We Tested Every Top Smartwatch: Here Are the Only Ones Worth Buying in 2026

Design: The Series 12 carries forward the Series 11's sleek design, featuring a bright and colorful 2,000-nit wide-angle OLED display. The aluminum models have a new Ceramic Shield front cover for extra durability, and the Series 12 offers a lot of size, material, and finish options. You can get 42mm or 46mm sizes in aluminum, titanium, or ceramic, each in a range of colors and with different band options to suit your needs.

Lifestyle features: Siri AI is built into the watch and can answer general knowledge questions and pull from personal context info, like looking up your driver's license number from your email. The S11 chip keeps Siri working smoothly and powers upcoming Audio Intelligence features that can take notes of your conversations. Otherwise, watchOS 27 introduces new gesture controls and adds widgets to the Smart Stack, including one from Shazam that automatically pulls up the name of any song playing in the background.

Health and wellness features: The Series 12's redesigned health-sensing system takes heart rate and heart rate variability readings much more frequently than its predecessor. This allows extra details in heart rate charts, better tracking in the Vitals app, a new holistic Readiness score to help you plan your workouts, and even more accurate exercise tracking once you do start those workouts. WatchOS 27 also delivers more workout guidance and perimenopause and menopause tracking.

Battery life: The S11 chip and the redesigned health-sensing system work efficiently, giving the Series 12 a real-world battery boost compared with the Series 11. In testing, it lasted for 54.5 hours with the always-on display enabled and with one tracked exercise with GPS each day.

Apple fans: The Series 12 combines all of Apple's best wearable features into an attractive package that helps you stay connected, monitor your health, and track your fitness. Unless you require extra durability for diving adventures, this model will meet all your expectations of an Apple Watch. The Series 12 is the Goldilocks of Apple smartwatches.

Health obsessives: The new health-sensing system keeps tabs on your heart rate constantly, whether you're working out or not. It takes heart rate readings every five seconds and a heart rate variability reading every five minutes. The Heart Rate app tracks these changes, making it easy to see spikes and dips. The Vitals app now provides more details and lets you see a daytime view, so you can catch health issues sooner.

Fashion lovers: The Series 12 offers the widest selection of finishes and compatible bands of any Apple Watch model, including premium Hermès options. With the Series 12, you can tailor your look to fit the occasion, even if that occasion is a fancy night out.

Android users: The Apple Watch Series 12 doesn't work with Android phones. To use it, you need an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27.

Divers and mountain climbers: If you enjoy rugged outdoor adventures and want a watch that can keep up, you're better off with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 than the Series 12. The Series 12 is durable against day-to-day wear and tear, with a dustproof design and water resistance down to 164 feet. The Ultra 4 goes above and beyond on this front, with greater water resistance, a diving certification, and military-grade resistance to harsh environmental conditions.

Wellness features: You can use the Galaxy Watch 8 to take an antioxidant test to assess your diet, measure your body composition like a smart scale, and check your vascular load for insights into your arterial health. It can also measure your blood pressure directly after you input numbers from a separate cuff for calibration. It also offers a holistic Energy Score along with tips to help you improve it and feel better.

Activity tracking: The Galaxy Watch 8 offers accurate workout tracking, monitoring basics like duration and heart rate across various exercises and sports. You can manually start any of these activities, or let the watch's responsive automatic tracking kick in for common exercises like walking and running. When running in particular, the Galaxy Watch 8 also monitors form metrics like asymmetry, contact time, and vertical.

Sleep monitoring: While you sleep, the Galaxy Watch 8 measures depth and quality of your slumber, your sleep cycles, and key health metrics, including respiration, skin temperature, and SpO2. If you have a nearby Samsung phone, it’ll even monitor for snoring. It can detect sleep apnea and provide a detailed picture of your metabolism through overnight tracking of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

AI assistance: The Galaxy Watch 8 has Gemini built in to answer questions, send texts, and interact with Samsung Galaxy Watch apps like Calendar, Clock, Health, and Reminder. Galaxy AI is on hand to act as a Running Coach if you want to train for a marathon or 5K, or a Sleep Coach if you want a checklist of activities to improve your rest.

