The best smartwatch 2022: top wearables you should buy today

19 Oct.,2022

 

Fitness Smart Watch

Count on the best smartwatch to help you track your activities and monitor your health. Whether you lead a active lifestyle, have some health concerns you need help monitoring, or just want to get your steps in and get healthier, these wearable will see to your needs.

Part wristwatch, part smartphone companion, a smartwatch is also great motivator if you're struggling to start healthier habits or even just to keep going during a run or a particularly arduous workout. Of course, they are full of non-workout features as well, including being able to accept calls, play tunes, and even pay for purchases. 

Because of that, it's vital you find the best smartwatch for your needs. Like smartphones, there are many on the market and their features differ as well as their size, shape, and smartphone compatibility. Although, if you don't need anything very feature-rich, the best fitness trackers are worth considering as well (or you can check out the difference between fitness trackers and smartwatches first, if you're unsure). 

We've tested and reviewed most smartwatches out there, including huge names like Apple Watches and Samsung smartwatches. We've also looked at Fitbit's offerings and Wear OS watches from brands like Fossil and Mobvoi. So, who better to help you find the right choice, whether it's your first time purchasing one or you simply need to upgrade from your aging wearable.

Each entry includes a full specs list, along with an overview from our review, as well as pros and cons. We've also included our price comparison tool so you can grab the best price available on the smartwatch you want. 

The best smartwatches 2022

(Image credit: TechRadar)

1. Apple Watch 8

One of the best around

Specifications

OS:

watchOS 9

Compatibility:

iOS

Display:

1.69 / 1.9" OLED

Processor:

Apple S8

Onboard storage:

32GB

Battery:

18 hours

Charging method:

Wireless

IP rating:

Water-resistant to 50m

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE

specifications

Colour

Gold,

Red,

Silver

Condition

New

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Walmart

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Useful temperature sensor

+

Car crash detection

Reasons to avoid

-

Average battery life

-

Almost the same as the Apple Watch 7

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch family of devices, and the Apple Watch 8 is the best all around. It gives you all of Apple's latest Watch OS features without splurging on the adventure kit you don't need. While its battery life remains average and it looks the same as before, there's good reason why Apple's iconic squircle look and huge display are so popular. 

We found that the new processor boosts the speed a tad, while there's a new car crash detection tool that could just save your life (but hopefully you'll never need it). Plus, there's all the benefits of WatchOS 9 with improved fitness stats and better interval training features. If you want the Apple Watch experience, the Apple Watch 8 is a great all-rounder.

Read our full Apple Watch 8 review

(Image credit: TechRadar)

2. Apple Watch Ultra

The ultimate Apple Watch

Specifications

OS:

watchOS 9

Compatibility:

iOS

Display:

1.9" OLED

Processor:

Apple S8

Onboard storage:

32GB

Battery:

36 hours

Charging method:

Wireless

IP rating:

Water-resistant to 100m

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE

specifications

Colour

Green,

Orange,

White,

Yellow

Condition

New

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Best Buy

(opens in new tab)

View at AT&T Mobility

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Large display

+

Action button is very useful

Reasons to avoid

-

Battery life could be better

-

Lack of navigation features

The Apple Watch Ultra is the ultimate Apple Watch, and it commands an ultimate price. It's bigger and bulkier, adding an action button that you can customize with genuinely useful features. Designed to survive all kinds of terrain, the Apple Watch Ultra rivals many Garmin watches.

It could still offer better battery life (despite surpassing the regular Apple Watch) but a powerful and accurate GPS is great for exploring, plus there's a diving sensor for the avid underwater adventurer. Plus, there's all the benefits that come from other Apple Watches, ensuring you can always see how you're doing, health wise. 

