The best smartwatches do more than show notifications on your wrist. They're everything in one: a fitness tracker, a wallet and in some cases, even an LTE-equipped phone.

A smartwatch can also save your life with elevated heart rate alerts and automatically connect you to emergency services if you fall. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen (SpO2) readings are perks of certain premium models, too. The former detects signs of atrial fibrillation, while the latter is a good indicator of respiratory health.

But the best smartwatches do all these things better than others. Some have huge numbers of apps you can download, and some have batteries that will barely last a day, while others can go nearly a week on a charge. And of course there's style: The best smartwatches can be customized, from their straps to their faces, to best fit with your personality.

See all of the best smartwatches below, as well as our smartwatch buying guide for more tips on finding the ultimate wearable for you.

What is the best smartwatch?

After testing dozens of the best smartwatches, our top pick is the Apple Watch Series 6, which builds on the always-on display and built-in compass of the Series 5, and all of the advanced health features we loved about the Series 4, with a SpO2 monitoring and a faster charging.

The Apple Watch 3 remains a very good value as well, although the Apple Watch SE is a new option worth checking out, too. The SE is a slimmed down version of the Series 6, but it still has a compass, fall detection and GPS.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 is a worthy Apple Watch contender — in fact, it's the best smartwatch for Android users. It offers a rotating bezel, plus a larger display with slimmer bezels. It introduces some life-saving features like FDA-approved ECG tracking and trip detection, all wrapped up in a stylish shell.

We're also keeping tabs on the Fitbit Sense ($329) and Fitbit Versa 3 ($229), coming late September. With the Fitbit Versa 2 being phased out, one of Fitbit's new offerings will likely replace it on this list.

The best smartwatches you can buy today

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The Apple Watch Series 6 is the best Apple Watch yet. It builds on everything we appreciated about the Series 5, from the always-on display to the collection of health features, with an even brighter screen and added blood oxygen (SpO2) reader. Plus the Apple Watch comes in color for the first time — the exclusive blue and Product Red finishes are absolutely eye-catching.

While we would’ve liked to see the Apple Watch improve its 18-hour battery life, the Series 6 does benefit from faster charging. You can completely juice it up in just 90 minutes, which comes in handy for wearing, instead of charging, it overnight. Yes, the Apple Watch 6 has sleep tracking, too, thanks to watchOS 7. The latest software also adds new watch faces, mobility metrics and an automatic hand-washing timer.

Read our full Apple Watch 6 review.

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2. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 The best smartwatch for Android users Sizes: 41mm, 45mm | Battery Life (Rated): Up to 2 days | GPS: Yes | Swim-Proof: Yes | Heart Rate Monitor: Yes | LTE: Optional | Mobile Payments: Samsung Pay | Compatibility: iOS, Android $369.99 View at Dell $369.99 View at Microsoft US $399.99 View at Best Buy Slimmer design than the original Physical rotating bezel is back FDA-approved ECG readings Shorter battery life than original

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is one of the most stylish smartwatches around, and one of the most functional, too. It's available in two sizes — 41 and 45 mm — as well as in LTE variants, so you can leave your smartphone at home. The Galaxy Watch 3's rotating bezel makes navigating the watch's interface easy, while access to thousands of watch faces lets you customize the display to your liking.

Although the Galaxy Watch 3 has a shorter, 2-day battery life compared to the original Samsung Galaxy Watch, it introduces more music storage, FDA-approved ECG tracking and trip detection. Of course, you'll get Samsung Pay for contactless payments, and some good fitness features too. Like the first Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Watch 3's biggest setback is that Samsung's app store is limited compared to Apple's, but Tizen is catching up.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 review.

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Fitbit's Versa 2 is a refined upgrade from the original Versa that adds built-in Alexa and more advanced sleep-tracking features, especially now that Fitbit has rolled out a software update that enables a feature to monitor blood oxygen saturation levels. (That data's helpful for identifying conditions like sleep apnea.) Throw in multi-day battery life, and we think the Versa 2 is the best smartwatch if you're looking for a way to monitor your sleeping habits.