Samsung fans: While the Galaxy Watch 8 is compatible with any Android phone, some of its features are exclusive to Samsung handsets, including the Running Coach, irregular heart rhythm notifications, phone separation alerts, gesture controls, and snoring detection.

Running novices: If you want to be a serious runner, but you need some guidance, the Galaxy Watch 8 can help. It's Running Coach is likely unnecessary if you already know what you're doing, but its detailed guidance will be quite handy if you want to develop a routine and work toward a goal, such as a 5K.

Dieters: Samsung's ability to measure your body composition is a unique smartwatch feature that can help you track progress in your diet and exercise routine if you're looking to trim down. An antioxidant test also provides handy insights into the healthfulness of your meals.

iPhone users: Like other watches running Wear OS, the Galaxy Watch 8 is exclusive to Android phones. The AI-powered features work best when the Watch 8 is paired with a Samsung phone specifically.

Early adopters: While the Galaxy Watch 8 still offers the best value in Samsung's lineup, the newer Galaxy Watch 9 comes preinstalled with the company's latest AI-powered insights, like a Fitness Index that measures the impact of your workouts and a Cardio Load metric to help guide training intensity.

Battery watchers: Samsung trails both Apple and Google on battery life. The Galaxy Watch 8 and 9 both only lasted for 26 hours on a charge in testing, while flagship smartwatches from Samsung's rivals now last longer than two days on a charge.

Design: The Pixel Watch 5 features an Actua 360 AMOLED LTPO display with DCI-P3 color and up to 3,000 nits of adaptive brightness based on ambient light. We love the unique, eye-catching look of the curved display and the domed glass. If you have concerns about its durability, know that it's fully serviceable.

Lifestyle features: Thanks to Gemini, the Pixel Watch 5 can show your flight information on your wrist on your way to the airport, or a restaurant's phone number if you're texting a friend about reservations. The Pixel Watch 5 also has well-integrated gesture controls and satellite connectivity, so you can call for help if you're out of cell service range. Plus, Wear OS now has access to almost as many third-party apps as Apple's operating system.

Health tracking: The Pixel Watch 5 Health Guardian monitors for signs of long-term conditions caused by high blood pressure or insulin resistance. To help keep you healthy, Google's Health Coach can create a fitness plan for you based on your schedule and needs, and its adaptive AI will seamlessly update it as your needs change. While the Health Coach is exclusive to the premium version of the Google Health app, it is the best AI-powered fitness assistant we've tested.

Battery life: The Pixel Watch 5 lasted for 56.5 hours in our testing with the always-on display enabled and one exercise tracked per day. That's an impressive battery result for a flagship smartwatch, and it recharges quickly as well.

Android users: Thanks to its fast processor, long-lasting battery, stylish design, and helpful AI features, the Google Pixel Watch 5 is our top pick for Android smartwatches. It runs Wear OS 7 and works with any phone running Android 12.0 or newer, though some of its best AI features, like camera controls and call screening, only work when it's paired with a newer Pixel phone.

Google fans: Any smartwatch running Wear OS 7 has access to Gemini, but the Pixel Watch 5 makes the best use of it. Gemini works seamlessly, providing assistance on your wrist before you even have to ask.

Fitbit fans: The Pixel Watch 5 offers all of Fitbit's latest features and accurately tracks your activity and sleep. Its Readiness Score and Cardio Load metrics provide a comprehensive picture of your health, along with tangible workout targets to help you train effectively. With a Google Health Premium subscription ($9.99 monthly), you get access to the Gemini-powered Health Coach, which provides a personalized fitness plan tailored to your individual needs.

iPhone users: The Pixel Watch 5 is exclusive to phones running Android 12.0 or newer. Other Fitbit devices work across platforms, but this one is best with Pixel phones specifically.

