The Most Secure Smartwatches List

People find smartwatches very useful, as they have all their apps and offer connectivity possibilities and health features. And while there are skeptics who find this type of device unnecessary, these devices solve many practical problems. People use them for GPS tracking, for a convenient way to control their connected IoT and other smart devices, like TVs, Wi-Fi lightbulbs, etc.

These conveniences have pushed companies into investing heavily in the research and development of smartwatches and other wearable devices, like smart bands and hence they have now become mainstream and generate tons of money for companies.

The growing popularity of smartwatches led us to the following question – “Are these devices as secure as marketed, or just another target for hackers?”

How We Gathered This List

We gathered this list based on the recommendations and security problems which we expressed above. To summarize it and make it simple for you to read the review, these are the critical points we will be focusing on when we discuss, rank, and compare each one of the selected smartwatches:

• Encryption and security features.
• Authentication.
• Privacy.
• Value for the price.
• Final Verdict & Score.

Based on these key points, we will review each one of the smartwatches, currently considered as the best in the market and show you how exactly they cope with these security problems. We will also take these factors in considerations, putting a mark on each of the factors and mathematically leaving a final mark for each smartwatch in terms of what value does each of the smartphones give you and what our final opinion for its price point and features offered along with security level you get for your money.

We hope you enjoy reading these reviews. Let’s go!

Apple has yet done it and created one marvelous smartwatch – the series 6. This watch improves on the previous version 5 series watch which people liked a lot and it has more advanced sensors and colors. The newly updated watchOS operating system by apple has tons of new features not only in security but also sleep tracking and other metrics, like hand-washing timer and others.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

When we talk about the watchOS, we are essentially talking about iOS, as both operating systems work together to establish communication between them and the internet in a secure way. To increase this protection, Apple have added their Data Protection security, that includes Keychain and File protection mechanisms.

The protocols for general security being used are of the highest security protocols available and they are communicating based on private keys exchange. To further increase communication protection, keys are changed between the iPhone and the Apple Watch using the same process as Apple Identity Service, called IDS as described in their watchOS system security overview. This means that keys are changed every 15 minutes to prevent an ongoing attack and reduce security risks of someone tapping into the device using the same broadcast parameters.

Pairing and authenticating your Apple Watch Series 6 with your iPhone is claimed to be done via OOB process, also known as out-of-band. This is used to exchange public encryption keys only between the two devices. The technology is combined with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) which shares a secret key on a custom connection channel. The watch shows an animation that has to be physically captured by your iPhone’s camera.

Value for the price

When it comes in terms of pricing, the Apple Watch Series 6 comes at about $400 price, which is at the flagship smartwatch price point and is very similar to the Galaxy Watch 3. This price is completely adequate in terms of the extras you get in the device and the more advanced sensors, but if you want the same performance security-wise, a more value for the price would be the Apple Watch SE, which we also featured in this list. But if we set this aside, this is one of the best smartwatches and because of the iOS and the secure communication measures Apple have set up, we definitely believe that it is good value for price in terms of not just security, but overall features and appearance.

Final Verdict & Score

Apple Watch Series 6 has 18 hours of battery life, faster charging than before, features Apple Pay and is only iOS compatible, so you need to have an iPhone. The phone is also water-resistant, which is good. There are some drawbacks we noticed, like many expert reviewers complaining on the 18-hour battery life, which they believe is less than what the competition has to offer, but the device has faster charging to compensate for that.

Because of its good watchOS security, encryption and secure keys authentication and communication made easy to use with the light iOS software, which we generally find to be snappy, this smartwatch deserves a good 5 out of 5 stars score and 1st place on our list.

Final Score: 5 of 5

The latest smartwatch by Samsung – the Galaxy Watch 3 is a very good-looking smartwatch that is 41 by 45 mm in size and is highly functional. The device has retained its rotating ring which makes working with it a breeze and the high level of customization plus compatibility with both iOS and Android make it a good all-rounder. But is this phone secure enough to earn top ranks on our list?

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

For a long time, Samsung is a brand that has taken security seriously with new measures constantly being added and the Samsung Knox added to their smartphones. When it comes to smartwatches from top-tier, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, there is also a high focus involved.

The privacy of Samsung is well known as they have had a breach back in 2020, where only 150 people were affected, which is good in terms of privacy.

When it comes to authentication, the Galaxy Watch 3 uses a secure PIN code to confirm that you are the one in control of the smartwatch and the mobile device and if you are in range. After pairing, the device asks you to agree with the privacy policy. This policy does not contain any problems on information gathering that should be of any concern to you and so far does very well in terms of how private this device is.

