Top 10 Smartwatches for Fitness in 2027
The Garmin Forerunner 970 ($749.99) is the best smartwatch for fitness, with the Apple Watch Series 12 at #2 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 at #3. For value, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium at $169.99 is the pick.
At a glance
| # | Pick | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garmin Forerunner 970 | $749.99 | Runners and triathletes who want the deepest training and recovery tools |
| 2 | Apple Watch Series 12 | $399 (42mm) | iPhone owners who want fitness plus the best everyday smartwatch |
| 3 | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | From $799 | Long races, hiking, open-water swims and diving with an iPhone |
| 4 | Google Pixel Watch 5 | From $399.99 | Android owners who want Fitbit-style coaching |
| 5 | Samsung Galaxy Watch9 | From $379.99 | Samsung Galaxy phone owners |
| 6 | Garmin Venu 4 | From $549.99 | Gym, health and everyday wellness with long battery life |
| 7 | Garmin vívoactive 6 | $299.99 | Garmin fitness tracking for less |
| 8 | COROS PACE 4 | $249 | Runners who want a light watch and long battery for little money |
| 9 | Amazfit Active 3 Premium | $169.99 | The lowest price for a full GPS fitness smartwatch |
| 10 | Apple Watch SE 3 | From $229 | The lowest-priced way into Apple Watch fitness tracking |
Pick by what you want
The ranking
Garmin Forerunner 970
Garmin’s Forerunner 970 is a running and triathlon watch with multi-band GPS and SatIQ technology, an AMOLED display, a built-in LED flashlight and the ECG app. It lasts up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and up to 26 hours in GPS-only mode, for $749.99.
Apple Watch Series 12
The Series 12 takes background heart rate readings every five seconds and HRV as often as every five minutes, has the ECG app and is water resistant to 50 meters. It lasts up to 24 hours of normal use and starts at $399 for the 42mm.
Apple Watch Ultra 4
The Ultra 4 has a 49mm titanium case, a display up to 3000 nits and a WR100 rating for recreational scuba diving to 40 meters. It lasts up to 50 hours of normal use and up to 45 hours of Max Extended Workout tracking, from $799.
Google Pixel Watch 5
Google’s Pixel Watch 5 has dual-frequency GPS, tracks 50+ activities, has the ECG app for AFib checks and is IP68 water and dust resistant. Battery is up to 30 hours (41mm) or up to 40 hours (45mm), from $399.99.
Samsung Galaxy Watch9
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch9 has L1+L5 dual-frequency GPS, a 5 ATM + IP68 rating and a 390 mAh battery, up from 300 mAh on the Galaxy Watch7. It starts at $379.99.
Garmin Venu 4
The Venu 4 is Garmin’s health-and-fitness smartwatch, with a built-in flashlight, the ECG app and multi-band GPS. It lasts up to 12 days in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS-only mode, from $549.99.
Garmin vívoactive 6
The vívoactive 6 brings Garmin fitness tracking to $299.99, with up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, up to 21 hours in GPS-only mode and a 5 ATM water rating.
COROS PACE 4
The COROS PACE 4 weighs 32 grams with the nylon band and has All-Systems and Dual-Frequency satellite modes. It lasts up to 19 days of daily use and 41 GPS hours, for $249.
Amazfit Active 3 Premium
Amazfit’s Active 3 Premium costs $169.99 and lasts up to 12 days typical, with up to 24 hours of continuous GPS, 170+ sports modes including HYROX and strength training, and 5 ATM water resistance.
Apple Watch SE 3
The SE 3 is the lowest-priced Apple Watch here, from $229, with a heart sensor, wrist temperature sensing, GPS and water resistance to 50 meters. It has no ECG app and lasts up to 18 hours of normal use.
How we ranked these
Questions people ask
What is the best smartwatch for fitness in 2027?
The Garmin Forerunner 970 at $749.99: multi-band GPS, up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and up to 26 hours in GPS-only mode.
What is the best value fitness smartwatch?
The Amazfit Active 3 Premium at $169.99, with up to 12 days of typical battery, up to 24 hours of continuous GPS and 170+ sports modes.
What is the best fitness smartwatch for iPhone?
The Apple Watch Series 12 from $399 (42mm). For long races and diving, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 lasts up to 50 hours of normal use.
What is the best fitness smartwatch for Android?
The Google Pixel Watch 5 (from $399.99, dual-frequency GPS) or, for Samsung phones, the Galaxy Watch9 (from $379.99, L1+L5 dual-frequency GPS).
Price (USD, starting) at a glance
Official sites
- Garmin Forerunner 970 · garmin.com
- Apple Watch Series 12 · apple.com
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 · apple.com
- Google Pixel Watch 5 · store.google.com
- Samsung Galaxy Watch9 · samsung.com
- Garmin Venu 4 · garmin.com
- Garmin vívoactive 6 · garmin.com
- COROS PACE 4 · coros.com
- Amazfit Active 3 Premium · us.amazfit.com
- Apple Watch SE 3 · apple.com
Sources
Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.