10 Best Garmin Watches In 2020

The Forerunner models are the best Garmin running watches. The Forerunner 35 provides all the running metrics you need without overwhelming you with too much data. It is extremely easy to use, which makes it a great first running watch. It also has all the features serious runners need.

Its running modes include free run, run/walk, and virtual pacer. With the integrated GPS, it will tell track where and how fast you’re running and the distance you cover. It also has a heart rate monitor integrated and tracks cadence and indoor runs and workouts without the need for a foot pod. The cardio option has interval programming, which makes it perfect for triathlon training.

The Forerunner 35 is also a great activity tracker and step counter. With its stylish square face and slim and lightweight design, you can wear it almost anywhere and anytime for all-day tracking of steps, calories and heart rate. In our experience and according to reviews by users, the Forerunner 35 is an accurate step counter and heart rate monitor and the satellite acquisition is pretty fast.

Four buttons make it easy to operate and visibility is no challenge as the high-resolution display with large numbers is crisp and clear in sunlight and has backlight for night viewing. The flexible band with many notches make it a great fit even on very small wrists. You can pair it with your smartphone to receive smart notifications right on your wrist.

The Forerunner 735XT is the best Garmin triathlon watch. It comes pre-loaded with training modes for running, cycling, and swimming and transitioning from one activity to another is at the press of a single button. In addition to the basic data such as time, distance and pace, it also provides advanced metrics such as ground contact time balance, stride length, and vertical ratio. The built-in high precision GPS tracks your location for runs and other activities.

It is also a great activity tracker that gets rave reviews for the accuracy of its wrist-based HRM and step counter. If you want more advanced functionality such as VO2 max estimation, race prediction, and recovery monitoring, you can pair it with a chest strap HRM.

Even with its advanced functionality, it is very comfortable. At only 1.6 ounces, it's amazingly light and won’t weigh your wrist down. If you want to untether from your phone as you run, you can sync it with your phone and receive notifications and control your phone’s music.

If you are embarking on a long race, the Forerunner 735XT has enough juice to make it to the finish. It can last up to 14 hours in GPS mode, up to 24 hours in UltraTrac mode, and up to 11 days in watch mode.

If you walk and run for exercise and want a basic, easy to use GPS running watch that will track your routes, distance, and pace, the Garmin Forerunner 25 is the best option for you. Since it doesn’t have fancy bells and whistles, it is very simple to operate and also pretty inexpensive. If you have really small wrists, the compact footprint and ultralight feel are perfect for you.

The built-in GPS is accurate and takes just a few seconds to acquire satellites. If you’re working out on the elliptical machine, the accelerometer will track your speed and distance. The Forerunner 25 also keeps track of your steps, calories and can work with a chest strap and Strava to train with heart rate zones. It also has smart notifications.

The four-button interface and navigation of the watch are pretty basic and intuitive. The buttons are nicely designed and easy to operate even with sweaty fingers. The screen is simple and easy to read even in bright daylight. The silicone strap is flexible and easy to fasten.

The battery life of this large version is great. If you’re tracking your run with GPS on, you can get up to 10 hours on a single charge. If you’re using it in watch/activity tracking mode with GPS off, the battery can last 10 weeks.

If you’re a serious athlete who engages in multiple activities like cardio exercises, marathons, triathlons, off-trail running, cycling, and swimming and need a top-notch GPS multisport watch that can take your performance to the next level, the Forerunner 935 is the perfect training partner to have on your wrist.

It is an advanced Forerunner model with multisport support. It is a top rated Garmin running watch that provides detailed metrics and advanced dynamics such as ground contact time balance, stride length, exertion levels and more. The GPS accuracy is spot on and locks onto satellites fast. This rugged watch also provides elevation data and helps with bearings, as it is equipped with a barometer, altimeter and electronic compass.

