Best Smartwatch for Women

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It can be fun to accessorize but sometimes it's a battle to find the perfect blend of function and fashion, like when choosing a smartwatch. The good news is that there are tons of options for women these days. Our favorite is the Fossil Gen 5 Julianna, which offers premium features while boasting a classic, stylish design. We've rounded up the best picks to help you choose the one that's right for you.

Best Overall

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Fossil Gen 5 Julianna

Fossil fans will love this watch. It has activity and heart rate tracking, Google Pay, and GPS. It's lightweight and stylish, too.

Pros

  • Stylish, lightweight design
  • External speaker, more storage
  • Onboard GPS, NFC, HRM
  • Google Assistant

Cons

  • Mediocre battery life
  • Display could be brighter
  • Battery saving modes limit functionality

If you were a fan of the Gen 4 smartwatches from Fossil but hoped for improvements, the moment has arrived. The Gen 5 smartwatches — including the gorgeous Julianna — come with a new stylish design, more RAM, and an external speaker. It also does everything you need it to do: activity and heart rate tracking, 3 ATM water resistance (depth of up to 30 meters), Google Pay, Google Assistant, GPS, and notifications. The new Snapdragon Wear 3100 is finally here, too, which helps with battery life. If you were hoping for a major upgrade, you might be disappointed; the Julianna has an estimated 24+ hours of life, which isn't a huge improvement from the previous generation.

However, thanks to the new processor and battery-saving modes, you can get more usage between charges. Extended mode turns off nonessential features, like the always-on display, speaker, Wi-Fi, and touch to wake. Location and NFC are set to "on demand" so those radios are only turned on when apps are using them. Time Only mode gives you a few extra hours when the battery is low by functioning as a watch only. In short, if you plan on taking full advantage of all of the features the Gen 5 offers, you'll need to charge it daily.

Best Timeless Design

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Michael Kors Access Runway

Want a stunning smartwatch full of impressive features and activity tracking perks? The Michael Kors Access Runway is a winner.

Pros

  • Various color options
  • Google Assistant
  • GPS, NFC, HRM
  • Customized activity tracking

Cons

  • Limited iOS functionality
  • Disappointing battery life
  • Design isn't ideal for intense workouts

Sometimes you're aiming for the best of both worlds: a solid activity tracker with tons of features in the form of a timeless smartwatch that will never go out of style. The Michael Kors Access Runway will check all of these boxes. You'll enjoy an estimated 24 hours of battery life, onboard GPS, activity and heart rate tracking, 3 ATM water resistance, Google Assistant, Google Play, and more. It comes in various colors, including gold, pink, black, silver, and rose gold. The beautiful design might make this watch seem like it's only about looks but that's not the case. 

The Access Runway allows you to set customized fitness goals, track calories burned, and map exercise routes. There's a wide selection of activities to choose from, like elliptical, aerobics, boxing, circuit training, and more. The only real con is that iOS users will need to have the Wear OS app running in the background for the smartwatch to stay connected or you won't get notifications. When your phone is connected, you'll be able to accept or reject calls (there's no speaker, so be prepared to use headphones). Android Users can reply to texts but iOS users won't have that luxury.

Best for Fashion

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Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2

Looking to make a fashion statement while still having the functionality you need? Look no further than the Kate Spade Scallop 2.

Pros

  • Activity tracking
  • GPS, NFC, HRM
  • Music controls
  • Great design options
  • Different band styles

Cons

  • Uses Snapdragon 2100
  • Short battery life
  • A bit pricy

The Kate Spade Scallop Smartwatch 2 is a major step up from its predecessor. It offers a ton of features that weren't on the table before, including built-in GPS, Google Pay, and heart rate monitoring, not to mention there's an array of fashionable designs to choose from, including black, rose gold, gold, pink, and white. It also comes with 3ATM water resistance. This smartwatch estimates around 24 hours of battery life depending on your usage. Choose the band style you prefer, whether it be silicone, leather, or classic stainless steel.

