The best smartwatches of 2023

Decisively taking the top spot this year, Samsung's Galaxy Watch5 Pro is the pinnacle of wearable technology. Essentially a miniature smartphone on your wrist (with a much better battery), the Watch5 Pro blends state-of-the-art fitness sensors with groundbreaking and snappy smart browsing.

The result? A silky-smooth, manageable, yet advanced user experience that'll have even less technologically-inclined wearers browsing like a pro.

Comfortable, stylish, and built for practicality's sake (not just for show), the Watch5 Pro is the leading Samsung smartwatch of the year, and there's little mystery as to why. Just don't expect a miasma of colour choices - because there's only grey and black.

Before iPhone users start hurriedly placing their orders, be cautious - the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro is an Android-exclusive (for now).

Fitbit practically kicked off the smartwatch craze back in 2013 - with fitness enthusiasts clawing to get their hands on the next step in Android smartwatch technology.

Years later, Fitbit still has a hold on gym-goers in search of top-notch fitness tracking and just that little extra push of confidence to get them out of the door and racing around their highstreets - enter the Fitbit Versa 4, perhaps the best smartwatch on the market for blatant value.

It's almost shocking just how many fitness programs and sensors the Fitbit Versa 4 has compared to smartwatches that cost over double its price: blood-oxygen measuring, stress management, hydration, sleep assessments - this nifty little smartwatch can practically do it all. Just note that some features are locked behind a subscription - this includes some deeper sleep and stress insights, readiness score and personalised fitness guidance.

Engineered for fitness, the smartwatch itself is incredibly light and terrifically comfortable - a simple design it may be, but sometimes simplicity is indeed bliss.

Easy to use, highly compatible with smart devices (even your tablet, should you be so inclined) from Microsoft to Apple and Samsung - this is a smartwatch that isn't going to become outdated within a year or be made defunct by a software update, the Fitbit Versa 4 remain by your side for a long while.

No roundup of the best smartwatches of the year would be complete without at least mentioning the Apple Watch Series 8 and what a watch it is, too.

Apple is known for quite a few things; chief among them is clean, clean aesthetics, to which the Apple Watch Series 8 is no stranger. The Series 8's 1.9-inch OLED screen is wonderfully bold and bright, its quality emphasised by the ultra-narrow bezels and rounded edges, all culminating in a satisfying user experience.

Among its ocean of apps, the Series 8 utilises the latest sensor technology, giving you a great insight into your health that would otherwise be impossible to know without extensive GP visits. In the company of perceptive temperature sensors, sleep trackers, and even blood-oxygen readings - Apple's Series 8 is in no short supply of excellent health technology to keep you firmly in the know about your body.

Apple's intelligently designed, aesthetically pleasing user interface and easy-to-interpret data offer a wealth of data for users to benefit from, all without becoming too technical for less-experienced health enthusiasts to learn from. This tasteful, minimalist design ethos, embodied in the watch's design and health technology, also appears in its well-integrated messaging system - serving as an extension of your iPhone in a seamless and comfortable way.

Our issues with Apple's Series 8 smartwatch arise, however, when considering its rather lack-lustre battery life. Reaching up to approximately 18 hours of use (in large part thanks to its always-on retina display), users upon their morning commute who perhaps forgot to charge their smartwatch the night before are likely to be greeted with a dead watch - which is bound to cause some disappointment (especially at it's over £400 price).

Nevertheless, Apple's Series 8 smartwatch is, without question, an excellent smartwatch - working well to broaden your knowledge about your health and assist in your busy lifestyle in a comfortable and beautifully designed way.

Without question, one of our favourite smartwatches for fitness fanatics - the Garmin Venu 2 is filled with countless apps and sensors designed to push you to your exercise limits - alongside some wonderful, easy-to-access QOL features that are essential for busy officer-goers and vehement socialites.

A simple yet well-designed user interface enables wearers in the heat of an intense uphill jog to quickly and easily glance at trail maps without becoming lost in a labyrinth of menus and screens, with features such as GPS tracking looking particularly vivid and intuitive.

Exercises that would otherwise not find themselves on a lower-priced smartwatch, such as strength training, yoga and pilates, come equipped with muscle maps and wonderful animations, serving as a guide to your form - which not only looks great but is also a phenomenal, practical application of next-level technology.

In terms of aesthetics, however, we find the Venu 2 to be on the underwhelming side; yes, the large 1.8-inch circular screen is appealing, but the slight dimness of the display (in no small part thanks to its AMOLED technology), and the limited choice of colour drags down what is an otherwise terrific smartwatch, in our opinion.

Needless to say, the Venu 2 is a quality Garmin smartwatch packed with great features, easy to use, and affordable enough to be a serious consideration for health and fitness-conscious people.

