The Best Sports Smartwatch For 2024

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best sports smartwatch
Best sports smartwatch

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245, GPS Running Smartwatch

The Garmin Forerunner 245 GPS running watch is designed to provide you with the information you need to make decisions about your training. It offers advanced running dynamics that includes ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more. The Forerunner 245 also evaluates your current training status to indicate whether you're undertraining or overdoing it. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: Moto 360 3rd Gen 2020 - Luxury Stainless Steel Smartwatch

Track your workouts with the latest GPS, heart rate and step count technology in the Moto 360 3rd-generation smartwatch. Built in with smart sensors, you can use Google Fit, Strava and Adidas Running to monitor your progress on your wrist. With a full capacity of 355mah and battery life of up to 24 hours, you'll love it for its lightweight design. Read Review

3. Best Performance: SAMSUNG Gear Sport Smartwatch SM-R600NZKAXAR

The Gear Sport by Samsung is a smartwatch designed to help you stay in touch with the world. The device offers a 360 x 360 AMOLED display, along with GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, you will be able to connect seamlessly with your friends and family. You can also make actions like texting or taking calls on your watch, so long as they are compatible with the Gear Sport's hardware. Read Review

4. Best Compatible: Garmin 010-01769-01 Vivoactive 3, GPS Smartwatch

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch with Connected features combines advanced GPS and your daily activity to help you stay active. This rugged, all-day fitness smartwatch has a built-in optical heart rate monitor, allowing you to track your exercise and rest 24/7. You can even get connected features like smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect and Live Track when paired with a compatible smartphone. Read Review

Smartwatches have made great strides in recent months. With the launch of Android Wear and fully-featured apps like Runkeeper, they’re no longer niche gadgets. Smartwatches are here to stay and will only become more useful as time goes on. And that means that smartwatches have become an increasingly hot item for sports fans too.

That’s because smartwatches can track your distance properly for running, cycling, and other sports activities. They also give you access to GPS location tracking, smartphone notifications, social media platforms, and more. So how do you choose the best sports smartwatch? Well, check out our top picks.

