The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition is a simple smartwatch that prioritizes simple fitness tracking over high-tech features. skipping Wear OS 3, this device returns to a bare-bones experience that may be some users' first time using a smartwatch. It returns to a bare-bones experience that some may be using a smartwatch for the first time.

Like other Fossil watches, the Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition has eye-catching style elements not found in many better smartwatches. For example, it is more fashionable than the Google Pixel Watch. What's more, Fossil's hybrid watch is long-lasting: thanks to the e-ink display, the watch's battery lasts more than two weeks.

However, there are compromises that don't make it the right choice for everyone. This Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition review covers the biggest pros and cons of this watch.

The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition is available now and costs $229. It comes in three colors: blush (light pink), black, and navy.

For comparison, the regular Fossil Gen 6 starts at $299 and the non-wellness Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid starts at $229. The difference between the Hybrid Wellness Edition and the regular Hybrid watch is that the latter uses more luxurious materials. The Wellness Edition has a sportier look.

The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition has a grayscale E-Ink display reminiscent of a Kindle e-reader instead of the full-color AMOLED display found on most smartwatches . This display is placed under the physical watch arm, contributing to the "hybrid" branding of this watch. I have seen smartwatches that successfully combine traditional watch elements with smartwatch features, but I have never used one that achieves the elegance of the Fossil.

The metallic finish combined with the slanted timekeeping bezel feels like the best of both worlds, with a handful of smarts in a designer package. The physical arm is part of the navigation experience of the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition. The arm dances around the screen as you switch between apps or use other functions.

However, the overall responsiveness of the watch is quite sluggish. Sometimes I have to wait a few seconds before I can open an app, clear a notification, or return to the home screen. Compared to the snappy movement of the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, the pace has changed dramatically.

With "wellness" in the name, one would imagine that the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition would make an excellent fitness tracker; it's not as sophisticated as a Fitbit or Garmin watch, but it does enough for the basics basic functions.

I did some walking with the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition. Outside, the tethered GPS allowed me to see how far I had traveled. On the treadmill, I was able to check my steps, heart rate, and calories burned. The watch also has an automatic workout tracking feature, which is useful if I forgot to start my walking workout before I started moving.

Swimming is one workout that the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition does not allow. The watch's water pressure resistance is 3 atmospheres, which makes it safe against splashing while washing dishes or in the rain. This is not a deal-breaker for me, but important to know if laps are your activity of choice.

The watch does have a sleep tracking feature, but it is fairly basic. It displays sleep stages and sleep duration and utilizes the watch's SpO2 sensor to give you an idea of the quality of your rest. If sleep tracking is a priority, we recommend the Oura Ring Gen 3, Pixel Watch, or Apple Watch.

Activity data on the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition can optionally be synced with both Google Fit and Apple Health, and it works well with both iOS and Android smartphones, as shown.

Speaking of compatibility, the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition can also mirror smartphone notifications from either mobile platform. The only voice assistant option is Alexa, but the watch does not have a speaker to talk to you.

The timer, weather forecast, and music controller are entry-level features, but welcome ones. We also tried out the customizable watch face options.

A big reason to recommend the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition is its spectacular battery life. Only some Garmin and Amazfit watches last longer than two weeks like Fossil watches, and the Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition's stamina is largely due to its colorless E-ink display.

My Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition lasted about 18 days before needing to be recharged on a dedicated charger. I appreciate not having to worry about battery life. Anyone who is willing to embrace a less connected watch experience will appreciate not having to bring a charger with them every time they travel.

The concept of a low-tech smartwatch may not be new, but the Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition is one of the best attempts I've seen. By balancing traditional watch elements with simple smarts, this watch seems to cater to both first-time smartwatch users and those who don't want to wear something high-tech on their wrists 24 hours a day.

I was quite concerned about the lag, but that is a trade-off for a passive smartwatch experience. Similarly, the fitness tracking and sleep tracking data is rather entry-level. It's not a running watch for marathon training, but if you're looking to move around a bit more, it should be adequate.