’re a serious athlete who is focused on detailed tracking. In addition to built-in GPS and full-color accurate mapping software, it also boasts over 70 sport modes. Thanks to Suunto’s apps, you’ll have access to helpful metrics that go above and beyond what’s available on Google Fit, including training load, training recovery, and more.

When you combine all that Suunto 7 has to offer with Wear OS, it should be a match made in heaven, right? That depends on what type of experience you want. If you can live with a mere 2 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and the likelihood of laggy performance due to the work-in-progress nature of Wear OS, then it’s a solid choice for serious athletes who need all the tracking perks they can get.

As you might’ve noticed, this thing is ginormous. This is a bonus for some users, but dainty wrists may shy away from this 50 mm juggernaut. If you’re on a budget, this pricey smartwatch might not be the best choice.

Best Wear OS for Serious Athletes

Suunto 7

From $450 at Amazon
$499 at Best Buy
$500 at Walmart

A truly sporty smartwatch

Those who want in-depth tracking in the form of an attractive but sporty smartwatch will love everything about the Suunto 7.

11. Fossil Gen 5 Julianna: Best for Women’s Fashion

Bottom line: If you’re seeking a smartwatch with a feminine touch, look no further than the Fossil Gen 5 Julianna. It’s both fashionable and functional. Some of the key features include GPS, Google Pay, health/activity tracking, and heart-rate monitoring. It’s available in multiple stunning finishes as well.

Pros:

Fashionable and functional
Excellent performance thanks to 1GB of RAM onboard
Able to take phone calls with built-in speaker
Supports any 22mm watch band
Outstanding battery life for a Wear OS watch

Cons:

Expensive

$295 at Amazon
$295 at Best Buy
$384 at Walmart

Fossil has always been about fashion watches, which makes the Julianna, its latest smartwatch aimed at women, one of the most fashionable yet. Fortunately, the Julianna stands out for more than looks. It’s built on the same modern platform as the Fossil Sport but has even more features. In addition to being waterproof and supporting 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, there’s also GPS for tracking runs and a versatile digital crown for easy scrolling.

Then there are the features you’ll barely see anywhere else in the Wear OS ecosystem: a built-in speaker for taking phone calls when connected to an Android device or iPhone, as well as an improved battery that provides up to three days of moderate usage. Finally, the 1GB of RAM ensures the fastest performance in the Wear OS ecosystem. (Fossil also has a Gen 5 smartwatch aimed at men called the Carlyle.)

It’s not cheap, but the Julianna is one of the best Android smartwatch options out there.

Best for Women’s Fashion

Fossil Gen 5 Julianna

$295 at Amazon
$295 at Best Buy
$384 at Walmart

Does it all

Fossil’s latest smartwatch for women does it all, from fitness tracking to taking calls to using apps — and looks good doing it.

12. Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2: Best for Men’s Fashion

Bottom line: Men can score a stylish wearable without sacrificing essential smartwatch features, which is where the Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2 comes in. It’s spendy, but you simply cannot beat these luxurious designs. You also get built-in GPS, Google Pay, and basic activity tracking with Google Fit.

Pros:

Sleek, stylish design
Voice-activated Google Assistant
3 ATM water resistance
Heart-rate tracking
Onboard GPS
Google Pay

Cons:

Very pricey
Only one day of battery

$334 at Amazon
$350 at Best Buy

Michael Kors continues to be one of the leaders when it comes to fashion smartwatches. The new Access Bradshaw 2 is no exception. It comes in a generous 44mm case and is available in silver, gold, gunmetal, and rose gold variants. It might be hard to believe that a watch this beautiful does more than look pretty, but it does. This Wear OS smartwatch is running the new Snapdragon Wear 3100. When you combine that with 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM, you can expect ultra-smooth performance.

There are many features to love here, including music storage and controls, Google Fit, voice-activated Google Assistant, Google Pay, onboard GPS, heart-rate tracking, and more. It has both a microphone and speaker, enabling you to take calls from your wrist. While the battery will last for a day at best, it comes with rapid charging that’ll reach 80% battery in under an hour.

