9 Best Smartwatch 2026 in the United States

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is designed for sports enthusiasts and adventurers who want a tough, reliable smartwatch with extensive health and fitness features. It’s compatible with iPhones from Xs onward and runs on the latest watchOS, giving you access to a wide range of apps and seamless integration if you’re already in the Apple ecosystem. The display is one of its standout features – it’s large, very bright even in sunlight, and protected by a durable sapphire crystal, making it easy to read during any activity. Battery life impresses compared to many smartwatches, lasting up to 42 hours normally and up to 72 hours in low power mode, which is useful for longer outdoor trips or workouts.

This watch excels in fitness and health tracking, offering detailed sensors for heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, temperature, and even notifications for issues like hypertension or irregular rhythms. It supports a wide variety of workouts, from running and swimming to skiing and yoga, with precise GPS and innovative features like satellite communication for emergencies where there’s no cell coverage. Water resistance up to 100 meters and dust resistance make it well-suited for swimming, diving, and rugged environments.

Connectivity options include fast 5G cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.3, allowing calls, music streaming, and more without your phone nearby. The design uses lightweight but strong titanium for durability while remaining comfortable despite its larger size (49mm). The customizable action button adds convenience for quick access to important functions. The large size may not suit smaller wrists or those preferring discreet watches, and the battery life, although strong, still requires fairly frequent charging if used heavily with GPS and cellular on. It’s also costly, reflecting its premium build and features, which might be overkill for casual users or those outside the Apple ecosystem. The Ultra 3 is most suitable for active users who need a rugged, feature-packed smartwatch with strong health insights and emergency capabilities.

The Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 44mm) is a solid smartwatch choice, especially for iPhone users, as it syncs seamlessly and supports features like calls, texts, and music through your phone or Wi-Fi. It offers an 18-hour battery life, covering a full day, and charges quickly—just 15 minutes can provide about 8 hours of use. The always-on Retina display is bright and easy to read, so you don’t have to raise your wrist constantly to check the time or notifications.

For fitness and health, it tracks workouts with real-time metrics and includes advanced sensors for heart rate, temperature, and sleep, offering alerts for irregular heart rhythms and sleep apnea. It also supports useful safety features like fall and crash detection. The water resistance typical of Apple Watches means it can handle daily activities but should not be used for deep-water activities.

Design-wise, the lightweight aluminum case and comfortable sport band suit daily wear, and the watch faces are highly customizable to match your style. The app ecosystem is strong, especially for health and fitness, though you’ll need an iPhone for full functionality. While the battery life is sufficient for daily use, intensive features may require charging every day. This smartwatch is user-friendly and geared toward those wanting health monitoring, fitness tracking, and staying connected without needing to keep their phone constantly in hand.

The Garmin fēnix 8 is a premium multisport GPS smartwatch designed especially for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who want detailed fitness tracking and rugged durability. It features a bright and sharp 1.4-inch AMOLED display protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, making it easy to see in various lighting conditions. Its titanium bezel and pebble gray band add to a comfortable yet sturdy design. Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 29 days in smartwatch mode and 84 hours with GPS active, which is ideal for long adventures without frequent recharging.

The watch supports a wide range of sports and offers advanced training tools like stamina tracking, custom workout plans, and recovery monitoring to help optimize physical performance. Health tracking is comprehensive, including heart rate, sleep, oxygen levels, and even an ECG app, though these are estimates and not medical-grade. Connectivity is strong, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the ability to make calls and use voice commands directly from the wrist when connected to your smartphone. For outdoor navigation, it has multi-band GPS, compass, gyroscope, and barometric sensors, plus useful features like dynamic round-trip routing. It’s also dive-rated to 40 meters with leakproof buttons, which is great for divers.

The watch runs on Garmin's own operating system, which might limit app variety compared to more common platforms, and the 5 MB RAM is quite modest (though typical for this device type). For users who value robust fitness and outdoor features, long battery life, and a durable design, the fēnix 8 is an excellent choice. Those seeking a simpler smartwatch experience or a wider app selection might find it more complex than necessary.