The Best Smartwatches in 2025: For Every Need and Budget
Naila Syifa
Updated January 2025
Smartwatches have come a long way, offering more than just fitness tracking—they now integrate seamlessly into our lifestyles, providing everything from advanced health insights to convenient connectivity features.
Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer, or someone looking for a stylish, everyday companion, there’s a smartwatch tailored to your needs and budget in 2025.
On our list
Best Overall: Garmin Venu 3
Best for Sports & Adventure: Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
Best for Wellness: Fitbit Sense 2
Best for Fashion: Garmin Lily 2 Active
Best for Lifestyle
Best for Apple Ecosystem: Apple Watch Series 10
Best for Samsung Ecosystem: Galaxy Watch 7
Best for Google Ecosystem: Pixel Watch 3
Best for Budget: Amazfit Balance
Best Overall: Garmin Venu 3
Garmin Venu 3
If I were to pick one smartwatch that's neither too cheap nor too expensive, caters to both fitness and lifestyle needs, and is universally compatible with Android and iOS devices, the Garmin Venu 3 would be my top choice.
With 54 activity profiles, the Venu 3 covers popular sports like running, hiking, biking, swimming, skiing, basketball, rowing, and more. It even has inclusive wheelchair mode, which unlocks push tracking and workouts for wheelchair users.
For certain activities like yoga, pilates, cardio, and strength, workout animations are displayed on the watch's 1.4-inch AMOLED display to guide you through proper form. Meanwhile, breathwork exercises and meditation sessions help you wind down and relax.
Health-monitoring features are extensive with sleep tracking and nap detection, heart rate, SpO2, and even ECG app. Garmin's well-known Body Battery Energy Monitoring tracks your body's energy levels throughout the day to help you plan your activities and recovery.
On top of health and fitness, Garmin Venu 3 is a great lifestyle companion. In addition to basic smartwatch features like phone notifications and music control, the Venu 3 has a built-in speaker and microphone for on-wrist calls, music playback, and voice commands through your phone's voice assistant. Garmin Pay is also supported for contactless payment.
Garmin Venu 3
Best Overall
✓ 1.4" AMOLED
✓ 54 Activity Profiles
✓ Built-In Speaker & Microphone
✓ Wheelchair Mode
Best for Sports & Adventure: Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
The Garmin Fenix 8 Solar is one of the most extensive options when it comes to activity tracking and outdoor exploration features. You can find so many Garmin prided sensors and capabilities packed into this rugged smartwatch, from PacePro pacing strategy, ClimbPro ascent planner, Garmin Coach, daily suggested workouts, multisport auto transition, visual race predictor, training readiness, detailed performance metrics, the list is endless.
One feature worth mentioning is Advanced Strength Training, which generates 4-6 weeks of strength training plans tailored to specific sports, so athletes of all types can optimize their training to improve their performance.
The watch comes preloaded with three maps: TopoActive maps for outdoor navigation, SkiView maps for worldwide ski resorts, and Golf Course maps for over 42,000 golf courses worldwide. Multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology also ensures accurate positioning in challenging environments.
The Garmin Fenix 8 Solar boasts a 10 ATM water rating, 40-meter dive rating, and has been tested to US military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance. You don't need to doubt how durable it is for your extreme outdoor adventures.
The screen features a Power Sapphire lens, which is not only highly durable but is also able to convert sunlight into battery power, reaching a very impressive battery life of up to 48 days in smartwatch mode with solar or 107 days in battery saver smartwatch mode with solar (51 mm variant).
Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
Best for Sports & Adventure
✓ Sport-Specific Strength Workouts
✓ Advanced Mapping & Navigation
✓ Built-in Speaker & Microphone
✓ Solar Charging
Best for Wellness: Fitbit Sense 2
Fitbit Sense 2
Beyond the standard fitness tracking and health monitoring capabilities, the Fitbit Sense 2 introduces advanced sensors and features to monitor your overall well-being.
The body responses feature uses the built-in continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor to detect physical signs of stress, then you can use the Reflections feature to log your mood and reflect on what may be causing the stress.