It is also an awesome fitness and sleep tracker with a pretty accurate optical heart rate monitor and you can wear a chest strap if you want pinpoint accuracy and more metrics. With a slim design weighing only 49 grams, it is comfortable to wear all day and night.  It has Bluetooth and built-in Wi-Fi and syncs with smartphones to receive alerts and automatically upload data.

Buttons operation is ideal for outdoor use with sweaty hands. The anti-glare screen is sunlight-readable and has built-in light for night viewing. The battery won’t fail you during long-distance expeditions. It lasts up to 24hr in full-tracking mode and can go as long as 60 hours in Ultratac mode. It also charges really fast. N/B: Be sure to confirm with the seller that you’re ordering the North America version and not the Asian market version so you can get timely updates.

The Garmin Fenix 5X Plus is the ultimate Garmin watch serious athletes and adventurers aspire to own. It has everything you could want in a sports or outdoor watch and more. Packed with multiple sports modes for running, indoor workouts, triathlon, golf, hiking, climbing, regular skiing, cross country skiing, cycling, open water swimming, and more, it is also the best Garmin multisport watch. It does just about anything you could possibly want for any kind of activity and provides advanced metrics such as VO2 Max, race prediction, and stress scores. It also counts steps and tracks sleep cycle stages, heart rate, and calories burned.

This Garmin GPS watch features a high sensitivity GPS that locks onto satellites super-fast and also has GLONASS and GALILEO satellite reception. It also comes pre-loaded with color TOPO maps and Trend line popularity routing that shows you the best trails and routes to take. An ABC watch with altimeter, barometer, compass and a built-in Pulse Ox Acclimation sensor that monitors blood oxygen levels at high altitude, it is also the best Garmin watch for climbing.

If music is an integral part of your training, your needs are covered as the Fenix 5X Plus has a built-in music player and on-board storage capacity for up to 500 songs. It can also sync with your Spotify playlist. All you have to do to enjoy phone-free listening is pair it with wireless headphones. It also connects with smartphones for smart notifications.

The Forerunner 235 is the go-to running watch for many avid runners, as it offers fast GPS signal acquisition, provides accurate basic data as well as more advanced running dynamics and it is more affordably priced. Wonderfully lightweight (only 1.6 ounces) with a low profile and attached to a comfortable sport band, it is very comfortable to run with.

It records all the basic running stats such as distance, time, current pace and is also capable of advanced metrics such as VO2 max estimate and recovery advisor. Elevate wrist-based HRM monitors heart rate 24/7, identifies your heart rate zones and beats per minute and works with Strava. This watch also tracks sleep cycles, counts steps and reminds you to move when you’ve been inactive for too long.

The Forerunner 235 pairs with smartphones for smart notifications, music control, automatic upload of data to Garmin Connect. Buttons operation is easy to use and the always-on color display with transflective memory in pixel (MIP) is easy to read and always on. You can view the current pace, incoming notifications, and other data at a glance.

A single charge provides up to 11 hours of GPS training and can last as long as 9 days in watch mode. As for its ability to hold up, this top rated Garmin running watch is water-resistant and very tough.

If you want a stylish hybrid watch to wear all day as a regular wristwatch, and for smart notifications and all day fitness tracking, the Garmin Vivomove HR is one of the best hybrid smartwatches on the market and the best Garmin smartwatch.

What makes it an exceptional smartwatch is the smart, discreet display. It only lights up when you turn your wrist to look at it allowing you to see notifications from your smartphone discreetly. It also features precision hands that show the time precisely and dynamically move out of the way when swiping through the different screens or reading notifications.

It monitors fitness stats such as distance and steps. The elevate wrist HRM tracks your heart rate all day and night and provides intensity minutes, VO2 max estimate, fitness age, and calories burned.  It is also a wellness monitor that features all-day stress tracking, has a relaxation timer and monitors even REM sleep.

