The world of wearable technology has grown from niche to normal in the past few years. Every second person is tracking their activity on a Fitbit, paying for coffee with a swipe of their smart watch and checking their health stats with the flick of a wrist. Ready to join them? We’ve rounded up a selection of the best smart watches so you can figure out the right watch for you. "The features to look for really depend on the user's lifestyle," says Geeks2U’s Anthony Hill, on what to think about when choosing a smart watch. "The key things to keep in mind are compatibility with your current smartphone and battery life."
The Best Smart Watch for Aspiring Athletes
Think of the Fitbit Versa 4 smart watch as your own personal trainer, albeit one that you can afford 24/7 rather than once a week. With more than 40 exercise modes to choose from, you can track your progress and keep an eye on your stats in real time. Use this handy device to keep tabs on your heart rate, cardio fitness level and daily step count, or to follow a guided breathing session if it tells you your stress management score is down.
Exercising and wellness aside, this iOS- and Android-compatible smart watch keeps you connected, showing call, text, calendar and app notifications (as long as you’re within 9m of your phone). Then there’s the built-in Google Wallet so you can leave your real wallet at home, and a six-day-plus battery life. Running low on juice? Come charging time, you can get a full day’s charge in just 12 minutes.
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The Smart Watch for the Wellness Enthusiast
Combining the best of Google and Fitbit, the Google Pixel Watch boasts health and activity tracking, plus apps and features to make life easier, such as Gmail, Google Maps and Google Assistant. Everything from wellness to workouts is covered: track your fitness and reach those goals with the built-in heart-rate monitor, then check your breathing rate and sleep stats to help you set new habits for better health. You can even pair the smart watch with a Pixel phone and Pixel Buds to seamlessly add music to your workouts.
For even more insights and wellness benefits, each purchase comes with six months of Fitbit Premium, so you can enjoy extras such as mindfulness sessions, workout videos and advanced sleep analytics. There’s also the clever daily readiness score, where your watch uses your Fitbit data to assess whether your body is ready for a sweatfest session at the gym, or if you’re more suited to a rest and recovery day.
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The Smart Watch of Choice for Executives
If you’re after a fitness tracker with extras, look no further than the stylish Fitbit Sense 2. In addition to Fitbit’s regular activity-tracking, sleep- and heart rate- monitoring abilities, Sense 2 has features that could prove indispensable to a busy exec. As well as providing notifications and alerts so you can keep abreast of goings-on while you’re working out, an EDA sensor continuously monitors your body’s stress levels, so you’ll know when to take a breather, reflect on your emotions (there’s a mood log for that) and slow down. And, to get your morning off to the best possible start, the clever vibrating alarm gently wakes you up during the optimal sleep stage, so you can seize the day all bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
A Smart Watch for Multitaskers
With its round face, aluminium frame and a stylish strap you can replace to match your outfit du jour, the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 has serious wrist appeal. And serious smarts, too. While you’re busy going about your day, your watch’s inbuilt sensors will monitor your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm behind the scenes to alert you to anything out of the ordinary. There are also more than 90 inbuilt exercise modes to help you track and get the most from your workout.
As well as all your usual step counting and call, text and app alerts, the Galaxy Watch5 boasts much of the functionality you know and love from your smartphone. You can text, stream YouTube videos, get help from Google Assistant, surf the web and navigate your journeys with Google Maps. To help you get the most out of your watch, it’s got a bigger battery than its predecessors, and can pack in a 45% charge in a mere half hour.
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The Smart Watch for the Upgrader
If you love the look of a traditional watch but want the benefits of a smart watch, this is the one. Light, smart and very useful, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic has an elegant design and rotating bezel that means you’ll want to wear it all the time, whether you’re working out or at a fancy dinner. You can even customise the watch face to switch from analogue to digital whenever the mood strikes with the Galaxy Wearable app.
As well as exercise tracking and sleep monitoring, this smart watch also provides a complete body composition reading in just 15 seconds, giving you stats on your body water, BMI and skeletal muscle mass, among others. And, when you’re ready for some downtime, you can access a wealth of apps such as Strava, Spotify and Calm.
The Best Smart Watch for the Outdoorsy Type
The Garmin Instinct is built to withstand the elements. It’s designed with heat, shock and water resistance, so it’s the perfect companion for rock climbers, whitewater rafters and mountain bikers. Compatible with both iOS and Android devices, this smart watch measures activity, heart rate, distance covered, sleep quality and steps. It has GPS tracking and it is preloaded with activity profiles for hiking, running, swimming and more. All this tech is encased in a hardy fibre-reinforced polymer case with a scratch-resistant high-contrast display that’s visible even in the glare of harsh sunlight.
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A Smart Watch for the Switched-on Kid
For when you’re not quite ready for your kid to have a phone but you really want to keep track of them, the Moochies Connect is a mobile-phone-in-a-watch that kids will love wearing. It has a pedometer, camera for making video calls, GPS tracking, class mode (so it won’t disturb their school studies) and text messaging capability. The good news is you can set a safe contact list, so they won’t be able to be contacted by anyone who’s not on it, plus there’s no access to the internet or social media. Parents can set controls and keep tabs on kids via the MyMoochies app on their own phone.
The Smart Watch Busy New Mums Will Love
Attention new mums (or anyone who finds they are caring for others more than themselves): here’s a smart watch that can help. The Garmin Venu 2 monitors energy levels, respiration, hydration, stress, sleep, menstrual cycles and more, so you can get an overview of your general health and wellbeing. Preloaded workouts, including running, yoga, Pilates and strength training, mean there’s one for whatever intensity you’re in the mood for, while Garmin Pay ensures you’ll be able to have that much-needed flat white even though you accidentally left your wallet at home. Remember: look after yourself, too!
The Smart Watch for the Fashion-Forward Fitness Fan
The Fitbit Luxe is surely the most stylish iteration from the makers of the original fitness tracker. This sleek and slimline smart watch comes with the classic lightweight silicone band in a choice of four colours but there’s a load of optional ones to choose from as well, including leather, stainless steel mesh, woven and link bracelet offerings. Luxe has all the modern health-conscious features you need: guided breathing sessions, 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, 20 different exercise modes and stress management tools. Plus the five-day battery life means you rarely have to take it off.
What To Try
- Fitbit Versa 4 Black/Graphite
- Google Pixel Watch Champagne Gold with Hazel Active Band
- Fitbit Sense 2 Graphite
- Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pink Gold BT 40mm
- Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic 46mm Black
- Garmin Instinct Graphite
- Moochies Connect Smart Watch 4G Black
- Garmin Venu 2 GPS Smartwatch Slate/Black
- Fitbit Luxe Lunar White/Soft Gold
