Wareable’s overall wearable of the year for 2025 was the Oura Ring 4. The publication also selected winners across 14 other categories, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Whoop 5.0, Garmin Forerunner 970, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Series and Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2.
These awards were published on January 30, 2026, in Wareable’s retrospective roundup. They represent Wareable’s editorial judgment—not an industry-wide vote, consumer survey or independently audited ranking. Compatibility, subscription requirements, regional availability and software versions can materially change which winner is right for you.
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Every Wareable Tech Awards 2025 winner
| Category | Wareable’s pick | Best suited to | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wearable of the Year | Oura Ring 4 | Health, sleep and recovery tracking | No screen, GPS or smartwatch apps |
| Smartwatch of the Year | Apple Watch Ultra 3 | iPhone owners wanting a premium all-purpose watch | Large, expensive and iPhone-dependent |
| Fitness Tracker of the Year | Whoop 5.0 | Screenless recovery and sleep coaching | Subscription economics |
| Affordable Fitness Tracker | Huawei Watch Fit 4 | Budget-conscious fitness users | Regional support and ecosystem limits |
| Smart Ring of the Year | Oura Ring 4 Ceramic | Discreet tracking with a premium finish | Cost and membership requirements |
| Affordable Smartwatch of the Year | Apple Watch SE 3 | iPhone users seeking lower-cost Apple Watch access | Single-day battery and fewer sensors |
| Running Watch of the Year | Garmin Forerunner 970 | Dedicated runners | More specialized than a general smartwatch |
| Multisport Watch of the Year | Garmin Fenix 8 Pro | Outdoor and multisport athletes | Price, bulk and feature complexity |
| Women’s Health Device of the Year | Oura Ring 4 | Cycle, pregnancy and temperature tracking | Wellness insights are not diagnoses |
| Health Smartwatch of the Year | Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Series | Android and Samsung users | Some features vary by country and phone |
| Innovation of the Year | Hypershell X Ultra | People exploring powered mobility assistance | Safety, fit, training and suitability |
| Smart Glasses of the Year | Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 | Hands-free camera, audio and AI features | Privacy and phone dependence |
| Health Platform of the Year | Whoop | Recovery coaching and health data users | Paid service model |
| Fitness Platform of the Year | Strava | Social training and activity tracking | Not a replacement for dedicated hardware |
| Sleep Tech Device of the Year | Garmin Index Sleep Monitor | Garmin users who dislike sleeping in a watch | Accessory rather than a complete wearable |
Oura and Whoop appear more than once because the categories include both devices and broader services. A ring, watch or tracker is a hardware purchase; a platform such as Whoop or Strava is an app, data ecosystem or subscription decision.
What are the Wareable Tech Awards?
The awards are a Wareable editorial roundup of products and platforms the publication says it used or reviewed during 2025. Wareable says it considered longer-term testing, stabilized firmware and trends that emerged over the year rather than relying only on launch impressions.
#1 Best Overall
- 👍【Your Ultimate Fitness Partner】With 120+ sport modes, this smart watch for android phones covers running, cycling, hiking, yoga, skiing, and more. It accurately tracks heart rate, steps, calories, distance, and activity time. Acting as your wrist-based coach, it helps optimize training intensity. IP68 waterproof design lets you train through sweat and rain. Unleash your fitness potential anywhere.
- 📞【Bluetooth Calling & Smart Alerts】Stay connected hands-free. Our smart watche for women features advanced Bluetooth 5.3 for stable calls directly from your wrist. The built-in HD speaker and mic deliver crystal-clear audio, while smart vibration alerts notify you of messages from apps like Facebook and WhatsApp. Perfect for driving, workouts, or busy days—never miss a call or important update again.
- ⌚【1.83" HD Touchscreen & 200+ Faces】Experience the vibrant full-color display, perfect for checking info on-the-go. Choose from 200+ faces or use your photo to match any style, from workouts to daily life. More than a watch—it's the android smartwatch that matches your life.
- 🚀 【Your 24/7 Wellness Companion for Smarter Choices】From busy workdays to restful nights, this smart watche for men is with you. It tracks your heart rate and stress during meetings, analyzes your deep and light sleep, and provides a morning readiness report. It also features female health tracking. All your data is clearly displayed, helping you make smarter daily choices for a healthier, more balanced life.
