7 Best Smartwatches with ECG: (2026 Guide & Reviews)

Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by Luis Cooper

Within only a few generations, smartwatches have gone from being simple fashion items to feature-rich fitness and health monitors.

The market is flooded with gadgets that use a variety of sensors to measure your everyday activities, exercise, sleep, and overall wellness as the importance of everyone’s long-term health increases. 

Additionally, these devices can call for assistance if the wearer falls and is unable to get up due to a hard fall or warn them of probable heart problems.

Some watches can track your ECG.

The best smartwatches with ECG tracking technologies are listed below.

Which are the Best Smartwatches with ECG?

Here are my recommended top 7 Best Smartwatches with ECG:-

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: (Best ECG Smartwatch for Android Users)

Most people who buy a smartwatch with ECG never use the feature because nobody explained to them what it actually does, when to use it, or why the result matters.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 changes that experience by making ECG the kind of feature you check the same way you check the weather — not because something is wrong, but because knowing is better than not knowing.

What ECG Actually Means on Your Wrist

An ECG, or electrocardiogram, is a recording of the electrical signals your heart produces with every beat.

Hospitals use 12-lead ECG machines that attach electrodes across your chest, arms, and legs to capture a detailed picture of your heart’s electrical activity from multiple angles simultaneously.

The Galaxy Watch 9 uses a single-lead ECG, which means it captures one angle of that picture using the BioActive sensor on the back of the watch and a small electrode on the side button that you touch with your finger.

This single-lead recording is genuinely useful for one specific purpose: detecting atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm where the upper chambers of the heart beat chaotically instead of in a coordinated pattern.

AFib is one of the most common heart rhythm disorders in adults and one of the leading causes of stroke, and it often produces no obvious symptoms beyond occasional palpitations that come and go without warning.

A smartwatch ECG that you take when you feel something unusual can provide the record your doctor needs to confirm whether what you felt was AFib or something harmless.

How to Take an ECG on the Galaxy Watch 9

The process takes 30 seconds, and the watch guides you through every step.

Sit down, rest the arm wearing the watch on a flat surface such as a table or your knee, and open the ECG app in Samsung Health Monitor.

When the app tells you to, rest the opposite hand’s finger lightly on the raised button on the side of the watch case.

Stay still, breathe normally, and wait 30 seconds while the watch records the electrical signals passing through your body between the sensor on your wrist and the electrode under your fingertip.

The watch then classifies the recording into one of three results: sinus rhythm, which means your heart was beating in a normal regular pattern during the recording; atrial fibrillation, which means the recording showed the irregular pattern associated with AFib; or inconclusive, which means the recording quality was not sufficient for a clear classification, usually because the watch moved or was not pressed firmly enough.

The full waveform trace and the classification are saved to the Samsung Health app on your phone, where you can export a PDF that you can send directly to your doctor.

The Heart Health Score and What It Adds

The Galaxy Watch 9 introduced a Heart Health Score that sits alongside the individual ECG recordings and gives you a broader picture of cardiovascular trends over time.

Rather than just showing you a single ECG result in isolation, the Heart Health Score synthesises your ECG history, your resting heart rate trends, your overnight HRV patterns, and your blood pressure monitoring data into a single score that reflects the overall picture rather than any single measurement.

For someone managing a known heart condition, this running score provides the kind of longitudinal view that a single clinical appointment cannot capture because a doctor sees you for 15 minutes while the watch has been watching for months.

For someone with no known heart condition who simply wants to know if anything has changed, the score provides a reference point to notice if something shifts, prompting a conversation with a doctor before symptoms become serious.

The Practical Limitation Worth Knowing

The Galaxy Watch 9’s ECG and Heart Health Score both require a Samsung Galaxy phone with the Samsung Health Monitor app installed.

If you use a different Android phone or an iPhone, the watch pairs, but these specific features are not available.

The heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and fitness features all work with other Android phones, but the ECG recording, AFib classification, and PDF export are locked to Samsung’s own device ecosystem.

