Best Garmin GPS Watch Reviews – Ultimate List

Best Garmin GPS Watch Reviews:

For the sports and fitness enthusiasts worldwide, the Garmin GPS Watch has become more than just a technological novelty. They have become part of their daily workout routine! With the robust external sensors that it connects to via wireless, it helps them to keep track of their training on and off-line.

These watches are in high demand as they synchronize data with different mobile devices via the internet or Bluetooth. There are different models available in online stores with the best ten models reviewed here with us. This top best Garmin GPS watches rank amongst the bestselling now. They are more than just durable, they work well for both men and women and come highly recommended for wearing every day.

Garmin, an organization that manufactures the vast range of sports products. It is known for its quality and durability of products. Garmin has entered into the area of wearable devices and running watches with GPS. Most of the watch models targeted towards the Roadrunners and athletes. All the models of Garmin GPS watch come with the basic functionality of logging the distance, speed, pace, duration of the run, altitude and heart rate. All this feature can be very crucial for a professional athlete and serious runners.

Garmin started manufacturing the digital sports equipment in the early 00s, and they have pioneered the process of integrating the data and human interactions. With their benchmark quality and durable products, they considered as the best manufacturer of GPS running watches. They are not only suitable for runners but can also be used by swimmers and bikers. Few models are waterproof and come with additional data which is important for swimmers like some strokes and swim time.

Best GPS Running Watch – GPS Watches

The GPS Watch is not only for recording the data of your run, but it also stores and interprets the data based on historical documents. It computes the information and provides you with the suggestion to improve your next run.

Garmin Forerunner 25 – The Best Beginners Garmin Watch

Garmin has a superb entry-level watch the Garmin Forerunner 25 aimed at those who want to use phone-based app tracking. If you have a tight budget, this one is the cheapest out of all the Garmin Watches and using it is easy to keep track of your running. The watch is suitable for the 5k-ers and needs to add a little more info than a regular runner is. The GPS watch does not overwhelm you with data and is a bridge between the moderate activity tracker and serious type of sports watch.

It has all the minimal essentials such as calories, distance, heart rate, pace, split, and time. It is a great watch if you only want to monitor how far and fast you have run. If you need it for keeping track of your primary running with GPS distance, this is one of the best watches to have.

A watch with smart notification and very comfortable to use. Forerunner 25 can describe as the watch for intermediate level runners; it comes with all the features that can help to those who started running regularly but wanted to increase their standard of stamina.

The best part of this GPS running watch is that it has wonderful battery life! The battery on Forerunner 25 can survive up to 8 to 10 hours with constant use! That’s the longest duration provided by GPS watches in the market.

It measures your heart rate too so it’ll give you advice on when to push that last mile or when to stop running and have rest based on the heart rate zone of your body. Which is customizable and different from person to person.

Features:

The Personal Best Chaser Selection

If you have moved up in running and wanting to start your 1^st marathon or to run a faster 10-kilometer time, then the next Garmin selection is more your thing. We have two in the mid-range collection and not priced to shabby.

The Forerunner 630

The Garmin Forerunner 630 is the big brother of tracking watches as you can view running metrics while and after running. The lactate threshold, performance condition, and stride length scores help you with your recovery time. You can monitor your vertical ratio that is most useful for efficient running. It has strong notification characteristics with superb music controls for the hardcore runner in you.

You can buy this watch if you are an advanced runner that needs GPS distance, smartwatch notifications, great battery life, heart rate monitoring, and more.

 

 

 

Features:

2. The Forerunner 235

The Garmin Forerunner 235 is descendent of the 225 and much like the 630 but comes with a sleeker design with 24/7 tracking. You get all the running stat with the available heart rate monitor.

You can now also see your VO2 Max stats that are great to know your recovery time. You can pair the GPS watch via the ANT+ strap for a more reliable rate monitoring of your heart rate. If you need a comfortable design, running metrics, tracking, Garmin IQ app support and GPS distance this watch is for you.

