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A smart watch is a great modern accessory. Ever since the Apple Watch hit the market – the average amount of online searches for smart watches has absolutely exploded.
Each month, hundreds of thousands of consumers search online for a smart watch. Since there are an overwhelming amount of choices, we did the research, tested a variety of smart watches, and aggregated tens of thousands of online reviews.
After extensive testing, we were able to find the best smart watch. Here are our top picks.
Our Top Pick
Apple Watch Series 4
With over 1,000 positive online reviews, the Apple Watch is our pick for the best smart watch. It’s great for every type of activity, it is made extremely well, and it has no glitches or issues. While not the cheapest option – we believe it is well worth the money, and with each new model, Apple keeps making them even better.
Other Great Picks
Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch
With almost 2,000 positive online reviews, the Samsung Galaxy smart watch is a tremendous choice. With a lower price point, it is a good competitor to the Apple Watch, and it looks sleek to boot. Great choice, great performance – and a very good price.
Ticwatch Pro Premium Smartwatch
While the brand name is not as well-known as Apple or bigger manufacturers, this smart watch from Ticwatch is a great model. It has a lower price point, yet the level of performance and craftsmanship remains high. The bezel looks great, and the battery life is also very good.
Ticwatch S Smartwatch-Knight
With over 2,000 5-star online reviews, this budget model from Ticwatch is an excellent choice for anyone looking to get a smart watch – but who doesn’t want to spend a lot. While it lacks some of the higher-end performance and features from more expensive models – it is perfect for most functions, and is very reliable and durable. Highly recommended.
Huawei Watch 2 Classic Smartwatch
With over 300 glowing online reviews, this smart watch from Huawei is very good, and is a strong contender to higher-end models (like Apple). This model is sportier, and has a thicker bezel, than the first generation model.
Casio Men’s ‘PRO TREK’ Quartz Resin Outdoor Smartwatch
Casio has a long history of manufacturing watches, and as a result – has a great brand reputation. This smart watch is elegant, high-end, and feels much more substantial than other smart watches. A great alternative to the Apple Watch.
Aeifond Smart Watch DZ09
This extremely low cost Aeifond smart watch is a great budget pick. It doesn’t offer some of the high-end features of the Apple Watch – but it does come in at a very low price point. If you’re unsure about whether or not to get a smart watch – this is a perfect starter model, that will help make that decision easier.
Mgaolo Smart Watch
With a near-perfect score after over 100 positive online customer reviews, this budget smart watch from Mgaolo is a great pick. It offers some of the features of the higher-end models (like the Apple Watch or Galaxy) – but it only costs about as much as a haircut. Another great starter pick, or a perfect choice if you only need a few simple functions of a smart watch.
Samsung Gear S2
The Gear S2 from Samsung is a very well-made smart watch. With over 3,000 positive online reviews, it is also very well-liked. Our staff found this model to be a perfect fit between price and features, and is one of the best picks for Android phones.
Samsung Gear S3
With over 2,900 positive online reviews, the Gear S3 is a great smart watch. Our staff found it is at a great place between affordable price point, and high-level features. We also love the look of this watch – simply unbeatable.
What Is A Smart Watch?
Truly a device straight out of science fiction from the 1950s, a smart watch is best described as a tiny, wearable computer. Seemingly unthinkable even in the early 2000s, smart watches have burst onto the scene with the best functionality in the smallest device – ever displayed.
Using Bluetooth or WiFi, smart watches connect with a smartphone (though this isn’t always required) to perform a huge variety of tasks. This includes tracking your heart rate, logging your steps, tracking your sleep, controlling your music playback, responding to text messages, and even making phone calls.
And as the technology continues to advance, the smart watches of the future will become more and more capable of amazing technological feats. Just like we never thought we’d be able to have “1,000 songs in our pocket” until the iPod – there are many unpredicted technological advances coming with smart watches.
Right now on a smart watch, you can see turn-by-turn driving directions, look at upcoming traffic, get the weather, read headlines, and even view your calendar. In the future – there will be untold new tasks possible with this tiny personal computer on our wrist.
Just try to imagine all of the amazing possibilities – doing everything you can do on a laptop right now – but all on a tiny device like a watch. It truly boggles the mind.
What Can I Use A Smart Watch For?
Smart watches have become so popular because they make nearly any task easier and more convenient. Additionally, they have also made previously-impossible tasks possible – like controlling your entire home stereo system by just speaking into your wrist.
Some of the best uses of smart watches include tracking your sleep, tracking your heart rate, activity levels, controlling your music playback, and even replying to your text messages.
Other abilities of a smart watch include setting alarm clocks and controlling stopwatches, monitoring your heart rate for medical purposes, sending your exercise and sleep activity to your personal trainer and physician – and much more.
