Why Garmin is the best

Which Garmin Watch Is Best for You?

In certain circles, the word Garmin is less a brand name than a category definer, like Q-Tip or Band-Aid. From casual hikers to nationally ranked professional athletes, anyone who loves outdoor sports can glean useful information from the bevy of sensors, safety features, and sophisticated software that come with every Garmin watch. A few other fitness trackers have come close to replicating Garmin's durability, wearability, and reliability, but the company remains the industry standard. Unlike, say, an Apple Watch, Garmins also work with both iPhones and Android phones. (Also unlike an Apple Watch, Garmin watches still have a blood oxygen sensor.)

Many features that only recently debuted on other fitness trackers, like sleep tracking, blood oxygen measurements, and fall detection, have been on Garmin watches for years. Over a half-dozen years, the WIRED team has tested dozens of Garmin watches. Let us help you decide which Garmin is best for you.

Once you're set up with your Garmin, check out our other buying guides, like the Best Barefoot Shoes, the Best Workout Headphones, and the Best Hiking Gear.

Updated April 2024: We added the Forerunner 165, the Lily 2, and the Index S2 and added more information about Garmin Connect and the Apple Watch. We also updated links and pricing throughout.

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Best Garmin Watch 2024: Take on the track with these tested wearables

No company does fitness tracking quite like Garmin so if you want the best, these are the wearables worth checking out.

While theres been increasing competition over the last few years with Apple finally getting in at the adventurer level with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and newer Wear OS watches like the Pixel Watch 2 and the TicWatch Pro 5 hitting the market with surprisingly accurate heart rate sensors, Garmin still stands as one of the go-to brands for anyone whos serious about fitness.

After all, if you want smartwatches that not only last for weeks instead of days, but also offer up tons of explorer features like on-device mapping and topography, as well as robust GPS connectivity designed to work in the great outdoors then Garmin is really your only option.

The one issue is that Garmins finest tend to come with a fairly steep asking price. This wont be an issue for a lucky handful of people out there, but for anyone on a budget whos interested in buying a Garmin, these flagship models will more than likely be out of reach. Its not a complete write-off however, as Garmin does have plenty of wearables at the mid-range and even budget levels to suit a wider price range.

Devices like the Garmin Venu 3 go head to head with the Apple Watch, while the affordable Garmin Vivosmart 5 is a great Fitbit alternative. To get a better idea of which Garmin wearable is right for you, have a look at our official breakdown below.

If youre still unsure as to whether a Garmin is truly right for you, there are plenty of alternatives out there covered in our round-ups for the best fitness tracker and best running watch.

Which is the best Garmin Watch?

How we test

Find out more about how we test Garmin watches

Every Garmin watch we test is used by the reviewer for at least a week or longer, if the battery life lasts beyond that point or we need more time to trial its features. During testing we evaluate key metrics including usability, battery life, and the accuracy of fitness and distance tracking.For distance tracking, we assess how accurately the device records outdoor runs on tracks we know the length of. We also evaluate the level of battery life lost per hour using features such as built-in or connected GPS. To check heart rate accuracy, we compare the results from the wearable to a dedicated HRM strap.Next we combine the data recorded with our general experience of using the wearable day-to-day, revealing whether the device proved comfortable to wear, alongside any issues we may have encountered with unexpected bugs over the review period.

Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)

The best high-end option

Pros

• Now comes in three sizes
• Good battery in always-on mode
• Great all-round sports tracking
• Useful flashlight

Cons

• New software features rolling back to Epix
• Not huge upgrade on original Epix
• HR sensor accuracy
• Weather overlays not used in tracking

If theres one Garmin device that strives to include the best bits of all the other wearables under the companys umbrella, it would be the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2). This high-end bit of kit is something of a Frankensteins Monster but in the best possible way it incorporates the gorgeous AMOLED screen that has made the Venu series so popular, alongside the flashlight and high-end sports tracking of similar devices like the Fenix 7 Pro.

One of the key trade-offs is that for all of this functionality, the Epix Pro (Gen 2) is easily one of the priciest Garmin wearables out there, with a launch price tag of 829.99/$899.99, but if you can spare the expense then youll be treated to one of the most robust wearables Garmin has to offer.

