Best Garmin Running Watches for 2024 [Our Reviews and Comparisons]

Garmin is a company that specializes in the production of fitness trackers and has a wide range of digital watches in its arsenal that serve as fitness trackers. Many Garmin watches are popular with the public, especially with fitness professionals who maintain or exercise to improve their skills and endurance.
Here are some of the best Garmin racing watches that can be used by professional athletes.

11. Forerunner Garmin 30

 

  • Easy to use
  • Accurate positioning with GPS
  • Followed all day.

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Comments and comparison with our best racing watch Garmin

1. Garmin Phoenix 6X Pro

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Phoenix 6X Pro is a multisport watch made by technology giant Garmin. This functional, high-quality Smartwatch series meets the requirements of all fitness professionals, from swimmers to athletes. This watch can be a great companion whether you are training for a marathon, jogging long distances or going to the gym several times a week.

Characteristics

Compared to its predecessor, Garmin Phoenix 5 Plus, the 6X Pro has a larger screen size and improved resolution. The extra screen space is advantageous during use, as up to six data fields can be displayed during use. The resolution has been increased to 260 x 260 pixels, making the screen more readable in daylight.

Another improvement is the increase in internal memory to 32GB, which is useful if you want to store music while syncing with the Spotify playlist and other compatible applications. Download the current playlist, connect to your Bluetooth headset and get started.

An important feature long-distance runners rely on is battery life. Smartwatch is equipped with several battery modes that extend battery life to 46 days. Another remarkable feature is the PacePro application, which offers a stimulation strategy according to the terrain and the desired target time. A useful feature for professional athletes and cross-country skiers, allowing you to refine walking on unfamiliar routes.

What we like about the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is equipped with a body battery that monitors your energy level throughout the day. This will give you an idea of how different activities or even daily habits can affect the overall energy level.

What we don’t like about the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro.

The watch is quite large and can sometimes be uncomfortable over long distances.

PROS

  • Large screen
  • Storage space up to 32 GB
  • Music storage
  • Excellent driving characteristics

SUMMARY

  • People with small wrists will not find the ideal size.
  • Dear Sir

2. Active Garmin 4

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a multi-sport watch for serious runners. When this watch was launched, it was considered expensive, but the company lowered the price and updated the software, making it one of the best GPS watches on the market.

Characteristics

The Vivoactive 4 is designed for walkers, runners, swimmers and outdoor enthusiasts and features a 1.3-inch transflective memory (MIP) display with a resolution of 260×260 pixels. The transflective display reflects light, making the display clearer on clear days, which is an advantage when working in daylight.

Vivoactive 4 has a large screen on which you can display more training data. The standard display shows time, distance, heart rate and pulse rate, all conveniently arranged on one screen and not overloaded.

What do we like about Garmin Vivoactive 4?

This fitness trainer contains the Pulse OX application, which measures SPO2, the body battery and breathing. This device also transmits music.

What we don’t like about Garmina VivoActive 4

In Vivoactive 4 there is no Voice Assistant function and no loudspeaker.

PROS

  • With the transflective display you can see the screen in full sun.
  • Long battery life
  • Pulsed OX measurement SPO2
  • Music stream

SUMMARY

  • iOS users cannot respond to texts
  • No language assistant.

3. Predecessor of Garmin 645

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 645 is a training watch from the Garmin racing watch range. Music is the main reason why you want to buy this watch. With an internal memory of 4 GB, it can store 500 numbers. It can download music from iHeartRadio, Spotify and Deezer, giving you access to multiple tracks. If you want to use Spotify you need a premium subscription.

Characteristics

This racing watch has a slim profile and a dial with a diameter of 1.2 inches. The screen is large enough to read while driving. In the dark, the watch uses a backlight that is activated during operation to illuminate the dial when you tilt your wrist.

The battery lasts up to seven days in Smartwatch mode and up to five hours in GPS mode with music. Battery life depends on how the runner decides to use the watch. If you travel long distances with a GPS tracker and music on, and you often interact with the interface, the battery will drain faster. However, if you want to record shorter events without music, the battery may last much longer.

