Is Garmin better than Fitbit

Fitbit vs Garmin: Which one is worthy of a place on your wrist?

Fitbit vs Garmin. Which of these two tech brands should you invest in this Black Friday sale? Theyre two of the biggest and most well known tech brands around, and while both produce some of the best fitness trackers money can buy, they offer completely different takes on what a wearable should be.

Fitbit introduced millions to the concept of fitness tracking, and kick-started competitive step counting as a trend. Garmin typically appeals to a much more hardcore crowd. If you see a fitness watch on a marathon runner, theres a good chance it will be a Garmin.

The best Garmin watches can do loads of stuff Fitbits cant, like let you navigate offline using a map on your wrist. And they deal in deeper stats that are ideal for analysing your performance and fitness over time.

The best Fitbit watches have a completely different vibe. They are more concerned with health and wellness than ways to nail down exactly how good a runner, cyclist or triathlete you are.

This can make Fitbits seem fluffier at times, but a couple of higher-end watches like the Sense 2 and Charge 5 have sensors not seen in any Garmin. They also tend to be better-looking, or at least better aligned with the stylistic norms of popular wearables.

In this article were going to dig further into the differences between Fitbit and Garmin watches, and look at most of the models you may want to consider buying.

What models are available?

Garmin has a vast number of models available, with various niche watches to suit different sporting styles. Fitbit, on the other hand, is much more straightforward.

Up at the top of Fitbits range we have the recently released Fitbit Sense 2, a $299/269 watch with maxed-out features. The Fitbit Charge 5 is a mid-range offering from the company with a smaller screen. Further down the line we have the Fitbit Luxe and Fitbit Inspire bands.

To give a similar run-down of the Garmin line-up would take far too long, so lets stick to the ranges. At the top sit the Epix 2 and Fenix lines, including the Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar. These are expensive, but are also brilliant hardcore exercise watches.

The Forerunner series (which includes one of their latest models, the Garmin Forerunner 955) offers enthusiast-grade features for less money.

Garmins mid-range Instinct watches are aimed at outdoorsy folks, and offer excellent battery life but a more basic, if very clear, display.

The Garmin Venu models are the closest to Fitbits smartwatch-style models. You get OLED screens, slicker-looking designs, but the battery doesnt last as long as some others.

The Garmin Vivoactive combines a more casual appearance with an MIP screen, which only gets clearer out in bright sunlight. And down towards the bottom of the range, casual tracking lines include the Vivosmart and Vivomove.

There's bound to be something that will appeal to you in the Garmin range, as there are so many options to choose from. But if you're after a leaner range of models (and a cheaper, more straightforward watch) you might prefer a Fitbit model.

Which is cheaper?

Fitbit and Garmin are not budget brands. If youre after something truly cheap, check out Realme, Xiaomi, Honor and Huawei (we have a full round-up of the best budget fitness trackers, too). However, Garmins prices get flat-out intimidating at the higher end, and Fitbits simply do not.

The top-spec Fitbit Sense 2 costs $299/269. That only gets you a mid-range Garmin like the Instinct 2 or Venu 2.

Garmins priciest variant of the Epix 2 costs $999/899, and that is not even the most expensive watch Garmin makes. Fitbit wouldnt dream of making something so pricey.

You could argue the two brands are relatively evenly priced, from another perspective, though. An older Fitbit Sense (like the one in the image above) and Garmin Venu 2 are of comparable quality, are similar in price, and simply have differing strengths. However, Garmin cant match the value of the Fitbit Charge 5 with anything in its catalogue.

Which is more accurate?

Based on our testing of many watches and bands from the Garmin and Fitbit ranges, Garmin has a clear edge for accuracy.

This plays out most clearly in heart rate results during exercise. Watches like the Garmin Fenix 7 (shown above) are super-accurate, even in challenging workouts with short, sharp bursts of high exertion.

Some Fitbits can miss these peaks entirely on occasion, which has a knock-on effect on other stats.

The latest Garmin watches also have superior GPS, with Multi-Band support that should result in a better signal in environments in which other trackers might struggle. We think most owners will be perfectly happy with Fitbits GPS, though.

Fitbit does have an edge in one area, though: sleep tracking. In a 2020 study published in Nature and Science of Sleep, Fitbit was found to have greater sleep accuracy than other brands.

Which looks better?

What makes a good-looking watch? Its up for debate, but we think the majority of people will find most Fitbit wearables prettier than Garmins.

Garmin does not make anything quite as sleek and reserved as the Fitbit Luxe, for example. We also like how the Fitbit Charge 5 combines quite high-end health features with fairly petite, cute styling.