We think the best sports smartwatch is Garmin Forerunner 245, GPS Running Smartwatch, with that you will have no difficulty finding anything to meet your needs! To help you find the best fit for your needs, We've put up a purchasing guide and also shown other great options for you to consider.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Garmin Forerunner 245, GPS Running Smartwatch
Our Score:
9.7
Garmin
  • GPS running smartwatch with advanced training features
  • Evaluates your current training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it; offers additional performance monitoring features
  • o Battery life: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and up to 24 hours in GPS mode
  • Safety and tracking features include incident detection (during select activities) which sends your real-time location to emergency contacts through your paired compatible smartphone
  • Get free adaptive training plans from Garmin Coach, or create your own custom workouts on our Garmin Connect online fitness community
  • Provides advanced running dynamics, including ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more (When used with Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Run or HRM-Tri monitors (sold separately))
  • Customize with free watch faces, apps and more from our Connect IQ store
TOP Choice #2 Moto 360 3rd Gen 2020 - Luxury Stainless Steel Smartwatch
Our Score:
9.6
Motorola
  • Connect to Favorite Apps: The Moto 360 smartwatch runs on the latest version of Wear OS by Google. It offers optimum performance and connectivity to apps like Google Pay, Viber and more; You can sync to music streaming services like Spotify and Shazam and monitor your fitness with health tracking and smartphone notifications.
  • Use for Longer: Extend your style and comfort with this long-lasting timepiece; The Moto 360 smartwatch is made from premium scratch-resistant glass, stainless steel, titanium screws and PVD coating; This allows you to stay connected to your favorite features and apps with ease; “What makes it different is the materials and build quality” - Digital Trends
  • Quick Charge In 60 Minutes: Save more time and get your smartwatch from 0 to 100% in 60 minutes with industry-leading ultra-fast charge; With a full capacity of 355mah, enjoy your watch for up to 24 hours even with always-on display; Glitch-free experience with the 1GB RAM capacity and ultra-fast Wear 3100 processor; Storage capacity, 8GB; Case size, 42.8mm; iOS and Android pairing.
  • Track your workouts - Built in with the latest GPS, heart rate and step count technology means seamless compatibility with Google Fit, Strava, Adidas Running, Nike Run Club and many more of your favourite health monitoring apps. Moto360 accessories include a USB charging cradle, leather strap and silicone straps.
  • New Sleek Design: The Moto 360 smartwatch is carefully crafted to complement your fashion sense; Parts are developed with premium engineering to offer a perfect classy and techy blend; Screen is water-resistant with sunlight-readable display; 20mm leather and silicone interchangeable bands; “Best looking smartwatch you can get right now” - PC Mag
TOP Choice #3 SAMSUNG Gear Sport Smartwatch SM-R600NZKAXAR
Our Score:
9.4
SAMSUNG
  • Check your updates and receive and reply to calls and texts with a turn of the bezel; Wi Fi : 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
  • Compatible with Android and iOS smartphones.Main Display Size:1.2 inch
  • Get accurate, all day fitness tracking, easy calorie entry and personal coaching
  • Gear Sport is swim ready and water resistant up to 50 meters/5ATM
  • With Samsung Pay NFC compatibility, easily make a payment from your wrist
  • Personalize your watch with thousands of free watch faces, apps and widgets from our Connect IQ store
  • Monitor your fitness level with VO2 max and fitness made estimates, plus keep an eye on how you handle stress
  • Battery life: Up to 7 days in smartwatch mode; 13 hours in GPS mode. Display size: 1.2 inch diameter
  • Garmin Pay contactless payment solution lets you pay for purchases with your watch (available for supported cards from participating banks)
  • Get connected features such as smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, Live Track and more when paired with a compatible smartphone
  • More than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including yoga, running, swimming and more
  • Check your updates and receive and reply to calls and texts with a turn of the bezel
  • Processor Speed type is 1GHz Dual Core
  • Compatible with Android and iOS smartphones. Connectivity: Wi Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, bluetooth: bluetooth v4.2
  • Gear Sport is swim ready and water resistant up to 50 meters , MIL STD 810G Certified
  • Get accurate, all day fitness tracking, easy calorie entry and personal coaching
  • With Samsung Pay NFC compatibility, easily make a payment from your wrist.Main Display Resolution:360 x 360
  • NIGHTLY RECHARGE: Nightly Recharge measures how well your body recovers from the day stress during the night.
  • SLIM DESIGN OPTIMIZED FOR 24/7 WEAR: Your new-generation smart workout partner with a 1-button interface includes such essentials as a wrist-based OHR monitor, speed, distance and route tracking with integrated GPS, calorie counter, color touch display.
  • BECOME YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL: Polar Ignite, a sports smartwatch for women and men who want to push their limits the right way. Perfect for gym, group and team exercise, swimming, running, cycling, walking.
  • Strap Material: Silicon
  • SLEEP PLUS STAGES: Learn about your sleep quality, follow your sleep stages and get detailed sleep insights with the new Sleep Plus Stages feature.
  • FitSpark DAILY TRAINING GUIDE: Get your personalised and ready-made daily workout guidance based on your recovery and overall readiness.
  • 👍【Overtake Your Expectations】 - Blackview Smart Watch includes more practical functions, Fitness Tracker (Pedometer, Calories, Distance), Heart Rate Monitor, 12 Sports Modes, Sleep Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Customized Watch Faces, Call Notifications, SMS and APP Messages, Music & Camera Control, Brightness Adjustment, Sedentary Reminder, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Find Phone.