The EDA Scan app also allows you to do a quick scan to measure electrodermal activity at the moment or follow a guided meditation session in the Fitbit app and have the Sense 2 track your EDA response and heart rate change throughout the session. This allows you to see how your body responds to different relaxation techniques.
Other features worth mentioning include the ability to track your skin temperature variation, ECG app support, and irregular heart rhythm notifications to identify signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Lifestyle features include a built-in speaker and microphone, built-in Alexa, Google Maps, and a Smart Wake Alarm that wakes you up during your optimal sleep stages. All of these make the Sense 2 a truly comprehensive smartwatch for the mind and body.
Fitbit Sense 2
Best for Wellness
✓ Body-Response Tracking
✓ EDA Scan App
✓ Built-In Speaker & Microphone
✓ Built-In Alexa
Best for Fashion: Garmin Lily 2 Active
Garmin Lily 2 Active
When thinking about fashion-forward wearables with particularly stylish and feminine designs, two options come to my mind: the Fitbit Luxe and Garmin Lily 2 Active. But the Fitbit Luxe is more of a fitness tracker than a smartwatch, so the Garmin Lily 2 Active would be my top pick for the best fashion-focused smartwatch.
What sets the Garmin Lily 2 Active apart from the other smartwatches is its elegant hidden grayscale display and patterned lens, which gives it a sophisticated and jewelry-like appearance.
Beneath its chic exterior lies a suite of health and wellness features, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, sleep analysis, breathwork, and meditation. The watch also offers a variety of sports modes, from running and cycling to yoga and golf. Dance fitness activities are also supported, allowing you to track Zumba, Afrobeat, and other dance-based workouts.
What's more, the Lily 2 Active now features a built-in GPS, unlike the original Garmin Lily 2, which uses connected GPS from a smartphone for outdoor activity tracking. The built-in GPS means you can leave your phone at home and still accurately track your outdoor activities.
Read also: Garmin Lily 2 vs. Lily 2 Active: Key Improvements
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Best for Fashion
✓ Hidden Display & Patterned Lens
✓ Built-In GPS
✓ Dance Fitness Activity
✓ Meditation & Breathwork
Best for Lifestyle
If daily smartwatch functionality, like connectivity, mobile payments, and voice assistant integration, are your top priorities, then I would recommend choosing based on the ecosystem of your digital devices.
This is because, unlike health or fitness features, smartwatch features are more tightly integrated into the specific ecosystem of each brand. For example, camera control on an Apple watch can only be used with an iPhone, while camera control on a Pixel watch can only be used with a Google Pixel smartphone.
Therefore, the best lifestyle smartwatch for you would be the one that aligns with the smartphone you already own and use. And here are the best picks for each major platform.
Best for Apple Ecosystem: Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 10
Designed exclusively for Apple users, the Apple Watch Series 10 ensures every feature—from camera controls to app notifications—works in perfect harmony with the broader Apple ecosystem. Whether you're managing fitness goals, staying productive, or simply keeping connected, this smartwatch is the ultimate extension of your iPhone.
Health tracking on the Series 10 is more advanced than ever, with the addition of sleep apnea detection alongside ECG, SpO2, and other essential metrics. Fitness features are also comprehensive, with Activity Rings to motivate you and a new depth gauge to track your underwater activities.
For everyday convenience, the built-in speaker and microphone enable on-wrist calls, which can be made independently from your iPhone if you opt for the optional cellular connectivity. You can also rely on Siri for a range of tasks, from managing reminders, controlling smart home devices, to accessing or logging health data —all hands-free with just your voice.
Apple Watch Series 10
Best for Apple Ecosystem
✓ Wide-Angle OLED
✓ ECG, Sleep Apnea
✓ On-Device Siri with Health Data Access
✓ Built-In Speaker & Microphone
Best for Samsung Ecosystem: Galaxy Watch 7
Galaxy Watch 7
For Samsung smartphone users, the Galaxy Watch 7 would be the ideal lifestyle smartwatch. It seamlessly integrates with Samsung Galaxy smartphones, allowing you to control music playback easily, receive notifications, make and take calls, and make mobile payments with Samsung Wallet.
