Top 5 Smartwatches with Weeks of Battery Life: Suunto, Withings and Amazfit

Smartwatches might be great, and could even be the next important step after smartphones to connect human beings with machines as it tracks our sleep quality, heart rate, how much we exercise everyday, or even tell us when we've been sitting for too long.

But one of the hindrances to this 'immersive' experience is how often we need to take them off for recharging. It has become another electrical outlet hoarder, adding to the list of our smartphones, laptop, tablets, wireless earbuds and headphones that needs to be recharged on a daily basis.

Thankfully, many smartwatch makers have identified this stumbling block, and made innovative workarounds to extend the battery life of their latest offerings. Here are the top 5 smartwatches that we have tested and who they are suited for.

Suunto Alpha Traverse - 14 days battery life

Who is it for?

• Those who like to go on adventures, this is a rugged, damage resistant watch that will keep running with you through thick and thin.
• GPS mapping on a dot-matrix screen will also keep those venturing into new environments from getting lost, whether it's in the depth of the jungle...or in a Southeast Asian night market

When I started using the Suunto Alpha Traverse, even though the case was made of a plastic-ish material (Glass reinforced resin I later found) I never had the feeling that it was cheap. The overall construction looked durable, especially with the stainless steel knurled bezel and buttons - both looking aggressively durable.

This feeling was confirmed when I later met a construction worker who swears by Suunto, and showed me his Suunto that seems like it has gone through hell, covered in months of dried cement and dirt - but had a lens as clear as crystal - with no screen protector or case. I was deeply convinced that this is one of the toughest smartwatch I have ever had my hands on.

The dot-matrix display might throw off some smartwatch hunters, but if all you're after is notification, GPS, exercise tracking - this is all you need.

The battery easily lasted me a whole trip to Southeast Asia, and a recharge every 2 weeks is infrequent enough not to bother me in my daily routines.

Check out our full review of the Suunto Alpha Traverse

Amazfit GTR - 24 days battery life

Who is it for?

• For watch lovers who appreciate beautifully crafted stainless steel cases, as well as a huge user-generated custom watch faces of your favorite (fantasy) watches

The Amazfit GTR I have to confess was the first smartwatch that actually tingled my watchlover senses. It's polished stainless steel case is still my favorite both in terms of design, size and durability. The plot only thickens when I discovered an online library of user-generated watchfaces of their favorite luxury watches, faces that are a far cry from corny digital faces, but belong on Swiss automatic timepieces.

It also has impressive durability as it has a protruding ceramic bezel to protect the lens, and silicon back on its leather strap, so that sweat will be kept at bay.

The 24 day battery life is amazing - even if it came at the cost of some custom software that is not as slick as Apple Watch or Fitbit. I was happy to exchange some functionality that I can get from my phone anyway for a whopping 3 week+ battery life. The long periods between charging plus the watch face options definitely makes this smartwatch the most enjoyable for watch lovers.

Check out our full review of the Amazfit GTR

Amazfit GTS - 14 days battery life

Who is it for?

• Anyone who wants that Apple Watch aesthetics but only needs basic smartwatch functionality plus a whole lot more battery life
• One of my favorites for exercising with because of its lightweight

The Amazfit GTS's design inspiration is no secret, but they pulled it off nicely. The aluminium case with the curved edges on its glass make this watch feel premium. What was surprising to me was when I put it on and realized how lightweight it was on my wrist - I could barely feel it.

Running on Amazfit's custom software, this little watch only needs recharging once every 2 weeks, and can be worn and forgotten about because of how compact and lightweight it is.

Check out our full review on the Amazfit GTS

Withings Steel HR - 25 days battery life

Who is it for?

• For those who still wants to keep the physical watchfaces on their smartwatch, but get the smartwatch functionality they want
• Someone who appreciates the classic dress watch design: domed glass, arched back, down to its stainless steel strap clasp

This is a dress watch that's also smart. The Withings Steel HR can pass as an elegant dress watch and can be worn with your business suit anytime without committing any fashion sins.

But it's also a high tech watch that covers most of what people need from a smartwatch: from notifications, to a heart rate sensor to sleep and exercise tracking. It even has an analogue dial for displaying your progress in reaching your daily exercise goal - which is very motivating and keeps your eyes on the prize.

I actually left this watch in the office for 2 months and when I circled back to it for this review found still 68% battery on it, which goes to tell how power efficient this watch is. This is the closest to a real watch aesthetics as you can get on a true smartwatch.

Check out our full review on the Withings Steel HR

Amazfit T-Rex - 20 days battery life

Who is it for?

• If G-Shock aesthetics is what you like but you're after smartwatch functionality, this is an easy recommendation
• Those who prefers wearing their watch and not have to worry about keeping it from scratches or damage - the tough exterior will put your heart at ease

The latest release out of this list, the T-Rex is Amazfit's latest entry and it's built to keep up with people with more active lifestyles. Built with clear inspiration from the classic G-Shock which makes it easy to look at, what sets it apart is the AMOLED screen and all the functions you expect from a smartwatch.

It looks bulky but is lighter than it looks. It's light and tough enough to be a daily companion for wherever sports activity you fancy.

Check out our full review on the Amazfit T-Rex

Final remarks

We're in a time where there are so many options of smartwatches to choose from that if you look long and hard enough, no compromise is needed when choosing the best watch that fits us.

Whatever lifestyle you have, and whatever style of watch you prefer, there is a perfect smartwatch out there for you - and the good news is they won't by joining the ranks of devices that need their battery level checked throughout the day. No, instead of days, you can get weeks out of every single charge from these watches. What a time we're in.

David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move and is on a mission to explore ways to make his overhaul flights more enjoyable. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travellers.