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Choosing the best Garmin watch needn’t be hard, as we’ve listed all of the best options below, and they’re ordered by price, so you can easily find the ones that fit your budget.
Of course, as well as budget you’ll also want to consider what you need from the watch. If you’re just starting out you might want to consider the Garmin Forerunner 30 for example, while serious athletes might opt for the Garmin Fenix 6.
There are many, many other great Garmin watches to consider as well though, and for each of them we’ve included an overview, a specs list, and the main good and bad points, so you can easily narrow down the options.
Ultimately, you shouldn’t go too wrong with any of the Garmin watches below, but for a closer look at any, make sure to click through to our full reviews.
And if you’re not sold on any of Garmin’s output, head over to our best smartwatch or best running watch guides for other options. Oh, and check back regularly, because we’ll be updating all these guides whenever new contenders emerge.
Note: The following watches are ranked from cheapest to most expensive according to RRP at time of writing – prices may vary over time.
1. Garmin Forerunner 15
A simple, affordable GPS watch
Screen size: Black/Green, Teal/White & Violet/White: 0.81-inch x 0.77-inch; Black/Blue & Red/Black: 0.98-inch x 0.94-inch | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 8 hours | Battery life on standby: 35 days | Onboard storage: 7 activities | Bluetooth connection: No | Smartwatch capabilities: No | Multisport: No | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: No
Simple to operate
Cheap for a GPS watch
Relatively limited functionality
Basic screen
You won’t find a cheaper heart rate tracking device in the Garmin range, so this is an option for those on a budget who want to use a heart rate strap to check their pulse while jogging.
It’s perhaps fair to say that the Garmin Forerunner 15 is not the most aesthetically pleasing watch in the world (or even in the Garmin range), and it is often criticized for its flimsy build and basic screen, but then this is still a relatively affordable watch that you’re not buying for its looks.
As with all Garmin watches, the Forerunner 15 enables the user to sync their data with Garmin Connect, opening up a whole other level of analysis and sharing.
Coupled with the heart rate monitoring and activity tracking, this makes the Forerunner 15 a good value option for those looking for a slightly more advanced unit, without a hefty price tag.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 15 review
2. Garmin Forerunner 25
Basic GPS watch with smart notifications
Screen size: Purple/Black & White/Pink: 0.73-inch x 0.73-inch; Blue/Black & Black/Red: 0.91-inch x 0.91-inch | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: Small – 8 hours, Large – 10 hours | Battery life on standby: Small – 56 days, Large – 70 days | Onboard storage: 7 activities | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: No | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: No
Bluetooth pairing with compatible devices
Affordable
No Virtual Partner
No Running Dynamics
Despite being at a comparable price-point to the Forerunner 15, the Forerunner 25 takes things up a technical notch, courtesy of its Bluetooth and smartwatch capabilities.
As a running watch, it boasts a very similar list of features and metrics to the less advanced watches above, but the addition of Bluetooth pairing makes the Forerunner 25 an appealing upgrade.
The Forerunner 25 boasts a larger screen than the Forerunner 15, yet it is also more slimline and, frankly, a nicer-looking watch.
While the running functionality is still relatively basic when looked at in the context of the entire Garmin range, you do get a reasonable selection of metrics (distance, pace, heart rate, calories), along with activity tracking.
The key selling point of this watch, though, has to be the ability to instantly upload your data onto Garmin Connect via Bluetooth – a feature which elevates the Forerunner 25 above its similarly-priced family members, which need to be connected by USB.
3. Garmin Forerunner 30
Screen size: 0.93-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 8 hours | Battery life in watch mode: 5 days | Onboard storage: 7 activities | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Running / Cycling | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: Yes
Lower price point
Smart notifications
Low internal memory
Smaller display
This new model offers similar features – in fact, very similar indeed. The screen, weight, size and strap are all the same, and its main extra feature is that it offers cycling auto-detection.
In our review of the Forerunner 30, we said it was “a pared-back run tracker that packs in some serious features” and gave it four stars out of five. If you can find it for the less money than the Forerunner 30 – the watch coming up next in this list – we’d recommend picking up the Forerunner 35 instead.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 30 review
4. Garmin Forerunner 35
Sleek watch boasting wrist-based heart rate
Screen size: 0.93-inch x 0.93-inch | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 13 hours | Battery life on standby: 9 days | Onboard storage: 7 activities | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Cycling | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: Yes
Heart rate measured at the wrist
Long battery life
A touch overpriced
Confusingly replaced
Jumping up another price bracket now, and we’re faced with the Forerunner 35, a more fashion-conscious mid-range unit that’s packing some powerful functions.
The most obvious difference between the 35 and all of the watches detailed above is the introduction of Garmin’s Elevate technology, which enables heart rate monitoring at the wrist.
This addition means you don’t have to go to the trouble of donning a chest strap before every run, and it also enables the unit to measure your heart rate throughout the day, building up a detailed profile.
While this is clearly of benefit, the wrist-based heart rate monitoring is not without its faults, particularly when it comes to tracking heart rate during interval sessions.
