The pricey smartwatches you shouldn't buy

Our latest smartwatch tests have uncovered two Don't Buy watches that disappointed on key tasks, despite costing hundreds of pounds.

It's not all bad news though. We also found a Great Value Best Buy smartwatch that reliably and accurately tracks activity, lasts well and keeps you up to date with your notifications too.

Read on to find out why we think a Don't Buy smartwatch is one to avoid, and how our testing reveals the best options for your hard-earned cash.

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What causes a smartwatch to flunk our tests?

You might think it's just features and looks that determine the best smartwatches around, but our independent tests reveal big differences in performance on important everyday aspects such as the battery life, tracking accuracy and more.

Some of the worst models we've tested are flimsy and uncomfortable to wear, or have dim screens that are unreadable the moment you go outside in the sun. They might have processors that don't load data quickly enough to keep the screen content refreshing smoothly, or the battery might die sooner than you'd expect.

If you're looking for a smartwatch to monitor your health and fitness, you'll want it to do the job properly, but some of the worst smartwatches we've tested are really inaccurate, with readings 20% off the true value.

Not-so-smart features

Smartwatches rely on a paired smartphone app to control a lot of their features and display more in-depth analysis of your activity. But we've found some apps have clunky set-ups, are difficult to navigate and show confusing or incomprehensible data.

There are differences in what you can control from the watch itself too - from the detail you get to the controls you have and how easy they are to view. 

A smartwatch might also fail our privacy and security testing. It might not be top of mind when you're buying, but flaws found here could leave your personal data vulnerable to exploitation. 

Find out which models failed to impress in our list of Don't Buy smartwatches to avoid.

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Two smartwatches, both £230, with very different results

Our recent test included two smartwatches, both costing £230, but we think only one is worth spending your money on. 

The low-scoring Don't Buy has a tiny screen that's difficult to see and shows very limited data. There's just one button too, making navigation tedious.

The accompanying phone app has a baffling structure and a badly-labelled menu. Smart features are in short supply, and you can't rely on its sensors to measure anything accurately when exercising. Another Don't Buy we've just tested costs nearly £100 more, but has similar flaws. Both scored 45% or less in our tests.

Our latest Best Buy smartwatch gives you a very different experience for the same price, getting an overall score of 78%. The heart-rate monitor is more accurate and so are the steps it tracks. 

Beginning workouts is a seamless process and you can set lots of useful and encouraging goals. The workout analysis and graphs on the paired app are clear and easy to understand. 

Outside of fitness tracking, there's a bunch of smart features and you can use it to reply to notifications. 

On a strict budget? Our Great Value smartwatches give you good performance for a price that's at least 20% less than the average cost of a smartwatch. Our latest Great Value smartwatch costs less than £150 and it's a top performer too.

Latest smartwatch reviews from Which?

Which? members can see the latest smartwatches below including Best Buys and Don't Buys. You can also read our guide to the best smartwatches to find out more before you buy. 

Not yet a member? Join Which? today to access these and thousands of other reviews.

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