The best Garmin watches, according to a fitness expert

When it comes to fitness wearables, the best Garmin watches stand out — not just for their unmatched battery life, but also for their industry-leading GPS, reliable heart rate monitoring, and smart features. Another reason Garmin excels? There's a watch for nearly every type of athlete and active lifestyle. But with roughly 30 models across more than eight series, trying to pick the right Garmin for your needs can make your head spin.

To help, I spent the last eight months reviewing five of Garmin's most popular and newest models to find the best Garmin watches worth your money. The Vivoactive 6 is my top recommendation, thanks to its sleek design, impressive tracking performance, and approachable price. That said, dedicated runners will be very happy with the Forerunner 265, as it's both simple to use and loaded with features that'll level up your training.

All of my picks were put to the test across a wide range of training and adventure scenarios, from gym workouts to hikes in the Colorado mountains.

Our top picks for the best Garmin watches

Best overall: Garmin Vivoactive 6 - See at Amazon

Best smartwatch: Garmin Venu 3 - See at Amazon

Best running watch: Garmin Forerunner 265 - See at Amazon

Best for extreme athletes: Garmin Fenix 8 - See at Amazon

Best overall

If you want a fitness-focused smartwatch that tracks your workouts, sleep, recovery, and stress with solid accuracy — but don't need the ultra-sport features of a Forerunner or Fenix — the Garmin Vivoactive 6 is your sweet-spot pick.

Despite its $300 price tag, the Vivoactive 6 boasts a sleek aesthetic reminiscent of a smartwatch and is one of the most capable everyday wearables I've tested. A significant upgrade from the Vivoactive 5, the Vivoactive 6 can track over 80 different activities, including strength training, skiing, swimming, pickleball, and even wheelchair-specific workouts (although it doesn't automatically track any activity like an Apple Watch does).

You get daily suggested workouts on your wrist, running-specific data like pace guidance, and smart wake alarms — all of which make it feel more like a training tool than a basic tracker. Garmin's GPS and heart rate tech are among the best in the industry, and I found the on-watch stats during workouts to be spot-on and easy to read mid-lift.

The Vivoactive 6 also tracks stress levels and movement, and it delivers a "Body Battery" energy score, which helps guide whether to push or rest. It also monitors your health with abnormal heart rate alerts, respiratory rate tracking, relaxation reminders, and sleep coaching.

With up to 11 days of battery life (or 21 hours in GPS mode), I only had to charge it once a week — even with daily workouts and notifications on.

In addition to the clean smartwatch aesthetic, the Vivoactive 6 has basic smart features like texts and notifications, Garmin Pay, and stored music. If you're on Android, you can reply to texts or view photos. However, there's no speaker, mic, or voice assistant, so don't expect Apple Watch-level smarts. And while it blends in better than most fitness watches — with a lightweight 45g build and sleek AMOLED display — it's still a tool built more for function than fashion-first users.

The biggest downside I found after wearing it for months? It lacks a barometric altimeter, so it won't track elevation, which will be a dealbreaker for trail runners, skiers, and cyclists. But for most everyday users who want more than step counts without overkill data, the Vivoactive 6 is the best Garmin watch I recommend.

Check out our full Garmin Vivoactive 6 review.

Best smartwatch

If you want a fitness-capable wearable that looks sleek, tracks health accurately, and offers a few smart features on-wrist — including taking calls and replying to texts — the Garmin Venu 3 is the brand's most advanced smartwatch yet.

Built on Garmin's best-in-class GPS and heart rate tech, the Venu 3 is still a fitness-focused watch. It has automatic stress and sleep tracking, daily Body Battery scores, and 30 preloaded activity modes (including running, cycling, yoga, and pool swimming). Each morning, it delivers a helpful report with your sleep score, recovery, and a suggested workout for the day. And as with all Garmin watches, the Venu 3's face and data screens are customizable in the app to match your needs.

The AMOLED display is sharp and vibrant, the interface is intuitive, and the watch comes in two sizes (41mm and 45mm), so you can choose a better fit for your wrist. Just note that the 41mm size is branded as the Garmin Venu 3S. The 14-day battery life is also one of its best features — you can wear it nonstop, track sleep, workouts, and travel without needing to reach for a charger more than once every week or two.

The main thing that sets the Venu 3 apart from Garmin's other fitness watches is its built-in microphone and speaker, which let you answer calls and dictate texts directly from your wrist. It works well for quick replies — think "grabbing anything from the store?" — and voice-to-text is surprisingly accurate. But there's a catch: to use voice assistant features or initiate messages, your phone must be unlocked. And that friction limits how useful the smart functions actually feel in day-to-day life.

At $450, the Venu 3 is a solid smartwatch with more robust fitness features than most. That said, in testing, I didn't feel like it was $150 better than the Vivoactive 6, which offers more activity modes and similar insights for less (although the Venu 3 does have the pro of a barometric altimeter for tracking elevation gains). But if taking calls from your wrist and Garmin's fitness accuracy are priorities, it's a worthwhile pick.

Check out our full Garmin Venu 3 review.

