Best Smartwatches and Fitness Watches UK (2026)
The right fitness watch depends heavily on what you train for: runners want accurate GPS and pace metrics, while heart rate accuracy or battery life matter more for others. This guide compares watches tested by Men's Fitness, whose team of tech journalists tested 10 watches for running, training and health tracking.
We have not hands-on tested these products. Our picks are based on published independent tests and reviews, listed at the bottom of this page. How we pick.
Our top pick
Garmin Forerunner 970
Best overall
Men's Fitness's overall pick, with a crisp AMOLED touchscreen and new running metrics on top of Garmin's market-leading training and recovery insights. Battery life drops slightly from the previous Forerunner 965, and the new running metrics need an additional accessory.
- Great tracking performance for runs and more
- Useful built-in LED flashlight
- Valuable new metrics for runners
Quick comparison
| Product | Best for | Key spec | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Forerunner 970 | Best overall | AMOLED touchscreen, up to 26hrs GPS / 15 days battery | Check price |
| COROS Pace 4 | Best budget | AMOLED, up to 41hrs GPS / 19 days battery | Check price |
| Polar Vantage V3 | Best for heart rate accuracy | AMOLED, multiband GPS, Gen 4 heart rate sensor | Check price |
| Suunto Race 2 | Best Suunto watch | 1.5in LTPO AMOLED, up to 65hrs GPS / 18 days battery | Check price |
| Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro | Best Apple Watch alternative | AMOLED, 40m dive-grade water resistance, up to 10 days battery | Check price |
| OnePlus Watch 3 | Best for GPS battery life | AMOLED, up to 120hrs GPS / 7 days battery | Check price |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Best fitness smartwatch | Retina LTPO OLED, 3000 nits peak, up to 84hrs GPS battery | Check price |
| COROS Pace Pro | Best for customisation | 1.3in AMOLED, 1,500 nits, up to 38hrs GPS / 20 days battery | Check price |
| Garmin Forerunner 170 Music | Best for offline music | 1.2in AMOLED, offline music, up to 20hrs GPS / 10 days battery | Check price |
| Polar Grit X2 Pro | Best for adventure | AMOLED, dual-frequency GPS, offline maps, up to 30hrs GPS battery | Check price |
Our picks in detail
Best overall
Garmin Forerunner 970
Men's Fitness's overall pick, with a crisp AMOLED touchscreen and new running metrics on top of Garmin's market-leading training and recovery insights. Battery life drops slightly from the previous Forerunner 965, and the new running metrics need an additional accessory.
- Display
- AMOLED, 454x454px
- Weight
- 56g
- Battery life
- Up to 26hrs GPS / 15 days without
- Waterproof
- 5ATM
Pros
- Great tracking performance for runs and more
- Useful built-in LED flashlight
- Valuable new metrics for runners
Cons
- New running metrics require an additional accessory
- Shorter battery life than the previous Forerunner 965
Best budget
COROS Pace 4
Men's Fitness calls this brilliant all-round value, with advanced tools like Race Predictor, Virtual Pacer and blood oxygen monitoring rarely found this cheap, plus reliable multi-band GPS and great battery life. The design feels a bit plastic and basic, and heart rate measurements were patchy in testing.
- Display
- AMOLED, 390x390px
- Weight
- 40g (silicon band)
- Battery life
- Up to 41hrs GPS / 19 days without
- Waterproof
- 5ATM
Pros
- Brilliant all-round value
- Reliable multi-band GPS
- Great battery life for the price
Cons
- Design feels plastic and basic
- Patchy heart rate measurements
Best for heart rate accuracy
Polar Vantage V3
Men's Fitness found this delivered one of the most reliably accurate heart rate measurements of any watch tested, with a bright AMOLED display and free Strava and Komoot subscriptions included. Phone pairing and syncing was buggy in testing, and there's no Spotify or Deezer playback.
- Display
- AMOLED, 454x454px
- Weight
- 57g
- Battery life
- Up to 43hrs GPS / 10 days without
- Waterproof
- WR50
Pros
- Excellent, bright AMOLED display
- Reliable multiband GPS
- Free Komoot and Strava subscriptions included
Cons
- Phone pairing and syncing can be buggy
- Raise to wake is sometimes laggy
- No Spotify or Deezer playback
Best Suunto watch
Suunto Race 2
Men's Fitness's top Suunto pick, with over 100 sport modes, dual-frequency GPS, offline maps and routing, plus a bigger, brighter display than the original Race. Training insights can feel complicated, and there's no offline music support.
- Display
- 1.5in LTPO AMOLED, 466x466px
- Weight
- 76g
- Battery life
- Up to 65hrs GPS / 18 days without
- Waterproof
- 100m
Pros
- Excellent max-accuracy GPS battery life
- Bigger, brighter display than its predecessor
- Dual-frequency GPS with offline maps and routing
Cons
- Lacks broader smartwatch features
- No offline music
- Training insights can feel complicated
Best Apple Watch alternative
Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro
A robustly built alternative for buyers who want a fitness-focused smartwatch without Apple pricing, with a titanium bezel, sapphire glass and over 15,000 golf courses mapped, plus real-time dive tracking. Men's Fitness found GPS and heart-rate accuracy can waver, and it's less customisable than some smartwatches.
