Looking for something to get them on their feet? Fitness watches have been around for years, but the latest releases from Garmin are bringing them to a new level. There are plenty of options available so we’ve tried to narrow the list a little.
Fenix 5
The fenix 5 also has a great battery life (up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 24 hours in GPS mode, and 60 hours in UltraTrac). The fenix 5 is comparatively a heavier watch which I prefer, but that opinion might not be shared by everyone. The Forerunner series, for example, is made from lightweight plastics to minimise the added weight.
Best Features | Worst |
Huge Sports range selection | Optical HR needs improvement |
Easy to use | Expensive |
Advanced tracking metrics |
Forerunner 935
The 935 features an optical HR monitor which like most Garmin wrist-based heart rate monitors is accurate in most conditions, however, is not as reliable a Garmin HRM chest strap. The battery in smart mode: is up to 2 weeks, GPS/HR mode: 24 hours and UltraTrac Mode: up to 60 hours without wrist heart rate.
Best Features |
Worst |
Light and comfortable for 24/7 use |
Optical HR not consistent |
Smart notifications |
Garmin Connect is still messy |
Perfect for multisport |
forerunner 235
The forerunner 235 has a sleek design focused on 24/7 activity tracking. You can get all your vO2 max stats to give you the best information your recovery time between runs.
The only significant issue I have with the forerunner 235 is the inaccuracy of the Optical HRM (to be fair wrist-based HRM has never been super accurate), my solution is to treat it as a guide rather than gospel. If you want precise readouts I would recommend using an HRM-chest strap.
Best Features | Worst |
Running Analytics | Inaccurate Optical HRM |
Workouts from Garmin Connect | No room for music on the device itself |
Smart notifications | |
Affordable athlete watch |
Vivoactive 3
You’ll still have GPS accuracy for tracking your runs, and the barometric altimeter will help keep tabs on how many stairs you’ve climbed. The wrist-based optical HRM has also been updated to be a lot more accurate now. Additionally, you’ll get a plethora of impressive stats like stress level, sleep cycle, resting heart rate, %HR Max and lots of sports and workout profiles to help you improve.
Pros | Cons |
Lightweight | Garmin Pay not available for everyone yet |
Options for both left/right hand wear | Still no room for internal music |
Good Battery life for a Smartwatch | |
Advanced training metrics | |
Mid-tier price point |