7 Smart Watches That Look Cute and Keep You Connected (2024)

Apple didn’t invent the smart watch, but it’s done a ton to improve it, delivering the same clean design and intuitive, responsive controls you know and love from its smartphones and computers. That continues with the Apple Watch Series 8. Several enhancements make this one of our favorite smart watches, according to our testing. Our pros love that the Series 8’s watch face features slim borders that draw attention to its large, always-on retina display. This makes it easier to read notifications or simply check the time even when your wrist is down. Like the Series 7, this model has an 18-hour battery life and faster charging capabilities. In tests, our pros were able to reach sufficient charge (around 80 percent) for the next day within 45 minutes, or essentially the amount of time it takes you to get ready for work in the morning. If you’ve ever broken a smart watch, as many of our consumer testers have, you’ll appreciate the Series 8’s crack-resistant crystal, which also repels dust and water.

Health and wellness features remain largely the same as those of the Series 7, with a few key innovations. First, the Series 8 features a sensor that tracks your temperature while you sleep and enables ovulation estimates, a handy tool for those who are hoping to grow their family. As long as you wear your watch to bed every night, it’s able to predict your fertile windows based on your health data. Also new to the Series 8 is crash detection, an extension similar to fall detection. Should an Apple watch user ever get in a severe car crash, the watch can now not only detect it but automatically connect you with emergency services, share your location and inform emergency contacts.

The Series 8 continues to offer guided workouts through Apple Fitness+ (also available through your iPhone), including HIIT, strength, Pilates and meditation. Advanced sensor technology allows the watch to measure blood oxygen levels, and it can also take an ECG reading in 30 seconds, providing valuable insights into your overall heart health. (Of course, check with a doctor at the first sign of concern.) As for aesthetics, there’s no mistaking the Apple form, but the subtly rounded case is a nice refinement, plus the Series 8 comes in various colors and a wide range of straps, including designs from Hermés.

Timex has taken its time in the smart watch race, lagging behind the category leaders. But with the Metropolitan watch, the iconic brand gives loyalists the option of a familiar watch face with solid intelligence at a very competitive price. Our experts like the high-res, always-on display, 24/7 fitness tracker and accurate GPS, good for logging miles on the run.

We found the setup simple and the app was easy to use. The 36mm case width and 20mm silicone strap combine for an exceptionally lightweight design, and the watch face is made out of high-impact resistant Gorilla Glass, so it can still take that lickin’ and keep on tickin' when it matters most.

Fitbit’s top-of-the-line smart watch earned solid marks in our tests, combining intuitive setup and controls with a sleek design. “We found the app to be particularly straightforward, guiding users through the step-by-step set-up and providing instructions on how to wear the watch,” says Jamie Kim, Contributing Writer and Analyst at Good Housekeeping. That makes the Sense 2 an especially good fit if this is your first smart watch. Another user-friendly feature is the built-in voice command. With Amazon Alexa, you can quickly check the weather or news and control other connected devices in the home.

The Sense 2 offers many health and wellness features, including basic insights into activity, sleep and nutrition, a temperature sensor and feedback on your stress levels. For the full experience, you'll want to consider a Premium membership (three-month free trial and $9.99 a month thereafter), with enhancements like a stress management score, a detailed breakdown of your sleep and access to more than 200 workouts and meditations.

Serious athletes need a smart watch that can keep pace, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is up to the challenge. Not only is this smart watch perfect for Samsung phone owners (it’s both Android- and IOS-compatible), but it impressed our engineers with its ability to track a range of exercises including running, cycling, rowing and up to 90 other types of exercise — and its fall detection provides peace of mind.

In tests on previous iterations of the Galaxy Watch, our Lab experts found Samsung’s heart monitor to be more accurate than other watches when tested against a third-party heart rate monitor. Be aware it's not a medical device, but if you’re looking to improve athletic performance or manage stress throughout the day, that level of accuracy might be useful. Also notable is that the watch face is constructed from Sapphire crystal, making it stronger and more scratch-resistant than previous models. In terms of overall aesthetics, you can definitely keep your Samsung smart watch on when you’re out on the town, thanks to its rich offering of case finishes and straps.

