The 5 best Garmin watches for training and everyday life

Few manufacturers are as synonymous with out of doors sports activities as Garmin. You’ll discover these health trackers and smartwatches on dozens of wrists at any 5K, marathon, or Ironman. You’ll additionally discover Garmin devotees amongst divers, thru-hikers, golfers, kiteboarders — you identify it. However these units aren’t simply for athletes. The corporate’s made important strides in its life-style choices, so no matter your health degree, there’s a Garmin for everybody.

In case you’re coming from a extra conventional smartwatch, Garmin’s core strengths lie in health, GPS, adventuring, and sturdiness. These are hardy units that should stand up to the weather and final weeks on a single cost. A number of fashions include offline maps, superior navigational options, and extra coaching metrics than every other platform. And though many wearable corporations have begun rolling out subscriptions, Garmin has publicly acknowledged it has no intention of charging its customers additional. That’s factor since Garmin units are usually on the pricier facet.

Garmins aren’t too shabby on smarts, both. Whereas extra fitness-focused than something from Apple, Google, or Samsung, there’s sufficient to get you the fundamentals like notifications after which some. For instance, most Garmins have fall detection and security options, and several other of the most recent Garmins lately acquired an FDA-cleared EKG characteristic. (You’ll want a cellphone readily available, nonetheless, as just one Garmin mannequin has mobile connectivity.) Many Garmin units additionally assist offline music playback and include a small third-party app ecosystem.

There are a lot of Garmin watches to select from. No, significantly, there are six main lineups, and every has a large number of fashions. However no worries — I take a look at a number of Garmins yearly and may help level you in the correct route.

Sizes: 42mm w/ 18mm straps; 46mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 39g (42mm); 47g (46mm) / Battery life: As much as 15 days (42mm); 13 days (46mm) in smartwatch mode / Show sort: OLED touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 8GB

Garmin has many operating watches, and numerous them are nice. However the Forerunner 265 or 265S (when you have petite wrists) strikes a superb stability between value, characteristic set, battery life, and a vibrant OLED show.

That stated, the Forerunner 265 / 265S is a little bit of an odd duck. It comes a mere 9 months after its predecessor, the Forerunner 255, and is, in some ways, just about the identical watch. The principle distinction is the 265 has an OLED show in comparison with the 255’s memory-in-pixel display. Normally, meaning worse battery life, however on this case, we acquired a few week on a single cost with the always-on show enabled. With out it, you’ll be able to stand up to fifteen days. On condition that OLED is less complicated to learn and simply, nicely, appears to be like nicer, that offers the 265 lineup an edge over the 255.

The 265 additionally has dual-frequency GPS (often known as multi-band). The gist is you get far more correct maps in difficult environments like cities and dense forests as a result of you’ll be able to entry each the L1 and L5 satellite tv for pc frequencies. And even with dual-frequency GPS enabled, you continue to don’t lose a complete lot of battery life. I wore it throughout a half marathon with that and the AOD enabled, and I nonetheless had over 80 p.c battery by the point I acquired dwelling. That is additionally a superb value, as nearly all of multi-band GPS watches price nicely over $600.

My essential criticism is that $450, whereas not dangerous for Garmin, remains to be lots when you think about that’s the identical value as smarter smartwatches with nice operating options. Some runners received’t care. However should you’re on a price range — otherwise you’re new to operating and really feel iffy about spending that a lot — then think about the Forerunner 165 sequence. It begins at $250 (add one other $50 for onboard music) and does virtually every part the 265 sequence does. The principle stuff you’re lacking are dual-frequency GPS and some extra area of interest sport profiles. However should you’re largely sticking to operating, fitness center gear, biking, swimming, and mountain climbing, you’re coated.

Neither has all of Garmin’s coaching options, however it’s acquired what you’ll have to run something from a 5K to a full marathon. That features a Race Predictor, which provides you an estimate of what your finest time can be primarily based in your precise coaching. You can even use PacePro to determine your pacing technique for a race. You additionally get Garmin’s Coaching Readiness characteristic to assist gauge load and restoration, Garmin Coach plans, and a bunch of operating kind metrics. It additionally helps offline music and security options like fall detection. The one factor they lack is superior mapping. (They nonetheless have trackback, point-to-point navigation, and real-time breadcrumb path assist, nonetheless.)

Learn my full Garmin Forerunner 265S overview.

