If you have an iPhone and want a smartwatch, there’s only one choice to make: how much do you want to spend on an Apple Watch?

That’s because the competition in the smartwatch space is not very good right now. Although there are a few different smartwatch and fitness band options out there, none of them can work as well with iOS as the Apple Watch does. Some of those competitors have better battery life, but none of them combine as many features as well as Apple does.

It would be nice if Apple opened up iOS so that it was even possible to make a competitive smartwatch, but don’t hold your breath. You could worry about the lack of competition and what it portends from a platform monopoly point of view (I certainly do), but our best advice when it comes to actually buying something is to just buy whatever Apple Watch you can afford.

Lucky for all of us, the Apple Watch just happens to be excellent on its own merits.

The best smartwatch for most people: Apple Watch Series 5

Apple finally made a change everyone has been waiting for in 2019: it allows you to have an always-on screen that continuously displays the time. In our review of the Apple Watch Series 5 we noted that it does slightly impact battery life, but not so much so that you can’t get through a day. I’ve been using a cellular edition Apple Watch Series 5 for months and I can report that it, too, can make it through a full day.

That always-on display is the main reason we recommend the Series 5 over older Apple Watches, but the larger screen size and faster processors don’t hurt either. The Series 5 is also an excellent fitness tracker and has health-monitoring features that could provide warnings to you or your loved ones in case of falls or irregular heartbeat issues.

The always-on screen is finally here

Although the app ecosystem is nowhere near what the iPhone has, there are a few third-party apps that you might find useful — including some that offer sleep tracking, the big feature still lacking on the Apple Watch out of the box.

If you don’t want a screen on your wrist, there are a few other ways to track your steps or even get notification alerts — like a Withings Steel HR or a FitBit. They are proficient at what they do and have long-lasting batteries, but they don’t let you reply to iMessages or have other rich integrations with iOS.

But if you don’t mind having a screen, don’t overthink it: get the Apple Watch.

Our review of Apple Watch Series 5 Verge Score 9 out of 10 Good Stuff Finally, an always-on screen

Big, beautiful display

New apps round out its capabilities Bad Stuff Battery life hasn’t improved

Still no third-party watchfaces

Doesn’t work with Android phones Buy for $399.00 from Apple Buy for $384.00 from Walmart

If you’d like to spend less than $200: Apple Watch Series 3

When Apple released the Series 5, it discontinued the Series 4 but kept the Series 3 around. That seems confusing, but don’t worry about the strategy, worry about the price: $199.

For half of the cost of a Series 5, you will still get a very capable smartwatch with an all-day battery. Your only sacrifices are the screen size, the always-on display, and the processor is slightly slower. For a lot of people, those things won’t matter. It is possible that over the long term, the Series 3 won’t hold up as well as the Series 5 — in terms of running watchOS well. It’s possible, but it’s also a hypothetical problem for a few years from now. Apple typically offers excellent software updates for several years for all its products.

If you can find a newer Apple Watch on sale for the same price, go get it with our blessing. But the Series 3 at $199 is still a good price for a good product, and a great purchase if you don’t want to spend a lot more on the Series 5.

The Rest

Most of the rest of these watches are better for Android users than iPhone users. The main reason to pick any of them over the Apple Watch is aesthetics. Just be aware that if you really want that round watchface, it comes with significantly hampered functionality when paired with an iPhone.

Our review of Fitbit Versa 2 Verge Score 6.5 out of 10 Good Stuff Comfortable, lightweight design

Week-long battery life

Screen is bright and easy to see outdoors

Great fitness and sleep-tracking features

Voice replies are handy for Android users Bad Stuff Changing straps is still a huge chore, despite the quick-release pins

Always-on display is too simple and not customizable enough

Alexa integration is clumsy and largely pointless

Smartwatch productivity features are lacking Buy for $199.95 from Fitbit Buy for $199.95 from Walmart Buy for $199.95 from Best Buy

Our review of Fossil Carlyle Gen 5 Smartwatch Verge Score 6 out of 10 Good Stuff Sharp looks

Faster performance

Speaker Bad Stuff Complicated battery settings

Hard to see in direct sunlight

Wear OS doesn’t do enough with iPhones Buy for $295.00 from Fossil Buy for $295.00 from Amazon

Our review of Withings Steel HR Sport Verge Score 7.5 out of 10 Good Stuff Thin, light design

Long-lasting battery

Sleep tracking Bad Stuff Doesn’t integrate with iOS as well as Android

Cumbersome menu system on watch Buy for $199.95 from Amazon