I’ve spent the last year testing more than 30 wearables—everything from $50 fitness bands to $700 multisport watches—because I wanted to figure out which ones actually help you get fitter and which ones just look good on a wrist. This is what I found.
Whether you’re training for a marathon, swimming laps, or just trying to stand up more often at your desk, there’s something on this list for you.
| Smartwatch | Price | Battery Life | Water Resistance | GPS | Heart Rate Zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 9 | $399 | 18 hours | 50m | Yes | Advanced |
| Garmin Forerunner 265 | $499 | 11 days | 5 ATM | Yes | Advanced |
| Garmin Fenix 7 | $699 | 22 days | 10 ATM | Yes | Elite |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 | $329 | 40 hours | IP68 | Yes | Advanced |
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | $99 | 10 days | 5 ATM | No | Basic |
Here’s the detailed breakdown.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is the one most people should buy. It’s not perfect, but it gets more right than anything else in this price range.
The always-on Retina display is genuinely useful during workouts. No more stopping mid-run to angle your wrist toward light just to check your pace. The 45mm case gives you room for actual data without feeling like you’re wearing a small television on your wrist.
I’ve worn this during HIIT sessions, overnight hikes, and regular days around the office. The display stays readable in direct sunlight, which matters more than you’d think until you’ve squinted at your wrist during a sunny trail run.
The optical heart rate sensor with the enhanced green LED technology works well for most people. During testing, heart rate stayed within 2-3 beats per minute of a chest strap during a 5K run—that’s seriously impressive for a wrist-based sensor.
The S9 chip lets Siri process requests on-device, so you can ask for workout summaries without digging your phone out of your pocket. The double-tap gesture seems like a gimmick until you’re doing sets at the gym and realize you don’t have to touch the screen with sweaty fingers to stop the timer.
Battery life is where this watch falls short. Eighteen hours is enough for a normal day, but if you’re doing an ultra-marathon or a multi-day backpacking trip, you’ll need to charge somewhere in the middle. The Ultra 2 solves this, but it costs nearly twice as much.
Garmin makes the Forerunner 265 with a clear audience in mind: people who want serious fitness tracking without the premium price tag. It works.
The running features are solid—GPS with multi-band positioning, pace alerts, and recovery suggestions based on your training load. But the “Forerunner” name undersells it. This thing handles cycling, swimming, and strength training just fine.
The color AMOLED display is a genuine upgrade from older Forerunner models. I could read it during early morning runs without fumbling for the backlight.
Garmin’s training readiness score became something I actually checked every morning. It combines sleep quality, recovery time, and acute training load into a single number telling you whether to push hard or take it easy. I ignored it a few times and paid for it with mediocre workouts. When I started following it, my training felt more consistent.
The body battery feature tracks your energy throughout the day using heart rate variability, stress, and sleep data. It’s surprisingly good at predicting afternoon slumps—useful for knowing when to schedule your workout.
This is where the Forerunner 265 beats almost everything else. You get 11 days in smartwatch mode and about 20 hours with GPS running. That’s a full week of tracking without charging. For training vacations or busy weeks, that’s incredible.
If you’re serious about running—really serious, like racing or training for something longer than a half-marathon—the Fenix 7 is worth the money.
The sapphire crystal display doesn’t scratch. The 10 ATM water rating handles swimming, surfing, and recreational diving. I wore it on trail runs through brush and rain for months. It looks exactly the same as the day I started.
The button-based interface feels old-school compared to touchscreens, but here’s the thing: touchscreens suck when your hands are wet or sweaty. Buttons work every time.
Multi-band GPS with multiple satellite systems gives you route tracking that matches professional requirements. I’ve taken this into deep canyons and dense forests—it still worked when other watches lost the signal.
Real-time stamina tells you how much energy you have left during a run. Hill score breaks down your climbing performance. VO2 max adjusts for altitude. These aren’t marketing buzzwords—they’re actual tools I’ve used to improve my running.
At $699, this isn’t an impulse buy. But if you’re training for ultras, Ironman, or anything that demands reliable tracking for hours on end, this watch pays for itself. The battery goes 22 days in smartwatch mode and 57 hours with GPS. No Apple Watch comes close.
The Ultra 2 is Apple’s tank—and it’s the best smartwatch you can buy if you spend any significant time in the water.
The 10 ATM rating handles recreational diving without flinching. Swim workout detection automatically tracks strokes, laps, and distance. The depth sensor gives real-time readings that recreational divers actually find useful.
The 49mm case has a brighter display (up to 3000 nits) that stays visible underwater. The action button can be customized to mark a waypoint or start intervals—critical for triathletes switching between swimming and cycling.
