The best Apple Watches you can buy: Comparing the Series 10, SE and Ultra 2

Like all our smartwatch testing, we wear the Apple Watches we recommend and live with them like you would: setting them up from scratch, pairing to an iPhone, and using it daily for calls, messages, timers, maps, Apple Pay, workouts and sleep. We focus on what matters most: ease of use, comfort, screen clarity and controls.

During our testing, we check how well each model delivers on its promises. We monitor the battery life against Apple’s claims, note how long it takes to charge, see how well it copes with everyday knocks and try key health and fitness tools to make sure they work as expected.

We then weigh all the features against the price to evaluate their value, and align our findings with the in-depth best fitness tracker testing by the Good Housekeeping Institute.

Good Housekeeping has been testing consumer products for over 100 years, and we bring our rigorous research and in-depth testing to the newest technology, too. When it comes to Apple Watches, we use these in our daily life for everything from managing notifications to tracking workouts, and we’re able to back up our reviews with the testing from the Good Housekeeping Institute team.

This guide was written by our Technology Editor, Simon Cocks, who has worked at Good Housekeeping for over a decade and has focused on tech and gadgets for the last five years. He uses Apple Watch models all the time, and factors in the latest changes when new watchOS software updates come out, because those can affect performance and battery life.

It can be confusing sifting through the specifications to understand all the different features of the top Apple Watch models. That’s particularly true when it comes to the advanced health features. Below, we’ve explained the most important ones to consider.

Sizes and weight

Most Apple Watches come in different casing sizes – usually either 42mm/44mm or 45mm/49mm, depending on the model – and will be made of either aluminium or titanium. You’ll need to take note of the casing size you pick so you get the right size when you’re buying alternative Apple Watch straps. When it comes to materials, lightweight aluminium is great for comfort, although titanium may feel a bit more premium and durable.

Operating system and features

Apple Watches run on watchOS, and you manage the settings and features of the watch through the Watch app on your paired iPhone. The watch interface has a tight integration with the phone – it mirrors your iPhone’s notifications (you can pick the ones you want to see) and it allows interactions like replying to texts, answering calls, or controlling apps from your wrist. Everything from your Messages and Health apps to third-party alerts sync over to the watch. In use, it feels like a seamless extension of your iPhone.

Health monitoring

An Apple Watch can be a great way to help you hit your fitness goals and to track your health. Even the base models offer heart rate tracking, activity rings for motivation, sleep monitoring, and all-important fall and crash detection. The higher end models like the Series 10 and Ultra 2 go further. They add ECG (electrocardiogram), blood oxygen monitoring, temperature sensing, and sleep apnoea detection. For sports tracking, the Ultra 2 goes further, including advanced workout tracking and depth and temperature sensors for water sports enthusiasts.

Battery life

Most Apple Watch models offer around 18 hours of typical use (a full day) and up to 36 hours if you use the low power mode. This may not seem like a massive battery life, but a flagship watch like the Series 10 is very fast to charge, taking under an hour to fill up. If you recharge it while you're getting ready in the morning or before bed, you can use it the rest of the time. The model to pick for the most battery life is the Ultra 2. It offers up to 36 hours in normal use, and a whopping 72 hours with low power mode.

Contactless payments

If you've used Apple Pay on your iPhone, it's similar on the Apple Watch. It lets you pay in seconds and securely, with you needing to reach for your wallet or phone. You double-click the side button, choose the card, and hold your watch near the contactless reader until you hear a tap and feel a vibration to confirm it. Payments work everywhere that supports Apple Pay.

Is the Apple Watch easy to use?

While it might seem like a lot to take in at first, Apple has a reputation for user-friendly design, and the watch isn’t an exception. It has an intuitive interface with a touchscreen and a couple of buttons.

Swiping and tapping work just like on a phone, and when you turn the “Digital Crown” it’ll show you useful information from your home screen in a “Smart Stack” of widgets that you can customise.

The Siri voice assistant is available for quick control, you can add several handy watch faces, and there are useful tutorials and guides in the Watch app on your iPhone.

Do I need an iPhone to use an Apple Watch? And what about cellular models?

Yes, you need to have an iPhone to set up and use an Apple Watch. The only scenario in which this isn’t the case would be Family Setup, where you set up the watch for someone who doesn’t have an iPhone.

In general, this wearable is designed to work side-by-side with your iPhone. The phone manages some data and the watch gives you quick access to it. If you want to go on a walk or run while leaving your phone behind, you’ll need to get both a cellular Apple Watch and add your watch to your mobile phone plan, for an extra fee.

