Best running watches in 2022
Whether you're looking to get in shape or train for your fastest marathon, the best running watches on the market will look and feel great on your wrist, while providing accurate tracking of how far you've gone and how fast you're going. They'll be easy to read at a glance on the go and navigate around when you're moving.
These days, GPS tracking and heart rate monitoring are standard on nearly all running watches. Most of the best running watches also support other sports, such as cycling and hiking, and most are also water-resistant so they survive a rainstorm, or swim workout. Premium features are available for a price, whether it’s customized workouts based on personalized training data, music storage, more advanced smartphone capabilities, or a battery that will last for weeks instead of days.
Sizes vary, too, with some watches better suited for smaller wrists or everyday use. We've selected the top devices in various categories, judging them based on ease of use, design, battery life, and availability of extra features.
Note: All watches on this list come with GPS, heart rate monitoring, and Bluetooth connectivity.
What are the best running watches?
The best all-around running watch right now is the Garmin Forerunner 255 Music. As one of the best Garmin watches, it has pretty much everything you could want in a running watch: It’s lightweight, it has a good battery, it stores up to 500 songs, and it has all the activity-tracking sensors and features that you’d expect from a Garmin. If you're looking to save money, now is a fantastic time to buy the Forerunner 245 as it's likely to be discounted.
If you’re on a budget, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is a brilliant budget running watch, with all you need to train for most distances. At its core, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is an entry-level fitness watch, but it's packed with a lot of excellent features.
If you're willing to pay a hefty premium, the Garmin Fenix 7 will give you weeks of battery life and (perhaps) more tracking capabilities that you know what to do with. This is the best running watch for runners who spend a lot of time outdoors.
The best running watches you can buy today
1. Garmin Forerunner 255 Music
Best running watch overall
Battery Life in GPS mode: 6.5 hours (with music), 30 hours (without music) | Size: 42mm and 46mm | Weight: 39g and 49g | Water Resistance: 5ATM | Music Storage: Up to 500 songs | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: Yes
Lightweight
Easy to read and use during runs
Robust training metrics
Available in two different sizes
Has a triathlon mode
No touchscreen
Lacks Garmin's Training Readiness score
Our pick for the best sports watch is also our top running watch: The Garmin Forerunner 255 Music. This lightweight device gives you everything you’d want in a running watch, from accurate tracking to music controls to the ability to create custom workouts, for the price of an Apple Watch. The device also offers access to Garmin’s wide range of training metrics, which help you not only plan workouts but also recovery time.
During testing, we found the Garmin Forerunner 255 Music’s transflective display to be easy to read, even in direct sunlight. Plus, you can pause and resume a run with the push of a button, which lets you keep an eye on the road or trail instead of looking down at your watch. The battery is long enough to last through a few workouts, even with music playing.
The Forerunner 255 has inherited some of the more advanced health features usually reserved for Garmin’s more expensive running watches. The watch has Garmin’s latest Elevate V4 sensor — the green light records heart rate, the red light records blood oxygen levels (referred to as Pulse Ox on the watch). This sensor is used to calculate breathing rate, HRV, and stress. It also now has the ability to track multisport training sessions in the triathlon mode.
It's a fantastic improvement on an already fantastic watch, and a great buy for all levels of runner. It also won our best running watch award in the 2022 Tom's Guide health and fitness awards.
Read our Garmin Forerunner 255 Music review
Looking for a bargain? Now is a good time to buy the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music which is likely to be discounted following the launch of the new watch. Can't decide between the two? Check out our Garmin Forerunner 245 vs Forerunner 255 face-off here.
2. Garmin Forerunner 55
Garmin’s best entry-level running watch
Heart rate monitor: Yes | GPS : Yes | Water resistance: 50 meters | Display: 1.08-inch MIP | On-board music: No | Mobile payments: No | Sleep tracking: Yes | Battery life: 14 days/20 hours with GPS
PacePro suggested workouts
Bright screen
Easy to read stats
Battery life
No onboard music storage
No interchangeable bands
Only available in one case size
If you’re starting to get into running, chances are you want a device that’s a step up from a basic fitness tracker but also won’t overwhelm you with too many features. Among Garmin watches, the Forerunner 55 is a clear choice.
