The Best Smartwatches for Health & Fitness Tracking
Smartwatches have become more than just accessories—they are now powerful health and fitness tracking tools. Whether you’re an athlete, health enthusiast, or someone looking to improve their wellness, the right smartwatch can provide you with valuable insights into your physical activity, sleep, and overall health. Here’s a roundup of some of the best smartwatches available in 2025 for health and fitness tracking.
1. Apple Watch Series 9
Best For: Comprehensive Health Tracking and Ecosystem Integration
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: Includes heart rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen level measurement, and a new temperature sensor for better sleep tracking.
- Fitness Tracking: Tracks a wide range of activities, from running to yoga, and provides real-time metrics. It also includes advanced workout tracking, automatic workout detection, and a new cycling workout mode.
- Sleep Tracking: Advanced sleep tracking with detailed insights into your sleep stages.
- Other Features: Fall detection, emergency SOS, and integration with the Health app on iPhone for comprehensive health data analysis.
- Why It’s Great: The Apple Watch continues to dominate the smartwatch space, offering the best integration with iOS devices and a robust set of health and fitness features. The addition of more sensors makes it an excellent choice for health-conscious users.
2. Garmin Forerunner 955
Best For: Serious Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: Includes heart rate monitoring, Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen, and advanced sleep tracking.
- Fitness Tracking: Offers multisport tracking (running, cycling, swimming, etc.), VO2 max estimation, lactate threshold, and recovery time. It’s designed for endurance athletes and includes specialized metrics for different sports.
- Battery Life: Excellent battery life of up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours in GPS mode.
- Other Features: Built-in maps, advanced training and recovery features, and navigation tools.
- Why It’s Great: The Forerunner 955 is designed specifically for athletes. Its detailed fitness tracking, recovery metrics, and long battery life make it one of the top choices for runners, cyclists, and other serious athletes.
3. Fitbit Charge 6
Best For: Fitness Tracking on a Budget
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: 24/7 heart rate monitoring, SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen, skin temperature tracking, and sleep tracking.
- Fitness Tracking: Tracks a wide range of activities, including running, walking, cycling, and swimming. Provides active zone minutes, calories burned, and daily activity goals.
- Battery Life: Lasts up to 7 days on a single charge.
- Other Features: Easy-to-use interface, integration with Fitbit’s app for tracking progress, and daily health scores to help you stay motivated.
- Why It’s Great: Fitbit continues to be one of the best brands for affordable fitness-focused wearables. The Charge 6 offers solid health and fitness features at a lower price point, making it a great option for those new to fitness tracking.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Best For: Android Users Seeking Balance in Fitness and Smart Features
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: Advanced heart rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen levels, and body composition analysis (fat, muscle mass, etc.). The watch also tracks stress levels and has sleep analysis features.
- Fitness Tracking: Offers automatic activity tracking, supports a wide range of sports, and provides real-time fitness coaching.
- Battery Life: Can last up to 40 hours with typical usage.
- Other Features: Google Assistant, smart home controls, integration with Samsung Health, and a gorgeous AMOLED display.
- Why It’s Great: If you’re an Android user looking for a smartwatch that blends fitness tracking with smart features, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is an excellent choice. Its comprehensive health sensors, combined with great app integration, make it one of the best Android-compatible smartwatches for fitness.
5. WHOOP Strap 4.0
Best For: In-Depth Recovery and Performance Monitoring
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: The WHOOP Strap is focused on tracking your body’s recovery, strain, and sleep, using metrics like heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, and sleep cycles.
- Fitness Tracking: Tracks strain throughout the day and provides insights into how hard you should push yourself based on your recovery status.
- Battery Life: Lasts up to 5 days per charge.
- Other Features: The strap does not have a screen; instead, it integrates with the WHOOP app to provide data and insights.
- Why It’s Great: The WHOOP Strap is designed for people who want to track not just their workouts but their overall fitness and recovery. It’s ideal for those who train intensely and want to ensure they’re not overtraining or under-recovering. The absence of a screen might be a dealbreaker for some, but the data it provides is second to none for recovery-focused athletes.
6. Suunto 9 Peak Pro
Best For: Outdoor and Adventure Sports
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: Includes heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen sensor, and advanced sleep tracking.
- Fitness Tracking: Tracks a wide variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, trail running, swimming, and skiing. It also offers advanced navigation and mapping tools.
- Battery Life: Excellent battery life—up to 40 hours with continuous GPS tracking and up to 170 hours in Ultra mode.
- Other Features: Built-in maps, altimeter, barometer, and weather tracking for outdoor adventurers.
- Why It’s Great: For those who spend a lot of time outdoors, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro is a top contender. Its robust build, long battery life, and advanced tracking for outdoor activities make it the perfect watch for adventure seekers.
7. Amazfit GTR 4
Best For: Comprehensive Fitness Tracking on a Budget
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: Includes heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen measurement, stress monitoring, and sleep tracking.
- Fitness Tracking: Tracks over 150 sports modes and provides in-depth metrics for a variety of activities, including running, cycling, and swimming.
- Battery Life: Up to 14 days of battery life with typical usage.
- Other Features: Built-in GPS, long battery life, and a vibrant AMOLED display.
- Why It’s Great: If you’re looking for a budget-friendly smartwatch with great fitness features, the Amazfit GTR 4 offers excellent value. It’s one of the best affordable options for tracking a wide range of sports and providing in-depth health data.
8. Coros Vertix 2
Best For: Extreme Athletes and Endurance Events
- Features:
- Health Monitoring: Advanced heart rate monitoring, SpO2, and stress tracking.
- Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive tracking for ultra-endurance sports, such as running, hiking, and swimming. It provides VO2 max estimates, recovery metrics, and training load.
- Battery Life: Outstanding battery life, lasting up to 60 hours with full GPS tracking and up to 140 hours in ultra-low-power mode.
- Other Features: Built-in mapping and navigation features, weather tracking, and altimeter for high-altitude adventures.
- Why It’s Great: The Coros Vertix 2 is built for extreme athletes and adventurers. Its rugged design, extended battery life, and accurate tracking for extreme sports make it an excellent choice for those participating in long-distance endurance events.