This is not a hidden limitation — Samsung is transparent about it — but it is worth confirming before buying if ECG is the primary reason you are choosing this watch.

Who this is not for: Android users without a Samsung Galaxy phone will not be able to access the ECG, blood pressure monitoring, or sleep apnea detection features. The Google Pixel Watch 5 covered later in this guide provides ECG that works across all Android phones without a specific phone brand requirement.

Specifications:

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: (Best Budget ECG Smartwatch)

Not everyone who needs ECG monitoring on their wrist needs to spend a significant amount of money to get it.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE makes that case clearly by delivering the same ECG platform as Samsung’s more expensive models in a watch that costs considerably less than any other ECG smartwatch on this list.

The ECG experience on the Galaxy Watch FE is not a simplified or stripped-back version of what the Galaxy Watch 9 offers.

It uses the same BioActive sensor, the same 30-second recording process, the same AFib and sinus rhythm classification, and the same PDF export through Samsung Health Monitor.

The difference between the Watch FE and the Watch 9 in terms of ECG capability is essentially nothing — the feature works the same way and produces the same clinician-ready output regardless of which model you choose.

Why This Matters for Older Adults

Many of the people who would benefit most from regular ECG monitoring are older adults who have been advised by their doctor to watch for symptoms of atrial fibrillation.

For this group, the complexity of an expensive feature-heavy smartwatch can actually get in the way of using the one feature they bought it for.

The Galaxy Watch FE’s 40mm case is compact enough to be comfortable on wrists that find larger smartwatches bulky, and the One UI Watch interface is straightforward enough that navigating to the ECG app does not require familiarity with Wear OS or any particular technical confidence.

The Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications run automatically without any daily action required — the watch monitors in the background and alerts you if it detects a pattern worth investigating, which means the ECG feature is working even on the days when you do not think to open the app yourself.

The Same Requirement Applies

Like every Samsung ECG watch, the Galaxy Watch FE requires a Samsung Galaxy phone for ECG, blood pressure monitoring, and sleep apnea detection.

Other Android phones and iPhones cannot access these features. This is the same limitation as the Galaxy Watch 9 above, and it applies equally here regardless of the price difference between the two models.

For Android users without a Samsung Galaxy phone who want budget ECG options, the Fitbit Charge 6 later in this guide provides ECG that works across all Android phones and iPhones without brand restrictions.

Specifications:

Withings ScanWatch 2: (Best Hybrid Smartwatch)

 

If you want an ECG on a watch that still looks like a watch, the Withings ScanWatch 2 nails the brief.

It’s a hybrid: real hands, a tiny OLED window for prompts, and a battery that goes for weeks rather than days.

Under the classic face, you get a single-lead ECG for AFib checks, Irregular Rhythm Notifications, SpO₂, and 24/7 temperature variation via Withings.

TempTech 24/7 module—all tied into a calm Health Mate app that produces doctor-friendly ECG PDFs.

ECG and IHRN are cleared/approved in the US and widely across Europe, with Withings’ support pages listing exact regions so you’re not guessing about availability.

Why Does it Stand out for ECG:

ScanWatch 2 treats ECG like part of a broader cardiometabolic picture.

You can do a 30-second spot ECG on the wrist and export a PDF for a clinician, while IHRN quietly scans in the background and nudges you to confirm with an ECG if it spots irregularity.

In 2025, Withings also pushed a new ECG algorithm in the US that expands classifications beyond the older “sinus/AFib/inconclusive” trio, which makes the trace more informative when you do bring it to a visit.

Health Features that add Real Context:

Alongside ECG, you get SpO₂, HRV-based “Vitality”/readiness cues, sleep staging with REM, and temperature variation trends that help you spot illness onset or recovery dips.

Withings’ latest HealthSense updates use predictive algorithms across ~35 health metrics, focusing on early signals rather than just pretty charts.

If you prefer a watch that quietly captures health data and stays out of your way, this is the rare device that does it well.

Battery and Everyday Use:

The biggest practical win: multi-week battery.

