There ’s a reason why Garmin ’s fitness tracker and sports watches are so popular , and we ’ve rounded up the unspoilt of them to help you find the one that ’s right for you .
If you ’re the type of somebody who chair an alive life style , whether that includes hike up , running through a nearby common or some other activity designed to upgrade your heart rate , then Garmin ’s wide stove of wearables are well worth dive into .
These robust equipment are designed not just to keep up with the horizontal surface of intensity you put into your physical exertion , but also track your operation and give you an insightful tone of how your body is responding , where your fitness is better and how you could improve .
Because of the sheer amount of statistics they provide , Garmin devices are best suited for those who have already made a decent amount of onward motion on their fitness journey . For those just start out , you ’re better off looking at one of thebest Fitbits .
instead , as great as the Garmin machine are for seaworthiness trailing , they ’re not the near when it come to smart features . For a wearable that provides a more advanced , almost smartphone - similar experience on your wrist , check out our one shot - ups for thebest smartwatch , best Apple Watch , best Samsung Galaxy Watchandbest Wear oxygen ticker . There ’s even a breakdown of thebest cheap smartwatchesfor a more budget buy – idealistic if your budget does n’t stretch beyond the £ 200/$200 crisscross .
If Garmin ’s fitness tracking technical school has you concerned , but you ’re rummy to roll in the hay how it stack up against its closest competition then you’re able to see the current ranking of thebest running watchesandbest physical fitness trackers .
For the folk who simply have their hearts set on a new Garmin , just keep reading on to find out which of the latest gadget are deserving buy .
Which is the best Garmin Watch?
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How we test
incur out more about how we test Garmin watches
Every Garmin vigil we try out is used by the reviewer for at least a week – or longer , if the barrage life hold out beyond that point or we need more time to trial its feature . During examination we judge cardinal metrics include serviceability , stamp battery life , and the accuracy of fitness and distance trailing .
For space trailing , we appraise how accurately the gadget records outside runs on track we know the length of . We also judge the level of battery animation lose per hour using feature of speech such as build - in or machine-accessible GPS . To check heart pace truth , we equate the results from the wearable to a dedicated HRM shoulder strap .
Next we combine the datum recorded with our general experience of using the wearable daylight - to - day , reveal whether the gimmick proved prosperous to assume , alongside any event we may have encounter with unexpected bug over the review menstruation .
Garmin Fenix 8
Pros
Cons
Garmin Forerunner 965
Garmin Venu 3
Garmin Enduro 3
Garmin Venu 2S
Garmin Vivosmart 5
Garmin Vivomove Trend
Garmin Forerunner 165
Trusted Score
While theGarmin Epix Pro ( Gen 2)previously obligate this spot – and with upright understanding – the Garmin Fenix 8 is , without a doubt , the most premium wearable that Garmin has put out yet to the point where it ’ll leave you wanting for next to nothing .
Acting as an amalgamation of all the best feature that Garmin has enforce over the last few years , the Fenix 8 now gas a gorgeous AMOLED screenland made democratic by the Venu series , as well as a built - in flashlight that existing fans will accredit from the Enduro and Epix watch .
There are now meliorate smart features too , as an embed mic and loudspeaker allow you to record voice preeminence and then take heed back to them on the watch itself . you may also use that mic for voice commands on the go which , while not as expansive as what you ’ll get with Google Assistant or Siri on contend watches , is still handy to have .
Plus , all of these features rest on top of the full rooms of Garmin ’s high - end fitness trailing sensor and software , making it the ideal pardner for anyone who takes their fitness routine seriously .
The one major caution is that the Fenix 8 now carries a much higher price than any of the gadget within the Fenix 7 range , with a start price of £ 869.99/$999.99 , which makes it quite an investment , even though it excels in its category .
referee : Michael Sawh
Building upon the incredible foundations of the Garmin Forerunner 955 , the 965 feels like a more premium sentinel overall , even if there is a higher price ticket to manage with .
For starters , the big highlight feature of the Forerunner 965 is its new AMOLED exhibit which finally brings Garmin ’s mid - range wearable into the innovative age . With that showing , everything from running data to watch typeface leap off the screen with unbelievable colour , and the show itself is able to get a lot brighter than the transflective display of old .
While AMOLED engineering science is more power - intensive , the shelling does n’t abide greatly from the acclivity . In our examination , we were able to reach 23 - days of use in ‘ smartwatch ’ mode , and an impressive 31 - hours when keep an unbroken GPS connection . Those are still some impressive numbers game , and just the kind of stats that marathon runners will appreciate .
unluckily , there is n’t much more beyond that that separate the Forerunner 965 from its predecessor , so if you own a 955 then we do n’t recommend elevate solely to benefit from that AMOLED display . The 965 is well suited for someone upgrading from a much erstwhile picket or who might be looking to buy their first serious Garmin wearable .
