The Best Smartwatches for 2026

The Apple Watch Series 11 offers a comprehensive suite of lifestyle, fitness, health, and safety tools, along with the best third-party app selection of any smartwatch. It features a harder, more scratch-resistant screen and longer battery life than its predecessor, while adding 5G connectivity for faster downloads when you're separated from your phone. It otherwise carries forward the Series 10's sleek design, featuring a bright and colorful 2,000-nit wide-angle OLED display. The Series 11 also has Workout Buddy to offer encouraging words as you exercise, a new Sleep Score metric that encapsulates your overnight data into a single value, and hypertension notifications to let you know if it senses high blood pressure. With these upgrades, the Apple Watch Series 11 remains the best iPhone-compatible smartwatch for most buyers.

Apple fans: The Series 11 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 from an Apple Watch. The Series 11 is the Goldilocks of Apple smartwatches.

People who need encouragement: Apple's Workout Buddy is an AI-generated voice that will talk to you as you exercise. Its positive tone will motivate you to keep moving as it updates you on your stats and milestones.

Fashion lovers: The Series 11 offers the widest selection of finishes and compatible bands of any Apple Watch, including some premium Hermes options. With the Series 11, you can tailor your look to fit the occasion, even if that occasion is a fancy night out.

The Galaxy Watch 8 does just about everything that the newer Galaxy Watch 9 does, for less money. It offers AI coaching for running workouts and sleep, as well as antioxidant testing and vascular load measurements for arterial health. Its Galaxy AI-powered coaching works well, and Google's Gemini AI assistant is built in to respond to your voice commands.

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.

The Pixel Watch 5 has the same striking design as its predecessor, with a curved display housed under a domed glass cover. Google's generative AI Gemini is on hand to answer questions and manage apps on your behalf, and it now offers proactive assistance, for instance, showing your flight information on the way to the airport or a restaurant number if you're texting about reservations with a friend. On the fitness side, Gemini powers the premium Google Health Coach, which provides detailed workout plans and fluidly adapts them to your goals and changing needs. Add in a new Health Guardian to monitor for conditions caused by high blood pressure or insulin resistance, and the Pixel Watch 5 has the smarts to offer unmatched holistic health guidance. All of the AI functions central to the experience are kept speedy by a new, powerful processor.

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 watches. It runs Wear OS 7 and works with any phone running Android 12.0 or newer, though some of its best AI features 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.

In the crowded fitness smartwatch market, Garmin's Venu Sq 2 stands out for its practicality and user-friendly features. It features a large AMOLED color touch screen with a squarish design that offers better text legibility compared with round models. Battery life is also a strong suit: In testing, the Venu Sq 2 ran for up to nine days between charges with light use. The second-generation Sq is a fitness-first wearable with a robust suite of workout- and health-tracking tools, but it also offers some useful lifestyle features, including calendar and weather apps, vibrating alarms, smartphone notifications, and Garmin Pay mobile payment support. 

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, strength training, yoga, HIIT, and Pilates. For longer-term planning, you can use it to prepare 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.

The Apple Watch SE 3 is the least expensive and smallest watch in Apple's lineup. The third-generation model introduces several significant enhancements to the line, including an always-on display, on-device Siri processing, wrist temperature sensing, and the same S10 chip used in the flagship Series 11. Safety features include Emergency SOS, fall detection, sleep apnea detection, and notifications for irregular heart rate and rhythm. The SE 3 now has 5G for faster downloads when you're away from your phone. The SE 3 launches with watchOS 26, featuring gesture controls, Workout Buddy, and Sleep Score.

Older or younger users: The Apple Watch SE 3 supports Apple's Family Setup feature, which enables you to manage the watch for a family member who doesn't have an iPhone. For school-age children, the watch supports emergency calling and parental 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, as it has the same processor and better battery life than the Series 11. Yes, it's missing a couple of features, 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 Apple's latest smartwatch software.

