Best Garmin Watch 2023: Garmin watches For Cycling, Running, and More

The Best Garmin watches are the cream of the crop, the best of the best, and are used by elite athletes as well as everyday joggers. Wearing a Garmin watch shows that you take your chosen sport seriously and are willing to go to any length to improve.

Although most people associate Garmin with the best running watches and triathlon watches, the company specializes in GPS technology and is also known for its car and marine sat navs. Garmin, on the other hand, has made a name for itself in the wearable market over the years, and most other fitness watches are now measured against Garmins to determine accuracy.

The best Garmin watches, as ranked by 91's expert reviewers, are listed below. This guide's entries highlight the most obvious benefit of each watch. However, the majority of them can be used for a variety of purposes, and we strongly advise reading our full reviews to get a better idea of what they are capable of.

We recommend reading our best Fitbit, best Polar watch, and best Suunto watch guides if you want to learn more about wearables. In addition, we reviewed and ranked the top fitness trackers.

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HOW WE TEST THE BEST GARMIN WATCHES

Garmin watches are absurdly complex fitness wearables. Some Garmin wearables, such as the Fenix or MARQ series, have so many features that no one on the planet can thoroughly test them.

When we test Garmin watches, we try to put them through at least one type of outdoor endurance training (running, cycling, etc.), one type of indoor training (strength training, HIIT, etc.), and, if possible, swimming.

Smart features and health sensors are tested and monitored in real-world scenarios for at least a couple of weeks to see how they perform.

BEST GARMIN WATCHES TO BUY RIGHT NOW

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The Garmin Fenix 7 is not a cheap smartwatch, but it is less expensive than the Enduro and even the Epix (Gen 2), making it one of the best value watches available in its category.

The addition of touch controls makes the Fenix 7 feel more smartwatch-like, which is probably more appealing to people who need an accurate multisport watch with all the smart features under the sun.

But a Fenix 7 isn't just any old smartwatch; it's a premium smartwatch made of high-quality materials like titanium, is water-resistant, has a slew of exciting features, and has an incredibly long battery life. 

The Fenix 7, like its predecessor, comes in a variety of sizes, so you're bound to find one that fits your wrist size and style. This watch will cost you money, but you will get your money's worth with the Garmin Fenix 7.

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The Garmin Forerunner 745 triathlon watch is excellent. It is slightly less expensive and lacks some of the ostentatious features of the Forerunner 945, but it provides a faster and more reliable GPS connection than the less expensive Forerunner 245, especially if you intend to use your watch for triathlons.

The battery life isn't the best, but the Forerunner 745 can last up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and up to 16 hours in GPS mode. Although it is possible to load music directly onto the watch, doing so will deplete the battery life.

The Forerunner 745, most importantly, has activity profiles for running, cycling, triathlon, pool and open water swimming, track running, and so on. For races and brick workouts, you can switch sports with a single button press! best Garmin watch

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There's no denying that the Garmin MARQ is a luxurious watch made of stunning, high-quality materials. The MARQ, out of all the watches produced by Garmin over the years, feels more like a statement than a watch. It's as if Garmin put together a watch just to say they have an OTT watch that can compete with Swiss premium watches.

Still, most people's feelings about this watch will fall into one of two categories: they'll think it's a ridiculous waste of money, or they'll think it's a beautiful object that they have to have. To be honest, either is acceptable. If you have the cash and want to spoil yourself, go ahead: you won't be disappointed (well, maybe except for the display). 

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The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is an excellent smartwatch for anyone who enjoys spending time in nature. Garmin improved on the formula that made the Fenix 5 Series so successful, increasing battery life, tweaking the user interface, and refining onboard TOPO maps for greater clarity.

One minor issue (if you can call it that) is that the Fenix 6 Pro is far too powerful. The watch feels more like a demonstration of Garmin's technology than a good set of features hikers might appreciate.

However, if you can justify the price – and weight – of the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, you should get one because it feels great on the wrist and exemplifies what fitness smartwatches are capable of. 

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The Forerunner 55 has significantly improved battery life over its predecessor; in both smartwatch and GPS mode, the Forerunner 55 lasts nearly twice as long as the Forerunner 45.

The Forerunner 55 also included a slew of non-performance features like a respiration rate tracker, women's health tracking, hydration reminders, a breathing timer, and so on. 

The watch now includes a Pool Swimming profile and can track a variety of swimming metrics. Outside of the water, the PacePro Pacing Strategies (links to Garmin's website) feature can help you pace yourself better.