With that say , the 965 still gain from all of the tracking feature that made the 955 so pop in the first lieu . Heart pace tracking is solid , and multiband GPS offers highly accurate data when looking back at your itinerary post - workout . It ’s also deserving observe that map are now easier to register thanks to the more vivacious presentation .
For anyone who ’s eyeing up one of the mainline smartwatches like theApple Watch 9or theSamsung Galaxy Watch 6 – it ’s the Garmin Venu 3 that ’s the most easily like option from Garmin ’s cooking stove , featuring a chip of everything which , while preventing it from stand out in one particular field , still let it to be a great all - rounder that almost anyone can get on with .
Compared to some of Garmin ’s more specializer picks , the Venu 3 really look like a modern smartwatch . The great 1.4 - inch AMOLED touchscreen is easy to read out of doors , and its vibrant colours allow watch faces and menu projection screen to pop .
While the watch profit from the same great fitness tracking features that Garmin is known for ( and there are no shortage of workouts to run through either ) , it does go a step further in the realm of wellness , as animated widgets easily convey metric like tenseness tracking and recovery progress .
To top it all off , the Garmin Venu 3 destroys Apple and Samsung when it comes to bombardment life sentence , with the ability to run for up to 14 - days on a exclusive charge . equate that with the 18 - time of day stint often cite by Apple for its mainline wearables , and it ’s easy to see how the Venu 3 might be a far more tempting proposal .
If you ’re a frequent marathon runner or even part of the elect radical - marathon crowd then you ’ll roll in the hay better than anyone that battery lifespan for your wearables is central , and in that paying attention there is nothing within Garmin ’s mountain range that outlive the Enduro 3 .
This creature of a smartwatch use a combination of wired charging and solar charging to run for up to 90 - days at a time which provide almost every competing watch in this field in the dust .
While the Enduro 3 ’s high £ 769.99/$899.99 asking price prevents it from being an immediate must - grease one’s palms for proprietor of theGarmin Enduro 2 , it does at least pack improved chromosome mapping reenforcement , a new tenderness rate sensing element and more racy tracking for strength grooming .
The two things to bear in mind with the Enduro 3 is that unlike the Fenix 8 , you do n’t get the option of an AMOLED or a more old schooltime transflective display ( you ’d immediately lumped with the latter ) , nor are there any sizing option usable away from the 51 mm default . If you ’d rather have a more compact watch with plenty of the latest trappings then theGarmin Fenix 8will be the better steal of the two .
One consistent unfavorable judgment our reviewers have mounted at Garmin wearables is that , while they ’re great fittingness tracker , they ’re admittedly not the prettiest of devices . The majority extend useful , chunky designs that center on functioning and not their feeling . This has meant that some of the squad with little wrists , and a stage of fashion sense , have often opted for other more discrete looking trackers from the ilk of Fitbit .
Thankfully , Garmin has pay off this trouble with the Venu 2S which is our recommended option for people who do n’t want a chunky sentinel . Venu is Garmin ’s fashion - focused line of clothing , and the 2S is the best option in the line - up that we ’ve tested . Out of the boxful its thinner , orbitual design andOLEDscreen immediately made it feel more like a smartwatch than the other options on this list .
Though it does n’t track the same amount of sports or prosody as the Fenix , for mid - to - submission level athletes its natural action and post physical exertion analytics are more than good enough . We found the GPS to be suitably responsive and precise to track 5 km streak and the remaining cycle . Offline music and Spotify support are also welcome features that are rarefied on clothing at this price . The only downside is that it ’s not quite as tough as the Fenix or Enduro , so if you on a regular basis engage in extreme sports then you ’ll be good off looking elsewhere as a result .
If you ’re after an entry stage tracker that wo n’t break off the bank then Garmin ’s Vivosmart 5 is one of the best on the market .
The discrete band design is wonderfully comfortable to wear upon , and it still offers all the analytics and features an entranceway grade runner or a gym fledgeling will need . During examination we found that the watch is equal to of tracking all the canonical bodily function well , substantiate indoor and outdoor running , cycling plus basic cardio and swimming .
As an added bonus , while it does n’t have local music or Spotify support , the Vivosmart 5 can at least be used to control euphony being streamed from a speech sound . We find this lineament especially useful when tread-wheel running , as it saved us from having to awkwardly paw at our phone when an unwanted track made its room into the play list .
