Top 11 Smartwatches for Nurses in 2025: Enhance Your Work Efficiency

In the fast-paced and demanding world of healthcare, nurses play a pivotal role in patient care. With their constant need to be attentive, organized, and efficient, a good smartwatch can significantly enhance their capabilities and streamline their workflow. A smartwatch designed for nurses offers a multitude of benefits. Firstly, it acts as a timepiece, ensuring accurate tracking of shifts and medication schedules. Additionally, it can display essential information, such as patient vitals and notifications, right on the wrist, allowing nurses to stay informed and responsive without interrupting their tasks. Furthermore, a good smartwatch is a reliable communication tool, enabling nurses to promptly receive important messages and alerts.

Key Features to Look for in a Nurse’s Smartwatch

Choosing the ideal smartwatch tailored for nurses is essential, given their demanding and dynamic profession. Here are the critical features to consider:

• Durability and Hygiene: Nurses need a smartwatch that can withstand the rigors of their work environment. Look for a watch with water and dust resistance to ensure durability and easy cleaning, enabling nurses to maintain proper hygiene standards.
• Battery Life: Long shifts call for a smartwatch with extended battery life. Nurses can’t afford to have their watches die on them during their duties. Seek out a watch that can last a full shift or even longer, reducing the need for frequent charging.
• Health Monitoring: A smartwatch with health monitoring capabilities is essential for nurses. Look for features like heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, and sleep analysis. These functionalities can help nurses keep track of their well-being while caring for others.
• Notifications and Alarms: Nurses need instant access to critical information and alerts. A smartwatch with notification and alarm capabilities ensures that important messages, reminders, and alerts can be conveniently received and acknowledged without disrupting their workflow.
• Comfort: As the watch will be worn for long hours, it should be comfortable on the wrist, neither too heavy nor causing skin irritations.

Top 11 Smartwatches for Nurses in 2025

1. Apple Watch Series 10

The Apple Watch Series 10 is an impressive smartwatch that caters well to the needs of nurses, combining health monitoring capabilities and convenience. One of its standout strengths is its advanced health insights, including an ECG app and notifications for heart rate irregularities. This can help nurses stay informed about their own health while also monitoring patients remotely. Additionally, the device features a durable design, being both water-resistant up to 50 meters and dust-resistant, which is essential in a healthcare environment. Battery life is decent, offering up to 18 hours of usage, but it may require a charge during long shifts, especially if using health tracking features heavily. The fast-charging capability is a plus, allowing for quick top-ups during breaks. With an always-on display, it ensures that information is easily accessible without needing to wake the watch, which can be handy in fast-paced settings. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: ECG and AFib detection, sturdy build, water resistance, seamless iPhone integration.
• Cons: Limited to iPhone users, 18-hour battery life may not suffice for extended shifts.

2. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the best smartwatch for sleep tracking and also our top pick for Android users on a budget thanks to impressive AI-underpinned wellness insights, a lightweight and comfortable design, loads of useful apps and a $299 starting price. It includes fantastic features like an FDA-certified ECG monitor and the ability to answer calls directly from your wrist. This allows you to stay connected 24/7. The Galaxy Watch 7 is one of the few smartwatches that use Wear OS 3.0 and supports YouTube Music. You can also stream music from any Bluetooth-compatible speaker or headphones. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: ECG monitor, long battery life, Wear OS 3.0, affordable.
• Cons: Tizen OS may not be as app-rich as watchOS, heavier design.

3. Garmin Lily

Lily is a wristwatch made by women exclusively for women nurses. It features a smaller band, a sleeker profile, and a more attractive face than Garmin’s previous devices. With a slim 34mm watch case and beautifully patterned lenses, this elegant smartwatch is the first of its kind from Garmin. Just press or twist your wrist to expose the gorgeous touchscreen display. Choose from classic and athletic style colors, metal, and interchangeable strap options. Menstrual monitoring is included by default, and sending an emergency alert to a friend is as easy as repeatedly tapping the touchpad. By tracking energy levels, nurses can determine the ideal time to exercise and rest. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Sleek design, menstrual monitoring, emergency alerts.
• Cons: Limited app ecosystem, smaller display may be hard to read in bright light.

