The best smartwatches for women: Apple, Samsung, and more (December 2023)

It isn’t easy to maintain exercise goals, stay on top of notifications, and keep up with daily tasks, but for many women, wearing a smartwatch helps. For everything from connectivity to tracking workouts, we’ve compiled the best smartwatches for women you can buy right now.

Buying the right smartwatch

Purchasing a new smartwatch is about finding a suitable device for your needs. Consider the factors below when choosing the right fit.

• Smartwatch features: If you’re hoping for an extension of your smartphone, a smartwatch with solid notification support and a large display is vital. The Apple Watch Series 9 has the best app support and many smart features. For non-Apple users, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is the best Wear OS smartwatch on the market.
• Fitness tracking: From steps and calories to training and recovery tools, there are also many fitness tracking features to consider. For runners and cyclists, GPS is especially important. Some devices feature built-in GPS, plus track dozens of sports and activities.
• Health monitoring: Sensors, features, and dedicated health apps broaden a device’s potential impact. Choose a smartwatch with the necessary tools, be it a reliable sleep tracker or an SpO2 monitor.
• Device size: How about fitting all these features on your wrist? Many of the devices below come in multiple sizes. The Fitbit Charge 6 packs many fitness features into minimal real estate for women looking for something more petite. Likewise, the Xiaomi Mi Band 8 offers a similar aesthetic but at a budget price.
• Software: Finally, look, feel, comfort, and functionality are all top priorities, but don’t forget to look for timely software updates. Some brands are better than others at keeping devices fresh.

The best smartwatches for women

• Apple Watch Series 9: The best smartwatch for women is the Apple Watch Series 9. You need an iPhone to use it, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you’re an Android user.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series: The Galaxy Watch 6 is the best alternative to the Apple Watch and the best Wear OS smartwatch for women. It can pair with most Android phones, though the best results are had with a Samsung phone.
• Google Pixel Watch 2: The Google Pixel Watch 2 offers a unique combination of Google’s Wear OS and thorough Fitbit integration. It also refines many of the shortcomings of the original model.
• Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5: Another solid Wear OS pick is the TicWatch Pro 5. Boasting Google’s latest software, the device packs powerful internals and great features.
• Garmin Venu 3: The best Garmin smartwatch for women is the Venu 3. It’s one of the best multisport tracking watches available and Garmin’s best smartwatch yet.
• Fitbit Charge 6: The Fitbit Charge 5 is the best fitness tracker for women. It offers a full fitness tracking feature set and compact design.
• Xiaomi Mi Band 8: The best affordable fitness tracker for women is the Xiaomi Mi Band 8. The device is incredibly cheap and punches well above what its weight (and price tag) would suggest.

Apple Watch Series 9: The best smartwatch for women

The Apple Watch Series 9 is the best smartwatch for women, and in our opinion, the best smartwatch in general. The device features a premium build and a bright AMOLED display, plus unmatched third-party app support, and all the basic fitness tracking features you could need. It also packs a powerful S9 chipset that enables serious computing, including onboard Siri queries and Double Tap gesture controls. Throughout our Apple Watch Series 9 review, we found the device responsive, reliable, and seamlessly integrated with the iPhone.

With an Apple Watch Series 9, you can track your daily activities and overall fitness in the corresponding app on your iPhone. You can even track medication with the useful Medication Reminder app. Monitor your heart rate, track your sleep, log move goals, and measure your blood oxygen with the device’s SpO2 sensor. Specifically for women, the Apple Watch offers Cycle Tracking, a helpful and informative app for tracking your menstrual cycle. The device leverages temperature data for deeper insights. Those who menstruate can use the device to retroactively predict ovulation dates.

Beyond health and fitness, the Apple Watch Series 9 can receive and make calls and fire off texts directly from your wrist. It can also store music, manage smart home devices, navigate trails, and much more. It’s a great tool for managing tasks as well as communication. If budget is a concern, the Apple Watch SE 2 offers many of the same features for a lower price.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series: The best Samsung smartwatches for women

For the best you can buy that isn’t made by Apple, the Galaxy Watch 6 series devices are our top pick. The devices run on Google’s latest Wear OS platform with a Samsung skin, and the software experience is crisp and powerful. Users can access a host of tracking features, plus Google Maps, Google Pay, Google Assistant, and even offline listening via YouTube Music. In short, these top-of-the-line Galaxy wearables bring back everything we already loved in the last generation.

For fitness tracking, they’re also a great pick with notably accurate heart sensors. Users can log periods and track menstrual health in the Samsung Health app. The series offers body composition analysis with a BIA sensor, blood pressure monitoring, and ECG measurements, although you’ll need a Samsung phone to see this data. Though the device doesn’t offer native pill tracking, there are medication management apps available via the Google Play Store.

Again like the last generation, the series offers two models. This year, however, Samsung brought back the fan-favorite rotating bezel on its new Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Since the watches are otherwise very similar, we recommend the pricier model for easier on-device navigation. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is also still available for those looking for a more durable device with niche features for outdoor enthusiasts.

