The best smartwatch of 2023

Pros: Plenty of health and fitness features, accurate GPS tracking, OS is easy to navigate, wide variety of downloadable apps

Cons: Low power mode takes away a few key features

The Apple Watch has been the king of smartwatches for years, despite the fact it's limited to use by those with an iPhone. It's completely changed the Apple ecosystem and people treat its yearly releases like they do the iPhone; they have to buy it. 

The latest release, the Apple Watch Series 8, continued that trend and again established it as the premier smartwatch option (and the best Apple Watch overall). It also did so without much in the way of innovation compared to the Series 7. 

But the Apple Watch line has, and continues to be, so solid that Apple doesn't need to dramatically innovate — it's that good. 

New features on the Series 8 include the unique Crash Detection function which can alert emergency services if it feels as though the person wearing the watch has been in a crash of any sort, be it a car, bike, or whatever. There's also a new temperature sensor that can help predict ovulation and period cycles, as well as Low Power Mode that extends the watch's battery to around 36 hours. 

These all function incredibly well on the Series 8, too, and while they may not be a massive leap forward for the Apple Watch, they're quality-of-life upgrades that make it hard for any other smartwatch to supplant it as "the best."

Outside of the new features, the watch also has an incredibly smooth interface that's easy to navigate, offers tracking for a variety of activities, has accurate GPS syncing and tracking, and nails every part of being a smartwatch. Calls, texts, emails, and app notifications are easy to read and respond to and pop up on the watch face quickly. It's not just a mere extension of the iPhone as it is the perfect companion. 

There's no better smartwatch for iOS users than the Apple Watch Series 8, and it even takes the top spot of being the best smartwatch overall. 

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 8

Pros: Third-party app support, accurate activity tracking, large, easy-to-read display, variety of health tracking apps

Cons: It's a last-generation Fitbit so support may be limited

Although Fitbit's Versa 4 launched in 2022, the Versa 3 remains the better option for a variety of reasons (which is why it's our pick as one of the best Fitbits). For starters, its compatibility with third-party apps gives it a massive leg up over the Versa 4, and it's also a much more accurate tracker both in terms of GPS tracking and syncing. 

The third-party app support is probably the most important aspect of why the Versa 3 is such a standout. Since Fitbit decided to end third-party app support on the Versa 4, the Versa 3 remains the last Fitbit smartwatch that actually offers that functionality. This translates into a much better smartwatch experience because you don't have to solely rely on whatever apps come pre-installed. Having the option to customize what you use is one of the best features of any smartwatch. 

The Versa 3 excels beyond the app support and fitness tracking, too; it also acts as a fluid extension of your smartphone, offering text, email, call, and app notifications that are easy to read, especially on the watch's big, bright watch face. Having such a large screen is also good for quickly viewing any workout stats or navigating through an app. 

It also offers a suite of health-tracking features like menstrual cycle tracking, in-depth sleep monitoring, and an always-on heart rate monitor. Fitbit may be more well known for its no-frills activity trackers but the Versa 3 is an excellent full-featured smartwatch. 

Read our full review of the Versa 3

Pros: Multi-day battery life, uses Samsung's unique body composition analyzer, highly accurate GPS tracking and syncing, highly durable design

Cons: The experience is much better on a Samsung phone 

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro continued the Galaxy Watch line's reign as the best Android smartwatch you can buy, and it did so via a few key upgrades over the existing line.

First, it houses a much larger battery that allows it to go several days before needing a recharge. It also has a ruggedly durable design that caters to the active user. And when paired with one of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands, you can easily tailor it to function however you prefer to wear it. 

These new features represent an extremely similar innovation cycle to when Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra. The Watch 5 Pro has all the hallmarks of its non-Pro kin, the Watch 5, albeit with a few add-ons that make it especially useful for fitness-focused folks and outdoor enthusiasts. 

It's also a powerful smartwatch. Call, text, email, and app alerts are easy to interact with on the large, bright watch face and it uses the latest iteration of Wear OS which is fluid and intuitive to navigate. It allows for deep customization, too, including a number of different watch faces that can display certain relevant information. I found this to be one of its best features as I could tailor what data or fitness stats it always showed on the home screen. 

