The best fitness smartwatches combine the most precise health-tracking features with a few premium perks that your basic running band lacks. I'm talking about GPS/NFC, onboard storage, AI assistants, and more. If you're buying your first fitness watch, all these metrics may be mind-blowing, which is why I'm here.
I've tested dozens of smartwatches and fitness trackers over the years, and I can tell you precisely what you need to search for and anticipate when you start your shopping voyage. Manufacturers like Google, Samsung, Mobvoi, and beyond combine smartwatch features with fitness tracking specs. It's all about finding the wearable that's right for your needs. Whether you're an active runner or hiker or like counting your steps throughout the day, these are the best fitness watches to watch out for.
Michael Hicks is Android Central's resident smartwatch geek, having reviewed or tested dozens of wearables from Samsung, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, Coros, Polar, Withings, Amazfit, and others. He spends his free time running or hiking while wearing several watches at once, testing which is most accurate.
At a glance
Best fitness watch
The Garmin Venu 3 includes a mic and speaker for calls, smart assistant support, robust sleep tracking with nap detection, and fitness coaching beyond what any other company offers.
Best fitness smartwatch
Whether you love or hate Fitbit Premium, the Pixel Watch 3 is amazing because it's a proper Wear OS smartwatch with health and fitness tech that makes it irresistible.
Best budget fitness watch
Most of the best fitness watches cost a lot for quality. The COROS PACE 3 offers some of the best value we've ever seen for fitness training on a budget, especially for runners.
Best for smarts and battery
Don't sacrifice battery life for performance. The Galaxy Watch Ultra lasts two to three days, boasts a rugged casing, and offers more accurate health tracking.
Best for health
Another fitness-focused model, the Sense 2, offers more than the best health sensor suite: thanks to Google's acquisition, it offers Google Maps and Wallet in addition to its Fitbit software.
Best all-around alternative
With the biggest battery and fastest Snapdragon chip on this list, the TicWatch Pro 5 lasts 2–3 days per charge (or even longer with Essential Mode), challenging the Watch 5 Pro. You can even get recommended recovery times.
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Best for runners
This Garmin option barely offers any traditional smarts. The AMOLED fitness watch gives you all the training data for running, swimming, and cycling without a subscription.
Best for beginners
Most of the best fitness smartwatches cost over $300. But if you're looking for something closer to $100, Amazfit has packed a lot of essentials into this attractive budget package.
Best for iPhone users
Maybe the best fitness watch on this list, the Apple Watch Ultra 2, has the downside of its iOS exclusivity and excessive price tag. Still, this watch is a top contender.
Best overall
We could list the best Garmin watches since they offer different models with the same core training, health data, and recommendations to help athletes improve. Our choice is the Venu 3 since it's the closest option to a "mainstream" smartwatch. Garmin made the Venu 3 model lighter and slimmer than most bulky Garmins. It also has a Spotify playlist, a built-in mic, voice assistant commands, a microphone, and a speaker.
You can also track your heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), HRV stress data, nighttime skin temperature data, and spot ECG readings for AFib. Venu 3 uses this data for an improved Body Battery chart that shows how alcohol slows down recovery or how meditating gives you energy. Its Sleep Coach guides you in improving your sleep quality.
The Venu 3 can alsoestimate your recovery time based on workout intensity and your fitness level. Thanks to the "Workout benefits" screen, you can also know if your VO2 Max fitness is improving. The readings can also let you know whether it's time to do more or less. You can also create custom indoor workouts from thousands of exercise types. You can even use animations that show you how to perform the exercise.
Our Venu 3 review called the watch a "tightrope walk between casual smarts and serious fitness," and for good reason. It doesn't have the app ecosystem of an Apple or Galaxy Watch. Garming added a two-week battery life, better GPS satellite accuracy, more reliable heart rate data, and Garmin Coach tools to help you where a mainstream smartwatch can't.
Best fitness smartwatch
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is our second favorite Android smartwatch. Although its specs and design might suggest otherwise, the latest model significantly advances the Watch 2.
Like the Pixel Watch 2, the new Watch 3 is a smarter Fitbit. The latest Pixel Watch has a constant body response (cEDA) for stress, skin temp, and SpO2 at night, and passive AFib readings for heart health. Google throws in six months of Fitbit Premium for in-depth health reports, but you can still see daily data once the trial lapses.
The Pixel Watch 3 offers reliable fitness tracking, similar to the previous model. Google made the watch available in two sizes, 41mm and a larger 45mm model. The displays are also larger with slimmer bezels, making it feel like an A-tier device. Google fixed the battery issues on the Watch 3 satisfactorily, as it lasted for more than the rated 24 hours when we reviewed it.
Google claims the Pixel Watch 3 has the "most accurate heart rate for running " as a fitness watch. When we took it for a standard 10K run, it stayed within 1 bpm of dedicated fitness trackers like the COROS armband. It was equally responsive during a 10-mile ruck with numerous hills and valleys. The Pixel Watch 3 offers reliable health and sleep tracking, plenty of workout modes, and enriched battery life and displays.
