Best Fitness Watch For Men 2023

Finding the best fitness watch for men hinges on your specific needs. Whether you prioritise compatibility with your iPhone or require specialised functions like swim tracking, there's a watch tailored for you. While many options boast comprehensive features, delving deeper ensures you select the perfect match.

In our quest to find the best smartwatches and fitness trackers for men, we considered diverse functionalities while acknowledging the importance of aesthetics. These watches not only offer an array of features but also excel in tracking various health metrics as a result. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9 stands out with its ability to monitor calories, sleep, stress, blood oxygen levels, and perform ECG readings at your convenience through its app. Such capabilities elevate these devices above the competition, hence them making it on our list.

There's a lot of crossover with our list of the best fitness watches for women, although these wearables are a little more tailored to the needs of men. With that in mind, let's delve into our selection of these outstanding devices.

Best fitness watch for men

1. Apple Watch Series 9
2. Google Pixel Watch
3. Amazfit Band 7
4. Garmin Forerunner 965
5. Garmin Swim 2
6. Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Solar

Credit: Apple

1. Apple Watch Series 9

Best fitness watch for men on iPhone

It comes as no surprise that Apple excels in crafting exceptional fitness watches, given its track record of creating impressive smartwatches with numerous fitness capabilities. So, it's only natural that our top pick for the best fitness watches for men goes to none other than the Apple Watch Series 9. It's a true testament to what a fitness watch can achieve, especially now that it comes with an even more powerful S9 SiP chip.

Firstly, it looks amazing, which is always a good thing, and it features a selection of amazing double-tap gestures. It's also water-resistant, making it useful for most workouts as sweat can build up naturally and quickly depending on the intensity. It also means you can wear it swimming, up to a depth of 50m mind you.

It can also track your overall fitness in a lot of ways. For instance, it checks your blood oxygen and can take an ECG reading at any time with the accompanying app. It essentially has everything you could need to see how well your fitness journey is going, and to help you plan out more detailed goals later down the line.

Furthermore, it notifies you of several changes to your health, such as an unusually high or low heart rate and irregular rhythm, plus it gives you a nudge when your cardio is low. Features like these help make it one of the best fitness devices for men we've come across.

• Read More: Best watches under 1500

Credit: Google

2. Google Pixel Watch

Best fitness watch for men on Android

For non-iPhone users, the best fitness watch for men is probably the Google Pixel Watch. First of all, it comes in a nice mix of colours, which is always a good thing when you're looking for a watch that you can wear all the time. It also does an amazing job of being a highly functional smartwatch outside of the fitness side of things.

On the fitness side of things though, the Google Pixel Watch includes everything a top Fitbit does, thanks to a partnership between the two companies. What this means is that you've got a company dedicated to fitness devices implanting everything they do into one great smartwatch. As a result, you can see every kind of stat you want about your health, and you'll look good while doing so.

But what does this mean in practice? Well, the device is equipped with Fitbit's most accurate heart rate sensor, and it features 40 different sports modes to track a variety of different activities accurately.

What's more, it can deliver you information on your heart rate zones during a workout through Active Zone Minutes, it can assess your heart rhythm through the ECG app, it detects when you've had a fall and can contact emergency services, and, finally, can monitor your sleep performance. - what's not to like?

• Read More: Best running watches

Credit: Amazfit

3. Amazfit Band 7

Best budget fitness watch for men

The Amazfit Band 7 is an excellent budget option for men. Keeping an eye on your health doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, nor does it have to cost more than forty bucks in this case. We would say this particular model is that it's a little slimmer than others and some of its competitors, but this can be a good thing for running, for example, as you won't have anything too heavy or distracting slowing you down.

Outside of this, the watch is just a great choice for keeping an eye on things in general, like heart rate, how well you're sleeping, and even your stress levels. It also has Amazon Alexa built-in, which is good news if you're home is packed out with smart devices.

You can also test three key health metrics with one single tap of the band, providing information on your heart rate, blood-oxygen saturation, and stress level simultaneously, all within 45 seconds to help you gain a more instantaneous understanding of your health.

Its AMOLED display is also worth mentioning as it's now larger than its previous iteration, as is the battery life, which can now last up to 18 days. It's a pretty stellar fitness watch, all things considered, especially taking into account its price.

• Read More: Best running watches under 100

Credit: Garmin

4. Garmin Forerunner 965

Best running fitness watch for men

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is undeniably one of the best Garmin watches you can find. Whether you're a long-distance runner, into short sprints, or even triathlons, this watch has got you covered.

With its vibrant, touchscreen AMOLED display, you can easily keep tabs on your pace, heart rate, and follow a fully-coloured map of your running route - a fantastic feature, especially in crowded city environments.

Furthermore, it comes equipped with numerous sports profiles to track various activities, a race widget that can estimate your finishing time based on your pace, and even suggests workouts tailored to your training readiness score, a statistic that estimates your energy levels based on factors like strain, stress, recovery, good sleep hygiene, and so on.

That's not all though. The Forerunner 965 also boasts an impressive 23-day battery life (which can extend up to 31 hours in GPS-Only GNSS mode) and is water-resistant up to 50m. So, if you're serious about tracking your workouts, this Garmin device is an outstanding choice. Its features and capabilities make it a reliable companion for your fitness journey.

• Read More: Best marathon watches

Credit: Garmin

5. Garmin Swim 2

Best swimming fitness watch for men

The Garmin Swim 2 is, unsurprisingly, built for swimmers. The name is a dead giveaway, but the features are what make it so worthwhile. It has a variety of modes for different swimming environments. For indoor swimmers, it has a pool mode that records your distance, pace, stroke count, and your efficiency, presented as a SWOLF score.

