Try as I might, I’ve never been able to get into the habit of wearing a watch. Once my phone came into my life, all my time-keeping was suddenly taken care of, and the idea of investing in a chic wristwatch just didn’t make sense. But, it’s the start of a new year, and I’m inevitably making commitments to live better, be healthier and spend less time my phone. A smartwatch could just be the tool I need to actually help me make a change.
Samsung, Apple, Fitbit and more have all designed seriously impressive smartwatches with advanced tech that’s got fitness and wellbeing tracking in mind. With their sensors, these smartwatches can track everything from your sleep patterns to your blood oxygen levels, and make recommendations on changes you can make to build healthier routines.
But while these companies have been investing in the tech capabilities of these smartwatches, they’ve also been spending a lot of time harnessing the design. Today’s generation of smartwatches are sleek, elegant and understated enough to seamlessly fit into your daily looks. Styled with a stack of intricate chain bracelets, your wrist will be fashionably upgraded—just look at Eva Chen for inspiration.
Eva Chen pictured wearing an Apple watch and gold bracelets.
With that in mind, I’ve scoured the internet to find the best-reviewed smartwatches that deliver on both style and substance. Read on to find our top six picks.
Style Notes: This has to be the best option for minimalists. With its sleek, rounded face that curves into the understated strap, this deceptively simple smart watch would work beautifully with so many looks, rather than stand out as a bit of bulky tech. The watch offers the very best of Fitbit for all your health monitoring, as well as all the Google apps, including Gmail and Calendar. Light, secure and with a long battery life, this really is a dream smart watch. WWW Rating: 9/10
Style Notes: Designed with your wellbeing and health in mind, this Samsung watch provides detailed sleep analysis, wellness monitoring and fitness tracking, and helps you curate better routines, too. If you have a Galaxy phone, it’ll integrate really well into your life—you might find it a bit trickier if you’re an iPhone user. A few points off for the fact it only lasts a day before it needs charging. WWW Rating: 8/10
Style Notes: While this is one of the more affordable Apple watches, it doesn’t compromise on quality. It has powerful new sensors that track heart rate, sleep and more, and (pause for tech talk), a faster dual-core processor for enhanced performance. You will need to be an iPhone user to make the most of it, and you only get 18 hours of battery life—although that’s surprisingly good for a smart watch of this price. WWW Rating: 7/10
Style Notes: With its elegant gold chain strap and advanced tech, this Apple watch delivers on both style and substance. Super fast, with a bright interface and the double-tap capability, this model still has all the great health and wellbeing features, and lets you enhance your exercise with the Workout app. WWW Rating: 9/10
Style Notes: This fitness and wellness-focused smartwatch gets bonus points for working with both Android and iOS, and its sleek, gym-proof design. Its trackers will help with your sleep, stress, exercise routines and more. The downside? It doesn’t boast all the other fun extra apps that make it a stand-in for your smartphone. WWW Rating: 6/10
Style Notes: For hardcore fitness enthusiasts, this is the must-have smartwatch. Particularly well-designed for runners and hikers, this Garmin watch has a Hill score feature that measures your running strength and endurance during ascents, and tracks your progress over time. It may lose points on the style front, but its weeks-long battery life and built-in flashlight emphasises its practicality for those on the go. WWW Rating: 6/10
This piece was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
