The best smartwatches for men you can buy in 2024

Modern smartwatches are fast becoming essential pieces of tech that help you get through the day. These wrist-worn companions not only display the time but double as personal fitness trainers and, in some cases, completely independent smart devices. Choosing a suitable smartwatch for your wrist is a tough decision. But I’re here to make your life a little easier. Find a list of the best smartwatches for men you can buy in 2023 below.

Buying the right men’s smartwatch for your needs

I understand that the majority of the smartwatches mentioned below could appeal to both men and women, but I’m specifically considering models that have larger faces, chunkier or svelte styling, and reliable health tracking. Before I consider the individual options, it’s important to understand what features are essential to you. You’ll naturally gravitate toward an Apple Watch if you own an iPhone. For Android users, it’s mostly open season.

Do you find yourself pegged to the boardroom or office? A comfortable, minimalist device that melds style and substance might be best for the stylish man. The likes of Samsung and Withings are well-versed in creating beautiful watches without sacrificing functionality.

Men leading more active lifestyles seeking gym companions or a general health tracker should consider smartwatches with GPS. A selection of specific smart tracking modes and a wide array of sensors are also useful to provide more intuitive insight. Looking for an outdoor option? I also have a few candidates for you with longer battery life and off-the-grid features. If you’re budget-limited, don’t worry — you don’t need to break the band on a fitness tracker.

The best smartwatches for men

• Apple Watch Ultra 2: The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t bring much more to the table, but it does improve on the best men’s smartwatch around. Its screen is brighter, it packs a faster chipset, and it comes in at the same price. However, with Apple’s blood oxygen tracking drama, you might not be able to find it anymore.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: Samsung upped the ante with its latest smartwatch series’ new Pro model. Packing a much larger 45mm dial, outdoor features, and a more durable build, it’s the best Wear OS smartwatch for men you can buy.
• Garmin Venu 3: Garmin’s latest addition to the Venu line, the Venu 3 features everything you should need, whether you’re out on the trail or trekking the concrete jungle. It’s our top pick for the best Garmin smartwatch for men.
• Fitbit Sense: The best Fitbit smartwatch for men you can buy is the Fitbit Sense. It’s a better value prospect since the debut of its successor, and it packs plenty of sensors for detailed health tracking.
• Withings ScanWatch 2: The Withings ScanWatch 2 is the best hybrid watch. It’s arguably also the best smartwatch on this list for health tracking as it packs medical-grade SpO2 and ECG sensors, and also gains a temperature sensor.
• Fitbit Charge 6: For something more straightforward, the Fitbit Charge 6 is the best fitness tracker for men. The new color screen makes this line more attractive than ever.
• Xiaomi Mi Band 7: The best cheap fitness tracker for men is the Xiaomi Mi Band 7. It’s a capable, no-fuss fitness tracker with a few new tricks for casual athletes.

Apple Watch Ultra 2: The best smartwatch for men

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 builds on the titanium foundation of the original, bringing a brighter display, a quicker and more efficient chipset, and a host of new tricks.

You’ll still find the longest battery life of any Apple Watch, the programmable Action button, and accurate GPS performance. The Ultra 2 also debuts onboard Siri processing, a new ultra-wideband chipset that makes finding your iPhone companion easier, and the double-tap gesture, which should be infinitely useful on the large wearable. Buyers also still receive a depth sensor, additional running data for athletes, and the skin temperature sensor.

All this sounds great, but the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will lose the use of one of its more important sensors in the US — the blood oxygen tracker. Following its patent dispute with Masimo Corp, the company has stopped selling this model and the Series 9 ($392.67 at Amazon) with SpO2 measuring features. If oxygen monitoring is really important to you, I’d recommend you opt for the original Ultra ($799 at Amazon) or snag a used Ultra 2.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: The best Wear OS smartwatch for men

You have a little more variety when shopping for a Wear OS smartwatch in 2023, but Samsung’s flagship line remains the most complete package.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, in particular, is our choice. It features a sleek yet hardy aesthetic with a sapphire lens, a titanium build, and a new lip that runs around the outside of the watch’s dial. You forgo the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic’s more rugged design with a physical rotating bezel, but the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also includes more for your money.

Chief of the new features is the much, much larger battery. The larger power store fuels the watch’s outdoor-orientated features, from GPX map support to Track Back for lost hikers. If you don’t like the new D-buckle clasp, you can always snag a third-party band to enhance the watch’s look further.

Despite its advancements, it remains limited in several ways. For one, its new skin temperature sensor only benefits those who menstruate, at least for now. You may also find better battery life from products from other smartwatch stables. But if you don’t mind these small roadblocks, and can cough up the cash, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is an excellent smartwatch for men.

Of course, if you still crave the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic ($167 at Amazon) and its bezel, it’s still available to purchase. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic ($429 at Amazon) makes for a more expensive but much cleaner alternative.

Garmin Venu 3: The best Garmin smartwatch for men

The Garmin Venu 3 is the best all-around Garmin smartwatch from the company to date. Aesthetically, it looks a lot like the Venu 2 Plus ($449 at Amazon), but it includes enough new bells and whistles to keep us interested.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but improves on its profusely with an upgraded heart rate sensor, two dial sizes for small and larger wrists, and improved battery life to get you through the day and then some. More importantly, the Venu 3 introduces improved sleep tracking with automatic nap detection for men watching their wellness. A nifty Daily Summary feature also gives users a summary of that day’s fitness events and recommendations.