The watch is equipped with a GPS and GLONASS communication system and can quickly receive a satellite signal while jogging and accurately track distance, speed, time and altitude changes.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 645?

The GPS tracker is exceptional. It is permanently connected to your smartphone and tracks your position with precision and accuracy.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 645

It’s a little difficult to download music to your watch. You need to turn on your computer, open Garmin Express, then search for numbers on your computer and send them to your watch.

PROS

  • A fast GPS connection
  • 4 GB memory
  • Easy to read display

SUMMARY

  • Pulse counter displays are inconsistent if the clock/li> is not correctly positioned.

4. Predecessor of Garmin 245

 

Main product characteristics

The British national newspaper The Guardian called Garmin Forerunner 245 the runner’s best friend. This watch is equipped with a comprehensive health monitoring and is in the mid-price segment with high quality features. Moreover, this sports watch is designed for top athletes who need all the intricate details of their training.

Characteristics

The Forerunner 245 looks like a round digital watch with a sophisticated design and is available in two different versions, one without music memory and one with up to 500 songs in memory. The second is slightly more expensive than the first.

The watch is equipped with a colour display and a 240×240 pixel screen with memory behind a durable gorilla glass. The watch does not have a touch screen, but on the other hand, this makes the watch more suitable for many physical activities, but also saves a good battery. It is also waterproof up to 50 meters.

The battery life of the device is excellent. It can work for seven days, even with two hours of GPS tracking per day and constant alerts from smartphones.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 245?

The watch has a sports monitoring function and the associated tools allow wearers to monitor the effectiveness of their training and obtain accurate results. Predefined tracking options include running, track running, indoor running, yoga, cardio, treadmill, indoor cycling, indoor rowing, indoor running, indoor running, elliptical training and step.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 245.

Just like the Garmin Forerunner 645, you need to turn on your computer, open the Garmin Express, find the numbers on your computer, and finally send your favorite numbers to your watch.

PROS

  • 7 days battery life
  • A wide range of training options to choose from
  • Tightness at 50M

SUMMARY

  • No Game Garmin
  • Downloading music via PC

5. Predecessor of Garmin 45

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 45 is the entry-level model for those who need a dedicated GPS tracker without having to rely on hard data to track their activities. Features include heart rate, Smartwatch warnings and VO2 Max. It is a light and comfortable watch that guarantees good value for money.

Characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 45 is first and foremost a racing watch. There are 12 activity profiles including running, treadmill, indoor treadmill, cycling, cardio and hiking. Since it is designed for insider runners, one special feature should be noted: it is the Garmin coach.

It offers customizable training plans, developed by experienced coaches, for distances of 5 km, 10 km and the half marathon. The watch has a memory for storing 200 hours of workout data and automatically syncs with Garmin Connect from a smartphone.

Other fitness monitoring elements include steps, calories, active minutes of the week, heart rate, stress level and body battery. All this to help you evaluate your performance and appreciate the nature of your training.

The heart rate monitor is accurate and can monitor your heart rate for up to four hours. Forerunner 45 records your resting heart rate for the last seven days. It also has an abnormal heart rate alarm, which by default is 100 bpm when you are at rest.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 45?

GPS communication is recorded using a wide range of satellite media, including the Russian GLONASS.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 45

There’s no swimming.

PROS

  • GPS connection
  • Coach Garmin to present the newcomers their progress.
  • 12 operating modes
  • Light

SUMMARY

  • Plastic construction
  • No swimming

6. Predecessor of Garmin 35

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 35 is the perfect companion for your jogging trips, with great features like a heart rate monitor and adjustable training intervals. It also keeps track of other sporting events and offers a number of fundamental intellectual features such as warnings. It does not have the elegant appearance of other trackers, but it fulfills its function as a daily tracker.