Withings documents ~30–35 days on typical hybrid use (notifications on, workouts here and there), and that long window is exactly what you want for episodic conditions—you don’t miss events because your watch is sitting on a charger.

The case is stainless steel with sapphire glass, 5ATM water resistance, and the sub-display is just big enough to guide ECGs, start workouts, or show calls without turning the watch into a tiny phone.

How it Compares:

Versus full smartwatches, ScanWatch 2 feels distraction-free and far more sustainable to wear 24/7; you trade app stores and heavy animations for battery life and medical-style reporting.

Against other ECG watches, it wins on wear time and the hybrid design people actually want to keep on during meetings or sleep.

You’ll find fewer “smart” extras than an Apple/Samsung, but the core health capture + export is polished and the regional approvals are clearly documented.

Personal Take:

What surprised me most was compliance—I forgot about charging for weeks, which meant my ECG history and HRV trends actually looked complete.

The sub-dial prompts you through a recording without fuss, and the PDF export takes seconds.

I also liked how temperature variation and REM sleep context made the readiness nudges feel earned instead of generic.

ECG-focused Specs:

• ECG: 30-second single-lead; AFib screening; IHRN background checks; PDF export in app.

• Sensors: Optical HR/SpO₂, TempTech 24/7 (heat-flux + skin temp), accelerometer; HRV insights in app.

• Battery: Up to ~30–35 days typical hybrid use; fast charge in about 2 hours.

• Build: Stainless steel, sapphire glass, 5ATM water resistance; hybrid analog design.

• Approvals/availability: ECG FDA-cleared in the US; CE across the EU/UK; IHRN in many regions; see Withings’ feature-by-region page.

Conclusion:

For shoppers searching for the best smartwatches with ECG who value long wear time, clear medical-style exports, and a timeless look, the Withings ScanWatch 2 is a standout.

It quietly builds a richer health record—because it’s on your wrist when it matters.

Garmin Venu 4: Best Smartwatch for ECG and Heart Health)

If you want a modern AMOLED smartwatch that treats ECG as more than a checkbox,

The Garmin Venu 4 is finally here.

It brings on-wrist, 30-second single-lead ECG readings with Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications (IHRN), lets you export a clinician-friendly PDF from Garmin Connect, and—crucially—ships with broader country support than earlier Garmin attempts.

Garmin has been expanding ECG availability across the EU, US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and more this year, and the Venu 4 sits squarely in that rollout.

Why it Stands Out:

Two things separate Venu 4 from typical “lifestyle” watches.

First, ECG is built into a full health stack: HR alerts, sleep apnea risk screening on eligible regions (via the broader Garmin ECG/IHRN and respiratory metrics push), Training Readiness-style recovery cues, and Garmin’s new Lifestyle Logging in the app that tracks habits like caffeine, alcohol, and sunlight so you can see how they affect sleep, stress, and HRV over weeks—not just nights.

Second, Garmin pairs ECG with clear documentation and region lists, so you know whether it’s enabled before you buy or travel.

How ECG Works Here: (what you actually do)

Open the ECG app on the Venu 4, sit still, rest your forearm on a table, and touch the dedicated electrode (top button/bezel contact) for 30 seconds.

You’ll get an on-watch rhythm classification (e.g., sinus rhythm or possible AFib).

The trace syncs to Garmin Connect, where you can save a PDF and share it with your clinician.

As with every consumer watch, this is single-lead screening—not a 12-lead diagnostic—and it won’t detect a heart attack or structural issues.

If something looks wrong or you have symptoms, talk to a professional.

Everyday Experience: (hands-on style)

Coming from Venu 3, what I noticed right away was snappier menus and a brighter screen that still stayed readable outside.

The dual-frequency GPS felt solid for tempo runs, and HR tracking matched my chest strap closely on steady efforts.

Battery life depended on how hard I pushed the display and GPS, but with ECG/IHRN enabled and a few workouts, I was comfortably charging every several days—not nightly.

The surprise win was Lifestyle Logging—after two weeks of entries, it actually explained why certain late-evening coffees wrecked my HRV and sleep.