Best running watch

Highly accurate, intuitive, and jam-packed with training features, the Forerunner 265 is the best Garmin watch for runners — and, frankly, one of the most well-designed Garmins, period.

Built on Garmin's top-tier GPS and heart rate sensors, the Forerunner 265 is incredibly reliable at tracking your workouts, whether you're training for a half-marathon, hiking high altitude trails, or just walking the dog. It features over 30 sport modes (including running, swimming, Pilates, and skiing), full GPS and music storage, allowing you to leave your phone behind, and smart recovery insights that help you train smarter — such as Body Battery, Training Readiness, and daily workout suggestions tailored to your performance and recovery.

What I love about the 265 is how intuitive it is right out of the box. Without much setup, I had access to the stats that matter most in everyday life: heart rate, sleep score, recovery, steps, weather, and more. Mid-workout screens are also spot-on — showing heart rate zones, pace, rep count, and more — without overwhelming you with unnecessary data.

For runners, the features are especially strong: a race-day countdown widget, PacePro for race planning, in-ear audio coaching during runs to help you keep pace or push harder, and detailed post-run analysis that includes run power zones and training impact. It delivers suggestions for the day's workouts based on your plan, and the built-in altimeter and barometer make it more reliable for trail runners or those in mountainous areas.

The Forerunner 265 also nails the basics of smartwatch convenience — with smart notifications, Garmin Pay, and Spotify support — and lasts up to 13 days on a single charge (or 20 hours in GPS mode). The AMOLED display is bright and modern, and the two available sizes (42mm and 46mm) make it more wearable for smaller wrists. As with the Venu 3, the smaller Forerunner 265 is branded with an S at the end.

On the downside, the Forerunner 265 isn't a fashion piece like the Vivoactive 6 or Venu 3, and it doesn't have call/text capabilities from the wrist. It's more robust than the Garmin Forerunner 165 but isn't as decked out as the Forerunner 965 for triathletes. But for runners or everyday active people who want to reliably track progress and recovery without the bulk of a Fenix or the lifestyle focus of a Vivoactive, the Forerunner 265 hits that just-right spot.

Check out our full Garmin Forerunner 265 review.

Best for extreme athletes

If you regularly train, adventure, or race in extreme conditions — and want a watch that's as rugged and high-performing as you are — the Garmin Fenix 8 is one of the most powerful GPS watches you can buy.

This is not just a fitness tracker. The Fenix 8 is a full-blown multisport and backcountry navigation tool with detailed topo maps, multi-satellite GPS, offline route finding, and storm alerts. There's even an option to get a solar-charging configuration for weeks-long battery life. It's preloaded with over 80 sport profiles, from trail running and skiing to mountain biking and even tubing — all tracked with Garmin's elite-level accuracy and depth.

I tested the Solar model over several months from my home in the Colorado mountains and found its training features to be best-in-class: ClimbPro for upcoming gradients, Hill Score for uphill performance, and daily workout suggestions tailored to your recovery and goals. You also get VO2 max, altitude/hydration acclimation, and post-workout reports that actually help you get better.

The Fenix 8 comes in three sizes and different screen types and features, including a solar-charging MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) display, AMOLED display, MicroLED display, and a Pro model with LTE and satellite connectivity. The solar models are especially ideal for adventurers: I wore the 47mm Solar version and regularly went weeks between charges — even when running GPS daily. That said, the 80g case was a bit much for my smaller wrist and definitely cumbersome off-trail. Smaller sizes are available (43mm), but only the larger models come with solar charging and Pro features, such as LTE and satellite messaging.

The Fenix 8 is also a full smartwatch — with a mic and speaker for voice replies and commands, music storage, Garmin Pay, and basic notifications — but its interface has a learning curve and can feel clunky compared to Garmin's sleeker, more intuitive models.

With prices starting at around $800 and climbing over $1,000 for the highest-end versions, the Fenix 8 isn't cheap. You can still find older models of the Fenix for less money, but note that Garmin recently retired its Epix line and rolled its features into the Fenix 8, so the newest model is more robust.

After months of testing, I can confirm that the Fenix 8 is overkill for the vast majority of people. But if you're an ultra athlete, serious backcountry adventurer, or someone with money to burn and simply want the most powerful Garmin you can wear on your wrist, the Fenix 8 is the only watch you'll ever need again.

Check out our full Garmin Fenix 8 review.

How we tested

To find the best Garmin watches, I spent eight months wearing and testing five different Garmin watches — the Vivoactive 5, Vivoactive 6, Venu 3, Forerunner 265, and Fenix 8 — across my everyday life and during various training and adventure activities. I live in the Colorado Rockies, where my week includes strength sessions at the gym, road and trail running, dog walks, and, depending on the time of year, high-altitude hikes and mountain bike rides, or ski days — in addition to, of course, working and traveling.

I wore each watch for weeks at a time, often back-to-back and sometimes switching back and forth, to get a real-world sense of how they performed — not just in perfect conditions, but in sweat, snow, and a bad night's sleep.