Health-focused users will also appreciate its variety of wellness features, including in-depth sleep tracking, as well as a unique body composition scanner that can inform you of your body fat percentage, water weight, and BMI. This isn't as accurate as a reading you may get at the doctor but it's still a handy tool to have access to.

For the fitness crowd, the Watch 5 Pro is stellar. Not only is there a wide range of trackable workouts, like cycling, running, and weight lifting, but there are plenty of niche activities including skiing and hiking. There's also a handy track-back option that functions like a breadcrumb feature to track your exact hiking routes. However, this only works for hiking and cycling but hopefully, future updates make it available for things like trail running, too.

The Watch 5 Pro isn't without its drawbacks, though as the experience is a bit better when using a Samsung phone as opposed to something like the Google Pixel. It's not a major red flag but is something to keep in mind. Some features, like the ECG function which tracks heart rhythms, are only accessible via an app that's exclusive to Samsung phones. 

Even with those issues, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch you can buy. It's a quality health and fitness tracker and an exceptional smartwatch. For Android users, it doesn't get better than this.   

Read our full review of the Galaxy Watch5 Pro

Pros: Experience is the same on a Google phone as it is on a Samsung phone (or other Android phone), Wear OS is easy to use, excels as a pure smartwatch, stylish round watch face design

Cons: Awful fitness tracker with poor GPS syncing

Google's Pixel Watch is one of the most polarizing wearables I've tested. For as good of a smartwatch as it is, it's a frustratingly terrible fitness tracker, which is especially strange considering Google now owns Fitbit. 

But the main reason it gets the nod here, and why it's one of the best smartwatches for Android, is that it is a truly great pure smartwatch. Wear OS is intuitive to use, making the interface easy to navigate, it's compatible with a variety of apps, and it's extremely easy to interact with calls, texts, emails, and app notifications. As an effective extension of your smartphone, it shines. 

However, those looking for a smartwatch that also does well in the fitness department should take heed: it's a very inaccurate watch in terms of GPS tracking and syncing. Where this rears its head is when you try to get an accurate reading of your pace while running or cycling. 

I found the watch to be off by as much as a minute and a half to two minutes on my normal mile time while running, which created a significant discrepancy from what I'm used to. I always end up around the same spot during a 30-minute run, yet the Pixel Watch would tell me I ran far shorter than I typically do. That kind of info is basically useless to anyone training for a specific race or event. 

Aside from those discrepancies, though, the Google Pixel Watch remains an excellent smartwatch. Not every smartwatch wearer will need something accurate down to .01 miles and instead wants a reliable smartwatch capable of displaying notifications and being the stand-in to their smartphone when they need it. That's exactly what you get with the Pixel Watch. 

Read our full review of the Google Pixel Watch

Pros: Tracks a wide variety of activities, extremely accurate GPS, stress monitoring, in-depth sleep tracking, downloadable maps for offline use, working recommendations, week-long battery life

Cons: Expensive

There aren't many things the Garmin Epix can't do. From its essentially endless number of trackable activities and week-long battery to its accurate GPS tracking, no-frills but useful notification system, and a suite of health-tracking features, it's more than just a quality fitness tracker; it's the best fitness tracker. Period.

But since we're talking about smartwatches, it's worth pointing out it excels at that, too. Its call, text, and app notifications are on the basic end of the smartwatch spectrum but they're still easy to interact with and the watch still serves as a reliable extension of your smartphone. It may not have all the bells and whistles of something like the Series 8 or Watch 5 Pro but it gets the job done. 

Plus, the amount of extras that come with it makes it an especially great pick for fitness-focused folks or anyone who enjoys spending time outside. It offers in-depth activity tracking for things like running, cycling, weight training, and snowboarding, and does more than just track heart rate and time. It can log actual workout reps and track actual ground you cover via GPS, while also providing a detailed map of your route. 

