There are many smartwatches to choose from these days, with a range of features and at a variety of price points. The first thing to consider is what you want to use a smartwatch for. Do you primarily want to receive notifications, track your fitness, listen to music or a combination of these? Establishing your needs will help determine other factors like display size, connectivity, and battery life.

If fitness tracking is a priority, look for a watch with built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring and multi-sport tracking. Water resistance is also useful for swimmers. Watches like the Fitbit Versa 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active and Garmin Vivoactive 4 all offer comprehensive fitness tracking features. For basic activity tracking and notifications, an affordable watch like the Amazfit Bip will work great.

For maximum connectivity, choose a watch that pairs with both Android and iOS devices. Watches with speakers and microphones also allow you to make and receive calls right from your wrist. The Apple Watch Series 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch both have calling capabilities.

Consider the watch’s display size and quality. A larger high-resolution display is better for quickly glancing at notifications and utilizing apps. But for smaller wrists, a more compact watch may be more comfortable. An always-on display allows you to see the time without raising your wrist.

Think about the style of the watch and how well it will complement your personal fashion sense. Smartwatches now come in a range of styles from sporty to formal. The Fossil Gen 5 Carlyle has a stylish stainless steel design perfect for work or casual wear.

Finally, examine the watch’s battery life to ensure it will last as long as you need it to. Most smartwatches offer at least a day of average use on a single charge, but look for longer if you want to track sleep or use power-hungry features. With the right considerations taken, you can find a smartwatch well-suited to your needs and budget.