Fitbit is the original fitness tracker that started the entire wearable craze over a decade ago, so it's no surprise that the Fitbit Versa 3 is packed with fitness and wellness features. It has built-in GPS, menstrual health tracking and a daily Sleep Score feature through the Fitbit app, which our testers found incredibly intuitive and easy to use. “The sleep scores were convenient and it was especially useful to see how many hours I slept each night,” says Senior Textiles Analyst Emma Seymour. Other testers like the Versa 3’s design and ease of use. “It looks nice and sleek on the wrist,” says one tester. “It helps you track your activity and sleep while holding you more accountable to be more active. It’s also extremely easy to set up and use for basic features.”

Like most Fitbit models, this smart watch tracks your steps and heart rate which we found accurate in testing. It also has features such as voice assistant (Google and Alexa), weather, wallet, calendar, find my phone, music subscriptions and more but some of these do require a subscription to access. It lacks some of the advanced features you’ll find in the Sense 2 (reviewed above), like ECG readings, a skin temperature sensor and stress monitoring, but if you’re willing to make that sacrifice to save a few bucks this is a great smart watch to have.

Though this is Apple's entry-level watch, it's comparable to many top-of-the-line smart watches. Unlike other smart watches, it offers a unique feature called Family Setup, which enables younger kids or older family members to benefit from an Apple Watch without owning an iPhone (you’ll pair their watch to your phone). iPhone users will also appreciate its competitive price and that it comes with the same large display as the Apple Watch Series 6 and the latest WatchOS9 features such as water resistance, optical heart sensor, fall and crash detection and available WiFi/cellular options (for $50 more). You can also expect 20 percent faster performance over the Gen 1 model, according to Apple.

Some of the latest Apple health features are missing like blood oxygen and ECG apps. If you care about the finish, aluminum is the only option (no stainless steel or titanium). Perhaps the most important trade-off: there's no always-on display, so you have to decide if the black box on your wrist is worth saving $100.

Our smart watch reviews are based on extensive in-Lab tests, as well as tests of new model releases of past top performers. Our smart watch for women reviews are based on extensive in-Lab tests, as well as tests of new model releases of past top performers. Lab evaluations included testing 22 smart watches and more than a dozen individual tests designed to measure performance, ease of use and durability.

As you shop around for the perfect smart watch, keep these three factors in mind.

It depends on how you plan to use it. “Smart watches have taken on so many new features and functions, from fitness tracking to helping to manage your day-to-day life,” says Jamie Kim, the consumer products expert who reviewed many of the models in this report. “If you’re going to pay extra for all those bells and whistles, just make sure you’ll actually use them."

It’s also important to choose a smart watch that will stand the test of time. Our impact and water-resistance tests are designed to weed out any duds. As with all smart products (a fast-moving category with lots of newcomers), it is generally wise to stick with more established brands. Apple, Samsung and Fitbit have performed consistently well over the years, though we've been impressed by other brands too.

Bottom line: Choose the watch with the right look and feature set for you. Our top picks are geared toward a variety of lifestyles and will help you on your buying journey. The winners are based on our comprehensive Lab testing and reviewing updates to past favorites.

Dan DiClerico is the Director of Home Improvement & Outdoors at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Dan has written extensively about smart home technology from the beginning, including its rapid rise in the 2010s with the launch of connected products like the Nest Thermostat and Amazon Alexa smart speaker. He is a respected thought leader on the subject and has spoken at such industry events as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), CEDIA and the International Builders Show.

Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist & Director of Engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute, has personally tested close to 50 smart watches for the Institute during her tenure and consistently meets with leading brands like Fitbit and Apple as well as newer brands as they emerge to stay in the know. She has also spoken on panels at CES on the benefits of smart watches, fitness trackers and other related topics.

Jamie Kim has been testing consumer products for over a decade, including a host of textiles, consumer electronics and wellness devices. She holds an apparel and textile design degree plus a mechanical engineering degree, making her the perfect person to lead a Good Housekeeping Institute review of smart watches, where form and function are both incredibly important.