Best 2022 Smartwatches for step counting accuracy

#1 Garmin Forerunner 255S
5.0

Step counting received one clear positive judgment, with the reviewer finding it nearly spot-on against manual counting and other watches.

Pros: step counting accuracy, fit

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, charging convenience

#2 Suunto 9 Peak Pro
5.0

Step counting received limited but strong praise, with one reviewer specifically calling the step counter excellent.

Pros: step counting accuracy, durability

Cons: voice assistant quality, contactless payments

#3 Garmin Forerunner 955
4.5

Step counts were considered reliable and consistent in the limited reviews that discussed them.

Pros: outdoor visibility, charging speed

Cons: LTE connectivity, call handling

#4 Fitbit Versa 4
4.1

Step tracking was generally dependable in several reviews, though one lab review found the step count consistently short.

Pros: pairing reliability, user interface

Cons: third-party app support, music controls

#5 Coros Apex 2
4.0

Step tracking was described as generally accurate or consistent with other devices in the two reviews that evaluated it.

Pros: resume later function, durability

Cons: watch face quality, call handling

#6 Garmin Venu Sq 2
4.0

Step counting was only directly judged in one review, where it was close to a comparison device.

Pros: charging speed, coaching features

Cons: ECG functionality, call handling

#7 Polar Pacer
4.0

Step counting has limited but favorable evidence, with one reviewer finding counts largely aligned with comparison devices.

Pros: third-party app support, comfort

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#8 Fitbit Sense 2
3.8

Step counting is generally decent to good, but not perfect; reviewers saw accurate daily step matches while also noting overcounting tendencies.

Pros: pairing reliability, durability

Cons: music controls, Wi-Fi connectivity

#9 Garmin Vivomove Sport
3.8

Step tracking looked usable, with one review finding no wild discrepancies and another finding a mild overcount but still decent results.

Pros: pairing reliability, reliability

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#10 Polar Pacer Pro
3.5

Step counting evidence was mixed, with Wareable seeing counts in line with Oura while the scientific test found undercounting and gave it a middle score.

Pros: workout tracking variety, activity auto-detection

Cons: onboard music storage, blood oxygen tracking

#11 Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4
3.3

Step-count accuracy is mixed, ranging from no accuracy concerns to reports of counts around 1,000 steps higher than comparison devices.

Pros: contactless payments, pairing reliability

Cons: LTE connectivity, call handling

#12 Polar Ignite 3
2.0

Step counting was criticized as inconsistent, with reviewers reporting extra desk steps, delayed updates, or meaningful differences from manual counts.

Pros: brightness, charging speed

Cons: call handling, third-party app support