For starters, the Epix Pro (Gen 2)s fitness tracking capabilities are led by a new HR sensor that adds a touch more accuracy to the devices heart rate readings, and in typical Garmin fashion youll find no shortage of workout and exercise types that can be tracked here.

With the aforementioned AMOLED screen in tow, the Epix Pro (Gen 2) feels a lot more like a traditional smartwatch than its predecessor as notifications and watch faces pop onscreen, all with more vibrancy than what youll find with more traditional memory-in-pixel displays on other Garmin tech.

If you find yourself running on darkened trails, you can also make use of the watchs built-in torch which is surprisingly bright, and you can even instruct the torch to flash in a pattern, such as a strobe, beacon or blink. All of this amounts to one of Garmins most accomplished wearables yet.

Reviewer: Michael SawhFull review: Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) Review

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

The best for serious runners

Pros

• Snappy and accurate multi-band GPS connectivity
• Comfortable discrete design
• Local music playback

Cons

• Limited smartwatch functionality

The Forerunner 955 is one of the best wearables currently available to serious runners. During testing the device outright wowed our reviewer, with it sharing a lot of the same key features as the Fenix 7 despite being smaller and more lightweight (as well as cheaper) than its premium multi-sport sibling.

The smaller plastic chassis isnt as rugged as the metal used in the Fenix, but its smaller dimensions and thinner body made it a lot more comfortable to wear, particularly during extended long-distance runs on 10km or more.

Under the hood it also supports multi-band GPS, which meant during our tests it was accurate when tracking distances and uniformly offered equivalent data to the Fenix. During our 5km check we detected a maximum variance of just 0.1km, which is seriously good considering the fact our reviewers test track is in a busy signal area in London.

But it was the watchs advanced post run analytics and coaching powers that really won us over. As well as tracking VO2 Max estimates, SpO2, and heart rate zones, the watch is also the first weve tested that can offer training recommendations based on upcoming events in your calendar.

Specifically the watch will factor races youve entered into its recommendations as well as the biometric data it collects. This, plus its custom training readiness metric, made it a lot easier for us to trust its recommendations and avoid overtraining ahead of races. The only thing stopping it from being our recommended tracker for all Garmin fans is that the plastic frame and lack of a Sapphire Glass option make it a poor fit for climbers, extreme sports participants, and watersports fans. For these, we have different recommendations.

Reviewer: Alastair StevensonFull review: Garmin Forerunner 955 Review

Garmin Venu 3

The best all-rounder

Pros

• Great wellness features
• Premium build
• Superb battery life

Cons

• Lightweight sports metrics
• Some patchy sleep data
• Not as slick as Apple Watch/Samsung

For anyone whos eyeing up one of the mainline smartwatches like the Apple Watch 9 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 its the Garmin Venu 3 thats the most easily comparable option from Garmins range, featuring a bit of everything which, while preventing it from excelling in one particular field, still allow it to be a great all-rounder that almost anyone can get on with.

Compared to some of Garmins more specialist picks, the Venu 3 actually looks like a modern smartwatch. The large 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen is easy to read outdoors, and its vibrant colours allow watch faces and menu screens to pop.

While the watch benefits from the same great fitness tracking features that Garmin is known for (and there are no shortage of workouts to run through either), it does go a step further in the realm of wellness, as animated widgets easily convey metrics like stress tracking and recovery progress.

To top it all off, the Garmin Venu 3 destroys Apple and Samsung when it comes to battery life, with the ability to run for up to 14-days on a single charge. Compare that with the 18-hour stint often quoted by Apple for its mainline wearables, and its easy to see how the Venu 3 might be a far more tempting proposition.

Reviewer: James StablesFull review: Garmin Venu 3 Review

Garmin Enduro 2

The best for battery life

Pros

• Full-colour mapping added
• New Multi-band mode boosts tracking accuracy
• Slightly refined design

Cons

• Expensive
• Design will still be big for some
• Smartwatch battery numbers are down

The Fenix 7 is great, and the week-and-a-half battery life we recorded is excellent by comparison to most smartwatches that often struggle to last more than a couple of days in our experience. But if you want a Garmin watch with the longest battery life possible, then the Garmin Enduro 2 is our recommendation for you.

