At a glance
1. Best overall
2. Best traditional design
3. Best budget
4. Best fitness tracker
5. Best for women
6. Best for kids
7. Best fitness tracker for kids
How to choose
Pretty much everyone has a smartwatch nowadays. Some wear them for fitness, some for health and wellness tracking, some for notifications, and most for all of the above. When it comes to students, having a wearable can help in so many ways. Older kids can keep on top of class schedules, use it as a wake-up alarm, record walking to and from school or on campus, keep track of sleep patterns and stress, leverage safety features, and more.
Even younger kids can benefit from a smartwatch for keeping in touch with parents (or for parents to be able to see their location), managing chores, enjoying motivation to get active, and engaging in friendly competitions with friends and family members.
Whether you're shopping for an elementary school student or approaching your PhD, these are the best smartwatches for students of all ages.
You'll find that many of these picks overlap with the best Android smartwatches, so choose carefully and think about the features you need, such as performance, battery life, and good old-fashioned bang for the buck.
Michael Hicks is Android Central's resident smartwatch geek, having reviewed or tested dozens of wearables from Samsung, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, Coros, Polar, Withings, Amazfit, and others. He spends his free time running or hiking while wearing several watches at once, testing which is most accurate.
At a glance
Best overall
The best smartwatch for older students is the Galaxy Watch 6. Its 300mAh battery will last from early morning classes to late-night parties. It has a wide range of useful apps and health-tracking tools.
Best traditional design
The OnePlus Watch 2R employs a classic wristwatch design, which means it should look good with any attire. It also has very good battery life, fast charging, and a great display.
Best budget
Rather than spend an arm and a leg on advanced features you don't need, buy the Amazfit GTS 4 to get access to built-in GPS, epic battery life, a smart assistant, and plenty of fitness tools.
Best fitness tracker
The Versa 4 has loads of health-tracking tools, great battery life, and Google Wallet so students can easily for for items right from their wrist.
Best for women
The Fossil Gen 6 runs Wear OS 3 and has all the smart features you could ask for. It's available in various sizes and designs, making it ideal for women.
Best for kids
One of our favorite kids' smartwatches, the Garmin Bounce offers standalone cellular service and GPS, so your kid can call you anytime and you can track them in an emergency.
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Best fitness tracker for kids
If you want to encourage your little student to get active during recess and lunch break, this Garmin tracker has an absurd one-year battery life, activity challenges, and task reminders.
Best overall
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 is one of the best Android smartwatches around. Running One UI 5 Watch based on Wear OS 4 (updateable to WearOS 5), it has all the newest features and robust app support. Sure, the Galaxy Watch 7 has already been released to succeed it. But the Galaxy Watch 6 is still the better option for students since the differences are minimal and you will probably be able to find it for a lower price.
When comparing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 7, they have the same memory, same water-resistance rating, battery capacity, software, and most sensors. Yes, there are improvements with the Galaxy Watch 7, but for a student on a budget, the Galaxy Watch 6 is still a solid contender for a premium watch at a lower price.
The Galaxy Watch 6 is ideal for any adult student, in particular. Whether you're pursuing your bachelor's degree or working hard to get your postgraduate diploma, this flagship Samsung wearable is sure to be handy.
You can answer calls, send and reply to texts, use WhatsApp, and do so much more with the Galaxy Watch 6. It has an amazing 300mAh cell that lasts all day with ease, getting you through your daily schedule without breaking a sweat.
On top of its Wear OS benefits, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 also excels as a fitness tracker, equipped with state-of-the-art sensors to log your activities and health metrics.
Best traditional design
The OnePlus Watch 2R is a great option for students who want a traditional looking casing, but with all the smarts. The 2R is the cheaper version of the OnePlus Watch 2, as it sacrifices some of the durability aspects for a lower price and lightweight design. It only comes in one size, which can be a bit large for some hands. But, it is noticeable lighter than the Watch 2 at just 59g.
Watch 2R uses the same display as the 2 with slight modifications to the bezel that give it a more traditional analogue look. It's still a big and bright 1.43-inch AMOLED panel with up to 1,000 nits of brightness in high brightness mode. Just like the Watch 2, the 2R has two processors, one each for running WearOS and RTOS. The latter is OnePlus' lightweight operating system which is how the 2R is able to achieve greater-the-usual battery life. But beyond that, it's virtually identical to its more expensive big sister.
For $229, the OnePlus Watch 2R offers very good performance, and a crisp and large display. You can go several days before needing to charge it and even when you do, charging speed is quick.
Best budget
Most students don't usually have a lot of money at hand. Even when working part-time jobs, it's draining to maintain your studies as well. Therefore, budget-friendly smartwatches like the Amazfit GTS 4 are optimal choices for students with a tight wallet.
At almost $70 to $100 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, the GTS 4 is one of the best Amazfit watches and it gives you big bang for your buck. You get health trackers and fitness measuring features, as well as Alexa, speakers, a mic, and onboard GPS. You also get phone notifications, basic first-party apps, and the ability to send basic responses to messages.
If you want an even cheaper and lighter version of the Amazfit GTS 4, you can get the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini. It looks identical but is actually a stripped-down version of the GTS 4 for less money. It lacks some of the premium features of the GTS 4 but you get it for half the price, which is a big plus.
