The direct answer: the hybrid smartwatch category has narrowed to essentially two brands after Fossil exited the smartwatch business entirely, and the two remaining players don’t overlap much. Withings ScanWatch 2 leads on medical-grade health sensing with a genuine ECG. Garmin’s two hybrid lines split the rest: vivomove Trend is the dressier, more affordable everyday pick, while Instinct Crossover Solar is a rugged outdoor hybrid that can run 70 days between charges.
At a Glance
- Best for health tracking: Withings ScanWatch 2 ($349.95) — a genuine medical-grade ECG and up to 30 days of battery life.
- Best everyday value: Garmin vivomove Trend ($269.99) — the cheapest of the three, with a hidden touchscreen dial.
- Best for outdoor/multi-month battery: Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar ($550) — up to 70 days in smartwatch mode with solar charging.
Why This Category Looks Different Than It Did a Few Years Ago
Fossil Group announced its exit from the smartwatch business in January 2024, and by early 2025 its last Wear OS and hybrid models had stopped shipping — a real gap in a category that used to include Fossil’s Hybrid HR line as a mainstream budget option. What’s left standing are Withings, which has doubled down on medical-grade health sensing, and Garmin, which covers hybrids from two different angles: an everyday dress-watch style (vivomove) and a rugged outdoor style (Instinct Crossover).
Withings ScanWatch 2: The Medical-Grade Health Pick
ScanWatch 2 costs $349.95 for either the 38mm or 42mm size and centers its pitch on a genuine ECG sensor capable of classifying readings as normal sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, or inconclusive — described by reviewers as medical-grade. Battery life is rated up to 30 days under normal use without GPS, holding at two to three weeks with regular GPS workout tracking.
No subscription is required for core health features; an optional Withings+ membership at $9.95/month adds health-improvement scoring and guided programs on top, but the watch functions fully without it.
Garmin vivomove Trend: The Affordable, Everyday Hybrid
vivomove Trend starts at $269.99 — the cheapest of the three — and uses a full-dial hidden touchscreen that only appears when you interact with the watch, with the analog hands dynamically moving aside to reveal health stats and notifications. It includes GPS, Pulse Ox blood oxygen monitoring, all-day stress tracking, Garmin Pay contactless payments, and women’s health tracking, all through the free Garmin Connect app.
The tradeoff for that price and design is battery life: just up to 5 days in smartwatch mode, dramatically shorter than either Withings or Garmin’s own Instinct Crossover — a real gap worth weighing against the appeal of its dressier design.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: Built for Months, Not Days
Instinct Crossover Solar carries a suggested retail price of $550 (a non-solar version runs $500, with street prices often closer to $449-$450), and its headline number is battery life: up to 70 days in smartwatch mode with solar charging, or 28 days without relying on solar at all. GPS-active battery runs 25 hours, extending to 31 hours with solar assistance.
It’s built to MIL-STD-810 military durability standards with thermal and shock resistance and 10 ATM water rating — genuinely rugged hardware, not just a marketing claim — plus TracBack return-route navigation and a digital compass. Its luminescent analog hands and chapter ring use Super-LumiNova coating specifically so the watch stays legible at night without burning battery on a backlight.
Spec Comparison
| Withings ScanWatch 2 | Garmin vivomove Trend | Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.95 | $269.99 | $550 (often ~$449-450 street) |
| Battery life | Up to 30 days | Up to 5 days | Up to 70 days (solar) |
| ECG | Yes, medical-grade | No | No |
| Ruggedization | Standard | Standard | MIL-STD-810, 10 ATM |
| Subscription required | None (optional $9.95/mo add-on) | None | None |
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
So Which One Should You Actually Buy?
Buy Withings ScanWatch 2 if genuine ECG-based health monitoring is your top priority and you want the best battery-to-features balance of the three. Buy Garmin vivomove Trend if you want the lowest price and a dressier everyday look, and you’re comfortable charging every few days. Buy Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar if you spend real time outdoors and want a watch built to survive months without a charger and real physical abuse — it’s the most expensive and least “dressy” of the three, but the most rugged by a wide margin.
How We Compared
We did not test all three watches ourselves for this comparison. Pricing and specs were verified against Withings’ and Garmin’s own current product pages and press materials, and we specifically confirmed Fossil’s exit from the smartwatch category before excluding it from this comparison rather than including a discontinued product line. More on our process is on our editorial standards page. Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
FAQ
Does Fossil still make hybrid smartwatches?
No. Fossil Group announced its exit from the smartwatch business in January 2024, and its remaining Wear OS and hybrid models stopped shipping by early 2025 — it’s no longer a current option in this category.
Which hybrid smartwatch has the longest battery life?
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar, rated up to 70 days in smartwatch mode with solar charging — well ahead of Withings ScanWatch 2’s 30-day rating and dramatically ahead of Garmin vivomove Trend’s 5 days.
Is the Withings ScanWatch 2’s ECG actually medical-grade?
Reviewers describe it as medical-grade, capable of classifying readings as normal sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, or inconclusive — a real diagnostic-adjacent feature neither Garmin hybrid watch in this comparison includes.
Do any of these hybrid smartwatches require a subscription?
No core feature on any of the three requires a subscription. Withings ScanWatch 2 has an optional $9.95/month Withings+ add-on for extra coaching features, but full health tracking works without it.
Want the full digital flagship comparison instead? See our flagship smartwatch comparison. Browse more in our Smartwatches category.