Monthly fee avoiders: To get the most out of the Pixel Watch 5, you'll want to sign up for the premium version of the Google Health app for $9.99 per month to access the flexible and insightful Health Coach. You can use the Pixel Watch 5 without the monthly fees, but if you don't want to be tempted by them, look elsewhere.

Fitness features: The second-generation Ven Sq is a fitness-first wearable with a robust suite of workout- and health-tracking tools. It can accurately track up to 25 different types of workouts, and the Garmin Connect app offers helpful goal-based running and cycling training plans and fitness challenges you can join and sync to your watch.

Battery life: While it lacks the same third-party app support as smartwatches running one of the major wearable operating systems (Apple's watchOS and Google's Wear OS), you get longer battery life in return. The Garmin Venu Sq 2 lasted for nine days in testing, which is well beyond the longevity of even the longest-lasting Apple or Android watch.

Design: A svelte design and lightweight build make the Venu Sq 2 a good fit for all wrist sizes, and it features a bright and colorful 1.41-inch AMOLED display. The square body comes in a few different colors, and the screen offers ample room to scroll through fitness metrics and read notifications.

Fitness fanatics: The Garmin Venu Sq 2 offers a comprehensive list of activity profiles for tracking exercise. If you need help getting started, it comes with preloaded workout guidance for cardio, HIIT, pilates, strength training, and yoga. For longer-term planning, you can get training plans for running or biking events.

Travelers and endurance athletes: The Garmin Venu Sq 2 lasted 9 days on a single charge in our testing, exceeding the battery life of most other smartwatches on this list. It can track your activity, exercise, and sleep, and you don't have to take it off to plug it in very often.

App lovers: While the Garmin Venu Sq 2 does have some lifestyle features, including calendar and weather apps, vibrating alarms, smartphone notifications, and Garmin Pay mobile payment support, it doesn't have the robust third-party app library of Apple's watchOS or Google's Wear OS.

AI users: The Garmin Venu Sq 2 is a bit older at this point, so it doesn't offer the same generative AI assistance and exercise guidance as recent smartwatches from Apple, Google, and Samsung.

Design: With multiple sizes and color options, and an elegant aluminum case, the SE 3 doesn't look like a budget-friendly smartwatch. You could even mistake it for a Series model unless you compare the two side by side. The screen has noticeably larger bezels than those of the more expensive models in Apple's lineup, but it looks sharp and vibrant. In terms of durability, the SE 3 even features the same IP6X dust-resistance rating and WR50 water rating as the Series 12.

Battery life: The SE 3 lasted for 46 hours in testing with the always-on display enabled under typical use. That's an impressive real-world result, especially for an affordable smartwatch with all of the bells and whistles of Apple's wearable operating system.

Workout tracking: Options for exercise tracking on the SE 3 include basics like biking, running, and walking, as well as a range of sports such as basketball, pickleball, and soccer, and other activities like elliptical workouts, HIIT, pilates, and yoga. Workout Buddy is on hand to offer AI-generated words of encouragement and stat updates during common exercises like running. The SE 3 is even an accurate sleep tracker.

Performance: Thanks to the S10 chip, the SE 3 can switch between apps quickly, controls are smooth, and it performs as well as much higher-end models.

Older or younger users: The Apple Watch SE 3 supports Apple's Family Setup feature, which lets you manage the watch for a family member without an iPhone. For school-age children, the watch supports emergency calling and location tracking and can serve as a stopgap if you don't want to buy your child a phone yet.

First-time buyers: If you're new to smartwatches and have an iPhone, save some money with the Apple Watch SE 3. Yes, it's missing an always-on display option and a couple of advanced health tracking features available on the Series 12, but unless you know what to look for, you're unlikely to notice their absence.

