Top five smartwatches for 2020

Whether you’re looking for a stylish smartwatch to keep up with notifications such as calls, texts and emails, or a device that can help you track your activity, we’ve got a top-scoring model for you. We’ve tested the latest smartwatches from brands such as Apple, Garmin and Samsung.

We test every smartwatch in a range of different scenarios, both inside and outside our test lab, to find out how they perform when it comes to notifications and smart features, as well as how accurately they track your fitness. We test how long it takes to fully charge your device and how much battery life you can expect to get.

The very best models have brilliantly clear and reactive screens, myriad functions and lots of apps to choose from. They will have plenty of juice in the battery from one charge and be able to accurately track your activity, too. Poor performers in our tests lack the features needed to make them useful, and you’ll still need to dig out your phone to properly view and respond to notifications.

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Not found the product for you? Browse all of our smartwatch reviews.

Three tips for picking the best smartwatch

We run every smartwatch through a barrage of tests, checking how well they deal with notifications, to how accurately  they track your fitness and how long a fully charged battery will last. We spend weeks with each device, to assess it for comfort, too. But, performance aside, how do you pick the perfect smartwatch for you?

1. Operating system - there are three main operating systems for smartwatches: Wear OS, Tizen and watchOS. The type of smartphone you own will dictate the operating system you can go for. Wear OS, formerly called Android Wear, will work with both Android and iOS devices, although the features and functions will differ for iPhone users. Tizen will pair with both Android and iOS smartphones. watchOS is Apple's operating system, and is designed to work exclusively with iOS devices.
2. Decide on your budget - smartwatches cost from around £100 to more than £650 and, while you would have once had to spend a lot to get a smartwatch worth buying, have found some good smartwatches for less than £200. Price is by no means an indicator of performance, as more expensive models often have a swankier design but don't offer more features.
3. Features - deciding which features you need is important. Some devices offer the whole gamut of smart functions, including being able to answer calls and  respond to texts or emails without using your smartphone. Others will be more suited to fitness fanatics, with advanced activity-tracking features such as built-in GPS or a heart-rate monitor. Find out more about which features to look for using our how to buy the best smartwatch guide.

An accurate smartwatch is a great way to track progress in the home, as well as outside. Read our exercise equipment buying guide for more on how to get started with a home gym.