As our lives become ever more connected with the digital world, smart watches and other wearables are becoming an essential part of daily life. Whether you enjoy the convenience of checking your notifications from your wrist, want to keep track of your health and wellbeing, or just love to rock the flashiest new technology, there is likely a smart watch that fits your needs.
With many options to choose from, how do you know which is the best smart watch? Read on to learn more about the smart watches we think are worthy of your hard-earned money.
Garmin Venu 2
If you love having all of the possible functionality in your gadgets, the Garmin Venu 2 is the smart watch for you. The Venu 2 can sync with your iPhone or Android smartphone to deliver email and text notifications like any good smart watch. It can also play music from Spotify and Amazon Music.
The Venu 2 features Garmin’s world-class GPS tracking technology. It also includes a fancy AMOLED display that lets you install custom digital faceplates.
Garmin designed the Venu 2 smart watch for a health-conscious lifestyle. It has sensors for health-tracking purposes, like your heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, respiration, and hydration levels. It will even keep track of your sleeping patterns if you wear it overnight. And it can log menstrual cycles and track pregnancy data in women, too.
Garmin Instinct Tactical Edition
The Garmin Instinct Tactical Edition has a lot of the same features as the Garmin Venu 2, emphasizing military-grade construction and tactical use cases. The Garmin Instinct Tactical Edition features a chemically strengthened body for extra durability against shock, temperature, and water resistance to 100 meters.
It has a night-vision mode that lets you read the screen through night-vision goggles. The Instinct also provides long battery life of up to 14 days.
Garmin Forerunner 55
The Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS smart watch is the perfect runner’s companion. The Forerunner 55 includes the health monitoring features you get with the Venu 2, such as the respiration and heart rate sensors. The Forerunner 55 also has PacePro — a GPS-based app that helps you set your pace on selected courses. It can also give you a report detailing the distance and speed of your runs.
Fitbit Charge 5
The Fitbit brand has always been dedicated to fitness tracking. The latest version of the Fitbit Charge series combines the data it extracts through its sensors and creates insightful reports about your body’s health. It will also suggest workout routines based on your data.
The Fitbit Charge 5’s tracking features include your heart rate, electrodermal activity, and oxygen saturation (SpO2). It can also monitor the changes in your mood and your stress levels. To keep you up to date, it supports text, call, calendar, and email notifications.
Fitbit Luxe
If being stylish while monitoring your health is essential to you, then the Fitbit Luxe may be just the fitness tracker you’re looking for. The Fitbit Luxe has many of the fitness features found in the Fitbit Charge 5, such as a color screen, stress & sleep tracking, and notifications from your smartphone.
To fit in with today’s fashion trends, the Fitbit Luxe is available in various colors and with a wide selection of wristband options.
AmazFit T-Rex Pro
If you’re in the market for a ruggedized, military-grade smart watch that looks more like a watch than a high-tech gadget, the AmazFit T-Rex Pro will undoubtedly do the trick. The T-Rex Pro features a 1.3” HD AMOLED always-on color display. The digital watch face is designed to look like an analog timepiece with hour, minute, and second dials.
Like most smart watches, the AmazFit T-Rex Pro keeps track of your heart rate, oxygen levels, and sleeping patterns. It can also test your blood-oxygen levels and prompt you to run the test at high altitudes. Its 18-day battery life keeps you going without worrying about constant plug-ins, too.
AmazFit GTR 2 Sport Edition
The AmazFit T-Rex Pro is meant for rugged, outdoor activity, such as rock climbing. However, the AmazFit GTR 2 Sport Edition is better suited to activities that won’t easily end up with potentially damaged equipment.
The GTR 2 features a curved AMOLED color display with a 3D glass bezel that increases the screen’s field of view. It has sensors to track your pulse and oxygen levels. It can also monitor your stress and sleeping patterns, like the rest of the smart watches on our list.
The GTR 2’s biggest differentiator is its ability to use a voice assistant or take phone calls. It has a built-in microphone and speakers as well as Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it completely hands-free.