Given all of these updates, the Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2 certainly isn’t cheap. The price tag makes sense given the superior performance, new features, and premium design.

Best for Men’s Fashion

Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2

$334 at Amazon
$350 at Best Buy

Pretty and smart

Men can be fashionable, too. The Access Bradshaw 2 is looks and smarts, from taking calls to fitness tracking to payments.

How to pick the best Android smartwatch

The good news about wearing a smartwatch in 2020 is that while there are plenty of options on the Wear OS side of things. You also have some fantastic options from companies like Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin, too.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is an outstanding choice for most people and has received our most coveted Best Overall recommendation. You can even enjoy it if you don’t own a Samsung device. You’ll have built-in GPS, activity, sleep, and heart-rate tracking, music storage, smartphone notifications, Samsung Pay, and more. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Of course, everyone has their preferences. If you’re not a fan of Tizen OS or Samsung Health, your choices certainly don’t stop there. You’ll have your pick of many other wearables, whether it be from Fitbit, Garmin, Fossil, or any other brand that has captured your attention.

There are plenty of factors to consider when you’re shopping for a smartwatch. Whether this is your first wearable or you’ve been around the block a time or two, you’ll want to narrow down some key aspects before making a decision. Here are the main factors you should focus on:

1. Size and design preferences

First and perhaps most importantly, you’ll need to figure out what size of watch you’re after. Smaller watches are often a bit cheaper than their larger counterparts, and some watches may be too large or small for your wrist, which will quickly thin out the herd. The not-so-cheap Suunto 7 is a good example.

And of course, we can’t forget about aesthetics. You’re still shopping for a watch, after all, and it should be compatible with your style! You can always opt for one of the fashionable watches on this list, like the Fossil Gen 5 Julianna or the Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2.

If you’re more worried about having a comfortable fit than a stylish design, there are some other options that might catch your eye. Runners will love the simplistic look and feel of the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, for example. If you’re intrigued by the idea of a minimalistic design but you’d like something a bit more appealing, the TicWatch C2+ is both subtle and elegant enough for daily wear.

2. Consider your must-have features

You’ll also need to weigh the importance of features like GPS, fitness and sleep tracking, cellular connectivity, heart-rate monitoring, and mobile payments. Fortunately, it’s not hard to find a watch that has a bit of everything these days. With that said, your list of options will be much shorter if you’re set on having a watch with cellular connectivity. You’ll only find two models on this list with that feature, so the pickings are rather slim. Not everyone is buying a smartwatch for LTE connectivity, so this won’t be a deal-breaker for most users.

Some of the more common features you’ll find on most smartwatches these days include GPS, fitness tracking, and heart-rate monitoring. There are still some models that still have yet to jump on the built-in GPS wagon such as the Fitbit Versa 2, so you’ll have to decide how much this means to you. Granted, you can still use connected GPS via your smartphone but it’s not nearly as convenient.

Another feature we’re seeing more and more of is NFC for mobile payments. In fact, more than half of the wearables on this list have it. You won’t find it on the more niche watches, like the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music or the Fossil Hybrid HR, but that’s mostly because those models are geared toward a different type of user.

3. Which OS do you prefer?

Choosing an operating system can be tricky for a number of reasons. If you’re new to the smartwatch world, you might be indifferent on the matter but it can affect your overall experience, so it’s worth mulling over. One of the most common concerns is how well your smartphone will work with your smartwatch.

Is it easier and more fluid to have an Android smartwatch paired with an Android smartphone? Absolutely. Should that be the deciding factor? Not quite. You can use an iPhone with an Android smartwatch but be prepared for some hiccups along the way. There can also certain limitations, like not being able to use the quick reply feature to respond to a text message from your watch.

A recurring complaint from Samsung users is that Tizen OS doesn’t always do a great job of displaying notifications on its watches. It’s not that they fail to appear but that the options for how they appear are somewhat limited. You might have an easier time scrolling through notifications on a Wear OS smartwatch.