- 💖 【7-Day Battery & Universal Compatibility】Say goodbye to daily charging. This smart watch lasts up to 7 days on a single 2-hour charge and stays ready for 30 days in standby mode. It seamlessly pairs with both iOS and Android devices, including Apple iPhone, Samsung, and Google Pixel. Enjoy total freedom from battery anxiety and stay connected effortlessly.
However, the article does not publish a scoring table, judging panel, category-by-category test protocol or explanation of how products were compared across such different areas. It also does not establish whether every winner had to launch during 2025. “Top-rated” should therefore be understood as an editorial characterization, not a standardized benchmark.
Overall winner: Oura Ring 4
Wareable gave the overall award to the Oura Ring 4, emphasizing the expansion of Oura’s software and health platform as much as the ring itself. The roundup highlights Dexcom glucose-data integration, Health Panels, Cumulative Stress, Symptom Radar and Oura’s 2025 ceramic collection.
That makes Oura’s strongest proposition its discreet, continuous context: sleep, recovery, temperature, stress and other health trends are presented through an app rather than a watch screen. Wareable also selected Oura for its women’s-health award and chose the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic as its smart-ring winner, treating the ceramic model’s premium construction and scratch resistance as a separate design advantage.
Who should buy the Oura Ring 4?
It is a strong fit for someone who wants health and sleep insights without wearing a watch. It is less suitable for anyone who needs live workout controls, GPS, music, payments, notifications or apps on the wrist. A ring also cannot replace the glanceable information and training controls of a sports watch.
Check the current Oura hardware, sizing options and membership terms before buying. Membership pricing and included features can change. Health trends are wellness information, not a clinical diagnosis, and concerning results should be discussed with a qualified professional.
Smartwatch of the Year: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Wareable named the Apple Watch Ultra 3 its smartwatch of the year, describing it as the broadest all-purpose smartwatch experience. The award rationale points to its display, outdoor tools, satellite and dive capabilities, apps and wider Apple ecosystem.
The Ultra is most compelling for iPhone owners who want a premium smartwatch that can handle everyday notifications and apps as well as outdoor activities. It is not automatically the best choice for every Apple customer. Its case is larger and heavier than a standard Apple Watch, and its battery and charging routine remain different from the multi-day approach associated with many dedicated sports watches.
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Cellular and satellite functions can depend on country, carrier, plan, network coverage and emergency-service availability. Treat Wareable’s feature descriptions as its editorial assessment, and confirm the current model and regional specifications at Apple’s Watch site.
Fitness tracker and health platform: Whoop 5.0 and Whoop
Whoop 5.0 won the fitness-tracker category, while Whoop won health platform of the year. The distinction matters: one award concerns the screenless wearable, while the other concerns the subscription-based software experience, including coaching and health-data services.
Wareable’s case for Whoop centers on recovery, sleep and strain rather than smartwatch functions. The screenless design suits users who do not want another display on their wrist or who prefer to wear the sensor elsewhere. Its trade-off is equally clear: there is no on-device time, map, notification system, music control or conventional smartwatch app experience.
Rank #2
- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
The platform award reflects Wareable’s emphasis on healthspan features, Advanced Labs, biological-age information and AI coaching. These scores and recommendations are estimates generated from wearable and user data, not medical verdicts. Specific claims about ECG or blood-pressure insights should be understood as claims attributed to Wareable unless confirmed through current manufacturer and regulatory documentation.
Subscription cost is central to the decision. Compare the current membership structure, device-included plans, renewal pricing and regional availability at Whoop before committing.
Affordable winners: Huawei Watch Fit 4 and Apple Watch SE 3
Huawei Watch Fit 4
Wareable selected the Huawei Watch Fit 4 as its affordable fitness tracker, citing its AMOLED display, dual-band GPS, claimed 10-day battery life and relatively low price. It is the more natural choice for a buyer prioritizing a visible watch, basic smartwatch functions and long battery life at a budget-oriented price.
“Affordable” depends on market and date. Confirm phone support, app availability, health-feature access and local pricing at Huawei’s regional site. Battery performance depends on GPS use, display settings, notifications and other software choices. Huawei may also be less convenient for people deeply invested in Apple, Samsung, Garmin or Fitbit services.
Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch SE 3 is Wareable’s affordable smartwatch winner. It offers a lower-cost route into watchOS and Apple’s ecosystem, but Wareable notes compromises including larger bezels and single-day battery life.
