The Best Smartwatches We’ve Tested for Every Wrist
From fitness tracking to ECG monitoring, we tested 12 smartwatches to find the best for health, style, and battery life.
Smartwatches have moved well beyond step counting. The best ones now detect atrial fibrillation, track blood oxygen, monitor sleep quality, and serve as your most personal health device. After testing 12 models across six weeks, these are the ones worth buying.
Best Overall: Apple Watch Series 10
The Series 10 is the thinnest Apple Watch ever made, and it shows — it disappears on your wrist in a way previous models didn’t. The 30% larger display fits more information without increasing the case size. Battery improved meaningfully: you’ll make it through a full day plus a workout without anxiety about charging. The new sleep apnea detection is a genuine public health tool — it has already surfaced undiagnosed conditions for early users.
Best for Health Tracking: Oura Ring Gen 3
Not everyone wants a screen on their wrist. The Oura Ring collects the same core health metrics — HRV, resting heart rate, skin temperature, blood oxygen, sleep stages — in a ring that weighs under 6 grams. The sleep tracking is the most accurate we’ve measured against a clinical polysomnography baseline. If you value data over notifications, the Oura is a compelling alternative to a smartwatch.
How We Tested
We wore each watch daily for at least two weeks, tracking accuracy of step counts, heart rate, sleep staging, and GPS distance against calibrated reference devices. We also evaluated notification handling, app ecosystems, water resistance, and battery life under real-world conditions including workouts.