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GPS running watches have all the sport-specific features to track every stride you take. And some are even packed with additional sensors and technology to provide a 360 degree view of your training and recovery and keep you connected outside of training, too.
But working out the right gadget for you is a bit like finding the best running shoes: the same watch won't suit everyone. For plenty of runners, accurate records of pace, heart rate, route, distance and time are all you need to get the most out of your runs. For others, advanced models will pack additional features that can benefit other aspects of your wellbeing.
Ready to find your perfect training partner? At RW, we’ve tested pretty much every running watch on the market, clocking up hundreds of miles to curate our recommendations below. Keep scrolling for our full reviews.
What to consider when choosing a GPS running watch
While a GPS watch can benefit all runners, someone who is training for their first 10k is going to have slightly different needs to a seasoned ultra-marathoner. Strong battery life.
How we test
We've tested and reviewed over 50 of the leading GPS running watches on the market, from brands including Garmin, Coros, Polar and Apple. We've clocked up hundreds of miles as a team over several months, putting the watches through their paces at parkruns and ultra races, in urban settings and in remote environments, and in all weather conditions.
We evaluate the devices based on features, accuracy, battery life, connectivity, and what they’re like to use on our daily runs. Our most-recommended watches satisfied our data-tracking needs and delighted us with intuitive user experiences and additional apps and features.
Why trust us?
Runner’s World UK has been vetting and reviewing running gear and tech since 1983. Our essential recommendations, including all kinds of running shoes, are selected based on data and insights gathered by our editors, who put the latest and greatest running shoes and gear through their paces day in and day out. In 2024, the Runner’s World test team is led by e-commerce editor Ali Ball, an 11-time marathoner and ultramarathoner who has over seven years experience testing fitness gear and tech. This guide also builds on the knowledge of Kieran Alger, a 53-time marathoner who is frequently spotted wearing a running watch on either wrist.
The best running watches for 2024, tested & reviewed
Garmin Forerunner 265
Pros
- Bright, colourful AMOLED screen
- Light and comfortable
- Available in two sizes
- Music storage
- Comprehensive suite of run-tracking tools
Cons
- Considerably pricier than older 255/245
- No navigation/maps
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 13 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 20 hours |
| Display type and size | AMOLED/1.3" (32.5mm) |
| Weight | 47g |
| Waterproof rating | 5ATM |
> Read our full Garmin Forerunner 265 review <
Our top pick overall, the Forerunner 265 gives you pretty much everything you’d want in a running watch: a wide range of features, a decent battery life (up to 15 days), accurate tracking and customisable workouts – all without costing as much as Garmin’s flagship bands.
It’s the newest kid on the block, too, replacing the 255 and 245 models. While the original is by no means bulky, it also comes in a smaller size for those who want an even lighter wrist companion. It’s got a sharp, colourful AMOLED display that’s easily bright enough to work for outdoor runs on sunny days.
The Forerunner 265 is pretty hardcore when it comes to features, too. It’s got the usual GPS, sleep tracking and fitness modes, but there’s also training status, training readiness and performance condition, which makes this feel like a real athlete’s watch. Our tester found the GPS quick to connect, and it didn’t lose its signal once during testing.
What separate this from the bigger boys like the Fenix 7 and Enduro 2 is the lack of maps and smart assistant – but for most people this won’t be a dealbreaker, and the large suit of features will more than suffice.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Up to 24 days
- Adaptive training features
- Fitness, stress and body battery energy level tracking
Cons
- Screen is harder to read than pricer options
- Lacking some performance features
- No contactless payments or maps
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 14 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 20 hours |
| Display type and size | MIP/1.04" (26.3mm) |
| Weight | 37g |
| Waterproof rating | 5ATM |
> Read our full Garmin Forerunner 55 review <
If you’re just starting out and want to make the step up from smartphone tracking apps to a running watch, the Forerunner 55 fits the bill. It comes with all the basics, including built-in GPS and optical heart rate monitoring, plus 20 hours’ GPS run time on a single charge and a general usage battery life that’ll get most runners through at least a week’s training.
It’s small, light and comfortable and though the small screen isn’t as easy to read or as luxe as pricier watches, the display does a good enough job in most light conditions.
