As anyone who reads iMore or my Twitter feed knows, I like my 38mm Apple Watch a lot. It fits well into my day-to-day activities, it helps keep me fit, and, oh hey — it fits my wrist.

And unfortunately, this is not something I can say for any other smartwatch out on the market today.

It's been more than three years since Apple announced the 38mm Apple Watch, and the device has been shipping for more than two. So what gives? Why aren't the engineers behind Android Wear — which arguably has a lot going for it on its software side — building smaller watches?

To this, I say: Manufacturers still have a lot to learn about the smartwatch market.

You're wearing it wrong

If wearable technology is the next big thing for our tech-connected society, why is Apple the only company paying attention to the smaller-wristed set? Lady or dude, there are quite a few people on this earth whose arms don't resemble the trunk of a Sequoia tree — many of whom would be excited to use a smartwatch.

And for that reason, I love that Apple supports multiple sizes for the Apple Watch. Smartwatches are one of the more personal technology purchases available out there today, and the company is committed to making them accessible to people young, old, large, or small. Engineering LTE inside a 38mm Series 3 was no small feat; Apple could have limited it to the 42mm set, but it chose to attack the problem and make it accessible to all.

I can't say the same for the rest of the smartwatch market. I've been looking avidly across the Android Wear (and Android Wear-adjacent, like Fitbit) lines since 2015 for alternative smartwatch options, but have struck out every time.

It's not that I dislike my Apple Watch — it'd probably be my favorite smartwatch even if I were limited to a 42mm size. But I want to like Android Wear. Competition is good, and Android Wear does some smart things with notifications that I'd love to see over on the Apple side. Its hardware (mostly) isn't terribly-designed, either: On the contrary, for those with applicably-sized wrists, the watches look quite natural.

Today, however, I can't even consider or recommend an Android Wear watch — because I have yet to find one that fits on my wrist without making it look like the technology equivalent of an iron shackle.

On my wrists, I find Android Wear watches too large for comfort, let alone style. My wrists are small, but they're not waiflike — I have about a 57mm height in which to wear a watch. But everything aside from the 38mm Apple Watch feels more like a pair of handcuffs than a comfortable timepiece.

Even the 42mm Apple Watch feels too large on my wrist. I could wear it, but as I said in my initial thoughts on Watch sizing back in 2015, it's the difference between wearing something comfortable and wearing something simply to have access to technology. I've carried a variety of bulky tech devices over my years in this field, but having something on your arm is different: It's personal, and if it doesn't blend into your daily activities, you're going to notice it constantly.

And to those who might argue about how big "boyfriend" watches are in fashion, here's the thing: To wear a watch this way, you need to have it loose around your wrist like a bangle; you can't do this with smartwatches unless you're willing to ditch reliable health tracking (most of the reason I wear a watch in the first place).

After chatting with my pals at Android Central, I made a list off the top 15 smartwatches out on the market right now, and compared their respective casing sizes and weights. There are many more Android Wear options and along with other watch manufacturers beyond this list, which I've looked at as well, but these are the ones from major manufacturers that are still being sold (RIP, Pebble) or have notable size differences. (Fossil and other watchmakers are starting to do some interesting things with Android Wear watches, but their smartwatch lines remain as large or larger than major manufacturers, so they didn't make the cut.)

The results are as unsurprising as they are depressing: