What are the best smartwatches on the market?

✨TL:DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)

Back Market shows you the top smartwatches for different users. iPhone owners get the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a rugged titanium case, bright display, and advanced safety tools. Android users can choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for a polished Wear OS experience and solid battery life. Premium Apple buyers get the Apple Watch Series 11 with a thinner design, tougher glass, and up to 24 hours of battery life. Outdoor enthusiasts should look at the leading smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra for its 10 ATM water resistance, dual-frequency GPS, and up to 100 hours of battery in Power Saving Mode. Budget buyers can buy the Galaxy Watch 4 refurbished for health sensors at a lower price with a warranty.

Why should I trust this list?

Back Market is the world's leading refurbisher of electronic devices, including some of premium wearables, and offers users a clear view on the differences between models, particularly new vs used electronics. All of the devices are thoroughly tested, with a detailed restoration process that gives us a deeper understanding of the products we sell. Thanks to this, we have the knowledge to create guides and lists that will benefit our customers.

One of the things Back Market does is track the performance of sales in real time, to give us more insight into what's being sold and how the products are performing. Our electronics are also a lot cheaper, in most cases, than new products would be, and there's a grading system to help you decide what works best for you.

What is the best watch for iPhone users? Apple Watch Ultra 2

✨Rugged high-end watch that you can take with you anywhere and everywhere, with high-quality display, and up to 36 hours of normal battery life.

Choose the Apple Watch Ultra if you have an iPhone and want a sturdy premium smartwatch with in-device Siri and plenty of battery life.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is Apple’s sturdy, high-end watch that’s built for long outings, brunch lovers, and serious athletes. It has a 49 mm titanium case, the S9 system in package, an LTPO OLED display that reaches up to 3,000 nits, improved GPS and dive grade water resistance, and up to 36 hours of normal battery life with up to 72 hours in Low Power mode under specific test conditions. It also adds in-device Siri and a larger neural engine for faster device processing, so it’ll handle anything you throw at it.

The double-tap control and long battery life make it a watch you can go anywhere with. 

“Nearly a year later, the Ultra 2 has held up far better than I would have thought and all without a case or screen protector” - Reddit

Features and benefits

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers you reliable location tracking and strong safety tools for long trips and remote activity. The bright screen is readable in sunlight, which helps navigation and metrics, and the titanium case resists corrosion. The watch meets demanding environmental tests, so it suits everything from diving to alpine hiking, and more. The on-device machine learning speeds up responses and private Siri queries. For users who need accurate training data, the Ultra 2 offers advanced heart and motion sensors and a built in siren for emergencies.

Specs

• case size 49 mm titanium, weight listed on Apple pages

• display LTPO OLED, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness

• chip S9 SiP with 4 core Neural Engine

• battery up to 36 hours normal use, up to 72 hours Low Power test conditions

• connectivity Wi Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, LTE option, dual frequency GPS

• durability 100 m water resistance, IP6X dust rating, MIL STD 810H testing

What is the best watch for android users? Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

✨A comfortable, capable Android watch that blends wellness tools with strong hardware.

Choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 if you want one of the leading smartwatches with one of the smoothest experiences for Android.

The Galaxy Watch 8 is Samsung’s mainstream Android flagship that runs Wear OS Powered by Samsung and One UI 8 Watch. It comes in 40 mm and 44 mm sizes, uses the Exynos W1000 processor, and offers 2 GB of RAM with 32 GB storage on the standard models. The display uses sapphire crystal and Super AMOLED technology and battery sizes vary by case size. The health tracking has been upgraded with new sleep and vascular load metrics and AI driven wellness scoring. The Watch 8 balances comfort with improved sensors and refined software.

”I’ve been using it for a little while now and everything feels super smooth. The screen looks amazing, the animations are really fast and the watch feels great on my wrist.” - Reddit

Features and benefits

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 offers precise location tracking thanks to dual frequency GNSS, and it delivers detailed sleep and recovery metrics so users can track their rest and training load, or heart rate during the day. The bright AMOLED makes maps and metrics easy to read in daylight. On board sensors include body composition and ECG, which suit health-conscious users who want clinical grade style metrics on their wrist. The watch pairs excellently with Android devices for things like app continuity, payments, and smart home controls.

Specs

• sizes 40 mm and 44 mm, Super AMOLED displays with sapphire crystal protection

• processor Exynos W1000, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB storage for base model

• battery 325 mAh for 40 mm, 435 mAh for 44 mm typical values

• sensors accelerometer, barometer, optical heart rate, ECG, bioelectrical impedance, infrared temperature sensor

• connectivity Wi Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, optional LTE, GPS systems supported Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou and GPS

What is the best premium watch? Apple Watch Series 11

✨ Apple's thinnest watch adds better battery life, tougher glass, and a cleaner everyday fit.

Choose the Apple Watch Series 11 if you’re an iPhone user who wants one of the thinnest, but toughest premium smartwatches around.

