← Library Wearables · No. 005

Wearables,
compared honestly.

Watches, rings, bands, and straps — filtered by what they actually measure, not by marketing copy. Pin two to four and compare every spec side by side.

Tap on any card to pin it. Pin up to 4 to compare side-by-side.

Watch Series 12

The default Apple Watch, now with heart rate every five seconds and a free daily Readiness score.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
39.5g

Watch Ultra 4

Apple’s endurance flagship, now past two days on a charge with a daily Readiness score.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
63g

Fenix 9 Pro

Satellite messaging and LTE are now a $100 option in every size, from 43mm to Solar.

Smartwatch
18 days battery
56g

Ring 5

Forty percent smaller than the Ring 4, and still the sleep tracker everything else is measured against.

Ring
9 days battery
2.5g

$399 + $5.99/mo

Galaxy Watch 9

The Watch 8’s body with a Snapdragon chip, a bigger cell, and Samsung’s newest health software.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
31.5g

Pixel Watch 5

Same body and battery as the Pixel Watch 4, with a faster brain built to run Gemini before you ask.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
31g

Forerunner 970

The runner’s flagship. First Forerunner with an ECG, maps, and a flashlight.

Smartwatch
15 days battery
56g

Watch SE 3

The cheapest Apple Watch worth buying. Always-on display and wrist temp at $249.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
32.9g

Fenix 9

Sapphire, a titanium bezel, and 64GB are now standard — at the same $999 Garmin charges for a Fenix 8.

Smartwatch
16 days battery
53g

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

The first Ultra with genuinely new hardware: thinner, 35% more battery, and a real dive rating.

Smartwatch
3 days battery
61.5g

Fenix 8 Pro

The first Garmin that can message a satellite from your wrist. Priced accordingly.

Smartwatch
15 days battery
56g

Galaxy Watch 8

Last year’s flagship, now $50 cheaper. Antioxidant Index, body composition, and blood pressure on one wrist.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
30g

Pixel Watch 4

Satellite SOS on the LTE model, a domed 3000-nit screen, and it finally lasts past dinner.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
31g

Fenix 8

Multi-week battery, every sport mode, no subscription — superseded by the Fenix 9 at the same $999.

Smartwatch
16 days battery
52g

Ring 4

Superseded by the Ring 5 but still on sale — same app, bigger shell, lower price.

Ring
8 days battery
4.5g

$349 + $5.99/mo

5.0

No screen, no buttons, just strain and recovery scores via subscription.

Fitness Band
14 days battery
24g

Forerunner 965

The previous runner’s flagship, still sold. Full Garmin training stack, AMOLED, lighter than a Fenix.

Smartwatch
23 days battery
53g

H10

The lab-grade chest strap. Use it as your single source of HR truth.

Chest Strap
17 days battery
60g

HRM 600

Garmin’s premium chest strap: rechargeable, running dynamics included, and it can record a workout on its own.

Chest Strap
3 days battery
18g

HRM 200

Garmin’s no-frills strap: heart rate and HRV to anything, and a year on a coin cell.

Chest Strap
15 days battery
20g

Charge 6

Best budget tracker with built-in GPS. Premium subscription unlocks the analytics.

Fitness Band
7 days battery
15g

Forerunner 265

AMOLED Forerunner with Training Readiness. The 965 minus the bigger case and topo maps.

Smartwatch
13 days battery
47g

Venu 3

Garmin’s lifestyle smartwatch with AMOLED, ECG, and a real speaker for calls.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
30g

Vivoactive 5

The cheap AMOLED Garmin. Most of the daily-wear story for $269.

Smartwatch
11 days battery
23g

Instinct 2

28-day battery and MIL-spec toughness — superseded by the Instinct 3, now sold only as the $399 Solar.

Smartwatch
28 days battery
52g

Galaxy Ring

Oura’s most direct rival. No subscription, but Galaxy-phone ecosystem only.

Ring
6 days battery
3g

Versa 4

Fitbit’s mid-tier smartwatch. Sense 2 minus the ECG and EDA.