Sizes: 42mm w/ 20mm straps; 47mm w/ 22mm straps; 51mm w/ 26mm straps / Weight: 42mm: 63g chrome steel, 58g titanium; 47mm: 78g chrome steel, 70g titanium; 51mm: 98g chrome steel, 88g titanium / Battery life: 42mm: as much as 10 days (4 with AOD); 47mm: as much as 16 days (6 with AOD); 51mm: as much as 31 days (11 with AOD) / Show sort: OLED / GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM / Music storage: As much as 32GB

The Epix Professional will get you each health characteristic that Garmin has to supply. And I imply every part. It might frankly be simpler to let you know what the Epix Professional doesn’t have: issues which can be restricted to LTE smartwatches and among the new sensible options on the Fenix 8, like an on-board voice assistant. In any other case, you’ve acquired topographical maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and extra coaching metrics than even a seasoned triathlete would know what to do with.

The Professional is extra size-inclusive than the usual second-gen Epix, which solely is available in 47mm. You will get the Professional in that dimension, too, however it additionally is available in 42mm and 51mm. This was a significant criticism I had with the second-gen Epix final 12 months, and also you like to see corporations really take this type of factor significantly. One of the best half is the Professional fashions begin on the identical value because the common Epix did. You’ll should pay $100 additional for supplies like titanium and sapphire crystal, however that’s additionally true of the usual Epix.

That stated, it muddies the waters should you’re attempting to select between the Epix Professional, Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Professional, and now, the Fenix 8. The principle distinction is the Epix watches all have OLED shows. One cause I want OLED is that they’re a lot simpler to learn indoors — the place most of us spend nearly all of our time. The Fenix 7 sequence’ memory-in-pixel shows (plus photo voltaic charging should you go for it) permit for weeks and weeks of cost, however the smallest Epix Professional can get round 10 days with regular utilization. The 47mm and 51mm Professional fashions can go longer between fees on account of larger batteries, however I felt that the 42mm has sufficient juice to fulfill most use circumstances. Garmin additionally has so many battery-saving modes and choices that I extremely doubt it will ever be a difficulty.

Not serving to issues is the truth that the Fenix 8 allows you to select between an OLED or a MIP show. You additionally get sensible options like an onboard voice assistant, the power to take calls from the wrist, and the Garmin Messenger app. The principle downside is the beginning value is now $350 greater than the usual Fenix 7 and proper about on par with the Epix Professional. My private feeling is the Fenix 8’s sensible options are simply okay and that you simply’re actually not lacking a lot by not having them. That is additionally the season the place we see reductions on older fashions, so I’d placed on my cut price searching hat for a reduced Epix Professional or Fenix 7 Professional whereas stock nonetheless lasts.

However actually the profitable characteristic of the Epix Professional is the hands-free flashlight. It’s so helpful in my day-to-day life, and all you need to do is double-press a button. It’s as vivid as your smartphone, comes with a purple gentle choice in order for you one thing simpler on the eyes, and may act as a strobe in an emergency scenario. The Fenix 7 Professional and eight watches even have a flashlight, so numerous that is going to return down to private choice for the show, value, and whether or not you care about sensible options.

In case you’re set on essentially the most battery life doable, I like to recommend the Fenix 7 Professional over the usual 7 for just a few causes. Its MIP show is barely brighter, all sizes have the flashlight, and, just like the Epix Professional, it has an up to date sensor array. I additionally advocate it over the MIP variations of the Fenix 8 as a result of it is available in extra sizes, and prices round $300 much less. Particularly for the reason that Fenix 8’s sensible options are a bit half-baked.

Learn my full Epix Professional overview.

Sizes: 40mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 19g / Battery life: As much as 5 days / Show sort: “Hidden” OLED touchscreen / GPS: Tethered GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A

What I really like most in regards to the Vivomove Sport is it doesn’t appear to be what most individuals count on from a Garmin. It’s a hybrid smartwatch, which suggests it appears to be like like an everyday watch however can monitor health and ship notifications. Garmin’s hybrids are additionally distinctive in that all of them use an OLED show that stays hidden till you want it.

That is finest fitted to a casually energetic one that needs model and worth in a light-weight bundle. Suppose wellness, extra so than health. It will get you steady coronary heart fee monitoring and blood oxygen degree monitoring and may even present irregular coronary heart fee alerts. You additionally get entry to extra in-depth metrics like respiration fee, health age, stress, and Physique Battery, which is Garmin’s device for visualizing how well-rested you’re. For sensible options, you get all of the fundamentals, like notifications, alarms, and timers.

The Sport isn’t fairly as full-featured as another Garmins you’ll discover on this checklist. As an example, you’re giving up built-in GPS in favor of tethered GPS via your cellphone. There are not any contactless funds, neither is there a microphone or speaker for taking calls on the wrist. However this is a price range decide, and also you get lots, contemplating that is an entry-level gadget that would move for a Swatch at a look.

I don’t love that the battery life is brief for a hybrid, at round three to 4 days. Even so, that’s nonetheless significantly better than what you’ll get on an Apple Watch or Put on OS 3 watch. In case you’re keen to spend about $100 extra, the $269.99 Vivomove Development has extra stylish supplies, will get you extra display actual property, and wi-fi Qi charging. In any other case, this can be a nice life-style wearable that may function a classier various to your typical health band.