The traditional Garmin approach leans more into an aesthetic designed to appeal to adventuring types. In some models the bezel extends above the display, for added protection, and cases may be extra bulky to facilitate extreme water resistance.

Practicality and ruggedness matter a lot to Garmin. Not all of its lines are so pragmatic, though.

The Garmin Venu series aims for a much more approachable, smartwatch-like appearance. Its Vivomove looks just like an analog watch, but has a screen hidden under the surface.

Not all Garmins look like they only belong on the wrists of marathon runners. But if youre after that classic low-key wearable look, Fitbit has a clear lead.

Which brand offers more features?

Garmin offers far more hardcore fitness features than Fitbit. However, none of its watches have two of the features found in the Fitbit Charge 5 and Sense 2.

These are ECG, echocardiogram, and EDA, electrodermal activity. The first monitors your heart rhythm to check for possible abnormalities, signs of atrial fibrillation, while EDA analyzes your skins sweat production, and uses that data as a stress indicator.

While the Garmin Venu 2 Plus reportedly has hidden ECG hardware, no Garmin watch has either of these features. And that kind of makes sense. Garmin makes fitness watches, not ones intended to check heart health.

Instead, it delivers stacks of exercise features not seen elsewhere. The company's top-end watches allow you to download continents worth of maps and use them to navigate without a phone. You can also connect to bike turbo trainers and control their resistance.

Garmins Connect platform lets you design your own workouts, which the watch will then guide you through. And all of this comes included as part of the experience.

Top Garmin watches also use the data they collect to let you balance your workout schedule properly. Body Battery lets you see if youre working too hard, Training Load is an indicator of exertion in aggregate, Performance Condition gives you an idea of your training effectiveness and VO2 Max is a solid long-term indicator of fitness.

Fitbit does not go into such depth, and to unlock the full features of Fitbit watches you need to subscribe to Fitbit Premium. Long-term tracking of stats, advanced sleep tracking and Daily Readiness are all locked behind the Premium paywall and its $9.99 a month to lift it.

Which is better for tracking workouts?

Garmin watches are better than Fitbits for workout tracking. Some of the pricier models are overkill for many folks, but the greater reliability of Garmins stats means that conclusion holds regardless.

We also like that Garmin doesnt keep any stats behind a subscription paywall, meaning you get access to all the data you might need to track your progress towards living a healthier life.

Garmins exercise mode library is larger too. And it is one of the few companies that makes such an extensive list of tracking modes seem worthwhile too, with specialized stats for niche pursuits and guided sessions for things like yoga and weightlifting.

More expensive watches from the Forerunner, Fenix and Epix series will also analyze your performance during each workout and compare it to your baseline. So it might give you a +4 score, for example, which is always nice to see.

Garmin provides loads more features for the more exercise obsessed, and manages to do the basics better too. However, if you are just looking to track regular runs we do think most will be perfectly happy with one of Fitbits GPS-equipped watches, such as the Fitbit Versa 4 or Fitbit Charge 5.

Which has better battery life?

Garmin makes some of the longest-lasting fitness trackers in the world. Take the Garmin Enduro 2, for example. It can last up to 550 days in its battery-saving mode, if you pick the solar charging version.

A handful of the companys models are available in solar form. They use a ring around the display that can harvest a decent amount of solar energy, and the display itself does too, at a lower rate.

The Enduro is an outlier in terms of battery life, of course, and Garmin benefits from its favored display type. Classic Garmin watches use a transflective MIP screen that only gets clearer in bright sunlight, the polar opposite of standard LCD and OLED displays.

Look at the battery life of an OLED screen model like the the Venu 2 Plus and youll see figures much closer to Fitbits. It can last up to 9 days off a charge, and you can roughly half that if you use the always on screen mode.

The Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 last 6+ days. With these OLED watches we find they both tend to last most, but not all, of a week with multiple tracked workouts. But if you go for an MIP-screen Garmin, you can stretch that to a couple of weeks, or beyond.

Verdict

Fitbit is a more casual fitness tracking brand than Garmin. It focuses on style and approachability, and none of its wearables are as expensive as those of Garmins top-end lines.

The Fitbit Premium service also offers lots of video workouts and guided meditations, which may appeal. But some will end up frustrated that fairly important features are locked behind this $9.99 a month subscription.

If you are big into outdoor exercise, a Garmin is probably the better pick. Its watches have deeper fitness features, and we find the stat accuracy level to be notably higher for aspects like heart rate. We consider the Fenix 7 to be the best Garmin all-rounder, but if that seems too expensive the Forerunner 255 is a great watch to look into.

