These Smartwatches Went Viral on TikTok... But Which Ones Are Gamechangers and Which Ones are Overhyped?

By Lexy Pinkerton

We Tested 5 Smartwatches That Went Viral on TikTok... Here's What We Found Out!

(The Wired Guide) - Unfortunately, consistently making healthy decisions is very challenging. Nothing helps keep me consistent like an amazing smartwatch, but I’ve found so many just don’t live up to the hype and end up gathering dust in my nightstand. At the end of the day, if I don’t love a watch, I don’t wear it every day, and if I don’t wear it every day, it’s not helping me live my happiest, healthiest life.

It was time to find a smartwatch I truly LOVED. With so much noise, I turned to TikTok to see if I could get some real life testimonials about smartwatches that actually worked. TikTok has always been a great way to find real testimonials from real people.

Below were the top 5 trending watches on TikTok. I took the time to try each out, and here’s what I found.

Let’s get started…

1. OVERALL BEST: SPADE & CO HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3

The two week battery life is no joke – I was able to wear my Spade & Co Health Smartwatch 3 every day, and only had to take it off to charge a couple times a month for an hour or so. We found this link that gave us a 50% discount on the Spade & Co smartwatch. It was super user-friendly, easy to setup, easy to navigate, and all the apps were very intuitive. The core health apps accurately tracked my step count, calories burned, heart rate, and sleep cycles. It was so motivating! Every day, I naturally wanted to exercise just a little bit more. The wrist calling feature is also super cool, and was a nice added bonus. Finally, the watch was stylish, customizable, durable, comfortable, and waterproof. I wear this watch every single day, and it is hands down the overall best smartwatch on the market in 2023.

2. APPLE WATCH SERIES 8

The Apple Watch Series 8 needs no introduction, but nonetheless has been making waves on TikTok. It has the most applications of any watch on this list, and its price ($400) falls reasonably between the Garmin Venu 2 Plus and the Fitbit Sense 2. Meanwhile, the battery life can be extended up to 36 hours on low power mode (compared to the Apple Watch SE’s 24 hours). Still not great, but it’s workable. I can take it on an overnight camping trip without issue, but if I stay an extra night, it’s dead…even on the low power mode. The price is quite high for something that had a similar benefit than Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3. That said, if you really need the most powerful smartwatch on the market and are ready to charge it every day, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a great choice.

3. FITBIT SENSE 2

The Fitbit Sense 2 has its diehard fans on TikTok, but nothing about the watch really wowed me (given, nothing turned me off either). The battery life of 6 days is workable, but not as spectacular as Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3. Fitbit also requires a subscription of $9.99 if you want to access all your data, while Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 does not require any subscription whatsoever. The price ($300) is reasonable, but honestly I couldn’t come up with any reason why this could be the best choice for anyone.

4. SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 5 PRO

TikTok outdoorsmen have been showcasing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro’s hiking/GPS capabilities, which are pretty cool. A number of cons, however, made this watch not particularly appealing to me personally. For starters, it’s super large and thick. It was uncomfortable to wear, and looked ridiculous on my slimmer wrist. Sometimes the touch screen also wasn’t as responsive as I liked, and the included sport band was flimsy. Also the three day battery life was underwhelming. If I turned on the GPS, it lasted less than a day. For the price, all these cons simply couldn’t justify a higher grade than a B, even with all the GPS features. Setting it up is not as easy as Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3, but defniitely worth considering if you are a Samsung fan.

5. GARMIN VENU 2 PLUS

The Garmin fanboys have been hyping this one up on TikTok, so it had to make the list. The Garmin Venu 2 is extremely stylish, has decent battery life (9 days), and boasts a number of well-designed native applications. Unfortunately, however, it lacks many third party applications, has no LTE support, and is the priciest watch on this list ($450). If you’re a Garmin loyalist, need the best GPS possible, or just love the way it looks, this watch might be for you. If not, there are much better options on this list, such as Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3.

WHY WE CHOSE THE SPADE & CO HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3 AS THE OVERALL BEST

WIth so many amazing smartwatches on TikTok, I wanted to take the time to tell you more about why I chose Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 as my number one. I already told you about the unbeatable price, near unlimited battery life, and awesome features, but why don’t I actually tell you about how this watch created a killer morning routine that changed my life?

I wake up at 6am sharp every morning. I instantly check my Health Smartwatch 3. It tells me how long I slept, how much of it was light vs deep vs rem, and ranks the overall quality of my sleep. Next, I jump into my morning meditation, guided by the watch’s guided breathing session app. Finally, I check my heart rate. Ideally it will be below 50 bpm, especially after the mediation.

After checking my heart rate, I go for my morning jog. My watch keeps track of my entire run, and lets me seamlessly handle any unexpected early morning calls. After my run, I head to the shower. I don’t take my watch off, because it’s waterproof. In the shower, I’ll usually check the weather and my email. Once I’m done with my shower, I check my stress levels to make sure I’m ready for work. If I notice they’re elevated, I do another guided meditation. Then it’s off the seize the day.

The best part? I get to do it all over again tomorrow morning, and I don’t even have to worry about charging my watch. Luckily I was given this link to get Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 for 50% off.

IS HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3 COMPATIBLE WITH MY PHONE?

Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 is compatible with any Android device (Android 6 and up) as well as any iPhone (iOS 9 and up). So if your smartphone is 8 years old or less, it will be compatible.

HOW ACCURATE IS THE HEALTH SMARTWATCH 3?

Spade & Co's Health Smartwatch 3 measures my steps, calories burned, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and sleep with the accuracy of other top rated products.

I use the data to actually make lifestyle changes, and it was extremely effective. For example, the calorie tracker suggests I burn about 700 activity calories a day. Ever since I started making sure to adapt my diet based on how much I burn, I have never felt healthier.

HOW LONG DOES THE BATTERLY LIFE LAST FOR REAL?

I was able to get the battery to last over two weeks while tracking my steps, calories, heartrate, and sleep. When I used some of the more advanced apps, such as the wrist calling feature, the battery life tended to drain a bit faster though. I still get over 10 days so it still far surpasses any rival product.

HOW EASY IS IT TO SET UP?

I am the least tech savvy person I know, but setting up was super easy. I literally opened it up, turned it on, downloaded the app and boom! A few minutes later it was ready to go. Also the interface and apps were super intuitive, so I didn’t even need to read the instruction manual.

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