It's expensive but powerful. And, during testing, we easily found this to be the most capable wearable that the brand has ever made.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra review

(Image credit: Future)

3. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The best Samsung smartwatch

Specifications

OS:

Wear OS

Compatibility:

Android

Display:

1.2" 396 x 396 / 1.4" 450 x 450 Super AMOLED

Processor:

Dual-core 1.18GHz

Onboard storage:

16GB

Battery duration:

3 days on 44mm / less on 40mm

Charging method:

Wireless

IP rating:

IP68

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE (for extra)

Reasons to buy

+

Excellent performance

+

Interesting new software

Reasons to avoid

-

Limited compatibility

-

Lacks rotating bezel

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review is big, bold and brash with an eye on assisting outdoor enthusiasts. Its AMOLED screen is super smooth to use while also being twice as durable as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 before it. All the improved health features are there with the Pro offering up a route workout GPS function so you can plan your route carefully with turn-by-turn navigation. 

It has the prowess of a Garmin watch with the glamor of a Wear OS device, ensuring you get the best of both worlds with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It's 80 hour battery life is better than many other Wear OS watches, and most smartwatches, period. 

Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review

(Image credit: TechRadar)

4. Apple Watch SE

The best affordable Apple Watch

Specifications

OS:

watchOS 8

Compatibility:

iOS

Display:

1.78" OLED

Processor:

Apple S5

Onboard storage:

32GB

Battery:

18 hours

Charging method:

Wireless

IP rating:

Water-resistant to 50m

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE

specifications

Colour

Blue,

Silver,

Space Grey

Condition

New,

Refurbished

View at Walmart

(opens in new tab)

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at AT&T Mobility

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Premium design

+

Great price for Apple Watch

Reasons to avoid

-

Lacks always on display

-

Battery could be better

The Apple Watch SE is one of the best smartwatches money can buy right now, but it's only the right choice for you if you own an iPhone.

As we wrote in our review, "it's got all the useful features of the Apple Watch 6, but it's much cheaper, and thus one of the best smartwatches around."

The Watch SE comes with some top-end specs, a high-end design and a great range of features that you can't get on every other smartwatch right now.

The battery life isn't the best on the market based on our tests, and there isn't an always-on display, but if you're after a great value for money choice for your next wrist companion you should opt for the Apple Watch SE.

Read the full Apple Watch SE review

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

5. Google Pixel Watch

The best Wear OS watch for style

Specifications

OS:

Wear OS 3.5

Compatibility:

Android 8.0 or higher

Display:

1.2" OLED

Processor:

Exynos 9110 (10nm)

Onboard storage:

32GB

Battery:

24 hours

Charging method:

Wireless

IP rating:

Water-resistant to 5 ATM

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE

specifications

Storage Size

32GB

Colour

Black,

Gold,

Silver

Condition

New

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Walmart

(opens in new tab)

View at AT&T Mobility

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Elegant, classic watch-like looks

+

Brilliant screen

+

Fitbit integration

Reasons to avoid

-

One (small) size fits all

-

Band switch system takes practice

-

No blood oxygen sensing - yet

The Google Pixel Watch is an uncommonly beautiful smartwatch. It has a natural rather than a manufactured look, with a glossy face that curves to meet an equally curvaceous body. The construction is close to seamless.

Because of that curve, there's more glass facing you than on the Apple Watch 8, which both adds to the elegance and, we think, hides a larger-ish black bezel surrounding the screen.

This is a bright, colorful, and responsive AMOLED display, considerably smaller than the Apple Watch 8's rectangular face, but Google does a lot with the reduced screen real estate. We never found ourselves wishing for more.

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / TechRadar)

6. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

The best Android smartwatch overall

Specifications

OS:

Wear OS

Compatibility:

Android

Display:

1.4-inch 450 x 450 Super AMOLED

Processor:

Dual-core 1.18GHz Cortex-A55

Onboard storage:

16GB

Battery duration:

One day

Charging method:

Qi wireless charging

IP rating:

IP68

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

specifications

Colour

Blue,

Gold,

Silver

Condition

New

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Powerful fitness features

+

Durable and lightweight

Reasons to avoid

-

One-day battery life

-

Optimized for Samsung phones

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is a smart looking watch in every sense of the word. It looks great on your wrist while offering powerful features. A Super AMOLED display is sharp and clear, as well as able to handle very bright outdoor scenes. 