At its core, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is an entry-level fitness watch, replacing the popular Forerunner 45 earlier this year. While it looks very similar to its predecessor, Garmin made some important changes, adding some of the more advanced training tools usually reserved for their more expensive watches. The Forerunner 55 has Garmin's new PacePro technology, which gives you gentle speed and cadence alerts on the run. There are also suggested recovery times and workouts, based on your training history, fitness levels, and recovery. This is a differentiator from similarly priced watches such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active or the Fitbit Charge 5 which track workouts but don’t offer custom coaching plans.
It’s worth noting that the Garmin Forerunner 55 doesn’t support music storage, mobile payments, or third-party apps. It also has a relatively small display, at just over 1 inch. If these are must-have features for your Garmin watch, you may want to consider a higher-end device. If you are looking for a cheaper watch, the Forerunner 45 is often in the sale right now, following the release of the Forerunner 55, so it's a good time to buy.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 55 review.
3. Garmin Forerunner 955
Best running watch for triathletes
Heart rate monitor: Yes | GPS : Yes | Water resistance: 50 meters | Display: 1.3-inch AMOLED display | On-board music: Yes | Mobile payments: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes | Battery life GPS mode: 42 hours/49 hours with solar
Touchscreen
Solar power (on solar model)
Training readiness functionality
Amazing battery life
Can’t sync running power sensors to watch
The Garmin Forerunner 955 is the upgraded version of the Forerunner 945. It's a top-tier running watch, and possibly the best Forerunner we've ever tested. If you're trying to decide between the newer model and the older version, read our Forerunner 955 vs Forerunner 945 face-off here.
The Garmin Forerunner 955 comes in two different versions: solar and non-solar. As its name suggests, the solar version of the watch has a Power Glass screen, which harnesses the power of the Sun to increase the watch’s battery life. Talking of battery life, the solar version of the Forerunner 955 has a top battery life of around 20 hours in smartwatch mode, 49 hours in GPS mode without music, and 110 hours in Ultratrac mode.
On the run, the watch was easy to read and navigate around. Off the run, Garmin has added a touchscreen to make the watch feel more like a smartwatch. There's also a bunch of impressive training metrics, including Garmin's new Training Readiness metric, which shows you at a glance how ready you are for a difficult day of training based on sleep, recovery time, HRV status, acute load, and stress.
This is a fantastic running watch, with all of the features of the Fenix 7 in a much cheaper package, so unless you’re planning on rock climbing or doing really extreme sports, we're not sure why you’d opt for anything else on your wrist.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 955 review.
4. Coros Vertix 2
Best Coros running watch
Battery Life in GPS mode: 140 hours | Size: 50.3mm, 89g | Water Resistance: 328 feet | Music Storage: Yes | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: No
Waterproof construction
Good battery life
Swappable wristbands
Customizable watch faces
Compatible with Strava (and other 3rd party apps
Premium price tag
Bulky, clunky on the wrist
Can be uncomfortable over long periods
Manual HRV readings instead of auto
Proprietary charging cable
No solar options
This is a monster running watch made by Coros, designed to rival the likes of the Garmin Fenix 7. Whereas the Fenix 7 comes in three different diameter options (42mm, 47mm, and 51mm) and multiple “editions” to suit different budgets, fitness needs, and wrist sizes, there’s only one model of the Vertix 2, which has a case diameter of 50.3mm — up from 47mm with the original Vertix. There are no solar editions of the Coros Vertix 2.
The high-spec watch does everything you'd want it to do and more, plus, it's designed for multi-day adventures. During testing, we appreciated the huge battery life of this running watch, which has the capacity to last 240 hours in UltraMax GPS mode. It's also super durable, with a reinforced bezel and screen to protect the watch from any knocks or scrapes along the trail.
While you could buy this for a heavy marathon training plan (we tested this watch in the run-up to a trail marathon), if you're not someone who is planning on skiing, swimming, and going off-road, there are cheaper watches on the market for you.