For most of us, the GPS-only model is more than fine, as we typically also have our phone with us. A GPS-only watch would also still track your run or walk (the distance, pace and route, with its built-in GPS) but you wouldn’t be able to get calls or texts until you’re back in range of your iPhone.

What do the Apple Watch “rings” mean?

The “Activity Rings” of an Apple Watch are the motivational system designed to keep you active every day.

Each ring represents a different daily goal:

• The Move ring, in red, tracks your active calories. You choose how many you want to burn each day, and you’ll fill it up when you hit that goal through any activity, including a light walk, cleaning the house or a yoga session.
• The Exercise ring, in green, is all about your minutes of activity. The default goal is 30 minutes a day, but you can change this to as much or as little as you like.
• The Stand ring is blue, and this one tracks hours in which you have stood up and moved for at least a minute. You’ll get a reminder if you’ve been sedentary for 50 minutes in the hour!

The overall aim is to “close your rings” each day by meeting all three goals. It can be very rewarding, and you can always start with modest goals and increase them when you feel able to.

How often will I need to charge my Apple Watch?

All Apple Watches are designed for all-day battery life, at least 18 hours per charge. The Series 10 and SE are advertised with the same battery longevity, but the Ultra 2 delivers more, rated for 36 hours of normal use.

It’s worth saying that charging is fairly quick on recent Apple Watch models – the fast charging gets you from 0-80% in around 45 minutes, although the Series 10 is even speedier!

We’d suggest getting into a daily routine where you charge it either when you get ready in the morning or right before you go to bed – that way you’ll be able to use it to track your sleep. The watch will also give you a nudge if it’s below 30% before you go to bed, so that you can charge it before wearing it overnight.

How does sleep tracking work on an Apple Watch?

If you want to improve your sleep habits, the Apple Watch can help. There’s a bit of adjustment period if you’re not used to wearing a watch to sleep, but it can help to have a softer watch band specifically to wear to bed if you find this an issue!

The Watch will track your sleep automatically if you wear it to sleep, and it’ll help if you’ve created a bedtime schedule on your iPhone. It’ll divide your sleep into stages: REM, “Core” and “Deep” sleep – REM is where you’re dreaming, and deep sleep is essential for memory retention and muscle recovery.

Some of the newer models go a bit further by checking for sleep disturbances, which can be a sign of sleep apnoea. It’s not a diagnosis, but could be a valuable indicator of pauses in breathing overnight – sleep apnoea currently impacts more than one billion people worldwide.

Is the Apple Watch waterproof? Can I wear it swimming or in the shower?

Apple Watches are designed to be water-resistant enough for swimming and everyday use, so, yes, you can wear them in the pool or shower – and they’ll of course have no trouble with things like rain or hand washing.

They are made for shallow-water activities, though, so you’ll find that the Series 10 or SE models aren’t made for scuba diving, waterskiing or anything involving speed, pressure, or deep submersion. The one exception is the Ultra watch. You can take this down to a 40-metre depth and it’s safe for high-speed water sports too.

All the watches have a neat feature that can eject any water from the speaker with vibrations, and it’s worth using this after they’ve got wet. If they’ve gone in salt water or a pool, make sure to give them a little rinse in fresh water afterwards.

Can an Apple Watch alert me to health issues or call for help in an emergency?

Yes, Apple Watches have a number of features for health monitoring and personal safety. The main ones we’d consider setting up are heart health alerts that watch out for irregular heart rhythm and medication reminders that help you to take any medications on a schedule that you set up.

There’s also fall detection that will notice if you’ve had a hard fall and call emergency services and a chosen emergency contact (this is on by default if you’re aged over 55), car crash detection that will call for help in the event of an accident, and “Emergency SOS” which can call 999 for you if you press and hold the side button for a long time, even after a slider appears onscreen.

When it comes to the best Apple Watch for most users, the Apple Watch Series 10 strikes the ideal balance. It offers a lightweight design, large, wide-angle display, the latest S10 chip, top-tier health features like sleep apnoea detection, and advanced fast charging.

If a rugged design, extreme battery life and adventure-ready functionality matter most, then the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the pick. But, it is bulky and has a much higher cost compared to the Series 10.

If you're on a tight budget, the Apple Watch SE delivers the core Apple Watch features. You get activity tracking, fall and crash detection, Siri, notifications and heart rate monitoring. And this all comes at an entry-level price, too.

It’s also worth mentioning that the flagship models of recent years drop in price if you’re prepared to consider a refurbished Apple Watch, and that can be a great way to get these wearables at a lower price.