Performance wise, it's fast although you'll reap the most benefits when paired with a Samsung smartphone. There's no iPhone support here either. 

Besides SmartThings integration, the highlight here is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5's ability to monitor your body composition. It's bordering on the ultimate fitness tool with extensive sleep tracking also helping you get the most from yourself every day. Shame about that one day battery life, though.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review.

(Image credit: Future)

7. TicWatch E2

The best cheap Android smartwatch powered by Wear OS

Specifications

OS:

Wear OS

Display:

1.39" 400 x 400 OLED

Processor:

Snapdragon Wear 2100

Onboard storage:

4GB

Battery duration:

Around 48h

Charging method:

Magnetic connecting pin

IP rating:

IP67

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1

specifications

Colour

Black

Condition

New

View at Mobvoi

(opens in new tab)

View at Walmart

(opens in new tab)

Check Amazon

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

A cheaper alternative

+

Easily two-day battery life

Reasons to avoid

-

No NFC for payments

-

Bland design

Now it's time for one of the cheapest devices on this list, and it comes from Chinese manufacturer Mobvoi. The TicWatch E2 isn't a huge improvement on the first-gen watch, but it offers some fantastic features considering its price.

We really like the two-day battery life and the fact you can get all of the features of Wear OS on a watch for this low a price. It's quite an impressive feat, and that's why it makes our best Android watch list.

There's no NFC (so no Google Pay) but we can forgive that at this price, especially as you do get GPS and a heart rate monitor. Not sure on the design? Why not take a look at the TicWatch S2? It's a remarkably similar watch, but it comes with a slightly different look.

Read the full TicWatch E2 review

(Image credit: TechRadar)

8. Fitbit Versa 3

The best Fitbit

Specifications

OS:

Fitbit OS

Compatibility:

Android, iOS

Display:

1.58" AMOLED

Processor:

N/A

Onboard storage:

N/A

Battery duration:

Up to 6 days

Charging method:

Magnetic connecting pin

IP rating:

Water resistant

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC

specifications

Colour

Black,

Blue,

Gold,

Pink

Condition

New,

Refurbished

View at Walmart

(opens in new tab)

View at Best Buy

(opens in new tab)

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Built-in GPS

+

Lightweight and comfortable

Reasons to avoid

-

Poor side button

-

No offline Spotify

The Fitbit Versa 3 is one of the best wrist companions for those who want to focus on fitness features. Google owns Fitbit, but the Google Pixel Watch doesn't match the best Fitbit wearable for automated fitness tracking.

There's built-in GPS, we found it comfortable to wear, and the display is easy to view with a crisp image. Like previous Fitbit smartwatches, this is mostly focused on fitness and won't be for everyone.

As we mentioned in our review, "the Fitbit Versa 3 is an excellent wearable, though it's more a fitness tracker than a smartwatch, with very limited productivity apps on offer."

But for general wearable fans, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a good option, and it's more affordable than some of the other options on this list too.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 3 review

(Image credit: Truls Steinung)

9. TicWatch Pro 3

The best Wear OS 2.0 Android smartwatch

Specifications

Compatibility:

Android, iOS

Display:

1.4" 454 x 454 OLED paired with LCD screen

Processor:

Snapdragon Wear 4100

Onboard storage:

8GB

Battery duration:

Up to 72h, 45 extra days in Essential mode

Charging method:

Magnetic connecting pin

IP rating:

IP68

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC

Check Amazon

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Big battery lasts 3 days

+

Fast chipset

Reasons to avoid

-

Sometimes poor interface

-

Sleep tracking isn't the best

The TicWatch Pro 3 is a good all-rounder that doesn’t necessarily excel in any one area. But it doesn’t need to because it’s also cheaper than top-end rivals.

