Here are the top wearables you can buy in 2021 and beyond.
Today, the rise of smartwatches and wearables like Fitbit and Apple Watch are revolutionizing healthcare and fitness by allowing us to take care of our physical and mental well-being right from our wrists. With over 1 billion smartwatches sold each year globally and the number rising, health and wellness has become… common sense.
In 2019, an estimated 20.1 million smartwatches were sold in the United States and the number is estimated to rise. Despite the pandemic, in 2020, 266.5 million units of wearables being shipped out to customers globally.
Smartwatches help us improve our well-being by offering access to tons of fitness, dieting, and mental health apps that encourage us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Over 50% of smartwatch owners started exercising more and developing healthy eating habits after purchasing a wearable device. So if you want to lose weight and keep it off, give yourself the gift of a (better) smartwatch.
The best smartwatch brands in 2021 are: Apple Watch, Fitbit, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin, Amazon Halo, Polar, Fossil, Michael Kors.
In 2021, there is a rise of minimalist watches and hybrid smartwatches that combine both functionality and design from brands like Fossil and Michael Kors.
How to choose the right smartwatch for you
When deciding to buy a (better) smartwatch, you should take a few things into account:
• Features, budget, and value: Smartwatches range in price from under $100 to over $500. Budget models have basic functions mostly fitness-related, while the most expensive ones offer access to tons of health and wellness apps and features such as oxygen monitoring, advanced analysis of body composition, sleep monitoring, workouts for different sports, voice-control integrations, contactless payment, and more. You decide your fitness smarts and the price you are willing to pay for them. Fortunately, there is a smartwatch for every budget.
• Compatibility: Many smartwatches work with all phone brands, but some are only compatible with IOs or Android operating systems. If you are an iPhone user, you think of the Apple Watch as your first option, especially if you also own other Apple products that integrate with this smartwatch. No iPhone? No problem. There are a lot of Android options, usually more budget-friendly.
• Comfort and design: Smartwatches with big cases (over 44 mm) may not be appropriate for everybody, as they can look bulky. Especially if you have a small wrist, a 36 mm or 38 mm smartwatch might be a better fit.
By design, smartwatches are generally best paired with casual dresses. Especially for women, design plays an important role and now smartwatches come in a variety of styles: slim profiles, minimalist designs, and bold color palettes. There is a rise of minimalist and hybrid smartwatches that combine both functionality and design from brands like Fossil and Michael Kors, which can match smart casual styles too and look more feminine on the wrist.
(Probably) Best of the Best in 2021
• Apple Watch Series 6. The top tier Apple Watch for those willing to pay more for improved functionalities. From $454 at Amazon.
• Apple Watch SE. The best Apple Watch for your money. From $317 at Amazon.
• Fitbit Versa 3. The best Apple Watch alternative. From $228 at Amazon.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. The best value Android smartwatch. From $220 at Amazon.
• Garmin Venu Sq. The best budget fitness watch. From $200 at Amazon.
• Fitbit Inspire 2. The best cheap fitness tracker for all activities. From $100 at Amazon.
Apple Watch Series 6 – The future of health is on your wrist.
Apple’s signature smartwatch is the premium device from Apple collection, with improved functionality and a lot of fitness, health, and wellbeing features. It’s the fastest smartwatch from Apple and has new features vs the previous models.
It helps you understand your health on a deeper level: measure your own oxygen level via a Blood Oxygen app, ECG app to measure your heartbeats, meet your sleep goals and track it via a sleep app, track your workouts, and more. Apple Watch is the ultimate device for a healthy life.
You also get access to Fitness+ – A fitness service for everyone. Powered by Apple Watch. Get 3 months free when you buy an Apple Watch.
Key Features:
- NEW blood oxygen sensor, fitness tracker, sleep monitor, heart rate monitor.
- Bluetooth, wi-fi, NFC, GPS, voice assistant, elevation tracker.
- The Always-On Retina display is 2.5x brighter outdoors when your wrist is down.
- Measure workouts like running, walking, cycling, yoga, swimming, and dance.
- Swimproof design, water-resistant.
- Sync your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks.
Apple Watch SE – Heavy on features. Light on price.
The Apple Watch SE looks nearly identical to the Series 6 and shares most of its features, but it is more budget-friendly.
It has advanced fitness tracking sensors and features: daily activity tracking, irregular heartbeats monitoring, new tai chi and pilates workouts, in addition to favorites like running, yoga, swimming, and dance; hike smarter with built-in compass and real-time elevation readings.