  • 👍【24/7 Heart Rate Monitor & All-day Activity Tracking】 - Advanced HR sensor for accurate and effective heart rate monitoring, automatic sleep tracking, and provide comprehensive analysis of your sleep(deep sleep,light sleep and wake up time), focus on and know more about your health. Also can track your all-day steps, calories burned and distance traveled. The fitness tracker built with 9 exercise modes that can help you better record your different activity data.
  • 👍【IP68 Waterproof Fitness Watch & 45 Days Battery Life 】 - Blackview smart watches is designed with IP68 waterproof rating,which, water resistant up to 50M, so you can wear your watch in the shower, pool and beyond. Large capacity and low power consumption design offers longer endurance. That only takes 2.5 hours to charge and can be used for up to 10 days with a standby time of 30-45 days.
  • 👍【Smart Watch for Android IOS Phones】 - Get notifications for calls, texts, calendar and apps (Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter) when your phone connects to the smartwatch, you can even hang up incoming phone calls from your wrist. All functions work well with iOS 8.0 & Android 4.0 above system.
  • 👍【2022 Upgraded Smart Watch for Men Women Kids】 - Blackview BV-SW01 smartwatch uses a 1.3-inch TFT-LCD color full touch screen, clearer display, more convenient to operate, bring you a new upgrade experience. Features 4 different stylish Dial Display, define your different moods.
  • Case size: 41mm; Band size: 18mm; interchangeable with all Fossil 18mm bands; imported; ultra-lightweight watch is up to 40% lighter than other models with aluminum case and silicone band; Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 (our fastest yet); Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter
  • Swimproof; estimated 24 hour battery life, based on usage; rapid charger included; additional third party apps available through Google Play Store on your watch
  • Sport Type: Running
  • Heart rate tracking, Google Pay(TM), GPS, rapid charging, smartphone notifications, touchscreen functionality, Google Assistant, microphone, music storage & controls, customizable watch faces, custom goal & alarm settings, multiple time zones
  • Lightweight blush pink plated aluminium case; blush pink silicone sport band with buckle closure; interchangeable with all Fossil 16mm bands
  • Powered with Wear OS by Google; compatible with Android OS 4.4+ (excluding Go edition) and iOS 9.3+ smartphones; Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; supported features may vary between platforms
  • Strap Circumference: 200+/- 5mm. Stopwatch - track your laps and time races with stopwatch mode
  • Smartwatches powered with Wear OS by Google work with iPhone and Android Phones
  • Estimated 24 hour battery life, based on usage plus 2 additional days in low-power mode; magnetic USB rapid charger included; charge up to 80% in under an hour
  • This is one smart watch - receive smartphone notifications and app alerts, manage your calendar, control your music, download third party apps (your favorite ride-sharing or music apps), and customize your watch face; touchscreen functionality, built-in fitness tracker, microphone, music storage & controls, custom goal & alarm settings, calendar alerts, multiple time zones, weather, LED flashlight, wireless syncing
  • This ultra-lightweight 43mm Sport smartwatch is up to 40% lighter than other models with an aluminum case and silicone band. It lets you track your heart rate, track your workout (even swimming), customize your dial and more. Case size: 43mm; Band size: 22mm; interchangeable with all Fossil 22mm bands; imported
  • Heart Rate & Activity Tracking using Google Fit; Built-in GPS for distance tracking; Swimproof design 5ATM; Google Assistant built in - it’s your own personal Google, always ready to help; Speed through checkout with your watch using Google Pay
  • Heart Rate and Activity Tracker : The sport smart watches can measure calories burned and check your cardio zones (Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak) by tracking your heart rate. There is no doubt that it checks your intensity of the exercises according your ideal goals which is good for your health. The bluetooth watch intelligently measures sport data tracking your heart rate levels through the body activities to know your health in real time.
  • 8 Sport Modes Fitness Watch and Long Battery Life : Our exercise watch supports 8 sports modes can help you track kinds of exercise patterns and connects to your smartphone's "Hero Band lll" app. Large capacity and low power consumption design offers longer endurance. It supports 7 days of normal use and 30 days standby time. Sport watches are very suitable for outdoor sports, workouts in whole day!
  • Multi Style Clock Faces and Practical Tools : There is 4 stylish clock faces for you to choose from it. Furthermore, you can customize to design the watch face you like through app, different styles match your different moods. More practical tools such as alarm clocks, stopwatch, camera control, music controller, sedentary reminder, adjustable brightness.
  • IP68 Waterproof Smart Watch and Messages Alet : Fitness watch is designed with ip68 waterproof levels, which allows you to swim in the pool with it with no worries. You can get incoming calls, text messages, and social media notifications, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and more on your wrist. You can also read them diredctly on the watch, staying connected with the world.
  • Full 1.69 Inch Touch Display and Sleep Quality Tracker: Our smartwatch have a advanced 1.69 inch colorful touch screen, make it easy to operate and easily check detailed data reports. fitness watch automatically records your sleep activity, recording your deep sleep, light sleep and awake duration. You can get a comprehensive sleep quality analysis and healthy insights in Hero Band lll app.
Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What to Look For in a best sports smartwatch?