In short – there is hardly anything a smart watch cannot do. Unless you need a giant screen for the actual functionality of the task (i.e. word processing or a video game), a smart watch can likely get the job done – and in a much more convenient way.
How We Tested For The Best Smart Watch
After aggregating tens of thousands of actual user reviews, we chose the best smart watches to test. After hundreds of hours wearing the best smart watches, we were able to analyze the best choices.
While some people may causally wear a smart watch – most wear them all day, every day. So we made sure we took the comfort and fit of each smart watch into account.
Battery life was also important, in addition to the number of different functions available. App availability was also considered, but was weighted less in our final overall reviews.
The truth is – most smart watches these days are quite incredible – it’s hard to make a bad choice. Just avoid the absolute cheapest models, as these are made with very poor craftsmanship, and break (or malfunction) quite easily.
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch was the first smart watch to widely become popular – and for good reason. Apple has packed in almost every feature imaginable, and if you have an iPhone and a MacBook – all your content is easily (and flawlessly) shared across all your devices.
Apple has popularized the heart rate monitor, voice command, sleep tracking, and even controlling your favorite music – all from your smart watch. It still feels futuristic, hearing your favorite song getting played on your home stereo – after you queue it up by just speaking into your watch.
Apple Watches also have great battery life, tons of apps to choose from, and newer models even allow the watch to work without even having your iPhone nearby. This ability has absolutely revolutionized our outdoor runs, as with any wireless headphones or earbuds in, there is truly nothing to weigh us down – all while still being able to play our favorite songs.
Samsung Smart Watch
Samsung was initially reeling when the Apple Watch first hit the market – but they have quickly caught up. Their Galaxy watch has gotten fantastic reviews, and we found it very easy to use during our testing.
They also have a number of other interesting models available, including the Gear models. We really like the multiple looks and styles that Samsung has come up with, and they truly make smart watches with designs that are both sleek and elegant.
Samsung and Apple are now neck and neck in the smart watch category, and if you have an Android smartphone – a Samsung smart watch may be one of the best choices out there.
Kids Smart Watch
Believe it or not, smart watches for kids have become quite popular. Since more children than every have smart phones, a smart watch can help them communicate even easier.
However, make sure you enable the safety features for any devices your child uses. A smart watch is also a great way to help provide additional safety if your child gets lost, or somehow becomes separated from you.
Smart Watches For Men
Men are often concerned with functionality over look, and there are a plethora of smart watches for men to pick from. The Apple Watch is particularly sleek looking, but there are also some more rugged looking choices out there.
As with anyone buying a smart watch, men will want to make sure their current smart phone operating system is compatible with their smart watch. If you’re an active man, it may make sense to choose a smart watch with more fitness and health tracking features.
Smart Watches For Women
There are a number of great smart watches for women on the market. Unlike kids or men, women may be more interested in the way a smart watch looks.
Since many women will want to pair their accessories with the rest of their outfit, it may make sense to buy multiple smart watches – each differing in color and style. Most smart watches come in a variety of colors and styles, and there are classic-looking smart watches available, as well as smart watches made with the most modern styles.
How Much Is An Apple Watch?
Apple Watches will range in price, depending on which model and year you choose. While the price of an Apple Watch fluctuates very often, a good general range to spend would be between $200 and $500.
How To Pair An Apple Watch
Pairing an Apple Watch is a straightforward process. Start by pressing and holding the side button. You will see the Apple logo appear, at which point you can release the side button.
On your iPhone, tap the app icon for the Apple Watch. Then click on ‘start pairing’.
Next, you can either hold the Apple Watch in front of the iPhone’s camera, and follow the instructions. Or, you can click on ‘Pair Apple Watch Manually‘.
If you choose to pair the watch manually, next hit the ‘info’ icon on the watch. Back on your iPhone, choose your Apple Watch, and then enter the 6-digit code displayed on your watch.
How To Reset An Apple Watch
Resetting an Apple Watch could not be easier. Make sure you are okay with getting rid of everything stored on the watch, then perform the following steps.
First, go into your system settings, then click onto the ‘general’ menu. From there, click on ‘reset’. Lastly, click on ‘erase all content and settings’.
Of course, resetting your Apple Watch does not delete any files from your MacBook or iPhone – it will only clear the settings and content on the watch itself. Always be sure to back up any relevant files on your iCloud storage account, before resetting your Apple Watch.
The Best Smart Watch
There you have it – our picks for the best smart watch. While we love the Apple Watch, and think it may be the best choice for everyone, there are also a ton of other great smart watches out there.
When it comes to choosing the best smart watch, take your budget, personal needs, and current phone operating system into consideration. But there are a ton of great accessories besides a smart watch on the market today, so be sure to take a look at our other product reviews.