In case you want one thing newer to the Sport that’s additionally fashionable, the Garmin Lily 2 is one other good choice, particularly should you’ve acquired notably small wrists or want one thing extraordinarily light-weight. The swipe and faucet gestures are nonetheless a bit of fiddly to make use of — which was additionally the case with the first-gen mannequin — however the recent design is a enjoyable strategy to calmly monitor your health with out bogging your self down with notifications. Garmin additionally lately introduced a brand new model referred to as the Lily 2 Energetic, which provides a bodily button, GPS, and assist for extra sports activities monitoring for a beginning value of $299.99.

Learn my full Garmin Vivomove Sport overview.

Sizes: 40mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 38g / Battery life: As much as 11 days / Show sort: OLED touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 4GB (for Music Version)

In case you had been dissatisfied by the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4, the Venu Sq 2 is the subsequent smartest thing (and, in some methods, higher).

At a look, the Venu Sq 2 might simply be mistaken for an Apple Watch. On the wrist, you’ll discover it’s product of plastic, however it nonetheless appears to be like fairly stylish and very light-weight. The display is vivid, simple to learn, and appears higher than any Versa or Sense ever did.

The characteristic set can be nice for the value, with built-in GPS, a ton of watch faces, emergency security options, and contactless funds. In case you pay $50 extra for the Music Version, you’ll additionally get about 500 songs value of storage, however we wouldn’t advocate it. This doesn’t have mobile connectivity and, due to this fact, isn’t really standalone. You’ll most definitely be carrying your cellphone with you anyway.

As for well being options, the Venu Sq 2 principally has every part you’d get on a Versa or Sense smartwatch however with Garmin’s treasure trove of metrics as nicely. That features coronary heart fee monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, depth minutes (how a lot reasonable train you get in every week), stress monitoring, hydration monitoring, respiratory fee, interval monitoring, and Garmin’s restoration characteristic, Physique Battery. So far as health goes, you additionally get entry to Garmin Coach, which gives free 5K, 10K, and half marathon coaching plans. You like to see it.

One other massive leg-up Garmin has over Fitbit? None of those options or metrics are locked behind a paywall.

Learn my full Garmin Venu Sq 2 overview.

Sizes: 41mm w/ 18mm straps; 45mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 40g for the 3S; 47g for the three / Battery life: As much as 10 days for 3S; 14 days for 3 / Show sort: OLED touchscreen / GPS: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 8GB

Garmin has shored up the smarts in its watches over the previous few years, and the Venu 3 sequence is the neatest (and most inexpensive) of the bunch.

The Venu 3 sequence is available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. Just like the Venu 2 Plus, it has a microphone and speaker. You’ll be able to take calls instantly from the wrist in addition to subject instructions to your cellphone’s digital assistant by way of Bluetooth. It’s not the identical as having Siri, Bixby, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant constructed instantly into the watch, however it’s a intelligent workaround that works nicely for hands-free management. It additionally helps security options like fall detection and stay monitoring in addition to contactless funds.

Like different OLED Garmins, the show is each vibrant and straightforward to learn. As for well being and health, you get a pleasant mixture of primary and extra superior options and metrics. It has Garmin’s newest coronary heart fee sensor, which permits FDA-cleared EKG and AFib detection options. General, it leans a bit extra on the wellness and well being facet of issues, with depth minutes, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep monitoring, interval monitoring, irregular coronary heart fee alerts, and stress monitoring. As for coaching, you continue to get built-in GPS, VO2 Max, coronary heart fee zones, respiration fee, and downloadable coaching plans by way of Garmin Coach.

New to the three and 3S is a sleep coach that elements in metrics like coronary heart fee variability and up to date exercise to find out your sleep wants. It additionally lastly provides nap detection, a characteristic that’s been lengthy overdue for the Garmin platform. The Venu 3 sequence additionally provides audio-guided meditation classes, and you may view how these classes instantly impression your metrics. From an accessibility standpoint, this additionally provides a brand new wheelchair mode.

Technically, the brand new Fenix 8 is barely smarter in that it provides an on-board voice assistant. Nevertheless, it’s also greater than double the value and never what I’d think about worth for the typical athlete. It’s extra for individuals who spend hours upon hours coaching each week.

That is the Garmin for you in order for you the platform’s in-depth coaching with out sacrificing the productiveness of a smartwatch. The principle issues it’s missing are mobile choices and a strong third-party app ecosystem. That stated, it’s acquired Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer for offline listening. It’s additionally choice should you’re fed up with MIP shows and need a smarter Garmin moderately than a full-on smartwatch.

Learn my full overview of the Garmin Venu 3S.

Replace, October 18th: Adjusted pricing and availability.