When compared to the heart rate readings of a traditional chest-mounted monitor, the wrist-based version is a little slow to react to rapid rises and falls in heart rate, although it performs well on steadier runs.
5. Garmin Forerunner 45
The latest affordable Garmin running watch
Screen size: 1.04-inch x 1.04-inch | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 13 hours | Battery life on standby: 7 days | Onboard storage: 200 hours of data | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Cycling | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: Yes
Lightweight
Good value
Limited sport profiles
Plastic-heavy build
Then there’s the Forerunner 45, which is a reworked version of the Forerunner 35 and was released in the first half of 2019. There are a few additional wellness features that make the Forerunner 45 stand out compared to the other devices you’ve read about above.
It comes with everything you’d expect in terms of a heart rate sensor, sleep tracking and a variety of smartwatch features, but the highlight here may be the new Body Battery functionality.
This is a metric that Garmin debuted on the Vivofit 4 and combines stats such as stress, heart rate variability and your general activity data to work out your overall energy levels so you can find the optimum time to train and ensure you’re not pushing yourself too hard.
Overall, the Forerunner 45 isn’t the most capable watch on this list but considering it isn’t as expensive as some of the devices coming up on this list you may want to go for it.
Read the full Garmin Forerunner 45 review
6. Garmin Forerunner 230
Stylish and simple design, married with smart functions
Screen size: 1.22-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 16 hours | Battery life on standby: 35 days | Onboard storage: 200 hours of activity | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Cycling | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: No
VO2 max calculations
Long battery life
No Running Dynamics
No built-in heart rate monitoring
The Forerunner 230 was part of Garmin’s triple launch towards the end of 2015, when the 230, 235 and 630 were all announced to the running world. The 230 is the cheapest and least advanced of the trio, by virtue of it not having a built-in heart rate monitor, but it does have smartwatch capabilities and a very respectable battery life.
The 230 also includes some interesting post-run metrics, such as VO2 max calculation and Training Effect. The watch will give you a VO2 max value at the end of a run (if it has changed) and the Training Effect data can help you understand how much of an impact a given run has had on your body (this is massively oversimplifying a much more intelligent feature).
For those runners who are partial to a bit of two-wheeled action, the 230 helpfully includes a cycling mode, and the unit can be paired with ANT+ speed and cadence sensors as well.
7. Garmin Forerunner 235
A good looking, lightweight smartwatch
Screen size: 1.23-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 11 hours | Battery life on standby: 9 days | Onboard storage: 200 hours of activity | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Cycling | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: Yes
Lightweight
Detailed daily activity tracking
Optical heart rate technology needs work
Slight plasticky feel
The 235 offers music controls and audio announcements (if you don’t mind bringing your phone along for the run) and you’re also able to pick up smart notifications for calls, messages and social media updates.
This impressive list of functions, coupled with the stylish appearance of the 235, makes it a formidable package that is tough to beat – and it’s constantly getting discounted at the moment.
Read the full Garmin Forerunner 235 review
8. Garmin Vivoactive 3
A subtle smartwatch built for life as well as fitness
Screen size: 1.2-inch | Touchscreen: : Yes | Battery life using GPS: 13 hours | Battery life on standby: 7 days in smartwatch mode | Onboard storage: 7 timed activities / 14 days activity tracking | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Yes | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: Yes
Great battery life
Stylish design
Garmin Pay yet to launch in the UK
Limited iOS integration
The versatile Garmin Vivoactive range offers super-detailed activity tracking capabilities complete with powerful GPS and heart rate sensors that make it suitable for everyday runners who also like to track general activity.
There are 15 preloaded sport apps and the 5ATM water resistance makes it a perfect swimming companion. With a 13-hour GPS battery life, it also offers far greater longevity than the Forerunner series, and the stainless steel bezels make it one of the more attractive fitness-themed smartwatches out there.
Read the Garmin Vivoactive 3 review
9. Garmin Forerunner 735XT
A brilliant triathlon watch
Screen size: 1.23-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 14 hours | Battery life on standby: 11 days | Onboard storage: 80 hours of activity | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Triathlon
Nice color options
Good transitions in triathlon
Pricey
Smart notifications can be small
A really great running watch that will entice those that like using buttons over the touchscreen of the Forerunner 630, the 735XT is a great watch for those that want to push into the world of triathlons.
It doesn’t have the battery life of the Forerunner 630, but very similar stylings and we’re loving the blue frost colouring that adorns one of the versions. It’s also got a wrist-based heart rate monitor too, so you’ve got access to your pulse without a chest strap.
It’s skill is in the variety of activities it can track – with smart notifications built in, it’s a quality watch for the triathlete.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 735XT review
10. Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
The Forerunner that offers freedom from your phone
Screen size: 1.2-inch | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 5 hours | Battery life on standby: Smartwatch mode = 7 days | Onboard storage: 200 hours activities | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: : Yes | Multi-sport: Yes | Inbuilt heart-rate monitor: Yes
Offline music storage
Prettiest Garmin yet
Poor battery life
Deezer / iHeartRadio not enabled
In an overdue move, the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music finally lets you add tunes to your running with its latest model.