That context makes the ECG more useful, not just another chart.

ECG-focused Specs:

• ECG: 30-second single-lead; rhythm classification; IHRN background checks; PDF export.

• Display & build: AMOLED touchscreen, two-button layout; all-metal case; water-resistant for everyday training.

• GNSS: Dual-frequency GPS for tougher signal areas.

• Health suite: Advanced sleep analysis, recovery/readiness cues, Lifestyle Logging for habit impact.

• Platform: Full Garmin Connect ecosystem with long-term trend views and clinician-ready exports.

Conclusion:

If you’re searching for the best smartwatch with ECG and want Garmin’s training brains without giving up an AMOLED face and daily comfort, the Venu 4 finally checks every box.

ECG is reliable and easy to share, recovery tools are genuinely helpful, and the new habit tracking makes your heart data make sense in the real world.

Apple Watch Series 12: (Best ECG Smartwatch for iPhone Users)

The Apple Watch has carried ECG since Series 4 in 2018, which makes it the longest-running ECG smartwatch platform available from any manufacturer. Eight years of refinement shows in how the feature works today on the Series 12.

The hardware underneath the Series 12 changed significantly from its predecessor.

Where previous Apple Watch models used two electrodes for ECG recording, the Series 12 uses thirty-two electrodes arranged in a ring around the back sensor.

More electrodes mean better skin contact, which means cleaner signals and fewer inconclusive recordings — the result you get when the trace was too noisy to classify.

For anyone who has taken an ECG on an older Apple Watch and received inconclusive results more often than they would have liked, this hardware change directly addresses that frustration.

Taking an ECG Takes Thirty Seconds

Open the ECG app, rest your forearm on a flat surface, and lightly touch the Digital Crown with your opposite hand’s finger. Wait thirty seconds while the watch records.

The result appears on the display immediately — sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, or inconclusive — and the full waveform saves to the Health app on your iPhone, where you can generate a PDF to share with your doctor in a few taps.

Irregular Rhythm Notifications run in the background throughout the day, checking your pulse passively and alerting you if the pattern suggests something worth investigating with a spot ECG.

How the Readiness Score Makes ECG More Useful

The Series 12 introduced a Readiness Score that updates throughout the day based on heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, and recent activity.

This score provides context that makes individual ECG readings more meaningful.

An ECG that shows sinus rhythm after a night of poor sleep and a high-stress morning tells a different story from one taken after a well-rested recovery day.

The Readiness Score does not change how the ECG works, but it helps you understand the conditions under which you took the reading — which matters when you are bringing that data to a clinical conversation.

The One Requirement

The Apple Watch Series 12 requires an iPhone. There is no Android compatibility. Every ECG feature, the PDF export, the Readiness Score context, and the Irregular Rhythm Notifications all run through the iPhone’s Health app. For Android users, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 or Pixel Watch 5 elsewhere in this guide are the appropriate alternatives.

Specifications:

Google Pixel Watch 5: (Best ECG Smartwatch for Non-Samsung Android Users)

The Google Pixel Watch 5 carries a feature that no other mainstream smartwatch in this guide offers alongside ECG, and it changes the conversation about what a heart health watch can actually do when something goes seriously wrong.

Loss of Pulse Detection monitors your pulse continuously, and if it disappears — not just becomes irregular, but stops entirely — and you do not respond to the alert within a short window, the watch calls emergency services automatically and sends your GPS location. You do not press a button. You do not need to be conscious. The watch acts without you.

For ECG users specifically, this matters because the people most likely to benefit from regular ECG monitoring are also the people for whom cardiac events carry the most risk.

Having a watch that screens for irregular rhythm during ordinary daily life and simultaneously monitors for the absence of pulse during a serious event covers both the early warning and the emergency response in a single device.

ECG That Works on Any Android Phone:

The Pixel Watch 5 takes a 30-second single-lead ECG through the Fitbit ECG app, classifies the result as sinus rhythm or atrial fibrillation, and exports a PDF directly from the app that you can send to your doctor.

Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications run in the background and prompt you to take a spot ECG when the watch detects a pattern worth investigating.

The important distinction from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is that none of this requires a specific phone brand.

The Pixel Watch 5 pairs with any Android phone running Android 9 or above. Samsung’s ECG requires a Samsung Galaxy phone.

If you use a OnePlus, Sony, Motorola, or any other Android phone and want ECG on your wrist, the Pixel Watch 5 is the correct choice.

GPS That Refines Your Route After the Activity

The Pixel Watch 5 adds cloud-based GPS post-processing, which sends your raw GPS data to Google’s servers after a run or walk and refines the route using 3D mapping and atmospheric corrections.

The map of where you went becomes more accurate after the session than it was during it.

For most ECG users who are not competitive runners, this is a background quality improvement rather than a headline reason to choose the watch.

But for anyone who uses the watch for both heart health monitoring and regular outdoor activity, the improved GPS accuracy means better data across both use cases without any additional setup.

The Honest Limitation

Breathing Emergency Detection, which monitors for a sustained drop in blood oxygen consistent with conditions like choking or severe respiratory distress, was announced alongside the Pixel Watch 5 but is not yet available in the United States at launch due to ongoing FDA review.

It has launched in several European countries. US buyers should treat it as a feature that is coming rather than one they can use today.

Specifications:

Fitbit Charge 6: (Best Fitness Tracker)

Why it Stands Out:

Charge 6 brings Google’s latest heart-rate AI from the Pixel Watch line to a slim tracker, improving workout HR stability and reducing dropouts versus older bands.

You also get Google Maps turn-by-turn on the wrist, Google Wallet, and YouTube Music controls—useful quality-of-life features you won’t find on most “fitness bands.”

For gym sessions, a standout is Bluetooth heart-rate broadcast to machines and apps (Peloton, Concept2, Zwift, etc.), so the number you see on the treadmill matches what’s on your wrist.

In short: real ECG + practical tools in a device you’ll actually keep on 24/7.

ECG on Charge 6: what you actually do (and the limits)

Open the ECG tile in the Fitbit app, sit still, and lightly touch the case for 30 seconds.

The result (e.g., sinus rhythm or AFib) saves to your Fitbit history, and you can export a PDF for your clinician right from the app.

Remember, like every wearable ECG, this is single-lead screening, not a 12-lead clinical test; it won’t detect heart attacks or structural problems, and any concerning symptom warrants medical care.

Region support is expanding, but always check Fitbit’s feature-by-country list; a few users have reported app/PDF glitches that are typically fixed by updating the ECG module and Fitbit app.

Real-World Use:

For runs and intervals, the newer HR algorithm is noticeably steadier than older Fitbits, especially when the band is snug and a finger’s width above the wrist bone.

Built-in GPS handles route logs fine for everyday training, and the side button makes mid-workout controls simpler than on the Charge 5.

If you’re a lifter or class-goer, HR broadcast is the unsung hero—you can feed your heart rate to the bike/rower and still capture everything in Fitbit.

Battery life remains multi-day in mixed use, so you’re not choosing between sleep tracking and daytime ECG access.

Specs:

• ECG: 30-s single-lead, AFib/sinus classification; PDF export in the Fitbit app.

• Background checks: Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications (FDA-cleared PPG algorithm).

• HR engine: New AI-led algorithm for improved accuracy during exercise.

• Smart extras: Google Maps turn-by-turn, Google Wallet, YouTube Music controls.

• Gym connectivity: Bluetooth HR broadcast to equipment/apps.

Conclusion:

If you want reliable ECG and rhythm alerts in the smallest package that still feels modern, the Fitbit Charge 6 is hard to beat.

It blends medical-style ECG reporting with Google conveniences and gym-friendly HR broadcast—and it does it without the bulk or constant charging of a full smartwatch.

Ending Paragraph:

Do you guys have experience with the best smartwatches with ECG?

What are your thoughts on them?

Is there any smartwatch you love to give that I didn’t mention in this article?

Would you please leave your comments below?

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