It's also a comprehensive health tracker with in-depth sleep and stress monitoring and a handy recovery tool that adjusts how much rest it recommends you need based on your daily activity. 

I found the recovery feature quite useful, especially on days when I wanted to push myself but decided to take it easy based on the watch's recommendation, knowing I wouldn't be at my best. This input ultimately changed the way I worked out each week and I started to feel far better on a week-to-week basis in terms of soreness and what my overall recovery timeline was like. 

This only scratches the surface of what the Epix can do, too, as the watch literally learns your day-to-day behavior and adapts to suit you best. This includes the workout recommendations but it also helps manage stress levels, when to go to bed and wake up, and how often you should have a rigorous workout. 

The fact it does all this while also being a reliable smartwatch makes it one of the premier wearables you can buy.

Pros: Multi-day battery life, durable, rugged design, big watch face, debuted the unique new Action button

Cons: Expensive

When the Apple Watch Ultra was released in late 2022, it ushered in a completely new era for the Apple Watch line. Not only did it introduce the incredibly useful new Action button but it also came standard with the longest-lasting battery of any Apple Watch thus far. Though previous Apple Watches were marketed as capable smartwatches and activity trackers, the Ultra raised the bar even higher. 

And while the Series 8 may be the better choice for most Watch users, the Ultra is perhaps the most intriguing of the two. The aforementioned larger battery allows the watch to go a full two days before needing a recharge, which is a welcome upgrade over the daily recharge requirement of every other Apple Watch, the Series 8 included.

But the best new addition is the Ultra's Action button. Situated on the opposite side of the watch face as the standard dial, this large button allows users to press it to bring up a variety of customizable shortcuts. For instance, I have it set up to bring up the workout selection screen where I can then select whatever activity I want after giving it a press. 

The button also starts activities, too. Instead of a workout starting immediately as I select it, the Action button allowed me to situate myself before starting a run and, most importantly, gave the watch a few seconds to sync a GPS signal. This makes a huge difference in terms of tracking accuracy. 

The Action button isn't only for workouts as it can also be set to open the stopwatch, set a waypoint, and turn on the flashlight, among others. As of now, this shortcut list does feel slightly limited but the hope is that Apple widens the compatibility with a range of other apps and shortcuts.

As is, the Ultra still offers a premium smartwatch experience. It caters to athletes while still maintaining plenty of utility for casual users. Anyone will benefit from its larger screen, durable construction, and easy-to-navigate interface, and all the same high-quality smartwatch functionality found on the Series 8 exists on the Ultra, too. 

The main question will be whether you need the new features and if you'll actually make use of them. With a price tag of $800, it's a steep investment, and much more expensive than the Series 8 (and is closer in price to the Garmin Epix above). It's one of the best Apple Watch models for a reason but it's not always the right smartwatch for everyone.

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Ultra

Pros: Lightweight design, comfortable band, long battery life, all-day stress tracking, lots of trackable activities, wide variety of health insights, in-depth sleep tracking

Cons: No third-party app support, no music storage or playback

For a smartwatch that excels as a reliable sleep tracker, Fitbit's Sense 2 is at the front of the pack. It not only tracks your sleep each night and provides in-depth data but it also offers unique recommendations on how to improve your rest via a number of metrics. There are plenty of wearables that try to offer this level of insight but the Sense 2 does it best.

What sets the Sense 2 apart is how comprehensive the data it provides is. For example, after a night of sleep, the Fitbit app displays a number of metrics showing how well I rested. These include time spent in REM, deep, and light sleep, as well as other factors like time spent awake, how restless I might have been, and what my heart rate was. 

The Fitbit app can then recommend ways to improve my sleep to better my nightly score. This may include certain workouts or when to actually work out or how to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Once I got the hang of using the recommendations, they made a noticeable difference.

It's worth noting that one major hurdle to having all the sleep data available is to have Fitbit Premium, the subscription part of the Fitbit app. Memberships run for $10 per month or $80 per year, and are worth the investment, especially for those intent on making use of all the extra data. 