The Enduro 2 is a dedicated wearable from Garmin with a singular focus: offering the best possible battery life. Garmin quotes the watch as offering 34 days of general use and 100 hours worth of battery life with GPS active. We found the claims rang true during our review process, too.

Offering a near enough core tracking experience to the Fenix, the Enduro 2 is a great option for ultramarathon runners or people who like to take multi-day hikes or cycles. There are a number of upgrades over the original Enduro 2, such as the inclusion of offline music playback from the likes of Spotify and Deezer.

Reviewer: Michael SawhFull review: Garmin Enduro 2 Review

Garmin Venu 2S

The best for small wrists

Pros

• Huge improvement on battery life
• The new UI is a pleasure to use
• Super-fast GPS connectivity
• Health snapshot is an ingenious idea

Cons

• There are more robust wearables for pro athletes
• Garmin Pay is still a letdown

One consistent criticism our reviewers have mounted at Garmin wearables is that, while theyre great fitness trackers, theyre admittedly not the prettiest of devices. The majority offer utilitarian, chunky designs that focus on performance and not their looks. This has meant that some of the team with smaller wrists, and a degree of fashion sense, have often opted for other more discrete looking trackers from the likes of Fitbit.

Thankfully, Garmin has fixed this problem with the Venu 2S which is our recommended option for people who dont want a chunky watch. Venu is Garmins fashion-focused line of wearables, and the 2S is the best option in the line-up that weve tested. Out of the box its thinner, circular design and OLED screen immediately made it feel more like a smartwatch than the other options on this list.

Though it doesnt track the same amount of sports or metrics as the Fenix, for mid-to-entry level athletes its activity and post workout analytics are more than good enough. We found the GPS to be suitably reactive and accurate to track 5km runs and the odd cycle. Offline music and Spotify support are also welcome features that are rare on wearables at this price. The only downside is that its not quite as rugged as the Fenix or Enduro, so if you regularly engage in extreme sports then youll be better off looking elsewhere as a result.

Reviewer: Thomas DeehanFull review: Garmin Venu 2S Review

Garmin Vivosmart 5

The best affordable option

Pros

• Reliable fitness tracking for the price
• Week long battery life
• Comfy gym-ready fit

Cons

• Screen is too small for most notifications
• Limited smartwatch functionality

If youre after an entry level tracker that wont break the bank then Garmins Vivosmart 5 is one of the best on the market.

The discrete band design is wonderfully comfortable to wear, and it still offers all the analytics and features an entry level runner or a gym newcomer will need. During testing we found that the watch is capable of tracking all the basic activities well, supporting indoor and outdoor running, cycling plus basic cardio and swimming.

As an added bonus, while it doesnt have local music or Spotify support, the Vivosmart 5 can at least be used to control music being streamed from a phone. We found this feature particularly useful when treadmill running, as it saved us from having to awkwardly paw at our phone when an unwanted track made its way into the playlist.

Post-workout analytics are stripped down to make them understandable, but offer all the detail you need to make a difference. Highlights include your intensity minutes plus useful metrics like your body battery, VO2 Max estimate, and fitness age. These are rare insights for a wearable at this price. Fitbit, by comparison, hides some of them behind a paywall.

The only real compromise we noticed is that due to the lack of untethered GPS connectivity, distance tracking when running outdoors could be a little hit and miss. Without a connected GPS the wearable had a tendency to add or remove around 0.3km from our 5km runs.

Reviewer: Alastair StevensonFull review: Garmin Vivosmart Review

Garmin Forerunner 965

Best mid-range option

Pros

• AMOLED screen is a great addition
• Battery life doesnt suffer greatly from the new screen
• Still great all-round sports tracking

Cons

• Very similar features to the Garmin 955
• Its more expensive than the 955
• No solar option

Building upon the incredible foundations of the Garmin Forerunner 955, the 965 feels like a more premium watch overall, even if there is a higher price tag to contend with.

For starters, the big highlight feature of the Forerunner 965 is its new AMOLED display which finally brings Garmins mid-range wearables into the modern age. With that display, everything from running data to watch faces leap off the screen with incredible colour, and the display itself is able to get a lot brighter than the transflective display of old.

