Best Smartwatches for Battery Life (2022)

Garmin Vivoactive 3

GPS Smartwatch with Built-in Sports Apps.

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I tried out three amazing smartwatches and found the Garmin Vivoactive 3 to be the all-around best option for users wanting a full smartwatch experience with the best possible battery life.

Smartwatch battery life can vary significantly between models, from a few hours to a few weeks.

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a solid winner. This smartwatch can last up to seven days on a single charge. 

This incredible piece of machinery has extensive health and fitness features. This is a great choice for anyone who wants to improve their exercise regimen, health stats, and diet.

The standard Garmin Vivoactive is another great choice. 

The Pebble Time Steel is an underrated masterpiece that delivers a top-tier smartwatch experience. This model offers everything you need in terms of design and functionality.

If you’re searching for the right smartwatch for you with strong battery life to boot, check out our deep-dive here!

Best Smartwatches For Battery Life

Garmin Vivoactive 3

Garmin Vivoactive 3

GPS Smartwatch with Built-in Sports Apps.

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The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is my all-around favorite smartwatch on this list. The latest in Vivoactive’s offerings, it has built-in heart rate monitoring, VO2 max tracking, and tons more. 

While the battery doesn’t last as long as with other Garmin models, its high-performing seven days in regular smartwatch mode leaves many smartwatches behind. 

With GPS mode enabled, you’ll get a much shorter battery life of about 13 hours. 

Fully customizable with watch faces and widgets, the Vivoactive 3 displays smart notifications and uploads activity stats whenever paired to your smartphone. 

With a fiber-reinforced polymer case and stainless steel cover, this watch is tough enough to handle some real mileage. It can even handle submersion up to 50 meters for 10 minutes!

The Vivoactive 3 is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows phones. It also features all the smart wallet functions you’ve come to expect. 

Garmin Vivoactive

Alternative
Garmin Vivoactive

The Garmin Vivoactive has a super thin high-resolution touchscreen that shows off its activity tracking, push notifications, and GPS features.

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Another one of my top three is also a Garmin: the standard Garmin Vivoactive. This model is centered more on those looking for a fitness and health-oriented smartwatch. 

With a 21-day charge, this smartwatch really can’t be beat.

The Garmin Vivoactive has a super thin high-resolution touchscreen that shows off its activity tracking, push notifications, and GPS features. 

It also syncs with your other smart devices, making it possible to track calls and emails, organize your calendar, and access smart assistants. Tracking your runs, bike routes, swims, walks, and more is a cinch. 

With all of this, the Vivoactive can still go up to 21 days on one charge if you turn off GPS. GPS is really only key during exercise tracking, so this is much easier than you might think!

Pebble Time Steel

Alternative
Pebble Steel Smartwatch Black Matte

Pebble Steel brings smart function and elegant form together. Ruggedly handsome, Pebble Steel is crafted from marine-grade stainless steel and Corning Gorilla Glass, and it’s battery lasts up to 7 days on a single charge.

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My final selection is the lesser known but totally worthwhile Pebble Time Steel. This smartwatch can last up to 10 days on a single charge on light use. 

Features include health and sleep tracking apps, syncing with other smart devices, digital assistants, and more. All the included apps pair with the Pebble Time Steel’s built-in microphone make for a pretty seamless experience.

With thousands of gorgeous and unique watch faces, thousands of apps for every purpose, and a strong battery life of 10 days in light use, the Pebble Time Steel is truly a top contender timepiece. 

Even giving it all you’ve got, you can still get more than a week out of a full charge. And it’s water resistant up to 30 meters!

What to Look For When Buying Smartwatches

Not all smartwatches are created equally. There are a number of common faults and flaws to watch out for when selecting your next smartwatch. 

Battery Requirements – Watch out for smartwatches that advertise long battery life but have a lot of specific requirements. These indicate that the battery is significantly affected by real use.

Materials and Design – Be sure to check what materials a smartwatch is made of and its level of water resistance. You want to look for high-quality polymers, stainless steel, and other durable materials. 

Apps and Features – Finally, be sure the smartwatch you select can do what you want. That might be fitness trackers, smart device pairing, or something else.

So Which is the Winner?

Overall, I have to go with the Garmin Vivoactive 3 for the most performance with high battery life. While it doesn’t have the battery life of some other Garmin models, it more than makes up for it in functionality and style. And its seven day battery life is enough for almost anyone to be satisfied.

The standard Vivoactive is the real deal for anyone looking for the best in sports, fitness, and health. Plus, its almost unbelievable battery life makes it among the best in its class. For those looking for less smartphone functionality and more practical application, the Vivoactive is the one.

The Pebble Time Steel, on the other hand, is an underrated high-performance smartwatch in one of the best presentations available. This option is definitely for those wanting the best in smartphone tech wrapped in a statement-making package.

If you want to check out these options, head to the Garmin website or Amazon!

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AUTHOR

Joe Davies
Joe has a keen interest in wearable tech, after running marathons and triathlons and trying just about every Garmin watch there is.