The Garmin Vivomove HR is the best Garmin watch for wearing to the office. The classic analog display gives it an elegant look that suits official wear. It comes in a range of luxury looks for men and women and you can switch out the band to leather or stainless steel. The OLED display is visible in daylight and night readable. A full charge offers up to 5 days in smart mode and up to 2 weeks in watch mode.

A beautiful and stylish watch that can do it all, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is the best Garmin watch if you want an all-around watch that can track multiple activities and that you can also wear every day for daily fitness and wellness tracking and smart notifications.  It is elegant enough to wear everywhere (you can swap the silicone strap for a metal or leather band) and comfortable to wear 24/7.

It comes with training modes for 15 activities including yoga, running, golf, swimming, cycling, strength training, snowboarding and more already preloaded and it provides the most important metrics for each activity. If your favorite way to work out or have fun isn’t included, just log on to Garmin Connect, create the activity and download it your watch.

GPS is excellent, as you can expect with Garmin GPS watches. When you start an outdoor activity such as running, it connects right away to track distance, location, pace and more. It also has an accelerometer that monitors distance and speed for indoor workouts. Fitness and wellness tracking include steps, stairs, sleep, wrist HRM, heart rate variability (HRV), stress level, VO2 max and fitness age estimates.

As for smart notifications, it doesn’t just show texts and incoming calls, you can reply to texts with preset messages, decide whether to pick up calls, and control your phone’s music player. It also has contactless payments and is capable of controlling home lights, receiving weather data and so much more with downloadable apps.

The Garmin Fenix 3 offers the ruggedness, more advanced metrics, more accurate tracking, and navigation features, and excellent battery life Garmin Fenix models are known for at a more affordable price. Whether you’re an avid runner or swimmer or enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, or paddling, it has apps for these activities and more built-in.

The running function tracks distance, pace, and speed.  Used with an external heart rate monitor, it also provides advanced metrics such as cadence, balance, ground contact time, VO2 Max, and vertical ratio and functions as a recovery advisor and race predictor. Swim mode tracks distance, pace, stroke count and more. It also tracks indoor workouts and has a step counter, sleep tracker and climbing app.

Featuring an Omni-directional EXO antenna, GPS, GLONASS and epo satellites reception, TracBack and Sight’n Go, and ABC sensors that provide information on bearing, elevation and weather changes, it is a reliable navigation device even in challenging conditions. It also has a rugged build to withstand rough usage. It features a fiber-reinforced polymer case, high-strength, scratch-resistant lens, stainless steel bezel and buttons, and 100m water resistance rating.

While fairly large, the Fenix 3 is slim and lightweight and not a bother to wear at all. The navigation buttons are easy to use and the high-resolution, optically-bonded Chroma color display is sunlight-visible and has LED backlight. It holds charge really well - 16 hours in GPS mode, up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, and you can extend it to 40 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode.

Vivoactive models are the best Garmin fitness trackers with GPS. The best thing about the Vivoactive HR is that it is a smartwatch with a large display, rather than a narrow fitness band. It is one of the most popular Garmin watches for workouts and activity tracking thanks to its multiple sports apps, on target GPS, wrist-based HRM, and decent battery life.

It comes with GPS enabled apps for running, walking, swimming, biking, skiing, snowboarding, rowing, paddle boarding, golf and more already installed and you can create even more. It also has an indoor walking/treadmill function, a step counter and an altimeter for stair climbing and hiking. It calculates calories burned and intensity minutes and also monitors sleep cycles.

As for its smartwatch capabilities, you can read full text messages and other notifications and control your phone’s music player. The high-resolution display is bright and vibrant outdoors in direct sunlight and has backlight for reading in the dark.

If you’re wondering about how it will fit on your wrist, this is a regular fit for wrist circumferences 5.39" to 7.68" (137 to 195 mm).  The strap is flexible and users attest that this Garmin activity tracker is very comfortable. The stated battery life is up to 13 hours of GPS tracking and about 8 days in watch mode.