While AMOLED technology is more power-intensive, the battery doesnt suffer greatly from the upgrade. In our testing, we were able to reach 23-days of use in smartwatch mode, and an impressive 31-hours when maintaining an unbroken GPS connection. Those are still some impressive numbers, and just the kind of stats that marathon runners will appreciate.

Unfortunately, there isnt much more beyond that that separates the Forerunner 965 from its predecessor, so if you own a 955 then we dont recommend upgrading solely to benefit from that AMOLED display. The 965 is best suited for someone upgrading from a much older watch or who might be looking to buy their first serious Garmin wearable.

With that said, the 965 still benefits from all of the tracking features that made the 955 so popular in the first place. Heart rate tracking is solid, and multiband GPS offers highly accurate data when looking back at your route post-workout. Its also worth noting that maps are now easier to read thanks to the more vibrant display.

Reviewer: Michael SawhFull Review: Garmin Forerunner 265 Review

Garmin Vivomove Trend

Best design

Pros

• Great look
• Well integrated digital display
• Impressive array of fitness and wellness features
• Handy wireless charging

Cons

• Fiddly to get to some sub-menus
• Not your typical big Garmin battery life
• Higher quality displays on other Vivomove watches
• Not much cheaper than Vivomove Style

While theyre known for their sports and fitness prowess, Garmin wearables arent particularly favoured for their aesthetic which tends to be more functional than fashionable. If youve been hoping for a more fashion-conscious wearable that also includes Garmins tracking features then look no further than the Garmin Vivomove Trend.

This hybrid smartwatch combines the watch dials of a traditional timepiece with the digital functionality of a modern wearable thanks to the touchscreen that lies beneath the aforementioned dials. When you want to scroll through the Vivomove Trends menus, the watch dials will simply move out of the way to give you an unobstructed view of the onboard apps.

The only major letdown here is that the amount of fitness tracking features cant quite compete with Garmins high-end wearables, but the Trend does excel in the realm of wellness tracking which is just the ticket to help you keep an eye out on your stress levels throughout the day and to better pinpoint the main causes of stress.

You also get access to Garmins detailed sleep tracking data via the Garmin Connect app, which can go a long way towards helping you to establish better sleeping patterns and improving your recovery period after intense workouts.

As an added cherry on top, the Vivomove Trend is one of the few Garmin watches (and few smarwatches in general) to boast wireless charging, so if you have a Qi wireless charger then itll be compatible with the Trend right out of the box. If youre sick of proprietary cables then this is an absolute Godsend.

It is worth mentioning that the more feature-packed Garmin Vivomove Sport is actually cheaper than the Trend and arguably a better option when it comes to fitness tracking. Still, the Trends unique design and wireless charging give it enough to set it apart from the crowd.

Reviewer: Michael SawhFull review: Garmin Vivomove Trend

Garmin Forerunner 165

Best for entry-level runners

Pros

• Superb AMOLED display and UI
• Reliable GPS and HR tracking
• Battery life is excellent

Cons

• Separate edition for music support
• GPS lock-on is slow
• Rival watches are cheaper

For the sheer amount of choice in the world of Garmin smartwatches, it can seem pretty daunting to anyone just starting out who wants a simple wearable that does the basics well and doesnt cost a fortune in return. To that end, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is your best bet.

This entry-level watch takes everything that makes Garmin great and condenses it into one easy to use device thats ideal for helping those who are just hitting their local park run for the first time and want a bit more insight into their progress.

As you might expect, the Forerunner 165 provides top notch heart rate tracking that largely managed to keep up with a dedicated chest-strap monitor in our testing. This information is then funnelled into your VO2 max score which lets you know how equipped your body is at tackling cardiovascular activity.

The watch can connect to GPS independently of a smartphone, so if you want to keep tabs on your route and see which areas are giving you the most trouble then you can do exactly that, all while your phone is on charge at home.

Unlike Garmins affordable watches of old, the Forerunner 165 features more modern tech in the display area, opting for an AMOLED panel. Not only does this make watch faces and bits of information pop on-screen, but its all incredibly easy to read both indoors and outdoors, so you wont have to worry about squinting.

