Best Fitness Smartwatches in 2022

The best running watches fit your wrist and provide accurate information on how far and how fast you've run. This watch will be easy to read on your wrist and will allow you to navigate while you are on the move.

Almost all watches now have GPS tracking and heart rate monitoring. Many of the top running watches can also be used for other sports such as cycling or hiking. Most are also waterproof, so they can withstand a shower or even a swim session. For a small fee, you can get premium features like customized workouts, music storage, advanced smartphone capabilities, and a battery that lasts weeks instead of days.

There are many sizes and some watches are better suited for smaller wrists or for everyday use. We have selected the best devices in different categories.

Note: that all the watches on this list have GPS, Bluetooth connectivity, and heart rate monitoring.

What is the best watch for running?

Garmin Forerunner Music is currently the best running watch. The Garmin Forerunner 255 Music is one of Garmin's most popular watches. It has everything you need from a running watch. It's light, has a great battery and holds up to 500 songs. Forerunner245 is a great time saver.

The Amazfit T-Rex is a great choice for those on a budget. Although it doesn't have the same sleek design as other watches, the most affordable smartwatch packs a lot of features, including an altimeter, compass, and AMOLED display — all in a $140 package.

The Garmin Fenix ​​​​7 is a premium option that will give you weeks of battery life and possibly more tracking options than you can imagine. For runners who spend a lot of time outdoors, this is the best running watch.

1. Garmin Forerunner 255 Music

Overall the best running watch

Specifications

Battery life in
GPS mode: 6.5 hours (with music), 30 hours without music

Dimensions: 42 mm and 46 mm

Weight: 39g and 49g

5ATM water resistance

Music storage: 500 songs

Exercise recommendations

Sleep tracking

Alerts for smartphones

Mobile payments: Yes

The Garmin Forerunner Music is our pick for a high-end sports watch. The lightweight Garmin Forerunner 255 Music offers everything you need from a running watch. It can track your progress, play music and create custom workouts. The device also has an extensive range of Garmin training metrics that can help you plan your workouts and recover.

Despite direct sunlight, the Garmin Forerunner 255's transflective music display was easy to read during testing. You can also pause or resume running by pressing a button. This allows you to keep your eyes on the road and trail instead of looking at your watch. Even with the music on, the battery lasts several training sessions.

The Garmin Forerunner 255 has some of the most advanced health features usually reserved for more expensive watches. The watch includes the new Garmin Elevate V4 sensor. The green light records the heartbeat, while the red light records the oxygen level in the blood (known as Pulse Ox). This sensor can be used to calculate stress, HRV and breathing rate. This sensor can now track multisport training in triathlon mode.

This watch is a significant upgrade to an already great watch and a great buy for runners of all levels. It was also awarded as the best running watch in the 2022 Tom's Guide's Health and Fitness Awards.

Looking for a deal? Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is now on sale. You can't choose between them. Check out our Garmin Forerunner 245 vs Forerunner 255 battle here.

2. Garmin Forerunner 55

Garmin's top entry-level running watch

Specifications

Yes, heart rate monitor

GPS: Yes

Water resistance: 50 m

Display: 1.08 inches MIP

There is no music on board

Mobile payments: No

Yes, sleep tracking

Battery life: 14 days/20 hours with GPS

You'll want something that's more than just a simple fitness tracker. It won't overwhelm you and it won't be too complicated if you're new to running. The Forerunner 55 is a clear choice among Garmin watches.

The Garmin Forerunner 55, which replaces the Forerunner45 at the beginning of the year, is a basic fitness tracker. Although very similar to its predecessor, Garmin has made significant changes and added some advanced training tools normally reserved for more expensive watches. Garmin's PacePro technology is now available on the Forerunner 55, giving you subtle speed and cadence alerts as you run. Recovery times and workouts are designed based on your training history, fitness level and recovery. That's an advantage over similarly priced watches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Activity and Fitbit charge 5, which track your workouts but don't offer customized workout plans.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 does not support mobile payments, music storage, third-party apps, or music storage. The display is also very small, measuring just over 1 inch. These are the essential features you must have on a Garmin watch. You may consider upgrading to a more expensive model. The Forerunner 45, a more affordable watch, is now on sale. This comes after the release of the Forerunner 55.

3. Garmin Forerunner 955

Triathletes: The Best Running Watches

Specifications

Yes, heart rate monitor

GPS: Yes

Water resistance: 50 m

Display: 1.3 inch AMOLED display

Yes, in-flight music

Mobile payments: Yes

Yes, sleep tracking

Battery life with GPS mode: 42 hours/49 hours with solar

Garmin Forerunner 955, an improved version of the Forerunner 95. This is a high-end running watch and the best we've ever tested. You can read our Forerunner 955 vs Forerunner 945 comparison here.

There are two versions of the Garmin Forerunner 955: non-solar and solar. The solar version of the watch has a Power Glass screen. This uses solar energy to extend battery life. The solar version of the Forerunner 955 has an impressive battery life of around 20 hours in smartwatch mode and 49 hours without music in GPS mode. Ultratrac mode lasts 110 hours.

The watch was very easy to read while running. Garmin added a touch screen to the watch for a more modern look. Garmin also offers a number of useful training metrics, such as the new Garmin Training Readiness metric. This shows how ready you are to face a tough day of training. It is based on recovery time, sleep, HRV status and acute stress.

This watch is great for running and has all the same features as the Fenix7. We don't think you'd want anything else on your wrist unless you plan on doing extreme sports or rock climbing.

4. Coros Vertix 2

The best Coros running watch

Specifications

Battery life in GPS mode: 140 hours

Size: 50.3mm, 89g

Water resistance: 328 feet

Yes, music storage

Exercise recommendations

Sleep tracking

Alerts for smartphones

Mobile payments: No

Coros created this monster running watch to compete with the Garmin Fenix7. The Fenix ​​7 is available in three sizes (42mm, 47mm and 51mm) and there are several editions for different fitness goals and wrist sizes. However, the Vertix 2 only has one model. The case diameter is 50.3 mm. That's an increase of 47mm over the original Vertix. Coros Vertix 2 is not available in solar editions.

This high-end watch can do everything you want and more. It's also designed for multi-day adventures. We were impressed by the battery life of the running watch. It lasts up to 240 hours in UltraMax GPS mode. The watch is also extremely durable, with a reinforced display and frame to protect it from scratches and bumps on the trail.

This watch is great for marathon training (we tested it in advance of a trail race), but if you don't plan on swimming, skiing, or off-road riding, there are better watches out there.

5. Fitbit Sense

The smart watch that works best

Specifications

Battery life in GPS mode: 12 hours

Size: 40mm case, 46 grams

Water resistance: 165 feet

Music storage

Exercise recommendations

Sleep tracking

Alerts for smartphones

Mobile payments: Yes

Some smartwatches are not suitable for running. Touch screens can be difficult to use with gloved or sweaty hands. Battery life is usually less than two days. You'll need to touch the button or shake your wrist to see the screen.

Fitbit Sense is the best smartwatch for running. Fitbit Sense isn't capable of hands-on calls like the Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. But it offers more health and fitness features.

Fitbit Sense provides EDA and skin temperature readings that are not possible on other smartwatches. The device also has an FDA-approved ECG sensor. Fitbit users can also watch cross training videos. Battery life is also better than the new Apple and Samsung watches, which most users have to charge every day.