Post - workout analytics are stripped down to make them perceivable , but offer all the detail you need to make a difference . Highlights admit your loudness minutes plus useful metric unit like your consistence bombardment , VO2 Max idea , and physical fitness long time . These are uncommon insight for a wearable at this monetary value . Fitbit , by comparison , hides some of them behind a paywall .
The only real via media we noticed is that due to the deficiency of untethered GPS connectivity , distance tracking when running outdoors could be a footling hit and miss . Without a connected GPS the wearable had a disposition to summate or dispatch around 0.3 kilometre from our 5 klick runs .
While they ’re know for their sportswoman and physical fitness prowess , Garmin habiliment are n’t in particular favoured for their aesthetic which tends to be more functional than stylish . If you ’ve been hop for a more manner - conscious wearable that also include Garmin ’s tracking features then seem no further than the Garmin Vivomove Trend .
This hybrid smartwatch combines the watch dials of a traditional timekeeper with the digital functionality of a forward-looking wearable thanks to the touchscreen that lies beneath the aforesaid dials . When you desire to scroll through the Vivomove Trend ’s menus , the watch dials will simply move out of the way to give you an unobstructed view of the onboard apps .
The only major letdown here is that the amount of fitness tracking features ca n’t quite vie with Garmin ’s high - end wearables , but the Trend does surpass in the realm of health trailing which is just the tag to help you keep an eye out on your stress levels throughout the day and to well nail the main crusade of strain .
You also get access to Garmin ’s detailed sleep get across data via the Garmin Connect app , which can go a long way towards helping you to establish substantially sleeping pattern and improving your recuperation period after intense workouts .
As an add together cherry red on top , the Vivomove Trend is one of the few Garmin watches ( and few smarwatches in general ) to tout wireless charging , so if you have a Qi wireless courser then it ’ll be compatible with the Trend right out of the boxwood . If you ’re wan of proprietary cables then this is an absolute Godsend .
It is deserving mentioning that the more feature article - packed Garmin Vivomove Sport is in reality cheaper than the Trend and arguably a better option when it come to fitness tracking . Still , the Trend ’s alone design and wireless charging give it enough to place it apart from the crowd .
For the sheer amount of choice in the existence of Garmin smartwatches , it can seem pretty daunting to anyone just startle out who want a dim-witted wearable that does the basics well and does n’t be a fortune in return . To that ending , theGarmin Forerunner 165is your estimable stake .
This entry - level watch pick out everything that urinate Garmin bully and condense it into one leisurely to use equipment that ’s ideal for help those who are just hitting their local commons running for the first clip and want a flake more perceptivity into their progression .
As you might expect , the Forerunner 165 provides top mountain pass centre pace tracking that largely deal to keep up with a consecrated bureau - shoulder strap monitor in our testing . This data is then funnelled into your VO2 max score which lets you sleep with how equipped your body is at tackling cardiovascular activity .
The scout can connect to GPS severally of a smartphone , so if you want to keep tabs on your route and see which areas are afford you the most difficulty then you’re able to do exactly that , all while your telephone set is on direction at home .
Unlike Garmin ’s low-priced watch of old , the Forerunner 165 features more mod tech in the display area , opt for an AMOLED panel . Not only does this make picket grimace and bits of information pop on - screen , but it ’s all fantastically easy to record both indoors and out of doors , so you wo n’t have to worry about squint .
As a last cherry red on top , the Forerunner 165 does n’t skimp on the battery life , with the ability to get up to 11 - days of use on a individual charge . That ’s not defective for a gimmick that , at £ 249.99/$249.99 , is much punk than the absolute majority of Garmin watches .
The only major annoyance is that if you want to delight music playback offline , you ’ll need to plunk down up for the pricier ‘ Music ’ version which seat at £ 289.99/$299.99 . Still , while it ’s bested by similarly priced Apple Watches and Galaxy Watches where overbold feature are touch , the Forerunner 165 still dominates in battery life and fitness trailing truth .
Test Data
Full Specs
This varies between different Garmin picket . The top end Fenix devices are multi - sport focussed and can track everything from run to specialist extreme sports . More basic trackers in the firm ’s Vivo - lines tend to focus on essentials and can only track received activities like cardio , run , cycling and swim .
Garmin is one of the good companies for precise location and distance trailing , but many of its more affordable wear do not have built - in GPS functionality . Instead , the gimcrack wearable tend to have “ link GPS ” which lets them propose GPS trailing using a pair smartphone .
Garmin wearables be given to have an overt fitness tracking focus and use the firm ’s proprietary operating system . This means they do declare oneself some smartwatch functionality , like alarm , medicine controls and weather condition composition , but do n’t have the same app support as Apple ’s watchOS or Google ’s Wear OS devices .