Best budget fitness watch
In our review, we called the PACE 3 the "best affordable running watch of the year," and we doubt any fitness watch will supplant it. COROS may not be as well known as Garmin, but it's a brand that packs some incredible training tools into watches that aren't quite as rugged but at half the price.
The PACE 3 offers some of the most accurate GPS tracking for outdoor athletes. It provides trustworthy data that helps you judge your post-workout training load, effect, and recovery time. If you're new to training and need help, there's even a running test that helps you specify your current VO2 Max level.
One of the greatest things about COROS, in general, is how it releases new software for all its watches, not just the expensive ones. A few months ago, COROS added a wellness check feature, custom workouts, personalized marathon training plans, HRV-based stress tracking, turn-by-turn map navigation, and a running form analysis tool to the PACE 3. We can expect the release of more tools in the next few months.
Best of all, it's lighter than most smartwatches without a band. The band itself can be uncomfortable to fit and hard to swap out, but overall, this is a fitness watch you'll hardly notice while running.
Amazfit is a good choice if you want a cheap but balanced fitness tracker that emphasizes traditional smarts like voice assistants. But for serious, frugal athletes, we recommend the COROS PACE 3 as the starting point and end of your search.
Best fitness smartwatch for battery
Most of our favorite fitness smartwatches repeat the same pattern of having a poor battery life. If you use GPS tracking, you must charge the watch daily. Like its spiritual predecessor, the Watch 5 Pro, the Ultra has the same battery size. Still, its more power-efficient processor and latest OS give it an evident boost in battery life.
The good news is that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra lives up to Samsung's estimations in our Galaxy Watch Ultra review. You get three days of sleep tracking, continuous heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, and even some dual-band GPS tracking.
Samsung also updated the design, which might be a love-hate relationship for some. We wish Samsung had given it a proper crown to complete the Watch experience. It's on the expensive side, but if you can find a good deal, we highly recommend you buy it. The fitness and health monitoring features are close to what Garmin watches can achieve. Samsung gives the watch four generations of Wear OS upgrades and excellent build quality that can withstand the elements.
Best for health tracking
Resembling the original Sense, which struck a delicate balance between fitness and smartwatch tools, the Fitbit Sense 2 tips more toward the fitness side of the smartwatch spectrum. That's why we have the Pixel Watch 2 listed above it. Nevertheless, the Fitbit Sense 2 could be your top choice. It works with Android and iOS users and can last for days rather than hours.
The Fitbit Sense 2 lacks Google Assistant and music storage and has limited third-party apps. But thanks to Google's acquisition of Fitbit, which encloses Google Wallet and Google Maps, the latter is mesmerizing because it helps steer you toward your destination during runs or bike rides. You can also count on a mic and speaker to take Bluetooth calls or speak to a smart assistant like Alexa or Siri.
Our Fitbit Sense 2 reviewer noted that despite the "baffling" cutbacks in smart features, he valued the new and improved interface, a light version of Wear OS. The new physical button for selecting widgets is much more trustworthy than the last generation's capacitive touch button. The AMOLED display remains bright and readable, too.
The Fitbit Sense 2 has a six-day battery life with regular use, though it's only rated to last five hours with GPS tracking. It may not be a top choice if you're a "serious" athlete compared to a Garmin watch, but it should be plenty for casual fitness tracking and easily beats the Pixel Watch 2.
Best all-around alternative
The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 won't win the gold medal in any fitness category, but it does well in the different categories where Google, Samsung, and Garmin excel. We determined it's worth enclosing here, particularly if you're more prone to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro but like something quicker, more recent, and more reasonable.
Like the excellent TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS, the TicWatch Pro 5 has a massive battery, a MIL-STD-810G rating, and a dual-layer display that enables a low-powered "Essential Mode." Nonetheless, it has added a top-tier Snapdragon Wear chip with twice the RAM, quadruple the storage, and a new temperature sensor.
This is one massive watch with a three-day battery life like its predecessor, only with far superior Wear OS 3.5 software—though still no Google Assistant. It's currently running the Wear OS 4 beta, and you never know—we could see a full update soon with even more improvements.
Our TicWatch Pro 5 review commends the watch's "incredible performance" and "better than expected" health tracking across heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature. Its fitness app calculates your VO2 Max and tells you how long it will take to recover after a workout, something most smartwatches either lack or charge for. Otherwise, you can rely on other Wear OS fitness apps like Strava.
The TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro and the Pro 5 are electronically identical, with the distinction between a Sapphire Crystal Glass screen and a refreshed rotating crown. That's not enough of an upgrade to warrant paying $350 for the Enduro when the Pro 5 is usually on sale for $75-$125 off. When both are at list price, grab the Enduro, but save your money, buy the Pro 5, and then use the savings to buy some swankier bands.
Best for runners
During our tests, the Garmin Forerunner 265 won the title of best running watch. However, it's not a typical smartwatch. Like our top pick, the Venu 3, the watch has a stunning display and music storage apps. Unfortunately, the watch doesn't have a speaker or mic, and the plastic on the case (not aluminum) is on the plain side for the same price.