Characteristics

Although the Forerunner 35 is primarily designed for running, it has modes of operation for cycling and endurance training. There are internal and external operating modes available, each of which can be adapted to display the desired statistics.

You can set the intervals on the watch during your workout to remind you to take a break. You can warm up and reheat as well as record work and rest times that can be adjusted according to time or distance. There is a run/walk mode for beginners.

For advanced users, Forerunner 35 offers a virtual packaging program that allows you to set a specific work rate and monitor performance.

The battery can last 9 days in hourly mode and 13 hours with GPS, meaning that light users can last a week on a single charge.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 35?

Runners get a lot of attention thanks to the different outdoor modes, including adjustable intervals and run/walk training and a virtual pacemaker.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 35

Determining the position of the GPS plotter for the race will take some time.

PROS

  • Battery life: 9 days in monitoring mode; 13 hours with GPS
  • Adjustable learning modes
  • Affordable
  • Notifications from your smartphone

SUMMARY

  • Limited condition monitoring
  • No streaming music.

7. Garmin-Venus

 

Main product characteristics

Garmin Venu is the first multisport watch to feature a full AMOLED touchscreen with more than 20 preset activities.

Characteristics

The 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen is an important selling point for Venu. It uses a transflective MIP panel to improve outdoor visibility and extend battery life. The text is much clearer and more readable, whether it concerns notifications or training statistics. A light sensor is also available to automatically adjust the display to the light conditions.

Smartwatch, when it comes to tracking sports; click on the physical button above and you will get a list of sports you can scroll through. This list can be adapted to your wishes. With 20 predefined activities, including many general exercises, but also golf, ski/snowboard and even stand-up fun.

The watch can also continuously monitor the steps, calorie consumption, battery charging, stress level, sleep, breathing, pulse oximetry and VO2-max. Drag the mouse from the home screen to view your daily activities, and each menu can be expanded by pressing for a more accurate review.

What we like about Garmin Vienna

There’s automatic tracking of the rep for strength training. You can also make your own indoor and outdoor trainings.

What we don’t like about Garmin Vienna.

The touch screen is not very responsive. There is a time delay to scroll through the menu and select certain options.

PROS

  • AMOLED touchscreen with permanent display
  • 20 preset events
  • Unique breathing exercises

8. Predecessor of Garmin 945

 

Main product characteristics

The Forerunner 945 is a truly exceptional running watch that is a popular and multifunctional fitness device. It offers brilliant training opportunities in monitoring and analysis, route planning and music reading. With a long list of features and an elegant and beautiful design, this watch can keep up with your marathon races.

Characteristics

With this multisport watch you can practice more than 30 different indoor and outdoor sports, such as running, open water swimming, strength training, skiing and much more. During operation, there are six data screens with data fields that can be configured. If you can’t see the data you need, you can add it using the Garmin Connect IQ application repository. These data screens are workout specific, so you can add a map data screen for running a track and a heart rate screen for running an interval.

The Forerunner 945 is a compact watch that is equipped with various sensors. There is an optical pulsometer, barometric altimeter, pulse oximeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and thermometer. The heart rate sensor performs continuous measurements so that you can check your resting heart rate.

In addition, when you swim, you receive sports-specific data such as the stroke frequency, the circles in the indoor pool and the distance when you are outside, and the watch follows your swimming behaviour with the GPS.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 945?

The watch has special features, including Climb Pro, which emphasizes steep climbs on the track, and Training Load Focus, which categorizes your workout load.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forsyner 945.

She can’t respond to reports.

PROS

  • 30 indoor and outdoor activities
  • Boarding cards so you don’t get lost.
  • Climbing Pro: A record steep climb for hikers.
  • Streaming music, including Spotify and Deezer.

9. Predecessor of Garmin 735XT

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 735XT is an excellent watch for running and triathlon. With its slim design and long battery life, this watch is a real hit. It is as beautiful as a day watch and has many features for multi-sporters in an easy to wear design.

