Top 10 Smartwatches to Boost Your Health in 2019

Wearables aren’t just about getting back into shape anymore. Smartwatches are now used for tracking possible heart issues, stress, sleep habits, and more. Personally, I own a smartwatch solely for tracking how well, or how poorly I sleep. I realized a long time ago that not sleeping well is my biggest enemy in having a happy, healthy life.

Wearables aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution, though. Different devices work better for different people. So, today we are going to briefly look at ten different devices to help you choose the best one for yourself.

Garmin Vivomove HR

The Garmin Vivomove HR is a stylish watch that comes in various colors with multiple band selections. This smartwatch is easily the nicest looking smartwatch on this list. In terms of style, it almost competes with Fossil’s smartwatch.

Price

Starts at $199

Pros

• Heart rate monitor
• Pedometer
• Sleep tracker
• Activity monitor
• Stress monitor
• 50-meter water resistance
• Week-long battery life
• Both iOS and Android compatible

Cons

• Battery life lasts a week in watch mode which turns off health tracking
• The touch screen is difficult to use
• There are no hardware buttons to navigate the watch

Bottom Line

The Garmin Vivomove HR is a beautiful watch that fits a tastefully simple style. Unfortunately, the device also wears like a watch and can be uncomfortable for some people. The advertised battery life isn’t really accurate when using it tracking things like your heart rate and sleep habits. This smartwatch is best for casual users where style is more important than function.

Fitbit Versa

Fitbit has a history of providing excellent smartwatches that are also affordable. Fitbit is hyper-focused on creating value by providing excellent health tracking features without all the extras like apps and fancy displays. Fitbit has also been widely studied and has been found to have some of the most accurate heart and sleep sensors.

Price

The Versa starts at $159

Pros

• Heart rate monitor
• Pedometer
• Sleep tracker
• Water resistant
• Display notifications
• 4+ day battery life
• Activity and exercise tracker
• Guided workouts
• More expensive model has NFC for built-in payments
• iOS and Android compatible

Cons

• It looks like an Apple Watch knock-off
• The color display isn’t as vibrant and nice as other watches
• Guided workouts can be lacking
• The charger is bulky and cumbersome
• No GPS
• The Fitbit app doesn’t sync with the Apple or Android health apps by itself

Bottom Line

I mentioned the GPS as the Fitbit is primarily marketed as a fitness tracker much like the Apple Watch. That may be important to some people, but it’s not a deal breaker for most. The Versa can also take some time to get used to wearing, and it’s not the nicest looking smartwatch. With that said, it’s one of the cheapest options and has some of the most accurate sensors. If nothing else, the Fitbit Versa makes an excellent entry option for many people, but I would have no qualms about recommending this device in general. 

Withings Steel HR Sport

The Withings Steel HR isn’t a full-fledged smartwatch, but it is a device that has excellent battery life, a stylish look, and a really nice array of supported add-on accessories. Withings doesn’t depend solely on its smartwatch for health tracking but instead uses multiple devices to collect accurate data.

Price

The Steel HR Sport starts at $199

Pros

• GPS monitor
• Heart rate monitor
• Fitness level assessment
• Battery lasts 25 days
• Sporty look and feel
• Sleep tracking with sleep score
• Configurable with different bands

Cons

• The screen can be hard to read
• The screen doesn’t automatically turn on
• Sleep score seems arbitrary

Bottom Line

As far as a full-featured health tracker goes, there may be better options. If you want a stylish watch with a long battery life that’s excellent for tracking sleep habits, this may be a worthwhile device. The sleep score seems somewhat arbitrary at first, but it’s a way to quantify your sleep ‘healthfulness’. It’s an easy way to tell whether or not your sleep habits are improving or not. Couple that with Withings sleep mat, another device sold separately, the Withings device has the potential to track your sleep more accurately than other wearables.

Garmin Fenix 5

The Garmin Fenix 5 is by far one of the most expensive smartwatches putting it out of reach for many people. It is one of the most customizable watches with options offered directly from the manufacturer.

Price

The Fenix 5 starts at $499

Pros

• Durable and well built
• GPS and GLONASS navigation support
• Heart rate monitor
• Highly readable display
• Extremely accurate tracking for individual sports
• Can display notifications
• Water resistant
• Sleep tracker
• Compass
• Altimeter

Cons

• Expensive

Bottom Line

The Garmin Felix 5 is an excellently engineered, durable devices that are made for a niche audience. Its price puts it out of reach for many people simply looking to track health. The Felix 5 is aimed towards the active individual being able to accurately track all your activity whether it would be rock climbing, diving, bike riding, golfing, etc… This device looks like it to. Despite its rock-solid build, the Felix 5 looks like a rubber sports watch.

Apple watch series 4

Apple is known for creating devices designed for the individual. They put a lot of thought into how people use their devices. Though the Apple Watch may not be the cheapest smartwatch, it’s not the most expensive either. It took a few iterations for Apple to really design a good watch, but the Series 4 shows that they could.