As a final cherry on top, the Forerunner 165 doesnt skimp on the battery life, with the ability to get up to 11-days of use on a single charge. Thats not bad for a device that, at 249.99/$249.99, is much cheaper than the majority of Garmin watches.

The only major annoyance is that if you want to enjoy music playback offline, youll need to plump up for the pricier Music version which sits at 289.99/$299.99. Still, while its bested by similarly priced Apple Watches and Galaxy Watches where smart features are concerned, the Forerunner 165 still dominates in battery life and fitness tracking accuracy.

Reviewer: Conor AllisonFull review: Garmin Forerunner 165

We also considered

Garmin Forerunner 745

One of the best trackers on the market for triathletes and hardcore cardio enthusiasts

Garmin Epix

The Garmin Epix puts colour maps on your wrist alongside comprehensive sports activity tracking.

FAQs

What activities do Garmin watches track?

This varies between different Garmin watches. The top end Fenix devices are multi-sport focussed and can track everything from running to specialist extreme sports. More basic trackers in the firms Vivo-lines tend to focus on essentials and can only track standard activities like cardio, running, cycling and swimming.

Do all Garmin watches have GPS?

Garmin is one of the best companies for accurate location and distance tracking, but many of its more affordable wearables do not have built-in GPS functionality. Instead, the cheaper wearables tend to have connected GPS which lets them offer GPS tracking using a paired smartphone.

Are Garmin devices smartwatches?

Garmin wearables tend to have an overt fitness tracking focus and use the firms proprietary operating system. This means they do offer some smartwatch functionality, like alerts, music controls and weather reports, but dont have the same app support as Apples watchOS or Googles Wear OS devices.

Comparison specs

You can see a detailed breakdown of all the wearables specifications below.

UK RRP

USA RRP

EU RRP

CA RRP

AUD RRP

Manufacturer

Screen Size

IP rating

Waterproof

Battery

Size (Dimensions)

Weight

ASIN

Operating System

Release Date

First Reviewed Date

Colours

GPS

Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)

829.99

$899.99

Garmin

30.4 mm

No

10ATM

42 x 42 x 14.1 MM

63 G

B0C1CQR11R

2023

13/07/2023

Yes

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

549.99

$499.99

Garmin

33 mm

Not Disclosed

5ATM

46.5 x 45.6 x 14.4 INCHES

53 G

B09WTGSGY1

Garmin OS

2021

29/06/2022

Black, White

Yes

Garmin Venu 3

449.99

$449.99

Garmin

1.4 inches

Not Disclosed

5ATM

45 x 45 x 12 MM

46 G

B0CDC6H66Y

2023

29/11/2023

Silver / Slate / Soft gold

Yes

Garmin Enduro 2

929

$1099

Garmin

1.4 inches

IP57

10ATM

51 x 15.6 x 51 MM

70 G

B0BGQB26MF

2022

Yes

Garmin Venu 2S

349.99

Garmin

1.10 inches

IP68

40.40 x 12.10 x 40.40 MM

38.20 G

B091ZWH46B

2021

Slate, Light Gold, Silver, Rose Gold

Yes

Garmin Vivosmart 5

129.99

$150

Garmin

18.5 mm

No

5ATM

1250 mAh

19.5 x 10.7 x 255 MM

26.5 G

B09WF38HK4

Garmin Watch OS

2021

Black, Mint, White

Garmin Forerunner 265s

429.99

$449.99

499.99

CA$599.99

AU$769

Garmin

41.7 x 12.9 x 41.7 MM

39 G

B0B46N96ST

2023

03/05/2023

Garmin Vivomove Trend

279.99

$269.99

329.99

CA$369.99

AU$449

Garmin

1.1 inches

Not Disclosed

5ATM

40.4 x 40.4 x 11.9 MM

43.3 G

B0BMQPP6XW

2023

Cream Gold, Slate, Peach Gold, Silver

Garmin Forerunner 165

249.99

$249.99

Garmin

1.2 inches

Not Disclosed

5ATM

2024

20/02/2024

Black, Grey

Yes