Unsurprisingly, you don’t get the full suite of training features here, but the Forerunner 55 still has enough tools to cater for a wide range of running needs, with plenty of features geared towards the less experienced. This includes five running modes with track running and a virtual running mode for use with platforms like Zwift, plus Garmin Coach adaptive training plans, daily suggested workouts based on your recovery, handy GPS-based pace guidance for a selected course, cadence alerts to help with improvements in form and recovery advisor for advice on managing your rest between training efforts.
Beyond the run, you also get fitness, stress and body battery energy level tracking. The 55 will also estimate your fitness age - if you dare to look. And there’s women’s health tracking covering menstrual cycle and pregnancy. There’s music controls but no offline music - you’ll need to higher up the Garmin food chain for that and for things like Garmin Pay and other smart features which are missing here too.
Pros
- Stunning bright display
- Compact and comfortable
- Battery life GPS Mode/Solar
- Contactless payments, WiFi syncing and offline music
Cons
- Short battery life
- Missing some training insights
- No accuracy-boosting dual band GPS
| Battery life (GPS): | Up to 19 hours |
|---|---|
| Battery life (Smartwatch mode): | Big bright AMOLED screen |
| Display size: | 1.2" |
| Weight: | 39g |
| Waterproof rating: | 5ATM |
> Read our full Garmin Forerunner 165 review <
The Garmin Forerunner 165 squeezes into Garmin’s crowded running watch line up somewhere between the Forerunner 55 and the Forerunner 265. It’s now Garmin’s cheapest dedicated running watch to pack a bright smartwatch-style AMOLED touchscreen. So if you’ve hankered after a bright, crisp display but the Forerunner 265 is over your budget, this might be the watch for you.
While the AMOLED screen is the hero, behind that stunning display, there’s a fairly comprehensive suite of run-tracking tools targeted at training and racing. It offers the majority of core features you’ll find on the Forerunner 265 with a handful of key omissions. There’s no accuracy-boosting dual band GPS or triathlon sports mode. Plus some of Garmin’s training insights have been left out. There’s no training status, training load, training readiness readouts or Lactate Threshold estimates.
However, when it comes to tracking your runs while you’re actually running, the Forerunner 165 is more than a serious rival for pricier watches on performance and accuracy.
Despite the lack of accuracy-boosting dual-frequency GPS, the Forerunner 165 held its own in tests against the Forerunner 265, Forerunner 965 and the Enduro 2. The optical heart rate performance was also relatively reliable.
You’ll also sacrifice some staying power for that punchy screen. The battery comes in at 19-hours of GPS runtime – that’s shorter than the Forerunner 55 (20 hrs), Forerunner 265 (20 hrs) and the Forerunner 255 (26 hrs).
In tests, without music, a 1:25 half-marathon burned 11% and a 4-hour marathon burned 21% so there’s still plenty to cover most single-session distances. You can expect between 5-8 days general training usage, with around 5-6 hours GPS run time.
Additional tools like contactless payments, WiFi syncing and offline music (if you invest in the pricier Forerunner 165 Music) boost the smartwatch skills. But what you’re getting here is a happily reliable, largely fully featured run tracker, in a compact, comfortable package that represents good value if you’re mainly concerned about what happens during the run or workout.
Pros
- Plenty of navigation tools, including TrackBack
- Best smartwatch/running watch hybrid
- Accurate dual-frequency GPS
- First-class sleep and recovery tools
- Lacking some performance features
Cons
- May be too chunky for smaller wrists
| Battery life (GPS) | 61 hours (Standard GPS Mode), 43 hours (dual-frequency Performance Mode), 140 hours (Eco Training Mode) |
|---|---|
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | 10 days |
| Display size | 1.39”/AMOLED |
| Weight | 79g |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM |
> Read our full Polar Grit X2 Pro review <
The successor to Polar’s ruggedised, trail-friendly Grit X Pro, the good-looking Grit X2 Pro offers all of the running, training and recovery features you find on its top-end watches like the Vantage V3, just in a more hench and durable frame.
New to the latest model is dual-frequency GPS, which was impressively rapid and reliable in our tests. It also packs a barometric altimeter and compass to power those off-beat navigation features. You get Polar’s Elixir technology, ECG, nightly skin temperature and blood oxygen sensors, too. Plus, its new fourth generation optical heart rate sensor and updated algorithms aim to weed out more of the inaccuracies that can occur with wrist-based heart rate.