Smartwatch
6 days battery
37.6g

Sense 2

Fitbit’s health flagship. Continuous EDA stress + ECG + skin temp.

Smartwatch
6 days battery
37.6g

Inspire 3

The cheapest Fitbit worth wearing. 10-day battery, no GPS.

Fitness Band
10 days battery
17.7g

Pace 4 Pro

The Pace goes titanium: a 1.47-inch sapphire AMOLED, 60 GPS hours, and just 43g.

Smartwatch
21 days battery
43g

Pace 4

Ultralight AMOLED Pace: 19-day battery, dual-band GPS, and a microphone for $249.

Smartwatch
19 days battery
32g

Apex 4

The current COROS mountain watch: mapping, dual-band GPS, and long battery.

Smartwatch
24 days battery
51g

Nomad

Outdoor-first COROS watch for hiking, fishing, and route-based adventures.

Smartwatch
22 days battery
49g

Pace Pro

AMOLED Pace with maps, faster processor, and 20-day smartwatch battery.

Smartwatch
20 days battery
37g

Pace 3

The cult-favorite budget runner. 30g, dual-band GPS, $199.

Smartwatch
15 days battery
30g

Vertix 2S

Updated Vertix adventure watch with huge battery and dual-frequency GPS.

Smartwatch
36 days battery
61g

Forerunner 165

The entry-level AMOLED Forerunner. Race Predictor without the 265’s price.

Smartwatch
11 days battery
39g

Vivosmart 5

Garmin’s slim fitness band. 7-day battery, Body Battery, no GPS.

Fitness Band
7 days battery
24.5g

Lily 2

Hidden display, jewelry-style case. Garmin for the not-a-tech-watch crowd.

Smartwatch
5 days battery
24g

Instinct 3

Instinct toughness meets Training Readiness. MIL-spec rugged, 28-day battery, now with a coaching brain.

Smartwatch
28 days battery
52g

Instinct 3 AMOLED

Rugged Instinct shell, AMOLED display. Training Readiness inside a MIL-spec case.

Smartwatch
18 days battery
53g

Instinct Crossover AMOLED

Real watch hands over an AMOLED screen, with the whole Instinct 3 toolkit underneath — for $649.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
67g

Enduro 3

Ultra-endurance flagship. 36-day battery, 90 with solar, and an FDA-cleared ECG.

Smartwatch
36 days battery
57g

Grit X2 Pro

Polar’s outdoor flagship. AMOLED, topo maps, dual-band GPS, ECG.

Smartwatch
10 days battery
79g

Ignite 3

Polar’s budget AMOLED. SleepWise + Nightly Recharge, no muss.

Smartwatch
5 days battery
35g

Apex 2 Pro

Coros mid-flagship. 21-day battery, titanium bezel, dual-band GPS.

Smartwatch
21 days battery
53g

Apex 2

Smaller, lighter Apex. 13-day battery, titanium and sapphire, $299.

Smartwatch
13 days battery
42g

Race 2

Suunto’s current flagship: a bigger, brighter AMOLED, 55 hours of dual-band GPS, and a much better wrist sensor.

Smartwatch
18 days battery
76g

Vertical 2

Suunto’s adventure watch goes AMOLED and gains a real flashlight, while keeping 65 hours of dual-band GPS.

Smartwatch
20 days battery
87g

Run 2

A 35g road-running watch that adds free offline maps, a 2,000-nit screen, and a much better wrist sensor.

Smartwatch
13 days battery
35g

Run

Suunto’s $249 runner: AMOLED, dual-band GPS, and offline music in a 36g package, but no maps.

Smartwatch
12 days battery
36g

Race S

The Race shrunk to 45mm: AMOLED, dual-band GPS, and free offline maps for $349.

Smartwatch
9 days battery
60g

Race

Suunto’s 2023 AMOLED multisport, now the value pick under the Race 2: dual-band GPS and free offline maps for $399.

Smartwatch
16 days battery
83g

Vertical

Suunto’s MIP endurance watch: 30 days as a smartwatch, 65 hours of dual-band GPS, and free offline maps.

