10 Best Smartwatches for Health Tracking

Here are the 10 best smartwatches for health tracking.

The modern smartwatch has transcended its origins as a simple extension of your phone. Today, the best smartwatches are powerful, wrist-based health hubs, equipped with an array of sophisticated sensors that can monitor your heart, sleep, stress, and overall well-being with incredible precision.

Choosing the right smartwatch is about finding the device that best aligns with your health goals, lifestyle, and smartphone ecosystem. At ShockTrail, we’re dedicated to helping you understand the technology that can enhance your life. This guide highlights the best smartwatches of 2025, with a laser focus on their health tracking capabilities.

Why a Health-Focused Smartwatch is a Wise Investment

A health-tracking smartwatch provides continuous, personalized data that can empower you to take a more proactive role in your own wellness. These devices can track critical metrics like heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and skin temperature, offering a holistic view of your body’s status.

Many of the top smartwatches feature FDA-cleared ECG apps that can screen for signs of Atrial Fibrillation (Afib). While not a substitute for medical-grade equipment, this on-demand data provides valuable information that you can share with your doctor, leading to more informed health conversations and potentially earlier detection of serious conditions.

10 Best Virtual Fitness Programs

Real-World Scenarios: Using a Smartwatch for Better Health

Scenario 1: The Health-Conscious iPhone User

• The Person: Sarah, a 55-year-old who is proactive about her health and deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem.
• The Goal: To monitor her heart health, track her fitness, and have peace of mind with safety features.
• The Solution: Sarah chooses the Apple Watch Series 9. She uses the ECG app for on-demand heart rhythm checks and appreciates the irregular rhythm notifications. The watch’s comprehensive activity tracking motivates her to close her rings every day. She also feels more secure knowing that the Fall Detection and Crash Detection features can automatically call for help in an emergency.

Scenario 2: The Android User and Fitness Enthusiast

• The Person: David, an avid Android user who enjoys running, hiking, and strength training.
• The Goal: To find a premium smartwatch that offers both advanced health tracking and robust fitness features that work seamlessly with his Samsung phone.
• The Solution: David gets the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. He uses the FDA-cleared ECG and irregular heart rate notifications for health monitoring. For fitness, he loves the built-in GPS for his runs and the unique Body Composition Analysis feature to track his muscle mass and body fat percentage over time, giving him a more complete picture of his fitness progress.

Scenario 3: The Person Focused on Stress and Recovery

• The Person: Maria, a busy professional who wants to understand and manage her high stress levels.
• The Goal: To find a device that provides actionable insights into her body’s stress response and recovery.
• The Solution: Maria opts for the Fitbit Sense 2. While it tracks all the standard metrics, its standout feature is the continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor, which monitors her body’s stress response throughout the day. The watch provides notifications when it detects a stress response and prompts her to log her mood and do a guided breathing exercise. This helps her build awareness and learn to manage her stress in real-time. For more on the science of stress, you can visit respected sources like the **American Psychological Association**.

Comparative Breakdown of Top Health-Tracking Smartwatches

The 10 Best Smartwatches for Health Tracking in 2025

1. Apple Watch Series 9: The undisputed leader for iPhone users, offering the most comprehensive and polished suite of FDA-cleared health features, safety tools, and seamless integration.
2. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: The best health smartwatch for the Android ecosystem, providing a powerful set of sensors including an ECG, body composition analysis, and skin temperature.
3. Fitbit Sense 2: The top choice for anyone looking to proactively manage stress, thanks to its unique cEDA sensor and excellent sleep tracking capabilities.
4. Garmin Venu 3: An exceptional health and fitness watch that combines Garmin’s elite GPS and training metrics with new health features like an FDA-cleared ECG app and daily HRV status.
5. Withings ScanWatch: A beautiful hybrid watch that looks like a classic timepiece but is packed with clinically validated sensors to screen for Afib and signs of sleep apnea.
6. Google Pixel Watch 2: A sleek and stylish watch that leverages Fitbit’s powerful health-tracking ecosystem, including its ECG app, advanced sleep tracking, and stress management tools.
7. Garmin Fenix 7 Pro: For the serious athlete and outdoor adventurer who wants a rugged watch with every imaginable health and performance metric, plus incredible battery life.
8. Coros Vertix 2S: Another top-tier adventure watch that provides ECG functionality, HRV tracking, and a massive battery life, making it a favorite for endurance athletes.
9. Amazfit Balance: A budget-friendly option that punches way above its weight class, offering features like a body composition sensor, skin temperature tracking, and readiness scores.
10. TicWatch Pro 5: A unique Wear OS watch with a dual-layer display that allows for incredible battery life. It offers a solid suite of health sensors for heart rate, SpO2, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are smartwatch ECGs accurate?

The ECG apps on major smartwatches like Apple, Samsung, and Garmin are FDA-cleared for detecting signs of Atrial Fibrillation. This means they are considered substantially equivalent to a single-lead EKG. They are a powerful screening tool, but a formal diagnosis must be made by a doctor.

What is SpO2 or Blood Oxygen monitoring?

This feature measures the oxygen saturation level of your blood. While some watches have FDA-clearance for this (like Withings), most are intended for general fitness and wellness purposes only. It can be a useful metric for tracking sleep quality or acclimation to altitude.

Can a smartwatch detect a heart attack?

No. A smartwatch cannot detect a heart attack. A heart attack is a plumbing problem (a blockage), while an ECG measures the heart’s electrical activity. If you experience symptoms of a heart attack, such as chest pain, you must seek emergency medical attention immediately.

How do smartwatches measure stress?

Most measure stress by tracking your Heart Rate Variability (HRV). A lower HRV can indicate that your body is under physical or psychological stress. The Fitbit Sense 2 goes a step further with a cEDA sensor that directly measures your body’s sympathetic nervous system response.

Do I need a subscription for these health features?

For Apple, Samsung, and Garmin, all the core health features are included with the device purchase. Fitbit offers deeper insights and guided programs with an optional Fitbit Premium subscription.

Which smartwatch has the best battery life?

For multi-week battery life, adventure watches from Garmin and Coros are the undisputed champions. For a more traditional smartwatch, the TicWatch Pro 5 and Garmin Venu 3 lead the pack with several days of use.

Can I trust these devices with my health data?

Reputable manufacturers have robust privacy policies. It’s important to use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication on your associated account. You can review the privacy policies from major brands like **Apple**. At ShockTrail, we advise all users to be proactive about their digital security.

Our Responsibility Safeguards

The information provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. Smartwatches and their features are not medical devices and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard professional medical advice because of something you have read in this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

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