Fitbit Premium also provides a unique Daily Readiness Score that analyzes your prior day's activity and rest and creates a numbered score to represent how hard to push yourself. There are in-depth health insights, like heart rate variability, available to subscribers, as well. 

Aside from its capability as a sleep tracker, the Sense 2 is also an excellent fitness tracker. It offers tracking for a variety of activities like running, cycling, and strength training and also uses a skin temperature sensor, has heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and debuted Fitbit's real-time stress tracker. The stress tracker is especially useful for the feedback it provides on how to lower stress throughout the day.

And while the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the best smartwatches, its actual smartwatch experience leaves a little to be desired. Yes, it gets notifications like calls, texts, and app updates, but the fact Fitbit removed third-party app support and Google Assistant access is disappointing. There's also no way to store or play music via the watch either.

But I wouldn't view these as reasons to not buy a Sense 2, especially if you're looking for a smartwatch with premium sleep tracking. It's one of the best Fitbits you can buy and while it is a so-so smartwatch, it gets the job done when needed while also offering a suite of advanced health and wellness features. 

Read our full review of the Sense 2

Pros: Rotating bezel makes navigating the watch's interface and menus easier than the touchscreen, battery life lasts longer than a single day, large watch face that doesn't feel too big, lightweight design that's good for workouts and sleep tracking, robust smartwatch experience, plenty of health tracking features

Cons: Not much year-over-year change compared to the Watch 5

Samsung's Galaxy Watch line of smartwatches has stood as the best Android smartwatch you can buy for years. With the recent release of the Watch 6 Classic, it looks to stay that way for at least another generation.

One of the best additions Samsung introduced on the Watch 6 Classic was to bring back the rotating bezel last seen in the Watch 4. With the rotating bezel, navigating the watch's interface and menus is fluid and easy, especially during workouts or when you're wearing gloves. This isn't to say the touchscreen is hard to navigate but sometimes I'd find it took a little longer to respond to a screen swipe than it would if I just simply spun the dial.

The watch's improved battery life is also a welcome update. Outside of the Watch 5 Pro, most Galaxy Watches would need to find their way to a charger at least once a day to recharge. This wasn't ever a deal breaker as even our top pick, the Apple Watch Series 8, requires the same daily charging. 

However, having a watch with a battery that lasts more than one day ensures you can actually squeeze all the functionality out of it; you can use it as a smartwatch and fitness tracker during the day while also using it as a sleep tracker at night. The Watch 6 Classic's longer battery allowed me to do exactly that during my time with it. 

Of course, not all Watch 6 users will make use of every bell and whistle but even casual wearers will find plenty to utilize. Outside of the available activities and sleep tracking, there's also a stress tracker, a heart rhythm reader (ECG), a body composition analyzer, a temperature sensor, and a cycle tracker.

The highlight of these is the body composition analyzer, which I used to chart my body fat percentage and muscle mass, as well as the stress tracker, which tracked my specific stress levels at different times throughout the day and suggested methods for trying to lower it. 

I also just really enjoyed wearing the Watch 6 Classic. It has a comfortable, lightweight design that felt equally as good to wear while working out and sleeping as it did while sitting at my desk. 

The watch looks good on the wrist, too, featuring a classic round watch face design that looks and feels premium. I could see it being slightly too big for folks with smaller wrists, though it was the perfect size on my arm (and I like larger watch faces). But do keep this in mind if you don't like big watch faces.

My lone nitpick with the Watch 6 Classic is that it's not all that different from the previous generation Watch 5. It does use the latest Wear OS, though that can also be downloaded on the Watch 5. What this really means, though, is that upgrading to the Watch 6 Classic is best done by those wearing the Watch 4 or older — and Watch 5 users can take a beat and wait for the release of next year's Watch 7.

