RANKED: THE 5 BEST SMARTWATCHES OF 2024

I spent the last six months wearing over a dozen different smartwatches to find the all around best one. #1 surprised me…

By Amanda Stevens

These Watches Will Change Your Life!

If you’re anything like me, you just LOVE smartwatches. I had been using the same Apple Watch since 2015, to do everything from tracking my heart rate to checking text messages to controlling my music.

When it finally broke last month, I decided it was time to upgrade. But which one? There are so many options and so many conflicting opinions. Perhaps you’ve run into the same problem.

So I tried all the top brands, and rated them based on features, battery life, and price. Here’s what I found…

1. OVERALL BEST: SPADE & CO HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3

Features: 90%

Battery Life: 99%

Price: $

Overall: A+

Based on a friend’s raving review, I gave the lesser known Health Smartwatch 3 a try…and boy was I amazed. It offered pretty much all the same functionality as the Fitbit Sense 2, including 24/7 heart rate tracking, oxygen saturation monitoring, and sleep scoring. On top of that, it boasted a meditation app, an Alexa voice assistant, and full compatibility with Android and Apple phones. I took multiple calls on this watch, which was super convenient. Where the Health Smartwatch 3 really stands out, however, is the price and battery life. Currently on sale for 50% off and lasting over two weeks on a single charge (yes, you heard that right–14+ days), this is hands down the overall best smartwatch on the market in 2024 so far.

2. APPLE WATCH SERIES 9

Features: 100%

Battery Life: 70%

Price: $$$

Overall: B+

The Apple Watch Series 9 needs no introduction and is without a doubt one of the best smartwatches on the market. It has the most applications of any watch on this list, and its price ($400) falls reasonably between the Garmin Venu 2 Plus and the Fitbit Sense 2. Meanwhile, the battery life can be extended up to 36 hours on low power mode (compared to the Apple Watch SE’s 24 hours). Still not great, but it’s workable. I can take it on an overnight camping trip without issue, but if I stay an extra night, it’s dead…even on the low power mode. This makes Spade & Co’s Health Smartwatch 3 a far better choice for longer trips. If you really need the most powerful smartwatch on the market and are ready to charge it every day, however, the Apple Watch Series 9 is a great choice.

3. APPLE WATCH SE

Features: 90%

Battery Life: 50%

Price: $$

Overall: B

Think about the new Apple Watch SE as the more powerful, more affordable version of the Fitbit Sense 2. If you need a feature rich watch (with the Apple brand no less) at a bargain price ($250), look no further. If you are expecting it to last even overnight, however, you will be sorely disappointed (it only has 18 hours of battery life compared to 10+ days for Spade & Co’s Health Smartwatch 3). The poor battery life ultimately ruined this watch for me, so I couldn’t give it an overall rating higher than a B.

4. FITBIT SENSE 2

Features: 70%

Battery Life: 80%

Price: $$

Overall: B

Nothing about the Fitbit Sense 2 wowed me, but nothing turned me off either. The battery life of 6 days is workable, but not spectacular. The native apps did everything I wanted, so the complete absence of third party apps was unnoticeable to me. Finally the price ($300) was reasonable, if not a bargain. The Fitbit Sense 2 managed to edge just ahead of the Garmin Venu 2 Plus in my ranking system, but honestly I couldn’t come up with any reason why this could be the best choice for anyone. Anyone eyeing the Fitbit Sense 2 should just opt for Spade & Co’s Health Smartwatch 3.

5. GARMIN VENU 2 PLUS

Features: 80%

Battery Life: 90%

Price: $$$$

Overall: B

The Garmin Venu 2 is extremely stylish, has decent battery life (9 days), and boasts a number of well-designed native applications. Unfortunately, however, it lacks many third party applications, has no LTE support, and is the priciest watch on this list ($450). If you’re a Garmin loyalist, need the best GPS possible, or just love the way it looks, this watch might be for you. If not, there are much better options on this list, such as Spade & Co’s Health Smartwatch 3.

WHY WE CHOSE THE HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3 AS THE BEST SMARTWATCH OF 2024

With so many amazing smartwatches out there, I wanted to take the time to tell you more about why I chose the Health Smartwatch 3 as my number one. I already told you about the unbeatable price, near unlimited battery life, and awesome features, but why don’t I actually tell you about how this watch created a killer morning routine that changed my life?

I wake up at 6am sharp every morning. I instantly check my Health Smartwatch 3. It tells me how long I slept, how much of it was light vs deep vs rem, and ranks the overall quality of my sleep. Next, I jump into my morning meditation, guided by the watch’s guided breathing session app. Finally, I check my heart rate. Ideally it will be below 50 bpm, especially after the mediation.

After checking my heart rate, I go for my morning jog. My watch keeps track of my entire run, and lets me seamlessly handle any unexpected early morning calls. After my run, I head to the shower. I don’t take my watch off, because it’s waterproof. In the shower, I’ll usually check the weather and my email. Once I’m done with my shower, I check my stress levels to make sure I’m ready for work. If I notice they’re elevated, I do another guided meditation. Then it’s off the seize the day. The best part? I get to do it all over again tomorrow morning, and I don’t even have to worry about charging my watch.

IS HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3 COMPATIBLE WITH MY PHONE?

Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 is compatible with any Android device (Android 6 and up) as well as any iPhone (iOS 9 and up). So if your smartphone is 8 years old or less, it will be compatible.

HOW ACCURATE IS THE HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3?

Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 measures my steps, calories burned, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and sleep with the accuracy of other top rated products.

I use the data to actually make lifestyle changes, and it was extremely effective. For example, the calorie tracker suggests I burn about 700 activity calories a day. Ever since I started making sure to adapt my diet based on how much I burn, I have never felt healthier.

HOW LONG DOES THE BATTERLY LIFE LAST FOR REAL?

I was able to get the battery to last over two weeks while tracking my steps, calories, heartrate, and sleep. When I used some of the more advanced apps, such as the wrist calling feature, the battery life tended to drain a bit faster though. I still get over 10 days so it still far surpasses any rival product.

HOW EASY IS IT TO SET UP?

I am the least tech savvy person I know, but setting up was super easy. I literally opened it up, turned it on, downloaded the app and boom! A few minutes later it was ready to go. Also the interface and apps were super intuitive, so I didn’t even need to read the instruction manual.