The Grit X2 Pro boasts a suite of extra navigation tools for tackling more adventurous runs. The watch now comes pre-loaded with offline TOPO maps for North America and Europe (you can download other regions for free with up to 32GB storage). There’s also added breadcrumb navigation and support for Komoot and Strava routes.
When it comes to battery life, you’ll get up to 43 hours in the dual-frequency Performance mode, 61 hours in standard GPS mode, 140 hours in Eco Training Mode and 10 days in Smartwatch Mode (with no GPS training). On paper, that battery life is good but not quite Garmin Enduro 3 or Coros Vertix 2 top-class.
Polar’s sleep and recovery tools are still the best in business and the Grit X2 Pro offers everything here including sleep stages, Recovery Pro and workout recommendations based on overnight recovery. It also offers the newer performance and muscle recovery tests, to help you chart trends in your progress and manage your training.
Durability is ramped up too. The watch comes in in a standard model (stainless steel front casing) and Pro Titan (titanium chassis). Both watches have scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, are waterproof to 100m and are the first Polar watches tested to MIL-STD 810 standards. Though at 79g, it’s one of the heavier watches and daintier wrists might find it a little chunky.
Throw in FuelWise fuelling recommendations, Hill Splitter automatic climb detection and music controls for Spotify and other music apps, and you’ve got arguably Polar’s best off-road smartwatch right now.
Pros
- Incredible staying power
- Accurate, dual-frequency GPS
- Route planning and navigation
- Up to 17 days
Cons
- Looks a bit plasticky
- No yoga or Pilates workout modes
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 24 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 38 hours |
| Display size | 1.2" |
| Weight | 39Big bright AMOLED screen |
| Waterproof rating | 5ATM |
> Read our full Coros Pace 3 review <
If you're after impressive staying power, in-depth training features and accurate GPS, the Pace 3 is one of the best money-can-buy choices right now.
The latest model benefits from an improved heart rate reader with 5 LEDs and four light-detecting photosensors, which act a bit like cameras. There’s also a bigger and better battery life - 24 days daily use and 38 hours continuous GPS (compared with 20 days use and 30 hours GPS in the Pace 2). It's got dual-frequency GPS – the type found in higher-end Garmin watches and the Unrivalled battery life, which stays impressively stable, even in high-rise urban environments.
There's also new mapping features, including a route planner where you can either build your own custom route or search for a destination and sync it to the watch within the Coros app, and turn-by-turn navigation.
The Pace’s range of advanced running analytics is impressive. On the latest model you can view Running Performance, Training Load, scores and pace ranges for Aerobic Endurance, Aerobic Power, Threshold, Anaerobic Endurance and Anaerobic Power, cadence, stride length, elevation and more within the Coros app. This is then compatible with a selection of third party running apps, including Strava and Apple Health. Plus, the Pace 3 comes with training plans and workouts if you're not following a plan already.
Sure, it is a bit plasticky, so if you're looking for a slightly more premium, all-day smartwatch, that could be a dealbreaker. Ultra and trail runners should probably look elsewhere too. But for everyone else – particularly those looking for a reliable running watch to use for their workouts – it's an excellent watch at a hard-to-beat price.
Pros
- Stunning bright AMOLED screen
- Excellent battery life
- Offline Spotify
- Improved navigation
- Built-in torch
Cons
- Hiked up price tag
- Bulky for smaller wrists
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | 29 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | 62-145 hours |
| Display | 454 Excellent safety features |
| Display size | 1.4-inch / 35.5mm |
| Weight | 92g |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM / Dive 40m |
> Read our full Garmin Fenix 8 review <
The Fenix 8 is arguably the most comprehensive multi-sport watches on the market. If Garmin has a tool for it, it’s on this watch. You get the full suite of Garmin’s run tracking, training, recovery, navigation and health tools, including everything from training effect, training load and performance condition, to HRV, Body Battery, recovery time, VO2 Max and race time predictor estimates. Plus, it has progress-charting readouts like Hill Score (how good you are on the ups) and Endurance Score (how good you are at going long).
There’s military-style multi-band GPS, designed to improve GPS accuracy in areas where regular signals can struggle. Though it’s impressive, our tester found it’s not totally infallible. It locks routes as well as any watch we’ve tested, though it suffered a few wobbles under heavy tree cover. Overall, though, total distances landed well within the margin for error.
