Selecting the perfect Garmin watch isn’t simple. The primary cause: Garmin itself. The corporate has many watches in its vary and whereas which means there’ll nearly actually be one which matches your preferences, it may be arduous to search out that watch with out spending ages researching the variations between the units.
You possibly can, nevertheless, depart all that to me as a result of I’ve examined just about each Garmin system that’s been launched within the final 5 years and know the vary just like the again of my hand. Or wrist, on this case.
Garmin is famend for making among the finest sports activities watches and working watches. No matter your favourite type of train, the corporate has a tool for you. I’ve picked out the perfect Garmin look ahead to a variety of sports activities, together with my prime total decide that provides the perfect stability of worth and options.
The short listing
Right here’s a run-through of the highest Garmin watches accessible in crucial classes. Click on on any watch right here to leap to its entry in the principle listing under.
Finest total
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is a lovely multisport watch with an AMOLED display that has most of Garmin’s finest options at a lower cost than the highest watches within the firm’s vary. Until you want maps, that is the perfect Garmin going.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music
Finest for working
The entry-level AMOLED watch within the Forerunner vary is ideal for runners on the lookout for a tool that nails the fundamentals and gives the important thing options you want, whereas including helpful extras like breadcrumb navigation and music storage.
​​Garmin Forerunner 255
Finest for biking
The Forerunner 255 is an older watch however nonetheless a prime choice, and supreme for cyclists due to the facility sensor assist it gives, together with a multisport mode for triathlons. It additionally has breadcrumb navigation and helpful coaching evaluation.
Finest for triathlon
The Forerunner 955 is the most affordable watch that has all of Garmin’s prime options, together with maps. It’s nice for triathletes tackling occasions of any distance as a light-weight different to the Fenix and Epix ranges.Â
Finest for swimming
You will get the identical nice swimming options from any prime Garmin multisport watch, however should you solely swim then the Swim 2 is the most affordable strategy to get these options in a devoted system for the pool and open-water exercises.
Finest smartwatch
Garmin’s good options are the identical throughout a number of watches and there are benefits to dearer choices just like the Venu 3 or Epix 2, however the Vivoactive 5 is an inexpensive and engaging watch with music, NFC funds and entry to the Join IQ app retailer.
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Finest for climbing
The Fenix 7X is a rugged watch with lengthy battery life and maps, making it supreme for hikers. I’ve picked the bigger Fenix 7X over the usual 7 as a result of it has a built-in flashlight, which is helpful for if you’re out climbing.
How I Take a look at Garmin Watches
Nick Harris-Fry
I’ve been testing sports activities watches from many manufacturers for greater than 5 years and I’ve tried nearly each Garmin launched in that point: from the top-of-the-range Fenix and Marq watches to entry-level units just like the Forerunner 45. I’m primarily a runner and often log 50-80 miles every week. I additionally check the units with a variety of different exercises together with biking, power classes and yoga. I check coronary heart price accuracy towards a chest strap, and I’ve spent many hours poring over GPS tracks to verify the accuracy of watches.Â
On this round-up I’ve aimed to select essentially the most inexpensive choice in every class that also ticks the important thing packing containers for that sport/goal. Should you’re not fearful about spending huge and also you simply need the perfect Garmin accessible, the TL;DR is that the Garmin Epix Professional 51mm is the one to go for.
Finest total
The Forerunner 265 is a multisport watch with an AMOLED display that provides helpful coaching evaluation, together with Garmin’s readiness ranking, on prime of correct sports activities monitoring and good options. It’s a terrific all-rounder that can go well with you no matter your most well-liked sport is, and it’s smartwatch and basic health tracker, too.
The value continues to be excessive, however the Forerunner 265 is significantly cheaper than prime watches just like the Forerunner 965 and Fenix/Epix ranges, which supply maps, longer battery life and extra sturdy designs as an incentive to improve. Should you aren’t fussed concerning the AMOLED show of Garmin’s coaching readiness function, then the Forerunner 255 is an effective, cheaper different to the Forerunner 265. Discover the variations between the 2 with my Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Garmin Forerunner 255 comparability.
Learn extra in my Garmin Forerunner 265 evaluation
Finest for working
The Forerunner 165 Music is the model’s entry-level AMOLED watch and a terrific choice for runners. It offers correct GPS monitoring (although it’s a disgrace it doesn’t have dual-band GPS as with dearer Garmin watches), structured exercises and coaching plans you possibly can observe on the watch, plus music storage and breadcrumb navigation.
