10 Great Smartwatches with Step Tracking and Heart Rate Monitoring for an Active Lifestyle

Fitness trackers have long outgrown their role as simple step counters. Today's wearables can automatically detect workouts, take phone calls, and monitor a wide range of important health metrics. Choosing the right device can help you stay more active and keep better track of your training. Here are the best models on the market that not only count your steps and measure your heart rate but also offer plenty of additional features.

Garmin vivoactive 6 (Best Overall Fitness Tracker)

The Garmin vivoactive 6 offers one of the most balanced packages available. It's comfortable enough to wear around the clock without looking overly sporty, making it an easy fit for everyday outfits. The watch accurately tracks everything from yoga sessions to strength training. Physical buttons make navigation quick and intuitive, and the battery lasts up to 11 days on a single charge.

Fitbit Charge 6 (Best Everyday Fitness Tracker)

Fitbit has built a strong reputation over the years, and the Charge 6 continues that tradition. It automatically detects workouts, identifies your activity, and records all the relevant metrics in the Fitbit app. The tracker displays notifications, lets you set timers, and monitors your heart rate without requiring constant access to your phone. Its Smart Wake alarm gently wakes you during the optimal stage of sleep. Water resistance up to 50 meters makes it suitable for swimming, while battery life reaches about a week. The app also provides daily readiness scores, although some advanced features require a subscription.

Fitbit Inspire 3 (Best Heart Rate Fitness Tracker)

The Inspire 3 is an excellent entry point into the world of fitness wearables. Despite its compact size, it packs an impressive array of sensors. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂), breathing rate, and sleep stages. The bright color display remains easy to read even in direct sunlight. Its lightweight design makes it virtually unnoticeable during workouts with kettlebells or barbells. Battery life extends to around 10 days. For GPS route tracking during runs, however, you'll still need to carry your smartphone.

Withings ScanWatch Light (Best Hybrid Smartwatch)

The ScanWatch Light looks like a traditional analog watch while hiding impressive smart features beneath its classic design. It pairs perfectly with business attire. A small display integrated into the watch face provides step counts, heart rate data, and other health information. Navigation is handled through a convenient rotating crown, while Gorilla Glass protects the display from scratches. Battery life is exceptional, lasting up to 30 days between charges. Although it's not designed for intense CrossFit sessions, it performs very well during cardio workouts.

Coros Apex 2 (Best Running Watch)

The Coros Apex 2 is a premium sports watch aimed at runners and triathletes. Its nylon strap provides a secure and comfortable fit throughout long workouts. During a run, the display shows key performance metrics including pace, distance, heart rate, and elapsed time. The companion app presents detailed graphs and can even estimate your finishing times for races such as a 5K or a marathon. Battery life reaches approximately 40 hours in full GPS training mode, while the interface remains clean and intuitive.

Xiaomi Smart Band 7 (Best Budget Fitness Tracker)

Xiaomi's Smart Band 7 offers impressive functionality in a compact package. It supports more than 110 workout modes while also monitoring stress levels, displaying smartphone notifications, and tracking women's health. A full recharge takes about an hour, and the battery easily lasts around two weeks. The design is fairly simple, but its capabilities more than make up for the understated appearance.

Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED (Best Battery Life)

The Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED stands out with exceptional endurance, lasting up to 16 days on a single charge. Durable glass protects its vibrant AMOLED display, and multiple case sizes ensure a comfortable fit for different wrist sizes. The watch continuously monitors health metrics, supports advanced sports tracking, streams music through Spotify, and even allows phone calls directly from your wrist. Reinforced protection around the sensors improves durability during outdoor adventures and demanding conditions.

Samsung Galaxy Watch5 (Best Smartwatch for Android)

The Galaxy Watch5 is an excellent all-around smartwatch for Android users. It delivers advanced sleep analysis and highly accurate health monitoring. Its curved sensor sits comfortably against the wrist, improving measurement accuracy. The watch automatically detects workouts and records your performance without manual input. Battery life reaches up to two days, offering a well-balanced combination of features and everyday usability.

Apple Watch Series 10 (Best Smartwatch for iPhone)

Apple's tenth-generation smartwatch features a slimmer design and a noticeably larger display that shows more information while remaining easy to read from virtually any angle. Screen brightness has also been significantly improved. The watch supports thousands of apps and extensive customization options. Safety features such as Crash Detection and Fall Detection can automatically contact emergency services when needed. The new Double Tap gesture lets you control music playback, answer calls, or confirm Apple Pay transactions with one hand. Battery life remains around 18 hours.

Garmin Forerunner 965 (Best Garmin Smartwatch)

The Forerunner 965 is Garmin's flagship alternative to the Apple Watch, with a much stronger focus on sports performance. It supports contactless payments, music streaming services, and delivers outstanding battery life of up to 23 days in smartwatch mode. The intuitive interface quickly becomes familiar thanks to its logical menu structure.

The watch tracks an extensive range of health and fitness metrics, including:

• Resting heart rate.
• Body Battery energy level.
• Training readiness.
• Sleep quality and daytime recovery.
• Blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂).
• Stress level.
• Daily step count and calorie burn.
• VO₂ Max.
• Heart rate variability (HRV).

Its appearance is unapologetically athletic. It may not be the ideal choice for formal occasions or business meetings, but when it comes to running and endurance training, it's one of the best smartwatches available.