As one of the best Fitbits, the Versa 2 works with both iOS and Android and costs less than $200, which makes it a great value. Fitbit added a Spotify app to the Versa 2, so you can control music playback from your wrist. However, you can't download Spotify playlists to the watch for offline listening. The Versa 2 also lacks on-board GPS.

If you want a new Fitbit with GPS, consider the all-new Fitbit Sense or Fitbit Versa 3. Both can track your location sans-phone and add Google Assistant support, along with Alexa.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 2 review.

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4. Apple Watch SE The new mid-range Apple Watch Sizes: 40mm, 44mm | Battery Life (Rated): 18 hours | GPS: Yes | Swim-Proof: Yes | Heart Rate Monitor: Yes | LTE: Optional | Mobile Payments: Apple Pay | Compatibility: iOS $279 View at Apple No price information Check Amazon Classic design Huge app library Large screen No always-on display No ECG

The Apple Watch SE is a hybrid of the Apple Watch Series 5 (which has since been discontinued) and the Apple Watch Series 3. The $279 smartwatch doesn't have all the Series 6's features, but still stands out for its speedy chip and safety features. It also offers an LTE option, making it a good choice for those interested in trying out Family Setup.

When choosing between the Apple Watch 6 and the Apple Watch SE, your ultimate decision will be if you want to spend an extra $120 for a brighter display with an always-on option, an ECG monitor, and an SpO2. If those tools aren't deal-breakers for you, the SE is a highly capable option for iPhone users.

Read our full Apple Watch SE review.

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5. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 A sleek fitness smartwatch for Android users Sizes: 40mm, 44mm | Battery Life (Rated): 24-60 hours | GPS: Yes | Swim-Proof: Yes | Heart Rate Monitor: Yes | LTE: Yes | Mobile Payments: Samsung Pay | Compatibility: Android, iOS (works best with Galaxy phones) $177.25 View at Amazon $249.99 View at Dell $249.99 View at Best Buy Offline Spotify storage Gorgeous design Works with iOS and Android Sleep-tracking needs some work

As good as the Apple Watch is, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 can give Apple's smartwatch a run for its money. Samsung's watch works with both Android (and to a lesser extent) iOS smartphones, and features GPS, a heart rate monitor and LTE (for a premium). It also can automatically track your activity and sleep. (It's much better at the former task than the latter.)

The Galaxy Watch Active 2's circular design is visually appealing, whether you get the 40mm or 44mm model. Based on Samsung's Tizen operating system, this Galaxy Watch boasts other useful features as Samsung Pay, onboard music via Spotify and heart health features. That includes a forthcoming ECG feature that recently earned FDA approval. But the biggest reason why the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is one of the best smartwatches for Android users is its excellent battery life.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review.

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Starting at $199, the Apple Watch Series 3 is a more affordable smartwatch option than the Series 6 and SE for iPhone users. The size options are smaller and the bezels are thicker, and you won't get ECG or SpO2 readings, but it's still a good choice for the price.

When you compare the Apple Watch 6 vs, Apple Watch 3 or Apple Watch SE vs. Apple Watch 3, you'll find you don't sacrifice too much for the older version's lower price. You still get a heart rate monitor, GPS, 8GB of storage with offline support for Apple Music playlists. This watch is also water-proof if you like to track your swims, and many of the best software features found in the Apple Watch Series 6 are also found in the Series 3. Check out our Apple Watch Series 3 vs. Fitbit Charge 4 face-off to see the benefits you'll get with Apple's smartwatch over a traditional fitness tracker, too.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 3 review.

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7. Garmin Vivoactive 4 The best smartwatch for fitness Sizes: 40mm, 45mm | Battery Life (Rated): Up to 7 days for Vivoactive 4S, 8 days for Vivoactive 4 | GPS: Yes | Swim-Proof: Yes | Heart Rate Monitor: Yes | LTE: Nol | Mobile Payments: Garmin Pay | Compatibility: iOS, Android $289.99 View at Amazon $349.95 View at Competitive Cyclist $349.99 View at Best Buy Comes in two sizes Built-in music storage with Spotify support Two-button navigation Occasional syncing issues Convoluted app installation process

Garmin took the best features of its Vivoactive 3, the best smartwatch for fitness, and made them even better with the $349 Vivoactive 4 and 4S. The watch now comes in two sizes, 40mm and 45mm, to offer a better fit for most people, and includes both Garmin Pay and music storage out of the box (instead of having to pay more for premium features like with the Vivoactive 3).

