The 5 finest Garmin watches for 2025

Few manufacturers are as synonymous with out of doors 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 title it. But these units aren’t simply for athletes. The firm’s made important strides in its way of life choices, so no matter your health stage, there’s a Garmin for everybody.

If you’re coming from a extra conventional smartwatch, Garmin’s core strengths lie in health, Global Positioning System, adventuring, and sturdiness. These are hardy units that are supposed to face up to the weather and final weeks on a single cost. Several fashions include offline maps, superior navigational options, and extra coaching metrics than another platform. Garmin units are usually on the pricier facet, nonetheless, and the corporate not too long ago introduced it will start placing its latest options behind a paywall. That’s a bummer given Garmin spent years publicly stating it had no intention of charging its customers further.

Garmins aren’t too shabby on smarts, both. While 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 a number of other of the most recent Garmins not too long ago bought an FDA-cleared EKG function. (You’ll want a cellphone available, nonetheless, as just one Garmin mannequin has mobile connectivity.) Many Garmin units 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 large number of fashions. But no worries — I take a look at a number of Garmins yearly and may help level you in the fitting route.

The finest Garmin for runners

Sizes: 42mm w/ 18mm straps; 46mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 39g (42mm); 47g (46mm) / Battery life: Up to fifteen days (42mm); 13 days (46mm) in smartwatch mode / Display kind: OLED touchscreen / Global Positioning System: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency Global Positioning System / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 8GB

Garmin has many operating watches, and loads of them are nice. But the Forerunner 265 or 265S (when you have petite wrists) strikes a superb stability between worth, function set, battery life, and a vibrant OLED show.

That stated, 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 essential distinction is the 265 has an OLED show in comparison with the 255’s memory-in-pixel display. Usually, which means worse battery life, however on this case, we bought a few week on a single cost with the always-on show enabled. Without it, you may rise up to fifteen days. Given that OLED is less complicated to learn and simply, effectively, seems to be nicer, that offers the 265 lineup an edge over the 255.

The 265 additionally has dual-frequency Global Positioning System (also referred to 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 Global Positioning System 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 bought residence. This can be a superb worth, as nearly all of multi-band Global Positioning System watches value effectively over $600.

My essential criticism is that $450, whereas not unhealthy for Garmin, remains to be quite a bit when you think about that’s the identical worth as smarter smartwatches with nice operating options. Some runners gained’t care. But when you’re on a finances — otherwise you’re new to operating and really feel iffy about spending that a lot — then contemplate the Forerunner 165 collection. It begins at $250 (add one other $50 for onboard music) and does nearly all the pieces the 265 collection does. The essential stuff you’re lacking are dual-frequency Global Positioning System and some extra area of interest sport profiles. But when you’re principally sticking to operating, fitness center gear, biking, swimming, and climbing, you’re lined.

Neither has all of Garmin’s coaching options, however it’s bought what you’ll have to run something from a 5K to a full marathon. That features a Race Predictor, which supplies you an estimate of what your finest time can be primarily based in your precise coaching. You also can use TempoPro to determine your pacing technique for a race. You additionally get Garmin’s Training Readiness function to assist gauge load and restoration, Garmin Coach plans, and a number of operating kind metrics. It additionally helps offline music and security options like fall detection. The solely factor they lack is superior mapping. (They nonetheless have trackback, point-to-point navigation, and real-time breadcrumb path assist, nonetheless.)

The finest Garmin for endurance sports activities

Sizes: 42mm w/ 20mm straps; 47mm w/ 22mm straps; 51mm w/ 26mm straps / Weight: 42mm: 63g stainless-steel, 58g titanium; 47mm: 78g stainless-steel, 70g titanium; 51mm: 98g stainless-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) / Display kind: OLED / Global Positioning System: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency Global Positioning System / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM / Music storage: Up to 32GB

The Epix Pro will get you each health function that Garmin has to supply. And I imply all the pieces. It would frankly be simpler to let you know what the Epix Pro doesn’t have: issues which are restricted to LTE smartwatches and a number of the new good options on the Fenix 8, like an on-board voice assistant. Otherwise, you’ve bought topographical maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and extra coaching metrics than even a seasoned triathlete would know what to do with.

The Pro is extra size-inclusive than the usual second-gen Epix, which solely is available in 47mm. You can get the Pro in that dimension, too, however it additionally is available in 42mm and 51mm. This was a serious criticism I had with the second-gen Epix, and also you like to see corporations really take this form of factor significantly. The better part is the Pro fashions begin on the identical worth because the common Epix did. You’ll must pay $100 further for supplies like titanium and sapphire crystal, however that’s additionally true of the usual Epix.

That stated, it muddies the waters when you’re attempting to select between the Epix Pro, Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, and now, the Fenix 8. The essential distinction is the Epix watches all have OLED shows. One cause I choose OLED is that they’re a lot simpler to learn indoors — the place most of us spend nearly all of our time. The Fenix 7 collection’ memory-in-pixel shows (plus photo voltaic charging when you go for it) enable for weeks and weeks of cost, however the smallest Epix Pro can get round 10 days with regular utilization. The 47mm and 51mm Pro fashions can go longer between expenses as a result of larger 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 helps you to select between an OLED or a MIP show. You additionally get good options like an onboard voice assistant, the power to take calls from the wrist, and the Garmin Messenger app. The essential downside is the beginning worth is now $350 greater than the usual Fenix 7 and proper about on par with the Epix Pro. My private feeling is the Fenix 8’s good options are simply okay and that you just’re actually not lacking a lot by not having them. We additionally typically see reductions on older fashions, so I might placed on my bargain-hunting hat for a reduced Epix Pro or Fenix 7 Pro whereas stock remains to be out there.