Casual Apple fans: Like other Apple smartwatches, the Apple Watch SE 3 is only compatible with iPhones, and despite the lower price, this value model still gives you access to the company's latest smartwatch software.

Tech-savvy Apple fans: If you want the latest and greatest Apple smartwatch features, go with the Series 12. You can access watchOS 27 on the SE 3, but the Series 12 runs it better thanks to its newer chip. The Series 12 also has a redesigned health-sensing system, and you'll miss out on it with the budget-friendly model.

Those with health issues: The Apple Watch SE 3 lacks some advanced health-monitoring features of the Series line. It can't take an ECG, measure blood oxygen saturation, or check for hypertension. If these features would add to your peace of mind, look to the Series 12 instead.

Durable design: The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has the same IP6X dust resistance rating as the Series 12. It doubles the Series 12's water resistance with a WR100 rating, allowing it to be submerged to a depth of 328 feet. Plus, it boasts a diving-friendly EN13319 certification, protection for high-velocity water sports, and has a MIL-STD-810H rating to withstand tough environmental conditions. Add in a bright orange customizable Action button, and a vibrant OLED display that reaches up to 3,000 nits of brightness, and the Ultra 4 is equipped for any outdoor adventure.

Battery life: The Ultra 4 lasted for 74 hours on a charge in testing. The S11 chip and the redesigned health-sensing system make a big difference in efficiency, allowing the Ultra 4 to outlast its predecessor by 11 hours in real-world conditions.

Connectivity: With 5G cellular built in by default, you can stay connected with the Ultra 4, even when your phone isn't nearby. Satellite connectivity is another big and relatively unique boon. If outside the range of cell service, you can still call emergency services or text your location to a known contact using satellites.

Features: Siri AI is on hand to answer general knowledge questions and even pull info from personal context, like your driver's license number from your email. The new health-sensing system frequently checks your heart rate and heart rate variability and accurately monitors exercise. WatchOS 27 comes loaded with new gesture controls, exercise guidance, and perimenopause tracking, building on Apple's already robust lineup of lifestyle, health, and safety tools. Apple's watchOS also offers the best third-party app selection of any smartwatch platform.

On-the-go iPhone users: If you're looking for the Apple Watch with the best battery life, this is it. In testing, the Ultra 4 lasted for 74 hours on a single charge with the always-on display enabled, outlasting the other Apple Watches by almost a full day. Like the rest, the Ultra 4 is only compatible with iPhones.

Outdoor adventurers: The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is best for endurance athletes, ocean enthusiasts, or anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors. Emergency satellite connectivity will offer extra peace of mind if you are blazing a trail off the beaten path and out of range of normal cell service.

Boaters and divers: Apple's Ultra models are rugged enough for high-speed water sports and recreational diving. Like its predecessors, the fourth-generation Ultra has a WR100 water-resistance rating and can withstand recreational diving at depths of up to 40 meters. It can even function as a dive computer with the Oceanic+ app.

Budget-conscious shoppers: If the $799 price causes sticker shock, you can get the same powerful chip, health-sensing system, and lifestyle features in the more affordable Series 12. In fact, the Series 12 matches the Ultra 4 in almost every way except durability and battery life.

People with small wrists: With only one 49mm size option, the Ultra 4 isn't the best fit for those with petite wrists. Again, the Series 12 has more size and style options, so you can find the look you want if the Ultra 4 doesn't have it.

Design: With a 1.58-inch AMOLED display, an aluminum case with a matte finish, and a silicone Infinity Band, the Versa 4 has a sleek look and comes in several color options. It also feels both lightweight and comfortable enough to wear around the clock.

Health tracking features: The Versa 4 packs a GPS/GLONASS satellite navigation sensor, an optical heart rate sensor, red and infrared sensors for blood oxygen saturation monitoring, an altimeter for elevation tracking, a three-axis accelerometer, and a sensor for measuring overnight skin temperature variation. You can set goals for your workout, and it will accurately track numerous metrics, including distance, pace, heart rate, and calories burned, depending on the exercise.