- Display
- AMOLED, 408x480px
- Weight
- 30.4g
- Battery life
- Up to 10 days
- Waterproof
- 5ATM, 40m dive-grade
Pros
- Robust titanium and sapphire glass construction
- Reliable offline navigation
- Strong golf and diving-specific features
Cons
- GPS and heart-rate accuracy can waver
- Less customisable than some rivals
Best for GPS battery life
OnePlus Watch 3
Men's Fitness highlights market-leading battery life at up to five days in GPS mode, built with a stainless steel case, sapphire crystal display and titanium alloy bezel, at a price under £320. It has a big face that may not suit smaller wrists and is a little weighty.
- Display
- AMOLED, 466x466px
- Weight
- 81g
- Battery life
- Up to 120hrs GPS / 7 days without
- Waterproof
- 5ATM
Pros
- Market-leading GPS battery life
- Sophisticated looks and excellent readability
- Packed full of new features
Cons
- Large face may not suit smaller wrists
- A little heavy on the wrist
Best fitness smartwatch
Apple Watch Ultra 4
Men's Fitness's pick for buyers who want smartwatch features alongside fitness tracking, replacing the Ultra 3 with a redesigned sensor for more reliable data, longer battery life and satellite connectivity for off-grid situations. It still won't last a full week without charging, it's one of the priciest options around, and the tester found better, cheaper watches for deep running metrics.
- Display
- Retina LTPO OLED, 422x514px, 3000 nits
- Weight
- 63g
- Battery life
- Up to 84hrs GPS
- Waterproof
- WR100
Pros
- Health Sensing System provides more accurate tracking
- Better battery life than the Ultra 3
- Satellite connectivity for off-grid use
Cons
- Still won't last a full week without charging
- One of the priciest options around
Best for customisation
COROS Pace Pro
Men's Fitness calls this one of the most customisable fitness watches its tester has come across, letting you choose which metrics matter and how your screens look, with a processor twice as fast as the Pace 3 and a bright 1.3in screen that was easy to read in direct sunshine. It costs significantly more than the Pace 3, and the design is a little underwhelming.
- Display
- AMOLED touchscreen, 416x416px
- Weight
- 37g
- Battery life
- Up to 38hrs GPS / 20 days without
- Waterproof
- 5ATM
Pros
- Super-fast performance
- Nice, bright and clear AMOLED screen
- Plenty of options to customise
Cons
- Significant price hike on the Pace 3
- Design is a little underwhelming
Best for offline music
Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
Men's Fitness's pick for offline music, sending tunes straight to your workout headphones, with most of the training insights found on Garmin's pricier watches and a bright, crisp 1.2in AMOLED screen for under £300. The concession is a rather average battery life, which you may need to manage if you play music on most workouts.
- Display
- AMOLED, 390x390px
- Weight
- 41g
- Battery life
- Up to 20hrs GPS / 10 days without
- Waterproof
- 5ATM
Pros
- Excellent bright display
- Comfortable, compact design
- Offline music
Cons
- Battery life not class leading
Best for adventure
Polar Grit X2 Pro
Men's Fitness's top adventure pick, built to handle training, racing and off-grid exploring with a punchy AMOLED display, accuracy-enhancing dual-frequency GPS and offline maps with Strava route sync. App connectivity was flaky in testing, and it's lighter on general smartwatch features.
- Display
- AMOLED, 466x466px
- Weight
- 83g
- Battery life
- Up to 30hrs GPS / 7 days without
- Waterproof
- WR50
Pros
- Stunning, bright display
- Comprehensive offline navigation tools
- Long battery life for an adventure watch
Cons
- App connectivity can be flaky
- Fewer smartwatch features than rivals
Buying guide
Do I need a dedicated fitness watch or would a regular smartwatch do?
A dedicated fitness watch, like the Garmin or COROS models here, typically offers more accurate GPS, longer battery life and deeper training and recovery insights. A general smartwatch like the Apple Watch Ultra 4 covers fitness well too, but usually needs more frequent charging and leans more toward everyday smartwatch features.
How much does wrist-based heart rate accuracy vary?
It varies more than most buyers expect, and no wrist sensor is as accurate as a chest strap. If heart rate accuracy is a priority, a watch specifically praised for it, like the Polar Vantage V3 here, is worth prioritising over one with only average results.
What battery life should I expect in GPS mode versus everyday use?
GPS tracking drains battery much faster than everyday smartwatch use, so a watch's advertised multi-day battery life usually assumes GPS is off. If you do long GPS-tracked activities regularly, check the specific GPS battery life figure, which can range from under a day to several days depending on the watch.
Is multiband or dual-frequency GPS worth having?
Multiband or dual-frequency GPS, found on watches like the Polar Vantage V3 and Suunto Race 2 here, improves accuracy in tricky conditions like dense cities or under tree cover, at some cost to battery life. It's most valuable for runners who train in built-up areas or woodland trails.
Sources
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