The first running watch out of the Gamin stable in 2018 has room for 500 songs, either through offline playlist transfer or downloads, meaning you can leave the phone at home.
The main draw here is the stylish design, where the stainless steel bezel make this the most attractive (and lightweight) Garmin to strap to your wrist. It’s also a very capable multi-sport model too, with only the lack of open-water swimming and triathlon mode missing.
However, we’re not fans of this watch, and would go as far to say it’s one of the weakest on the list, thanks to there not being an option to sync music from a streaming source. It was supposed to allow you to do this from Deezer or iHeartRadio but that’s not materialized yet.
The battery life is also a bit short – it’s fine when running, but as a connected device, it could be a lot better. The 935, which isn’t that much more expensive, does nearly everything the 645 can (minus music playback) and wipes the floor with it in terms of battery performance.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review
11. Garmin Forerunner 935
Simply one of the best multi-sport watches out there
Screen size: 1.2-inch diameter | Touchscreen: Yes | Battery life using GPS: 24 hours | Battery life on standby: 14 days | Onboard storage: 64MB | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: All the sports
Can track pretty much anything
One of the longest-lasting watches out
Price is very high
Screen might be a touch low-res for some
Looking for a sleek watch that can, well, track pretty much anything? The Garmin Forerunner 935 is one of the best out there in terms of not only the sports it can track, but how it tracks them.
There’s a barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and thermometer in there – meaning you’ll get all the information you can from your activity.
Like most of the watches here, you can upload easily to Strava and that’ll include the heart rate data even without a strap, thanks to that being built into the watch with Garmin’s Elevate tech.
In short, this is one of our favorite fitness watches… a great buy if you can afford the extra outlay for the battery life if nothing else.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 935 review
12. Garmin Fenix 5 series
A great fusion of style and performance
Screen size: 1.2-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 24 hours | Battery life on standby: 14 days | Onboard storage: 64MB | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Loads of them
Great design
Long battery life
Chunky
Expensive
It can track everything with all the same sensors, has smart notifications and the same GPS accuracy – in short, this is the watch for you if you want to be equally as adept at climbing mountains as looking great at work.
Plus there’s the Garmin Fenix 5S and Fenix 5X that come with slightly better features than you get on the basic Fenix 5 product.
Read our Garmin Fenix 5 review
13. Garmin Fenix 5 Plus series
Range-topping multisport Fenix gets an impressive upgrade
Screen size: 1.2-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 18 hours | Battery life on standby: 12 days | Onboard storage: 16GB | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Loads of them
Hard wearing design
Packed with top-end features
Shorter battery over last model
Expensive
The price is still high, but if you’re looking for a running watch at the top of its game; this is probably it. The battery life isn’t as good as we’d hoped for, but it’s solid enough to last most of your adventures.
There’s also the Garmin Fenix 5S Plus and Garmin Fenix 5X Plus to choose from too, with the latter of the two devices being almost the most feature rich Garmin watches you can buy right now.
Read our full Garmin Fenix 5 Plus review
14. Garmin Forerunner 945
The ultimate running watch
Screen size: 1.2-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 36 hours | Battery life on standby: 14 days | Onboard storage: 16GB for maps, 4GB for music | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Dozens
Very accurate GPS and heart rate
Useful full-color maps
Expensive
Iffy swim tracking
We found the GPS and heart rate monitor to both be exceedingly accurate in our review, and also praised the Forerunner 945’s full-color maps and up to two weeks of battery life.
And while this is a runner’s watch through and through, that’s not to say it can’t track other sports. In fact, there are tracking tools for over 30 different activities built-in.
But if you’re not primarily running – and at a high level – then you’ll probably be better off with a cheaper or more general-purpose Garmin, as this costs a lot, and goes deeper into what it tracks than most casual runners will want or need.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 945 review
15. Garmin Fenix 6
The best multi-sport watch money can buy
Screen size: 1.3-inch diameter | Touchscreen: No | Battery life using GPS: 36 hours | Battery life on standby: 14 days | Onboard storage: 64MB | Bluetooth connection: Yes | Smartwatch capabilities: Yes | Multisport: Loads of them
Can’t be beaten for outdoor tracking
Accurate activity tracking
Very expensive
Not the most stylish of watches
The Garmin Fenix 6 is perhaps the ultimate multi-sport smartwatch, and certainly the ultimate one offered by Garmin. Or, well, the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar is anyway, but the entire Fenix 6 range is truly top-end as wearables go.
The Garmin Fenix 6 will track almost any outdoor activity you could possibly want, with GPS along with a heart rate monitor that even works underwater.
GPS locks on fast and works reliably in our experience, battery life is impressive, and the watch feels robust – if bulky.
The high price will put many people off and if you’re not sure you really need the Garmin Fenix 6 then, well, you probably don’t. In that case, consider one of the cheaper options elsewhere on this list, but for serious athletes and adventurers, particularly those who don’t stick to just one sport, the Fenix 6 comes highly recommended.
Read our full Garmin Fenix 6 review
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