Garmin Coach recommends individualized run workouts based on your training history, fitness level, and recovery time. Beginner runners will appreciate the adaptable feature.

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Many of Garmin's latest-generation features are included in the Garmin Forerunner 945, including PulseOx (blood oxygen sensor), Live Event Sharing (for safety), accident detection and assistance (in case you fall off the bike), Body Battery ("energy monitor"), Training Load estimation, and many, many more. 

The watch includes GPS and onboard maps for navigation; whether you're running, walking, or hiking, it doesn't matter. The Elevate V3 heart rate sensor is widely regarded as accurate enough to compare to other running watches.

The battery life is also excellent: the Forerunner 945 has a battery life of up to two weeks with GPS turned off, 36 hours in GPS mode, and 10 hours with GPS and music turned on.

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For the price-conscious runner, the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is an excellent Garmin watch. Other multisport watches, like the Polar Vantage V2, may offer more metrics. Nonetheless, at this price point, the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is virtually unrivaled as a go-to GPS watch with a built-in heart rate sensor and music storage.

Despite the Forerunner 245's onboard multi-system GPS, the battery can last up to seven days in smartwatch mode and six hours in GPS mode with music on. In reality, you will only need to charge the watch three times in two weeks.

Garmin Coach is supported by the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music. This adaptive training platform can prepare you to run a specific distance (5k, 10k, or half marathon) within a time limit that you set. The plan adapts to your training load and progression and makes adjustments as needed. 

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Garmin Epix (Gen 2) is a fantastic AMOLED smartwatch. It's rock-solid and precise enough to be used for proper running training if that's what you're after.

The toughness comes at a cost: a watch this large isn't the most comfortable to wear while sleeping. This is unfortunate because if you do not wear it at night, the Epix (Gen 2) will not be able to provide accurate Body Battery and recovery estimates. 

In terms of cost, the Epix (Gen 2) is a premium smartwatch that is not cheap. The base model is significantly more expensive than the standard Fenix 7S, which is also not a cheap watch. The Epix (Gen 2) costs twice as much as the Venu 2, though the Venu 2 isn't marketed as a premium smartwatch. That, however, is not cheap.

People who like the Fenix series but need a watch to go with their smart or smart-casual outfits will appreciate the Garmin Epix (Gen 2). Not to mention that these people are likely to have enough money to purchase the watch. 

Assume you don't want a dedicated sports wearable wrapped around your wrist and would rather have a stylish smartwatch with useful health and fitness features. In that case, you'd be crazy not to try the Garmin Venu 2.

It has a beautiful AMOLED screen, a long battery life, and the most recent Elevate V4 heart rate sensor. There is also built-in GPS, 25 preloaded sports modes, animated workouts right on your wrist, music storage, numerous payment options, and so on.

The Garmin Venu 2 stylishly blurs the line between running watches, smartwatches, and fitness trackers. It comes highly recommended. 

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The Garmin Approach S42 is the successor to the hugely successful S40, with improved battery life and internal functions.

You can calculate distances to the front, middle, and back of the green, as well as any hazards, using cutting-edge GPS technology and a sunlight-readable 1.2-inch colour touchscreen.

AutoShot game tracking records every pitch and putt you make so you can learn from your mistakes after the game. And data from 42,000 global courses allows you to compare your score to others who have played there. 

With Bluetooth, smartphone notifications, and accurate sleep and fitness tracking, the Approach S42 is a true all-rounder when it comes to golf GPS watches.

IS GARMIN WATCHES WORTH IT?

Garmin watches are well worth the investment, especially if you are serious about training. Most Garmin watches have a plethora of sensors and GPS, which cost money and time to develop and maintain.

Not to mention that, unlike competitors such as Fitbit or Whoop, Garmin provides all of its services, including access to advanced health and fitness metrics in the Garmin Connect app, for free.

A Garmin watch costs a one-time fee, but after that, all support, updates, and community participation are free. That's not a bad deal! 

WHICH GARMIN WATCH HAS THE LONGEST BATTERY LIFE?

This is a surprise because, in terms of practicality, the Garmin Enduro has the longest battery life. It can run for up to 50 days on a single charge (65 days with solar), and the GPS battery life is also insane. 

However, theoretically, the Garmin Instinct Solar has the longest battery life of any Garmin currently available. Under ideal conditions (adequate sun exposure, battery saver mode enabled, etc.), the Instinct Solar can run indefinitely, which is far more than 65 days in our opinion.