Smartwatches and wearable devices have moved beyond step counting. Today, they can monitor activity, heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, workouts, and other health-related signals, making them increasingly relevant to preventive health and digital health.

For U.S. consumers, the strongest brands to consider include Apple, Samsung, Google Fitbit, Garmin, and Oura. The “best” option depends on whether the priority is health monitoring, fitness, battery life, ecosystem integration, or advanced wellness tracking.

The U.S. Wearable Market Is Becoming a Health Technology Opportunity

The scale of the opportunity is significant. According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, 31.2% of U.S. adults aged 18–64 used wearable devices such as smartwatches or fitness trackers in 2024. Adoption was higher among adults aged 25–44, at 43.6%, compared with 22.6% among adults aged 45–64.

This is important for healthcare because wearable adoption is no longer limited to athletes. Consumers increasingly use these devices to understand their activity, sleep, heart rate, and overall wellness.

Towards Healthcare tracks this shift as part of the broader convergence of consumer electronics, digital health, remote monitoring, and preventive healthcare.

1. Apple: Best Overall for iPhone Users

Apple Watch remains one of the strongest choices for U.S. consumers who already use an iPhone.

Its health-oriented features include heart-rate monitoring, ECG functionality, irregular-rhythm notifications, sleep tracking, activity monitoring, and fall detection, depending on the model and region.

Apple’s biggest advantage is its combination of:

Hardware + health sensors + smartphone integration + health applications + ecosystem.

For consumers who want a smartwatch that works as both a daily wearable and a health-monitoring device, Apple is one of the strongest options.

From a healthcare perspective, Apple has also built connections between Apple Watch data and Apple Health, allowing users to consolidate information from multiple health and fitness sources.

Best for: iPhone users, general health monitoring, heart-related features, fitness tracking, and ecosystem integration.

2. Samsung: Strong Android Health Ecosystem

Samsung Galaxy Watch is a major competitor, particularly for Android users.

Samsung’s latest watches provide features such as heart-rate monitoring, ECG, sleep tracking, activity monitoring, body-composition analysis, and other wellness measurements, depending on the model.

Samsung’s strength is its combination of:

Android integration + Samsung Health + wearable sensors + smartphone connectivity.

For U.S. consumers who use Samsung Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy Watch can provide a particularly integrated experience.

Best for: Android users, Samsung smartphone owners, fitness tracking, and broad health-monitoring features.

3. Google Fitbit: Strong Wellness and Activity Tracking

Fitbit, owned by Google, remains one of the most recognizable names in fitness wearables.

Fitbit devices focus heavily on:

• Daily activity
• Steps
• Heart rate
• Sleep
• Exercise
• Stress and wellness
• Long-term health trends

Fitbit can be particularly attractive to consumers who don’t necessarily need a traditional smartwatch but want a wearable focused on wellness and fitness.

Google’s broader ecosystem also gives Fitbit an interesting position within the digital-health landscape.

Best for: Fitness tracking, wellness monitoring, sleep insights, and consumers who prefer a simpler wearable experience.

4. Garmin: Best for Serious Fitness Users

Garmin has built a particularly strong reputation among runners, cyclists, outdoor athletes, and endurance-focused users.

Its wearables can track extensive fitness metrics, including:

• Heart rate
• GPS activity
• Running performance
• Cycling
• Training load
• Recovery
• Sleep
• Workout performance

Garmin’s biggest advantage is depth rather than simply having the largest number of smartwatch features.

For someone training for a marathon or regularly participating in endurance sports, Garmin can be more attractive than a general-purpose smartwatch.

Best for: Running, cycling, endurance sports, GPS tracking, and advanced fitness metrics.

5. Oura: Strong Choice for Sleep and Recovery

Oura Ring takes a different approach.

Instead of functioning primarily as a smartwatch, Oura focuses on continuous wellness monitoring through a ring.

Its core strengths include:

Sleep + recovery + readiness + activity + heart-rate trends.

This makes Oura particularly interesting for consumers who don’t want to wear a traditional smartwatch all day.

Best for: Sleep tracking, recovery, wellness monitoring, and minimalist wearable design.

