We’ve been madly buying, using and testing the latest smartwatches for all of 2020. You can read all the individual smartwatch reviews here, brands covered here and all of our smartwatch comparisons here.
But if it’s a succinct list of what we consider the best smartwatches for various purposes, functions and tech, this is the article for you.
Below we list out the best smartwatches for a variety of uses, tech and purposes. Enjoy.
FYI, thanks to AI imagery software, we’re able to create very specific fashion and hairstyle examples to illustrate the points being made. In some cases, imagery is exaggerated to hammer home the point.
Best Overall Smartwatch
It was really easy to pick the best overall smartwatch for iPhone users but a bit harder for Android users. That’s because iPhone users don’t really have much choice while Android users have too many choices.
- Best overall smartwatch for iPhone: Apple Watch Series 5
- Best overall smartwatch for Android: Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle
Best Smartwatch for iPhone
No surprises here. The best smartwatch for the Apple iPhone is the Apple Watch Series 5. The latest and greatest Apple smartwatch brings superior integration, Siri, the ability to reply to texts and emails, plus many more features.
- Superior integration with Apple iPhones
- Reply to text and email
- Compact design without compromising on features and battery life
- Read the Apple Watch Series 5 review
Learn why the Apple Watch Series 5 is superior and some alternatives.
Best Smartwatch for Android
Android users have many watches to choose from. At the end of the day, I concluded that the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle is the watch I’d buy.
- Fast
- Has a speaker
- Innovative metal band and clasp
- Good battery life
- Read the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle review here
Read the best budget and premium smartwatch for Android users here.
Best Smartwatch for Fitness and Exercise
Imagine if you could plug in a device that can strengthen the underpinnings of health, exercise and lifestyle. That would be the Garmin Fenix 6, which is the ultimate fitness and exercise smartwatch. Read the review of the Fenix 6.
- Extremely good battery life
- Great visibility in the sun
- Fantastic data that analyzes your exercise, health and sleep
- Coaching tools to keep you active and improving
- Maps, titanium case, music
Read why the Fenix 6 is the ultimate fitness and exercise smartwatch.
Best Smartwatch for Texting
A capable smartwatch keeps the smartphone away and every manufacturer has its own approach to how replying to texts and emails should be undertaken.
- Apple iPhone users, get a Apple Watch Series 5. No buts.
- Android users, you need the ultimate Wear OS smartwatch, the Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle
- Samsung user? Gee, debatable. But Samsung has some great watches too.
I know it’s a real dilemma, so learn more here.
Best Smartwatch for Samsung Phones
If Apple iPhones pair best with Apple smartwatches, then Samsung phones pair best with Apple smartwatches?
Not really.
It does have better integration, but Samsung smartwatches have some weaknesses.
- Keeping it in the family? Get a Samsung watch for its great integration and access to emails and text logs.
- Not a fan of nepotism? Maybe you need a budget-friendly Ticwatch S2?
Confused? Here are some points to think about.
Best Budget Smartwatch
Want to get your first smartwatch? With so many things to consider, this guide will walk you through what you get at different price points as well as the benefits of buying a premium smartwatch. At the end of the day, we think the Ticwatch E2 (on the left of the photo) is the best budget smartwatch. Read the review here.
- Great battery life
- Wear OS advantages including speech-to-text superiority and Google Assistant
- Pool Swim tracker app
- Budget-friendly
Still, there are more factors to consider. Read the in-depth comparison here.
Best Smartwatch for Business
Busy businesspeople don’t have time to waste. A smartwatch can help with that by not only telling you the time, but also saving you time from tedious, boring tasks. We examine which smartwatches have the best voice assistant and the easiest interaction with messages and emails.
- iPhone user? Apple Watch Series 5
- Android user? Fossil Gen 5
Read the in-depth considerations here.
Best Smartwatch for Cycling
There are many types of cyclists but I still feel that there’s one watch that will help all cyclists. It’s the ultimate sport smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 6.