With the advent of technology, the smartwatches market is booming and rightly so. There are hundreds of smartwatches to choose from and scouring through the internet only makes it harder for us to find a decent affordable smartwatch. For that reason alone, we did the graft and reviewed the best smartwatches under $300 that are budget friendly, have high-end specs and give serious competition to their costly counterparts.
Our list of the best smartwatches under $300 feature timepieces, fitness trackers for users of all hues. Whether you are a fitness aficionado, iphone user, or style conscious horologist who wants their smartwatches to be durable and with good smartwatch operating systems, this list of smartwatches has got it all covered. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Note: At the time of writing this review, all these smartwatches were listed for $300 or less. Prices may or may not have fluctuated since.
12 of the Best Smartwatches Under $300
1) Best Overall: Garmin Vivoactive 4
Garmin’s flagship smartwatch, the Vivoactive 4, has made waves ever since it was launched. Banking on Garmin’s rich history in sports timepieces and fitness trackers, the Vivoactive 4 gets a major boost from Garmin OS. The operating system features pre-installed fitness apps and third-party compatible apps such as Spotify. On the performance front, it boasts GPS connectivity, heart rate monitor, and a pulse oximeter. Weight-wise, the Vivoactive 4 feels light as a feather on the wrist.
Interestingly, if you are a music lover, the Vivoactive 4 is all you need with its onboard storage of over 500 songs and music streaming apps compatibility that allows offline music playback from Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer. So much so, the transflective display of the Vivoactive 4 makes it suitable for outdoor exercises.
What’s more, a decent battery life of around 2-3 days with regular usage and up to 8 days in smartwatch mode really adds to the utility of the Vivoactive 4. Furthermore, the battery can last up to 6 hours with continuous GPS on if you use it for endurance sports or outdoor excursions. All in all, if you want a decent Garmin smartwatch with rich features, then Vivoactive is the best smartwatch under $300.
2) Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Aimed at fitness enthusiasts, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 operates on Samsung’s flagship Tizen OS which is an open-source platform that can be used with other Android and iPhone devices. The watch boasts superfast Cortex-A53 processor and a touch-sensitive bezel that feels smooth and lightweight on the wrist during those gruelling exercises.
What’s more, it comes with 4GB of internal storage which is ideal for saving audio Podcasts or Spotify tracks. Heck, you can even use the smartwatch tether-free by connecting your Bluetooth headphones to the it. On the features front, fitness conscious users get to avail GPS, a heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitoring and an accelerometer making it one of the best smartwatches under $300 price range.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is also dustproof and waterproof up to 1.5m making it an ideal wristwear for swimming and other water sports. The Tizen OS comes loaded with Samsung’s own ecosystem of apps such as Samsung Pay, Samsung Health, and Bixby voice assistant.
3) Budget Pick: Garmin Instinct
Another top-tier smartwatch from the house of Garmin, the Garmin Instinct is specifically targeted at outdoor enthusiasts and mountain climbers who prefer a rugged timepiece as their companion. The watch offers magnetic compass, elevation profiles, route mapping, and storm alerts which make the Garmin Instinct an ideal smartwatch. What’s more, it boasts inbuilt GPS connectivity, heart rate monitor, and step tracker.
On the downside, the Garmin Instinct doesn’t have NFC technology, third-party app support, or a touch screen. However, despite its limited smart functions, you can still check notifications, incoming calls, and control media playback on your phone which can be done in a jiffy once Garmin Instinct is paired to a smartphone.
4) Most Stylish: Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle
Fossil’s Gen 5 Carlyle features Google’s WearOS and boasts the super fast Snapdragon 3100 processor with 1GB of RAM for optimal performance. True to their traditional watchmaker ethos, Fossil has kept the Gen 5 Carlyle a minimal timepiece having only 3 programmable buttons with a stylish outlook. It also sports a crown dial that helps in easy and smooth scrolling.
It is one of the best smartwatches under $300 that is powered by WatchOS and has unhindered access to lots of nifty third-party apps on the Play Store including Spotify and Google Pay for making contactless payments via the NFC chip. What’s more, you can also download music on Gen 5 Carlyle’s extensive 8GB storage space.
The smartwatch is available in black color variant and two straps including leather and stainless steel. For women-only range, the Julianna model has more colorful straps such as soft rose gold and pink. On the downside, the battery life is a bit disappointing as it lasts only a single day on a full charge.
5) Best for iPhone Users: Apple Watch SE
Apple’s pocket-friendly entry in the smartwatch market, Apple Watch SE comes in two variants: a GPS-only and an LTE-only version for use without a smartphone. It features a OLED screen, digital crown for easy scrolling and relies on Apple’s trademark Haptik tech for smooth navigation on the user interface. For music buffs, the 32GB of onboard storage will suffice for downloading tracks from Apple Music and YouTube Music.
On the fitness front, the Apple Watch SE comes with accurate GPS connectivity and a heart rate monitor that share the data with Apple Health. It integrates nicely with your iPhone, and can make/receive calls, send messages via iMessage and communicate with Siri voice assistant. If you don’t have an iPhone then you’re out of luck as the Apple Watch can only be used with iPhones. Also, the Apple watch SE doesn’t have a durable battery life and lasts only 18 hours on a single charge.
6) Alternative for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 4
Launched back in 2018, the Series 4 has largely similar specs as the newer Apple Watch SE and features an electrocardiogram sensor that monitors your heart’s blood flow. This feature comes in handy to middle-aged users or seniors with heart ailments. Interestingly, the Apple Watch SE lacks this feature.