Characteristics

Forerunner 735XT equipment fully supports operations. From basic tracker features such as stride tracking and resting heart rate measurement, to profiles for various sports such as running, swimming and cycling, this product is worth every penny, especially if you’re a professional athlete. The swim tracking system enables an exact calculation of the length using the automatic stroke detection system.

A striking feature of the watch is the addition of a compass. This allows the clock to navigate more accurately, allowing you to move from point to point and track in real time and obtain coordinates to return to the start of your route.

What do we like about the Garmin Forerunner 735XT?

The accuracy of the GPS locator was judged to be excellent because it can be located quickly. Even when the GPS/GLONASS is switched on, the battery is not very low.

What we don’t like about the Garmin Forerunner 735XT.

The 735XT has no barometer, thermometer or gyroscope. There is no other peculiarity – the accumulated training load.

PROS

  • Perfect for runners and triathletes.
  • Accurate GPS
  • Long battery life
  • Compatible with a wide range of sensors

SUMMARY

  • No altimeter/barometer
  • No music support on board
  • The user interface can be improved

10. Garmin Predecessors 15

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 15 is one of the cheapest Garmin watches. It is also one of the cheapest to support heart rate measurement. It’s a great watch with GPS and decent tracking activity. If you’re an amateur athlete who doesn’t need a hard-core runner’s watch, but wants to keep track of distance, intervals, and heart rate, then the Garmin Forerunner 15 is the one for you.

Characteristics

Forerunner 15 is one of the best activity tracking systems because of its extensive activity tracking capabilities. Garmin will act as a pedometer, calorie counter and distance meter based on standard motion sensors instead of GPS, which takes up part of the battery life.

The user interface is user-friendly with multiple screens displaying optimal information. You can display the time and distance, then the speed and calories, and then back to the time and date. You can organize these data fields as you wish.

Navigation on the screens is easy. The display is automatically illuminated in daylight for better visibility. If you press the coloured start button again during a session, you can stop monitoring.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 15?

GPS tracking is extremely accurate and quickly detects changes in pace.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 15.

No Bluetooth synchronization, i.e. no mobile synchronization.

PROS

  • The most accessible
  • Simple menu navigation
  • Easily readable on screen in daylight.
  • Fast and accurate GPS

SUMMARY

  • No Bluetooth
  • The battery can be discharged quickly when using the tracking functions.

11. Garmin Predecessors 30

 

Main product characteristics

The Garmin Forerunner 30 is an affordable GPS watch with built-in heart rate monitor and other useful tracking features. The company describes it as an easy-to-use watch with a pulsometer on the wrist. It has removed more advanced features to save the watch’s budget.

Characteristics

Forerunner 30 is easy to use and can help you with your daily shopping. GPS is accurate and finds your position with precision and speed. At the touch of a button, Forerunner 30 instantly begins monitoring your heart rate, cadence, rhythm and maximum VO2. Monitoring throughout the day includes constant monitoring of heart rate, motion signals, steps and calorie consumption. The watch can also estimate the resting heart rate and the maximum VO2.

The watch has a special function called Move IQ which can automatically detect the type of exercise to be performed. It can determine whether you run, swim or train.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 30?

Predecessor 30 is easy to use. Just press a button, wait for the GPS to lock and you’re ready to go.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 30.

The absence of the multisport mode means that only the riders receive the relevant statistics during the training.

PROS

  • Easy to use
  • Accurate positioning with GPS

12. Active Garmin 3

 

Main product characteristics

Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a stylish watch with a variety of activity tracking features. Other features of this versatile watch include intelligent notification, Garmin Pay on-board payment system, both during sleep and in real time stress monitoring.

Characteristics

The dial of the Vivoactive 3 looks like a classic analogue watch. It has a one-button function that makes the watch easy to use. The watch comes with 15 preset activities such as running, swimming and golf.

After you have clicked the Start button, you can view all the statistics for the activity you want to view. The amount of data collected depends on the type of activity you choose. For an activity such as indoor cycling, for example, you can see basic information in the application, such as B. time spent, calories burned and heart rate data. For events with GPS, the data collected is very extensive.