My goal wasn't just to test the basic functions (though I did carefully evaluate GPS accuracy, heart rate consistency, and battery life); I also paid close attention to the user experience of wearing each watch every day. That included how intuitive the interface was, how useful the training insights felt, and whether the watch was comfortable enough to wear to sleep or annoying during day-to-day use.

I tracked how easy it was to start workouts, how helpful the Garmin Coach was, how reliable the recovery metrics were, and whether smartwatch features (like voice reply, Garmin Pay, or music storage) actually added convenience or felt like clunky add-ons.

Rather than obsess over spec sheets or manufacturer claims, I focused on what really matters to most people buying a fitness-focused smartwatch: Is it accurate? Is it intuitive? Is it overkill or just right? And ultimately, is it worth your money?

What to look for in a Garmin watch

When shopping for the best Garmin watch, how you plan on using it is everything. For instance, if you don't need offline map support, a built-in flashlight, or tracking capability for every sport imaginable, then you likely don't need to spend $1,200 on something like the Fenix 8. Here's how to determine which Garmin model is best for you:

How you'll use it: Many Garmin watches offer similar features, but some are better suited for certain users. For instance, the Forerunner series is a great choice for runners and triathletes, as it offers numerous running-specific features and training tools. Avid outdoors people will want an altimeter for more accurate adventure tracking and, perhaps, solar battery charging, while the average gym-goer will be perfectly happy with the more basic features — and cheaper price tag — of the Vivoactive line.

Sizing: Many Garmin watches are available in several different sizes, and some lines, like the Venu, offer a small-specific model. These smaller models carry an "S" after the product name; for example, the Venu 3S is the smaller version of the Venu 3. Other watches, like the Fenix, are available in multiple sizing options.

Battery life: The battery life of Garmin watches is generally much longer than that of competitors, with most models running for 10+ days on a single charge. Not only is this less of a daily annoyance, but it also means you'll be able to record more data by wearing it for a longer period. The battery life among Garmins varies model to model, as well as how you use it. Running the GPS and always-on display both drain your battery faster. A few models also feature solar charging for extended battery life outdoors.

Why Garmin?

Here's what sets Garmin apart:

• Top-tier GPS: It's not just marketing hype — I've tested a lot of different wearables and fitness watch brands, and Garmin consistently delivers precise data you can actually trust, even in signal-free backcountry.
• Reliable heart rate and sleep tracking: Fitbit's heart rate tracker is more accurate for interval training, but Garmin's is consistently reliable for all other purposes. And because the continuous heart rate recording fuels everything from stress tracking to sleep scoring, you're getting a well-rounded picture of your daily health.
• Long battery life: Unlike most smartwatches, which typically last a day or two, Garmin watches routinely last 10, 14, or even 28 days between charges. That means you can track sleep, head out on long GPS adventures, and travel without ever stressing about your charger.
• Niche activity tracking: Most Garmin watches come with at least 30 preloaded sport profiles, and some have up to 80. That means treadmill runs, ski days, horseback rides, and even disc golf all get tracked using the right sensors and algorithms.
• Insightful Body Battery metric: This metric gives you a real-time look at how much energy you have based on sleep, stress, and activity — helping you know when to push harder or take it easy.
• Helpful Garmin Coach: Available for free in the Garmin Connect app, the coaching program offers adaptive training plans for 5Ks, 10Ks, and half-marathons, built by real running coaches.
• Very customizable: On every Garmin, you can personalize your watch face to match your style or display the exact stats you care about — both on your home screen and, in many models, during workouts.
• Garmin Connect Community: You can join step challenges with friends, compare race results, earn digital badges, or just keep long-term goals visible and motivating — all within the app.

Downsides to consider:

• There's no lightweight model. One advantage Fitbit has is that many of its models are low profile and barely feel like you're wearing a watch. Every Garmin rocks a round face and takes up noteworthy real estate on your wrist.
• There's no budget pick. The most affordable Garmin is the Forerunner 55, which retails for $200. If you're looking for a true budget fitness watch under that price point, Garmin doesn't make one.
• Advanced metrics can be overwhelming. With so much data available, casual users can feel buried in numbers they don't need, and some advanced features may feel unnecessary unless you're training seriously. There's also a learning curve to get the most out of your watch.

Garmin watch FAQs

Does a Garmin watch work with any smartphone?

Garmin watches are compatible with smartphones running either iOS or Android. The experience is almost identical since both phone formats use the Garmin Connect app to interact with the watch. However, some Garmin watches have additional functionality when used with an Android phone, such as the ability to make calls or send text messages.

Do Garmin watches have accurate GPS?

Garmin watches have incredibly accurate and fast GPS functionality. This is true across the entire Garmin lineup, regardless of the price tag.Note that when GPS is enabled, the watch uses more battery.

Are Garmin's wearables considered smartwatches?

Although Garmin's watches tend to lean more toward being fitness and health trackers, they also offer basic smartwatch functionality. However, some models, like the Venu 3, are more full-featured smartwatches, offering on-watch phone call support and a more interactive touchscreen display.

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