Which Garmin running smartwatch is right for me?
07.11.2022
Reading time: 5 minutes
There's nothing better than finding the perfect smartwatch for running, but which watch should you choose?
Garmin has been in the smartwatch game for quite some time, so it's no secret that we have plenty of watch options to help you reach your goals. If you're not sure which Garmin smartwatch is right for you – don't worry, we'll help you find the right one.
From beginner runners to elite marathoners - you can bet we have the best GPS running watches to guide you every step, every kilometre and every race.
Garmin running features
Before choosing a Garmin smartwatch, you should know which watch has the running and training features that make the most sense for your goals. Let's go through your options.
For the beginner runner:
Let's start with entry level, which doesn't mean your watch is basic. Even smartwatches designed for beginners have advanced tools and metrics to help you improve as a runner.
Built-in GPS: easily track your runs and get accurate stats, including distance, pace and intervals.
Long battery life: no, really – we mean truly long battery life. Depending on which Garmin smartwatch you have, battery life is at least 5 days, and some watches can last up to 50 days.
Sleep tracking: our advanced sleep tracking feature1 helps you understand how your body recovers and helps you prepare for training. With select watches, after waking up you get your sleep score, sleep stage breakdown and much more.
Wrist-based heart rate: Your heart rate zone matters. With wrist-based heart rate1, you can measure how hard your heart is working during a run. In addition, tracking heart rate data and heart rate variability outside of workouts gives you insight into your recovery, overall fitness and more. In fact, there's a lot more about heart rate for athletes – here's some content you might want to read.
Garmin Coach: Is there a race in your future plans? Check out the free adaptive training plans available in the Garmin Connect™ app. Choose a coach, a distance – 5K, 10K or half marathon – and a race date, and workouts will sync to your watch to keep you race-ready.
Garmin Connect app: all Garmin smartwatches are compatible with the Garmin Connect app, a free tool for tracking, analysing and sharing health and fitness activities. Think of it as a personal assistant that helps you reach your health and fitness goals.
For the intermediate runner
You've been running for a while and are starting to get the hang of it. You're not afraid to push your limits - now you need a smartwatch that can keep up. In addition to the features for beginner runners, you might consider a smartwatch with:
Daily suggested workouts: get daily running suggestions based on your training history, fitness level and recovery time.
Running power: when you use the HRM-Pro™ Plus heart rate strap with your watch, the running power feature continuously measures how much power you apply to the road while running.
Recovery time: we can't stress enough how important rest is. With the recovery time feature, you'll know exactly how long to recover before your next hard effort, based on your last workout, stress level, sleep and daily activity outside of training.
Multi-band GNSS support: what do you get with access to multiple global navigation satellite systems? Excellent accuracy on how far and how fast you've run – even in challenging conditions such as dense forest or among tall buildings.
Race widget: prepare for your next race with training tips, daily suggested workouts and finish time predictions. A personalised training plan is now as easy as a single button press.
For the elite runner
Elite runners look for serious smartwatches. Good thing we have those too. For marathons, triathlons and long training sessions, we have wearables packed with advanced features and designed just for you.
Depending on the watch you choose, you can benefit from additional features such as:
Training readiness: see a readiness score when you wake up, so you can tell whether it's a good day for a hard workout or to take it easy and rest.
Real-time stamina: don't overdo it. Use this feature to monitor and manage your effort before every run begins.
Built-in maps: full-colour built-in maps and turn-by-turn directions keep you on track whether you're running on city streets or densely forested trails.
So which watch is right for you? The table below shows which watch has which running features, so you can choose the model that best suits your needs. You really can't go wrong – every Garmin smartwatch is a great choice.
Want to know more about our running watch features? Learn all about running to get the most out of everything a Garmin smartwatch has to offer.
