The 3 Best Smartwatches of 2021

Last year saw some real innovation in smartwatches – here’s who has the best products so far.

It’s a lot to keep up with if you haven’t tried new products in a while, but reviews are a good guide to compare different smartwatches to each other and get first-person perspectives from folks who use them every day.

We researched different brands, from the big names to the new kids on the block. Here are some of the top brands we found in our research:

Apple: Well-known and respected, Apple makes smartwatches in a variety of options for consumers for its iOS ecosystem.

Fitbit: Always has a wide line of products, both fitness trackers and smartwatches. Quality is high but the prices can be steep compared to newcomers.

Spade & Co: A fast-growing newcomer, many people are buying directly from this company over the internet rather than going to the store.

While the most popular smartwatches aren’t necessarily the ones you should buy, our team found that several of the most-discussed models really do stick out from the competition. But don’t think that just because you’ve heard of a brand, you’ll love it – there are large differences between even the well-known brands.

Based on customer reviews, consumer review publications, and online review sites, we curated three of the best smartwatches available this year and ranked them accordingly. Read on for detailed notes on each model.

#1 - Spade & Co Smartwatch

The new Spade & Co Smartwatch was definitely the biggest upset of the year, and it changed a lot of our rankings around at the last minute. A lot of high-tech stuff is baked into the watch, with a simple and great design for both women and men. By selling directly to the consumer, Spade & Co is able to cut the middle man and sell a high-quality product at a very competitive price. In other words, you don’t pay for the brand, you just pay for the product.

The Spade & Co Smartwatch has the best reviews on the brand’s site, earning an average of 4.8 out of 5 possible stars from roughly 500 total smartwatch users.

Why this smartwatch stands above the rest

According to its website, the Spade & Co Smartwatch connects with pretty much any Android and iPhone in the market. The ‘secret sauce’ of the Spade & Co Smartwatch is in the battery life management, which lasts for up to 30 days, while most smartwatches run out of battery after 24 or 48 hours. The Spade & Co Smartwatch has everything you would expect, including activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, call and text notifications. It comes with a free iOS and Android app so you can sync your data and customize the face of your watch.

To summarize, we picked the Spade & Co Smartwatch because it offers what most consumers expect from a smartwatch, including activity tracking and health monitoring at a very reasonable price. For people who are considering purchasing their first smartwatch, this smartwatch is a must-try.

UPDATE: It looks like there is a time-limited offer where you can get the Spade & Co Smartwatch for half the price. This could be a good deal to take advantage of while they have it.

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#2 - Apple Watch Series 5

Last year’s champion, the Apple Watch remains an all-around great product, with great health and safety features such as ECG, fall detection, etc. The battery life, however, is limited. Based on our tests, we had to charge the watch every 2 days or so in order to avoid running out of battery during the day. In comparison, the smartwatch offered by Spade & Co has a 30+ day battery life. Also, you will need to spend between $399 and $799 (+ tax) to get the new Apple Watch, a very steep price for those who want the benefits smartwatches provide without breaking the bank.

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#3 - Fitbit Versa 2

As usual, Fitbit brings a product with great performance and design, but at a steep price. The new Versa 2 is $229.95. Fitbit has a lot of experience in activity tracking, and their acquisition of Pebble helped them expand their product line to smartwatches. However, you’ll pay for the brand, which puts them out of the running for all but the most dedicated Fitbit fans.

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