The 5 greatest Garmin watches for coaching and on a regular basis life

Few manufacturers are as synonymous with outside 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 gadgets 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 the event you’re coming from a extra conventional smartwatch, Garmin’s core strengths lie in health, GPS, adventuring, and sturdiness. These are hardy gadgets that are supposed to 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 another 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 gadgets 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 of the latest Garmins lately received an FDA-cleared EKG feature. (You’ll want a cellphone readily available, nonetheless, as just one Garmin mannequin has mobile connectivity.) Many Garmin gadgets 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 mess of fashions. However no worries — I check a number of Garmins yearly and may help level you in the best 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 plenty of them are nice. However the Forerunner 265 or 265S (you probably have petite wrists) strikes a superb steadiness between worth, characteristic set, battery life, and a vibrant OLED show.

That mentioned, 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 primary distinction is the 265 has an OLED show in comparison with the 255’s memory-in-pixel display screen. Often, which means worse battery life, however on this case, we received a few week on a single cost with the always-on show enabled. With out it, you may stand up to fifteen days. Provided that OLED is simpler to learn and simply, properly, appears 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 may 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 received house. That is additionally a superb worth, as the vast majority of multi-band GPS watches price properly over $600.

My foremost grievance is that $450, whereas not unhealthy for Garmin, continues to be quite a bit when you think about that’s the identical worth as smarter smartwatches with nice operating options. Some runners received’t care. However if you happen to’re on a funds — 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 nearly every thing the 265 sequence does. The primary belongings you’re lacking are dual-frequency GPS and some extra area of interest sport profiles. However if you happen to’re largely sticking to operating, health club tools, biking, swimming, and mountaineering, you’re lined.

Neither has all of Garmin’s coaching options, nevertheless it’s received what you’ll must run something from a 5K to a full marathon. That features a Race Predictor, which supplies you an estimate of what your greatest time can be primarily based in your precise coaching. You may as well 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.)

Read my full Garmin Forerunner 265S review.

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 Pro will get you each health characteristic that Garmin has to supply. And I imply every thing. It could frankly be simpler to inform you what the Epix Professional doesn’t have: issues which are 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 received 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 standard second-gen Epix, which solely is available in 47mm. You will get the Professional in that measurement, too, nevertheless it additionally is available in 42mm and 51mm. This was a serious grievance I had with the second-gen Epix final 12 months, and also you like to see corporations really take this kind of factor significantly. The very best half is the Professional fashions begin on the identical worth because the common Epix did. You’ll need to pay $100 additional for supplies like titanium and sapphire crystal, however that’s additionally true of the usual Epix.

That mentioned, it muddies the waters if you happen to’re making an attempt to choose between the Epix Professional, Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, and now, the Fenix 8. The primary distinction is the Epix watches all have OLED shows. One purpose I choose OLED is that they’re a lot simpler to learn indoors — the place most of us spend the vast majority of our time. The Fenix 7 sequence’ memory-in-pixel shows (plus photo voltaic charging if you happen to 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 resulting from greater batteries, however I felt that the 42mm has sufficient juice to fulfill most use instances. Garmin additionally has so many battery-saving modes and choices that I extremely doubt this may ever be a problem.

Not serving to issues is the truth that the Fenix 8 enables 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 primary downside is the beginning worth 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 discount looking hat for a reduced Epix Professional or Fenix 7 Professional whereas stock nonetheless lasts.

However actually the successful characteristic of the Epix Professional is the hands-free flashlight. It’s so helpful in my day-to-day life, and all you must do is double-press a button. It’s as vibrant as your smartphone, comes with a crimson gentle choice if you would like 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 plenty of that is going to return down to private desire for the show, worth, and whether or not you care about sensible options.

In the event you’re set on essentially the most battery life attainable, I like to recommend the Fenix 7 Professional over the usual 7 for a couple of 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 suggest 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.

Read my full Epix Pro review.

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 like most in regards to the Vivomove Sport is it doesn’t appear to be what most individuals anticipate from a Garmin. It’s a hybrid smartwatch, which implies it appears 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 greatest suited to a casually energetic one who needs fashion and worth in a light-weight bundle. Suppose wellness, extra so than health. It will get you steady coronary heart charge monitoring and blood oxygen degree monitoring and may even present irregular coronary heart charge alerts. You additionally get entry to extra in-depth metrics like respiration charge, health age, stress, and Physique Battery, which is Garmin’s software 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 illustration, you’re giving up built-in GPS in favor of tethered GPS by means of 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 funds decide, and also you get quite a bit, contemplating that is an entry-level gadget that might cross 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 a lot better than what you’ll get on an Apple Watch or Put on OS 3 watch. In the event you’re keen to spend about $100 extra, the $269.99 Vivomove Trend has extra stylish supplies, will get you extra display screen actual property, and wi-fi Qi charging. In any other case, it is a nice life-style wearable that may function a classier different to your typical health band.

In the event you choose one thing newer to the Sport that’s additionally trendy, the Garmin Lily 2 is one other good choice, particularly if you happen to’ve received significantly small wrists or choose one thing extraordinarily light-weight. The swipe and faucet gestures are nonetheless a bit fiddly to make use of — which was additionally the case with the first-gen mannequin — however the recent design is a fun way to lightly monitor your fitness with out bogging your self down with notifications. Garmin additionally lately introduced a brand new model referred to as the Lily 2 Active, which provides a bodily button, GPS, and assist for extra sports activities monitoring for a starting price of $299.99.

Read my full Garmin Vivomove Sport review.

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 the event you have been disillusioned by the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4, the Venu Sq 2 is the subsequent neatest 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 made from plastic, nevertheless it nonetheless appears fairly stylish and intensely light-weight. The display screen is vibrant, straightforward to learn, and appears higher than any Versa or Sense ever did.

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

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

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

Read my full Garmin Venu Sq 2 review.

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 reasonably priced) 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 may take calls straight from the wrist in addition to situation instructions to your cellphone’s digital assistant through Bluetooth. It’s not the identical as having Siri, Bixby, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant constructed straight into the watch, nevertheless it’s a intelligent workaround that works properly for hands-free management. It additionally helps security options like fall detection and reside monitoring in addition to contactless funds.

Like different OLED Garmins, the show is each vibrant and simple to learn. As for well being and health, you get a pleasant mixture of fundamental and extra superior options and metrics. It has Garmin’s newest coronary heart charge sensor, which allows FDA-cleared EKG and AFib detection options. Total, 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 charge alerts, and stress monitoring. As for coaching, you continue to get built-in GPS, VO2 Max, coronary heart charge zones, respiration charge, and downloadable coaching plans through Garmin Coach.

New to the three and 3S is a sleep coach that components in metrics like coronary heart charge 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 periods, and you may view how these periods straight affect 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. Nonetheless, it’s also greater than double the worth and never what I’d think about worth for the common athlete. It’s extra for individuals who spend hours upon hours coaching each week.

That is the Garmin for you if you would like the platform’s in-depth coaching with out sacrificing the productiveness of a smartwatch. The primary issues it’s missing are mobile choices and a strong third-party app ecosystem. That mentioned, it’s received Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer for offline listening. It’s additionally choice if you happen to’re fed up with MIP shows and desire a smarter Garmin reasonably than a full-on smartwatch.

Read my full review of the Garmin Venu 3S.

Replace, October 18th: Adjusted pricing and availability.