The best feature-packed smartwatches for women

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a great all-round smartwatch with in-built GPS that tracks steps, miles, calories, heart rate, sleeping patterns, menstrual cycle, water intake and more. The key is in its simplicity, a touchscreen watch where you can manage alarms, meditation and log your different exercises directly from the watch and then go more in-depth on the companion Fitbit App. It also boasts Spotify support and built-in Fitbit Pay, who needs a phone? 

Review by Deputy Commercial Content Editor, Natalie Corner: “I was drawn to the slim style of this watch, and the fact it promises to do so much. The sensitivity of the watch monitoring your heart rate and sleep temperature is really impressive and isn’t affected by a lot of sweat during an intense workout, unlike the Garmin Lily Sport watch I recently tested out. I enjoy how much I can do directly on the watch and then check in more detail my goals on the app itself. I’m a firm Fitbit fan and can’t see myself changing now.

This is Fitbit’s attempt at their own style of Apple Watch, slim and smooth curved design and colourful LED touchscreen included. It has plenty of advanced features like the ECG sensor for heartbeat rhythm and EDA for stress monitoring. And can also track and record 20 different exercises as well as your usual steps and calories. Definitely an option to consider if you want more advanced health-tracking, including the new addition of the ‘Snore and Noise Detect’ feature.

One reviewer said: "Bought this as a surprise gift for my daughter’s birthday! Delivered on time and she is delighted with it! She found it easy to set up and is looking forward to monitoring her daily steps and more. Loves the strap colour and the device is easy to use. Win! Win!"

The Garmin Lily Sport Smartwatch boasts plenty of options for those looking to track every aspect of their health and get started on their fitness journey, including joining steps, hiking, cycling or running challenges alongside their mates. Smart notifications remind you to drink more water, to get up and move, what phase of your menstrual cycle you’re in or recharge your body battery are all clever touches.

Review by Deputy Commercial Content Editor, Natalie Corner: "I cannot fault the Garmin Lily for the way it looks, it’s bang on trend with the chic gold bevel and the patterned watch face, and it certainly doesn’t scream 'ugly fitness tracker'. If I was interested in a straightforward activity like walking, running or cycling, this would be the ideal option, so based on my personal workout regime which is a lot more intense it doesn’t quite meet my requirement, and I need something a little sturdier."

What smartwatch list would be complete without the Apple Watch? Not only is it pretty high-tech, it comes with a second-generation optical heart sensor, a blood oxygen monitor, meaning you can track in so much more detail when it comes to your health. As well as this you can take calls and reply to texts all from your wrist, which is no doubt ideal for busy mums who can't reach for their phones. If you're already loaded up on Apple products then you're bound to want this.

One reviewer said: "Great watch and the amount of things it does but my favourite it health tracking to see everything in one place on the app, previously owned an original first Apple Watch and decided it was time to upgrade it and glad I did this is brilliant super fast and battery life is phenomenal whole day and only gone down 37 per cent."

Easy to use and good value, the M200 has a wrist-based heart rate monitor, GPS and daily activity tracker, all in a funky design. The Polar Flow software provides data analysis and training plans. It took longer than some watches on the test to locate a GPS signal, and the display, although easy to view, only shows two data fields at a time.

One reviewer said: "Vantage V2 is a fantastic piece of kit. Much easier to use and set up than my previous watch. The training plan is keeping me on track, the heart rate is accurate and instant. GPS works well. Training load and sleep metrics give lots more feedback. It's also easy to see progress in the Flow app and more detail online. Would recommend."

The Fossil Gen 6 comes in different designs - a purple silicone strap with a rose gold diamante face and a rose gold stainless steel strap, both catered towards women, for genderless options, there is a brown leather strap and a black silicone strap, and for a more masculine feel, smoky stainless steel, dark camo and gunmetal grey, all with dark grey or black watch faces. It has an impressive array of features packed into the oversized watch face with a 1.28-inch AMOLED display, that also features three large buttons on the side to switch between functions.

Review by Deputy Commercial Content Editor, Natalie Corner: "There is a great deal to unpack with the Fossil Gen 6 and I couldn’t fault the design or technology that resides inside. It runs smoothly and has an array of features to track your health and lifestyle. As a standalone watch when you want to put your phone away, I would vote a huge yes on snapping this up. But as someone who wears their watch to workout every day it was in the way a little but too much. I’d probably wear the Fossil Gen 6 if I was taking a break from heavy exercise, but I don’t think I could afford to have a smartwatch for every mood!"

At first glance, you'd never know this was a fitness tracker – pretty and delicate, this watch is operated via a rotating bezel, rather than a touchscreen. You can't link to WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger but you can access Spotify offline if you're in need of something fast to run to. This watch is super smart and friendly (if you can believe it) greeting you with a 'hello' when you take it off the charging port. Currently available in colour of the moment, rose gold, black and silver.

One reviewer said: "It is a very beautiful and a well finished watch. You can use it well for an active lifestyle but also a non-active lifestyle. It works well and has a good battery. It is also handy that it is waterproof. You can keep track of everything and can even download apps!! I definitely recommend it!"

If you're searching for a budget fitness tracker, the HONOR Band 6 is a great choice. It won't wow athletes and it can't deliver the way the Apple Watch can in terms of capabilities, but if you're an average Jane who wants to track their fitness and stay up to date with their notifications, it certainly bridges the gap well. It's comfortable to wear, has a great battery life and has a bright, easy to read display. It'll track your sleep, activity, blood oxygen levels, stress levels and has ten exercise modes. Plus, you can see your notifications, but can't respond to them.

Tried and Tested by Deputy Commercial Content Editor, Jade Moscrop: "For the price, it's an excellent fitness watch, but the smartwatch capabilities certainly offer more than your average device. Its simplicity is what makes it enjoyable to use - some of the features of the HONOR Watch ES went unused, such as the virtual coach, and its usability is more refined and thought out. If you're searching for a budget fitness tracker, the HONOR Band 6 is a great choice. It won't wow athletes and it can't deliver the way the Apple Watch can in terms of capabilities, but if you're an average Joe who wants to track their fitness and stay up to date with their notifications, it certainly bridges the gap well."

A little glam, a little next-generation technology—our pavé-accented Gen 5E Darci smartwatch delivers refined style for everyday wear. Crafted from two-tone stainless steel and powered by Wear OS by Google™, this timepiece features a built-in speaker for Bluetooth-enabled calling, estimated heart-rate tracking, payment methods and more to support your daily wellness needs.

Tried and tested by Lily Anderson, Senior Commercial Content Writer: “I'm not usually big on two-tone watches, but this Michael Kors accessory is an absolute game-changer. Not only does it bring a bit of glam to the smartwatch market, but it boasts some sophisticated tech, too. Why I didn't swap to a more up-to-date smart watch is beyond me. Before, testing the Gen 5E Darci Pavé Two-Tone Smartwatch, I used a basic Fitbit to track my steps, tell the time and monitor how I was sleeping. This stylish bit of kit has changed my life forever. Not only does it do all these things, but it boasts incredible features like getting social media updates and even being able to take phone calls. Amazing!”