The watch does not allow users under 13 to use it as it gives the ability to control it by creating your Samsung account, which has a lower limit for registration of 13 years of age.

What we found quite good is that once you are in the watch from the app, you can change all kinds of settings on it, including security settings.

One detail that concerns us in terms of the security of this device is that as Commonsense researchers report, the device uses cutting edge sensors that may collect even more information than before about you, such as better tracking of steps, heart rate, sleep, microphone and GPS location. This may raise some security concerns.

The good thing about the device is that you have the right to opt-out from any apps or users who may try to collect your personal information and you have good app control and visibility in terms of privacy. You can also easily access this through the privacy settings.

Another plus of this device is that you cannot interact with devices or users that you do not trust.

Furthermore, in terms of security, the device allows setting a Samsung Security Lock, which is a mechanism that prevents anyone from accessing your information. This is essentially a screen lock that allows your watch to automatically lock after some time and asks for a pin or a pattern to unlock it. The security lock can also be customized for different aspects of the device, for example, each time you use your phone to pay for something and other key moments.

Value for the price

When we talk value, Samsung has an advanced Privacy Policy that features a high level of protection not only on your device but physically in their data centers as well. The device has FDA-approved ECG readings with tons of cool features, like slimmer than the previous one, rotating bezel, a great two-day battery life, which is more than twice better than the Apple Watch and both Android and iOS compatibility. We would say it is the best value choice in terms of overall performance and features in this list, given that you can find it for prices even cheaper than the Apple Watch, based on the variant of the watch.

Final Verdict & Score

For a final verdict, we would say that the Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch 3 is as equally secure and adequate choice as the Apple Watch Series 6, mainly because it also works with custom security features and has advanced options that allow you to tweak its settings in a way that you can boost security level. What our concern is, making this device almost the best in this list is that it has very advanced sensors for data gathering. This data is often almost immediately processed by the powerful chip which raises some security concerns. But given Samsung’s good privacy and security background, this device surely deserves an excellent final score of 4.5 out of 5 stars on our list.

Final Score 5 out of 5

Being one of the more rugged and expensive choices on this list, the Garmin Fenix 6x Pro is the type of watch you may tend to wear around when you have to use something really premium and you are willing to pay around $1000 for a watch. But is it worth it and how does this watch stand against the other competitors if you want something secure? Let’s find out!

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

The device is generally compatible with most smartphones and to authenticate it is simple and fast. The security measures include a 4-digit PIN that you have to enter every time you turn on your smartwatch. This pin can be set in a very interesting way – you have the ability to choose an actual location (eg. your home or an office) for a secure area.

Each time your Garmin Fenix GPS identifies this secure location it will automatically be unlocked with this location when it gets within about 50 meters of range as people report on their forums.

This means if someone steals your Garmin watch and gets away from your location, they will be asked to enter the pin. Even though this is secure, Garmin support still advises writing down the pin in case you forget it. In fact, it is so secure, that if you do not have this security location or the PIN and your watch is locked, even Garmin cannot unlock it.

Value for the Price

When we have to talk about the value you will get for this watch’s insane $1000+ price, you will be surprised at how many features this insane device has. First of all, this watch is water-resistant for up to 10 ATM and it can be connected to a lot of different accessories for diving. Another interesting feature as Mashable.com reports includes PacePro, which not only tracks your running, but helps you plan your running course. Not just this, but the app also helps you along the way with useful guides.

Not just this, but this watch carries one of the most powerful batteries in a smartwatch, lasting for more than 100 days in the economical mode for battery saving. Furthermore, the watch can also last up to 60 and even more hours depending on its version with the GPS mode enabled.

Oh, and did we mention that it has more than 2000 resorts and maps pre-loaded in its memory with all of the hiking routes and information for them showing up in real-time?

Final Verdict & Score

If we have to summarize this watch, we definitely were satisfied in using it and believe that this is the choice to go for if you are very actively involved in hiking and other more extreme and power-intensive sports, especially in the wild. The device has a very clever security mechanism, but other than that it is standard encryption and business as usual. When it comes to purely security, we did like the fact that it offers security locations and 4 – digit pin, which is something unique and very useful. Other than that, we would give Garmin Fenix 6x Pro an overall score of 5 out of 5. It has more features than possibly any smartwatch on this list, but we really hoped to see more interesting security measures for a phone at this price point. And frankly, all these sensors and features may be more of a security disadvantage than a plus. But overall and all this is still one of the best watches to buy if you want it all and this is why it proudly deserves third place on this list.