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Sports watches: Garmin Forerunner 970 versus Fenix 8 Pro
Garmin Forerunner 970: best for runners
The Garmin Forerunner 970 won the running-watch category. Wareable highlights its lightweight running-focused design, flashlight, sapphire display and Running Tolerance metric.
Choose the Forerunner when running is the main reason you are buying a watch and you want Garmin’s training ecosystem without prioritizing every outdoor and multisport feature. Garmin’s metrics can be powerful, but they also require time to understand. Compare the 970 with less expensive Forerunner models before paying for features you will not use.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro: best for multisport and adventure
Wareable chose the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro for multisport, citing its broad feature set, LTE, emergency messaging and a claimed high-brightness MicroLED display. Those display and brightness specifications should be independently confirmed against current Garmin documentation before they are treated as established product facts.
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The Fenix is aimed at athletes and outdoor users who value maps, navigation, multiple sports profiles and rugged capability. It can be unnecessarily bulky, expensive and complex for a casual runner. LTE and emergency features also require checks for country support, compatible service plans and battery impact. Display mode, GPS, navigation and cellular use can significantly change battery behavior.
Rank #3
- 【Crystal-Clear Bluetooth Calls & Message Notification】 AEAC smart watch with Bluetooth 5.3 and a built-in DSP chip, enjoy ultra-clear call quality and zero lag. Stay connected on the go with real-time SMS and app notifications (Not supporting reply messages)—all from your wrist.
- 【1.85" HD Display with 60Hz Refresh Rate】Experience crisp visuals and smooth scrolling on the vibrant 1.85" HD touchscreen. Plus, you can also upload photos of your family, pets, and scenery to customize a watch face with your own style.
- 【24/7 Health Monitoring】Track your health around the clock with advanced sensors. Monitor heart rate, sleep stages, stress levels, and more, helping you make informed choices for a healthier lifestyle.
- 【Fitness Tracking with 100+ Modes】Elevate your workouts with over 100 sport modes, including running, swimming, yoga, and more. The IP68 waterproof design ensures it’s ready for your toughest adventures, from the gym to the pool.
- 【Seamless Compatibility & Long Battery Life】AEAC smart watch works effortlessly with iOS and Android smartphones. Enjoy up to 7 days of battery life on a single charge, so you never have to worry about recharging.
Health-focused winners
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Series
Wareable named the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Series its health smartwatch of the year. The article points to Antioxidant Index, sleep-apnea detection, vascular-load monitoring, AGEs analysis and Gemini integration.
These features make the Galaxy Watch 8 Series especially relevant to Android users, and potentially to Samsung-phone owners in particular. But health tools can require a Samsung phone, Samsung Health, country-specific regulatory approval or particular software versions. “Antioxidant,” vascular, sleep-apnea and AGEs results should not be read as diagnoses or guarantees of disease prevention.
Check the phone requirements and local availability at Samsung. Compare it with Google Pixel Watch, Garmin and Samsung’s own higher-end models based on whether smartwatch convenience or endurance-sports training matters more.
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Garmin Index Sleep Monitor
The Garmin Index Sleep Monitor won Wareable’s sleep-tech category. Its bicep-band form factor is intended for people who want overnight health metrics without sleeping in a watch, while Garmin ecosystem integration is the key reason existing Garmin users may find it attractive.
It is an accessory, not a complete smartwatch replacement. Confirm compatibility with your Garmin watch, Training Readiness features and any relevant software requirements. Sleep stages and recovery metrics are estimates and may differ between devices; Wareable’s assessment of comfort and accuracy is its testing judgment, not a universal measurement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Smart ring of the year: Oura Ring 4 Ceramic
Oura’s ceramic version received a separate smart-ring award for its premium material, design and claimed scratch resistance. This should be read primarily as a materials and design distinction, not as an entirely different tracking platform from the Oura Ring 4 that won overall.
The ceramic model is worth considering if finish and durability are priorities. The same fundamental questions remain: Do you want a screenless device? Are you comfortable with the membership model? Does its sizing suit you? Can you charge it without unacceptable interruptions? Verify the current specifications and price before purchase.
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Wareable selected the Hypershell X Ultra as its innovation winner. The article describes a waist-mounted consumer exoskeleton with motor assistance and AI gait recognition, and reports a 1,000W motor system.
