- Best overall
- Best for watch lovers
- Best lifestyle watch
- Best value
Best overall
Huawei Watch 2 Classic
See at Amazon
It may not look much like the original Huawei Watch, but the Huawei Watch 2 Classic is the nicer, metal version of the company’s new Wear OS series, and we like it a lot. A gorgeous, sharp 1.2-inch OLED panel and a comfortable leather wristband make for plenty of enjoyment, plus the heart rate monitor and GPS let the Watch 2 Classic live on its own, sans phone, when you want to go on a run. We just wish that chronometer bezel could spin.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for something like the LG Watch Sport in a much smaller package, this is the one for you.
One more thing: Wait until it’s on sale on Amazon, where it gets discounted regularly.
Why the Huawei Watch 2 Classic is the best
With most Wear OS watches, the difference between good and best comes down to small details. Few watches deliver everything the Huawei Watch 2 Classic delivers all in one box, from the polished silver stylings to the comfortable leather strap. This looks like a nice watch, feels like a nice watch, and in many ways acts like a nicer watch than most running Wear OS right now.
Android Central’s Daniel Bader summed it up nicely in his review:
The Huawei Watch 2 Classic makes up for the missteps of the mainline Watch 2, and that’s good enough for me to keep it on my wrist for the next little while. I prefer to it the gargantuan size of the LG Watch Sport, and though I could live without the fake chronometry around the admittedly large bezels, the fundamentals are excellent.
Huawei has delivered a quality watch that is, as the name suggests, a classic. It deserves a spot on your wrist.
Best for watch lovers
ASUS ZenWatch 3
See at Amazon
Wear OS is, first and foremost, a way to interact with your phone remotely. ASUS has positioned the ZenWatch 3 as a way to enjoy the best Wear OS features without emptying your wallet. The round display, metal and leather help it stand out a bit, but it’s at a very price-conscious $199.
Bottom line: If you really want Wear OS but don’t need the super-high-end feel of a more expensive watch, the ZenWatch 3 does the trick.
One more thing: ZenWatch 3 is available in two distinctly different color options — a bright silver with a grey band, or stealthier black with a dark brown band.
Best lifestyle watch
Misfit Vapor
See at Amazon
While a little out of the company’s comfort zone of fitness-focused wearables with no display, Misfit Vapor is a solid Wear OS watch with plenty of compelling features. It’s a solid fitness accessory, rocks a touch-sensitive frame so you don’t cover the screen while scrolling, and includes a programmable side button for launching your favorite apps.
It also looks great, and can be worn with just about anything. You can’t go wrong with a design like that.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a watch you can wear both while working out and while dressed up, this is where you look.
One more thing: Misfit makes this watch in a bunch of different colors, including a silver and pink model.
Best value
Mobvoi Ticwatch E
See at Best Buy
How much watch can you get for $140? The folks behind Ticwatch E demonstrate the answer quite clearly by stuffing GPS, IP67 water resistance, and a 300mAh battery into a solid polycarbonate body. It’s not quite as flashy as the polished metal Wear OS watches, but it more than gets the job done and looks like a decent watch in the process.
Bottom line: If you really want Wear OS but don’t need the super-high-end feel of a more expensive watch, the Ticwatch E does the trick.
One more thing: There’s also a sport-focused Ticwatch S, if you’re so inclined.
Conclusion
The Huawei Watch 2 Classist is not just a good watch, it’s the best Wear OS watch you can currently buy. While that may change in the coming months with new wearables from big names like LG, Sony and others, no other Wear OS device right now does as much, and so well, as the Huawei Watch 2 Classic.
Best overall
Huawei Watch 2 Classic
See at Amazon
It may not look much like the original Huawei Watch, but the Huawei Watch 2 Classic is the nicer, metal version of the company’s new Wear OS series, and we like it a lot. A gorgeous, sharp 1.2-inch OLED panel and a comfortable leather wrist band make for plenty of enjoyment, plus the heart rate monitor and GPS let the Watch 2 Classic live on its own, sans phone, when you want to go on a run. We just wish that chronometer bezel could spin.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for something like the LG Watch Sport in a much smaller package, this is the one for you.
One more thing: Wait until it’s on sale on Amazon, where it gets discounted regularly.
Update, June 2018: The Huawei Watch 2 Classic is now the best Wear OS smartwatch you can buy right now. We’ve removed the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style because they’ve been discontinued, and replaced them with the Ticwatch E and Misfit Vapor.