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So, we're here to help. Our new article will show you how to purchase the best item for your necessities quickly so that it arrives on time and as expected. It's that easy!

Compatibility

When buying a smartwatch, the first thing you should consider is which type of smartphone it will work with. You shouldn't have any issues with this in most cases. However, if you want to buy the Apple Watch Series 5 for instance, an iPhone will be required. Sorry Android users. Most other manufacturers, including Fitbit and Garmin, should work with Android and iOS phones.

Connectivity

Today's smartwatches offer connectivity options such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Some smartwatches have optional cellular LTE connectivity. This allows you to configure an eSIM parallel to your existing SIM card. You can use a smartwatch that has both GPS connectivity and cellular connectivity without requiring a smartphone. You can use the GPS built into the smartwatch to navigate, go on walks or make calls. These features can be draining on your battery.

Display

The display's quality and abilities are important. The display, which is also a key component in any smartwatch, acts as a hub for all information and allows you to interact with it. It is important to have a display that works well outdoors as well as indoors, particularly in direct sunlight. It should have high-quality protection glass as well as a responsive touch technology. This is an important feature that you should consider as it can severely impact the user's experience.
You should also verify the display panel used. AMOLED displays are usually better than LCDs because they offer better colors and contrast as well as higher power consumption.

Battery

Battery life is one of the most frustrating aspects of having a smartwatch. Smartwatches are small smartphones that fit on our wrists and offer limited battery life. Smartwatches that have a lot of features, such as GPS and cellular support, heart rate monitoring, or other biometric sensors require charging overnight. This gives you about a full day. You can extend that time by turning off these functions. Budget smartwatches have a longer battery life, with some models claiming to last for several days. They aren't the best options for high-end features, so they don't offer the greatest selection.

Apps

A majority of smartwatches have basic apps that allow you to view your calendar, check weather forecasts and track your steps throughout the day. For now though, an Apple Watch or Wear OS device will provide the most variety of apps.

Health Tracking

Smartwatches offer a number of features, including the ability to monitor your health. You can track your steps and calculate how much exercise you have done by using step count. Smartwatches can now track your health and do more than just count steps. Many smartwatches now offer features such as ECG heart rate monitoring, SpO2 meters, activity tracking and sports tracking.

Design And Build

You will find two options for dials when buying a smartwatch. One is a classic round one, and one that's square or rectangular. The best option is available, but it's up to you to choose what is most important to you. A round dial is my favorite, however, a rectangular or square dial may offer slightly better screen space.
Lower price smartwatches don't offer high-quality materials such as leather straps and metal casings. These watches usually come with plastic straps and silicone cases that are not durable. You can expect a higher quality build, which is why you should pay more. A smartwatch with a simple metal case will not be as durable as one that has Stainless Steel and Aluminum. There are many different types of leather, protective glasses, plastics and other materials. Most smartwatches come with rugged protection as they are intended for daily use. Some smartwatches have an extremely solid construction that is resistant to minor bumps and knocks. Others, however, are IP certified so they can resist water and dust. If you plan to purchase a smartwatch for sports tracking, such as swimming, make sure that you check these ratings.

FAQs

Which Smartwatch Works With My Smartphone?