Those who prefer swimming in the sea though, or just exploring, you'll be happy to know that it has an open-water swim mode that uses the built-in GPS for your safety, along with tracking all of your swimming stats. It also offers free online analysis, so you can see where you're flagging and where you're doing great. It even tracks your heart rate while underwater.

It's also great to wear every day as it tracks your stress, sleep, heart rate, and it provides smart notifications from your phone. It will even give your "Body Battery" based on factors like sleep, stress, etc., so you know when is best to train and when you need to rest.

This watch is the real deal when it comes to swimming. But don't just wear it in the water, as its array of amazing tracking technologies makes it a great pick for everyday wear as well.

• Read More: Best watches for swimming

Credit: Garmin

6. Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Solar

Best hiking fitness watch for men

Finally, we come to the Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Solar, perhaps the best fitness watch for men who like to go out into the world and walk up things. That's a pretty reductive way to describe hiking, but it is sort of true. Anyway, hiking is a blast to do and can often lead to seeing parts of the natural world other people just don't get to see, and the sights at the top of any route are nearly always worth it.

One of the reasons why this is one of the best hiking watches is that it has solar charging, which is a huge plus if you forget to fully charge it before a big hike. It also has a built-in LED flashlight, which will make it easier to navigate in the dark, especially with its GPS features too, which means you'll be safe even if you feel like straying from the beaten path.

Adding to this is the fact it's incredibly rugged, boasting a 47mm fibre-reinforced polymer case with a steel bezel and rear cover. In fact, the watch has been tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance. So, if it's good enough for the military, it's good enough for your hikes.

Other notable features include its ability to provide real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs, and the fact it can auto-adjust your pace according to the grade of the hill you're climbing. All of this and more is why we believe it to be a great fitness watch for hiking.

• Read More: Best Garmin watches for hiking

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Don't worry if you have questions about buying a new smartwatch or fitness tracker. We've got you covered with answers to some of the most frequently asked queries below.

What features should you look for from a fitness watch for men?

The choice between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch depends on your specific needs and preferences. Therefore, it's essential to consider features that align with your fitness goals and lifestyle.

Generally speaking, however, there are some key features to look for. First and foremost, ensure it has comprehensive activity and health-tracking metrics. Look for a fitness watch that accurately monitors various activities like steps, calories burned, heart rate, and sleep quality. It should also offer a wide range of workout modes to cover all the sports you participate in.

Built-in GPS is another important aspect to consider, as it allows precise tracking of outdoor activities like running or cycling without relying on your phone.

A decent battery life is crucial to last through a typical day of activities and workouts without frequent charging. Solar charging can help here, as touched on above, as it means you won't necessarily have to worry about charging your device as often.

Additionally, being water resistant is a useful feature to look out for as it means your watch can avoid being damaged or breaking from moisture build-up during workouts, and provides the freedom to wear it in water-related activities.

Overall, we'd say these are the key features to keep in mind while choosing the right device for your fitness journey.

How long does the battery last on a typical fitness watch?

This can vary significantly based on factors like brand, model, features, display type, and usage patterns. Typically, most fitness watches on the market offer a battery life ranging from a few days to several weeks, but this isn't always the case...

Some watches are designed to last even longer, and many come equipped with different power-saving modes to adjust battery usage. For instance, Garmin offers a specific Battery Saver setting that minimises power consumption when you won't have access to charging for an extended period. Additionally, certain Garmin watches come with solar-charging lenses, providing virtually unlimited battery life when exposed to sufficient sunlight.

To make an informed decision, it's crucial to review the manufacturer's specifications for battery life and read user reviews to understand real-world performance. Besides, adopting smart charging habits and adjusting settings appropriately can also contribute to extending or conserving the battery life of the device.

Can a fitness watch be worn all day?

Certainly, most fitness watches are engineered for all-day wear, seamlessly integrating into your daily life to provide continuous health and fitness insights. These wearable devices can quite seamlessly become part of your routine, tracking activity levels, heart rate, sleep patterns, and more, from the moment you put them on until you remove them.

The main advantage of wearing a fitness watch throughout the day lies in its ability to monitor your overall physical activity. These watches record steps, distance covered, and calories burned, serving as motivating tools for those striving to reach their daily activity targets.

Furthermore, fitness watches offer continuous heart rate monitoring, enabling you to assess your cardiovascular well-being and effort levels during activities. Real-time heart rate data aids in optimising workouts too, ensuring efficient exertion and preventing excessive strain. This feature also lets you monitor your resting heart rate, a crucial metric for tracking overall fitness progress and potential health concerns.

In essence, wearing a fitness watch all day is not just feasible, but highly advantageous. It furnishes a comprehensive perspective on your health, inspiring positive choices and fostering mindfulness about your well-being throughout the day. Whether you're taking a leisurely stroll, hitting the gym, or carrying out daily tasks, a fitness watch can be your constant companion on the path to a healthier lifestyle.

Are fitness watches water-resistant or waterproof?

Fitness watches come in a range of water resistance ratings, and the level of water resistance can vary depending on the make and model of the watch. These ratings are typically given in metres or ATM (atmospheres) and indicate the depth to which the watch can be submerged without sustaining damage.

Most of the time, a fitness watch will either come with a 5 or 10 ATM resistance rating, meaning it can be submerged to a depth of 50 or 100 metres respectively without damaging or breaking the device. Just be careful to double-check the exact wording of this before you buy to avoid any accidental water-based mishaps.

You can, however, get watches designed to go deeper and are usually referred to as dive watches, with a resistance rating titled ISO 6425. These watches are designed specifically for scuba diving and can usually survive in depths of 200 metres or more.

You'll rarely find a good fitness watch that doesn't come with some level of water resistance because the device will need to withstand sweat at the end of the day. Just make sure you do your research to find a wearable device with a water resistance rating that aligns with your specific needs.