Price

The apple watch starts at $399.

Pros

• Highly customizable
• Bright, clear display
• Pedometer
• Sleep tracker
• GPS and cellular connectivity
• Able to install other apps
• Built-in ECG
• Fall detection
• Easy charging system

Cons

• Only compatible with iPhone

Bottom Line

The Apple Series 4 Watch is one of the most intelligently designed smartwatch with features that can’t be matched by any other products. This device has a built-in FDA approved ECG to detect abnormal heart issues as well as things like fall detection. It’s also one of the most versatile smartwatches with true smart capabilities. This is one of the only wearable devices with a true app store that can be used by any registered developer to build and deploy new apps and features on. The Apple Watch’s only downfall is that it is iOS compatible only.

Garmin Vivoactive 3

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a smartwatch marketed towards the active user. It has many sporting features included on a budget.

Price

The Vivoactive 3 starts at $229.99.

Pros

• GPS
• Activity monitor
• Sleep tracker
• Built-in payment options
• Limited app store
• Fitness and stress tracking
• 7-day battery life

Cons

• Limited customizability
• It can be big for some people

Bottom Line

Vivoactive 3 is a great device for activity tracking. It has GPS features that only more expensive smartwatches have. This device is geared for the active person though, and not for general health tracking. For those that just want to track their vital and sleep habits, this may not be the best option.

Samsung Gear Fit2

The Samsung Gear line of wearables was one of the first smartwatches to market years ago. It’s a sporty option that might work okay if you a Samsung device. While it has many of the most common features, it still manages to not be a great wearable.

Price

The Gear Fit 2 starts at $149.99.

Pros

• GPS
• Heart Monitor
• Sleep Monitor
• Activity monitor
• Has storage for music
• Bright and clear display

Cons

• Short battery life
• Not customizable
• Not waterproof
• Inaccurate heart monitor
• Some Samsung features won’t work without a Samsung phone

Bottom Line

The Samsung Gear Fit 2 might be a nice look smartwatch for some, but for many, it is not. It’s also not customizable, so if you can’t change the bands. This device isn’t waterproof. Its heart rate monitor is also not that good which makes me question how well its sleep tracker works. Considering the Fitbit is just as cheap, I can’t recommend this smartwatch at all.

Samsung Galaxy Watch

Samsung also has the Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch is a much nicer looking wearable than the Gear Fit 2 with better working features. That’s interesting since the Gear Fit 2 target fitness buffs. Either way, if you’re going to look at a Samsung product on this list, pay more attention to this one.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy Watch starts at $279.99.

Pros

• LTE is an option
• Heart rate monitor
• Activity tracker
• Sleep Monitor
• Built-in digital assistant (Bixby)
• App capable
• Bright, clear display
• Water resistant
• Samsung Pay built-in
• Easy charging mechanism
• Very customizable

Cons

• Battery saving features mean some things may turn off
• The smart assistant isn’t great, but it is getting better

Bottom Line

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is one of the only watches with a built-in digital smart assistant. Combine that with a wearable that’s app-enabled at a price that’s $279.99, and you have a great contender for a true smartwatch that rivals the Apple Watch. Its sensors work well, and it’s cross compatible so it works on iPhone and Android. The Samsung Galaxy Watch is worth looking at.

Mobvoi TicWatch E2

The TicWatch E2 is one of the few devices running Wear OS by Android. It’s a good smartwatch, but not great. Extreme fitness buffs will want to pass on this one, but it’s a good device for normal people.

Price

The TicWatch E2 starts at $159.99.

Pros

• Sports tracking
• Built-in GPS
• Activity monitor
• Waterproof
• Heart rate monitor
• Sleep monitor

Cons

• It’s questionable how long Google will continue to support Wear OS
• Battery life is mediocre
• Not customizable

Bottom Line

The TicWatch E2 is a Wear OS device which means it technically has an app store, but good luck finding them. The Wear OS is not heavily supported by Google or app makers. Couple that with the fact the features are half baked, the sensors aren’t the best, and it’s not really customizable makes me say look at other options. If you want a Wear OS device, this may be it, but at this price point, you could get a device like a Fitbit Versa that has been vital tracking.

Skagen Falster 2

The Falster 2 is the other Wear OS device on our list. It’s a very beautiful device with some nice features but major caveats.

Price

The Skagen Falster 2 starts at $275.

Pros

• Heart rate tracking
• Activity tracking
• Google Pay compatible
• Easiest watch band to use
• Built-in Google Assistant
• Waterproof
• App store enabled
• Rapid charging
• OLED screen

Cons

• Very bad battery life
• Laggy response
• The screen is slow to wake

Bottom Line

The Skagen Faster 2 is one of the nicest Wear OS devices. If you absolutely want a Wear OS device, take a look at this one. It has good sensors, an easy watch band, it looks beautiful, and it charges quickly. Its major drawback is its battery life. Depending on your daily schedule, you may be able to get around that, but it’s going to be difficult with less than a full day of charge time.

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