But actually, the profitable function of the Epix Pro is the hands-free flashlight. It’s so helpful in my day-to-day life, and all you need to do is double-press a button. It’s as shiny as your smartphone, comes with a purple 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 Pro and eight watches even have a flashlight, so loads of that is going to come back down to private choice for the show, worth, and whether or not you care about good options.

If you’re set on essentially the most battery life potential, I like to recommend the Fenix 7 Pro 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 Pro, 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. Especially for the reason that Fenix 8’s good options are a bit half-baked.

The finest Garmin on a finances

Sizes: 40mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 19g / Battery life: Up to five days / Display kind: “Hidden” OLED touchscreen / Global Positioning System: Tethered Global Positioning System / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A

What I like most in regards to the Vivomove Sport is that it doesn’t appear like what most individuals anticipate from a Garmin. It’s a hybrid smartwatch, which implies it seems to be like a daily 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.

This is finest suited to a casually energetic one that desires model and worth in a light-weight bundle. Think wellness, extra so than health. It will get you steady coronary heart fee monitoring and blood oxygen stage monitoring, and may even present irregular coronary heart fee alerts. You additionally get entry to extra in-depth metrics like respiration fee, health age, stress, and Body Battery, which is Garmin’s instrument for visualizing how well-rested you might be. For good options, you get all of the fundamentals, like notifications, alarms, and timers.

The Sport isn’t fairly as full-featured as another Garmin watches you’ll discover on this listing. For occasion, you’re giving up built-in Global Positioning System in favor of tethered Global Positioning System via your cellphone. There aren’t any contactless funds, neither is there a microphone or speaker for taking calls on the wrist. But this is a finances decide, and also you get quite a bit, contemplating that is an entry-level gadget that might move 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 Wear OS 4 watch. If you’re prepared to spend about $100 extra, the $269.99 Vivomove Trend has extra stylish supplies, will get you extra display actual property, and wi-fi Qi charging. Otherwise, this can be a nice way of life wearable that may function a classier different to your typical health band.

If you favor one thing newer to the Sport that’s additionally fashionable, the Garmin Lily 2 is one other good choice, particularly when you’ve bought significantly small wrists or choose one thing extraordinarily light-weight. The swipe and faucet gestures are nonetheless just a little fiddly to make use of — which was additionally the case with the first-gen mannequin — however the contemporary design is a enjoyable method to calmly monitor your health with out bogging your self down with notifications. Garmin additionally provides the Lily 2 Active, which provides a bodily button, Global Positioning System, and assist for extra sports activities monitoring for a beginning worth of $299.99.

The finest Garmin to switch a Fitbit

Sizes: 40mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 38g / Battery life: Up to 11 days / Display kind: OLED touchscreen / Global Positioning System: All-systems GNSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 4GB (for Music Edition)

If you had been disenchanted 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 may simply be mistaken for an Apple Watch. On the wrist, you’ll discover it’s made from plastic, however it nonetheless seems to be fairly stylish and very light-weight. The display is shiny, straightforward to learn, and appears higher than any Versa or Sense ever did.

The function set can be nice for the worth, with built-in Global Positioning System, a ton of watch faces, emergency security options, and contactless funds. If you pay $50 extra for the Music Edition, 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 more than likely be carrying your cellphone with you anyway.

As for well being options, the Venu Sq 2 mainly has all the pieces you’d get on a Versa or Sense smartwatch however with Garmin’s treasure trove of metrics as effectively. That consists of coronary heart fee monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, depth minutes (how a lot reasonable train you get in every week), stress monitoring, hydration monitoring, respiratory fee, interval monitoring, and Garmin’s restoration function, Body Battery. As 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.

Another huge leg-up Garmin has over Fitbit? None of those options or metrics are locked behind a paywall, even when Garmin’s AI-powered insights and some different expanded options will solely be out there as a part of Garmin Connect Plus ($6.99 a month / $69.99 yearly).

The finest Garmin smartwatch

Sizes: 41mm w/ 18mm straps; 45mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 40g for the 3S; 47g for the three / Battery life: Up to 10 days for 3S; 14 days for 3 / Display kind: OLED touchscreen / Global Positioning System: Global Positioning System, 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 a number of years, and the Venu 3 collection is the neatest (and most reasonably priced) of the bunch.

The Venu 3 collection is available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. Like the Venu 2 Plus, it has a microphone and speaker. You can take calls instantly from the wrist and subject instructions to your cellphone’s digital assistant through Bluetooth. It’s not the identical as having Siri, Bixby, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant constructed instantly into the watch, however it’s a intelligent workaround that works effectively 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 straightforward to learn. As for well being and health, you get a pleasant mixture of primary and extra superior options and metrics. It has Garmin’s newest coronary heart fee sensor, which permits FDA-cleared EKG and AFib detection options. Overall, 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 fee alerts, and stress monitoring. As for coaching, you continue to get built-in Global Positioning System, VO2 Max, coronary heart fee zones, respiration fee, and downloadable coaching plans through Garmin Coach.

New to the three and 3S is a sleep coach that components in metrics like coronary heart fee variability and up to date exercise to find out your sleep wants. It additionally lastly provides nap detection, a function that’s been lengthy overdue for the Garmin platform. The Venu 3 collection additionally provides audio-guided meditation classes, and you’ll view how these classes instantly impression 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. However, it is usually greater than double the worth and never what I’d contemplate a superb worth for the common athlete. It’s extra for individuals who spend hours upon hours coaching each week.

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

Update, April twelfth: Adjusted pricing / availability and up to date copy to mirror the introduction of Garmin Connect Plus.