Features:

Garmin Forerunner 230

The Forerunner 230 can be the 235 and 230’s identical twin. It has a built-in heart rate monitor and compatible with the ANT+ chest strap, but lacks an HRM and has the all-day tracking and notification features. It is GPS, and GLONASS enabled with smart features1.

It records steps with the activity tracker 2, and you can pair the watch with your phone to do automatic uploads to the Garmin Connect. Receive smart notifications, and you can use live tracking and audio prompts. You can change the watch face by downloading them from the Connect IQ. It has all the essential features to help improve your training.

Features:

The Best Triathletes Garmin GPS Watches

Garmin Forerunner 735XT

The Garmin Forerunner 735XT stands well against its brother the FR920XT. It has advanced running with swimming metrics. It is capable of detecting your type of stroke and distance automatically. If you are a cyclist, you will need to pair it with a Garmin Vector. It is small in design and has an excellent battery life as it holds up to 24-hours while using GPS and 14-hours with tracking. It has a wrist-based heart rate and other detailed features. It can estimate your VO2 and has Garmin Connect to share your tracking. The smartwatch is lightweight and comfortable to wear when in training.

It only weighs 40.2 grams and does not have loads of bezel on it. The FR735XT is also similar to the FR235 but has much more applications crammed into it. The difference between these two is that this model has the other swimming tracker, extra support for running dynamics while wearing the heart-rate strap, extra stress score, functional threshold power, performance condition measurements when paired with the strap and the list goes on.

Features:

Garmin Forerunner 920XT

The same as the FR735XT the FR920XT is a Garmin GPS Watch for the triathlete. You can track cycling, indoor & outdoor run, indoor and outdoor swimming, triathlon and more.

It has auto sync, Smartphone notifications, and live tracking. It tracks your natural movement like the Garmin Vivofit and the Vivosmart HR. It has running dynamics and the famous VO2 max estimate.

Forerunner 920xt is in itself a device that needs its book! It comes with huge amount of features which can be very useful to professional athletes. It’s perfect for those who want to record the maximum amount of data and have interpreted them by the device.

The tracking includes cadence, ground contact time and vertical oscillation. It also comes with race predictor and VO2 Max estimations. This is the features you need when you want to train for Olympics.

This running watch can also be used for swimming, biking, and climbing as it has the features for all of the sports. It not only collects the data, but it presents you with proper interpretation and in a way that is understandable to everyone. This watch is the bargain when looking at price and comparing the features it provides with the quality of Garmin.

Features:

Best Work/Sports Garmin GPS Watches

Vivoactive HR Review

With the Vivoactive HR Garmin watch, you have the capabilities of both daywear and sportswear rolled into one.

You cannot compare it to the FR630 when it comes to tracking your run but is still a serious sports smartwatch. It also has an optical heart rate monitor found on the rear of the watch. It can also pair up with most Smartphones to receive notifications such as calls, text, and other alerts. You can use it to track your distance, time and pace, cadence, heart rate and has VO2 Max.

Features:

The Garmin Fenix 2 Multisport GPS watch

Fenix 3 and Fenix 3 Sapphire – Garmin Fenix GPS Watch

Nothing is more action packed than the Garmin Fenix 3 GPS Watch and best suited for ultra runners, adventure races, and fast packers. You can use it to track climbs, cross country skiing, hiking, running, cycling, swimming and more and falls into the same bracket as the Suunto Ambit 3. Moreover, with the Garmin Fenix GPS watch Fenix 3 Sapphire, you receive included a Garmin GPS watch with heart rate monitor.

You can choose from three Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire GPS Watch bold models one that is gray with high-strength, one with a crystal and black band, or one with a stainless steel band. The Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire GPS Watch has protective stainless steel embezzlement with buttons. Furthermore, the Garmin GPS watch is water rated up to 100 meters.

