The 8 Best Smartwatches for Women

A smartwatch alone won’t whip you into the best shape of your life, make you on time for every meeting, and ensure eight hours of blissful sleep. But it can help you hit all those marks — and then some. The newest generation of smartwatches can do all that while adding a flash of style to your everyday ensemble. With brands like Fossil and Kate Spade in on the action, smartwatches combine brains and beauty like never before, including slim profiles, sleek designs, and bold color palettes.

Our experts should know: The tech experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute tests the latest and greatest consumer gadgets. For smartwatches, we evaluated dozens of models on factors like features, fit, ease of use, and accuracy, comparing pro experiences with real user feedback. We also answered all the key questions around value and reliability: Can I wear this smartwatch in the pool? What happens if I drop it on the bathroom floor? And most important of all: Are smartwatches really worth the money? We even tested smartwatches for women with “incident detection," meaning if you take a hard fall while working out, an alert will be sent to your emergency contacts

Here ate the top picks geared toward a variety of lifestyles will help you on that buying journey. The winners are based upon our comprehensive categorical testing, road testing newer models, and reviewing updates to past favorites:

• Best Overall Smartwatch for Women: Apple Watch Series 6
• Best Value Smartwatch for Women: Timex Metropolitan
• Best Fashion-Forward Smartwatch for Women: Kate Spade Scallop 2
• Best WearOS Smartwatch for Women: Fossil Gen 5 Julianna
• Best Smartwatch for Fitness Enthusiasts: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
• Best Beginners Smartwatch for Women: Apple Watch SE
• Best Fitbit Smartwatch for Women: Fitbit Versa 3
• Best Sporty Smartwatch for Women: Huawei Watch 2 Sport

Apple

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$479.00

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Apple didn’t invent the smartwatch, but it’s done a ton to improve it, delivering the same clean design and intuitive controls you know from its smartphones and computers. The Series 6 goes next level with an array of wellness features, including an oximeter to measure blood oxygen levels, sleep monitoring, and an FDA-certified heart rate tracker to head off cardiac concerns. Plus its brightest-ever, always-on retina display means you’ll never miss a beat. In terms of aesthetics, there’s no mistaking the Apple form, but the familiar rectangular case comes in more colors and a wider range of straps, including a slick braided silicone loop.

Timex

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$155.00

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Timex has taken a bit of a lickin’ in the smartwatch race, lagging behind the category leaders. With its Timex Metropolitan, the iconic brand gives loyalists the option of the familiar watch face with solid intelligence at a very competitive price. Our experts like the high-res, always-on display, 24/7 fitness tracker, and accurate GPS, good for logging miles on the run. The 36mm case width and 20mm silicone strap combine for exceptionally lightweight design and the watch face is made out of high-impact resistant Gorilla Glass, so it can still take that lickin’ when it matters most.

Kate Spade New York

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$298.00

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Even if you don’t use the Scallop 2’s 'Choose Your Look' feature to coordinate your Kate Spade smartwatch with your outfit of the day, the stylish design is sure to turn heads. But this wearable is more than just a pretty face. Our experts like the heart rate sensor and built-in GPS, plus the NFC (near field communication) mobile payment feature comes in handy when shopping. Meanwhile, Google Assistant voice activation lets you take calls without reaching into your Sam Bag for the phone. The Scallop 2 also features 3ATM water resistance, so after color-coordinating the watch with your favorite one-piece, you can leave it on during dunks in the pool.

Fossil

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$285.99

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If you run your life through Google, having a watch powered by the same operating system will enable seamless integration of things like Gmail and Google Assistant. Among WearOS smartwatches, our experts single out the Fossil Get 5 Julianna HR for its built-in microphone, allowing you to answer calls at your wrist. You can also issue voice commands to smart devices in the home—adjust the temperature, turn on the lights, lock the front door, and so on. The option of contactless payments through Google Pay is another nice perk. And the Fossil Gen 5 Julianna HR is compatible with both Android phones and iPhones.

At 44MM, the case on the Fossil Julianna HR is on the chunky side, but the Fossil design is still feminine, especially in the rose gold finish. If you’re looking for something more fashion-forward, consider the 40MM Fossil Gen 4 Venture, which combines the same functionality with a more refined design.

Samsung

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$179.99

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Extreme athletes need a smartwatch that can keep pace. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is up to the challenge. The Android and iOS compatible smartwatch impressed our experts with its ability to track a range of exercises—running, cycling, rowing—and its fall detection provides peace of mind. A variety of downloadable 3rd party apps offer guided assistance for specific sports, like golf, swimming, and running. Meanwhile, Galaxy Watch Active 2’s stress, sleep, and menstrual cycle trackers keep tabs on what’s happening inside your body. You can keep your Samsung smartwatch on when you’re out on the town, thanks to its sleek design and rich offering of case finishes and straps. Snap a picture of your evening ware, and the Samsung will even put together a coordinating match face to go along.

Apple

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$309.00

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The Apple Watch SE is billed as entry-level, but it doesn’t actually sacrifice all that much compared with many top-of-the-line smartwatches, Apple or otherwise. The Series 3 features the same large display as the Apple Watch Series 6 and many of the same WatchOS7 features, including water resistance, optical heart sensor, fall detection, and available WiFi/cellular options (for $50 more). You’ll miss out on some of the latest Apple health features, like the blood oxygen and ECG apps, and you’ll have to settle for an aluminum finish (no stainless steel or titanium). Maybe the biggest trade-off of all with the SE: no always-on display, so you have to decide if the black box on your wrist is worth saving $100.

Fitbit

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$199.95

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Fitbit started the whole wearable craze with its original fitness tracker more than a decade ago. With the Fitbit Versa 3, it’s now been in the smartwatch market long enough to warrant serious consideration. True to its roots, the smartwatch is packed with fitness and wellness features, including built-in GPS, 24/7 heart rate tracking, and a daily Sleep Score feature through the Fitbit app, which our tests found incredibly intuitive in their roundup of the 6 Best Fitbit Smartwatches and Trackers of 2020.

Huawei

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$249.99

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With its rugged good looks, the Huawei Watch 2 Sport might not fit your best evening wear. But when you’re dressed to sweat, it’s an ace accessory, including standalone 4G connectivity and built-in GPS, so you can map your run without lugging your phone along, and even receive real-time guidance as you go via the Workout Coach app. The onboard Google Assistant adds many conveniences, like the ability to make payments and check notifications with the flick of the wrist. Our testers also like the ability to optimize battery life, including a Watch Mode setting that shuts down juice-draining features to provide up to 25 days of power.