Should you discover the Forerunner 255 in a deal for across the similar value because the Forerunner 165 then that will be a robust different for many who don’t want or need an AMOLED display, for the reason that 255 has extra insightful coaching evaluation and dual-band GPS monitoring. I’ve gone into extra element on the variations between the 2 on this Garmin Forerunner 255 vs Garmin Forerunner 165 article.
Should you’re simply beginning out with working the cheaper Forerunner 55 is one other good choice that does the fundamentals properly.
Learn extra in my Garmin Forerunner 165 evaluation
Finest for biking
Assuming you’ll find it in a sale (often simple because it’s an older watch), the Forerunner 255 is the best-value Garmin watch, and could possibly be the decide in a variety of classes on this round-up. I’ve singled it out for cyclists as a extra inexpensive choice that has key options like energy sensor assist and a multisport mode, which you don’t get on cheaper Forerunners and Garmin smartwatches.
If you need an AMOLED show and coaching readiness the Forerunner 265 is a doable improve, or you would go as much as the Forerunner 955 or 965 to get maps as properly. You can additionally save by getting an entry-level watch just like the Forerunner 55 and splash out on a Garmin bike pc as an alternative, which is less complicated to view throughout rides.
Learn extra in my Garmin Forerunner 255 evaluation
Finest for triathlon
One other old-but-excellent watch, the Forerunner 955 packs in the identical wonderful multisport options because the newer Forerunner 965 (minus the AMOLED show), and Fenix/Epix ranges, into a light-weight plastic design with an LCD show. It’s a greater decide than the Forerunner 255 and 265 for triathletes tackling longer occasions particularly, for the reason that further battery life you get from the Forerunner 955 will likely be helpful in an Ironman, for instance. It helps all of the sensors you want and can routinely transition between sports activities throughout multisport occasions.
The Forerunner 965 does the entire above and has a vibrant AMOLED show and a titanium bezel, to extend its sturdiness somewhat, and naturally triathletes are properly served by the wonderful Fenix 7 and Epix ranges, which have extra sturdy designs than the 955 and are available a variety of sizes. Should you’re sticking to shorter races and don’t want maps, then the Forerunner 255 and 265 watches are additionally wonderful for triathletes. See how the Forerunner 955 stacks up in my comparability of it alongside the Forerunner 255.
Learn extra in my Garmin Forerunner 955 evaluation
Finest for swimming
Many of the watches in Garmin’s vary provide loads to swimmers and should you additionally do different kinds of exercise I’d recommend choosing a extra rounded watch, such because the Forerunner 255 or 265, which match the swimming options of the Garmin Swim 2. Nevertheless, should you simply swim the Swim 2 is a less expensive different that has all of the options you could monitor pool and open-water exercises.
It’s a light-weight watch and data swimming-focused metrics, together with distance, tempo, stroke rely, stroke kind and Swolf. You possibly can arrange and observe swimming exercises on the watch and use it to measure your vital swim pace, which is a sign of your cardio swimming threshold.
Learn extra in my Garmin Swim 2 evaluation
Finest smartwatch
The Vivoactive line is considered one of two devoted smartwatch traces inside Garmin’s vary, together with the Venu line, however the identical good options are discovered throughout a big selection of Garmin units. These embody music storage, NFC funds, notifications and entry to the Join IQ apps retailer (which is proscribed in contrast with the Apple or Google app choices).
You get all of this on the Vivoactive 5 at a lower cost than different good Garmins, apart from the cheaper Venu Sq watches, which aren’t as engaging and satisfying to make use of in my expertise. Should you improve to the Venu 3 you get a mic and speaker, which is a helpful function in a smartwatch, and also you do get higher sports activities monitoring and coaching evaluation from the likes of the Forerunner 265, which additionally has the identical good options because the Vivoactive 5.
Learn extra in my Garmin Vivoactive 5 evaluation
Finest for climbing
Hikers heading on adventures within the nice outside will profit from the lengthy battery lifetime of Garmin’s Fenix and Enduro watches, which even have maps that can assist you navigate. The Fenix 7X Photo voltaic has photo voltaic panels across the exterior of the face to increase the battery life extra in sunny circumstances, and I’ve picked it out over the smaller Fenix 7S and 7X as a result of it has a built-in flashlight, a helpful further for many who camp particularly.
The newer Fenix 7 Professional vary all have built-in flashlights however you pay extra for a watch that in any other case isn’t an improve on the Fenix 7 vary. The Enduro 2 has a flashlight and the longest battery life, however is dear. A less expensive choice for climbing than the Fenix 7X is the Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic, which doesn’t have maps, however does have a rugged design, breadcrumb navigation and lengthy battery life. My head-to-head comparability pits the Fenix 7 towards the Enduro 2.
Learn extra in my Garmin Fenix 7X Photo voltaic evaluation