 

Features:

Ditch All of the Above for Some Garmin Style

The Garmin Vivomove

With the Vivo movie, you can count your steps, helps to estimate the calories burned, and monitors your sleep patterns. It has a built-in accelerometer but does not have a heart rate sensor. It has a coin cell on the inside and gives you a year of battery life. The watch is an analog fitness tracker and enables you to do different important tracking as mentioned.

The watch can track your running when jumping onto a treadmill, and that is about all it can do. The watch is great to wear as an all-day tracking watch with style. The watch shows you your step progress and collects loads of data to view later on your desktop or mobile device. It automatically receives data to the Garmin Connect app.

Features:

Best Hiking and Mapping Garmin GPS Watch the Epix

The Epix is a GPS and GLONASS watch and connects via different satellite than your normal GPS watches. Included with the watch, you receive the Worldwide Basemap with a one-year Birdseye Satellite Imagery subscription. Some of the models already have the maps pre-loaded. It is compatible with the TOPO United States maps.

When hiking the 24K BlueChart G2 and the navigator with an 8GB memory makes sure that the data is available at all times. It has a user-friendly touchscreen and one of the best Garmin GPS watches for hiking. It boasts some great navigation characteristics to make sure that you get around your trail fast and easy.

It has a 3-axis compass that operates electronically with navigation, track recording, coordinate navigation, waypoint, and more. Included it has an altimeter and barometer sensor to give you the needed elevation data. This is more than just a hiking watch, and you can track your swimming metrics, cycling and run with it. It has the VO2 max estimate feature with a recovery advisor, multiple bike profiles for outdoor sports, and a race predictor. The watch is waterproof up to 50m and suitable to wear in most environments.

It is Bluetooth connectable and sends you smart notifications directly from your phone. It has a 1.4-inch touchscreen display that is easy to read in any lighting condition. It comes highly recommended if you are a trail runner, hiker, or mountain biker.

Features:

Garmin Forerunner 620

GPS Garmin’s Forerunner 620 is called the personal coach! It’s one of the highest rated and wonderfully designed GPS watch for runners.

It’s not only an advisor but also a predictor! Features like VO2 Max Estimation and HRM-Run puts it in the elite group of watches.

Forerunner 620 comes with vertical oscillation and a feature called ground contact time. Ground contact time measures the amount of time for which your feet touches the ground; it’s crucial factor for the professional athlete and those who are serious runners.

With advanced features like VO2 Max, it provides you with information about your body’s maximum oxygen consumption, with that data you can quickly estimate your body fitness and based on that you can plan your run.

Garmin Forerunner 225 – best GPS watch

Tired of those ugly heart rate monitors with a strap near the heart? GPS Garmin got rid of heart strap with this model and not only that they made an excellent improvement in accuracy of the data.

This all the garmin gps watch with heart rate monitor is done by one powerful sensor under the running GPS watch which accurately measures the heart rate and based on that it provides you with your zone, like warm up, calm, etc. This zones are based on the age of users and may vary as per the age.

It comes with the accelerometer that can record pace and distance you covered; it can be very useful when you’re running indoor. As all the devices of Garmin GPS watches it comes with the Garmin Connect, an internal social network that provides features like live tracking and meeting like-minded runners or finding new and exciting routes to run.

Garmin Forerunner 220

This flagship product of GPS Garmin have a motivating feedback and guided training just as a coach! Thanks to its social side you can get motivation from friends and fellow runners with live tracking and social sharing facilities.

It measures every single essential data starting from basics like measuring your pace to advanced monitoring of your VO2 max levels.

It measures every single essential data starting from basics like measuring your pace to advanced monitoring of your VO2 max levels.

Forerunner 220 is extremely easy to use, unlike other products that have the very complicated user interface. Features like heart rate alerts and walk/run intervals will make it perfect to motivate you to run more and make you more aware about the stamina of your body.

The look and feel of Forerunner 220 are fantastic with the sturdy material. The material to manufacture this excellent running watch is top notch and not a single compromised is made with quality.

