Best for Workout Tracking

When Garmin started making running watches in 2003, they were bulky but barebones devices that tracked little more than your speed and distance. Watches like the Forerunner 101 spearheaded the era of GPS-based activity tracking, and the brand has only expanded on that basic design by engineering new models with all kinds of health metric tracking, device pairing capabilities, and crystal-clear screens. And the new ones are a heck of a lot tidier on your wrist, too.

Even though tracking runs is still Garmin’s top priority—and we have a separate roundup detailing which watches do that the best—the amount of software the brand stuffs into a device the size of a Ritz cracker transforms its models into ideal day-long companion gadgets. Many can pair with your phone to stream your music, display your notifications, and upload your workouts to apps like Strava automatically; many more can track health stats like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and sleep quality, all while running for days or weeks between charges.

Ultimately, Garmins aren’t cheap, so plenty of runners need to get a bit more use out of theirs than during their runs. If you’re looking for a watch that looks just as good at the cafe or grocery store as it does ten miles into your long run, we made this list of the best for you.

The Best Garmin Smartwatches

• Best Overall: Garmin Venu 3 Smartwatch
• Built-in flashlight offers bonus utility and safety: Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music Smartwatch
• Fenix 7X Pro: Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Smartwatch
• Lowest Profile: Garmin Vivosmart 5 Smartwatch
• Most Features: Garmin Fenix 7X Pro Sapphile Solar Smartwatch

What to Consider

Smartphone Compatibility and Apps

Garmin’s watches are mostly self-reliant—in other words, you don’t need to pair them with a smartphone to access most features, such as biometric tracking or GPS. But the brand also offer less expensive options that let your phone do a little more of the work, such as the Vivosmart 5, which foregoes built-in GPS to fit everything else in a small, Fitbit-esque package. If you don’t want to splurge too grandly on a watch, and you don’t mind taking your phone on runs, options like the Vivosmart can still provide excellent heart rate and sleep tracking while giving your wallet a break.

If you’re using your Garmin watch as an extension of your smartphone, it may also be worth checking which apps you can install or control using the watch itself. For example, Venu 3 allows you to install apps such as Spotify, through which you can change your music without getting your phone out (or pre-install playlists for offline use on your runs). When I’m not running, especially when I’m working, I like to wear a smartwatch that also displays my phone’s notifications so I can remain reachable while I stow my more distracting devices in another room. Just make sure to score something with a larger display if you actually want to read what people send you.

Hardware and Durability

In terms of appearance, Garmin watches range from sleek, Apple Watch-like designs that you can wear in any setting to bulky, rugged timepieces that can survive even the harshest outdoor conditions. If performance during your workouts is paramount and sleek looks aren’t a necessity, consider burlier watches like the Forerunner 265 or the Fenix 7X Pro—they won’t develop scuffs as easily, they can handle more intense exposure to water, and they generally have easier tactile controls thanks to their sizable face buttons.

The Venu and Venu Sq, on the other hand, sacrifice some of their durability but look and feel much sleeker. If wearing an enormous watch at work or a restaurant feels out of place to you, or perhaps you have a smaller wrist (like me) and don’t want a big watch face digging into your hand, these options run just as well under the hood, as long as you don’t give them too much of a thrashing.

Battery

Depending on whether you use all the most energy-hungry features on Garmin watches, such as their GPS, your overall battery life can vary greatly. In smartwatch mode, which you’ll use most often in all-day wear scenarios, all the watches on this list can go well over a week between charges, but most can only last a day or two when you run them at full throttle and track several workouts. If you don’t want to wear your watch to bed, this isn’t an issue—you can charge it nightly. But to take full advantage of features like sleep tracking, you need to wear it overnight, so you’ll need to find another time to charge yours. I like to plug my watches in when I shower in the morning, for example, but you’ll know better than me when you won’t need or want yours on your wrist.

How We Tested

Solar charging extends battery life Unmatched array of tracking modes, apps, and sensors, I focused on the aspects of each model that extend beyond the brand’s top-notch workout tracking, such as battery life, display quality, app compatibility, and general fittingness in settings other than your workouts. Using our test team’s notes on the Garmin watch range, as well as several staff members’ off-the-clock experience with several models, I narrowed the brand’s lineup down to the six watches that will fit the best in your daily routine and complement the functionality of your other devices.