It has a lot going for it. For one thing, it was the first smartwatch to use the top-end Snapdragon 4100 chipset, so performance is good in our tests. It also offers two to three days of battery life, or – if you switch it to Essential mode – it can keep going for up to 45 days.

The TicWatch Pro 3 also has a good screen - 1.4-inch 454 x 454 one that’s crisp, bright, and responsive, plus the watch has all the typical health and fitness features you’d expect from a smartwatch. Just don’t buy this for sleep tracking, as we found that wasn’t very accurate.

Read the full TicWatch Pro 3 review

(Image credit: Future)

10. Fitbit Sense

An excellent Android smartwatch with mental health tools

Specifications

OS:

Fitbit OS

Compatibility:

Android, iOS

Display:

300 x 300 LCD

Processor:

N/A

Onboard storage:

N/A

Battery duration:

Up to 6 days

Charging method:

Magnetic connecting pin

IP rating:

Water resistance to 50m

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

specifications

Colour

Gold,

White

Condition

New,

Refurbished

View at Amazon

(opens in new tab)

View at Walmart

(opens in new tab)

View at Best Buy

(opens in new tab)

Reasons to buy

+

Detailed stress logging

+

On-board GPS

Reasons to avoid

-

Many tools require Fitbit Premium

-

Step counting slightly inaccurate

The Fitbit Sense has a design that's quite similar to the Versa, listed higher on this list, and as a Fitbit it's also quite similar to use. However, this Android smartwatch model comes wtih health features that go beyond the physical.

The Fitbit Sense has the... well, sense, to check in on some aspects of mental health too, logging your mood and stress, as well as providing meditation and mindfulness lessons. Its main issue is that you have to pay for Fitbit Premium for lots of its extra features. There aren't exactly many other watches on this list that require you to keep paying after you've bought it.

Performance-wise, we found it to be impressive during testing. Putting the Sense through a pretty intense spin session, we didn’t see any unexpected dips in heart rate that indicate an issue with fitness trackers. It also vibrates to indicate when you're moving between heart rate zones, which is very useful for training.

Read the full Fitbit Sense review

How to choose the best smartwatch

Unfortunately, your choice of smartwatch often depends on your choice of phone, as not all wearables are compatible with competitor devices. Apple Watch only works with Apple iPhones. Samsung and Google watches, and other Wear OS devices, only work with Android devices, but you can use a Samsung watch with a Google phone and vice versa.

Fitness tracking wearables from Fitbit will work with any device and synchronize with the Fitbit app, but those devices tend to focus more sharply on fitness features, and don't offer all of the robust apps and services you'll find on other smartwatches. 

Most wearables will get about a day of battery life, which will be disappointing if you're converting from a Garmin watch that lasts weeks. You can find a few watches that last longer on this list. 

Finally, smartwatches can be expensive, and frankly they don't offer much value for what you pay. Before you spring for an Apple Watch Ultra, you might ask if you are really going SCUBA diving this year, or if you're just going to check your text messages without disturbing your dinner mates. 

How we test smartwatches

Every smartwatch on this list has been fully and extensively reviewed by the expert team at TechRadar, so we know exactly what makes them tick.

Our review process involves using the devices as if they were our own personal wearables, ensuring every smartwatch gets fully tested in the real world. A comprehensive sweep of features takes place, and usage is varied over multiple days to give us a clear idea of how battery life performs.

Using that knowledge we've then ranked them, while also factoring in their price, performance, value, and core specs.

What should I look for when buying a smartwatch?

The first thing to check is whether your phone is compatible with it - you can't use an Apple Watch with an Android phone, and you can't use a Google Pixel Watch with an iPhone. Beyond that, consider the battery life and the features - how often will you be happy charging it, and what do you really need out of your watch? A simpler watch can be a better pick.

Which is the best smartwatch?

The best smartwatch changes all the time, but typically you'll find an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy smartwatch topping the list, as these tend to be packed full of high-end features and polish.

  • On a budget? Our guide to the best cheap smartwatch for you