Garmin Forerunner 15

Garmin’s Forerunner 15 is a budget watch for the intermediate level athletes or someone who is the intermediate runner. It has huge battery life when you’re just using it for activity tracking; it can run for up to 5 weeks without GPS. With GPS on and all the activity tracking, it can go on for 8 hours.

It tracks pace, heart rate; calories burned and total distance covered. It has the notification when you’re sitting ideal for too long. It notifies you when to move.

It is also perfect for those who like to train indoor; it has an accelerometer that tracks your motions and based on that it calculates the calories burned and estimated the distance you would have ran.

There are no questions when it comes to the quality of the Garmin GPS watches because they are always manufactured with the best available material in the market and provided with the minimum one-year warranty. As always the running watches from Garmin comes with the Garmin Connect, which is the perfect for those who want to connect with those like-minded runners and athletes.

Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS Watch:

Another running watch for those who are intermediate runners, it is a budget watch that is available in many colors and perfects for those who don’t want to spend much on the GPS watch and just want simple tracking.

As every other watch, it tracks the basic functions of running, pace and distance. You can start tracking with just a push of one button. It compares your historical data with the current one so you can be aware how the run was and how much have you improved. It also motivates you to run more while you’re on the way.

It also alerts you when you achieve your personal best, like when you run the fastest mile it gives you notification that you ran the fastest mile! Or when you run the longest it notifies you. It keeps tracks of your personal runs and every single detail of it.

With its run/walk feature, those who just have started running can be trained to intermediate level; it gives you a notification based on your stamina when to run and when to walk. With regular practice, the one can build up the good amount of strength.

Overall the Garmin Forerunner 10 is a great bargain at the very low price, those who’re intermediate runners have to have this watch.

GPS Watch Reviews

This is the list of best GPS watch, we have mentioned in the description of each watch that for whom it’s suitable. We divided them into GPS watch for beginners, GPS watch for intermediate runners and GPS Watch for professional runners. Have you tried any of this watches? We would love to know your take on this; please comment your views in the comment section.

How and Why to Choose a Garmin GPS Watch:

If you are a sports fanatic, it can become confusing when you always see new and updated products on the market, especially with the Garmin. No one can keep up anymore, and today we want to give you a simple guide on how you can pick your Garmin GPS watch.

Whether you are a new runner, cyclist, hiker, and triathlete or just looking for the basics in tracking your steps, Garmin has the watch for you. Now you may be wondering why Garmin? You can find loads of other brands with the same features so why this specific brand.

The big thing about the Garmin watch is that they have the best GPS capabilities and each one of the latest models comes with Garmin Connect. Setting it up the watch is the same compared to using iTunes as it automatically uploads your stats for your workout to your computer for the day. You can also connect them to your social media accounts, and they have the best tech support as they consistently come back with new software updated quickly.

Moreover, to find information the Garmin website has all the available info from A-Z from all the watches they have.

How to Choose your Smartwatch:

When buying a Garmin watch, different categories apply to your needs. In the collection, you have your Vivo watch made to boost up your lifestyle, while the Forerunner is a complete spectrum designed for the runner, and lastly, you have your XT’s specifically designed for the triathlete.

Vivo

The Vivo range is one of the widest in the Garmin offered and made for you if you are not a competitive runner, but looking to live a healthier lifestyle. This is where the Vivoactive lifestyle watch is like the Porsche in the range as it can do everything from measuring your heart rate, calories, sleep, steps, running, swimming, biking, social media, and the list go on. However, the watch may not be suited for the marathon or triathlon, but more for a person that enjoys all-around activities.

Forerunner

If you are more, into running, you have the Forerunner but finding the right one is complicated as they have many different options available with the same features. Here the activity and price may be more important. Here the Forerunner 25 is perfect for everyday running or even half marathon runners. It tracks steps, calories and you have the time available at all times. You can pair it with your phone and receive notifications with a battery life of up to 8-10-hours.