The headline updates from the Garmin Fenix 7 range include a stunning smartwatch-style AMOLED display, bigger screens on the smallest watches, plus increased battery life (in most settings).It’s also packed with all the features you’d expect from a smartwatch – including smart notifications delivered right on the wrist, contactless payment, wrist-based heart rate, sleep and stress tracking. The con? It’ll cost you.
Pros
- Up to 17 days
- Up to 35 hours
- Built-in torch
- Excellent mapping & navigation
- Competitive accuracy
Cons
- No AMOLED screen
- Considerably pricier than older 255/245
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | 36 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS Mode/Solar) | 120/320 hours |
| Display | 280 Accurate dual-frequency GPS |
| Display size | 1.4-inch / 35.5mm |
| Weight | 63g |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM |
> Read our full Garmin Enduro 3 review <
Basically a Fenix (without the AMOLED screen) with a beefed-up battery life, this hard-wearing hulk of a multi-sport watch is built to handle off-road and ultrarunning adventures. And the latest version packs even more solar-boosted staying power, a lighter build, brighter screen and a reduced price tag.
On paper, even without the solar smarts, it offers between 60 and 210 hours of GPS tracking. In the right light conditions, that jumps to 60 hours in accuracy-boosting multi-band mode and 320 hours in standard GPS mode. It’s a beast. In our tests, it lived up to billing, too. When we weren’t running, the average overnight burn was just 1%. Over 24 hours without any workouts, the Enduro 3 shed just 3%. A 90-minute run in Normal mode burned 3%, while a 3-hour marathon using the multiband Max Accuracy mode burned 5%.
It’s not all battery, though. The Enduro 3 offers Garmin’s complete suite of training tools and insights. That includes reliable heart rate and accurate GPS plus training effect, training load, recovery recommendations and training-session suggestions. Plus, it’s got progress-charting readouts like Hill Score (how good you are on the ups), Endurance Score (how good you are at going long). Running modes include road, trail, ultra and indoor with trail-adjusted VO2-max estimates and a nifty ultra feature that splits out the time you spend dawdling at aid-station buffets.
It’s a highly competent navigator, too, with mapping upgrades that add terrain contours on your TopoActive map, dynamic round trip, and route guidance that can update mid-run to hit a specified distance if you go off-course. It’s easy to create routes on the fly or upload courses downloaded from Strava and third parties.
If you can live without the AMOLED screen, the voice tools and dive skills that land with the new Fenix 8, it packs the features, accuracy and durability to rival its much pricier stablemate.
Polar Pacer Pro
Pros
- Great battery life
- Amazing value
- Nicely lightweight
- Run tracking feature-rich
Cons
- Basic, old school design
- No offline music
- No Recovery Pro tools
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 144 hours |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 35 hours |
| Display size | 1.2" |
| Weight | 41g |
| Waterproof rating | 5ATM |
This might just be Polar’s best value running watch. For under £300, it packs in many features you’ll find on the brand’s pricier watches into its lightweight 41g frame. And while you don’t get premium materials like titanium bezels, it still looks stylish with interchangeable straps and a sleek-looking frame.
With 35 hours of full GPS run time – extendable up to 100 hours in low-power modes – the battery life is pretty much unrivalled at this price. Only the slightly pricier COROS Apex gets near it. Though in our tests, we got slightly less than the billed 35 hours.
There’s also no touchscreen but the button controls are easy to use and nicely responsive. The display is noticeably brighter than previous Polar watches too, though not quite sharp and vibrant as an Apple Watch or a Garmin Epix.
But what makes the Pacer Pro really stand out is its comprehensive suite of running, training, racing and recovery features. It’s an impressive line-up with the newish running performance test and VO2 Max estimates, running index score that lets you see how you compare to other runners, race time predictor, running power on the wrist and Polar’s Training Load Pro training guidance tools. You also get all-systems satellite support, super-fast GPS link-up, a built-in barometer, turn-by-turn routes powered by Komoot, route elevation profiles and automatic climb detection.
Outside of training, the sleep stages and Nightly Recharge recovery tools are still some of the best you’ll find on any running watch. The only thing missing is Recovery Pro – the more advanced (and more reliable) chest strap-based orthostatic testing for monitoring your body’s response to training and daily stresses.
But for most runners, there’s enough here to make this a real contender and a big rival to the likes of the Garmin Forerunner 265 and COROS Pace.
