From the clubhouse
6 Best Padel Watches UK (2026)
Jamie Holt29 September 2026
Padel is sneaky exercise. Two hours of doubles can burn as much as a long run, and it doesn't feel like it until the next morning. A watch shows you what you actually did, and some will keep score so nobody argues about whether it was 30–40 or deuce.
What a watch won't do is count your bandejas. Wrist-worn devices track heart rate and movement, not individual shots. Here's what's worth buying in the UK, and what to expect from each.
Quick picks
- Best overall: Garmin vívoactive 6: built-in padel mode, about 11 days of battery, sensible price.
- Best value: Garmin Forerunner 165: padel mode and training data for about £150.
- Best for iPhone users: Apple Watch Series 11: the best smartwatch, plus a padel scoring app.
- Best cheaper Apple Watch: Apple Watch SE 3: all you need for padel scoring on an iPhone.
- Best premium: Garmin fēnix 8: a do-everything multisport watch.
Padel watches compared
| Watch | Built-in padel mode | Battery (smartwatch mode) | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin vívoactive 6 | Yes | Up to 11 days | £205–£225 |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 | Yes | Up to 11 days | £150–£165 |
| Garmin Venu 4 (45mm) | Yes | Up to 12 days | £360–£370 |
| Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm) | Yes | Up to 16 days | £575–£600 |
| Apple Watch Series 11 | No (use an app) | About a day | £279+ |
| Apple Watch SE 3 | No (use an app) | Up to 18 hours | £219+ |
The 6 best watches for padel
Best overall
1. Garmin vívoactive 6
- Padel mode
- AMOLED
- Up to 11 days
- 80+ sports apps
The vívoactive 6 lists padel under its racket sports, alongside tennis, pickleball and squash. So you just press start: no app to install. It records heart rate, calories, time and training effect, and it all shows in Garmin Connect under a padel label.
Outside padel, you get a bright AMOLED screen, sleep coaching, Body Battery and more than 80 sports profiles. Garmin rates the battery at up to 11 days in smartwatch mode. It's sold by Amazon, and it's the easiest recommendation here for most players.
- Buy it if
- You want a padel mode, good health tracking and battery that lasts over a week.
- Skip it if
- You want smartwatch apps and iMessage replies. Get an Apple Watch.
Best value
2. Garmin Forerunner 165
- Padel mode
- AMOLED
- Up to 11 days
- Training readiness
It's sold as a running watch, but the Forerunner 165 has a padel profile, and it asks whether you're playing indoors or outdoors. It records heart rate and training effect, and it adds a morning report with sleep, HRV status and training readiness.
One quirk: some owners report that indoor padel still tries to record a tiny distance. Ignore it. At around £150, it's the cheapest way to get a proper padel mode.
- Buy it if
- You want a Garmin with padel mode and proper training data for the least money.
- Skip it if
- You want music or contactless payments. Check the Music version.
Best for iPhone users
3. Apple Watch Series 11
- Needs a padel app
- Heart rate zones
- Training load
- watchOS
Apple Watch doesn't have a built-in padel workout. Most people log padel as tennis or another workout, or install a padel app. Apps like PadelTick, PadelCounter and Padel Watch let you keep score from your wrist, with golden point and match tie-breaks, and save the session to Apple Health.
The Series 11 adds heart rate zones, training load and a sleep score. It's the best smartwatch here, but you'll be charging it far more often than a Garmin. It's sold by Amazon. The newer Series 12 is also listed, for more money.
- Buy it if
- You have an iPhone and want the best all-round smartwatch.
- Skip it if
- You hate charging every day, or you use Android.
Best cheaper Apple Watch
4. Apple Watch SE 3
- Needs a padel app
- Up to 18 hours
- Always-on display
For padel, the SE 3 does almost everything the Series 11 does. It tracks heart rate and calories, runs the same padel scoring apps and has an always-on display, so you can glance at the score between points.
Apple rates the battery at up to 18 hours, so charge it before an evening session. It's sold by Amazon.
- Buy it if
- You have an iPhone and mainly want scoring, heart rate and calories.
- Skip it if
- You want the longest battery life.
Best Garmin smartwatch
5. Garmin Venu 4 (45mm)
- Padel mode
- AMOLED
- Up to 12 days
- Torch
- ECG app
The Venu 4 is Garmin's lifestyle watch. Padel is in its racket sports list, and it adds a stainless steel design, a built-in torch, an ECG app and detailed sleep coaching. Garmin rates the battery at up to 12 days, and it comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
It costs a lot more than the vívoactive 6 without tracking padel any better. It's the choice if the smarter design and extra health features matter to you. It's sold by Amazon.
- Buy it if
- You want a Garmin that feels like a premium smartwatch, with a steel design and a torch.
- Skip it if
- You're on a budget. The vívoactive 6 does padel just as well.
Best premium
6. Garmin fēnix 8 (47mm)
- Padel mode
- AMOLED
- Up to 16 days
- Built-in torch
The fēnix 8 is Garmin's flagship multisport watch, and padel is one of its racket sports. You get a steel bezel, an AMOLED screen, up to 16 days of battery, training readiness, strength plans and a built-in torch.
For padel alone it's overkill. It's for people who want one watch for everything, and it's sold by Amazon.
- Buy it if
- You also run, cycle, hike or do triathlon and want one watch for all of it.
- Skip it if
- You only need it for padel. You're paying for features you won't use.
How we picked
We chose watches that either have padel as a built-in activity (we checked Garmin's owner's manuals for each Garmin here) or work well with padel apps on Apple Watch. All are currently sold on Amazon UK. Battery figures are the manufacturers' claims in smartwatch mode. Real-world battery will be lower with GPS, music or an always-on display.
What a watch tracks in padel
Heart rate and calories: Every watch here. Useful for seeing how hard a session really was.
Training load and recovery: Garmin watches, and Apple Watch Series 11. They're good for spotting when you're overdoing it across the week.
Score: Via apps. Apple Watch has several padel scoring apps, and Garmin has padel apps in its Connect IQ store.
Individual shots: Not from the wrist. Shot tracking needs a sensor on the racket handle, and those are sold separately, mostly direct from the makers.
Which wrist?
Most players wear the watch on their non-racket wrist so it doesn't catch the grip or the frame. Do the strap up a notch tighter than normal for more accurate heart rate while you're lunging and smashing.
Pair it with a decent bag to keep it safe between games. Then find a court and see what two hours of padel actually does to your step count.