The 9 Best Garmin Running Watches For All Types of Runners

Best Overall

Garmin Forerunner 955

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Garmin’s Forerunner 955 takes our top overall spot for its accuracy, advanced features, impressive battery life, comfort, ease of use, and much more. Comfortable and lightweight, the watch features a full-color display that's easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The responsive touchscreen allows you to swipe through maps and stats, or you can use the intuitive button controls.

The watch also boasts an ultra-long battery life, lasting up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours in GPS mode on a single charge. We also love its race widget, which provides training tips, as well as race and workout prediction times. The Forerunner 955 also suggests daily workouts, which are adaptive based on your performance and recovery, and a plethora of running metrics and in-depth fitness analysis. You also get comprehensive health monitoring data, including sleep, heart rate variability, stress levels, respiration rate, and more.

Casual runners may not be willing to pay for all the functionality that this watch offers. However, if you’re looking for an intuitive, comfortable, and accurate sports watch that’s designed with runners in mind, we recommend the Forerunner 955. 

Price at time of publication: $520 

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: Up to 15 days in smartwatch mode, 42 hours in GPS mode | Screen: 1.3 inches; Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP); 260 x 260 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes up to 50 meters | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}

Best for GPS Accuracy

Garmin Instinct 2

4.2

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If you've ever dealt with inaccurate data or dropped GPS signals, you’ll appreciate Garmin’s Instinct 2. Like some other Garmin devices, it uses multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo), making its GPS extremely accurate and reliable. Plus, it’s packed with health and fitness features, so it’s a great fit for outdoor exercise enthusiasts.

When we tested this device, we found it to be particularly good for long runs or hikes—thanks to its impressive battery life and spot-on GPS accuracy. We were also impressed with its handy navigation elements that are especially helpful for trail running and hiking. The watch tracks your route, making it easy to retrace your steps. Plus, it comes equipped with an altimeter and a barometer, so you can view elevation and weather data right from your wrist.

What’s more, the watch boasts an impressive battery life of up to 28 days in smartwatch mode and up to 30 hours in GPS mode. And while it’s ideal for exploring the outdoors, the watch also has cool smartwatch features that are convenient for everyday life, like text and email notifications and compatibility with mobile apps.

If you’re looking for a basic sports watch, like the Vivosmart 5, this isn’t it. However, we recommend it for hikers, skiers, endurance athletes, and other outdoor adventurers who want a durable, reliable GPS smartwatch with a long-lasting battery.

Price at time of publication: $350

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: Up to 28 days in smartwatch mode; up to 30 hours in GPS mode | Screen: 1.12 inches; Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP); 176 x 176 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes up to 100 meters | Compatibility: Android, iOS}

Best with Heart Rate Monitor

Garmin Vivoactive 4

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If tracking health stats like heart rate is a top priority for you, check out Garmin’s Vivoactive 4. It boasts robust health and fitness tracking as well as on-board GPS that accurately tracks your runs, walks, and rides.

With a sleek, lightweight design, the watch is comfortable for exercise as well as all-day wear. Its accurate heart rate monitoring helps you gauge how hard you’re working during activities, while also signaling if your heart rate stays too high or too low while you’re at rest.

The watch comes with easy-to-follow animated cardio, strength, yoga, and Pilates workouts, as well as 5K, 10K, and half-marathon training plans to help you reach your goals.  Plus, you can easily download songs to the watch and then connect with wireless headphones for phone-free listening.

We also like the watch’s bright, simple-to-navigate touchscreen display, which is easy to see, even in bright sunlight. Even better, it’s housed under scratch- and damage-resistant Gorilla Glass 3, which is durable enough for all your adventures.

Of course, the Vivoactive 4 doesn’t have the advanced features and ultra-long battery life that some other devices offer. But we recommend it if you want a comfortable, watch that's easy to use and excels at tracking health and fitness metrics.

Price at time of publication: $300

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: 8 days in smartwatch mode; 6 hours in GPS mode | Screen: 1.3 inches; Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP); 260 x 260 pixels (include screen size/type/resolution) | Water Resistant: Yes up to 50 meters | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}

Best Battery Life

Garmin Enduro 2

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With an ultra-long battery life (34 days in smartwatch mode and 150 hours in GPS mode) and robust tracking, Garmin’s Enduro 2 is a great choice for endurance athletes who need their watch to last through lengthy sessions or multiple days of training. Even better, it features a solar charging lens that gives you even more time between charges.

The watch tracks all the performance, fitness, and recovery data that serious athletes want, while also offering a huge range of sports modes, including running, cycling, swimming, hiking, and triathlon. Plus, it monitors your daily activity, sleep, stress, heart rate, breathing, and more.

Advanced training features help you adjust your pace depending on the temperature, altitude, and terrain. We also like the watch’s visual race predictor, which looks at your training history and estimates a suitable pace for race day.

What’s more, the watch’s ultra-long battery life, built-in flashlight, dependable GPS, topographical maps, and navigation features, make it a perfect choice for long hikes or other outdoor adventures. It boasts a highly-responsive touchscreen for quick, convenient access, but also offers button controls in case your hands are too sweaty or cold.

With a big screen and rugged design, the Enduro 2 is a bit bulkier than some other Garmin watches. It’s also more expensive, but acts as a smartwatch, too, so you’re getting an all-in-one watch. 