Garmin vs Fitbit: choose the right fitness watch for you

Fitbit and Garmin are two of the biggest names in the fitness tracker and smartwatch business. Especially if you care about keeping a closer eye on your health and fitness.

Garmin has been around longer, making sports watches that over time have evolved to behave more like smartwatches in recent years. So you can start paying your way or listening to music without having your phone nearby.

Fitbit arrived on the scene after Garmin and started with fitness trackers before adding smartwatches to its collection of wearables. Fitness tracking remains at the core of what it does, but its now exploring how it can better monitor your health and activities like running and swimming.

Both offer a variety of different models and options, making it hard to work out which one is actually the best fit for you. Thats why weve pulled together this guide to help make that decision an easier one, picking out the biggest differences in the hardware, software and features that these two wearable heavyweights have to offer.

Already got an idea of which option is for you? We've rounded up the best deals on some of our favorite models for you right here.

Garmin

Garmin launched its first Forerunner watch back in the early 2000s and since then its added a range of lines including its Vivoactive and Fenix watches. All have sports tracking at the core, offering a range of different designs and mix of features.

Some of the most popular models are:

Battery life

One of the staples of Garmins fitness trackers and watches is the promise to deliver big battery life. Whether you go for something cheap like the Vivofit fitness tracker or something high end like the Forerunner 945, Garmin will generally offer close to a week of battery life and in many instances longer.

It also takes into great consideration that using features like GPS or heart rate monitoring while tracking an activity can greatly reduce battery. So watches like its outdoor-centric Fenix series include an UltraTrac battery mode to give you more tracking time while reducing the rate it records data like GPS. Youll also find new power saving and battery modes that switch off power hungry features you dont regularly use to retain battery for the features you do use.

On the Venu, Garmins most smartwatch-like device, its the only device in its collection that features a colour AMOLED display that can be used in an always-on mode. It still manages multiple days of battery life, despite using a more power-hungry display technology than the transflective display technology Garmin uses on the majority of its other watches.

Fitness features

We think its fair to say that when it comes to what Garmins watches and fitness trackers can actually monitor, there is a lot. Those feature sets vary across devices and ranges, but many of the core features run across the ranges to offer a more consistent and familiar experience.

So from Vivosmart to Fenix, youre going to get 24/7 activity tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring and sleep monitoring. Youll also get some of Garmins more motivational fitness tracking features like Move IQ and adaptive step counts that are designed to keep you moving during the day in subtle but very meaningful ways. You can also find features like stress monitoring, guided breathing exercises, womens health tracking and Garmins Body Battery monitor. This looks at metrics like sleep and heart rate to determine the energy levels you have for the day.

When it comes to sports tracking, this is really where Garmins devices excel. It covers core sports like running, cycling and swimming (pool and open water), offering a host of rich metrics you can delve into during or after activities.

When youre willing to spend more on watches like the Fenix or Forerunner 945, youll also start to see sports profiles for more outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, climbing or even paddleboarding. These more niche pursuits still offer a rich set of activity-specific metrics. Youll also find features like mapping and navigation to make them more useful when youre out exploring.

Heart rate drives many of Garmins features that seek to get you thinking more about your training and recovery as well as measure effort levels during exercise. In most instances, Garmin will let you pair up an external chest strap, if you question the reliability and accuracy of the sensor baked into its wrist-worn devices.

Smartwatch features

While Garmins watches and trackers are predominantly designed for sport and fitness, they do now behave better as smartwatches.

Most if not all work with both Android devices and iPhones, and will offer core features like being able to view notifications, check the time and weather and sync data to Garmins Connect app.

When you decide to pay more for something like the Forerunner 245 or Fenix, youll get more in the way of smartwatch features. That includes payments, and a built-in music player. The latter lets you pile on your own music or playlists from the likes of Spotify and Deezer. That includes storing them offline so you dont need to be connected to your phone to listen to them.

If you care about apps, most of Garmins watches with the right amount of storage also have access to the Connect IQ store. This is where you can find apps, watch faces, data fields and widgets. That Connect IQ support can vary. So the Forerunner 45 is compatible, but will only let you download watch faces. Pricier Forerunners though will give you full access.

Fitbit

Fitbits first wearable was a pedometer-style device that centred on counting steps and tracking your sleep.

Since then, its added new sensors, designs and moved into the smartwatch space to rival Apple, Samsung and Googles legion of Wear OS watches.