As on the Venu 2 Plus, active men will still find over 25 workout modes, an ECG feature, Body Battery, Health Snapshot, Garmin Pay, and music storage. What’s new is support for Google Assistant and the ability to make and receive on-wrist phone calls when paired to a nearby smartphone.

Our only criticism of the Venu 3 lies in its price — it’s more expensive than its Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit rivals.

Fitbit Sense: The best Fitbit smartwatch for men

On paper, the Fitbit Sense is the best Fitbit smartwatch for men. It’s loaded with sensors, including a skin temperature monitor, an EDA sensor to measure stress, and an ECG for heart health. On top of this specialized tech, you’ll also find an SpO2 sensor, heart rate monitor, and Fitbit’s stellar sleep and daily activity tracking. It’s an impressive smartwatch for men intent on improving their overall fitness score step-by-step.

However, the Sense’s biggest threat is arguably its cheaper sibling. It’s debatable whether its fancy tech is worth the premium, especially when held against the Versa 3 ($158 at Amazon). You might also lament Fitbit’s half-baked smartwatch features compared to its peers.

The Fitbit Sense 2 also brings a sleeker design, always-on stress monitoring, and a refreshed UI to the table, but it’s barely a smartwatch and lacks Google Assistant support, third-party apps, and Wi-Fi connectivity. I’d still recommend users looking for a better smartwatch experience purchase the original Sense. If you don’t mind Wear OS or a much smaller watch face, the Google Pixel Watch 2 ($349.99 at Amazon) is now an excellent fitness tracking smartwatch, too.

Withings ScanWatch 2: The best health-focused watch for men

The Withings ScanWatch 2 is the best health-focused watch for men, but it could also be the best-looking wearable on offer. Its hybrid smartwatch flair melds an analog face with a small digital display and a surprisingly deep list of health tracking sensors and smarts.

Like the original ScanWatch, the sequel still includes medical-grade ECG and SpO2 sensors that can track and alert for atrial fibrillation (AFib) and sleep apnea. However, it now packs a temperature sensor that keeps tabs on ambient and skin temperatures to discern fever from a summer’s day better. Battery life is another big attraction. You’ll only need to consult your charger every 30 days, and when you do, the ScanWatch 2 charges to 100% in two hours.

Fitbit Charge 6: The best fitness tracker for men

Want a pure fitness-first tracker with limited smartwatch features? Few devices can come close to Fitbit’s Charge series. The Fitbit Charge 6 improves on its predecessor immensely, bringing Google tools, YouTube Music controls, and an upgraded heart rate sensor to the party. You’ll also get the usual SpO2 sensor, EDA and ECG sensors, and excellent sleep tracking consistent with other Fitbits.

The Charge 6 doesn’t pack an altimeter, which lessens its usefulness for adventurous men. It also has GPS reliability issues that we couldn’t quite shake during our review. Nevertheless, this is the gold standard of fitness trackers.

Xiaomi Mi Band 7: The best budget fitness tracker for men

Finally, what if a slim budget is a limiting factor? The Xiaomi Mi Band series has long been the cheap fitness tracker of choice, and the Mi Band 7 continues this tradition. It features a much larger display than its predecessor, which fits larger wrists better. It’s also complemented by an upgraded UI that’s easier to navigate for those with bulkier fingers.

Underneath its skin is a larger power store, all-day SpO2 monitoring smarts with low oxygen alerts, and built-in training metrics. This combination makes it a great choice for gym-goers and runners on a budget. While it doesn’t feature marked upgrades over its predecessor, you’ll struggle to find a better fitness band at this price point.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 8 ($37.82 at AliExpress) is now available, but considering the minor improvements and redesigned straps, Xiaomi’s older model will still appeal to users looking for a simple companion.

Honorable mentions

That’s it for our list of the best smartwatches for men, but it’s only a fraction of what’s out there. I also want to give an honorable mention to the following smartwatches:

• Apple Watch SE 2 ($269.99 at Amazon): The entry-level Apple Watch trades some health features, like the ECG and SpO2 tracking, for a lower price.
• Garmin Fenix 7 Pro (on the product’s website): This is arguably the most powerful outdoor watch money can buy. It’s pricey, but if you find yourself out on the trail more often than not, its functionality is invaluable.
• Garmin Forerunner 265 ($449.99 at Garmin): Garmin’s middle-of-the-road running watch features a bright and beautiful AMOLED screen, better battery life, and great feature set for those who want a marathon companion.
• Suunto 5 Peak ($199 at Amazon): Suunto’s mid-range outdoor watch is light, tracks over 80 sport modes, and packs built-in GPS. It’s also affordable for those who may find Garmin’s products too expensive.
• Fossil Gen 6 ($185 at Amazon): Fossil’s classic circular timepiece now packs an SpO2 sensor, faster charging, and a brighter display. The long-promised Wear OS 3 upgrade has also rolled out, creating a smoother software experience.
• Fitbit Inspire 3 ($99.95 at Amazon): If you need nothing more than the basics, the sub-$100 Fitbit Inspire 2 is worth your time. It’s slim and light packs plenty of battery life, and includes a Fitbit Premium subscription to sweeten the deal.
• HUAWEI Band 6 ($54 at Amazon): A surprise hit, the Band 6 is a stellar fitness tracker with few flaws. It packs SpO2 tracking, a smartwatch-sized screen, and plenty of endurance. It’s wonderfully cheap, too.

Top questions and answers for men’s smartwatches