Price at time of publication: $1100

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: 34 days in smartwatch mode; 150 hours in GPS mode | Screen: 1.4”, touchscreen; Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP); 280 x 280 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes up  to 100 meters | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}

Best for Multisport Tracking

Garmin Fenix 7

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With cutting-edge training features and a durable design, Garmin’s Fenix 7 can handle all types of outdoor activities and challenges. It’s a popular pick among triathletes and other multi-sport enthusiasts. The watch features advanced performance metrics and training tools, including real-time stamina tracking, which helps you pace yourself during workouts or races.

The Fenix 7 uses multiple navigation satellite systems for remarkably accurate GPS tracking, even in challenging places. Other navigation tools include built-in sensors for a 3-axis compass, gyroscope, and barometric altimeter. The watch’s biometric monitoring is also impressive and accurate, with heart rate, respiration, stress, and enhanced sleep tracking functionality to provide health and wellness insights. What’s more, the watch’s long battery life allows for endurance training across multiple sports and lets you make it through a weekend trip without recharging.

With a stylish design and user-friendly interface, the Fenix 7 also works well as an everyday smartwatch thanks to its touchscreen that makes it easy to access your music and smartphone notifications. One feature that’s missing is a microphone to make hands-free calls, but we don’t consider that to be a huge drawback.  

If you’re a serious athlete who wants a thoughtfully-designed watch that’s packed with useful tracking features, the Fenix 7 is a good choice to take your training to the next level.

Price at time of publication: $695

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: Up to 18 days in regular mode; up to 57 hours in GPS mode | Screen: 1.3”; Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP); 260 x 260 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes up to 328 feet | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}

Best for Beginners

Garmin Forerunner 55

4.7

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Garmin’s Forerunner 55 is a great entry-level running watch that’s perfect for beginners or those who want to graduate from a basic fitness tracker. With a lightweight, sleek design, the watch is very comfortable for running and tracks running-specific metrics that all runners want—distance, pace, heart rate, and more.

When testing this device, we were very impressed with its GPS accuracy, which proved to be spot-on. It has five control buttons that take some getting used to, but we found the watch to be easy to use after several runs. During testing, we also found that the recovery time predictor was extremely accurate and helpful in suggesting rest days, based on the prior day’s activities.

We also like the watch’s large, easy-to-read screen, which you can customize by choosing the stats you want to display. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, which keeps the cost down, but may be a dealbreaker for some.

In addition to its running-specific functionality, the device also provides metrics and feedback for a variety of cross-training activities, such as cycling, swimming, hiking, and HIIT.  If you’re looking for a reasonably-priced, comfortable running watch that provides in-depth running stats without being overly complicated to use, we recommend the Forerunner 55. 

Price at time of publication: $200

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: 10 days in smartwatch mode; Up to 20 hours in GPS mode | Screen: 1.04”; Transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP); 208 x 208 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes up to 164 feet | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}

Best Budget

Garmin Vivosmart 5

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If you don't need an advanced running watch like the Forerunner 955, but still want to monitor your health and fitness stats, Garmin’s Vivosmart 5 is a smart, affordable option. It's super lightweight and comfortable, but tracks a remarkable amount of metrics, including steps, distance, heart rate, sleep quality, and even your rate of oxygen consumption. The watch also features built-in sports apps to provide stats for activities such as walking, running, yoga, cardio, and more.

When testing this watch, we noticed that the display is smaller than other Garmin devices, but is still clear and easy to read. We also liked the watch’s intuitive, uncomplicated interface, which made it straightforward and easy to use. During several days of consistent wear, it didn’t interfere with any activities. The watch is so comfortable that it’s easy to forget you’re wearing it, even to sleep.

Of course, with a budget-friendly price, the Vivosmart 5 doesn’t offer premium features such as built-in GPS or music storage. But you can connect to your smartphone’s GPS to track your outdoor walks, runs, and hikes. If you want a basic, discreet tracker to record your activity all day and night, the Vivosmart 5 is a great value.

Price at time of publication: $150

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: No | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: 7 days | Screen: .41" x .73"; OLED; 88 x 154 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}

Best for Music

Garmin Venu 2 Plus

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If you want an all-purpose running watch with plenty of music storage, check out Garmin’s Venu 2 Plus. The watch lets you download up to 650 songs, including playlists from third-party apps like Amazon Music and Spotify. The high-resolution display is crisp and clear, allowing you to scroll through your options, without having to dig out your phone.

The Venu 2 also boasts extensive fitness features, giving quick access to 25+ activity profiles, Garmin Coach training plans, preloaded workouts, and more. Its impressive health monitoring functionality lets you track your heart rate, respiration, stress and energy levels, sleep cycles, and many other stats. What’s more, when connected with your Apple and Android smartphone, you can make and take phone calls, as well as receive emails, texts and alerts—all right from the watch.

The Venu 2 also comes with built-in GPS, which accurately tracks runs and other outdoor workouts. It’s important to note that some users note that the watch is not always spot-on with stats for indoor workouts, such as treadmill running. But we think this pick is a great investment for those who want an all-in-one sports watch, smartwatch combination.

Price at time of publication: $470

^{Key Specs: 
GPS: Yes  | Heart Rate Tracking: Yes | Battery Life: Up to 9 days in smartwatch mode; up to 8 hours in GPS + music mode | Screen: 1.3 inches; AMOLED; 416 x 416 pixels | Water Resistant: Yes to 50 meters | Compatibility: Android, Apple iOS}