In the range, you also have the FR235 that has more lifestyle features and designed to track the same health features as the rest of the range. With this watch, you can also connect to your Smartphone, have control of music playing, text, calls, and receive notifications. Moreover, it has the garmin gps watch with heart rate monitor at the wrist.

Then you have the Lamborghini in the range the FR630 that comes with a built-in coach. They have touchscreen and pairs with an HR monitor. You have VO2 max and recovery time. It gives you detailed data, such as your ground track time, cadence, and vertical fluctuation. Moreover, you can receive text and calls with information related to your lactate threshold and stress recovery.

The XT Range

Lastly, you have the Garmin XT range designed for triathletes who enjoy swimming, running, cycling, and everything that a triathlete needs. The only thing is that these watches do not come cheap and are a bit expensive. This watch tracks, many different things from time, elevation, distance, pace, swimming efficiency, counts your stroke and pool length.

In the Garmin GPS XT range, we have selected two models the FR735XT and the FR920XT. However, we have found another watch made for those who enjoy hiking more than just running and that is the Epix.

Epix

The Epix is a combined watch with a touchscreen that has both the ability to help sports fanatics and hikers with tracking while on the move. The Garmin Epix GPS watch is a navigator on your wrist. With the touch of your finger, you can swipe it for detailed maps; it has the built-in Worldwide Basemap. It has a large internal memory for extensive map support, and you can add important city maps and more.

The other fascinating thing about the watch is that they have taken the Fenix 3 fitness functions and added it to one watch. You can track your heart rate while mountain biking, trailing, and more all in one package.

Before Buying Your Watch Think about the Features You Need

There are different features available in the Garmin GPS watch range, and all depends on your needs. Not everyone needs the same features, and you can consider the following before making your purchase:

Are you in need of tracking your distance?

If you are a sports enthusiast, yes. With the Garmin watch, it has a built-in GPS and is necessary to track your distance. Many of the Garmin watches has the accelerometer included in the watch and helps to smooth out the gaps you find in the GPS data.

Do you need the heart rate monitor?

If you are a serious trainer then yes, you need the heart rate monitor, as it is useful. There are Garmin watches that have the optical pulse built in or you can pair it up with your chest strap. The only thing about the OHR is that they are not always spot on. Furthermore, they are not great for weight training and interval training, but steady for runs.

Do you need a training plan?

Many of the Garmin watches have the training plan included for running up to full marathons. If this is an important feature for you to have then, Garmin offers the most comprehensive in the range.

Do you need to create interval training?

An excellent way to build your speed and fitness is with the FR235 as it allows you to customize the watch with interval sessions from distance, duration, heart rate, and pace.

Are you getting more serious about your running form?

Then a higher end watch with the further insights such as real-time feedback on your cadence, foot strike in a minute and vertical oscillation is what you need. This helps to guide you to improve your running form.

Do You Need Recovery Advice:

If you are a serious runner, this is an important feature to have. Here you can look at the FR630 or the FR235 that gives you the best recovery stats.

Why GPS Garmin is best! –  GPS Watch:

Besides the 25 year experience in manufacturing sports equipment and industry leader in GPS watches, Garmin has mastered the art of making best of the best devices for runners. Olympic athletes use few of the models.

The level of sophistication and amount of information provided in the run is just tremendous. They come with the ability to upload and store your data in the cloud. Not to mention the social network on which you can meet and interact with like-minded runners. The best part is live run, in which you can share your run with your friends and relatives so that they can track your run live, on the go!

We have collected few the best models based on the few characteristics and price comparisons, here is the list of best GPS watches by Garmin.

Final Word

As you can see, there are loads of new sports tracking watches popping up online every day. We hope that our best 10 Garmin GPS watch reviews help you to make the right choice when in need of a fitness tracker. Garmin has been the forerunner in GPS for a long time. They are working hard to keep their collection up to date with the latest fitness technology wrapped up into one package. Choosing your smartwatch all depends on your needs and all these models presents you with different superb features to help improve your lifestyle when it comes to living healthier.