Sourcing Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers from China: Wholesale Guide

The smartwatch category has matured fast. Five years ago, a $15 factory-cost smartwatch was a novelty. Now it’s a legitimate health and fitness device with GPS, SpO2 sensors, and multi-day battery life. China makes the vast majority of the world’s non-Apple, non-Samsung wearables, and several of those “Western” brand wearables too.

The challenge is that this category requires more certifications than almost any other electronics product you can import. FCC, CE, SAR testing, health sensor accuracy claims — get any of these wrong and you have unsellable inventory or regulatory problems.

Factory Tiers

Budget ($4–10 factory cost): Basic step counters and heart rate monitors. Small TFT displays (usually 1.3"–1.44"). Bluetooth 5.0, basic app connectivity via proprietary app. Battery life 3–7 days. These factories use low-cost chips (often anonymous or from second-tier Chinese fabs). Heart rate and SpO2 readings are unreliable. Suitable for promotional wearables or very price-sensitive markets where accuracy isn’t expected.

Mid-range ($10–25 factory cost): This is where real fitness functionality begins. AMOLED or IPS displays (1.6"–1.85"). GPS built-in or connected GPS. Multiple sport modes (running, cycling, swimming). SpO2, stress monitoring, sleep tracking. BT 5.x + sometimes 4G LTE. App ecosystem more mature. Factories in Shenzhen’s Bao’an and Longhua districts dominate. Many of these factories produce for budget brands like Amazfit’s lower tiers, Letsfit, and Fitbit’s entry-line successors.

Premium ($25–80 factory cost): AMOLED high-res displays, always-on display option, built-in GPS with GLONASS/Galileo support, ECG sensor (requires separate FDA clearance to advertise medically in the US — more on this below), NFC for contactless payment, stainless steel or titanium cases, 7–14 day battery life. Some factories at this level produce for established brands under strict NDA.

Certifications — This Category Has More Than Most

Smartwatches combine radio frequency transmission, body contact, and in some cases health monitoring claims. That means multiple certification requirements.

FCC Part 15 (mandatory, US market): Covers the Bluetooth and WiFi radio emissions. All smartwatches sold in the US need FCC authorization. A standard watch gets a certification fee of $800–1,500. Verify any factory-claimed FCC ID at fcc.report. If the watch has LTE/cellular, it needs FCC Part 22/24 authorization as well — significantly more complex and expensive.

SAR testing (required for devices worn on body): Specific Absorption Rate measures RF energy absorbed by the body. For any device worn on the wrist that transmits radio frequency energy, SAR testing is required as part of FCC authorization. Budget $1,500–3,000 additional for SAR testing if the factory hasn’t already done it. This often gets missed by importers buying unbranded product — the FCC certificate may exist but was issued without proper SAR testing.

CE + RED + SAR (mandatory, EU/UK): European CE marking covers radio (RED directive) and safety (LVD). SAR testing is also required for EU. Budget similar to FCC.

FDA considerations for health claims: This is where many importers run into trouble. If your marketing claims that the watch monitors heart health, detects atrial fibrillation, measures blood oxygen for medical purposes, or provides any medically actionable information — that potentially makes it a medical device subject to FDA regulation. Simply put: “tracks your SpO2 during workouts” is generally fine. “Detects low blood oxygen levels and alerts you to potential health conditions” is the kind of claim that attracts FDA scrutiny. Don’t make medical claims for devices that aren’t FDA-cleared. The safe path is fitness claims only.

ECG sensors and FDA 510(k): If the watch includes an ECG sensor and you want to advertise it with any cardiac health claims, FDA 510(k) clearance is required. This is a lengthy, expensive process. Most importers of low-to-mid-tier smartwatches avoid making ECG health claims entirely.

Key Specs to Evaluate

Display technology: AMOLED vs. IPS LCD. AMOLED has better contrast and lower power use with dark watch faces. IPS LCD is cheaper to produce but adequate. TFT is dated and dim. Resolution matters — 360×360 or higher looks good; 240×240 looks dated.

GPS accuracy: Built-in GPS is not created equal. Ask which GPS chipset is used (MediaTek, Qualcomm Airoha, and Nordic Semiconductor are common). Test GPS accuracy by comparing tracked routes against a known standard. Cheap GPS implementations drift significantly.

Heart rate sensor accuracy: Most smartwatches use green LED photoplethysmography (PPG). Accuracy varies a lot. Compare readings against a medical pulse oximeter at rest and during exercise. Budget sensors can be off by 10–20 BPM during exercise.

Battery life (tested, not claimed): Test with GPS active and all monitoring enabled. The difference between claimed and actual battery life is often 30–40% on budget watches.

Water resistance rating: Most claim 5ATM (50 meters) or IP68. 5ATM is suitable for swimming. IP68 varies by manufacturer. Test actual waterproofing with the sample — submerge in a bowl and check for moisture intrusion.

Strap compatibility: Watch case lugs should accept standard 20mm or 22mm bands so buyers can customize. Proprietary band designs frustrate buyers.

MOQs and Ordering

Stock designs with custom app branding and packaging: 200–500 units. Many Shenzhen factories have mature designs they’ll sell with your brand.

Custom face design (bezel shape, buttons): 1,000–2,000 units plus tooling ($3,000–10,000).

Custom hardware (different sensor combination, new chip): 5,000+ units and significant development investment. Only worth it if you’re building a real brand with volume.

For first orders, buy a stock design with enough differentiation in packaging and app branding to test the market. Then customize as you scale.

Finding Quality Factories

Search Alibaba for “smartwatch manufacturer” and filter for Verified Manufacturer, 5+ years on platform. Look for factories that export to the US, EU, and Australia (indicates they know the certification requirements). Ask specifically: “What FCC IDs do your products have?” and look them up.

Global Sources and Canton Fair Phase 1 (electronics) are also good venues. The Canton Fair in April is where you can see working samples and compare factories side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smartwatches need FCC certification to be imported into the US? Yes. Any device that transmits radio frequency energy — including Bluetooth — needs FCC authorization before it can be marketed or sold in the US. Importing and selling a smartwatch without FCC authorization is a violation that can result in CBP seizure, FCC enforcement action, and retailer takedowns.

Can I sell a Chinese smartwatch with SpO2 on Amazon? Yes, but you can’t make medical claims. Selling a fitness tracker that “monitors blood oxygen during workouts” is generally fine. Claiming it “detects or diagnoses medical conditions” risks FDA enforcement as an uncleared medical device. Stick to wellness and fitness language.

What is SAR testing and why does it matter for smartwatches? SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) measures how much radio energy is absorbed by body tissue from a transmitting device. For wrist-worn devices, SAR testing is required as part of FCC and CE authorization. Some factories have FCC certificates that were improperly obtained without SAR testing — the certificate exists but the product technically isn’t compliant. Verify with the factory that their FCC authorization includes a proper SAR filing.

What factory region produces the most smartwatches? Shenzhen’s Bao’an, Longhua, and Nanshan districts have the highest concentration of smartwatch manufacturers. Dongguan (Guanlan and Houjie areas) also has significant production. Most high-quality smartwatch production is within 100km of Shenzhen.

Is it worth building a brand around smartwatches vs. selling unbranded? The smartwatch market is highly competitive. Unbranded product competes on price and loses to Amazon basics and established brands. If you’re going to invest in this category at any real volume, a branded approach with a specific positioning (outdoor GPS, senior health monitoring, kids’ watches, etc.) performs better than generic. The certification investment is the same either way.