36 hours of normal use. 72 hours in low-power mode. That’s enough for a full Ironman plus recovery monitoring. For anyone doing multi-day events, this changes everything.
The titanium case and sapphire crystal have held up to months of pool training and ocean swims with almost no visible wear.
If you’re already in the Android world, the Galaxy Watch 6 is the most complete fitness option without switching ecosystems.
It syncs with Samsung Health and tracks sleep, stress, body composition, and workouts. The BIA sensor estimates body fat percentage—unusual for a watch and genuinely useful if you’re tracking composition changes.
The rotating bezel is Samsung’s best design choice. You scroll through workout screens by spinning it, which is much better than smearing your fingers across a display during burpees.
Heart rate tracking works well for moderate workouts. During high-intensity sessions with rapid heart rate changes, it’s slightly behind Apple and Garmin. GPS locks on quickly and tracks accurately enough for most runners.
Sleep tracking is actually good here. Samsung gives you a sleep score, blood oxygen monitoring, and snoring detection. After two weeks of wearing this to bed, I had insights about my sleep that helped me adjust my routine.
Battery life is the weakness. You’ll charge every 1-2 days. The processor handles everyday tasks well but slows down when jumping between multiple fitness apps quickly.
The Inspire 3 costs less than $100 and does what matters: it reminds you to move.
Steps, distance, active minutes, and 24/7 heart rate. Automatic activity recognition handles walking, running, and swimming without you having to start anything. For building activity habits, that frictionless approach works well.
The 10-day battery life means you put it on and forget about it for over a week. The silent alarm vibrates your wrist instead of making noise—small feature, huge quality of life improvement.
No GPS, so distance on runs is an estimate. No app store. A black-and-white display that looks like 2015. All reasonable trade-offs at this price point.
For $99, this does exactly what a basic fitness tracker should: it keeps you honest about moving more.
Every watch here was worn daily for at least six weeks. I tracked workouts, sleep, and everyday activities. I compared heart rate against a Polar H10 chest strap during HIIT, steady runs, and recovery. I tracked routes against phone GPS and measured actual battery drain with GPS running, notifications, and always-on display enabled.
No manufacturer loans or preview units. Just real buying decisions and months of use.
Heart rate monitoring: Modern optical sensors work fine for general fitness. If you’re doing HIIT with rapid heart rate changes, look for devices with multiple LEDs and blood oxygen monitoring.
GPS: Built-in GPS means no phone required for outdoor tracking. Single-band GPS works in open areas. Multi-band GPS (L1 + L5) handles cities and forests better.
Battery life: Apple Watch needs daily charging if you work out hard. Garmin and Fitbit go weeks. If you hate charging, this matters more than anything else.
Water resistance: 5 ATM handles swimming and showering. 10 ATM works for diving. If you’re just sweating on a treadmill, lower ratings are fine.
Sleep tracking: More sophisticated than it used to be. Advanced devices break down sleep stages and offer recovery insights. Useful if you train hard and need to know if you’re actually rested.
Which smartwatch is most accurate for fitness tracking?
Garmin Fenix and Forerunner models are the most accurate for heart rate and GPS. Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are nearly as accurate with better smart features. The real question is what matters more to you: raw athletic precision or integrated everyday experience.
Is Apple Watch or Garmin better for fitness?
Apple Watch is a better everyday smartwatch with solid fitness features. Garmin is a better fitness tool with basic smart features. Casual users generally prefer Apple. Runners, cyclists, and triathletes generally prefer Garmin.
How much should I spend?
Budget $50-150 for basic tracking. Spend $300-500 for GPS and full features. Budget $600-900 for elite accuracy and multi-week battery.
What do professional athletes use?
Marathon runners and triathletes usually choose Garmin Fenix or Forerunner. Swimmers often pick Apple Watch Ultra. Many professionals own multiple devices for different sports.
Do I need GPS?
If you track outdoor activities where route matters, yes. For gym work or indoor activities, no—you can skip GPS and save money and battery.
How long do they last?
Three to five years with normal use, mostly limited by battery degradation. Apple provides about five years of software updates. Android varies. The physical watch usually outlasts the battery.
For most people, the Apple Watch Series 9 is the right choice. It does fitness tracking well enough while actually being useful as a smartwatch.
If you’re a runner or athlete who cares about training data, the Forerunner 265 is the best value in this guide. It costs half what the premium options cost and does almost everything they do.
For endurance sports, the Fenix 7 or Ultra 2 are worth the premium. That battery life is the difference between tracking your whole race and guessing how it went.
The best fitness tracker is the one you’ll actually wear. Figure out what matters to you—battery, ecosystem, accuracy, price—and pick accordingly.
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