The Vivoactive 4 also offers animated on-screen yoga and Pilates workouts to help you improve your poses. A new pulse ox sensor measures your blood oxygen level and gives you more detailed sleep insights. All of that plus 7-day battery life makes the Vivoactive 4 our favorite smartwatch for fitness buffs.

Read our full Garmin Vivoactive 4 review.

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8. Amazfit Bip The best cheap smartwatch Sizes: One size, with 1.28-inch display | Battery Life (Rated): Up to 45 days | GPS: Yes | Swim-Proof: No | Heart Rate Monitor: Yes | LTE: No | Mobile Payments: No | Compatibility: iOS, Android $54.99 View at Adorama $69.99 View at Amazon $69.99 View at Best Buy Apple Watch-like design Built-in GPS Affordable Heat rate and steps not always accurate Low-resolution graphics Can’t respond to notifications

You don't necessarily have to pay big bucks to get a capable smartwatch with fitness-tracking feature. The ultra-affordable Amazfit Bip costs less than $80, yet works with iOS and Android and comes with GPS and a heart rate monitor.

Fitness-tracking features are pretty solid, and the Bip's transflective color display is easy on the eyes and doesn't drain the battery. Speaking of battery life, you can expect around 45 days of normal usage — we used the Amazfit Bip for two weeks before the battery dipped below 50%.

Other functionality is limited: You can select only from five different watch faces, and can only view, and not respond to notifications from the watch itself. But if you're in the market for a smartwatch that costs less than $100, this is the model to get.

Read our full Amazfit Bip review.

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Wear OS simply isn't polished enough to measure up against the best smartwatches from Apple and Samsung. But if you insist upon a Wear OS device, Fossil's Gen 5 smartwatch is the one to get, thanks to a stylish, sophisticated look. The Gen 5 also eliminates the most glaring performance lag we saw in past Wear OS watches, thanks to 1GB of RAM, and customizable battery modes also make this smartwatch worth a look.

You're not going to get the fitness and heart health features you'll find on the Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch Active. And the Gen 5's Spotify app can't store music offline — also a disadvantage. But this smartwatch remains the best that Wear OS has to offer.

Read our full Fossil Gen 5 review.

How to pick the best smartwatch for you

When looking at the best smartwatches for you, you're somewhat limited by the smartphone you own. If you want an Apple Watch, for instance, you'll need to have an iPhone. And while Wear OS watches work with both Android and iPhones, you get far less functionality when not connected to an Android device.

Samsung's smartwatches offer the greatest in terms of cross-functionality, but even here, Android phone owners will get more in terms of replies to notifications and the ability to make and receive phone calls.

After that, when picking a smartwatch, you also want to get one that fits your wrist comfortably. Those with smaller wrists may find larger smartwatches — ones with case sizes larger than 44mm — to be too bulky and cumbersome to wear.

After that, you want to find a smartwatch that fits your style. Although the Apple Watch is limited to one shape, you can purchase it in different finishes. Samsung's smartwatches offer a little more choice, while Wear OS watches, which are made by a number of companies including Fossil, Skagen, Kate Spade, Moto, Tag Heuer, Diesel, and others, give you many more options when it comes to their design.

How we test the best smartwatches

We test every new smartwatch to gauge its design and comfort. If it’s not stylish and comfortable enough to get you from an early morning workout to the office to a night out, you probably won’t wear it every day. Most smartwatches are also fitness trackers, so we put all of its sensors to the test, from step counts to heart rate to GPS (when applicable).

We install apps and use them to see if the device’s app store is robust enough to elevate it to smartwatch status. If the watch has built-in LTE, we test cellular connectivity and call quality to make sure the device can actually stand on its own without a smartphone nearby.

And we measure battery life using everyday scenarios — including workouts, using apps, and getting notifications — to make sure you can get through an entire day without needing to charge up.