The Series 4 comes in two variants: stainless steel and aluminum. It has numerous strap color options for both variants. Furthermore, the Series 4 is available as a GPS-only or an LTE version that lets you make calls and send messages when you don’t want to use a smartphone. However, its 16GB music storage space is marginally small compared to 32GB in the newer SE model.
That said, all of Apple’s trademark apps such as Apple Pay, Apple Music, as well integration with Apple Health are available on this smartwatch. All together, the Series 4 is one of the best smartwatches under $300 from Apple.
7) Best for Battery Life: Amazfit Stratos 3
Running on its proprietary operating system, the Stratos 3 from the Amazfit series is a nifty timepiece that is smooth, less bloated and consumes less power. It has a powerful 300mAh battery that is quite durable lasting up to 14 days. On the utility front, it comes loaded with inbuilt GPS, heart rate monitor and can track up to 80 different sports.
Weighing in at just 40 grams, this lightweight smartwatch just might be the ideal wearable for outdoorsmen. What’s more, the transflective display will help you see the screen clearly even in broad daylight whilst using the watch outdoors. With around 2GB of storage space for music, you might find yourself wanting more options. However, the Stratos 3 is not compatible with third-party apps, smart voice assistants. Also, you will not be able to reply to messages.
8) Best for Wellness: Fitbit Sense
If you prefer smartwatches that are loaded to the hilt with sensors for monitoring and enhancing your wellbeing, the Fitbit Sense is a one of the best smartwatches under $300. Running on Fitbit OS, the Fitbit Sense is compatible with both Google Assistant and Alexa. As well as sensors such as GPS and heart rate monitoring, this nifty smartwatch includes an ECG sensor for detecting unusual heart rhythms, advanced sleep monitor that gauges skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation.
It also reads out how stressed out you are with a daily score on the conductivity of your skin. You can also set mindfulness goals and go through meditation tutorials for the perfect mental peace.
The Fitbit Sense also lets users make and receive calls on the watch via the inbuilt microphone and speaker, and respond to messages via speech-to-text functionality. However, for using some of these features and advanced reporting options users are required to have a premium Fitbit subscription.
9) Best for Tether-Free Experience: TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE
Running on Google’s snazzy WearOS that pairs with both iPhones and Android devices, the TicWatch Pro is touted as the best smartwatch under $300 for tether free pairing. You can also access a ton of third-party apps including Maps, Google Assistant and Google Pay.
Interestingly, TicWatch sports dual LCD screen with an always-on display, and an AMOLED screen underneath for displaying apps. It can last up to 2-3 days on a single charge. If you stick to the LCD screen only in essential mode, you can enjoy a staggering 30-day battery life. Couple with 4GB of onboard storage for listening to music on the go, the TicWatch Pro also features a heart rate sensor, and GPS. Not to mention it is waterproof too!
The smartwatch boasts a cellular connection and comes with an inbuilt microphone and speaker for seamless calling or messaging without your phone that becomes very useful when you are outdoors.
10) Value for Money: Huawei GT Watch GT 2
Leading smartwatch brand, Huawei has introduced the Huawei Watch GT2 at an affordable price point. It uses Huawei Lite OS and Kirin A1 chipset that render the watch with a solid battery life of up to 14 days after a full charge making it one of the best smartwatches under $300 strictly going by the battery life. The GT2 can sync with the Huawei Health app which provides a dedicated dashboard for health tracking via the watch’s inbuilt sensors that come in handy for tracking workouts via GPS or tracking data from the heart rate monitor.
On the downside, the Lite OS doesn’t offer as many features as WearOS or watchOS from Google and Apple such as inbuilt Wifi and Spotify or other music streaming apps. Plus, you won’t be able to make or receive calls. However, you can mirror notifications from your phone and control media on the GT2.
11) Best for Sports Tracking: Polar Ignite
Touted as one of the best smartwatches under $300 for sportspersons, the Polar Ignite can be used for tracking over 100 different sports, with storage of 20 sports on the watch at any given time. On the functionality front, it has an inbuilt heart rate monitor that can be paired with external device for enhanced accuracy. It also boasts nifty sleep tracking that provides accurate sleep times as well as a detailed analysis of your sleep cycles.
If you want to monitor your workouts, Polar Ignite offers the option to measure recovery periods after exercise, and gives recommendations for further training. It can also integrate with Polar Flow online dashboard that helps you plan fitness goals by combining all of your physical activity and sleep tracking. You can also access adaptive training plans that are tailor made based on your performance.
The only downside is the ‘flat tire’ display that was no longer in vogue nowadays and seems to be phased out by most other manufacturers.
12) Best for Athletes: SUUNTO 5
Rounding off our list of the best smartwatches under $300 is Suunto, a smartwatch brand famous for its dive watches and precision instruments. Hence, you can expect highly accurate tracking that’s very useful for endurance athletes and professional sportsmen and sportswomen.
Boasting a highly accurate GPS chip and heart rate monitor, the Suunto smartwatch also offers a long lasting battery life that can survive anywhere between 3-8 days after a single charge. However, the smartwatch features a bland display screen that is not a touchscreen, that is, you can only use buttons to operate it.
Hope you enjoyed reading through our review of the best smartwatches under $300 as much as we enjoyed compiling it. We hope that you will be able to make an informed buying decision going forward.