Stylish, affordable and feature-packed, the Galaxy Watch Active is arguably Samsung's best smartwatch to date, but it still falls down on app availability

Comfortable; stylish design; Great feature set (particularly if you're a Samsung user); Good value; Easy to use

App selection still lacking; Battery life could be better; Bixby needs work

The Galaxy Watch Active is a cheaper, slimmer smartwatch with GPS and full waterproofing. It's still best when used with a Samsung phone though. Here's our full review

The Galaxy Watch Active is a great smartwatch and fitness tracker at a reasonable price, but don’t count on actual blood-pressure monitoring any time soon.

The Galaxy Watch Active's lightweight and simple design make it better for working out and wearing to bed than previous models; It packs in health and fitness features at a lower price than its competitors and works on both Android and iOS.

It's missing the rotating bezel we loved on previous Samsung watches and comes in only one size with no LTE option; The blood-pressure monitoring is half baked at best; Samsung's Health app doesn’t make it easy to locate all your data.

The Galaxy Watch Active is an enjoyable smartwatch to live with, more so than the standard Galaxy Watches in many ways. If you want a smartwatch that's small and light, but doesn't scrimp on features, then there's a lot to like here.

Small; comfortable design; Strong fitness tracking features; Great price; Decent heart rate performance

Gorgeous design; Lightweight; Good price.

Mixed accuracy; RIP rotating bezel.

Considering you can now pick up the Galaxy Watch Active for under £200 with a bit of shopping around, it does represent a decent saving on its bigger brother - if you can do without the bezel navigation and don't mind the day or so shorter battery life, of course. Otherwise, its feature-set is almost identical making it excellent value for money for Samsung users, who will benefit most from its full functionality. Its Tizen operating system still means there are drawbacks when it comes to app availability, but it is getting better, and most of the major players when it comes to fitness are covered, at least. The Fitbit Versa represents compelling competition at around the same price, offering better battery life and a larger screen, but loses out with only connected GPS and patchy HR tracking. It doesn't look as swish either, so it's all about balancing out what matters most to you. For a good balance of style, performance and price, the Galaxy Watch Active has to be one of Samsung's best smartwatches yet.

Comfortable, stylish design; Great feature set (particularly if you're a Samsung user); Good value; Easy to use;

App selection still lacking; Battery life could be better; Bixby needs work;

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active takes a lot of what was great about the company’s standard smartwatch, pushes it all into a smaller package and trims some of the top-end features we’ve come to love. Given that the Galaxy Watch Active is a lot cheaper, and the design is suitable for both working out and wearing in your daily life, it’s difficult to find anyone the Galaxy Watch Active isn’t suited to.

High-end design; Competitive price; Lots of features;

Lacks rotating bezel; No LTE variant; Limited storage

Editors' note, Nov. 18, 2020: With the addition of the long-awaited electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and an update that's given the watch many of the same health features as the more expensive Galaxy Watch 3, we've awarded the Active 2 an Editors' Choice. It's a good all-round option for someone looking for a smartwatch compatible with Android and iOS. Our review, originally published September 2019, follows.

A year after release, there's a lot to like about the Galaxy Watch Active 2 especially now that ECG is finally available.

Comfortable during workouts and when sleeping; Same VO2 max and trip detection as the Watch 3; Updated running coach works if you can live with the Bixby voice; Touch bezel to navigate between menus; Comes in two sizes, with an LTE option.

Battery life on the smaller 40mm version takes a beating during workouts, especially with the always-on display active; ECG is only available when tied to a Galaxy phone.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active ($149 at Amazon) is the younger, sportier, sibling of Samsung's flagship Galaxy Watch ($232 at Amazon) from 2018 packed in a slimmer and more barebones exterior. It has a slightly smaller screen that comes in only one size with no LTE alternative, with a sleeker body that feels lighter and lies flatter on the wrist. But it's most attractive quality is arguably its price.

The Galaxy Watch Active is a great smartwatch and fitness tracker at a reasonable price, but don’t count on actual blood-pressure monitoring any time soon.

The Galaxy Watch Active's lightweight and simple design make it better for working out and wearing to bed than previous models; It packs in health and fitness features at a lower price than its competitors and works on both Android and iOS.

It's missing the rotating bezel we loved on previous Samsung watches and comes in only one size with no LTE option; The blood-pressure monitoring is half baked at best; Samsung's Health app doesn’t make it easy to locate all your data.

With two-day battery life, excellent design, and fitness features that don’t overpower the overall experience, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is one of the best smartwatches you can buy for an Android phone.