4. Fossil Gen 4 Explorist HR

If you like the idea of picking a watch with bands that are more traditional and less sporty, the Fossil Gen 4 Explorist HR is a great choice. This pick runs on Google’s Wear OS system. However, this is an OS-agnostic product as well and will pair with both Apple and Android devices. With the Wear OS interface, you’ll have an immersive experience for Google-backed apps such as Gmail, Google Assistant, Google Calendar, and even Google Pay or Google Play. You’ll get continuous heart rate tracking as well as fitness tracking for steps and select activity profiles. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Traditional design, Google Wear OS, heart rate tracking.
• Cons: Limited functionality for iPhone users, shorter battery life.

5. Fitbit Versa

The Fitbit Versa can sync with your smartphone to send you notifications for texts and other communications straight to your wrist. If your phone is an Android device, then you can send replies as well. Depending on your workplace policies, this may be an appropriate way to manage job-related conversations and information. The Fitbit Versa can track other personal health information, such as the distance you walk over the course of a day, and how many stairs you climb. All of this comes with a simple interface and one button that controls all of the modes and settings. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Simple interface, health tracking, affordable.
• Cons: Limited app support, less durable than premium models.

6. Apple Watch Series 8

In the busy healthcare environment, the Apple Watch Series 8 has become a go-to for many of my fellow nurses. As someone who’s embraced the Apple ecosystem, the seamless integration of this watch with the iPhone is nothing short of brilliant. The Series 8 isn’t just about syncing notifications and texts; it boasts impressive features that align with the health sector. The ECG Monitoring and AFib Detection offer invaluable insights into heart health. Fall Detection and Crash Detection ensure safety, and for those like me, constantly on their feet, Stress and Sleep monitoring come as a blessing. With its robust aluminum design and water resistance, it’s perfect for our hand-washing routines. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: ECG and AFib detection, fall detection, robust design.
• Cons: iPhone-only, battery life could be longer.

7. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

The Galaxy Watch 4 is the latest smartwatch, an excellent smartwatch for nurses. It has many health-tracking features, including sleep monitoring, blood pressure, blood oxygen level monitoring, fall detection, and more. It includes fantastic features like an FDA-certified ECG monitor and the ability to answer calls directly from your wrist. This allows you to stay connected 24/7. The Galaxy Watch 4 is one of the few smartwatches that use Wear OS 3.0 and supports YouTube Music. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Comprehensive health tracking, Wear OS 3.0, call support.
• Cons: Best for Android users, complex interface for some.

8. Huawei Watch 2

The Huawei Watch 2 is based around the Google suite of services. That means Google Pay, Google Music, Google Assistant, and so on. These will be more useful to you if you already use Google services, so the Sport is better for nurses with Android phones. It will still work with an iPhone, but you won’t get as much service crossover. In terms of battery life, it does very well with a 24-hour life span under low to moderate usage. It comes with a rapid charger so you can top it off quickly. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Google services integration, rapid charging, decent battery life.
• Cons: Limited iPhone compatibility, dated design.

9. Withings ScanWatch Nova

Withings is focused on providing advanced health and wellness products with the ScanWatch series available to capture data from your wrist. The Withings ScanWatch Nova continues to provide 30 day battery life in a hybrid watch with support for Android and iOS smartphones. It looks like a luxury watch with the included metal band, yet can be used for tracking activities with a quick switch to the included silicone band. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: 30-day battery life, luxury design, cross-platform support.
• Cons: Limited app ecosystem, higher price point.

10. ENORMIR Smartwatch

This smart watch from ENORMIR helps you stay on top of your health while you care for others. You track your heart rate, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns. Plus, it’s waterproof and has a three-year warranty. Price: $57.99. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Affordable, waterproof, three-year warranty.
• Cons: Basic features, less known brand.

11. Garmin Forerunner 265

Whether you’re getting ready for your first marathon or are a regular at your local Park Run, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is the absolute best running companion. As well as performing brilliantly when it came to tracking our stress levels, sleep and even our strength training classes, the Forerunner has detailed running stats and running-focused features that aren’t available to us on any other smartwatch. Check price on Amazon.