Read our full Coros Vertix 2 review here.
5. Fitbit Sense
Best running smartwatch
Battery Life in GPS mode: 12 hours | Size: 40mm case, 46 grams | Water Resistance: 165 feet | Music Storage: No | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: Yes
Battery life
Range of wellness features
All-day design
Limited as a smartwatch
Not all smartwatches make for good running watches. Touchscreens can be tough to use with sweaty fingers or gloved hands. Batteries typically don’t last for more than a couple days, either. Without an always-on display, you have to shake your wrist or press a button just to glance at the screen.
The best smartwatch for runners is the Fitbit Sense. While it won’t allow you to make untethered phone calls like the Apple Watch Series 7 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, the Fitbit Sense offers better health and fitness features.
The Fitbit Sense offers EDA and skin temperature readings, which aren’t available on other smartwatches, and the device also comes with an FDA-approved ECG sensor. You can also watch cross-training workout videos that are exclusive to Fitbit users. The battery life also beats the latest Apple and Samsung watches, which most users need to charge every day.
If you are thinking of investing in the Fitbit Sense, it might be worth waiting a few weeks as the Fitbit Sense 2, which is due to be released this fall.
Read our full Fitbit Sense review.
6. Polar Vantage V2
Best running watch for monitoring recovery
Battery Life in GPS mode: 40 hours | Size: 46mm, 51g | Water Resistance: 330 feet | Music Storage: No | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: No
Unique recovery metrics
Battery life
Create training plans through Polar Flow
Limited smartwatch features
Overtraining is a common cause of running injuries. Through a number of unique features, the Polar Vantage V2 is designed to help serious runners recover. This makes up for some of its limited smartwatch functionality and otherwise standard activity tracking features.
After a run, you can use the Polar Vantage V2 to conduct a Leg Recovery test, which helps you determine how long to wait before your next hard run. Other watches provide recovery recommendations, but metrics specific to legs are unique to the Polar Vantage V2. In addition, the Nightly Recharge feature puts sleep quality in the context of workout recovery.
During testing, one feature we found impressive was the training plans. Plugging workout data into Polar Flow lets you create training plans and share them with personal trainers or coaches, which is another way to help prevent injuries.
Read our full Polar Vantage V2 review.
7. Apple Watch Series 8
Best casual running watch
Sizes: 41mm, 45mm | Battery Life: 18 hours (36 with low power mode) | GPS: Yes | Swim-Proof: Yes | Heart Rate Monitor: Yes | LTE: Optional | Mobile Payments: Apple Pay | Compatibility: iOS
Same great design and display
Skin temperature reader for cycle + sleep tracking
Crash detection
New watchOS 9 workout interface
Longer battery life with low power mode
Wish it borrowed the Apple Watch Ultra's siren
While the Apple Watch Series 8 isn't specifically designed to be a running watch, the running features have improved in recent years to make it a pretty decent gadget to have on your wrist on easy days, especially since the WatchOS 9 update. The rolling mile feature, which tells you the pace of the mile directly behind you, is great and you can set pace alerts for the watch to remind you if you're pushing too hard or running too slow. There's also a bunch of new features that make the Apple Watch a valuable training tool, including heart rate zones, Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation.
The downside with the Apple watch from a running perspective is the battery life - it's only 18 hours long, which is a fraction of what most of the other watches on this list will last, however the Apple Watch 8 has Apple's new low-power mode, which gives you 36 hours of battery.
While the Apple Watch 8 looks very similar to the Apple Watch 7, it has the addition of a skin temperature sensor, which allows runners to get more accurate sleep data and menstrual cycle tracking. It might not be as high-tech as the Apple Watch Ultra, but it's still a great pick.
Read our Apple Watch Series 8 review here.