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5: Another great Wear OS smartwatch for women

With the most up-to-date processor available, Wear OS 3, and fantastic battery life, the TicWatch Pro 5 adds a powerful option to the wearables table. Women shopping for a new smartwatch (who are not already tied into the Apple ecosystem) should give the TicWatch a look.

For starters, the watch is both durable and attractive and features a new rotating Digital Crown for easier device interaction. We love its unique dual-display that not only saves battery but even offers useful heart rate zone information during workouts. We weren’t able to test all 100 built-in sport modes during our review, but we were very impressed with the offerings. Likewise, the heart rate sensor and GPS both proved reliable during our outdoor runs and cycle workouts.

On the smartwatch front, the device boasts all the best from Google including Google Maps, Google Wallet, Google Pay, and of course, the Google Play Store. It also supports on-wrist phone calling when in Bluetooth range of your paired phone, plus plenty of storage, 5ATM water resistance, and hundreds of watch face choices for customizing your look. In short, it’s a powerful Wear OS smartwatch and a great pick for those without a Samsung phone.

Google Pixel Watch 2: The best Google smartwatch for women

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the best smartwatch for anyone in the Fitbit ecosystem and offers a much better experience than Fitbit’s Sense or Versa lineups. With advanced health sensors and thorough Fitbit integration, the device offers everything found on Fitbit’s original devices. Users will find detailed sleep monitoring, accurate activity tracking, and invaluable wellness features like ECG support. Meanwhile, it also boasts Google’s latest Wear OS for access to popular tools like Google Maps, Wallet, Assistant, Calendar, and even Gmail, as well as thorough third-party app support via the Google Play Store.

The original Pixel Watch didn’t blow us away, but the second generation introduces significant upgrades and refinement. On the wellness front, the watch offers irregular heart rate notifications and automatic workout detection. It also ships with a fast-charging cable and slightly better battery specs. During our Pixel Watch 2 review, we were especially impressed with the device’s added safety features.

Garmin Venu 3: The best Garmin smartwatch for women

Of all the Garmin watches, the Garmin Venu 3 is the best smartwatch for women. It builds on the impressive health- and fitness-tracking suite of the Venu 2 and 2 Plus with more smartwatch features, making for a more comprehensive wearable. The device features on-wrist phone call and voice assistant support as well as onboard music storage. It’s also the only Garmin watch to currently offer automatic nap detection along with personalized sleep coaching. Specifically for those who menstruate, the Venu 3 also allows users to track their periods, pregnancy, and other female health stats in the Garmin Connect app. Users can also download a helpful medication management app from the Garmin Connect IQ store.

Unfortunately, the Venu 3 does not feature Garmin’s recently launched FDA-approved ECG app. The Venu 3 features the company’s newest Elevate heart rate sensor, and though the hardware is adequate, it is not yet clinically approved. For now, only Venu 2 Plus users can take on-demand readings and monitor for signs of AFib. We’re hopeful Garmin will continue to support the Venu 3 in this regard and expand its feature set over time.

Overall, this is an excellent pick for fitness-focused women looking for a smartwatch to aid their exercise journey. Among the many valuable tools and features we expect from Garmin, the Venu 3 supports Health Snapshot, updated Body Battery, Morning Report, Daily Summary, Fitness Age, and much more, all of which help users target and achieve wellness goals. Additionally, the lineup offers two case sizes so shoppers can find the perfect fit for their wrists.

Fitbit Charge 6: The best fitness tracker for women

Compared to the previous generation, Fitbit’s latest tracker offers several small improvements that refine the user experience. First, the device brings back a physical button for easier interactions. Meanwhile, the display remains crisp and colorful, and the fit is comfortable and lightweight.

While still packing step and activity tracking, sleep tracking, ECG support, skin temperature tracking, SpO2 monitoring, and the option to take EDA scans, the Charge 6 provides greater accuracy than its predecessor, largely thanks to improved machine learning algorithms. The device also adds 20 additional sport profiles, all of which are now stored on-device, and can broadcast heart rate data to popular exercise equipment such as a Peloton bike.

On the smart feature front, the Charge 6 boasts Google Wallet for digital payments, YouTube Music controls, and Google Maps integration for on-device turn notifications. These additions help round out the Charge line and keep the smaller form factor attractive compared to smartwatches with more robust feature sets.

Xiaomi Mi Band 8: The best cheap fitness tracker for women

Xiaomi’s fitness trackers are popular because they’re good and cheap. Really good and really cheap. The Xiaomi Mi Band 8 continues the brand’s trend of offering a much better experience than its price point might suggest. Like the previous generation, the Mi Band 8 boasts a 1.62-inch AMOLED display. This year, however, the device features a sleek, two-piece strap similar to Fitbit’s Inspire 3. The tracker pill can also be worn off the wrist as a necklace or attached to a gym shoe.

Regardless of how you wear it, you can capitalize on the tracker’s heart rate and SpO2 sensors, 190mAh battery, and a 6-axis motion sensor for activity tracking. The device also boasts over 150 sports modes, so you can clock stats no matter how you prefer to work out. Unfortunately, you won’t find GPS onboard, however. Still, all in all, it’s a great entry-level fitness tracker at an unbeatable price.

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