At a significant price reduction from the Samsung Watch5 Pro, but lacking some of the Pro's refinement, the Watch5 is excellent for quick message and typing access with instant voice and keyboard controls to quickly text your significant in a rush.

As for health and fitness, the Watch5 Pro is equally capable of motivating runners to destroy their personal records with tonnes of heart sensors, composition monitors, and even sleep and stress tracking to ensure you're on top of both your mental and physical health.

Despite being slightly smaller than the Watch5 Pro, the Watch5 still pops on the wrist, and its tough sapphire crystal glass makes certain that a quick fall while jogging probably isn't going to shatter the screen instantly - some peace of mind for the clumsily inclined.

Easily among our favourite sports watches of the year is the Polar Grit X - a perfectly affordable, ultra-kitted-out smartwatch capable of competing with several of our higher-priced picks of the year. Polar has designed the Polar Grit X to provide users with the most bang for their buck possible - giving you access to over 130+ sports programs at a moment's notice, alongside a plethora of useful sensors and tools to truly challenge yourself.

In terms of aesthetic quality, the Polar Grit X certainly doesn't disappoint, giving us a clean, utility-driven design that makes switching songs, checking messages or checking the trail map an absolute breeze.

Without question, the Polar Grit X Pro is a bargain of a lifetime - and we can't wait to get into nature and try it out.

Elite athletes, adrenaline junkies and technology enthusiasts are going to fall head over heels for what is, the epitome of the high-end smartwatch.

Gorgeously constructed in a rugged, durable fashion, complete with bolts and buttons that can withstand the scratches and wear of daily life, as well as the brutal biking slips and falls, when a tough smartwatch can be vital.

Swimming, golfing, surfing, skiing, bouldering, mountain biking - the Garmin fēnix 7X Solar is pre-programmed to cover dozens of sports that are simply not available on most smartwatches - with extensive tracking to keep an eye on just how good you've got.

The Garmin fēnix 7X Solar earns its namesake from its solar charging capabilities - putting it leagues ahead of its competition when considering battery life (one of the most important factors to consider when looking for a smartwatch). Charging on the go is an enormous plus for smartwatch users - especially those far away from a plug socket.

Our only real major gripe with the fēnix 7X Solar is its cost, which is significantly more than even Apple and Samsung's most expensive smartwatches - and yet, for the ultimate sports enthusiast, there really aren't many options that have quite as much versatility as Garmin's fēnix 7X Solar.

While some may prefer a huge array of breakthrough technologies, pre-programmed sports apps and OLED displays, for the less technologically inclined, simplicity is best.

Fitbit's Inspire 2 Fitness Tracker is the essence of simplicity and convenience - offering a range of easy-to-use features for users who may not want to trace their blood-oxygen levels, their sleep patterns or whether they're hydrated enough.

Instead, the Fitbit Inspire 2 gives you a handful of essential fitness-tracking features to utilise in your daily routine: heart rate, step counting (for that 10K steps goal), sleep tracking, calorie tracking, distance travelled tracking and body temperature monitoring (to keep an eye on your health and wellbeing).

This simple fitness tracker has some neat little features that are absolutely worth trying out, not only for fitness tracking but also for streamlining your smartphone experience, thanks to its message notification and music control options.

The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a versatile, affordable and well-designed smartwatch capable of surviving the unrelenting pace of working life, or the sweat-drenching sprints that push you to your limits, a worthwhile watch for any fitness fanatic.

At under half the price of the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro, the Watch4 sacrifices some quality-of-life features in exchange for its price, such as its battery life and durability, yet it still remains a solid choice for those in need of instant message access, simple, passive health tracking - as well as an aesthetically stunning smartwatch.

Despite its lower price, there's very little sacrifice in the way of features between the Watch4 and 5 - blood oxygen monitoring, sleep analysis, and Bioactive sensor technology, the Watch4 still has these breakthrough features, yet it remains incredibly affordable.

Of course, there are some cutbacks - namely, a weaker battery which takes longer to charge, a few cut features such as the Watch5 Pro's barometric altimeter (which most people aren't likely to use anyway), and some weaker haptics, but all in all, it's a small price to pay for a good deal and a huge range of solid features.

The ultimate Apple Watch, combining the best technology Apple could muster - the Apple Watch Ultra takes the cake when it comes to the most gorgeous screen, some of the best durability, a bigger battery and a great range of features.

Made of aerospace-grade titanium and utilising a huge range of body sensors and monitors for some next-level health and fitness advice - the Apple Watch Ultra may be very pricey, but it's also incredibly mighty.

Design-wise, it isn't too different from the Apple Watch Series 8 (aside from the larger screen and 2,000 nits display), and yet in terms of its bigger battery and better durability, it seems like a good leap forward - just be prepared to pay a pretty penny.