Last year saw some real innovation in smartwatches – here’s who has the best products so far in 2023.

It’s a lot to keep up with if you haven’t tried new products in a while, but reviews are a good guide to compare different smartwatches to each other and get first-person perspectives from folks who use them every day.

We researched different brands, from the big names to the new kids on the block. Here are some of the top brands we found in our research:

Apple: Well-known and respected, Apple makes smartwatches in a variety of options for consumers for its iOS ecosystem.

Fitbit: Always has a wide line of products, both fitness trackers and smartwatches. Quality is high but the prices can be steep compared to newcomers.

Spade & Co: A fast-growing newcomer, many people are buying directly from this company over the internet rather than going to the store.

While the most popular smartwatches aren’t necessarily the ones you should buy, our team found that several of the most-discussed models really do stick out from the competition. But don’t think that just because you’ve heard of a brand, you’ll love it – there are large differences between even the well-known brands.

Based on customer reviews, consumer review publications, and online review sites, we curated three of the best smartwatches available this year and ranked them accordingly. Read on for detailed notes on each model.

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#1 - Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3

The new Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 was definitely the biggest upset of the year, and it changed a lot of our rankings around at the last minute. A lot of high-tech stuff is baked into the watch, with a simple and great design for both women and men. By selling directly to the consumer, Spade & Co is able to cut the middle man and sell a high-quality product at a very competitive price. In other words, you don’t pay for the brand, you just pay for the product.

The Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 has the best reviews on the brand’s site, earning an average of 4.8 out of 5 possible stars from roughly 500 total smartwatch users.

Why this smartwatch stands above the rest

According to its website, the Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 connects with pretty much any Android and iPhone in the market. The ‘secret sauce’ of the Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 is the number of health sensors it uses. From stress level to blood oxygen, from all day heart rate monitoring to sleep tracking, it also lets you take calls hands-free. And the battery lasts well over 1 week, while most smartwatches run out of battery after 1 day. The Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 has everything you would expect, including steps and activity tracking, text and app notifications. It comes with a free iOS and Android app so you can sync your data and track your health and fitness progress.

To summarize, we picked the Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 because it offers what most consumers expect from a smartwatch, including activity tracking and health monitoring at a very reasonable price. For people who are considering purchasing their first smartwatch, this smartwatch is a must-try.

UPDATE: It looks like there is a time-limited offer where you can get the Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 for half the price. This could be a good deal to take advantage of while they have it.

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#2 - Apple Watch Series 8

Last year’s champion, the Apple Watch remains an all-around great product, with great health and safety features such as ECG, fall detection, blood oxygen, etc. The battery life, however, is limited. Based on our tests, we had to charge the watch every 2 days or so in order to avoid running out of battery during the day. In comparison, the smartwatch offered by Spade & Co has a 8+ day battery life. Also, you will need to spend between $399 and $799 (+tax) to get the new Apple Watch, a very steep price for those who want the benefits smartwatches provide without breaking the bank.

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#3 - Fitbit Sense 2

As usual, Fitbit brings a product with great performance and design, but at a steep price. The new Sense 2 is $299.95. Fitbit has a lot of experience in activity tracking, and their acquisition of Pebble helped them expand their product line to smartwatches. However, you’ll pay for the brand, which puts them out of the running for all but the most dedicated Fitbit fans.

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We asked customers what they think of their Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 and here is what they said

"Love this watch. I use it to take calls and track my blood oxygen, stress level and sleep patterns. It is simple to set up. Great battery life. I would recommend this smartwatch." - Erica T.

"I bought this Spade & Co watch because I really wanted to see if I would use the features before I spent $400 on an iWatch. The watch arrived in a few days and I'm very happy with the style and the functionality. Once paired with the app, this watch does just about everything that the iWatch does except the ability to use it as a phone. For the price, it's an amazing deal. It's very modern and sleek looking. The basic black strap is very comfortable and complements the black casing and face of the watch." - Dennis C.

"The arrived in 2 days and the packaging was really neat. Easy to put together and get going. It's a fantastic watch. I bought one for a friend first and she loves it so got a second one for myself!" - Paul A.

"My husband and I just got these. We're very happy with the smartwatch. Love the body temperature and blood oxygen tracking. The battery life is impressive. As a former Fitbit user, this smartwatch seems more accurate." - Sue W.

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