Final Score 5 out of 5

FitBit Sense is the top smartwatch created by FitBit. This watch is purely focused on wellness and active users who enjoy sports. To help out with this, it features waterproofing and a 6 days long-lasting battery. The watch also has the capability of working with both iOS and Android and has GPS and FDA-approved sensors to track your temperature, blood oxygen, and other metrics.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

Fitbit Sense runs the FitbitOS which has the immense responsibility of collecting some of the most vital information about you.

Fitbit also has a very good focus on security, featuring a wide help article on how to secure your FitBit account and the data in it. We find this to be extremely important because as users who are sensitive on the security subject it is good to have information on what measures should be taken to maximize security efforts and how to react if the inevitable has happened.

But do not worry, because like the other smartwatches on this list, FitBit also has extended measures on filtering devices and setting them on a specific trusted whitelist.

Furthermore, in terms of security, FitBit also allows authentication using two-factor login to the user’s Fitbit account, which further explains why this device is one of the most secure in this list.

Value for the price

For a watch that is specifically focused on health and is very good-looking, Fitbit is priced very reasonably. And not just this, but for the price of about $250 you get a watch that has a longer battery life than normal – 6 days. And as many reviewers have reported so far, the watch is not packed full of features with a large app availability like in the case of Samsung or Apple watches. But then again, it is priced at a very lower price than both devices, which makes sense, considering people who are in the market for fitness smartwatches may only seek a watch with accurate sensors like the FDA-approved ones in the case of Fitbit. The app availability is a bit of a minus for this watch, but we have to say that you get a beautiful and still extremely functional device for what you pay.

Final Verdict & Score

When we have to give a final verdict of the Fitbit Sense watch we definitely considered the combination between its elegance, security measures and privacy focus. We really appreciate the fact that Fitbit has taken security seriously and not only have added two-factor authentication and other measures for the Fitbit accounts the users have to register, but they have also made an informative help center with a wide knowledge base on how to keep your Fitbit secure. We find this to be very important as it raises awareness and informs users on how to stay safe out there and it is one of the reasons we would give this watch the great 4 out 5 total score.

Final Score: 4.5 out of 5

Fossil Gen 5 is the smartwatch produced by Fossil – a company that has been making watches since 1984. It is a very beautiful smartwatch with 18 hours of battery life that can be extended to more. The watch is compatible with both iOS and Android and it has a bit more RAM than its competitors, making performance smooth. The watch does not have as many features as its Apple and Samsung competition but does run Google’s Wear OS, which has proven its reliability with time.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

When we talk about the security of the Fossil Gen 5 we essentially discuss the security of its operating system – Wear OS. This OS did have some problems and vulnerabilities back in 2020, but Google quickly fixed them and they pay great attention to security measures. We are talking Google after all, and if a vulnerability is found you are sure to get a patch very quickly and this is why if update regularly, this OS is very secure.

According to Android Developers Wear OS currently has an availability concerning the following types of login and authentication methods:

• OAuth 2.0 Support.
• Google Sign-in.
• Data layer pass tokens.
• Custom authentication code.

But while being secure, we do believe WearOS does require more innovation efforts put into its development when it comes to implementing it in the Fossil 5.

Value for the price

For what it costs, the Fossil 5 watch is a thing of beauty. The price for $295 gets you a good level of security and you can rest assured any new vulnerability discovered with this watch can be quickly addressed.

The main problem when it comes to value is there is a lack of innovation and the competition at Samsung and Apple might just be surpassing Wear OS in terms of features. But it does not get any better when it comes to Wear OS in a watch than the Fossil Gen 5, so you do get the necessary functionality and high level of security for the price paid.

Final Verdict & Score

For a final verdict, we would definitely say that Fossil has created one very beautiful watch in the face of Gen 5, which is definitely a strong point for buying it. However, it does have a couple of weaknesses, like the limited innovation in Wear OS, but it does compensate with the high level of security and attention paid in swift vulnerability fixing. We would give it a great score of 4.5 out of 5 stars for security.

Final Score: 4.5 out of 5

Packed full of features, the Suunto Core is a watch that has a heavy-duty design and is made with quality and comfort in mind. This watch has a digital display that shows information that can be shuffled through its buttons. The watch has a lot of different features, like a compass, storm alarms, weather, and of course all of the sensors for height, depth, and others. This watch has a lot of features while in the same time is very secure due to its simple design.

