In 2025, smartwatches have become essential fitness tools that go beyond just telling the time. Whether you’re a casual runner, a gym enthusiast, or someone who wants to stay on top of their health, a smartwatch can help track your progress and optimize your workouts. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best smartwatches for fitness tracking, highlighting key features, performance, and value.
1. Key Features to Look for in a Fitness Smartwatch
Before diving into the best options, let’s quickly review the essential features you should look for when choosing a fitness-focused smartwatch:
- Heart Rate Monitoring: Accurate heart rate tracking is essential for gauging your workout intensity and overall health.
- GPS Tracking: If you run, cycle, or hike, a built-in GPS is crucial for tracking routes and distance.
- Water Resistance: For swimming or outdoor workouts, water resistance is a must.
- Battery Life: A longer battery life means you can track your activities without needing to recharge constantly.
- Fitness and Health Metrics: Look for smartwatches that can track a variety of metrics, like steps, calories burned, sleep patterns, and more advanced health features like ECG or blood oxygen monitoring.
With these features in mind, here are the top smartwatches for fitness tracking in 2025.
2. Top Smartwatches for Fitness Tracking in 2025
1. Apple Watch Series 9
- Price: ~$399
- Best For: Comprehensive fitness tracking and seamless Apple ecosystem integration
The Apple Watch Series 9 continues to be one of the best smartwatches for fitness tracking in 2025. It offers advanced fitness features like heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, ECG (electrocardiogram), and blood oxygen level monitoring. The watch also tracks a variety of activities, from running and cycling to swimming, with water resistance up to 50 meters. With watchOS 10, the Series 9 provides enhanced fitness tracking and personalized coaching features.
Apple’s Fitness+ subscription also integrates with the watch to provide guided workouts, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a full-featured fitness companion. Plus, its integration with the Apple ecosystem makes it ideal for users already invested in Apple devices.
2. Garmin Forerunner 965
- Price: ~$499
- Best For: Serious athletes and multi-sport tracking
If you’re a serious athlete or outdoor enthusiast, the Garmin Forerunner 965 is one of the top options in 2025. This watch is built for athletes, offering advanced metrics like VO2 max, lactate threshold, and training load to optimize your fitness. It features multi-sport modes, including running, cycling, swimming, and even golf.
The Forerunner 965 is equipped with built-in GPS for accurate distance tracking, and its long battery life (up to 14 days in smartwatch mode) ensures you can track your workouts without worrying about recharging. Plus, its water resistance makes it perfect for swimming and water sports.
3. Fitbit Charge 6
- Price: ~$179
- Best For: Budget-friendly fitness tracking with great health features
For those looking for a budget-friendly option, the Fitbit Charge 6 is a fantastic choice in 2025. It offers 24/7 heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, sleep tracking, and active zone minutes to help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
The Charge 6 also comes with built-in GPS, meaning you don’t need to bring your phone on runs or bike rides. Plus, its water resistance (up to 50 meters) makes it great for swimmers. While it doesn’t have the advanced features of higher-end watches like ECG or blood oxygen monitoring, the Fitbit Charge 6 is an excellent option for someone who wants an affordable and reliable fitness tracker.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
- Price: ~$349
- Best For: Android users and all-around fitness tracking
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a top contender for Android users looking for a comprehensive fitness tracker. It offers a wide range of fitness features, including heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, sleep analysis, and blood oxygen tracking. The watch’s long battery life (up to 2 days on a single charge) is a huge advantage for users who don’t want to recharge frequently.
The Galaxy Watch 6 is also water-resistant and tracks a variety of workouts, including running, cycling, and swimming. Its integration with Samsung Health and Google Fit makes it easy to sync with your Android phone and track all your fitness data.
5. Whoop Strap 4.0
- Price: ~$180 (Subscription required)
- Best For: Data-driven fitness tracking and recovery insights
The Whoop Strap 4.0 is different from traditional smartwatches in that it doesn’t have a screen. Instead, it focuses on data-driven fitness and recovery insights. It tracks heart rate variability, sleep patterns, strain (how much physical effort you’re putting in), and recovery (how well your body is recuperating).
With no screen, the Whoop Strap 4.0 is designed to be worn 24/7, including during sleep, to give you a complete picture of your health. It’s particularly popular among athletes who want to optimize their performance and recovery. Note that the Whoop 4.0 requires a monthly subscription for full access to its data analytics and insights.
3. Conclusion
In 2025, the best smartwatches for fitness tracking offer a range of features to meet different needs and budgets. Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive fitness tracker with advanced metrics like the Garmin Forerunner 965, a budget-friendly option like the Fitbit Charge 6, or an Apple Watch Series 9 with seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem, there’s something for everyone.
When choosing the right smartwatch, consider your specific fitness goals, budget, and preferred ecosystem (iOS or Android). No matter which option you go for, investing in a fitness-focused smartwatch can help you stay motivated, track your progress, and improve your overall health.