Other smartwatch companies such as Garmin and Fitbit use their own operating systems. This can involve a bit of a learning curve in some cases, but it just might be worth it. If you’re a passionate runner who is frequently tracking your workouts and other stats, Garmin is an excellent choice. Casual athletes, on the other hand, might find the simple nature of FitbitOS to be user-friendly and easy to navigate.

4. How smart is a hybrid smartwatch?

If you’re learning about hybrid smartwatches for the first time, you might be wondering just how smart they are. You get a nice blend of a traditional timepiece with some smartwatch perks sprinkled in. However, don’t buy one of these wearables expecting premium features.

The Fossil Hybrid HR, for example, offers heart-rate monitoring, basic activity tracking, music controls, and smartphone notifications. You won’t have a bright AMOLED display, Google Assistant, mobile payments, or any GPS options. Those who want a taste of the smartwatch world without going all-in might find this to be a good place to start.

5. What about battery life?

Some users can’t stand the thought of having to take their watch off every 24 hours to charge it. Luckily, there is a decent amount of multi-day battery life picks on this list. You can also go for a model with advanced technology that helps extend battery life, like the dual-layer display on the TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE.

Other models offer battery-saving modes that turn off certain features to prolong battery life, but this isn’t always ideal. Alternatively, when you choose a watch such as the Skagen Falster 3 that offers rapid charging, it might not be as much of a hassle. Simply set your watch to charge in the morning as you get ready for the day and it will be juiced up before you know it.

If you’re still determined to find a watch with superior battery life, Garmin and Fitbit offer some of the best options that offer almost a week’s worth of battery life. While nothing can beat the 2+ weeks offered by the Fossil Hybrid HR, be prepared to compromise when it comes to key smartwatch features.

Once you’ve hammered out all of the details, you should have a pretty good idea of what type of smartwatch you should buy. No matter which option you pick, you can look forward to owning a nifty piece of tech that will help you track your health and fitness while also giving you a fun accessory to pair with your personal style.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Daniel Bader is the Managing Editor of Android Central. As he’s writing this, a mountain of old Android phones is about to fall on his head, but his Great Dane will protect him. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there’s a correlation.

Courtney Lynch is a freelance writer at Android Central. She’s obsessed with all things health, fitness, and music. At any given time she can be found checking out the latest and greatest gadgets while simultaneously petting her dog and sipping iced coffee.

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The best smartwatches at a glance

What are the best smartwatches?

The best smartwatches

1. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: Best Smartwatch Overall

Pros:

Cons:

Best Smartwatch Overall

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active: Best Value Smartwatch

Pros:

Cons:

Best Value

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active

3. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: Best Upgrade Pick

Pros:

Cons:

Best Upgrade Pick

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

4. Skagen Falster 3: Best Wear OS Smartwatch

Pros:

Cons:

Best Wear OS Smartwatch

Skagen Falster 3

5. Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE: Best Connected Android Smartwatch

Pros:

Cons:

Best Connected Smartwatch

TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE

6. Garmin Forerunner 245 Music: Best Smartwatch for Long-Distance Runners

Pros:

Cons:

Best for Long-Distance Runners

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music

7. Fitbit Versa 2: Best Smartwatch for Casual Athletes

Pros:

Cons:

Best Smartwatch for Casual Athletes

Fitbit Versa 2

8. Mobvoi TicWatch C2+: Best Smartwatch for Beginners

Pros:

Cons:

Best Smartwatch for Beginners

TicWatch C2+

9. Fossil Hybrid HR: Best Hybrid Smartwatch

Pros:

Cons:

Best Hybrid

Fossil Hybrid HR

10. Suunto 7: Best Wear OS for Serious Athletes

Pros:

Cons:

Best Wear OS for Serious Athletes

Suunto 7

11. Fossil Gen 5 Julianna: Best for Women’s Fashion

Pros:

Cons:

Best for Women’s Fashion

Fossil Gen 5 Julianna

12. Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2: Best for Men’s Fashion

Pros:

Cons:

Best for Men’s Fashion

Michael Kors Access Bradshaw 2

How to pick the best Android smartwatch

1. Size and design preferences

2. Consider your must-have features

3. Which OS do you prefer?

4. How smart is a hybrid smartwatch?

5. What about battery life?

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

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