The smartwatch market has grown exponentially over the past several years, and we now have access to some of the smartest, most accurate wearables ever created. The downside is that if you’re trying to find one of the best smartwatches to buy in 2023, you’re going to have a potentially overwhelming amount of options to choose from.
Some smartwatches offer more features, but lack battery life, while others offer great battery life, but might be bulkier and heavier. You’ll also want to take what kind of phone you have into account, as some smartwatches don’t work as well with certain devices; Samsung smartwatches, for instance, will offer more features with Samsung devices. The same goes for Apple smartwatches.
Once you’ve determined what your smartwatch needs are, you can start looking at the available options. For a jumpstart, here’s a list of my favorite options depending on the use case:
Best smartwatch for battery life
Credit: Garmin/YouTube
Sporting up to 11 days of battery life and an AMOLED display, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 smartwatch is a perfect blend of smartwatch and fitness tracking features. Garmin has come a long way with its health-monitoring options, and the Venu Sq 2 is a perfect example of what the company has accomplished. At $250, it isn’t the cheapest option on the market, but it offers multiple colors and comes with a variety of tracking options comparable to watches from Samsung and Apple.
You can purchase the Garmin Venu Sq 2 from Amazon
Best smartwatch for Samsung users
Credit: Samsung
If you love using a Samsung smartphone, you’ll want a smartwatch that works perfectly with it. That’s where Samsung’s various smartwatch options come into play. The company’s latest offering, the Galaxy Watch 6, is an excellent upgrade that’s stylish, responsive, and packed to the brim with features, apps, and fitness sensors.
As I noted above, the Samsung smartwatch is even more appealing for Samsung users because it’ll work effortlessly with the smartphone’s health app to track even more fitness features right out the box. If you use a Samsung phone and want a smartwatch that offers plenty of years of use, then the Galaxy Watch 6 is an excellent choice. It can also be used with just about any Android device, though you won’t have access to all the features that it offers.
You can purchase the Galaxy Watch 6 from Best Buy for $300, depending on your chosen model
Best smartwatch for Pixel users
Credit: Joshua Hawkins
If you choose your smart devices based on style, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything more unique and stylish than the Google Pixel Watch 2. It might not offer the longest battery life or multiple size options, but the Pixel Watch 2 is everything you could ask for in a smartwatch, and Google made it even better by upgrading the battery life over the OG Pixel Watch and adding even more Fitbit features.
This smartwatch works best for Pixel phone users, as Google tied a lot of the watch’s more advanced features to the Pixel Watch app, which just isn’t available on every smartphone. You can still use it with other smartphones, but it won’t pack the same punch as if you were using a Pixel device.
The aluminum case is lightweight, and the pebble-like bubbled display offers a unique appearance that isn’t mimicked by any other smartwatch on the market. It’s easily one of my favorite Android smartwatches right now, and you can learn more about what Google does right in my Pixel Watch 2 review.
If you’re interested in Google’s latest smartwatch, you can buy the Pixel Watch 2 from Amazon for just $350
Best smartwatch for everyday users
Credit: Fossil
If you want a solid smartwatch that simply replaces your standard watch without adding a lot of extra hullabaloo that requires a specific phone to use, then Fossil has a lot of great options. One of its newest, the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition, is a beautiful and functional smartwatch that offers an easy-to-use app that isn’t tied to any one type of Android phone.
It’s this more open nature that makes the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition a great option for Android users that don’t want to feel tied to any particular phone brand. You’ll get access to built-in Alexa, fitness tracking, activity tracking, as well as GPS, sleep tracking, and music control. Of course, it wouldn’t be a smartwatch without some form of smartphone notifications, and the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition offers all of that right on your wrist, too.
You can purchase the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition for $299 on Amazon. It’s also often on sale for as low as $159.
Best smartwatch for Apple fans
Credit: Apple
The latest smartwatch in Apple’s lineup is nothing to scoff at. The Apple Watch Series 9 features an excellent display, fantastic battery life, and easy integration with your Apple devices. It pairs seamlessly with the iPhone, and can even pair with Android devices, though you’ll lose out on many Apple-specific features.
If you’re an avid Apple user, or if you just plan on upgrading to an iPhone within the next year or two, the Apple Watch Series 9 is an excellent choice that gives you access to plenty of great features, including several accurate and useful health-based sensors like heart rate monitoring, workout detection, and more.
You can buy the Apple Watch Series 9 directly from Apple, starting at $400
Best smartwatch users who want to keep it simple
Credit: Withings
A lot of modern smartwatches can seem so complex and complicated, offering a slew of additional features that some people just might not need. If you want a smartwatch that offers the benefits of health tracking but doesn’t offer a lot of extra nonsense, then the Withings ScanWatch 2 is one of the best you’ll find.
The Withings ScanWatch 2 retails for $349.95; while that might seem expensive for a smartwatch without many smart features, the ScanWatch 2 is an absolute beast at health tracking, giving you 24/7 healthy tracking features that let you keep up with your body temperature, activity, and more. It also sports a 30-day battery life, which makes it an easy recommendation for users that want the benefits of a smartwatch without all the extra junk they sometimes add.
You can buy the Withings ScanWatch 2 from Withings’ website for $349.95
Best smartwatch without a screen
Credit: NoWatch
The idea of a smartwatch without a screen might seem a bit crazy, but that hasn’t stopped NoWatch from making huge waves since its debut. Truth be told, it’s more of a fitness tracker than a smartwatch, strictly speaking, but I felt like it deserved a spot here because sometimes simple is just better.
The NoWatch removes the screen from the smartwatch equation, instead relying on a case that fits a swappable disc, which is magnetically connected to the case. The case actually holds all the technology here, connecting to an app on your smartphone to help you keep track of various bits of health-related information, like your activity for the day. It’s a brilliant way to show off some style and get the benefits of a smartwatch’s fitness tracking without having to have a gaudy screen attached to your wrist.
The NoWatch is one of the more expensive options on this list, but you can purchase the NoWatch starting at $500, depending on which disk and case you choose.
Best smartwatch for rugged and outdoor users
Credit: Joshua Hawkins
If you’re a fan of hiking or spending a lot of time outdoors, you’re going to need a rugged smartwatch that can stand the same trials your body does. That’s where I recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Made from titanium, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was developed for adventurers. Apple also offers multiple types of bands, including one that fits all workouts, one made for outdoor activities, and one made for water sports and recreational diving.
It’s a bit more expensive than anything else on this list and it offers one of the largest displays on a smartwatch that you can buy right now. But if you need something that can stand up to outdoor life, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can take a lot. You can read more about my opinions in my Apple Watch Ultra 2 review, where I discuss the other benefits this watch brings to the table.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $800 and can be purchased directly from Apple and from some third-party retailers