If you like to have a smartwatch that can stay up months of time without being recharged, then this is definitely your top pick. The Suunto Core can last up to 18 months without the need to recharge it – something active people value a lot. Not just this, but the watch has great outdoor mobility and can impress divers with a 100ft water resistance.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

One of the features Suunto core lacks is a GPS. And while this may be true, this watch compensates with a great display and a battery life. And not only this but also this is what makes this smartwatch very secure. While having all the features needed if you are an active person, the Suunto Core is stripped out of all the unnecessary technology and applications that a customer who is in the market for a purely functional watch in terms of metrics would go for. And this is likely the main reason why we believe this rather inexpensive watch, packed full of the essential features has the capability of making it in this list. Whatever is stripped out of it is exactly what makes it secure or else put – security through simplicity.

Value for the price

Besides storm warnings, extra-long battery life and tons of other altitude alarms and features that track your health, we would say that the Suunto Core is one of the best watches if you do not want to spend tons of money on a smartwatch, but you still need it to be extremely functional.

Final Verdict & Score

As a final verdict, we would say that this watch is of great value for price and probably one of the most rugged and secure watches on this list. The bad news here is it does lack GPS, which makes it significantly more secure, but is a bit of a turn-off to customers who are tempted to go for watches, like the Garmin Fenix 5x Pro and really want to pay extra for more features. Nonetheless, with great battery, ruggedness, and display, this watch definitely makes this list in terms of value for the price. Oh, and did we mentioned that its simplicity makes it almost unbreakable in terms of security?

Final Score: 4 out of 5

If you want a device that is just as secure as the top 1 on our list but do not want to pay the extra money, then the Apple Watch SE is the choice for you. While it does lack some of the features the latest 6 series Apple Watch has, it does have all the essential and necessary features that will help with your daily activities.

The watch also comes packed full of features, especially when it comes to security, just like its bigger brother, the 6 series. This makes it very desirable and the beautiful design is just a plus to it.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

One of the best features we believe is in this phone is its authentication. The Apple Watch SE offers same first setup procedure as the 6 series, but a bit more simple. The authentication is particurarly easy and secure, because you can use the facial recognition feature, allowing you to pair extremely easily.

And as we mentioned above, the watchOS and iOS both work together so that the protection of this device is on a good level, using the “Data Protection” security measure, including protection for files and Keychain technologies.

And on top of that, you get the highest security protocols that are available nowadays, because they all allow private key exchange that is switched and changed securely on a specific time period of 15 minutes.

You also have the ability to pair the device via a cellular setup process that is conducted via a secure key. And with a cellular mode, the only link to the watch and your iPhone is when you make calls, which is even better for security.

Value for the price

Compared to the 6 series watch, this timepiece has much more value for the price you pay. That is if you can live without some of the latest features in the 6 series. It has received a number of complaints about lagging and freezing at times, but this is nothing to worry about since Apple really quickly fixes bugs and rolls them out in new updates. When we talk about the overall value of this device, then we would say that it is a highly secure affordable smartwatch, especially if you are an iPhone user. But it works with Android as well, which is great, although some of the features may not be available. Still, for the price point, it is at, this device is more than perfect for most average users.

Final Verdict & Score

The final verdict for us is that this watch shares the same software (watchOS) as the latest Apple Watch 6 and this makes it as secure as the flagship device. Some complaints regarding bugs did raise some suspicions and this is why it deserves the 7th position on this top 10. But it is still one of the best devices to go for in terms of security due to the same software being used and the fact that it is supported by none other than Apple, which takes great attention to security and has very well-paying bug bounty programs.

Final Score: 4 out of 5

Designed as the go-to watch for any place, the Amazfit is a military-grade rugged watch, that has over 12 certificates in its pocket. The watch offers a high range of different tracking settings and preferences and has significant improvements over the standard T-Rex model with features, like GPS built-in that are very important for some customers.

For a rugged watch, the T-Rex pro has more than decent battery life and tons of features, like resistance to shock, temperatures from +70 to -40 in celsius, water, and freezing rain resistance.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

The pairing and authentication of the Amzfit T-Rex pro is done securely via its app. What users have to do is set up an account in the Amazfit app which is available for both Android and iOS and then log in to their account. Then, users are free to open the app and visit “Add Device” and then the app will search for the device. Once this is done, the app will take you through simple and secure steps. The process is safe and secured in a way that not every device but merely the trusted ones can pair with the watch.

The app also offers tons of features for the watch, among which is the reset feature, which resets it to its default options. We were kind of disappointed to find out that the updates have to be done manually through the app which is not so good, but thankfully, there are notifications when updates are available.

The watch also has a feature allowing you to install other apps, than the default Google Play ones, but of course this is something we would not advise.

Value for the price

In terms of the simplicity and the price of this watch, we would definitely say that you get all of the essentially needed security measures. Since it works closely with Android and most mobile malware is made for Android OS, it is good advice not to go installing third-party apps outside the official Playstore on this watch. When it comes to the price it’s at, this smartwatch is definitely a good deal.