Smartwatch
30 days battery
87g

9 Peak Pro

Slim 43mm multisport watch with a 21-day battery, now $249 and no longer receiving software updates.

Smartwatch
21 days battery
64g

Helio Strap Pro

The Helio Strap plus a waist sensor for HYROX. Still no required subscription.

Fitness Band
11 days battery
11.4g

Helio Strap

The screenless recovery band without a required membership. $99, once.

Fitness Band
10 days battery
20g

Gen 2

Sleep apnea detection built in. Comes with a charging case like AirPods.

Ring
12 days battery
3g

Gen 2 Air

RingConn’s $199 ring: the same app and no subscription, minus the titanium, the case, and the apnea tracking.

Ring
10 days battery
3.5g

Air

Google’s $99 screenless Whoop competitor. Pairs with the Health Coach AI.

Fitness Band
7 days battery
5.2g

ScanWatch 2

Hybrid analog watch with ECG and 35-day battery. The medical-grade choice that doesn’t look like tech.

Smartwatch
35 days battery
38g

Cirqa

Garmin’s screenless band — the full training stack, no display, no required subscription.

Fitness Band
10 days battery
14.8g

Index Sleep Monitor

A sleep-only armband that gives you Garmin’s overnight data without wearing a watch to bed.

Fitness Band
7 days battery
14.5g

T-Rex Dual Solar

Solar panels on the front and back of an AMOLED watch. Clever, but it costs you battery.

Smartwatch
25 days battery
69g

Cheetah 2 Ultra

Thirty days, 60 hours of dual-band GPS, and full-colour contour maps for trail runners.

Smartwatch
30 days battery
52g

Cheetah 2 Pro

Titanium, sapphire, and dual-band GPS for road runners — 20 days per charge.

Smartwatch
20 days battery
45.6g

T-Rex 3

27-day battery, dual-band GPS, and free offline maps for $279.

Smartwatch
27 days battery
68.3g

T-Rex 3 Pro

Titanium, sapphire, a 45m dive rating and a flashlight — 25 days per charge.

Smartwatch
25 days battery
52g

T-Rex Ultra 2

30 days and 50 hours of full-accuracy GPS. Amazfit going straight at the Fenix.

Smartwatch
30 days battery
89.2g

Balance Ultra

The all-titanium Balance, with 30 days of battery and a fifth button.

Smartwatch
30 days battery
57g

Balance 3

A flashlight, 64GB, and 41 hours of dual-band GPS — in a much bigger case than the Balance 2.

Smartwatch
21 days battery
62g

Balance

Wrist body composition — a trick Samsung had to itself until this arrived, and one Amazfit has not repeated since.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
35g

Balance 2

21 days, sapphire, and a 45m dive rating — but the body composition sensor is gone.

Smartwatch
21 days battery
43g

Active 3 Premium

Steel, sapphire, and running power in a compact 45mm case for $169.

Smartwatch
12 days battery
38g

Active Max

Twenty-five days of battery and a 3,000-nit, 1.5-inch screen for $169.

Smartwatch
25 days battery
39.5g

Active 2 Square

The Active 2 in a square steel case with sapphire. Same watch, new shape, $50 more.

Smartwatch
10 days battery
31.4g

Bip Max

A 2.07-inch, 3,000-nit screen and 20 days of battery for $99.

Smartwatch
20 days battery
52.6g

Bip 6

Eighty dollars for AMOLED, GPS, offline maps, and a daily readiness score.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
27.9g

Active 2

AMOLED, GPS, offline maps, and a readiness score for $99 — the round alternative to the Bip line.

Smartwatch
10 days battery
29.5g

ScanWatch Nova

A dive-styled analog watch that happens to run an FDA-cleared ECG.

Smartwatch
35 days battery
63g

Fenix E

The Fenix 8’s screen, battery, and coaching brain for $200 less. The sensors got cut.

Smartwatch
16 days battery
53g

Instinct E

The cheapest way into an Instinct — and Garmin trimmed exactly what you would miss.

Smartwatch
16 days battery
48g

Forerunner 570

The same GPS hardware as the 970 for $200 less. You give up maps, ECG, and the flashlight.

