Best smartwatches for men

Generally speaking, smartwatches are made for all adults. Outside of potential cosmetic differences—which, can be altered with things like swappable smartwatch bands—the real consideration is the size of the watch case relative and the length of the band, both relative to the size of your wrist.

A smartwatch is a great smartphone companion in terms of convenience but can also do more these days than just offering another way to see what that phone vibration in your pocket meant. As for costs, you can nab a cheap smartwatch for under $200, a solid mid-range option around the $500 mark or you can go all out and spend $1,300 or more on a high-end wearable.

Before we get into our best smartwatch picks for men, have a look at the most popular prepaid and SIM-only mobile plans today for something to pair with a potential new wearable.

The best smartwatch for men has to tick a lot of boxes to come out on top. It should be reasonably priced (at least comparatively), works with iPhone and Android mobiles, plus have lots of features and excellent battery life. Cue the entry of the Garmin Venu 3. This versatile smartwatch boasts up to 14 days of battery life, which is great for getting off the radar without needing a charger. As for features, there’s a suite of health-tracking tools and sports apps with health data that don’t need a subscription to get meaningful results. It helps that this Garmin smartwatch is also lightweight and comfortable, too.

For alternatives, consider the other options below or the similarly priced Apple Watch Series 9 if you’re an iPhone user, the Suunto 9 Peak or Huawei Watch D for a cross-platform smartwatch or the Google Pixel Watch 2 for Android.

Like smartphones, you don’t have to spend thousands to own a decent smartwatch. Take the Fitbit Charge 6, for instance, which is a great starting point for those looking to dabble in smartwatch-ery without paying hundreds (or more). It works with Android mobiles (Android 9.0 or newer) and iPhones (iOS 15 or newer), so there are no ecosystem disclaimers. The Charge 6 sports a physical home button, a comfy design that’s actually built for use during sweaty activities and a decent AMOLED screen. While some of the deeper features are paywalled, the basics can help with health and sleep tracking, plus comfortably handling other expected smartwatch functionality.

For cheap alternatives, consider the cheaper asking prices for the Oppo Watch Free, RealMe Watch S or the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro.

If you want to get the Fitbit Charge 6 on a plan, pair it with one of these popular eSIM-friendly Telstra plans below (and use the ‘One Number’ add-on for $5 per month).

If you’re an iPhone-for-life user, or at least, happy to stick in the iOS ecosystem for now, you’re going to want an Apple Watch. The Apple Watch SE Gen 2 is a relatively affordable way to pair an iPhone with a fully compatible smartwatch. Sure, it’s not as feature-stuffed as the mainline Apple Watch Series or Watch Ultra lines, but it’s a good place to start if you’re new to the wonderful world of wearables. There’s a multipurpose dial for basic controls or an intuitive touchscreen system. Use it for basic second-screen notifications and basic interactions, or dig deeper and link it with Apple Health and/or Apple Fitness apps for greater smartwatch versatility.

Alternatively, consider a comparatively priced older-model Apple Watch Series 6 (or newer), or spend more on the Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra (or the newer second-gen model).

There are several Apple Watch models available for upfront costs or via payment plans with Optus, Vodafone and Telstra. Check out popular SIM-only plans from Vodafone, Telstra and Optus below.

Sure, there are newer Galaxy Watches, but the current reigning champ of the Pro line is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It’s a great Android smartwatch, even if that’s at the expense of iPhone support and some tricky tinkering to unlock full functionality if you use a non-Samsung Android phone. Gripes aside, the Galaxy Watch 5 has a couple of physical buttons for basic controls to complement the gorgeous Super AMOLED touchscreen. Save money with a Bluetooth model or splash out on an LTE version that supports standalone cellular. Either option offers great health, fitness and sleep features, including TGA-approved blood-pressure monitoring, which is a convenient way to replace expensive, bulky equipment.

For Samsung alternatives, consider the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or the pricier Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. The Google Pixel Watch is a viable alternative for those who prefer Pixel phones over Samsung ones.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (and other Galaxy smartwatches) are available for purchase from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Below is a list of popular plans from those mobile providers.

A kid-friendly smartwatch is a good option for parents keen to keep tabs on and stay in touch with their kids while they’re out and about. We’re going with the Topuser TB0081 Kids Smart Watch primarily because of the hundreds of great reviews it has on Amazon. The features back it up, too, like the fact it’s a smartwatch that supports 4G, which is important considering the imminent closure of Australia’s 3G mobile networks. You’ll need a SIM card and there is an involved setup process, but then you’ve got a comfortable kid-friendly smartwatch with an IP67 waterproof rating and a day or two of battery life. Make calls, track via GPS and set up geo-fences, plus more safety-focused features.

For kid-friendly alternatives, consider the Spacetalk Adventurer Kids Smartwatch, Spacetalk Loop Kids Smartwatch or Immo Watch Phone Z1 Kids Smart Watch.

Smartwatches aren’t typically only made for men or women. There are practical—the case size and band length chief among those—and cosmetic considerations, but there are reasons why men might prefer a particular smartwatch over another. For instance, the data suggests that around 50% of Aussie men participate in a sporting activity at least once every week, so smartwatches with sporting functionality are well worth considering. Similarly, The Heart Foundation says that one in four adults have high blood pressure, with more men (25%) than women (22%), so health monitoring is also an important consideration for a new smartwatch. Samsung smartwatches are ahead for blood pressure monitoring.

Where possible, try on a smartwatch before buying it to see if it feels right. The larger your wrists, the more likely it is a larger watch case will be a better fit, not to mention a longer band to fit around your wrist. Note that watch bands are generally replaceable via first-party or third-party options, and this is worth considering especially if you’re intend on getting sweaty while wearing your smartwatch.

Consider the phone you’re looking to pair your smartwatch with. If you’re an Apple, Samsung or Google Pixel devotee, there are smartwatches from those manufacturers that are designed to offer full functionality to their specific ecosystem. Otherwise, some but not all features might work. For something in between, there are brands like Garmin, Fitbit and Huawei to consider. Finally, look at the kind of features you want from a smartwatch relative to your budget. Generally, the more you pay, the more you get.