8. Garmin fenix 7 series
The best Garmin watch for the outdoors
Heart rate monitor: Yes | GPS : Yes | Water resistance: 100 meters | Display: 1.2-inch MIP | On-board music: Yes | Mobile payments: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes | Battery life: 14 days/72 hours with GPS
Battery can last for weeks
Packed with features
64MB of storage
Very large
The Garmin Fenix 7 is a rugged watch for outdoor adventurers. The device supports everyday fitness activities such as running and swimming, and it comes with Garmin’s typical health-tracking features, but it’s really designed for anyone who gets an adrenaline rush from scuba diving, backcountry skiing, or a multi-day hike deep in the wilderness.
Make no mistake: With a weight that starts at 2 ounces for the standard Fenix 7S, and tops out at 3.1 ounces for the 51mm Fenix 7X Saphire Solar addition, this watch is a beast. But the trade-off is storage, battery life, and water resistance up to 100 meters (330 feet). It’s also easy to swap out bands — no small thing if you’ve just spent days in the woods without a shower.
The Fenix 7 has one major improvement on the Fenix 6 — a touch screen. The screen is super responsive, even when being used in the rain, and makes moving around and customizing the watch a lot easier. There's also a new Stamina metric, and the watches come loaded with more maps, and sports tracking modes than ever before. It's a brilliant watch, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a fitness tracker with a better battery life.
Read our full Garmin Fenix 7 review here.
9. Garmin Venu 2 Plus
The best Garmin smartwatch
Heart rate monitor: Yes | GPS : Yes | Display: 1.3-inch AMOLED | On-board music: Yes | Mobile payments: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes | Battery life: 9 days/24 hours with GPS
Stunning AMOLED display
Reliable fitness tracking and Garmin Coach
Call quality is better than expected
Fantastic battery life
Recovery advice could be better
Not enough third-party apps
Garmin watches aren’t just for serious athletes. The Venu 2 Plus is a stylish smartwatch on a par with the Apple Watch and Fitbit Versa 3 — and it’s rugged enough for bike rides, strength workouts, and playtime with the kids. It’s also a step up from the Garmin vivoactive 4 with an AMOLED display and a stainless steel bezel.
For runners, it has everything you'd expect from a Garmin watch — the ability to track all of your runs and workouts, as well as receive live feedback on the move. The big difference here is that thanks to tools like voice and call assistant, you can ask Siri to add eggs to your shopping list mid-run, or finally call your mum, should you wish.
Like some of the other smarter running watches on this list, the Venu 2 Plus also has mobile payments, notifications, a touchscreen, and storage for up to 650 songs on board. The watch also boasts a much better battery life than most smartwatches, even with its AMOLED display.
Read our full Garmin Venu 2 Plus review here.
How to choose the best running watch for you
When buying a running watch, here's a few things to consider:
Appearance: If you want a running watch that can also be an everyday watch, overall design and appearance are key considerations. Will it clash with a dress or blazer, or will it get caught on the sleeve of a sweater or shirt?
Phone notifications: Do you want to be able to receive WhatsApp messages and emails mid-run, or is this your worst nightmare? Plenty of modern watches have smartwatch features, but if you're not bothered about them, you can save money.
Battery life: If you're planning on running a marathon, or heading out on an all-day adventure, you'll want a watch that can keep up with you in GPS mode. This shouldn't be a problem with most Garmin running watches, but is something to consider with a Fitbit or Apple watch.
Fit: If you're a particularly petite runner, you'll want a watch that fits neatly around your wrist, or a watch that has different size straps for a good fit.
How we choose the best running watches
Even today’s low-end running watches typically come with GPS sensors, heart rate monitors, and step counters. In addition to evaluating watches on these features, we look at more advanced functionality such as VO2 Max data, sleep tracking, music storage, and the presentation of training data such as recovery time and recommended workouts.
Our reviewers are experienced runners who test devices on several runs in open spaces, around tall buildings, and in the woods. We pay attention to accuracy, ease of use, and comfort during our runs, and we evaluate each watch and its companion app together after our runs. We wear watches for several days to compare battery performance to manufacturers’ claims.
If a running watch also has smartwatch capabilities, we look at the software, application ecosystem, and use of special features such as mobile payments or notification responses.
Next: I don’t want a new running watch, I want the streets to be safe for female runners, writes our Fitness Editor.