The Apple Watch Series 11 is Apple’s thinnest smartwatch, built for people who want a premium watch that still feels light on the wrist. It offers up to 24 hours of battery life, a tougher Ion-X display that is 2x more scratch resistant than Series 10 on aluminium models, and WR50M and IP6X protection for daily wear, workouts, and swimming. With the S10 chip, sleep score, ECG, and health notifications, it stays firmly in Apple’s premium lane.

Features and benefits

Apple Watch Series 11 gives iPhone users fast access to calls, messages, Apple Pay, ECG, sleep score, and health notifications from the wrist. Its thinner case makes it easier to wear all day and overnight, which suits people who want a premium watch that feels high-end rather than strong and bulky. It’s a strong choice for anyone who cares about design, health tracking, and easy Apple integration.

Specs

• 46 mm or 42 mm aluminium or titanium case

• Wide angle Always On Retina display, up to 2,000 nits

• S10 chip with double tap and wrist flick gestures

• Battery up to 24 hours normal use, up to 38 hours Low Power Mode

• WR50M, IP6X, and Ion-X glass with 2x more scratch resistance than Series 10 on aluminium models

What is the best watch for outdoor enthusiasts? Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

✨ Built for heat, altitude, water, and long days away from a charger.

Choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra if you’re an outdoor lover who’s looking for the best fit.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s toughest smartwatch and the best fit for outdoor use. It is built to handle up to 55°C heat, 9,000m altitude, and 10 ATM water pressure, and it uses dual-frequency GPS for better accuracy in difficult surroundings. Battery life can reach up to 100 hours in Power Saving Mode, which makes it a strong choice for hiking, endurance training, and travel.

“Galaxy Watch Ultra after a lot of deliberation. It's been a couple days, gosh it's fantastic!” - Reddit

Features and benefits

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra offers outdoor-ready tracking, including dual-frequency GPS, Night mode, multisport tools, and emergency features for tougher adventures. The Quick Button makes it easy to start workouts fast, while the robust build helps it cope with heat, rain, altitude, and water. It is designed for people who want more than a standard smartwatch.

Specs

• Sizes 40 mm and 44 mm, Super AMOLED displays with sapphire crystal protection

• Processor Exynos W1000, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB storage for base model

• Battery 325 mAh for 40 mm, 435 mAh for 44 mm typical values

• Sensors accelerometer, barometer, optical heart rate, ECG, bioelectrical impedance, infrared temperature sensor

• Connectivity Wi Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, optional LTE, GPS systems supported Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou and GPS

What is the best watch for budget users? Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

✨ A budget conscious pick that brought flagship health sensors to a lower price point

Choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 if you’re on a budget but still want some of the most up-to-date features.

The Galaxy Watch 4 is Samsung’s value-oriented Wear OS watch that marked the company’s move to the Google platform. It launched with the Exynos W920 processor, offered ECG and body composition analysis via the BioActive sensor, and came in aluminium and stainless steelfinishes across multiple sizes. It supports Samsung Health, Google apps, and a large range of watch faces and wristbands. The battery life is typically one to two days, depending on how much it’s used. The Watch 4 is a strong budget choice for Android users who want advanced health sensors without premium pricing.

Features and benefits

The Watch 4 gives a complete day-to-day smartwatch experience with app access, reliable notifications, and fitness tracking. ECG and body composition readings offer extra health insight for weight and heart-rate monitoring. The Wear OS environment increases available apps and watch faces, while Samsung Health keeps your workout logging consistent. The watch is easy to personalise with standard 20 mm straps and it supports NFC payments in markets where that service is enabled. For budget buyers the Watch 4 is a high value offering with meaningful sensors.

Specs

• Sizes 40 mm and 44 mm aluminium case, Super AMOLED displays 396 × 396 and 450 × 450 respectively with Gorilla Glass DX protection

• Processor Exynos W920, 1.5 GB to 1.5 GB RAM variants, 16 GB storage on many SKUs

• Battery typical 247 mAh for 40 mm and 361 mAh for 44 mm, real life depends on settings and use

• Sensors optical heart rate, ECG, BIA body composition, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, GPS, ambient light sensor

• Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi Fi, NFC, optional LTE model, water resistance 5 ATM and IP68 rating

How do these smartwatches compare?

*Prices listed from March 2026 and subject to change.

What are some shopping tips for buying the best smartwatches?

✨Buy a refurbished model today and get a 1-year warranty and 30-day moneyback guarantee

If you’re looking for some of the top tips on buying the best smartwatch for you, we would suggest starting with a refurbished model from Back Market, one of the world’s leading refurbishers. A refurbished model from Back Market comes with a 1-year warranty, as if you were buying new, and a promise of quality. If you’re unsatisfied with the product you receive, you can return it for a full refund.    Another thing to consider is what you’re going to use the product for. The list we’ve laid out today gives you an indication of which models suit which types of users. If you’re looking for something for training and long outdoor use, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a strong choice. If you’re an Android user or iPhone user, there are specific models that’ll suit you best, and if you’re looking for something budget friendly, the Samsung Watch 4 is an excellent choice.