• Pros: Advanced running stats, stress and sleep tracking, durable.
• Cons: Running-focused, less versatile for general use.

Comparison Table of Top Smartwatches

Model	Battery Life	Water Resistance	Key Features	Price Range
Apple Watch Series 10	18 hours	50m	ECG, AFib detection, fast charging	$399+
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7	24 hours	50m	ECG, sleep tracking, Wear OS	$299+
Garmin Lily	5 days	50m	Menstrual monitoring, emergency alerts	$199+
Fossil Gen 4 Explorist HR	24 hours	30m	Heart rate tracking, Google Wear OS	$199+
Fitbit Versa	4 days	50m	Activity tracking, notifications	$179+
Apple Watch Series 8	18 hours	50m	ECG, fall detection, stress monitoring	$349+
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4	24 hours	50m	ECG, blood oxygen monitoring	$249+
Huawei Watch 2	24 hours	30m	Google services, rapid charging	$149+
Withings ScanWatch Nova	30 days	10 ATM	Health tracking, luxury design	$399+
ENORMIR Smartwatch	7 days	IP68	Heart rate, sleep tracking	$57.99
Garmin Forerunner 265	13 days	50m	Running stats, stress tracking	$449+

Testing Scenarios and Performance

To evaluate these smartwatches, we simulated real-world nursing scenarios. For instance, we tested notification delivery during a 12-hour shift, ensuring alerts for medication schedules and patient check-ins were timely. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 excelled, delivering notifications within seconds, even in high-interference environments like busy hospital wards. Battery life was tested by running continuous heart rate monitoring and notifications; the Withings ScanWatch Nova lasted 30 days, while the Apple Watch Series 10 required charging after 18 hours. Water resistance was assessed by exposing watches to frequent handwashing simulations; all models with 50m or higher ratings performed flawlessly.

Buying Guide for Nurses

When choosing a smartwatch for nurses, consider the following steps:

• Assess Compatibility: Ensure the smartwatch pairs seamlessly with your smartphone. Apple Watches are ideal for iPhone users, while Samsung and Garmin models suit Android users.
• Prioritize Hygiene: Opt for silicone or easy-to-clean bands to maintain hygiene standards. The Fitbit Versa and Apple Watch Series 8 offer interchangeable silicone straps.
• Check Battery Life: For long shifts, choose models like the Withings ScanWatch Nova or Garmin Forerunner 265 with extended battery life.
• Evaluate Health Features: Look for ECG, heart rate, and stress monitoring, as seen in the Apple Watch Series 10 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.
• Consider Budget: Affordable options like the ENORMIR Smartwatch provide basic features, while premium models like the Apple Watch Series 10 offer advanced functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can smartwatches be used in sterile environments?

Yes, smartwatches with water-resistant and easy-to-clean bands, like those with silicone straps, are suitable for sterile environments. Ensure compliance with hospital policies, as some units may restrict wrist-worn devices.

Are smartwatches accurate for health monitoring?

Most smartwatches, like the Apple Watch Series 10 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, offer FDA-certified ECG and heart rate monitoring, providing reliable data. However, they are not medical devices and should be used as supplementary tools.

How do I choose between Apple and Android smartwatches?

Choose based on your smartphone. Apple Watches work best with iPhones, offering seamless integration. Android users should consider Samsung or Garmin models for optimal compatibility and features.

What is the best budget smartwatch for nurses?

The ENORMIR Smartwatch, priced at $57.99, offers essential features like heart rate and sleep tracking, making it a cost-effective choice for nurses on a budget.

Conclusion

The best smartwatch for nurses in 2025 depends on individual needs, but models like the Apple Watch Series 10, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and Withings ScanWatch Nova stand out for their durability, health monitoring, and ease of use. By prioritizing features like water resistance, battery life, and hygiene, nurses can find a reliable companion to enhance their work efficiency. For more insights on healthcare wearables, visit Harvard Health.