Smartwatch
11 days battery
50g

Forerunner 170

Training Readiness finally reaches the entry tier — the 165’s one real gap, closed.

Smartwatch
10 days battery
41g

Forerunner 70

The entry-level AMOLED Forerunner, and the full physiology stack now starts here.

Smartwatch
13 days battery
40g

Venu 4

The first Venu with Training Readiness and multi-band GNSS. The lifestyle gap has closed.

Smartwatch
12 days battery
38g

Venu X1

A 2-inch screen in a 7.9mm case. Garmin’s strangest watch — maps, but no ECG.

Smartwatch
8 days battery
34g

Vivoactive 6

Still the $299 AMOLED Garmin. A compass, a wake alarm, and not much else new.

Smartwatch
11 days battery
23g

Lily 2 Active

The Lily with real GPS and buttons. The jewellery watch that can track a run on its own.

Smartwatch
9 days battery
29g

Vantage V3

The watch that gave Polar its sensor platform back. AMOLED, maps, ECG — no subscription.

Smartwatch
10 days battery
39g

Vantage M3

The cheap way into Polar’s sensor platform. Same ECG and maps, 35g, $200 less.

Smartwatch
7 days battery
35g

Grit X2

Polar’s compact outdoor watch — sapphire and full maps at 45mm, undone by US pricing.

Smartwatch
7 days battery
39g

Loop

Polar’s answer to Whoop — the same screenless idea without the monthly bill.

Fitness Band
8 days battery
19.5g

Street X

Ten days and 43 GPS hours for $249. The catch is the sensor stack.

Smartwatch
10 days battery
28g

Moto Watch Ultra

Polar’s recovery analytics on an LTE Wear OS watch for $349 — minus ECG and skin temperature.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
51g

MG

The screenless band with a real ECG. The blood pressure number is a different story.

Fitness Band
14 days battery
27g

Gen 3

The first smart ring that buzzes back, and still the one with no subscription.

Ring
14 days battery
3.2g

Ring Pro

Cleared to return to the US with the longest battery in the category — still on pre-order, and priced à la carte.

Ring
15 days battery
4.3g

Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

The Watch 8 with a real rotating bezel. Heavier, and worth it if you navigate by touch.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
63.5g

Watch Ultra 2

Apple’s endurance flagship until the Ultra 3 — 3000 nits, 36-hour battery, full ecosystem.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
61.4g

$799Discontinued

Watch Series 10

The mainstream pick — thinner and lighter, with the full sensor stack.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
36.4g

$399Discontinued

Watch SE 2

The budget watchOS entry. No ECG app, but AFib notifications and fall detection are intact.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
32.9g

$249Discontinued

Galaxy Watch 7

The Android flagship. BIA body composition and blood pressure on the wrist.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
28.8g

$299Discontinued

Watch Series 11

The default Apple Watch until the Series 12 — 24-hour battery, and nothing to subscribe to.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
37.8g

$399Discontinued

Watch Ultra 3

Apple’s endurance flagship until the Ultra 4 — 42 hours, and satellite messaging with your phone at home.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
61.6g

$799Discontinued

Watch Ultra

The original 49mm Ultra. Same body as Ultra 2, dimmer screen, no Double Tap.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
61.3g

$799Discontinued

Watch Series 9

The Series that debuted Double Tap — and the oldest one watchOS 27 still supports.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
38.7g

$399Discontinued

Watch Series 8

First Apple Watch with skin temperature for ovulation tracking.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
38.8g

$399Discontinued

Watch SE

The first SE. Stuck on watchOS 10; the SE 3 is the one to buy.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
36.2g

$279Discontinued

Fenix 7

The MIP-display predecessor to Fenix 8. 18-day battery, no AMOLED, same training stack.

Smartwatch
18 days battery
79g

$699Discontinued

Fenix 6

Pulse Ox, Body Battery, and 14-day battery — the generation that made Fenix mainstream.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
80g

$599Discontinued

Fenix 5

The original multi-sport Fenix. Two-week battery, no music, no SpO2 — pure training.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
85g

$599Discontinued

Forerunner 955

The MIP runner’s flagship. 15-day battery, full Garmin analytics, lighter than a Fenix.