Final Verdict & Score

As a final verdict, we are very happy with how the Amzfit T-Rex Pro performs and for the low price you pay, you really get an extremely rugged device with military-grade certificates for tons of activities you would perform. we were a bit disappointed by the only manual update option, but it is a minor hic-up and we generally like this watch.

Final Score: 4 out of 5

Garmin VivoActive 4 is Garmin’s device that is created to be a competition for watches, like FitBit, Apple’s smartwatch, and other more health and fitness tracking oriented devices. This watch’s main purpose revolves around giving users brand new features never seen in a smartwatch before, like body battery, optical heart rate monitoring while underwater, and some other useful features.

Being fitness-oriented, this watch gives the ability of users to have access to features, such as yoga measurements, oximeter readings for your pulse, tracking of your respiration, which gives users tons of value for the price you pay for a watch of this class. But is it as secure as the Garmin Fenix?

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

The watch has some very interesting external physical safety features we have to point out, that actually make it extremely useful. One of those features is it could detect an incident although Garmin does not advise relying on the watch to contact in case of an emergency.

These safety features can be set up using the Garmin Connect application, which is the same app that is used to authenticate with the device. Then you can use this app to input some emergency contacts in need. Garmin explains the full incident safety features in their own site.

The way it works briefly is you get to have emergency contacts and use those contacts to have an automated message with your location sent to them containing your GPS location in case the watch detects some type of a problem. This accompanied by the Live Track feature is a good way to enable someone to track you in real-time.

While these features are great for physical safety, they do raise concerns of being abused by hackers. Thankfully Garmin has this covered. The watch is authenticated with a 4-digit PIN code which has to be entered each time you turn on your watch. Then, this pin can be set up with the ability to choose a secure location (area) where it can unlock automatically or be authenticated. It also has some very good measures when your watch is stolen, such as auto-locking if someone else gets your watch and leaves a secure location and then the watch cannot be unlocked even by Garmin.

Value for the price

We would say that for the price of about $300 this watch is definitely one of the best GPS smartwatches in terms of the value it offers to you as it has tons of features and is generally one of the most secure watches in the world. This device is feature-packed and stylish and some people may even prefer its outside design to some more expensive watches that are rugged. And it also has all of the necessary protection from water and dust. We do wish you could have gotten a bit more battery for this price, but considering the sophisticated features and sensors, it’s enough.

Final Verdict & Score

As a final verdict, this watch is definitely our top pick for this price range as we really like the tons of value you get for the money you pay. And what else would you want in a smartwatch but a rugged, packed full of features, secure and simple for half the price?

Final Score: 4 out of 5

Being one of the cool-looking smartwatches on this list, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a mainstream top-pick watch for the active person. The watch is priced at around the $200 mark and for this buck, you do get your bang. And by this, we mean a nice square-like screen that is not at all small and has an AMOLED display with good features, like smart charge, decent battery, of around 6 days time which is better than Samsung and Apple watches at this point in time.

The watch also has a high level of customizability with thousands of clock themes and wallpapers to choose from. This watch is primarily health-oriented, with tracking features, like steps, oxygen capacities, and tons of other fitness-oriented sensors. It works very well with its Fitbit app and also has availability for other apps as well, like Spotify, for instance.

Security Features, Authentication & Privacy

The authentication process of FitBit Versa 3 is rather simple than complicated. They have chosen the good old pin identification which works with the FitBit app that is to be downloaded from the web. You have the ability to add the same secure PIN after adding your credit card and hence use the watch to pay for your stuff with it – something that is generally convenient but also maybe a bit of a security problem.

The watch did not have problems in its previous version concerning security, but some of the users have complained with texts not showing and Sp02 sensors not being available most of the time.

When it comes to security, the FitBit company does take it seriously and they have a huge knowledgebase on how to use your device in the most secure manner and how to configure it for maximum online safety, which is good news, because you get the same level of security as the more expensive FitBit Sense.

Value for the price

The FitBit Versa 3 does not have as many advanced features as the Sense, but it does compensate with the very low price point of around $200. For this you do get any tracker you could possibly need for your daily fitness activities and health improvement goals. And all of this is with the same level of encryption and security used by the Sense, just like with both Apple Watch SE and Series 6, which also share the same OS.

Final Verdict & Score

As a final verdict, we would say that this watch deserves to be in the Top 10 security watches out there, due to the fact that is shares its software with the Sense watch and has the same grade of security and also similarly cool design, but at a much lower price.

Final Score: 4 out of 5