It still cares about tracking your fitness, but it can now do a better impression as a watch and offers a rich array of connected features that make it worthy of a place on your wrist.

The key members of the Fitbit family are:

Battery life

Even from its early tracker days, Fitbit has sought to promise close to a weeks worth of battery life. Years later, that hasnt changed and it has even made good progress dealing with the fact that full fat smartwatches still have a battery problem.

Its latest Versa 3 and Sense watches promise up to 6+ days, which is impressive when you consider the kind of display and features the watches have to power. Its Inspire 2 and Charge 4 fitness trackers also promise to comfortably last a week between charges. The Inspire 2 actually promises to go for 10 days, which is the longest battery life a Fitbit wearable has been capable of.

Adding always-on display modes to its latest smartwatches will impact on battery life just like it does on Apple and Samsungs watches. It might be a big reason why Fitbit is introducing a new fast charging feature that gives you a day battery from a 12-minute charge.

Fitness features

Fitness tracking is really how Fitbit made its name and it underpins every device its launched or is in the process of launching.

Every Fitbit will track your steps, monitor your heart rate 24/7, monitor sleep and buzz you with inactivity alerts during the day. Those sleep features are some of the richest available on a wearable platform digging deep into insights and offering additional metrics fuelled by monitoring heart rate during the night.

More recently, its added menstrual health tracking with some data viewable on its smartwatches. Youll get guided breathing exercises and its new Sense watch can even indicate your bodys response to stress.

When you want to look beyond steps and sleep, most Fitbits are equipped to track a range of sports. It offers automatic activity recognition when you dont want to manually tell your device youre about to go running and swimming.

The Charge 4, Versa and Sense now offer built-in GPS to make mapping outdoor activities easier to do and you have Fitbits PurePulse heart rate sensor to unlock training in heart rate zones and features like Active Zone Minutes and Intensity Maps. Fitbits watches and Charge 4 flagship tracker also track your swimming, though currently only works for pool swimming only.

Fitbit users also have access to its Premium platform, where you can find programs and workouts you can follow and gain deeper data insights from the sensors on board their watch and tracker.

Smartwatch features

On Fitbits fitness trackers, it did its best to offer smartwatch-style features. Given the screen and design limitations, it was always going to be difficult to go beyond things like basic notification support.

That has changed significantly since it entered the smartwatch space and the likes of the Versa and Sense can do more when youre not sweating it out in the gym.

Fitbits wearables work with Android and iPhones giving you features like notifications, payments, apps, watch faces and built-in music players. Its latest smartwatches also add smart assistant support for Amazons Alexa with Google Assistant support to follow.

The experience using a Fitbit with an Android phone or iPhone is largely consistent, though features like responding to notifications for example is an Android-only feature.

Like Garmin, you have access to an app store here too. Fitbits App Gallery is still growing as a platform, but does include some high profile names like MySwimPro and Spotify. The latter though will only let you control the streaming service, not pile on offline playlists like you can on the Garmin. If you like watch faces, Fitbit offers plenty of variety here too and you can keep up to 5 faces on its smartwatches at one time.

Garmin or Fitbit?

So, do you go with Fitbit or Garmin? As weve said, there are a lot of different devices to choose from on both sides and all offer varying features and looks.

The decision between the two platforms we think comes down to a few areas that might sway you one way over the other.

If you care largely about fitness tracking as opposed to recording runs or hikes, Fitbit still feels like it offers a better experience here. Its devices and companion app are easy to use and it still offers the richest most useful sleep tracking you can find on a wearable. For beginners, its a much better fit. Fitbit also offers more cutting-edge sensors geared towards serious health monitoring with its ECG and skin temperature sensor that now appears on its new Sense watch.

If you spend more time tracking sport and yearn for masses of data and battery life when youre on the move, Garmins watches and trackers in general will serve you better. They offer reliable tracking and the ability to add external sensors means you can improve accuracy and the amount of metrics you can record.

Outside of tracking, both offer plenty. Garmin has some desirable features that you wont find on a Fitbit. Like proper Spotify support and useful safety and assistance features. Fitbit though has that smart assistant support if thats something you value having on a watch.

The decision between these two big names in the wearable world really comes down to what you value most. They both now offer very accomplished devices that impress on both hardware and software fronts. Its clear though that they excel in different departments and we hope weve helped you establish just what those are to help guide your decision.

This article is part of TechRadar's Get Fit in 2022 series a collection of ideas and guides to help get your new year's health goals off to the right start, whatever your current level of fitness.