Pros
- Up to 20 hours
- Big bright AMOLED screen
- Strong battery life
Cons
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- Optical heart rate struggles
| Weight | 83g |
|---|---|
| Display size | 1.43 inches |
| Battery life (GPS) | 40-120 hours |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | 12 days |
| Waterproof rating | 100ATM |
> Read our full Suunto Race review <
The Suunto Race joins the growing line-up of running watches now packing big smartwatch-style AMOLED displays, and despite a bit too much bezel, this one gets a big thumbs up.
For a start, it’s cheaper than many of the AMOLED rivals. The killer crisp, colourful touchscreen is the hero here, elevating Suunto’s strong offline maps and navigation tools, and adding vibrancy to your run data. But behind that smart screen, there’s a capable run tracker, too.
When it comes to insights, Suunto serves up pretty standard fare — all your usual mid-run metrics plus post-run reads on training load, training progress and recovery. There’s also AI coaching advice, race pacing tools and sleep and activity tracking.
Other headlines include accuracy-boosting all-systems, dual frequency GPS and a strong suite of navigation tools with heat-map route planning, breadcrumb trails and estimated time of arrival.
The on-paper battery life is competitive with 40-120 hours and excellent granular power save customisation. In tests, a one-hour run using the highest accuracy GPS mode burned an average of 3%, draining faster than the 40 hours Suunto claims but it matched the Garmin Forerunner 965 and the Polar Vantage V3. The GPS tracking was excellent but the heart rate performance was more mixed. Where optical sensors can struggle, it did.
On features and price it’s in the mix with the Forerunner 965 and Vantage V3, but at 83g, it’s built more like a chunkier Garmin Fenix, Coros Vertix 2 and the Polar Grit X2 Pro. If you’re looking for light and compact, this is not the one.
However, if you want a rugged build there’s a lot of watch here for under £400. Even if you opt for the pricier – and lighter – Titanium model, the Race is still significantly cheaper than the Garmin Forerunner 965 and the Polar Vantage V3.
Pros
- Sturdy, well-built design
- Excellent safety features
- Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network
- Provides complete picture of your fitness and health.
Cons
- No offline music
- Basic mapping
- Lacks advanced training tools on pricer models
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 28 days (unlimited with solar) |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 30 hours (48 hours with solar) |
| Display size | 0.9" |
| Weight | 53g |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM |
> Read our full Garmin Instinct Solar 2 review <
The Instinct often gets overlooked in ‘regular’ running watch line-ups because of its hardcore adventure credentials, but if you need a run tracker that can handle more extreme excursions than your local parkrun, the Instinct Solar 2 is worth considering.
This military-grade tracking tool is built for serious battles with the outdoors. It’s waterproof to 100m, thermal and shock resistant and has a scratch-resistant display and polymer-toughened case.
But beyond that rugged build, it’s also a capable all-around running tool on and off the road. Its excellent safety features, including incident detection and live location sharing, also make it well-suited to off-road ultras and exploration.
At 53g, it’s lighter and less bulky than a Fenix – almost a Garmin Fenix Lite with a similar styling – and ideal if you’ve got smaller wrists. Despite the smaller screen, stats are still perfectly legible on the move.
It’s also currently the cheapest watch to feature Garmin’s breakthrough solar-charging skills. In the right conditions, that ray-converting solar display can boost an already-competitive 30-hour GPS battery to 48 hours, and stretch the low-power mode from 70 up to 370 hours. We didn’t quite test the 370 hours but on full GPS, those numbers held up.
You also now get access to Garmin’s run-specific tracking, training and recovery tools including VO2 Max estimates, training status, training load, post-run training effect readings and recovery time recommendations. Plus suggested workouts, too.
The lack of maps is surprising on a watch like this but the navigation skills are still strong. You get turn-by-turn breadcrumb and back-to-start navigation, along with distance to destination and future elevation for routes you load onto the watch. That’s particularly useful for trail runs and races.
Music is limited to controls rather than offline playback but there is a ‘kill switch’ feature that instantly wipes the watch of all user data. You know, if things go really badly at your next city marathon.
Pros
- Up to 45 hours
- Offline maps
- Up to 20 hours
Cons
- Poor low-power GPS accuracy
- No offline music
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 288 hours |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 61 hours |
| Display size | 1.39" |
| Weight | 57g |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM |
The Vantage V3 is Polar’s most-advanced running tracker. A rival for the Garmin Forerunner 965 and the Suunto Race, this slick-looking, well-designed watch offers Polar’s most comprehensive package of performance, recovery and fitness tools. But the headline here is the bright, snappy AMOLED touchscreen that brings a bit of smartwatch clarity to your running stats.
All systems dual frequency GPS successfully boosts the accuracy. In tests, it rivalled the Garmin Forerunner 965 while the Vantage V3’s optical heart rate was about as reliable as wrist-based BPM gets.
The Vantage V3 also packs Polar’s most advanced suite of biosensors – including ECG, blood oxygen and skin temperature sensors. So when it comes to 24-7 tracking capabilities it’s a powerhouse for performance, sleep and wellness.
There’s training effect and load estimates, a huge suite of fitness benchmarking tests and Polar’s comprehensive Recovery Pro tool to help you see how you’re responding to the training (and life) stress.
Battery life is competitive with 61 hour GPS runtime on paper. In testing, it came up a little shorter. That extends up to 190 hours in low power mode. However, you’ll sacrifice accuracy to get that longevity. Still there’s enough juice here on a single charge for a week’s training.
The Vantage V3 is also Polar’s most capable navigation tool with run planning tools like offline maps, easy route planning and turn-by-turn guidance powered by Komoot. Throw in running power on the wrist, adaptive training programmes for 5k up to the marathon and the powerful Polar Flow platform and you’ve got Polar’s most capable tool to date.
It’s missing some smarts you’ll find on the Forerunner 965 including offline music storage, support for streaming services like Spoitfy and contactless payments and on balance of build, battery, accuracy and breadth of features, it’s probably not quite as good overall but it is £80 cheaper.
Pros
- Take calls and reply to texts from your wrist
- Customisable workouts
- Bulky for smaller wrists
Cons
- Short battery life
- Doesn't work with Android
Since the first Apple Watch was launched in 2015, Apple have cornered the market in slick smartwatches that are perfect for those who care about their activity levels – or hope to improve them. What they weren’t, really, until last year, was running watches. Or more accurately, running watches that could compete with the likes of Garmin and Coros when it came to the kind of data and mapping that ‘serious’ runners expect.
The advent of the Unrivalled battery life changed that. With a seriously accurate dual-frequency GPS and – finally – a simple, user-friendly way to pause and restart runs (holding the buttons either side of the watch dial at the same time in a pinching motion) and the ability to set up custom workouts, the Apple Watch was now a genuinely great running watch.
In the Ultra 2, most of the changes are internal rather than external. It has a faster S9 chipset, which means that using Siri is much faster. Also brand new is the rather wonderful Double Tap ‘gesture’. Tapping your index finger and thumb together twice can answer a call, read an alert – anything that the main watch button usually does, it can do too, but with more flair. You can also mute your watch by simply covering it with your hand, which is handy if you’ve accidentally put the volume up so it booms out your km split paces to all and sundry.
What Double Tap can’t do – or at least not yet – is start and stop a run, or mark a segment or lap within one.
The dual frequency GPS is pretty accurate in track and non-track scenarios. Our tester has worn the watch for a few measured races and it’s almost always more accurate through built-up areas than older Garmins. The large, bright screen is also great for looking at maps.
Where the watch still has yet to really compete with its running watch rivals is on battery life. For most people, this probably isn’t an issue: if you do a lunchtime run and perhaps one other workout or tracked walk, then you shouldn’t need to charge the watch at all for a few days. But if you use the Ultra as, well, an Ultra Watch, then you can drain it pretty quickly by using GPS, music and maps at the same time. It certainly wouldn’t last a multi-day self-guided adventure, that’s for sure.
Pros
- Sleeker than many adventure watches
- Great range of features and navigation functions
Cons
- to help you navigate routes in the wilderness or guide you through new neighbourhoods
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 17 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 45 hours |
| Display size | 1.2" |
| Weight | 53g (with silicone band), 42g (with nylon band) |
| Waterproof rating | 5ATM |
If you regularly swap pavements for trails, the Apex 2 is another watch that’s built for long-haul off-road mileage but packs plenty for regular road runners too. Not least, the standout feature here: Coros’s trademark staying power, with up to 45 hours of full GPS use (that’s five more than the original Apex). Plus, it takes less than two hours for the watch to go from zero to full charge.
The Apex 2 comes ready to rumble with the mixed terrain, but tools like track mode – where you set your lane to tune up the GPS accuracy – interval session builder, pre-loaded training sessions and running power on the wrist, make this more than just a trail runner’s tool.
The Pro is sleeker than some adventure running watches. But despite being thinner and noticeably lighter than a Garmin Fenix 7, it’s still a chunk of a watch that can swamp smaller wrists.
That’s partly thanks to a tough, 1.2-inch sapphire glass, colour touchscreen that’s happy to take knocks and offers ample real estate for your stats. Under its rugged exterior, the Apex’s suite of sensors includes a barometric altimeter for real-time acclimatisation readouts and a compass to power turn-by-turn and back to start navigation.
With free global offline Landscape and Topographical maps, you can access critical navigation information in the most remote locations. The digital dial on the watch allows you to zoom in and out of your map too. GPS performance is strong, and the optical heart rate performs well on steady runs – though it can struggle to track higher intensity bursts during interval sessions or steep hill climbs, so training-insights data may be skewed.
Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)
Pros
- Plenty of new training features
- 24/7 health and wellness monitoring tools
- Best for multi-sports
- Stunning AMOLED touchscreen
Cons
- Hefty price tag
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 10 days (4 days always-on) |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 28 hours (20 hours always-on) |
| Display size | 1.2" |
| Weight | 63g |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM |
If you're used to one of Garmin's more affordable smartwatches like the Venu 2 Plus, the Garmin epix Pro will definitely feel like a step up in comparison. This is a running watch for front-of-the-pack runners – those who prefer more of a rugged build but don’t want to compromise on a super sharp display.
It has a crystal-clear AMOLED touchscreen display, a whole host of advanced training features on top of Garmin’s usual 24/7 health and wellness monitoring, a built-in LED flashlight for training in the dark and 30 new preloaded sport activities including basketball and horseback riding. If that wasn't enough, there's also new training features including ‘hill score’ – which measures your capability for running uphill and assesses your progress based on your VO2 Max estimate – and ‘endurance score’, which looks at your ability to sustain prolonged efforts.
There’s no beating around the bush here – this is an expensive watch. But the epix Pro does feature a whole load of impressive features – including an optimised heart rate sensor and new weather map overlays. So if you’re currently thinking about upgrading from an older Forerunner (or, indeed Venu), this really is an excellent smartwatch.
Pros
- Unrivalled battery life
- Offline music
- ECG sensor built into the outer bezel for accurate Heart Rate Variability readings
Cons
- A bit bulky for some
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 60 days |
|---|---|
| Battery life (GPS) | Up to 140 hours |
| Display size | 1.4" |
| Weight | 89g (with silicone band), 72g (with nylon band) |
| Waterproof rating | 10ATM |
The Vertix 2 is COROS’ flagship running watch and a firm rival to the Garmin Fenix. Its stand-out feature is a mind-boggling 140-hour GPS battery life. But there’s more to this 91g rugged beast than endurance. It packs an altimeter, barometer and compass, all-systems dual frequency GPS for improved accuracy, offline TOPO maps, 32GB music storage and offline playback. Plus the brand new EvoLab suite of performance insights and training tools that puts COROS on a par with its rivals.
That includes real-time training load, VO2 Max, pace and intensity guidance, base fitness level, fatigue level, load impact and recovery time recommendations. It’ll also assess your running performance level, give you a marathon-level benchmark and predicted race times.
On paper, the Vertix 2’s 140 hours full GPS can be extended to 240 hours in UltraMax lower power mode. But drops to 50 h0urs when you turn on the All Systems GPS with Dual Frequency to squeeze out extra accuracy. And just 30 hours if you’re using music.
In our tests, where we ran a marathon a day for 7 days, the Vertix 2 lasted 2 weeks and 5 hours, including those seven marathons. That’s 189 miles and 30.5 hours of GPS running with some runs in the most draining All Systems + Dual Frequency Mode, all using optical HR and one also using music for 3 hours.
The Vertix 2’s large sapphire 280 x 280 pixel LCD 64-colour touchscreen display sits in a slick titanium alloy bezel and casing and there’s also an Electrocardiogram (ECG) Sensor built into the outer bezel for accurate Heart Rate Variability readings. Something you won’t find on any Garmin.
