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Which smartwatch or fitness tracker brand should you buy?
A certified smartphones, tablets and wearables whizz, Adam's been hands-on with tech for more than six years, sharing expert knowledge and buying advice.
In this article
- Which smartwatch and fitness tracker brands develop the fewest faults?
- Expert verdict on smartwatch and fitness tracker brands
- Most common smartwatch and fitness tracker faults and how to fix them
- Are Apple Watches reliable?
- How we discover the most reliable smartwatch and fitness tracker brands
- Head to our smartwatch reviews
To find the most reliable smartwatch and fitness tracker brands for 2026, we asked 15,755 Which? members and the public to tell us if they are happy with their wearable tech. We wanted to know about real-world faults. Our data helps you see exactly which brands are worth your cash.
Our survey covers 7,587 smartwatches and fitness trackers from major names – including Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung. We checked real customer satisfaction to find out which devices actually go the distance.
Discover the best smartwatches and the best fitness trackers we recommend investing in.
Which smartwatch and fitness tracker brands develop the fewest faults?
Our rigorous tech survey reveals a significant difference between the most robust smartwatches or fitness trackers and the most fragile.
While top-tier wearables can survive years of intense daily use without a single glitch, our independent research shows that other expensive models frequently suffer from rapidly draining batteries or complete hardware failure. Because Which? is completely independent, we don't take freebies from tech manufacturers, allowing us to reveal the truth about which brands are built to last.
You can use the interactive table below to compare the brands. Sort by reliability rating to see which devices survive daily wear, or order by customer score (which reflects owners' level of satisfaction and whether they would recommend the brand).
Only logged-in Which? members can view the brand names and their scores. If you're not yet a member, join Which? today to unlock our exclusive reliability data.
| Brand | Reliability rating | % with a fault within 6-7 years | Average time to first fault (years) | Customer score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Based on a March 2026 survey of 15,755 Which? Connect panel members and members of the public across 43,027 products. Using the tables: Ranked by customer score with sample sizes in brackets. Reliability rating based on fault rate, average time to first fault and fault severity. Average time to first fault (years) analysed products up to 80 months. Customer score based on brand satisfaction and willingness to recommend. Products analysed were bought between 2019-2026.
Expert verdict on smartwatch and fitness tracker brands
As well as faults and reliability data, our survey also reveals which smartwatch brands genuine smartwatch owners feel happy with, and which they’d recommend to their own friends and family. And which they wouldn’t.
Our experts have analysed our survey results to tell you what you need to know about smartwatch brands.
We have exclusive information on brands including Apple, Samsung, Garmin, Amazfit, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Fitbit
Only logged-in Which? members can see our analysis of our survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to this and all of our expert reviews, including our smartwatch and fitness tracker reviews.
Most common smartwatch and fitness tracker faults and how to fix them
Our latest tech survey doesn't just rank brands; it highlights exactly what is going wrong with the wearables on your wrist. By tracking over 7,500 smartwatches and fitness trackers, we know the most common hardware frustrations and how you can resolve them.
1. Battery life got significantly worse (7%)
The most common fault across all smartwatches and fitness trackers is a battery that rapidly loses charge over time, affecting 7% of all devices. Fitbit owners suffered the most (12%), with some respondents noting their watch couldn't even survive a single round of golf anymore.
How to fix it: If your watch is dying before the day is out, try disabling the "always-on" display and turning off continuous heart rate monitoring. If you only remember to plug it in right before work, check our reviews for models that offer rapid charging. If the battery is completely exhausted, contact the manufacturer to see if they offer a battery replacement service.
2. Device won't turn off or is unresponsive (3%)
A complete failure to wake up or respond to touches affected 3% of surveyed smartwatches and fitness trackers, marking one of the most severe faults we track. Fitbit (6%) and Huawei (3%) owners reported this issue the most frequently.
How to fix it: Try a hard reset before you assume your expensive watch is completely dead. Hold down the power button for 10 to 15 seconds. This forces most models to wake up. Next, check the back of the watch. Built-up sweat and daily grime easily block the metal charging contacts. Give them a thorough scrub. Sometimes a dead battery just needs a clean connection to start pulling power again.
3. Persistent syncing or pairing issues (2%)
When a smartwatch or fitness tracker refuses to connect to your smartphone, it loses its ability to display notifications or upload fitness data. Around 2% of owners reported their device frequently losing connection, with Fitbit (4%) and Garmin (2%) owners experiencing the most syncing snags.
How to fix it: Ignore the online forums telling you to unpair the watch immediately. Doing that often triggers a factory reset and wipes your unsaved step counts. Start simple. Restart both your phone and the watch. Then check your app for software updates. A background patch is usually the exact fix you need to get your devices talking to each other again.
Are Apple Watches reliable?
Apple had a high customer score and low fault count in our survey. Out of the few faults that did occur on Apple smartwatches across six years, most were not severe and worsening battery lives was the most commonly reported issue. Apple is also clear about its security support periods, unlike some brands. Head to our guide to the best Apple Watch to find out more about what Apple has to offer.
How we discover the most reliable smartwatch and fitness tracker brands
As an expert who has tested wearables for several years, I know that a shiny new smartwatch or fitness tracker can look fantastic out of the box. But true quality is proven over time. You need a device that can survive daily runs, accidental knocks, and thousands of charging cycles. That’s why we look beyond our lab tests and turn directly to you.
Every year, we ask thousands of Which? members and the public to tell us about the tech they own. This year, 15,755 people provided detailed accounts of their experiences with over 61,000 individual products. We dug into the hard data for 7,587 smartwatches and fitness trackers bought over the past six to seven years. Our customer score reveals exactly how happy owners are in the real world. Would they actually tell a friend to buy one? To find out if a brand is truly reliable, we track the faults. We check how many devices break and exactly how fast it happens. Most importantly, we look at whether a glitch is just a minor annoyance – or a total hardware disaster that leaves your screen completely dead right as you try to log a morning run.
Because Which? is fiercely independent, we never accept free tech from brands. Our massive, statistically robust survey data, combined with our rigorous scientific lab testing, means we can give you buying advice you can actually trust.
Find out more about how we test smartwatches and how we test fitness trackers.
Head to our smartwatch reviews
We test smartwatches for large and small budgets, for people wanting a hi-tech watch with lots of health and sports features, and for people just wanting a more simple device to help them stay connected. Our scores take into account what matters to buyers, including battery life and accuracy of the stats recorded. Use the links below to read reviews of models from each of these smartwatch brands: