With the expanding smartwatch market, it can be hard to separate great smartwatches from the not-so-good. What makes one watch better than the other can be subjective. Yes, software, apps, and battery life are important, but so is design.
Size matters in terms of comfort, especially for those with small wrist sizes. Bulky, ill-fitting smartwatches can be distracting and uncomfortable. If you find yourself in the small smartwatch camp, there are options with desirable specs at more reasonable dimensions — and these are the best we’ve tested.
Best smartwatches for small wrists
Best overall
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Premium build with excellent features
$205 $300 Save $95
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is easily one of the best smartwatches on the market and is sized perfectly for anyone with smaller wrists. Its combination of improved performance and health sensors makes the Galaxy Watch 7 hard to pass up.
- Lightweight but premium body
- Improved heart rate accuracy over previous generations
- Excellent outdoor screen brightness
- No mechanical bezel
- Loses Wireless Power Share
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is easily one of the best Android smartwatches and is available in multiple sizes, making it the best watch overall for people with smaller wrists. Depending on your preference, the Watch 7 is available in either a 40mm version with a 1.3-inch AMOLED display or a 44mm version that comes with a slightly larger 1.5-inch AMOLED display. Regardless of the size, the display is fantastic with punchy colors, and it is more than bright enough to see in any condition.
Samsung focused on a few key areas for this generation, improving its performance and health sensor capabilities. With an Exynos W1000 processor, navigating the menus and launching applications on this watch is smooth and lag-free. The heart rate sensor has received much love and has been vastly improved this year. It’s far more accurate and reliable than in previous generations.
Through a combination of AI and algorithms, the Watch 7 does a superb job of sleep tracking and monitoring your blood oxygen levels. It’s not all great, however. Samsung went with a dual-band GPS for the Watch 7, which is nice on paper, but the Watch 7 can still struggle to get a reliable GPS signal.
Read our review
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is still the best ecosystem smartwatch on Android
Iterative? Only compared to the last Galaxy Watch
The Galaxy Watch 7 features a premium aluminum build, and has an IP68 rating, making it well protected from water and dust ingress. It’s also very light, at just 28.8g for the 40mm version and 33.8g for the 44mm one. This watch is great for any Android user but pairs perfectly with a Samsung phone.
Premium pick
Google Pixel Watch 3
Integrates perfectly with Google products
$280 $350 Save $70
Now in its third generation, the Google Pixel Watch 3 is a fantastic smartwatch, especially if you are heavily into fitness. The Pixel Watch 3 is now available in multiple sizes, offers great performance, and comes with one of the industry’s best optical heart rate sensors.
- Sleek design and comes in two sizes
- Good overall battery life, especially from the 45mm version
- Great fitness features
- Proprietary watch band connectord
- Certain metrics are still locked behind a paywall
The Google Pixel Watch series is now in its third generation and each passing year has seen Google’s smartwatch grow into one of the most well-rounded and solid offerings on the Android side. Google also fixed my biggest complaint about the previous Pixel watches, its size. The Pixel Watch 3 is available in both a 41mm and a larger 45mm format, giving people alternatives based on their needs.
Google went with an aluminum build, allowing the Pixel Watch 3 to be lightweight and have a premium feel. With a weight of only 31g for the 41mm version and 37g for the 45mm version (without the bands), you’ll barely remember you have something strapped to your wrist.
Thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 and Cortex M33 processors, the Pixel Watch 3 is quite zippy. The Snapdragon handles the heavy lifting while the Cortex processor helps with background processes, increasing battery life. The 45mm Pixel Watch 3 now lasts up to two days between charges.
If you are all about fitness, then you’ll be happy to know that the optical heart rate sensor in this smartwatch is just about perfect. GPS is a little behind the curve with a single-band sensor, but it does an alright job overall. It also comes in an LTE variant, meaning you can leave your phone at home when going for a long run.
Read our review
Review: Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is big, beautiful, and brainy
The 45mm version is large and easy to love
Like in years past, Google went with a proprietary band for the Pixel Watch 3. Previous generation Pixel Watch bands should work fine with the 41mm variant, but you’ll have to buy new bands for the 45mm one. The Pixel Watch 3 is a solid option if you want a smartwatch that won’t lock you into Samsung’s ecosystem and works well with any Android device.
Best value
Amazfit Balance
Reasonable price for a lot of features
$170 $200 Save $30
Not everyone wants to spend a lot on a smartwatch and not everyone with small wrists wants a small device. The Amazfit Balance is one of the best inexpensive options and not just another small watch, making it a solid option for people who like bigger displays.
- Comfortable to wear
- Good health and fitness tracking
- Great battery life
- Questionable body composition
- Lackluster AI capabilities
- Settings menu needs to be streamlined
The Amazfit Balance is a great choice if you are looking for an inexpensive smartwatch. With a bright and beautiful 1.5-inch AMOLED display, the Balance is easy to read and see in sunny conditions. Even with its large display and 46mm size, Amazfit built the Balance out of aluminum, allowing it to keep its weight to a relatively svelte 52g with the bands.
If you hate the idea of charging your watch every night or even every other night, then you’ll love the 14 days of battery life. The battery life is particularly handy if you find yourself working out a lot and this watch has some serious fitness capabilities. With 150 different workouts, an accurate heart rate sensor, and dual-band GPS, the Amazfit Balance is a solid option for the health-conscious.
Read our review
This Amazfit Balance smartwatch has battery for weeks
Forget its AI, come for the amazing battery
Amazfit got so much right with this watch, but there are a few issues that hold it back. Like many companies, Amazfit made sure to integrate AI into the Zepp 4.0 OS. Unfortunately, it’s not reliable and locks some of its better features behind a paywall. Zepp OS is also a bit confusing to navigate and takes some time to learn.
Best for iOS
Apple Watch Series 10
A compact Apple watch packed with features
$329 $399 Save $70
The Apple Watch 10 is an amazing smartwatch for people who own an iPhone or are open to switching platforms. With a beautiful design, a remarkably thin body, and a large bright display, the Apple Watch 10 is an undeniably great smartwatch.
- Gorgeous, bright, and large display
- Thin and light body
- Amazing health-related features
- Only compatible with iOS
- Battery life is not remarkable
Apple has done an amazing job designing the Apple Watch 10. It’s available in two sizes, with both retaining a very large display and a thin design, no matter which size you pick. The Watch 10 is available in a 42mm variant that has a 1.7-inch OLED display, and a 46mm version bumps the display to a massive 1.92 inches.
You also get a lot of options when choosing a Series 10 Apple Watch. In addition to the two sizes, it’s available with either Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity and comes in both aluminum and titanium variants. There are also three different color options, regardless of which type of metal you go for. With all these options, the Apple Watch 10 has a price that ranges from $399 to $750.
If you are into tracking your health, then you likely already know that the Apple Watch has one of the best heart rate sensors in the business. Like the Pixel Watch 3, Apple only has a single-band GPS, which may be off-putting for some. Battery life is decent for a fully featured smartwatch, netting you a day to a day and a half on a single charge. It’s not going to compete with a Garmin but is in line with other similar devices.
Read our review
Review: The Apple Watch Series 10 is a great watch that’s starting to feel the same
Not a huge step up
The biggest issue you will have with the Apple Watch 10 is that it’s not compatible with Android. This isn’t a knock on Apple, as Android watches can’t be used on iOS either. It’s just something to be aware of. If you are thinking of going with Apple for your next phone, then the Apple Watch 10 is a great companion device.
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar
Solar charging battery for any outdoor adventure
$300 $400 Save $100
The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is an excellent choice if you spend a lot of time outdoors. It’s also great if you want something that is both rugged and excellent at health tracking. The lack of a touchscreen can be annoying, but its battery life is second to none.
- Stellar battery life
- A ton of health features
- Compatible with Android and iOS
- No touchscreen
- Buttons can be confusing to operate
- Not a full-featured smartwatch
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, doing activities like hiking, biking, or running, then the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar may just suit your needs. The Garmin has a rugged build and is a bit on the larger size with its 45mm frame. It’s also a bit thick at 14.5mm.
Garmin is well-known for its fitness prowess and is on full display with the Instinct 2 Solar. With six different health sensors; an accelerometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, temperature sensor, and optical heart rate, this Garmin smartwatch does an excellent job of keeping track of all your health metrics. You also gain access to Garmin’s Body Battery, allowing you to keep tabs on how ready your body will feel to tackle the day’s challenges.
Thanks to its solar charging capabilities, the Instinct 2 Solar gets outstanding battery life. In our review, we noted that the Instinct 2 Solar made it 22 days between charges in smartwatch mode and that was with limited use of solar charging. Garmin says that with three hours of solar charging per day, the Instinct 2 Solar can make it 28 days, or almost a full month between charges.
Read our review
Garmin’s Instinct 2 Solar is a fitness and adventure watch without the nonsense
Living without a touchscreen is tough, though
Not everything is great about the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, namely its lack of a touchscreen. Instead of tapping and swiping on your display to navigate the OS, you’ll be relying on physical buttons. Each button can have up to three different abilities depending on how you press it, which can be difficult to remember.
Stylish and pretty
Garmin Lily 2
A fitness watch that keeps it classy
$200 $250 Save $50
The Garmin Lily 2 retains the stylish look of its predecessor while making a few key changes to improve both the look and performance that will suit smaller wrists. With built-in GPS now, the watch can more accurately track your outdoor exercise, along with health, vitals, and sleep.
- Sleek and lightweight
- Built-in GPS adds to great fitness features
- Decent battery life
- Setting up iPhone notifications can be a hassle
- No color on display
If you’re thinking of a fitness smartwatch with a more refined look, the Garmin Lily 2 is a small watch with a 1-inch diameter screen and a thin, adjustable, silicone wristband that measures 14mm. Newer standard lugs also make it much easier to swap out for other bands to make the Lily 2 fit in for any occasion or mood. Despite how thin and light it is, it comes with all the features users expect from Garmin smartwatches and packs in a hefty battery life of up to five days.
That comes in handy when using the Lily 2 to keep tabs on health and fitness metrics. It can track yoga, Pilates, cardio, and mindful breathing, along with a wide variety of exercises — including outdoor ones now that Garmin added built-in GPS so you don’t always need your smartphone with you. You will need it to play music since there’s no onboard storage for tunes on it, or if you want to use Garmin’s LiveTrack feature so friends and family can track your outdoor exercises as well. That can include swimming thanks to the 5ATM water resistance.
Read our review
Garmin Lily 2 smartwatch review: A health tracker designed to keep you moving
After eight years, I may officially be an Apple Watch deserter
Notifications, incoming calls, and calendar events come through on the Lily’s screen while paired with your phone, though it’s a monochrome display leaves you no color to look at. Just bear in mind that you can accept phone calls from the watch but need your phone to actually talk to callers.
Best Fitbit
Fitbit Versa 4
A high-dollar look at a fraction of the cost
$120 $200 Save $80
The Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness smartwatch is a great blend of a trendy design, fitness features, and phone compatibility. The AMOLED display shows text notifications, provides quick responses to send, and even allows answering calls via Bluetooth. It also has two band sizes; the small band fits 14 to 180mm wrists, and the large band fits 180 to 220mm wrists.
- Sleek and refined design
- Vitals and fitness tracking
- Water-resistant
- Limited features for iPhones
While Fitbit is known mainly for fitness watches, they have started to expand into smartwatch territory for a while now, and it shows with the Fitbit Versa 4 fitness smartwatch. The Versa is another 43mm, aluminum smartwatch with an adjustable wristband, making it lightweight and small enough to wear with ease. To honor Versa’s fitness roots, the Versa includes the expected activity tracker, heart rate monitor, and sleep monitoring.
The Versa has handy Bluetooth features that allow text messaging and phone calls through the watch. Compatibility should not be an issue either, as Fitbits work with Android and iOS alike, but just expect limited integration with Apple devices. Fitbit syncs their health and vital information with their own application and not with Apple’s health application. Otherwise, the Versa is a great alternative that is still relatively affordable, but the design makes it look and feel like a high-dollar smartwatch.
However, it’s worth noting that the 43mm casing and the screen are a little larger than most on this list, achieving an acceptable middle ground between the 40 and 44mm sizes. So you’ll get a smaller smartwatch but still be able to see the display clearly. Just know it might be a little bulky depending on wrist measurements.
Best for kids and teens
Fitbit Ace LTE
A great starter smartwatch
$180 $230 Save $50
If you are looking to get your young child their first smartwatch, then the Fitbit Ace LTE is an amazing option. This smartwatch was designed as a starter smartwatch while granting parents a host of monitoring capabilities to ensure its proper use.
- Great parental controls and location tracking
- Encourages exercise via games and rewards
- Bright OLED display
- Battery life isn’t amazing
- May not appeal to older kids
- Kids can’t call or text their friends
The Fitbit Ace LTE is in a unique position on this list and wasn’t designed for adults. Instead, the Fitbit Ace LTE is geared towards young children and is intended to be used as a great starter option. It’s not just a solid option for kids, as this is one of the few watches designed for kids with LTE capabilities, the Ace LTE brings some serious benefits and monitoring capabilities.
You will be able to call and text your child via the Fitbit app, allowing for easy communication. You can also easily track your child’s location with a handy locate device option from within the Fitbit app. Calling is done easily, but the small display can make it a bit tough to text on.
Your child can’t just call or text anyone that they want to, they will only be able to communicate with an approved list of contacts. Each user will also need to have the Fitbit app to call your child, which can quickly become a pain for other family members. It’s also not possible for your child to call or text their friends from the watch itself.
Read our review
Google’s Fitbit Ace LTE is a near-perfect fitness tracker for kids
It’s absolutely worth the price
It also excels at helping your child build healthy habits through games, goals, and various rewards. It’s able to monitor your child’s health using a heart rate sensor, magnetometer, altimeter, gyroscope, and an accelerometer.
Choosing the right smartwatch
Choosing a smartwatch can be a daunting task, with all the competing brands, models, and features out there. Those with smaller wrist sizes must also factor size into the equation to avoid designs that are too large and will compromise fit unless you prefer a larger watch for its bigger display.
Depending on your preferences, one of the varied models on this list should suffice. For those seeking a sleek smartwatch packed with fitness features, the Amazfit Balance is a good option with an agreeable price tag. It leans more toward a fitness tracker than a full smartwatch, but that also means the Balance gets a solid 14 days of battery life.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is an amazing option in its own right, but doubly so if you aren’t keen on entering the Samsung ecosystem. This watch offers a premium build, fantastic health features, and solid battery life, making it one of the best Android smartwatches available. It’s also a little pricier than many other options on this list.
But the best for most is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 due to its lightweight size, adjustable wristbands, state-of-the-art fitness features, and impeccable Samsung device integration. While this device is compatible with Androids in general, this smartwatch is best paired with other Samsung devices. The only downside is that the Galaxy Watch 7 lacks some features when paired with a non-Samsung Android phone.
Best overall
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Lightweight device with hefty features
$205 $300 Save $95
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is easily one of the best smartwatches on the market and is sized perfectly for anyone with smaller wrists. Its combination of improved performance and health sensors makes the Galaxy Watch 7 hard to pass up.
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