Despite that, we're cramming in a second Garmin watch on our best fitness watch list simply because no other pick on this list gives runners, cyclists, or swimmers the precise coaching and post-workout body examination that the Forerunner 265 offers. Compared to the other great Garmin Forerunner models available, it's the infrequent model with an AMOLED that's readable for notifications instead of the low-res, non-touch MIP displays most Garmin watches use.
Our Garmin Forerunner 265 review goes in-depth on the laundry list of features you get to help you before, during, and after a run. Where most lifestyle watches tell you to hit your daily targets without context, the Forerunner 265 can track your tired and training load during the last week to show you your present training readiness. Based on that capacity, it'll also adjust your automated daily proposed workout — or tell you not to work out at all. After your run ends, you'll see how your aerobic and anaerobic fitness has improved, with a suggestion of how long to wait before your next run.
If that sounds like a lot, believe it or not, I'm just scratching the surface! Unless you want to upgrade to the Forerunner 965 for full-color maps and real-time stamina tracking. The Forerunner 265 offers the best fitness watch experience possible. While it lacks the speaker and mic of the Venu 3, it has a more tailored feature set.
There is also the more affordable Forerunner 165, which has the same GPS/HR accuracy as the 265, for $200 less. However, it omits some key data points we love, like training load and status.
Best for beginners
If you're buying a smartwatch for the first time, you might feel overwhelmed given the options and pro-level price tags. Don't worry, though. Since different fitness options create their watches with beginners in mind, you may not need a watch with every fancy feature. That's where the Amazfit GTR Mini comes in. It costs significantly less than every other pick on our list.
Even though Zepp OS is limited, it's very easy to use and understand, and its simplicity helps the watch last for two weeks per charge (or one with heavy use). The watch also has "120 sports modes" that cover a full range of exercises and sports. The GTR Mini can automatically detect seven core sports modes: running, cycling, treadmill, rowing machine, walking, indoor walking, and elliptical.
Our Amazfit GTR Mini reviewer applauded the watch's capacities and beautiful AMOLED display. Its 326ppi matches many of the other picks on this list, and its 36g weight (with strap) makes it much more comfy for daily wear and sleep tracking.
Upgrade to the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra or Amazfit Cheetah Pro for higher-quality fitness tools, including the Zepp Coach AI, to guide your fitness routine. The Cheetah Pro has a mic and speaker for Bluetooth calling and the Alexa assistant, making it a decent smartwatch option. However, these pricier watches have stiff competition in the $300–$400 range. If you're looking for essentials at a more affordable price, the GTR mini is unmatched.
Best for iPhone users
As an Android-focused site, we don't typically focus as much on Apple devices that our readers can't use. However, we reviewed the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to see how the other side handles health and fitness tech. We came away very impressed — as you'd expect, with such a high price tag!
The Apple Estch Ultra 2 has a titanium case, a sapphire glass display with 3,000 nits of brightness, 10ATM water resistance with protection for "high-speed water sports" and diving, MIL-STD-810H protection, a rotating crown and two buttons for tactile feedback during workouts, and a ton of health sensors for an in-depth look at your health. It can last 12 hours with GPS tracking, 36 hours with regular use, and 60 hours with the low-power setting.
Regarding software, the last two updates (watchOS 9 and 10) added many valid fitness-tracking data and watch faces. During runs, you can see your heart rate activity zones, running power, stride length, elevation, vertical oscillation, and more on your wrist. At the same time, cyclists can connect to Bluetooth accessories for cadence or power metrics. You can also count on cellular waypoints added to the Copass app to retrace your steps to call or send a text. You can also make emergency calls.
In practice, it does very well for heart rate, GPS, and elevation precision compared to other brands like Garmin. However, you won't find daily workout recommendations on this pricey watch (beyond what's officially available through Fitness+), a daily readiness score, or recovery recommendations; plus, its SpO2 sensor was disabled due to legal issues. So we've kept it low on this list but still recommend it over the more generic Series 9.
How to choose
The ultimate fitness smartwatch has numerous sporting and workout modes that you can apply to the real world, such as comprehensive health and workout tracking functionalities. It provides valuable feedback and analytics from which you can benefit. Getting a wearable with a heart rate monitor and as many other sensors as you need for health, sleep, and stress tracking is essential.
It would be great if it had Google Wallater, but it's not essential when choosing your next watch. Your smartwatch needs to be a portable health and fitness trainer for your fitness needs. Your next fitness smartwatch will help you on your journey, aid your workouts, and track your progress. It should be considered one of the best fitness watches out there.
The Garmin Venu 3 is the best fitness watch for most athletes. You have a little of everything, including an attractive design, solid fitness features, and a few extra smartwatch perks. But it sits closer to the fitness side than the "smart" side, even with its mic/speaker and music storage. A Galaxy or Apple Watch will serve you better if you need fitness tools but don't want to make them the focus of your watch.
On the other hand, if fitness is your number one priority, you'll want to turn to Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, or another fitness-focused brand. These watches may not have superfluous battery-draining apps. Still, they'll actively guide your training with recommendations for today's workout and subsequent recovery time. In contrast, a lifestyle watch will tell you to close your rings every day with little other guidance.
Your preferences are your own, but whichever way you lean, these picks should guide you toward a healthier body or your next PR.