You also get access to Fitness+ A fitness service for everyone. Powered by Apple Watch. Get 3 months free when you buy an Apple Watch.
Family Setup. Set up and manage Apple Watch for each family member, including GPS tracking for kids, making an useful and appealing gift for kids.
Key features:
- An expansive retina display, water-resistant 50 meters, reliable battery life
- Better connectivity via calls, texts, and email, notifications, voice control option
- Safety features like emergency SOS and fall detection
- Apple Pay feature, Apple Music streaming
Fitbit Versa 3 – Live your best life.
Fitbit’s Versa 3 is a solid option for anyone, and its price, which is lower than some of its contemporaries, makes it even more appealing.
Key Features:
- Water resistance, 6 plus day battery life
- GPS, Bluetooth, reminders, voice assistant, NFC pay
- Amazon Alexa built-in helps you control your smart home devices and more through the sound of your voice
- Sleep monitor, heart rate monitor
Fitbit Premium
– with guided programs, personalized insights, advanced sleep tools, and thousand of workouts. Get a free 90-day trial in the Fitness app.
This smartwatch boasts a bigger screen than previous models from Samsung but is light enough to wear it comfortably. It has a versatile design and a variety of faces and bands that works for the office and the gym.
Key Features:
- Long-lasting battery can go for more than a day
- Bluetooth and voice commands
- Comfortably sleek: light enough to wear anywhere comfortably
- Nice design: a variety of faces, bands and finishes so it goes with anything
- Better insights to reach your fitness goals, advanced sensors for your fitness goals, sleep tracking, monitors your heart and stress level, and has an integrated Calm app.
Health is important to you, so monitor everything from your Body Battery energy levels, respiration, hydration, to stress, sleep, your menstrual cycle, estimated heart rate, and more.
Find new ways to keep moving with more than 20 preloaded sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, mindful breathing, swimming, golf, and many more. Use preloaded workouts that include cardio, yoga, strength, and even Pilates, create your own in the Garmin Connect app.
Key features:
- GPS, bright touchscreen display, up to 6 days battery life, Garmin Pay contactless payments.
- Many health and sport features: monitors the body’s energy and heart rate levels throughout the day, The Pulse Ox sensor estimates your blood oxygen saturation; stress tracking with relax reminders, menstrual cycle tracking, hydration tracking with reminders, respiration tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, a free personal running coach on your wrist.
- Built-in sports apps – including walking, running, cycling, swimming, golf, and more.
Other good wearables
Amazon Halo Band – Measure how you move, sleep, and sound – Designed with privacy in mind
Amazon Halo Band is an accurate health tool on its own but offers even more as part of Amazon Halo, the health and wellness membership designed to help you improve your health by better understanding it. Discover hundreds of premium on-demand workouts, daily meditations, sleep and nutrition support, and more.
Key features:
- Monitors steps, heart rate, sleep tracking, water resistance to 50 m.
- Battery life between 2-7 days, works with Alexa via voice control.
- Membership includes access to a full suite of tools, features, workouts, sleep, and nutrition programs. Free for 6 months.
- Get moving — intensity-based activity tracking, plus an ever-growing Amazon library of premium workouts and programs, from Halle Berry’s rē•spin to SWEAT. Tools to measure, understand and improve your health.
- Refuel and recharge — measure the quantity and quality of your sleep, plus discover daily meditations from experts like Headspace and 450+ recipes from partners like Whole Foods to help you feel your best.
POLAR IGNITE Advanced Waterproof Fitness Watch – Become Your True Potential
Meet Polar Ignite, a new-generation fitness smartwatch with advanced wrist-based heart rate, integrated GPS, personalized daily workout guidance, and a nightly recovery measurement. Reach your true potential with Polar Ignite, a smartwatch for those who want to push their limits the right way.
Key features:
- Integrated GPS, battery life up to 5 days
- Advanced wrist-based heart rate, smart calories
- Nightly recharge shows how well you recover from stress and training during the night
- FitSpark training guide with on-demand workouts
- Serene guided breathing exercise
- Sleep Plus Stages monitors your sleep quality (REM, light, and deep sleep)
- Swimming metrics / smart notifications
And the overall winner is…
But there can only be one ‘best smartwatch‘, and the best smartwatch in the world right now is the Apple Watch Series 6. Of all the wearables available, the Apple Watch has the most developed platform. It’s also the most attractive, and, arguably, more technologically advanced than its competitors.
Which is your favorite smartwatch? Please let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Important notification:
These devices and related softwares are not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease. Always follow professional medical advice!