Whether you’re looking to track your step count, sleep or even more advanced health insights, smart watches have come a long way in the past 10 years.

In 2026, the very best on the market not only deliver best-in-class fitness and health insights, but they also act as a handy second screen to your smartphone.

But from Garmin to Samsung, Apple and more, it can feel hard to know where to start when you’re looking to buy one, and it’s not necessarily a one-size-fits-all category.

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Below, 7You reveals the seven best smart watches for every budget and type of person.

Here’s everything you need to know.

1. Best all-rounder: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2, $1,299, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2, $1,299, Samsung. Credit: Samsung

First up is this newly-released-this-year beast of a smart watch from Samsung.

And if you’re looking for a watch that really can do it all, then this should be the one you reach for.

From specialised sports tracking to incredible speed and GPS tracking, it’s jam-packed with new and improved features, including a seriously impressive battery life.

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Combining a durable titanium build with major performance and display upgrades, the watch is pricey, but really delivers in a number of different categories.

The 47mm watch features an extremely bright AMOLED display screen that you can see in all sorts of lighting, even bright direct sunlight.

The screen is protected under a sapphire crystal glass coating, and the case is made of shock-resistant titanium.

Some of my favourite features of this watch come in the exercise category.

Equipped with Samsung’s BioActive sensor, I love the Daily Cardio Load feature, which works to measure your workout intensity and recovery, as well as the Fitness Index, which combines your VO2 max and metrics.

Those who like to track their sleep will also not be disappointed, thanks to a Sleep Tracker that provides a dedicated Energy Score in the morning.

The watch has an impressive 2.5 days battery life, with some reaching 5 days using power-saving mode.

Those who have tried it praise many features, including the comprehensive health tracking including sleep, heart rate, and blood pressure monitoring and premium, durable, and noticeably lighter design.

Several note it as a meaningful upgrade from earlier Galaxy Watch models and worth the investment.

2. Best all-round sports watch: Garmin Fenix 9, $1,749, Garmin

Garmin Fenix 9, $1,749, Garmin. Credit: Garmin

Garmin has long-established itself as one of the greatest brands in the smartwatch world.

As a dedicated fan (I’m a Forerunner girl FYI), I take every single release the company makes very seriously — and this one in September has not disappointed.

The Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro have launched for serious sports people and outdoors types, and they are packed with features you’re sure to love.

Looking to track your performance in crystal-clear detail in a race?

With the Garmin Fenix 9, you can track HRV status, blood oxygen, sleep coach, jet lag advisor, body battery, stress, respiration, and more.

With Stamina Curve and Zones, you can monitor your stamina to see if you are improving or fading during a workout, which is ideal for when you are training for a race, event, or competition.

You can also use your watch for a number of different activities, so whether you’re trail running, skiing, playing golf or surfing, it’s measureable.

Select Pro models support direct LTE connectivity for two-way messaging, voice calling, LiveTrack, and interactive SOS from your wrist, plus off-grid satellite messaging capabilities.

Not only this, but the display is super clear and impressive, even when you’re in the daylight.

This watch is built for serious athletes and adventurers.

3. Best for runners: Garmin Forerunner 970, $1,399, Garmin

Garmin Forerunner 970, $1,399, Garmin. Credit: Garmin

As a runner, this is my personal smart watch, and my recommendation to anyone who is getting into running more seriously.

Costing a cool $1,399, it features a crystal clear bright AMOLED display screen, along with a host of top-of-the-market features to ensure you’re tracking and recording your activites to their best.

For the impressive price tag, you can expect to get premium GPS tracking and advanced training features like a feature that tells you how well-rested and ready for training you are.

The watch cleverly tracks your running efficiency using long-term running volume, stride length and step speed loss.

It helps you see how your runs affect your body and suggests a safe weekly mileage to keep your training on track.

You’ll also get a built-in flashlight and speaker/microphone, durable sapphire lens, built-in full colour maps, Apple Pay, music and up to 15 days of battery in smartwatch mode.

All of this is housed in a durable Sapphire screen and titanium bezel construction.

The watch also weighs just 56 grams and feels feather light on your wrist.

Some of my favourite features of this watch include the “Training Readiness” feature, which is based on how much running you’ve done that week, and “Training Status”, which indicates how fit you are at any given point.

I also like the metric called “Running Tolerance”.

This guides you as to how much running your body can handle at any given point, in order to avoid getting injured but still build fitness.

