10 Best Budget Smart Watch 2025 in the United States

The Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) is a solid choice for those looking for a budget-friendly smartwatch packed with useful features. Its always-on Retina display is bright and clear, making it easy to check time and notifications without lifting your wrist. The build quality is premium with an aluminum case and durable Ion-X glass, giving it a light yet sturdy feel suitable for everyday wear. Battery life offers about 18 hours of typical use, which covers a full day, and it supports fast charging—just 15 minutes of charging can provide up to 8 hours of use.

Fitness and health tracking are comprehensive, including heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking with detailed sleep scores, temperature sensing, and cycle tracking. Plus, it can alert you to irregular heart rhythms and sleep apnea signs, which is impressive for its price range. It also supports multiple workouts and syncs seamlessly with your iPhone, ensuring your notifications, calls, and messages stay connected through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Water resistance allows for swimming and sweat, making it suitable for active lifestyles.

On the downside, the battery life, while decent, is not as long as some competitors that offer multi-day use. Also, some advanced health features require an iPhone and may not work fully on their own. The watch doesn’t have built-in cellular in this model, so you need your phone nearby for calls and data. The Apple Watch SE 3 blends style, reliable fitness tracking, and solid day-to-day smart features into a compact, affordable package ideal for iPhone users who want a high-quality smartwatch experience without the higher price tag of flagship models.

The Garmin vívoactive 6 is a strong contender in the budget smartwatch category, especially for those focused on health and fitness. Its bright 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen makes it easy to read in various lighting conditions, which is a nice upgrade from standard LCD displays often seen in budget options. The battery life stands out with up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, so you won’t need to charge it frequently. Fitness tracking is comprehensive, offering over 80 sports activities including running, cycling, swimming, and golf, plus advanced features like sleep coaching, stress monitoring, menstrual cycle tracking, and heart rate variability, which provide rich health insights. The built-in GPS is useful for outdoor workouts without needing your phone. It supports Bluetooth connectivity, allowing notifications and calls to come through, though it relies on the Garmin OS which may have a smaller selection of third-party apps compared to some other platforms. Water resistance is implied through swim tracking, making it suitable for swimming and everyday wear.

The build feels lightweight and comfortable, weighing just 1.3 ounces, with a stylish round design that suits casual or sporty looks. One drawback to consider is the price point, which is higher than basic budget smartwatches, so it’s best for users wanting a robust fitness companion rather than just basic notifications. Also, some health metrics provide estimated data rather than clinically precise readings, so keep that in mind if you need highly accurate measurements. To summarize, for users seeking a durable, feature-rich smartwatch with strong health monitoring and long battery life, Garmin vívoactive 6 offers excellent value for active users on a budget.

The Fitbit Versa 4 is a solid choice for anyone looking for a budget-friendly smartwatch packed with fitness and health features. It has a bright, easy-to-read 1.58-inch touchscreen with a sharp resolution, making it comfortable to use throughout the day. Battery life is quite good, offering over 6 days on a single charge, which means you won’t have to worry about daily recharging. The watch shines in fitness tracking with built-in GPS, 40+ exercise modes, continuous heart rate monitoring, and detailed sleep tracking including a personalized sleep profile. It also offers additional health tools like stress management and menstrual health tracking, which are useful for overall wellness.

Compatible with both Android (9 or higher) and iOS (15 or higher), it supports notifications, calls, texts, and even voice assistants like Alexa. The device is water resistant up to 50 meters, so you can wear it while swimming or in the rain without issues. Design-wise, it’s lightweight and comfortable, with included bands for different wrist sizes, though some might find the square shape less stylish compared to round smartwatches. While Fitbit OS is user-friendly, it has fewer third-party apps than some competitors, which might limit customization for some users. Additionally, some advanced features like Google Maps on iOS are still rolling out, so not all functions are available right away.

The Versa 4 delivers a strong combination of fitness tracking, reliable battery life, and useful smart features at an accessible price point, making it a great option for fitness enthusiasts or anyone aiming to improve daily health habits without spending too much.