This is a fundamentally different category from a ring, watch or pair of glasses. The important buying questions are not simply motor output or the distance of a reported hike. Consider weight, fit, balance, battery, maintenance, training, safety controls, warranty and where the device may legally or practically be used.
Wareable’s account of reduced effort on a 10-mile hike is a reported experience, not a general performance guarantee. Anyone considering it for mobility or medical reasons should seek qualified advice; a consumer exoskeleton should not automatically be treated as regulated assistive equipment.
Rank #4
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Smart glasses of the year: Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2
Wareable gave the smart-glasses award to Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, emphasizing the combination of camera, battery, appearance and multimodal AI improvements. The article also attributes specific claims such as 3K video, up to eight hours of battery life and Llama 4 support to the product.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSmart glasses are useful for hands-free photos, video, calls, audio and AI assistance, but they depend heavily on a phone, companion app, account and regional software availability. AI object recognition and translation can be wrong, so do not rely on them in safety-critical situations.
Privacy is part of the product decision. Camera glasses can make bystanders uncomfortable even when recording is indicated, and local rules or social expectations may differ. Also check prescription-lens options, fit, charging-case behavior and current AI availability at Ray-Ban Meta.
Fitness platform of the year: Strava
Strava won Wareable’s fitness-platform award. The rationale includes the Runna acquisition, Athlete Intelligence, mapping, cycling metrics, Apple Watch features and work on leaderboard integrity.
Strava’s strength is its social layer: activity logging, route discovery, challenges and comparisons can help make training more engaging across different brands of watch and phone. It is not a replacement for a sports watch’s sensors, GPS hardware or on-device workout controls. The service’s value also depends on whether you want its social features and are comfortable with its data-sharing settings and premium subscription.
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Compatibility and ownership checks
| Winner | Before buying, check |
|---|---|
| Oura Ring 4 | Phone compatibility, sizing, charger, membership and data export |
| Whoop 5.0 | Membership structure, renewal cost, phone/app support and regional availability |
| Apple Watch Ultra 3 / SE 3 | iPhone requirement, cellular plan, country support and charging routine |
| Huawei Watch Fit 4 | Local app, phone support, health features and pricing |
| Garmin Forerunner 970 / Fenix 8 Pro | Size, display version, maps, LTE plan, battery expectations and accessories |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 | Android version, Samsung-phone requirements and local health approvals |
| Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 | Phone dependence, AI language and country support, lenses and privacy indicator |
| Garmin Index Sleep Monitor | Compatibility with existing Garmin devices and ecosystem features |
Prices, subscriptions, cellular fees, replacement accessories and regional availability were not provided in Wareable’s roundup. Check official product pages on the day you buy rather than relying on an old price or feature list.
Which winner is right for you?
- Want no screen? Compare Oura Ring 4 for discreet health tracking with Whoop 5.0 for screenless recovery coaching.
- Want notifications, apps and payments? Choose an Apple, Samsung or Garmin smartwatch according to your phone and sports priorities.
- Want serious running metrics? Start with the Garmin Forerunner 970.
- Want multisport and outdoor features? Consider the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, after checking size, price, battery and LTE support.
- Want budget value? Huawei Watch Fit 4 is the budget-fitness interpretation; Apple Watch SE 3 is the lower-cost Apple ecosystem choice.
- Want sleep tracking without sleeping in a watch? Look at Garmin Index Sleep Monitor if you already use Garmin.
- Want hands-free camera and AI features? Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 is the most relevant winner, subject to privacy and regional limitations.
- Want an experimental mobility device? Treat Hypershell X Ultra as a specialized product requiring careful suitability and safety checks.
Final verdict
Wareable’s overall 2025 winner is the Oura Ring 4, largely because the publication viewed Oura’s software and health-platform expansion as unusually significant. But the category winners serve very different needs. Apple is the stronger ecosystem choice for iPhone smartwatch users, Garmin dominates the dedicated sports-watch interpretation, Whoop focuses on screenless recovery, Samsung targets Android health features, and Strava’s award concerns software rather than hardware.
The sensible purchase is therefore determined less by the trophy than by your phone, preferred form factor, training goals, tolerance for subscriptions, need for on-device controls and the availability of health features in your country.
Quick Recap
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