It's important to understand how you intend to use a smartwatch before you start shopping for one. Maybe you want a specific strap type or prefer a wearable with a smaller watch face. You may even want one that offers robust fitness tracking capabilities or in-depth health and wellness features. Here's what to consider before purchasing:

Use case: While all smartwatches offer similar functionality of telling time and displaying various call, text, email, and app notifications, some are better suited to certain uses than others. For instance, the Fitbit Sense 2 excels as a sleep tracker in addition to being a reliable smartwatch. If you have no need for sleep tracking, then the Sense 2 may not be a good fit. 

Sizing: Smartwatches come in a variety of sizing options, both in terms of the actual watch face and the watch strap it comes with. While some folks may benefit from a larger watch face and prefer the amount of data they can see on it, others may find big watches to be too cumbersome on their wrist and may just prefer something smaller and sleeker. This is especially true for those with smaller wrists.

Compatibility: While iPhone users shouldn't buy an Android smartwatch, and vice versa, there are other compatibilities to keep in mind when shopping. For instance, some wearables, like Samsung's Watch 5 Pro and Watch 6 Classic, function better on a Samsung-branded phone than they do on a different Android device like the Google Pixel. Some features aren't available while the overall experience is slightly different.

Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important considerations when shopping for a smartwatch and directly impacts how you use it. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 8, our pick as the best smartwatch overall, requires daily charging. This is fine for folks who have the ability to put in on the charger each night but may not suffice for those who travel frequently, or who may not have access to a portable charger.

Each of the smartwatches included in this guide went through a variety of tests to determine how well they performed across these four categories: Features, fit & comfort, ease of use, and value. Here's how each category specifically factored into deciding which smartwatches ultimately made the cut:

Features: This is one of the most important considerations for any smartwatch, and is what separates something like the Apple Watch Series 8 from something that didn't make our guide, like the Fitbit Versa 4. Put plainly, a wearable that has more features like third-party app support, the ability to play or store music, and others like sleep tracking or an always-on display truly fits the bill of being a quality smartwatch. 

Fit & comfort: If a smartwatch is uncomfortable to wear, then you'll be far less likely to want to wear it very often. And since a smartwatch is supposed to be a suitable extension of your phone, track your daily activity, and monitor your sleep, you're supposed to wear it a lot. We took into consideration how the watch band feels, how lightweight it is while wearing at night, and whether it stays comfortable while commuting, working out, etc. 

Ease of use: Learning curve is another important factor since knowing how to get the most out of your smartwatch without fumbling through menus is a vital part of the experience. There will be a learning period with any new smartwatch but the ones that are intuitive and easy to navigate from the jump are the ones that stick out. The Apple Watch Series 8 is one of the easiest watches to navigate, hence the reason why it's our top overall pick. 

Value: Value can often be subjective and is influenced entirely by how a user utilizes a certain smartwatch. For instance, not everyone needs the Apple Watch Ultra. Athletes or those who spend a lot of time outside who also need a powerful smartwatch will absolutely get a lot of value out of it while someone who is just casually active may not need all the bells and whistles. But value is still an important aspect we considered because smartwatches aren't cheap and you want to ensure that your investment is a wise one.

Do all smartwatches work on any smartphone? 

No. Some smartwatches work exclusively on a certain operating system. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra only work on devices running iOS while wearables such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Google Pixel Watch only work on Android devices. 

However, there are plenty of wearables that work on both iOS and Android, including the Garmin Epix, the Fitbit Sense 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3. Always cross-reference which operating system a certain smartwatch requires with the operating system of your smartphone before purchasing. 

Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone? 

No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with devices running iOS. While you can still wear an Apple Watch if you own an Android phone, you won't be able to get anywhere near the full functionality out of it like accessing any tracked data or downloading apps. 

Unlike smartwatches from Garmin and Fitbit, which work with iOS and Android devices, the Apple Watch only works with devices running iOS.

Can you use an Android smartwatch with an iPhone?

No, Android smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Watch 5 Pro, as well as the Google Pixel, are only compatible with devices running the Android operating system. Folks with devices running iOS should avoid purchasing these watches if they want to ensure the full functionality of their smartwatch.

If you do want a device-agnostic smartwatch, opt instead for something like the Garmin Epix or Fitbit Sense 2.