What Does Government Data Tell Us About Wearable Adoption?

The CDC’s latest nationally representative data provide an important insight: wearable adoption is already substantial among U.S. adults.

In 2024:

• 31.2% of adults aged 18–64 used a wearable device.
• Adoption reached 43.6% among adults aged 25–44.
• Adoption was 22.6% among adults aged 45–64.
• Usage was higher among adults with higher levels of education and household income.

That translates into a sizeable installed base of consumers generating health and wellness data outside traditional clinical settings.

However, an important distinction remains:

A wearable’s wellness measurement is not automatically equivalent to a clinical diagnosis.

Consumers should follow the manufacturer’s instructions and consult healthcare professionals when symptoms or concerning readings occur.

Why Wearables Matter to Healthcare

Wearables are increasingly becoming part of the broader digital-health ecosystem.

For healthcare companies, the value isn’t necessarily the watch itself. The bigger opportunity is the data generated by the device.

A wearable can potentially provide information about:

Activity → Sleep → Heart rate → Exercise → Recovery → Long-term trends

This can complement information collected during traditional healthcare encounters.

The U.S. healthcare system is also moving toward greater use of remote and connected care. The CMS Medicare Telehealth Trends Data program provides national data on telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries, demonstrating the broader movement toward technology-enabled healthcare delivery.

Which Wearable Should U.S. Buyers Choose?

The answer depends on the use case.

Apple Watch

Choose Apple if you use an iPhone and want the strongest combination of smartwatch functionality, health features, apps, and ecosystem integration.

Samsung Galaxy Watch

Choose Samsung if you’re an Android or Galaxy smartphone user and want an integrated smartwatch and wellness platform.

Fitbit

Choose Fitbit if your priority is fitness, wellness, and sleep tracking rather than advanced smartwatch functionality.

Garmin

Choose Garmin if you’re a runner, cyclist, athlete, or endurance enthusiast who needs detailed training data and GPS functionality.

Oura

Choose Oura if sleep, recovery, and passive wellness tracking are more important than having a traditional smartwatch.

What Buyers Should Look for in a Wearable

Rather than choosing based only on brand popularity, U.S. consumers should consider five factors.

1. Sensor capabilities

Look at which measurements the specific model actually supports.

2. Accuracy

A larger number of health metrics doesn’t necessarily mean better measurements.

3. Battery life

Frequent charging can reduce continuous monitoring, particularly for sleep tracking.

4. Data privacy

Health and wellness information can be sensitive. Check what data are collected, how they are stored, and what third parties may receive access.

5. Ecosystem compatibility

A wearable should work smoothly with your smartphone and preferred health applications.

Healthcare Insights by Payal Rabde – uncovering emerging trends, innovations, and growth opportunities.

Towards Healthcare’s Perspective

Towards Healthcare views wearables as part of a larger convergence between consumer technology and healthcare delivery.

The CDC’s finding that almost one-third of U.S. adults aged 18–64 used wearable devices in 2024 shows that wearable technology has already moved into mainstream consumer behavior.

The next opportunity is connecting these devices with broader digital-health ecosystems, including:

Remote patient monitoring → Preventive care → Personalized wellness → Digital therapeutics → AI-powered analytics → Connected healthcare

For healthcare organizations and technology companies, the question is increasingly shifting from “Do consumers use wearables?” to “How can wearable-generated data be used responsibly to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes?”

Explore healthcare trends, companies, and data with our Healthcare Ecosystem Dashboard: https://www.towardshealthcare.com/access-dashboard

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Pharma Geek is a part of Towards Healthcare Research & Consulting which is a global healthcare market research and consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses make informed decisions through reliable market intelligence and strategic insights. We serve pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, AI in healthcare, cell and gene therapy, digital health, and life sciences organizations with in-depth market research, custom consulting, competitive analysis, and growth forecasts. Our team combines industry expertise with rigorous research to deliver clear, actionable insights that support market expansion, product strategy, investment decisions, and long-term business growth. From emerging innovations to established healthcare markets, we help organizations understand where the industry is today and where it’s headed tomorrow.

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