Battery life: In testing, the Versa 4 lasted six days between charges with the always-on display enabled and the screen brightness set to max. That's still twice as long as you get from flagship models running major operating systems.

Lifestyle features: In addition to its robust fitness and health capabilities, the Versa 4 has a small but useful selection of lifestyle features, including Amazon Alexa, Google Maps, and Google Pay.

Fitbit fans: The Versa 4 offers reliable fitness and health tracking from Fitbit at an affordable price. It can monitor up to 40 activity types and supports customizable goals, such as calories burned, distance, or time. The Versa 4 will also automatically record several types of exercises, accurately measure heart rate, and track your location using GPS.

Android and Apple phone users: If you like Fitbit's health tracking, the Versa 4 is compatible with both iPhones and Android phones.

Budget shoppers: The Versa 4 costs less than most other smartwatches on this list, and you can readily find it on sale now for a fraction of its launch price. If you're looking for a capable tracker with Fitbit credentials that doubles as a stylish smartwatch, the Versa 4 is your most affordable option.

People who prioritize long battery life: The Versa 4 lasted for six days on a single charge in our testing, surpassing the battery life of Wear OS and Watch OS smartwatches. Go with the Versa 4 if you only want to think about plugging in your watch once a week.

App fans: The Versa 4 doesn't support third-party app downloads, except for watch faces. It does come with some useful built-in lifestyle features, but if you like to customize or want access to Google's full Play Store, look elsewhere.

Durability: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 improves on its predecessor's durability with new certifications for extreme water sports such as diving and jet skiing. As before, it can survive extreme environmental stressors, so you could also take it hiking or mountain biking without worry.

Screen brightness: Samsung's premium smartwatch reaches 5,000 nits of adaptive brightness based on ambient light conditions. While other watches cap out at 2,000 to 3,000 nits, and can be seen just fine in the sun, the extra brightness is helpful in harsh conditions and if you need to use your watch as a flashlight.

Battery: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 lasted for 69.5 hours in testing under normal use. That's in line with the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and just about the best you can get from a big-brand smartwatch running a major operating system. It's also far and away the best mark for a Samsung smartwatch, making this the one to get if you are a fan of the brand and don't want to charge your watch every day.

Features: With a powerful new processor that delivers snappy performance, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 can multitask and complete AI tasks seamlessly. It offers access to all of Samsung's latest fitness tools, including the Fitness Index, Cardio Load, and Heart Health metrics, which provide holistic insights into your well-being.

Outdoor adventurers: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has similar durability credentials to the Apple Watch Ultra series, letting you take your watch off the beaten path without worry.

Hikers and divers: If you're a hiker or trail runner, you can upload routes to your Ultra 2 for turn and elevation guidance, and the watch can even use AI to monitor your hydration and remind you to take a drink. If you scuba dive, the watch can monitor your depth and guide you through your ascent and descent.

Weekender warriors: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 lasted an impressive 69.5 hours in testing with the always-on display enabled. That's near the top of the pack among the general-purpose smartwatches we've tested, which means you can go away for the weekend without your charger as long as you switch to battery saver mode.

Samsung enthusiasts: Like other Samsung watches, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 works with any modern Android phone but saves some of its best features for Samsung phones specifically. That includes Samsung Health Monitor features such as blood pressure tracking, ECG readings, and sleep apnea detection, as well as basics like the camera controller app and alarm syncing.

Budget shoppers: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 starts at $699.99. You can find many more affordable options with similar features if you're willing to sacrifice some battery life and durability specs.

People with small wrists: With only one large 47mm size, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is best for people with big wrists. It's chunky, and if you have smaller arms, you'll want to find a more petite model.

