Smartwatches with Wear OS by Google are compatible with smartphones running the latest versions of Android or iOS.
Wear OS smartwatches have adapted Google’s Android operating system to bring it to the wrist, making your smartwatch feel like a natural extension of your smartphone.
Download your favorite apps, enjoy music on the go, make contactless payments, and respond to your messages. Plus, you can also use them to enjoy the latest in health and fitness tracking.
Here are our picks for the best Wear OS watches to wrap around your wrist.
Our Top Wear OS Watches of 2023
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro 45mm
Best Overall
The best bang for your buck in Wear OS watches
$378 $450 Save
$72
If you’re scouting for a Wear OS smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is one of the best you can get. With comprehensive health and fitness tracking, improved sensor readings, and upgraded battery life, every detail has been tweaked from previous generations, making it the best Samsung Galaxy watch yet.
- Comprehensive health and wellness tracking
- Improved battery life
- Improved sensor readings
- IP68 waterproof
- A great extension of Samsung Galaxy smartphones
- Message notifications can be a little inconsistent
If you’re looking for a Wear OS watch that does it all, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a great place to start. It has a sleek and stylish sports-like design and is jam-packed with cool features. Among its many functions, you’ll find an advanced GPS, multi-sport tracker, auto workout tracking, and advanced sleep coaching.
Sensor accuracy has been improved for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, with a curved design that gets closer to your skin and provides more accurate wellness readings. An improved battery life means it’s better equipped to keep pace with your activities, and a waterproof rating of IP68 means it’s perfectly happy out in the elements.
Track your sleep, body composition, heart rate, and more, using the 5 Pro in conjunction with the Samsung Health Monitor app. The sapphire crystal display looks sharp as a tack, and the titanium case provides a tough and durable exterior. All-in-all, this is a great-looking smartwatch that works seamlessly as an extension of your Galaxy smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and its Classic counterpart (the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic) also hit the shelves in August 2023. These are solid options to consider if you want to sport the latest wearable tech or show off the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic’s sleek design.
Ticwatch Pro 5 Android Smartwatch
Most Durable
Military-grade tested to withstand the elements
Tested to meet US-MIL-STD 810H standards, the Ticwatch Pro 5 is built to take some damage. Resistant against rain, sand, ice, shock, and vibration, it’s ideal to take with you on outdoor adventures. And with sophisticated GPS that covers all five global satellite systems, it’s easy to navigate your own path.
- Built to withstand the elements
- Great for GPS
- Dual-layer display
- Rotating crown with haptics for easy scrolling
- Not compatible with wireless charging
The Ticwatch Pro 5 Smartwatch is the first smartwatch to feature the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform. Designed to deliver a low-power, high-impact performance, it’s ideal for anybody who demands fast and reliable functionality. It supports fast charging and carries an impressive 80-hour battery life.
Under the hood, you’ll find more than 100 sports modes, an advanced GPS, barometer, compass, smart training, sleep tracking, advanced biometrics, plus a built-in speaker and mic. It features a stunning OLED display and has plenty of neat hidden surprises, such as a rotating crown with haptic feedback, which can be used to easily scroll through your apps.
Choose between the high-performance OLED display, or the Ticwatch’s ultra-low power display, which allows you to access critical information for days on end while conserving as much battery power as possible. The Ticwatch Pro 5 is MIL-STD-810H certified and has a 5 ATM water resistance rating, so it offers great durability too.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Best Value
High performance with a more budget price tag
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is a high-performance smartwatch that comes at a more affordable price. Featuring advanced metrics, sports tracking, plus music streaming, it makes the perfect companion to your Galaxy smartphone.
- More affordable option
- Good for music streaming
- Pretty durable
- Decent battery life
- Battery life is not as good as the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
- Smart notifications are a little inconsistent
For a more budget-friendly Wear OS smartwatch, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. Although it might not be the new kid on the block, it nevertheless offers a satisfying combination of form and function and won’t set you back too much either.
It has a simple yet elegant design, with a tough sapphire crystal glass face that’s 1.6 times stronger against scratch damage. It has an advanced GPS with voice tracking, sleep tracking, and body biometrics, and supports more than 90 types of exercise. It also works well for web browsing, Google Maps, and music streaming. Plus, if you own a previous version of the Galaxy Watch, the Smart Switch function makes porting all your data a breeze.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 comes with a water resistance rating of IP68, like the 5 Pro, and therefore can be worn while swimming, or for similarly wet activities. With faster charging (compared to previous generations) thrown into the mix as well, there’s plenty here to recommend, particularly at this modest price point.
Google Pixel Watch (Wi-Fi)
Best for Google
The best Wear OS watch for Google functionality
$337 $400 Save
$63
The Google Pixel Watch is a stunning smartwatch that works seamlessly with your favorite Google apps and comes with a six-month subscription to Fitbit Premium, allowing you to take advantage of exclusive workouts, and mindfulness sessions.
- Fantastic design
- Best option for Google apps
- Fitbit Premium membership included
- Emergency SOS function is a great feature
If prizes were handed out for the best-looking smartwatches, the Google Pixel Watch would surely be one of the front runners. Its elegant display is simply gorgeous, framed like a precious jewel on top of its smooth, minimalist wristband. And luckily, its beauty isn’t only skin-deep either.
Naturally, it’s the best choice for Google Assistant, Google Wallet, Google Maps, and all other things Google. It also works well for calls, texts, emails, and music streaming. It comes with six months of Fitbit Premium included, offering you exclusive workouts, mindfulness sessions, and more. You can choose from up to 40 different exercises and track each of your workouts.
On top of this, it carries a 5 ATM water resistance rating and carries additional features like the handy Emergency SOS function, which can call emergency services or a trusted contact with five quick presses of the crown.