What do we like about Garmin Vivoactive 3?

Vivoactive 3 has an adjustable drive function. This allows you to create a multi-step course on the clock and you will receive a warning at each step.

What we don’t like about Garmin Vivoactive 3.

You cannot select applications to send notifications to your phone.

PROS

  • Convenient one-button operation
  • A good GPS
  • A reliable and accurate pulsometer
  • Follow-up of 15 predefined actions

SUMMARY

  • iOS users cannot respond to texts
  • Report options are not customizable

13. Predecessor of Garmin 25

 

Main product characteristics

Precursor 25 is Garmin’s home GPS clock. Forerunner 25 can work with GPS navigators such as time, speed and distance and has several additional functions. The watch is small and light, but has a larger screen with a clear display of large, easy-to-read digits.

Characteristics

The ability to synchronize via Bluetooth is the most striking feature of the watch. Allows you to upload activity data to Garmin Connect, the business application for recording and tracking activities from your smartphone. You can still sync it with your computer and download the activity data manually, but the smartphone option is more user-friendly.

Bluetooth connects your watch to your smartphone to receive text and email messages about your watch. Make sure your phone and watch are nearby. To do this, you need to bring your phone with you if you want to use this feature while you are working.

What do we like about Garmin Forerunner 25?

Forerunner 25 is also waterproof up to 50 m.

What we don’t like about Garmin Forerunner 25

Report sounds can be annoying.

PROS

  • Basic exercises for those who do not want more intensive exercises.
  • Favourable budget
  • Long battery life
  • Easy to use

SUMMARY

  • No pulsometer.
  • Your phone must be near you to access time reports.

14. Garmin Vivosport

 

Main product characteristics

Garmin Vivosport is a fitness group with the same characteristics as the big racing watches. It is equipped with GPS, a heart rate monitor and even an altimeter. This lightweight watch is comfortable to wear all day long.

Characteristics

You can access the activity menu by holding down the watch face. This will lead you to a number of different sports that the group supports. Some activities are cycling, running, walking and a gym. There is also a folder counter for weightlifters and shooting stars.

What we like about Garmina Vivosport

The watch gives you a complete and accurate route of your jogging.

What we don’t like about Garmina Vivosport

There’s no swim tracker. Despite the fact that the tape is waterproof up to 50 m, there is no method to calculate the length.

PROS

  • An accurate GPS tracker
  • Lightweight and comfortable to wear
  • Displays the exact routes of the matches
  • Good battery performance

15. Live Garmin HR+

 

Main product characteristics

Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is essentially a Fitbit on steroids. The range with 24/7 optical HR and integrated GPS makes it the most powerful fitness tracker on the market.

Characteristics

Vivosmart HR+ is designed exclusively for fitness activities. It has everything you’d expect from a high-end tracker, including a built-in heart rate monitor, GPS, accelerometer and barometric altimeter.

When it comes to tracking activities, the device tracks the work Garmin has been doing all day to help you achieve your goal. As soon as you reach the target, the watch will send a vibration and an alert to warn you. You can change this objective by going to the application.

What do we like about Garmin Vivoactive HR+?

If you are inactive for a longer period of time, the Move line appears on the main screen of Vivosmart HR+. If the screen is filled, you will be prompted to move.

What we don’t like about Garmina Vivoactive HR+

Customers will report defects in this watch within a few months. The pedometer is inconsistent.

PROS

  • Accurate GPS
  • A reliable optical pulsometer 27/7
  • Includes functions for climbers and hikers
  • Request Reminders

SUMMARY

  • Unsuitable meters
  • GPS does not connect

Conviction

In our opinion, the Garmin Forerunner 945 is the best monitor in the list above. This is a great watch with many features. This multi-sport watch offers brilliant monitoring and analysis of the workout and can play music. This watch can even follow your marathon and triathlon with ease.

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