Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Best Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers

• Wearable tech is all the rage these days, and it makes an excellent gift for someone who loves futuristic gadgets
• You can find plenty of smartwatches and fitness trackers from top smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung
• If you have a health and fitness tech lover on your gift list, our holiday gift guide has some great gift options

Buying holiday gifts can be stressful, whether a Thanksgiving gift or a Christmas present. You want to get something that doesn’t disappoint but also doesn’t make you bankrupt. An easy way to do that is thinking about the other person’s interest and then finding the best deals on the item you decide to buy for them. For instance, if you have a health and fitness freak in your friends or family, they sure have a smartwatch on their holiday wish list. Now, smartwatches are not the cheapest gift. Thankfully, you can find some great holiday sales online and snag a sweet deal on the latest models. Also, just like you can find used iPhones for sale, there are used Apple Watches and other fitness trackers available for a fraction of the new ones’ price.

But how to know which smartwatches are worth buying? To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of the best smartwatches and fitness trackers you can find on the market.

Best Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers

The market is saturated with seemingly great smartwatches and fitness trackers. We’ve reviewed some of the top smartwatches below to save you from the trouble of going through hundreds of options. Besides new ones, you can also buy used smartwatches to save money without compromising quality.

1. Apple Watch SE: Best for iPhone Owners

What We Like

• An affordable Apple Watch
• Kid-friendly option
• Excellent battery life
• Responsive performance

What We Don’t Like

• No always-on display
• No ECG features

Read our buyer’s guide here: Apple Watch SE: Buyer’s Guide 

The Apple Watch SE is one of the best smartwatches on the market. While newer models, like Apple Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra, are out, this model remains highly in demand. The reason for its popularity is its noticeably low price despite having similar features to the high-end models. And if you buy used Apple Watch SE, you can save even more. It is a great option for anyone who wants to be in the Apple ecosystem without spending a ton of money.

The Apple Watch SE supports Apple Pay and offers app compatibility. Plus, it is about 20% faster than its predecessor. It can track your heart rate and several other workout activities. But the best thing about this watch is that it’s swim-proof so that you can track your swim workouts, too.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic: Best for Android Owners

What We Like

• Sharp performance
• Pixel-dense and bright display
• Excellent build quality
• WearOS works smoothly

What We Don’t Like

• Some Samsung phone-exclusive features
• Average battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic was released in 2021 and remained a top smartwatch even after a year. This smartwatch blends the best of Samsung smartwatch features with the WearOS features. Plus, it is one of the three smartwatches that run on WearOS 3.5, giving it an edge over other smartwatches in the market.

This smartwatch features a great display and sturdy build quality. It also offers smooth performance with its WearOS 3.5. Plus, menu navigation becomes easier with Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic’s physical rotating bezels. With all these features and a stunning appearance, this Samsung Watch makes a great holiday gift for anyone who wants to track their health and fitness.

3. Google Pixel Watch: Google’s First Smartwatch

What We Like

• Features Rich WearOS 3.5
• eSIM support
• Premium-looking watch
• Refined user experience

What We Don’t Like

• Battery life is not too great
• Big, chunky bezels

Google launched its first Pixel Watch on October 6, 2022. Since it is the first Google Watch, it has its caveats, but they may not be deal breakers. Featuring a nice AMOLED display with a no-nonsense design, this watch offers a refined user experience with a preloaded WearOS 3.5.

The best thing about Google Pixel Watch is that it supports the Fitbit ecosystem pretty well. It means you can use it as a tracker for almost all your workouts and health metrics. So, what better to gift a fitness freak than a Pixel Watch?

4. Fitbit Charge 5: Compact Smartband

What We Like

• Incredible OLED display
• Built-in GPS
• Supports mobile payments
• Tracks multiple health activities

What We Don’t Like

• No music control
• No physical buttons

The Fitbit Charge 5 takes everything from the Fitbit Charge 4 and improves it to make your Fitbit experience even better. With a sleeker design, an always-on display, and new health-tracking features, this fitness tracker is everything you can ask for.

The most significant addition to the Charge 5 is its OLED display with a larger screen size. This is the first Fitbit tracker to have a color display, and it certainly looks much nicer and premium.

5. Fossil Gen 6: A Stylish Option

What We Like

• Sleek and smart design
• Supports fast charging
• Accurate heart rate monitor
• Full-color AOD screen

What We Don’t Like

• Short battery life
• Not for swim workouts

The Fossil Gen 6 was released with WearOS 2, but as promised, it started receiving the long-awaited update to WearOS 3 in October 2022. Besides the OS, Fossil Gen 6 also features some hardware upgrades. It has some fresh design elements and new features, like GPS, Google Maps, Google Play, and more. Also, the always-on display is now brighter than its predecessors. You can also choose from different styles, catering to men and women both.

Final Thoughts

This holiday gift guide focuses explicitly on smartwatches and fitness trackers. If you’re looking for the best smartwatches to buy, we’ve shared some great options above. You can pick one depending on your requirements and budget situation. We also have some holiday shopping and budgeting tips for those who struggle with overspending on gifts.