Best 2025 Wearable Tech for button controls

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#1 Garmin Forerunner 570
4.6

Button controls were strongly praised, especially for wet hands, sweaty workouts, swimming, and glove use.

Pros: charging speed, GPS accuracy

Cons: ECG functionality, smartphone notifications

#2 OnePlus Watch 3
4.5

Button controls were a standout: the functional rotating crown, haptics, and shortcut controls earned broad praise.

Pros: blood oxygen tracking, step counting accuracy

Cons: LTE connectivity, calorie tracking usefulness

#3 Apple Watch Ultra 3
4.5

Button and gesture controls were a strength, especially the Action button and touch-free gestures.

Pros: app ecosystem, watch face quality

Cons: cross-platform compatibility, size options

#4 Garmin Approach S44
4.5

Button controls were a clear upgrade over the S42, with reviewers calling the second button easier, more intuitive, and better for navigation.

Pros: user interface, brightness

Cons: wellness insights, charging convenience

#5 Apple Watch SE 3
4.5

Button and gesture controls were widely praised, especially Double Tap, Wrist Flick, the Digital Crown, and side-button shortcuts.

Pros: app ecosystem, operating system experience

Cons: cross-platform compatibility, ECG functionality

#6 Garmin Vivoactive 6
4.4

Button controls are generally well-liked, with reviewers praising the raised button, simplicity, and tactile workout controls.

Pros: software smoothness, comfort

Cons: LTE connectivity, voice assistant quality

#7 Coros Apex 4
4.3

Button controls are generally praised, especially the action button and revised crown placement, with only minor control caveats.

Pros: reliability, battery life

Cons: LTE connectivity, flashlight usefulness

#8 Garmin Tactix 8
4.3

Button controls were mostly praised for texture and feel, but dive-rated buttons created mixed feedback from users who preferred older tactile clicks.

Pros: wellness insights, build quality

Cons: LTE connectivity, band quality

#9 Garmin Forerunner 970
4.3

Button controls were useful and reliable, preserving full control when touch is unavailable, though one reviewer wanted a more tactile click.

Pros: stress tracking, customization options

Cons: menu navigation, companion app quality

#10 Garmin fenix 8 Pro
4.3

Button controls were praised for premium haptics and easier, quicker operation than earlier Fenix buttons.

Pros: workout tracking variety, pairing reliability

Cons: size options, companion app quality

#11 Suunto Run
4.2

Button controls were a strength overall, especially the crown and physical buttons for running, gloves, sweat, and menu movement, though one reviewer wanted more buttons.

Pros: comfort, value for money

Cons: contactless payments, Wi-Fi connectivity

#12 Suunto Vertical 2
4.1

Button controls were broadly praised for glove use and tactile feedback, though some reviewers still preferred a crown or different interface logic.

Pros: operating system experience, materials quality

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#13 Garmin Instinct 3
4.1

Button controls are mostly praised for predictable wet/glove use, though a few reviewers found the buttons harder to press or slower than touch controls.

Pros: customization options, charging speed

Cons: onboard music storage, voice assistant quality

#14 CMF Watch 3 Pro
4.1

The crown and button controls were often praised for tactility and haptics, though a few reviewers wanted better sizing or deeper integration in the interface.

Pros: workout tracking variety, user interface

Cons: Wi-Fi connectivity, onboard music storage

#15 Apple Watch Series 11
4.0

Controls are mostly useful, especially the crown, side button, Double Tap, and wrist flick, but runners disliked the lack of a dedicated lap or Action button.

Pros: ECG functionality, app ecosystem

Cons: cross-platform compatibility, recovery insights

#16 Amazfit Bip 6
3.9

Button controls were generally useful and customizable, although one reviewer missed a crown-style control for long lists.

Pros: value for money, battery life

Cons: contactless payments, stress tracking

#17 Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro
3.9

Button controls are generally useful, especially in wet, gloved or workout conditions, though one reviewer found the up/down buttons sticky on hikes.

Pros: workout tracking variety, calorie tracking usefulness

Cons: LTE connectivity, ECG functionality

#18 Amazfit Active Max
3.9

Button controls were useful and tactile, but reviewers who wanted more buttons or a crown found the two-button setup limiting.

Pros: workout tracking variety, outdoor visibility

Cons: calorie tracking usefulness, safety features

#19 Suunto Race 2
3.8

Button controls were mostly praised as clicky and usable during activity, though one reviewer had a sticky-button problem.

Pros: operating system experience, brightness

Cons: safety features, health tracking accuracy

#20 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025)
3.8

Button controls are polarized: reviewers like the programmable/quick button, but one long-term reviewer had repeated accidental presses and wanted better workout shortcuts.

Pros: LTE connectivity, pairing reliability

Cons: antioxidant index, blood oxygen tracking

#21 Garmin Approach S50
3.8

Button controls were usable but not ideal for button-first users; reviewers found navigation workable while still preferring more physical controls on higher-end models.

Pros: touchscreen responsiveness, health tracking accuracy

Cons: call handling, voice assistant quality

#22 Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED
3.6

Button controls split opinion: one reviewer found them second nature, while others found the no-touchscreen button workflow slower or fiddly.

Pros: heart rate accuracy, GPS accuracy

Cons: onboard music storage, mapping and navigation

#23 Amazfit Active 2
3.3

Button controls were useful and sometimes responsive, but reviewers disliked the layout, tactile feel, or double-press workout behavior.

Pros: pairing reliability, value for money

Cons: stress tracking, onboard music storage

#24 Coros Pace 4
3.3

Button controls were useful for shortcuts and navigation, but reviewers disliked the digital dial during runs and the limited action-button behavior outside activities.

Pros: comfort, value for money

Cons: third-party app support, contactless payments

#25 Amazfit Balance 2
3.3

Button controls were mixed: some reviewers liked the tactile buttons and crown, while others found the crown cheap or the activity controls easy to mis-trigger.

Pros: Bluetooth connectivity, calorie tracking usefulness

Cons: ECG functionality, flashlight usefulness

#26 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
3.1

Button controls were mixed: customization was useful, but the base model’s two buttons and lack of a Quick Button or physical bezel frustrated some reviewers.

Pros: third-party app support, heart rate accuracy

Cons: music controls, cross-platform compatibility

#27 Google Pixel Watch 4
3.1

Button and control feedback was mixed: gestures and crown use often worked well, while manual laps or the thin side button drew complaints.

Pros: step counting accuracy, charging speed

Cons: stress tracking, band quality

#28 Motorola Moto Watch Fit
3.0

Button controls were mixed: ending workouts could be quick, but another reviewer wanted more buttons or a crown.

Pros: software smoothness, menu navigation

Cons: contactless payments, stress tracking

#29 Garmin Venu 4
2.9

Button controls were one of the most repeated tradeoffs: the two-button layout looks cleaner, but several reviewers missed more physical controls during activity.

Pros: activity auto-detection, style and design

Cons: LTE connectivity, charging convenience

#30 Garmin Venu X1
2.7

The two-button design was the most repeated control complaint, with reviewers missing Garmin’s extra buttons or wanting another shortcut button.

Pros: pairing reliability, watch face quality

Cons: ECG functionality, LTE connectivity