Smartwatch
15 days battery
52g

$499Discontinued

Forerunner 255

The MIP-screen mid-tier Forerunner. Race Predictor, no Training Readiness.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
49g

$349Discontinued

Galaxy Watch 6

The Galaxy Watch 7 predecessor. Same sensor stack, smaller leap from older models.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
28.7g

$299Discontinued

Galaxy Watch 6 Classic

The Watch 6 with a real rotating bezel. Heavier, classier.

Smartwatch
2 days battery
59g

$399Discontinued

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The first Galaxy Watch with multi-day battery and outdoor toughness.

Smartwatch
3 days battery
46.5g

$449Discontinued

Galaxy Watch Ultra

Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch Ultra. Titanium, 10ATM, dual GPS.

Smartwatch
3 days battery
60.5g

$649Discontinued

Pixel Watch 3

Wear OS done right. Loss of Pulse Detection and Gemini on the wrist.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
31g

$349.99Discontinued

Pixel Watch 2

First Pixel Watch with skin temp + cEDA. The 3 is faster, but this is still capable.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
31g

$349Discontinued

Pixel Watch

Google’s first attempt. Charming design, frustrating battery.

Smartwatch
1 day battery
36g

$349Discontinued

Charge 5

The Charge 6’s predecessor. Same shell, fewer software features.

Fitness Band
7 days battery
28g

$179.95Discontinued

Vantage V2

Polar’s previous flagship. Recovery Pro + Training Load Pro stack.

Smartwatch
7 days battery
52g

$499Discontinued

Pacer Pro

Polar’s budget runner. Same analytics as the Vantage V2 in a lighter shell.

Smartwatch
7 days battery
23g

$299Discontinued

Pace 2

The 29g Pace that made Coros’s name. Replaced by the Pace 3 and Pace 4.

Smartwatch
11 days battery
29g

$199Discontinued

Vertix 2

The 2021 expedition watch. 39-day battery, dual-band GPS, titanium bezel.

Smartwatch
39 days battery
62g

$699Discontinued

4.0

The previous Whoop. Replaced by the 5.0 with longer battery and Healthspan.

Fitness Band
5 days battery
30g

$19.92/moDiscontinued

Ring Gen 3

The Gen 3 / Horizon ring. Discontinued, but still findable on the secondary market.

Ring
7 days battery
4.7g

$299 + $5.99/moDiscontinued

Watch Series 7

First Apple Watch with the larger 41/45mm screen and fast charging.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
38.8g

$399Discontinued

Watch Series 6

First Apple Watch with SpO₂. Its updates ended with watchOS 26.

Smartwatch
18 hr battery
36.5g

$399Discontinued

Enduro 2

Ultra-runner flagship. 34-day battery, 110-hour GPS, multi-day racing built-in.

Smartwatch
34 days battery
70g

$1,099Discontinued

Epix Pro (Gen 2)

Fenix 7 Pro internals with an AMOLED screen. The athlete’s display upgrade.

Smartwatch
16 days battery
78g

$899Discontinued

GTR 4

Budget Garmin-killer. AMOLED, 14-day battery, dual-band GPS for $200.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
34g

$200Discontinued

T-Rex Ultra

Rugged AMOLED outdoor watch. 20-day battery, dual-band GPS, freediving mode.

Smartwatch
20 days battery
89g

$399.99Discontinued

Active

The original Active: AMOLED and GPS in a 24g case, since replaced by the Active 2.

Smartwatch
14 days battery
24g

$149.99Discontinued

Ring AIR

Oura without the subscription — but no longer available in the US.

Ring
6 days battery
3g

$349Discontinued

Helio Ring

The smart ring that killed its own subscription and refunded the people who had paid.

Ring
4 days battery
3.75g

$199Discontinued

Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025)

Titanium, sapphire, 10ATM, and 80 hours. A spec bump, since replaced by the Ultra 2.

Smartwatch
3 days battery
60.5g

$649.99Discontinued