Design: The squircle is a bit of an acquired taste, and though controversial, some Samsung fans like the squared bezel and the rounded corners. The "cushion shape" allows the watch to maintain close contact with your skin for accurate health tracking. The Galaxy Watch 9 is also surprisingly durable, with MIL-STD-810H certification, meaning it can withstand harsh environmental conditions, in addition to the expected IP68 and 5ATM resistance ratings.

Health-sensing features: Samsung is a class leader in health-tracking capabilities. The Galaxy Watch 9 adds a helpful Fitness Index feature that shows a breakdown of how you stand on key metrics like cardio, endurance, and flexibility. Otherwise, it carries forward the long list of features of the Galaxy Watch 8, including the ability to detect snoring and sleep apnea, measure antioxidant levels, and track your body composition.

AI assistance: Samsung's AI enables features like the Fitness Index and Daily Cardio Load, a metric that provides recommendations for your workout intensity to help you avoid overtraining or burnout. It also carries forward the Running Coach and Sleeping Coach features that debuted on the Galaxy Watch 8. Aside from Samsung's AI, the Galaxy Watch 9 also has Google's Gemini built in for generative help.

Samsung fans: The Galaxy Watch 9 is compatible with any phone running Android 13.0 and up. That said, as with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, many of the AI-based health features that make the watch appealing are only available when it's paired with a Samsung phone.

Early adopters: While the Galaxy Watch 8 offers most of the same features as the Galaxy Watch 9, the newer model has a more powerful processor and all of Samsung's latest software features, including Cardio Load, Fitness Index, and Heart Health. While those features could come to the older model at some point, you don't have to wait for them with the Galaxy Watch 9.

Health fanatics: If you want to keep a close eye on your health, the Galaxy Watch 9 is loaded with features to help you with that. You can check your body fat right from your wrist, take an ECG, track your heart health, monitor your Fitness Index, and stay up to date on your vitals with alerts if anything is off.

Value shoppers: While the Galaxy Watch 9 does have cool new features, it looks and feels just like its predecessor, and you can now normally find the Galaxy Watch 8 for a much lower price.

Battery-conscious buyers: The Galaxy Watch 9 only lasted for 26 hours in testing, while competitors from Apple and Google now last much longer on a single charge.

Activity tracking: The Ace LTE tracks floors climbed, light activity, moderate activity, and steps as the child goes about their day, and offers daily quests and a customizable avatar to encourage active play.

Safety features: Kids can use the watch to send texts and make calls, but only to trusted contacts added by the parent through a Google Family Link account. Parents can track their child's location using the watch, and can turn off access to games during school hours.

Design: The Ace LTE is durable and colorful. The color OLED screen has 333 pixels per inch (ppi), and the housing is made of plastic, stainless steel, glass, and recycled materials. Under the hood, a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 powers the watch, which features an accelerometer, an altimeter, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and an optical heart rate sensor.

Games: In the arcade, kids can play a variety of games to suit their tastes. Each game encourages active movement and covers different genres and interests. A built-in avatar serves as a customizable Sim, and movement points let kids dress up the avatar and its surroundings. The activity ring is a customizable animal that celebrates daily goal achievements with a variety of animations.

Children ages 7 to 11: The games and characters on this watch are specifically designed for kids in this age group. Rest assured, the Fitbit Ace LTE offers enough fun features to keep children excited to wear it. It features games designed to encourage movement and a character called an Eejie, which kids can dress up with digital prizes they earn.

Anxious parents: The Ace LTE offers excellent safety features, including built-in GPS and Google Maps tracking, allowing parents to check their child's location. Parents have to add trusted contacts their child is allowed to text and call, and can also set up hours where games are disabled so kids can focus on school.

Adults: While the games are fun even if you're a grown-up, you can find more feature-rich trackers for a similar price.

Frugal families: If your child doesn't need a device to encourage movement, a simpler option like the Fitbit Ace 3 costs less and still offers basic activity tracking.