You'll also be able to use Google Assistant, view notifications at a glance, control your music, customize watch faces, and more. Let's not forget about the basic activity tracking that lets you keep track of your steps taken and calories burned throughout the day while monitoring your heart rate and tracking your route. We're bummed it's still using the old Snapdragon Wear 2100, but it's a small compromise for all that you get. It's a bit on the pricey side, but for those who aren't willing to settle when it comes to fashion, it'll be well worth it.

Best for Sports

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Fitbit Versa 2

The Fitbit Versa 2 made Fitbit Pay standard, added Amazon Alexa, and improved sleep tracking. It's perfect for sports fans, too.

Pros

  • Improved battery life
  • Refined sleep tracking
  • Fitbit Pay
  • Best water resistance option
  • Amazon Alexa built-in

Cons

  • Lacks built-in GPS
  • Spotify functionality is limiting
  • No speaker for Alexa replies

While the new Fitbit Versa 2 isn't exclusively for women, it can certainly pass as a women's smartwatch. You can make it rugged and durable with the right band when you head outdoors for an intense workout. When the evening time rolls around, switch to an elegant band for a night out on the town. A fitness smartwatch can be feminine if you want it to be! There are many improvements worth noting, especially the increase of battery life from 4 to 5 days this time around.

This smartwatch offers some good upgrades from the original, like adding Amazon Alexa, making Fitbit Pay standard, improving the sleep tracking feature, and more. You can also control your Spotify music with an app on the device, but it won't work for syncing offline playlists. As for Alexa, you won't be able to hear replies to your inquiries without headphones as the watch doesn't have a speaker. You still don't have onboard GPS though, so you'll need to have your phone handy to use connected GPS instead. You'll have some of the same features as before, like female health tracking, 5 ATM water resistance, 15+ exercise modes, and 24/7 heart rate tracking.

Best Slim Design

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Skagen Falster 2

The Skagen Falster 2 is a second edition done right. You get heart rate tracking, GPS, and Google Pay in a super-slim package.

Pros

  • GPS, NFC, HRM
  • Ultra-slim design
  • Crisp, colorful display

Cons

  • Uses Snapdragon 2100
  • Battery life isn't great
  • Software can be buggy

There's a lot to say about the Skagen Falster 2, but undoubtedly the first thing you'll notice is the ultra-slim design. The case is just 11 mm thick and when you pair this with a cozy mesh band against your wrist, it's a match made in heaven. In addition to silver stainless steel, the watch is also available in gold, rose gold, and black, with the option of leather bands, silicone bands, or magnetic mesh. It's compatible with 20 mm interchangeable bands so you can easily find one to match your style. Fortunately, now that the Skagen Falster 3 has finally hit the market, you can get the Falster 2 for a much better price.

As for the features, you'll have a good set on your hands. The Skagen Falster 2 provides you with 3 ATM water resistance, heart-rate tracking, Google Assistant, smartphone notifications, activity tracking via Google Fit, Google Pay, built-in GPS and more. Of course, you'll also have the ability to add your favorite third-party apps from the Google Play store. Battery life is estimated to last 24 hours on a single charge, which probably could've been better had it featured the Snapdragon Wear 3100. This missing upgrade also might have helped with the buggy software that tends to lag with some features, like lift to wake. With that said, it's slim and sleek design combined with its feature set might be enough to offset those shortcomings.

Bottom line

The bottom line is that you really can't go wrong with any of these options. It all depends on what you're looking for in a smartwatch. No matter which one you choose, you'll receive a stunning design with a solid feature set. Make sure you think about what you want from your device before you make your final decision. If it's a feminine look you're after, you can choose one of the watches that's specifically designed for women. If you desire a specific set of features, you can just as easily go for one of the watches that work for both men and women that has what you need.

Our personal favorite when it comes to a women's smartwatch is the Fossil Gen 5 Julianna. The eye-catching design is nice enough on its own but there's a lot under the hood of this smartwatch, too. You'll have everything you need from activity and heart rate tracking to Google Pay to onboard GPS. Don't forget about the additional RAM and external speaker. To put it simply, it's what smartwatch dreams are made of.