When trying to figure out which is the best smartwatch for your needs, there are plenty of things to consider.

Especially for those new to the area, placing a wearable on the wrist and unlocking a new way to access notifications, apps and fitness tracking can feel a little daunting.

Luckily, there are now tons of great options to explore in the smartwatch field, whether your preference is with Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin or something else entirely.

To help you narrow things down when choosing between different styles, operating systems and price, we’ve compiled our top smartwatch recommendations - which is updated regularly all in order to factor in reviews of the latest devices on the market.

This buyer’s guide covers smartwatches on various platforms, including Google’s Wear OS to Apple’s watchOS. If you are only interested in Wear OS smartwatches or Apple Watch options, we have separate features that you can read to find your perfect smartwatch.

Best smartwatches: Our top pick

For

  • Great value Brilliant Apple integration Superb sensors

Against

  • No always-on display Doesn’t work with Android phones

The Apple Watch SE misses off a couple of the more accomplished Series 7’s features, including the always-on display, blood oxygen sensor and ECG sensor, but it has the Series 6’s design, runs the same software and it’s cheaper.

By pulling together some of the best parts of the discontinued Series 4 and Series 5, the Watch SE is an affordable entry point to the Apple Watch, offering a great middle-ground between the sensor-rich Series 7 and the older Series 3.

Essentially, this is the best smartwatch for most people - particularly, of course, if they’re already embedded in the Apple ecosystem. For those with an Android phone, there are some very good alternatives on our list.

Smartwatches we also recommend

The Apple Watch SE is a superb smartwatch, and we think it’s the device that most people looking for a smartwatch should consider. However, it’s also not the right pick for every type of user. That’s why we also recommend the four other picks below.

  • Great design Impressive tracking Good value

  • Won’t work with iPhone

Samsung’s smartwatches have always featured excellent displays, neat design quirks and a solid software experience, and the Galaxy Watch 4 is no different. However, that’s not to say the latest Samsung watch is simply another iteration.

Collaborating with Google on the software, the Galaxy Watch 4 sees Samsung return to Wear OS after a long hiatus. The results are mostly solid, with a very rich health and fitness tracking experience backed up by smooth app performance, headlined by the likes of Spotify, Strava and YouTube Music.

The look is a little understated, but we actually like this a lot. Plus, if it’s not your cup of tea or you prefer something a little less exercise-focused on the design front, there’s also a Galaxy Watch 4 Classic model to consider.

For Android phone users, this is easily the top device to consider.

  • Sensor-packed Brilliant display Improved charging

  • Pretty expensive Won’t work with Android phones

The Apple Watch Series 7 improves on the previous generation with a bigger display, along with a couple of extra sensors, including a blood oxygen sensor and an always-on altimeter.

For some, these new additions will represent sensor overload, and the Apple Watch SE’s spec sheet and feature set will more than suffice. For iPhone users, though, there’s still no better smartwatch on the market - even if it doesn’t necessarily provide the best value for everyone.

What we would say, in defence of the Series 7, is that the bigger display is actually a compelling reason to upgrade, which is something that we’ve not been able to say about every new Apple Watch model.

If you have an older device, or simply think you’ll love having that eye-popping display for workouts, time-telling and apps, this is a superb smartwatch experience that won’t age poorly.

  • Two very premium designs Strong fitness and health tracking Long battery life Fantastic AMOLED display

  • Lack of third-party music support Doesn’t sync with MyFitnessPal or Strava Quite similar to the Watch GT 3

Unlike a lot of smartwatch makers, Huawei makes watches designed to look like premium, fashionable accessories. And we think that’s important.

The smaller ceramic model is stunning, and is perfect for smaller wrists, while the larger titanium model has much more of a classic look to it that will appeal to many.

What’s more, it’s equipped with fitness sensing and tracking hardware and AI that performs just as reliably as any Garmin we’ve tested. The Huawei Health app is also very good at delivering important data in an easy-to-read layout.

If there’s any negative, it’s the third-party app support. There’s no support for contactless payments in some regions (such as the UK), and no offline listening for music streaming platforms like Spotify.

All told, though, it does all the important things well and doesn’t cost a fortune, which is why it makes this list of our favourites.

  • Amazing premium design Hybrid so more subtle Great tracking Long battery life

  • More expensive than normal ScanWatch, same tracking Limited smartwatch features Pretty heavy

The Withings ScanWatch Horizon is ideal for anyone who loves the idea of tracking a bunch of health metrics but wants a watch that looks more traditional and will fit in with a suit nicely.

You get an analogue watch face along with a small screen on the top half to tell you your heart rate or a range of details that you can scroll through with the crown.

It’s metallic and elegant, and the tracking is exemplary, and if you want a more affordable version the standard ScanWatch is well worth considering, too.

How to choose a smartwatch

Now more than ever, there are absolutely loads of options out there in the smartwatch market, so picking the right one for you can be a bit of a challenge.

How to pick the right size smartwatch

A key decision is to decide how big you want your watch to be - most smartwatches range from 38mm to 46mm or so in size, reflecting the many sizes of normal watch available.

Working out what you prefer can really narrow the field, so is a great first step.

How much should you pay for a smartwatch?

The next thing to think about could be your budget, which will also constrain what you can choose. If you’re looking to spend less than £200/$200, for example, there are fewer quality options to go for.

Equally, if you’re happy to spend over £500/$500 you open yourself up to premium options like many Garmin watches. Spending much below £150/$150 starts to make quality control difficult, but all the options on our list above are safe bets.

Smartwatch battery life

Another key consideration for a smartwatch is battery life. Most of the popular mainstream options like the Apple Watch and Wear OS devices will struggle to make it through two days. In general, the more features you get, the shorter the battery life might be.

However, while some models do manage week-long battery or better, we’d say that most people get used to a nightly charge pretty easily - it’s not a huge sacrifice, in our eyes.

What features should a smartwatch have?

Features offered by smartwatches vary massively, but some you should look out for include standalone GPS, which is really helpful for fitness tracking.

Bluetooth is also really useful, to connect to headphones and more, and being able to store music offline can be great for taking runs without your phone.

Sleep tracking is another optional extra that some smartwatches manage, while heart-rate monitoring is nearly ubiquitous at this stage. Some more advanced watches might also pack in SpO2 monitors, but you’re unlikely to need this.