The only sticking point here is the battery life, which is notoriously lackluster when it comes to Google’s Pixel Watch. However, with active workout tracking disengaged, you can still enjoy around two days of battery life on a full charge.
Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition
Best for Wellness
Your personal health and wellness monitor
$210 $299 Save
$89
Enjoy comprehensive health and wellness tracking with the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition. This Alexa-enabled smartwatch automatically tracks your personal activity goals, cardio, steps, heart rate, and SpO2. Using sophisticated sensors, it provides you with all the data you need to power your health and fitness apps.
- Comprehensive health and wellness tracking
- Alexa-enabled
- Faster charging
- Glow in the dark display
- Water-resistant
- Unremarkable battery life
The Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition is an Alexa-enabled smartwatch that, as its name suggests, puts an emphasis on health and wellness tracking. Featuring advanced metrics for heart rate zones, sleep insights, SpO2, and VO2 Max, it’s powered by Wear OS 3 and provides the latest in fitness tracking.
Choose from hundreds of fitness apps and benefit from additional features such as auto workout detection, which is ideal if you tend to forget to switch tracking on when starting a workout. Answer and make calls with ease using the built-in speaker and mic and enjoy web browsing and music streaming.
The Fossil Gen 6 has a 44-millimeter stainless steel case with a waterproof silicone strap and a glow-in-the-dark display. It supports faster charging, giving you an 80 percent charge after just 30 minutes, and is swimproof by design. And while it does sport a chunkier design than many other smartwatches, this will appeal if you prefer a more rugged look.
Skagen Falster Gen 6
Best Design
Dazzling good looks with a trunk load of smart functions
Its sleek, stainless-steel design will have you turning heads when you wear the Skagen Falster Gen 6 smartwatch. With Alexa-enabled functionality, plus the increased performance offered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform, it also has plenty of substance to complement its style, too.
- Elegant design
- Alexa-enabled
- Lower power consumption
- Fitness tracking
- Always-on display may not suit everyone
The Skagen Falster Gen 6 Smartwatch is embellished with a very handsome stainless-steel case and wristband. It carries an air of sophisticated elegance and comes with plenty of smart functionality too. It has Alexa built-in and runs on the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform, offering you a 30 percent increase in performance compared to the Falster 3.
Enjoy automatic tracking for your activities, and monitor your heart rate, cardio, and SpO2. The Falster Gen 6 enables contactless payments and is great for browsing and music too. It provides faster battery charging than previous generations, as well as offering smart battery modes to help you optimize battery life.
The always-on display is now brighter and better than ever, with more colors and a higher pixel count, and everything looks immaculate. And with a water resistance up to 165 feet, it’s tougher than it looks too. A great mix of beauty and brawn.
Razer x Fossil Gen 6
Best for Gamers
Fossil’s smartwatch know-how, blended with Razer’s Chroma stylings
Bring some of that Razer Chroma drip to your smartwatch, with the Razer X Fossil Gen 6. Featuring a customizable Chroma dial, you can choose from four different dynamic RGB lighting effects, to show off your smartwatch in style.
- Customizable Razer Chroma RGB lighting
- Health and wellness tracking
- Comes with two interchangeable straps
- Features 3 unique Razer watch faces
- Fast charging
- Battery only lasts up to 24 hours
Also running on the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform is Razer’s X Fossil Gen 6 Smartwatch, and it represents Razer’s first foray into the smartwatch market.
It has a 1.28-inch color AMOLED display and features a customizable Chroma dial with four RGB lighting effects. Feature-wise, you’ll find a built-in accelerometer, altimeter, compass, gyroscope, off-body IR, PPG heart rate, and SpO2 monitoring. It’s optimized for use with your favorite Google apps and is packed with health and wellness fitness tracking.
Being a Razer smartwatch, this will naturally appeal to gamers, and it’s great to see some of that Chroma cool being integrated here. Plus, with lower power consumption and faster charging, as well as comprehensive fitness tracking, there’s so much more than just a fancy RGB light show on offer here.
Which Wear OS Watch Is Right for You?
Choosing the right kind of Wear OS watch for you will largely depend on what you want to use it for, besides the usual calls and messages.
If you’re planning to take it on outdoor adventures with you, the Ticwatch Pro 5 is an excellent choice. It’s Military-Grade tested and has Multi-GNSS functionality, and is a great choice for withstanding the elements, plotting your route, and then navigating your way home. Track barometric pressure and altitude fluctuations, and track any terrain with its built-in compass.
On the other hand, if you want to stay closer to home, track your fitness, and maybe even save a few bucks, then the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 fits the bill nicely. Lightweight but durable, it’s highly scratch-resistant and provides tracking for over 100 different sports activities. Stay in touch with the world around you, with calls and messages, and easy browsing. Plus, it’s great for music streaming too, if you want to motivate yourself through that next workout.
However, if you’re prepared to splash a little more cash, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro takes everything that’s great about the Galaxy Watch 5 and tweaks it all. Improved battery life, faster response times, more sophisticated sensors, and an advanced GPS. Plus, all the health and fitness tracking you’d expect from Samsung, with easy access to your favorite Google apps. And with a cool new design to boot, it’s our pick of the best Wear OS smartwatches right now.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro 45mm
Best Overall
The best bang for your buck in Wear OS watches
$378 $450 Save
$72
If you’re scouting for a Wear OS smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is one of the best you can get. With comprehensive health and fitness tracking, improved sensor readings, and improved battery life, every detail has been tweaked from previous generations, making it the best Samsung Galaxy watch yet.
- Comprehensive health and wellness tracking
- Improved battery life
- Improved sensor readings
- IP68 waterproof
- A great extension of Samsung Galaxy smartphones
- Message notifications can be a little inconsistent