A camera controller feature is also available, but supports only high-end Galaxy smartphones like the S Series, Note Series, and Z Series.
If you use Samsung Galaxy phones that support Galaxy AI, such as the Galaxy S23/S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold series, and Galaxy Z Flip series, then you can benefit more from the various Galaxy AI features on the watch. This includes Energy Score, Wellness Tips, Suggested Replies, Voice Recorder Transcripts, and Race Mode.
In terms of health and fitness features, the Galaxy Watch 7 offers comprehensive tracking capabilities. Basic metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, and stress are definitely covered, while more advanced features like ECG, body composition analysis with the BIA sensor, and De Nove FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection are also available.
Galaxy Watch 7
Best for Samsung Ecosystem
✓ 100+ Workouts
✓ ECG, BIA, Sleep Apnea
✓ On-Wrist Calling & Texting
✓ Galaxy AI
Best for Google Ecosystem: Pixel Watch 3
Pixel Watch 3
The Pixel Watch 3 stands out as the best lifestyle smartwatch for those immersed in the Google ecosystem. You can access various Google apps like Google Maps or Google Wallet and even control the Pixel camera if you use a Google Pixel phone.
The watch even seamlessly integrates with the Google smart home ecosystem, including a compatible Google TV, Nest camera, and Nest doorbell. For a Google TV, you can use the watch as a virtual remote control. For a Nest camera or doorbell, you can view live feeds, get alerts, and even interact via two-way talk or quick responses, all from your wrist.
The Pixel Watch 3 also offers robust health and fitness tracking capabilities, including heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG, and over 40 workout modes. A subscription to Fitbit Premium unlocks additional features like advanced insights, personalized recommendations, and more.
Pixel Watch 3
Best for Google Ecosystem
✓ 40+ Exercises
✓ Google Apps
✓ Nest Integration
✓ Built-In Speaker & Microphone
Best for Budget: Amazfit Balance
Amazfit Balance
Amazfit is known for its budget-friendly smartwatches, but among its lineup, the Amazfit Balance stands out as the best value option.
Despite retailing at just USD 199.99, it comes with 156 sports modes, supporting activities typically offered by higher-end smartwatches, like triathlon, multi-sport, open water swimming, golf, mountain biking, BMX, and more.
One feature I personally appreciate is strength recognition, which auto-detects 25 strength exercises and intelligently tracks the reps, sets, and rest time. We can check the Zepp app after that to see the summary and the muscle groups we worked on.
Basic health monitoring like heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and sleep are all included, but what I want to highlight is the body composition analysis made possible by the BIA sensor. Even higher-end smartwatches like Garmin and Apple Watch do not yet include a BIA sensor.
The Amazfit Balance is also not lacking in terms of lifestyle and smartwatch functionality. The built-in speaker and microphone enable on-wrist Bluetooth phone calls, music playback, and voice control. Camera control is supported just for iOS, while notification quick reply is exclusive to Android devices.
There are also two AI features included, the Zepp Coach as an AI fitness coach and Zepp Flow as an AI voice assistant. Amazon Alexa also comes built-in as an alternative voice assistant, but the GPT-4o-powered Zepp Flow is already smart enough to understand natural language and provide helpful responses for daily tasks and queries.
Amazfit Balance
Best for Budget
✓ 1.5” AMOLED
✓ Strength Exercise Recognition
✓ Built-In Speaker & Microphone
✓ Zepp Coach & Zepp Flow
Compare Smartwatches
Final Thoughts
The best smartwatch for you ultimately depends on what you value most—whether it's unmatched durability, advanced health tracking, seamless ecosystem integration, or budget-friendly features. With so many incredible options in 2025, there’s never been a better time to find a smartwatch that perfectly suits your lifestyle.
If you like to read more on smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Best Garmin Watches
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Fitbit Sense 2
Pixel Watch 3 vs Garmin Venu 3
Amazfit Balance vs Garmin Venu 3
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
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