RANKED: THE 5 BEST SMARTWATCHES OF 2023

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+

Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 offers 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 has 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. We learned about Spade & Co when they offered us a FREE gift with the purchase of 2 Health Smartwatch 3 (1 black and 1 rose gold). Since then, they’ve sold out every other week. The best part? The battery lasts for 14 days, which is unheard of for a smartwatch. This is a must-buy!

2. APPLE WATCH SERIES 8

Features: 100%

Battery Life: 70%

Price: $$$

Overall: B+

The Apple Watch Series 8 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. If you really need the most powerful smartwatch on the market and are ready to charge it every day, the Apple Watch Series 8 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). 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.

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.

WHY WE CHOSE THE HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3 AS THE BEST SMARTWATCH OF 2023

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.