Best 2023 Smartwatches for reliability

#1 Garmin fēnix 7X Pro
5.0

Reliability was praised across GPS, heart-rate and daily use, with reviewers saying the watch worked well and was hard to fault.

Pros: battery life, mapping and navigation

Cons: value for money, score tracking

#2 Garmin vivomove Trend
5.0

Reliability was praised in one review that found setup and iPhone-connected use completely reliable.

Pros: style and design, charging convenience

Cons: battery life, charging speed

#3 Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)
4.8

Reliability received limited but very positive evidence, with one reviewer saying the software was much more stable than a newer comparison model.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: user interface, fit

#4 Suunto Vertical
4.5

Reliability had limited positive evidence from one reviewer who described the watch as dependable.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: heart rate accuracy, value for money

#5 Garmin Forerunner 965
4.3

Reliability was generally positive, with only minor bugs noted and one long-term reviewer saying it performed well in demanding use.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: smartwatch features, charging convenience

#6 Amazfit Bip 5
4.2

Reliability evidence is modestly positive, especially around GPS not cutting out and setup issues not persisting after configuration.

Pros: value for money, battery life

Cons: smartwatch features, app ecosystem

#7 Garmin Venu 3
4.0

Reliability is mixed-positive: reviewers praised endurance and low lag, but one raised security concerns around smartwatch access and Garmin Pay behavior.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: smartwatch features, smartphone notifications

#8 Amazfit GTR Mini
4.0

Reliability had limited direct evidence but one reviewer described the watch as suitable for users wanting reliable wearables.

Pros: battery life, workout tracking variety

Cons: call handling, smartphone notifications

#9 TicWatch Pro 5
3.8

Reliability was mixed: some reviewers saw stable everyday use, while others flagged kinks, bugs, updates, or syncing concerns.

Pros: battery life, display quality

Cons: voice assistant quality, sleep tracking accuracy

#10 Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
3.8

Reliability was positive overall but not perfect, with one reviewer calling it solid and another reporting an isolated overheating incident.

Pros: software smoothness, comfort

Cons: battery life, GPS accuracy

#11 Withings ScanWatch Light
3.4

Reliability is mixed: PCMag praised battery endurance and another reviewer had no shower issues, but one YouTube reviewer reported battery life missing expectations.

Pros: style and design, battery life

Cons: charging convenience, smartphone notifications

#12 Garmin Vivoactive 5
3.3

Reliability was split: several reviews called the watch solid, while one owner reported crashes and frequent issues.

Pros: value for money, GPS accuracy

Cons: sleep tracking accuracy, recovery insights

#13 Casio G-Shock GBD-H2000
2.8

Reliability is uneven: ruggedness earns praise, but app bugs and missed workout starts hurt confidence.

Pros: comfort, battery life

Cons: companion app quality, value for money

#14 Casio G-Shock DW-H5600
2.8

Reliability has some uncertainty because reviewers encountered delayed run data and hoped future updates would fix issues.

Pros: style and design, display quality

Cons: companion app quality, value for money

#15 Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
2.5

Reliability was a concern in several reviews because of app unresponsiveness, loading-screen lockups, bugs, and odd behavior.

Pros: app ecosystem, battery life

Cons: size options, comfort

#16 Garmin Forerunner 265
2.5

Reliability concerns centered on LiveTrack/messages, which came through sporadically in one review.

Pros: battery life, value for money

Cons: mapping and navigation, smartwatch features

#17 Withings ScanWatch 2
2.1

Reliability concerns centered on inconsistent raise-to-wake, missed notifications, syncing glitches, and sleep-detection errors.

Pros: style and design, battery life

Cons: smartwatch features, value for money

#18 Xiaomi Redmi Watch 4
2.0

Reliability has limited but negative evidence, centered on a persistent DND sync bug.

Pros: battery life, display quality

Cons: band quality, smartwatch features