This is actually quite simple, even though it may sound complicated. An Android smartphone can be used to control any smartwatch running Google's Wear OS, Samsung's Tizen software and any smartwatch that runs Android. This includes the Fitbit Versa 3 or the Amazfit GTR 2. You can only use the Apple Watch with iPhone.
All smartwatches can be used with an iPhone if you have the appropriate app. Be aware, however that Wear OS and Tizen watches won't provide the same functionality when they are connected to Android phones. Apple places restrictions on third-party devices. We don't recommend that iPhone users buy other smartwatches than the Apple Watch.

How Durable Is A Smartwatch?

Smartwatches can be dangerous because they are worn on the wrist. It's easy for them to be knocked against other things, and they can also get wet easily. This means you need to be more careful about your watch. Today's smartwatches have IP68 water resistance ratings. Some watches meet military toughness standards and can withstand more severe treatment.
Although many smartwatches today are waterproof, they do not have all of the sapphire crystals. You'll need to spend a bit more to enjoy the extra scratch resistance and beautiful reflection sheen.
Smartwatch water resistance is important if you plan to use your device to swim or shower.

Do I Need A Smartwatch With GPS?

GPS is required if you plan to use your smartphone to navigate your route. Modern smartwatches have GPS built-in, and you might find that it is available in case you require it. Your smartwatch may not have GPS. However, it can connect to your smartphone's GPS and will work slower. The watch's battery will be depleted faster by using GPS than normal.

Can My Smartwatch Use My Data Plan?

Your smartwatch will connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. All data required by the watch comes directly from your smartphone at no additional cost. If you purchase a smartwatch that has 4G LTE (like the Apple Watch LTE), this will change. A smartwatch that has its own data connection can work on its own, without needing to be connected to your phone. It is ready to receive and make calls as well as send messages.
You will need to pay an additional fee for this privilege. The exact amount will vary depending on the carrier you have and your current plan.

Which Smartwatch OS Is Best?

Every smartwatch operating system has its own unique characteristics. This is changing with the collaboration between Google and Samsung on Wear. WatchOS for the Apple Watch currently leads the pack, closely followed by Tizen from Samsung. They are both easy to navigate and have excellent fitness tracking and mobile payment options. Both will also run the apps from their respective app stores. Google Wear OS has the same features but it isn't always as simple to use or reliable.

Should You Buy A Smartwatch?

Do you really want one? Are you sure? You don't really need a smartwatch, but a smartphone is not the only option.
Manufacturers are now realizing that smartwatches need to be attractive, and they look a lot better than ever. Some people find a one-day battery and touchscreen watches difficult to accept. However, hybrid smartwatches have been invented and the battery performance and control methods for them are continually improving.
The huge selection of hybrid watches is available for those who aren't ready to buy a smartwatch but want to test out smart features. These hybrid watches are half the price of an Apple Watch and can be linked to any smartphone. They offer a classic watch design with smart features.

Will A New Smartwatch Work With My Older Phone?

The answer to this question is probably yes if your iPhone or Android smartphone was bought in the past three or four years. Here are the specifications for each version. Google Wear OS is compatible with Android phones running Android 4.4 and later or iPhones running iOS 9.3 or higher.
There are some differences in the Apple Watch. An iPhone 6 or older is required for the Series 3 and subsequent models that have a cellular connection. An Apple Watch Series 3 or 5 purchased without a cellular network will work. However, the Apple Watch Series 6 or Series 7 or Apple Watch SE requires an iPhone 6S and iOS 15.
Samsung's Tizen operating systems, which can be found on other devices such as the Galaxy Watch, require Android version 5.0 and later. On an iPhone it requires iOS 9.0 and later. Only compatible with Samsung smartphones, the 4G LTE version is available for certain carriers.

Conclusion

Its features, not its name, are what define best sports smartwatch in 2024. This may seem self-evident, but it's easy to become fixated on a specific company or brand due to its reputation. We strongly advise you to consider your needs and determine which products will assist you in meeting them. With our options above, if you can't choose any suitable one, let's check PROGRACE Kids Smartwatch with 90°Rotatable Camera. Wish you a nice shopping day!


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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.