All top watches can perform lots of tricks, like searching the internet with your voice, tracking your location with GPS or even monitoring your heart rate to protect your overall health. And these usually work best in conjunction with your phone, although some of the watches on our list work just fine all on their own
We've tested them all, including the best that Apple, Samsung, Garmin and others have on offer. To produce this list we take account the materials and design, features and specs, battery life, price and more. The watches below needed to score well in all these categories to make our definitive list.
You might be surprised at who newly tops our ranking of the best smartwatch, and at the three-year old product which just sneaked in, but we believe we have made our case fairly strongly.
Best smartwatches, at a glance:
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- Apple Watch 6
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Fossil Sport
- Fitbit Versa Lite
- Fitbit Versa 2
- Apple Watch 3
The best smartwatch money can buy right now is the Galaxy Watch 3 from Samsung, which is the company's most accomplished wrist wear yet. It's a sequel to the Galaxy Watch from 2018, and it keeps a lot of that device's design elements but refines them.
The Galaxy Watch 3 features a unique rotating bezel that makes navigating around the smartwatch a joy. We find that a lot easier than trying to use the display, which is something you have to do on a lot of other smartwatches in this list.
Apps available on the watch are more limited than Wear OS or watchOS - two rival smartwatch operating systems - but it still offers the core basics and Samsung has provided a watch that's good at fitness as well as sporting a great design and lots more functionality too.
Features are more limited if you're using this with an iPhone, but it's still compatible with those devices. We'd recommend considering the Apple Watch below though if that's your phone of choice.
Overall, the Galaxy Watch 3 is the full package if you're looking for a smartwatch to track your fitness, look good on your wrist and a whole lot more.
Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review
Apple hasn't taken the top spot in our best smartwatch list, but this is the best device you can get if you own an iPhone. It works seamlessly with Apple's phones, and it's well worth considering if you plan to stick with the iPhone range for at least a few years.
The Apple Watch 6 – alongside the Apple Watch SE – is Apple’s latest wearable, and while the SE is relatively affordable, the Apple Watch 6 is the company’s top model. We've chosen Samsung's smartwatch as the best choice for everyone, but it's a very close race and if you're an iPhone user you may find this is the very best option for you.
It isn't a huge upgrade over the Apple Watch 5 though. There are new features like blood oxygen monitoring and an upgraded chipset, but largely it's a similar device with the exact same screen and design.
All of that said, if you're after an Apple Watch this is the best from the company ever and it may be made specifically for you to strap around your wrist and pair with your iPhone.
Read the full Apple Watch 6 review
Samsung shrank the best parts of the the Galaxy Watch into this sportier smartwatch that's slimmer, lighter and, arguably, more comfortable - then released a second version months after the first that included a few coveted features, including a rotating digital bezel and LTE version.
Overall, not much has changed - which isn't a bad thing, as it's still a quality smartwatch at a decent price. Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a 1.2-inch 360 x 360 display that is bright and beautiful yet small enough to be strapped around your wrist than a lot of the other devices in this list.
It still comes sporting all of the top-end fitness features you'd expect from Samsung's Tizen watch range, with 39 workout modes, a heart rate and ECG sensor, and health app with stress and sleep monitoring.
While it's still more affordable than the leading Apple Watch, the price was bumped up from the original Watch Active, shrinking its value compared to the competition. It's certainly not a cheap smartwatch, but when compared to the original RRP of the Galaxy Watch you may prefer to opt for this version that's remarkably similar.
Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review
Fossil has developed a lot of expertise in the wearable tech space over the last few years, and this has all culminated in the best smartwatch the company has made so far.
The Fossil Sport is a top-end watch with a lower price tag than the two devices above in this list. It features GPS, a lightweight - yet premium - design and at least two days of battery life from a single charge.
Fossil has packed a Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset inside, which is the latest update from Qualcomm that offers a smoother experience than you'll get on a lot of older Wear OS watches.
It doesn't sport any truly unique features, but the overall package of the Fossil Sport may be the best watch for you. That'll especially be the case if you're looking for a fitness watch that comes with Wear OS software and won't look odd on your wrist when you're going about your day.
Read the full Fossil Sport review
The best Fitbit on our list is the Fitbit Versa Lite, a more affordable version of the Fitbit Versa with a few of the features dropped.
The Versa Lite has a good range of fitness features, a battery that'll last you a good few days (and beat out lots of the other devices on this list), and a body that's quite small and light, and will fit on your wrist easily without you noticing it lots of the time.
Some of the features the Versa Lite misses over the Versa, or the Versa 2 listed later, include no Fitbit Pay, no on-board GPS and a slightly less impressive screen. If you're looking for a good smartwatch on a budget though, you might not mind some of these omissions.
Read the full Fitbit Versa Lite review
The Fitbit Versa 2 is the latest part-smartwatch-part-fitness tracker from Fitbit, one of the most famous wearable companies about.
The Versa 2 brings a host of upgrades to the original Fitbit Versa, including an always-on display, Alexa integration, and a slightly smaller body.
However if the original Versa wasn't quite right for you, the Versa 2 may not be the best either, as it's still fundamentally the same device, and it lacks some of the trappings of different smartwatches, like GPS functions or offline Spotify.
But for general wearable fans, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a good option, and it's more affordable than some of the other options on this list too.
Read our full Fitbit Versa 2 review
Wait, what is a three year old Apple Watch doing on this list we hear you cry? The Apple Watch 3 may not be the best piece of wristwear from the iPhone company, but it is the cheapest you can buy right now.
Apple continues to sell the Apple Watch 3, and the renewed price at its lowest ever has encouraged us to include the smartwatch on our list of the ten best again albeit right at the end.
The design is looking a little dated when compared to the Apple Watch 6 above - or the Apple Watch 4 and Apple Watch 5 - but it's still a gorgeous piece of wristwear with a lot of the tech you'd want.
It's also able to upgrade to the latest watchOS 7 software as well, making this a great addition to your Apple collection of gadgets. It isn't for you if you don't have an iPhone, but if you're after a cheaper smartwatch this may be perfect.
Read the full Apple Watch 3 review
Best smartwatches, at a glance:
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- Apple Watch 6
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Fossil Sport
- Fitbit Versa Lite
- Fitbit Versa 2
- Apple Watch 3
- Looking for something active? Check out our list of the best fitness trackers
- Just want an Apple Watch? Try our full best Apple Watch guide
- Have an iPhone? We have a guide for the best smartwatches for iPhone
- Want traditional looks? Our guide on the best hybrid smartwatch