The Ultra 3 is the most rugged and battery-rich Apple Watch, offering exclusive outdoor adventuring features that can help you stay safe when you veer off the beaten path. That includes the ability to send a text or Emergency SOS message via satellite when out of cell signal range, as well as a bright orange customizable Action button, a nubby crown that can be operated with gloved hands, and a durable titanium case. It also boasts a diving-friendly EN13319 certification, a built-in 86dB emergency siren that is audible from up to 600 feet away, and a dual-frequency GPS for tracking your location in cities and the woods. The Ultra 3 comes with 5G cellular support and offers excellent call quality, thanks to its dual-speaker system and three-microphone array. Powered by Apple's S10 chip, the Ultra 3 has enough battery life to power through a weekend and offers all of Apple's cutting-edge health features, including hypertension notifications and Workout Buddy.

Outdoor adventurers: The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is best for endurance athletes, ocean enthusiasts, or anyone who spends a lot of time in the great 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.

Divers: Apple's Ultra models are rugged enough for high-speed water sports and recreational diving. Like its predecessors, the third-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.

On-the-go Apple fans: If you're looking for the Apple Watch with the best battery life, this is it. In testing, the Ultra 3 lasted for 63 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 3 is only compatible with Apple's iPhones.

The Fitbit Versa 4 is an excellent fitness-focused smartwatch. With 40 exercise modes, it covers a wide range of activities, including kayaking, golf, strength training, skiing, and yoga. We appreciate its attractive yet comfortable design, responsive touch screen, and long battery life. In testing, it lasted four days between charges with the always-on display enabled and the screen brightness set to max. In addition to its robust fitness and health capabilities, it has a small but useful selection of lifestyle features, including Amazon Alexa, Google Maps, and Google Pay. On the downside, the Versa 4 doesn't support third-party app downloads, except for watch faces.

Fitbit fans: The Versa 4 gives you access to Fitbit's reliable fitness and health tracking at an affordable price. It can monitor up to 40 different types of activities and supports customizable goals, such as calories burned, distance, or time. The Versa 4 will also automatically record several types of exercises, accurately measuring heart rate and tracking your location using GPS.

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 in our testing on a single charge, surpassing the battery capacity of smartwatches from smartphone makers. Go with the Versa 4 if you only want to think about plugging in your watch once a week.

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

Meant for outdoor adventures, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has EN13319 scuba certification, plus 10ATM of water resistance, an IP69K weather rating, and a MIL-STD-810H certification. That means it's safe for scuba descents, swimming, and high-velocity water sports like jet skiing, is dustproof, and can withstand extreme environmental stressors. In addition to increased durability, it offers a faster processor, longer battery life, and a brighter screen than its predecessor. It comes with all of Samsung's latest and greatest software features, including Cardio Load for training guidance, Fitness Index for an overview of your wellbeing, and a Heart Health Score to assess your cardiovascular system.

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 if you're an Android user.

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 the top mark among the general-purpose smartwatches we've tested, and it 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.

If you're a Samsung fan, you can get access to all of the company's latest wearable features without paying the premium for the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. The Galaxy Watch 9 has the same processor as the adventure-ready model, offering a speed boost over its predecessor. Otherwise, it also offers access to Cardio Load to track your training, Fitness Index to monitor your wellness progress, and Heart Health for a cardiovascular checkup like the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. It'll track your health vitals as well and let you know if any fall outside of your baseline. Plus, it offers all the other features that make the Galaxy Watch 8 so appealing.

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.

The Fitbit Ace LTE features fitness, gaming, and safety options tailored for kids aged 7 to 11. A built-in arcade forms a central part of the watch's experience, and each game is meant to limit screen time and encourage activity between short rounds of play. The watch tracks the number of 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. Even simple features like the activity ring is a customizable animal that celebrates reaching the daily goal with a variety of animations.

For parents, the watch features built-in location tracking through GPS and Google Maps, which is included as part of the monthly subscription that also unlocks LTE service. 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: The Fitbit Ace LTE offers enough fun features for kids to want to wear it, and features built-in tracking with GPS and Google Maps, allowing parents to check their child's location. The Ace LTE offers excellent safety features. 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 at school.

Children between the ages of 7 and 11: The games and characters on this watch are specifically designed for children within this age range. We were entertained testing it as adults, but it's best suited for those particular ages.

Easily bored kids: In addition to its safety features, everything else about the Ace LTE is designed to keep kids engaged. It features games designed to encourage movement and a character called an Eejie, which kids can dress up with digital prizes they earn.