I've been looking at smartwatches for a while now because I want something for the gym that monitors my heart rate without having to constantly check my phone. I've seen the Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch, but the prices still seem pretty high to me. Is it really worth it or is it just hype?
If you only need a heart rate monitor at the gym, high-end ones are overkill, but don't rule out a smartwatch if you're interested in notifications, payments, or sleep tracking down the line. What I'd tell you is to wait for the August or September sales, that's when prices drop quite a bit, or look at models from a generation or two ago that still work perfectly fine. Sometimes a basic Garmin or a sports watch from a less well-known brand gives you 80% of the functionality for half the price.
It really depends on what you need, but if you're just looking to monitor your heart rate at the gym without touching your phone, honestly there are way cheaper options than a high-end smartwatch! I've seen decent fitness trackers for half the price that track your heart rate perfectly fine. If you want something more complete (notifications, apps, watch payments), then a real one is actually worth it, but if it's just for working out, you're spending a fortune unnecessarily. Galaxy and Apple prices are insane, so look at alternatives before you decide!
Brand-name smartwatches are worth it if you're actually going to use them for more than just heart rate monitoring, but if it's really just that, you're throwing money away 💀 My advice: grab a basic sports watch like a Garmin or even those old fitness bands that still work great. Most of them track your heart rate just fine and cost half as much. If after a few months with that you realize you want notifications, maps and all that stuff, then go ahead and splurge on a Galaxy or Apple, but a lot of people buy the expensive ones and end up using them just as a stopwatch.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need the most expensive one just because it's a brand name. I bought a sports watch for less than half the price of an Apple Watch a while back, and honestly for what you're looking for (heart rate tracking at the gym without touching your phone) it works perfectly, lasts a whole week on battery, and doesn't give me the headaches some of my colleagues have with their premium smartwatches that need charging every two days.
The thing is, Galaxy and Apple Watch really shine if you also want notifications, payments, maps, or that kind of stuff. But if it's really just about monitoring your heart rate during workouts, you're paying way too much for features you're not going to use.
The key is being honest with yourself about what you'll actually use. If your only need is to check your heart rate without looking at your phone, a budget or mid-range sports watch like Amazfit will do the job and save you a lot of money. But there's a detail that others don't mention: Apple and Samsung smartwatches hook you with other features you'll discover along the way, so before you decide I'd recommend thinking about whether you'd really never use notifications, maps, music control, or more advanced workout tracking. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking "I only want the heart rate monitor" when in reality having everything on your wrist ends up being useful.
That said, the ecosystem matters a ton. If you already have an iPhone or a good relationship with Android, high-end watches win on integration and ease of use, but you pay for it. My recommendation would be to set a maximum budget (say, half the price of an Apple Watch) and search in that range: there are options like Garmin, Amazfit, or even Chinese brands that'll surprise you. Besides, a smartwatch isn't really essential in 2026; most people still get by just fine checking their phone now and then at the gym.
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