There is also everything you’d expect from a Garmin, like the weather report, GPS maps, step count and HRV (heart rate variability status).

4. Best for newbie smart watch wearers: Samsung Galaxy Watch9, $649, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch9, $649, Samsung. Credit: Samsung

If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the Samsung Galaxy Watch9 is a fantastic investment.

Billed as your personal health companion on the journey to better wellness, this new Galaxy Watch transforms daily routines into meaningful insights on sleep, activity, recovery and overall health

It adapts to your lifestyle in real time, offering personalised guidance backed by a long-lasting 390 mAh battery and the advanced Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform.

While the watch is light on the wrist, it packs a lot of features into its $649 price tag.

The Galaxy Watch9 monitors your sleep from bedtime to wake-up, delivering personalised insights into your rest and its impact on daily performance.

You can learn to understand your sleep patterns, habits and duration for better sleep management.

Not only this, but the watch is a fantastic addition to your training.

A personal coach on your wrist helps to make every workout smarter and more effective.

Galaxy Watch9 learns from your body and health data to help guide your training — when to push harder and when to recover — helping you improve without overtraining.

It also has an impressive battery life.

5. Best big brand contender: Amazfit Balance 3, $519, Amazon Australia

Amazfit Balance 3, $519, Amazon Australia. Credit: 7You

Affordable Chinese brand Amazfit recently dropped its new flagship model, the Amazfit Balance 3, and it’s worth so much more than its $519 price tag.

Heavy, but in a good and serious kind of way, the durable, military-grade body is built for rigorous daily training, while the scratch-resistant sapphire glass and titanium shell protects a vivid 1.5” display for clear data visibility.

The watch has so many features that users will come to love after living with it for a few weeks.

Upon testing it, I loved things like the built-in LED flashlight when setting out for early morning runs in the dark, as well as the mid-run monitoring of performance and how you are feeling.

The battery life is seriously impressive, too — around 21 days on a single charge at my last checking.

There’s nothing worse than your watch running out of battery before you head out of the door for a run, or worse: mid run. With the Balance 3, this didn’t happen once.

Other features that I grew to love include things like the Weekly Focus, Training Balance and HybridCharge system, which combines training load, recovery and daily demands.

I found this instrumental in planning exactly what kind of run my body needed that day, and when I needed to pull back and let my body adjust.

This watch is also great for a number of other sports aside from running, whether you’re into swimming, cycling, golf, HYROX or tennis.

It also supports integration with a number of fitness platforms, including Strava, TrainingPeaks, Runna, Apple Health, and more.

6. Best for Apple die hards: Apple Watch 4 Ultra, $1,349, Apple

Apple Watch 4 Ultra, $1,349, Apple. Credit: Instagram

Of course, a smart watch list is no list without an inclusion from Apple.

And the Apple Watch 4 Ultra is an impressive smart watch by any metric.

Apple’s flagship rugged smartwatch, designed for outdoor endurance, extreme environments, and advanced health tracking, will sync seamlessly with all of your other Apple devices, meaning one coherent ecosystem that flows naturally from iPhone to iPad and watch.

The rugged 49-mm aerospace-grade titanium case comes with precision dual-frequency GPS + Cellular connectivity and built-in satellite communications.

It promises a 74-hour battery life, as well as many premium features.

The Ultra 4 arrives with a more advanced health-sensing system, improved battery life and a new Readiness feature designed to help you make smarter decisions about your training.

It also looks at your recovery, tracking sleep and more, to ensure you’re getting the most from your smartwatch.

7. Best for lifestyle: Garmin Venu X1, $1,499, Garmin

Garmin Venu X1, $1,499, Garmin. Credit: Instagram

Last but certainly not least, the Garmin Venu X1 ($1,499) is the perfect addition to your life if you’re looking for a lifestyle-oriented smart watch.

Billed as Garmin’s thinnest smartwatch to date, featuring a sleek, rectangular design with a large 2-inch display and an ultrathin case, it’s lightweight and detail-oriented.

The Venu X1 fuses practical features you need in a smartwatch with lightweight materials and advanced health and fitness features.

When it’s time to train, recover or explore, you can trust this smartwatch to take you there.

Clever features include a Jet Lag Advisor, which helps to minimise the effects of jet lag with guidance on light exposure, sleep schedule and exercise.

You can also preserve your night vision, and reduce sleep cycle disturbances with red shift, which changes the entire watch display to shades of red, green or orange.