Best fitness tracker
In its glory days, Fitbit was the go-to brand for all fitness-focused individuals. Following its acquisition by Google, the brand isn't as grand as it used to be. However, the Fitbit Versa 4 still stands as a worthy contender when it comes to the best smartwatches for students.
The most attractive features of the Versa 4 are its health-tracking options and incredible battery life. You also get NFC for payments, which is very convenient on the go. This is a very lightweight wearable, designed with comfort in mind. A student can wear the Versa 4 throughout the day, going through strenuous studies and co-curricular activities without feeling discomfort.
Although the Versa 4 isn't as cheap as you would hope, it does go on sale pretty often. We suggest students keep an eye out for discounts if planning on buying the Fitbit Versa 4.
Best for women
Fossil may be out of the smartwatch game for good, but that doesn't write off its existing products. If anything, now is the time to score a sweet clearance deal on the fabulous Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch.
The Fossil Gen 6 comes in lots of case sizes and designs, with both feminine and masculine options to choose from. This makes it the best overall smartwatch for women in our eyes. There are plenty of straps as well, with leather and chain bands available from Fossil as well as third-party vendors.
Students who don't want to sacrifice style over function will be extremely happy with the Fossil Gen 6. This Wear OS 3.5 wearable has been promised Wear OS 4 sometime down the line. Even if we don't see this happen, the current set of features is really great. You get first and third-party apps, NFC for contactless payments, a speaker and mic, and a stunning AMOLED display.
Best for kids
Looking for something suitable for younger students? Check out the Garmin Bounce. This bright and colourful watch from Garmin comes with privacy and safety features to help you stay on top of your kids. They can go to school and enjoy the convenience a smartwatch brings, with the added benefit of parental safety features baked in.
Garmin added GPS geofencing, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and helpful health and activity measurement sensors to the Bounce kids' smartwatch. The build itself is lightweight yet durable, making it a great match for children.
There are a few basic apps for your child's use in the app and the UI is very user-friendly. Children below ten can figure out how to use the Garmin Bounce smartwatch within a few minutes, no assistance is needed. There's a mic and speaker onboard and you can even use the companion app on your phone to assign your kids tasks, such as completing their homework or completing chores.
Best fitness tracker for kids
Garmin has plenty of aces up its sleeves, it seems. The Vivofit Jr. 3 is one of the brand's child-centric products. Unlike the Bounce, though, the Vivofit Jr. 3 focuses more on staying fit and active. You can track your little one's activity and encourage them to be more active with this fun little fitness tracker.
To make things even more fun, the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 comes in Marvel-themed designs, with themed notifications to boot. So, whether your school-going kid is a fan of Black Panther or Iron Man, they can wear this smartwatch to school with joy and share their favorite superhero with classmates.
Unlike the Garmin Bounce, the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 does not need to be charged every three to four days. The watch uses a standard CR2025 cell which lasts for an entire year. And after that's used up, you can simply replace it another one of those cells.
How to choose
If you're a student (or guardian) and wondering where or how to start looking for the right smartwatch, a few simple questions can help you figure out what kind of product you need.
What is your budget?
The first thing that'll help you identify the right pick is your budget. If you have the money for it, why not get the best overall smartwatch?
How old are you (the student)?
It doesn't make sense to get a Galaxy Watch 6 for a nine-year-old. In fact, that could be potentially dangerous. Even if you do have the money for it, get something age appropriate.
What do you intend to use the smartwatch for?
Students might need smartwatches for various reasons. If you're an athlete, then you're probably going to be using your watch for a lot of fitness tracking. Make sure your pick aligns with your day-to-day use.
Thinking along those lines, parents of younger school children might want to track their location to ensure their safety. As a guardian picking a watch for the young student in your life, don't forget to take the intended use of the wearable into account.
What is your field of study?
Students might not think of this right away, but this could be a very helpful question to ask yourself. Let's say you're a science students and tend to work in the lab a lot. You might need a smartwatch with above-average durability, or perhaps one that runs Wear OS so you can download loads of useful third-party apps such as a scientific calculator.
Based on your field of study, your final choice might differ. Think about the features that you will require the most on your journey as a student, and then make your final selection.
These smartwatches will work for any student, from grown adults to tiny kids
Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Choosing the best smartwatch for the young student in your life (or yourself) depends on a variety of factors. If you want an uncompromised experience that any adult would enjoy, our favorite smartwatch by far is the Galaxy Watch 6.
Wear OS 5 arguably has the best wearable software experience available today, but Samsung's One UI 5 Watch spin-off of Google's software comes in a close second. In either case, they'll help you stay apprised of any upcoming deadlines and important emails.
In general, students like the same features that anyone else would, varying from person to person. Jocks will prefer a fitness smartwatch that gives them a way to closely track their progress — especially if they go from structured high school sports to training themselves in college.
In that case, something like the Fitbit Versa 4 would fit perfectly. But on the other end of the spectrum, some students will care more about form over function, making something like the Fossil Gen 6 the better choice.
Finally, you may specifically want a kid's smartwatch that works independently so you don't have to buy them a smartphone, too. In that case, you'll find several options, starting with Garmin Bounce and the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3. The former focuses on communication, the latter on fitness, so you can tailor your purchase to what your kid would enjoy.
