Running is very good for you and your body.
It’s also a form of exercise in which most people can train alone as long as they have some data to help them improve.
That’s where GPS smartwatches come in.
They can accurately track everything from your heart rate to the exact course that you ran, today and give you insight to help improve.
Each of these GPS watches lives up to the promise of making you healthier and happier.
Garmin Fenix 6 GPS Watch
EDITOR’S CHOICE
It may not be the prettiest watch but it is, without doubt, the best GPS sports watch there is.
POLAR Vantage V2
BEST VALUE CHOICE
A very competitive offering which offers excellent insight into training and recovery
Garmin Instinct Solar Smartwatch
TOP RATED CHOICE
Incredible battery life and training tools set it apart from the pack.
Garmin Fenix 6, Premium Multisport GPS Watch
There are a lot of Garmin smartwatches but the Fenix 6 stands head and shoulders above the rest.
It offers an incredible array of sports-specific tracking and coaching options – whether you ski or do a triathlon, it caters to you.
The GPS tracking when combined with Garmin’s analytics offers unparalleled insight into your performance and lets you really plan future training effectively.
Quick Fact: The Fenix is made for adventurous physical pursuits. It’s just about as unbreakable as a watch can be expected to be. In all our strenuous testing we couldn’t put so much as a scratch on it.
1. There is no better watch for outdoor GPS tracking
2. The design is robust and you nearly unbreakable
3. The activity tracking and coaching is best in class
1. It’s quite similar to the last Fenix – no need to upgrade
2. It’s not the prettiest watch on the market
3. It’s quite expensive though not unreasonable for what you get
POLAR Vantage V2
POLAR’s range of smartwatches is also excellent and the V2 is their flagship model.
We like the fitness test function which lets you establish a baseline to develop your training routine around. It’s quite light for what it is too.
We also have to admit that it looks nicer on our wrists than the Garmin Fenix.
In fact, it goes well with our Allbirds Tree Dashers.
It’s super tough and won’t be broken, scratched or scuffed in sporting use.
Quick Fact: Thanks to the aluminum casing, the Polar Vantage V2 is considerably lighter than most other watches in this class.
1. Excellent insight into recovery times
2. The accompanying smartphone app is brilliants
3. The music controls are brilliant
1. The touchscreen is a bit laggy
2. You only get a small choice of watch faces
3. Could use a few more features to fully compete with Garmin
Garmin Instinct Solar Smartwatch
If you don’t intend to spend all day, every day charging your watches when they’re not in use then this Garmin Instinct Solar model has the longest possible battery life and the “Power Glass” feature means that it recharges naturally in daylight while you’re wearing it.
We also found that the user interface was genuinely fantastic to use and interact with.
Quick Fact: Power Glass does not employ standard photovoltaic materials which means it doesn’t negatively impact on the aesthetic appeal of the watch face.
1. Excellent feature set
2. Solar charging face means long battery life times
3. Very reasonable price
1. The plastic housing makes it feel cheaper than it is
2. The display only shows black and white
3. Not the prettiest of watches
Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness And Activity Tracker With Built-in GPS
If you’re on a budget the Fitbit Charge 4 might be the GPS smartwatch for you.
It’s super affordable and despite the low price it still has a GPS tracker that works very well.
In that respect it’s an upgrade from the Charge 3.
The mapping isn’t super accurate but it’s good enough for most hobbyists too.
Quick Fact: To get the most out of Fitbit devices, you probably need a Fitbit Premium account which has a monthly or annual subscription cost and can drive up your overall cost of ownership.
1. Inexpensive
2. Has GPS
3. The battery life is respectable
1. Not very accurate
2. Has few physical controls
3. Need to buy a subscription to get full use of the device
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