Whether or not you’re an informal jogger or a critical path runner, having the suitable GPS watch in your wrist could make all of the distinction. The very best GPS operating watches do extra than simply monitor your tempo — they provide real-time metrics, superior coaching options that will help you hit your targets and, in fact, GPS monitoring for exact distance measurements. Some fashions go even additional, with offline maps for navigation, sleep monitoring for restoration insights and good options like notifications and contactless funds.
For many who want further sturdiness and lasting battery life, higher-end sport watches — like among the greatest Garmin watches — are constructed to deal with intense exercises, harsh climate and lengthy runs. If you happen to're coaching for a marathon, triathlon or simply need a multisport choice that may sustain along with your life-style, these watches have the tech to help you.
With so many choices accessible, from entry-level fashions to one of the best operating watches full of superior operating metrics, it may be difficult to seek out the suitable match. That’s why we’ve rounded up our prime picks that will help you select the right GPS watch to your coaching wants.
Greatest GPS operating watches for 2025
Different GPS operating watches we examined
Polar Pacer Professional
The Polar Pacer Pro appeared and felt fairly just like our prime choose, and it mapped my out of doors runs precisely. Nonetheless, Polar’s companion app is leagues behind Garmin’s with a complicated interface and a design that feels very a lot caught up to now. It’s additionally $100 costlier than our prime choose.
Amazfit Cheetah Professional
The Amazfit Cheetah Pro tracked my out of doors runs precisely and Zepp’s companion app has a training function very like Garmin’s adaptive coaching plans that may define a routine so that you can full in preparation for a race or to attain a selected objective. My largest difficulty with it was that its touchscreen wasn’t very responsive — it took a number of laborious faucets on the show to wake it, and infrequently the raise-to-wake function didn’t work, leaving me looking at a darkish display screen.
What to contemplate earlier than shopping for a GPS operating watch
GPS velocity and accuracy
Crucial factor for a GPS operating watch to have is quick, correct GPS monitoring. Which may appear apparent, but it surely’s fairly simple to get distracted by the entire different good options most of those units have. Since most of them might be worn all day lengthy as customary sport watches, there’s loads of (presumably pointless) fluff that appears good on paper however received’t imply a lot if the core objective if the gadget is left unfulfilled. To that finish, I paid explicit consideration to how lengthy it took every gadget’s built-in GPS monitoring to seize my location earlier than a run, if it ever misplaced my spot and the accuracy of the generated maps. Additionally, the gadget needs to be good sufficient to allow you to begin monitoring a run whereas the GPS seems to be to your location.
Exercise profiles and trackable metrics
You might not have the ability to suss out GPS accuracy simply by a spec sheet (that’s the place this information will help), however you may examine for options like supported exercise profiles. That’s one thing you’ll wish to look into, even when your one and solely exercise is operating. Test to ensure one of the best operating watches you’re contemplating help all of the sorts of operating actions you love to do (out of doors runs, treadmill runs, and so on) and some other exercises it’s possible you’ll wish to monitor with it.
Most health wearables at this time aren’t one-trick ponies; you’ll discover a wholesome variety of trackable train modes on any sport watch price its salt. That mentioned, the variety of exercise profiles might be immediately proportional to a tool’s value: the higher-end the product, chances are high the extra particular, exact exercises it might monitor.
In the same vein, you’ll wish to examine the trackable metrics of any watch you’re contemplating before you purchase. Since we’re speaking about one of the best GPS operating watches, most will have the ability to monitor the fundamentals like distance, coronary heart price and tempo, and people are naked minimums. Some watches can monitor extra stats like velocity, cadence, stride size, superior operating dynamics, cardio and anaerobic coaching impact, depth minutes and extra. If you happen to’re already a critical runner who trains for a number of races every year, or when you're a path runner who wants elevation and navigation options, you’ll wish to dig into the spec sheet of the watch you’re contemplating to ensure it might monitor all your most important metrics.
Measurement and weight
It’s price trying out a watch’s case dimension and weight earlier than going all-in on one. GPS operating watches, and customary smartwatches as nicely, can have a number of totally different sizes to select from so that you’ll wish to be sure you’re getting one of the best match to your wrist. I’ve a smaller wrist, so I are inclined to keep away from extra-large instances (something over 42mm or so), particularly if I intend on sporting the gadget all day lengthy as my important timepiece. Weight, however, is rather less controllable, however usually smaller case sizes will prevent a number of grams in total weight.
For many who want sturdiness, notably path runners or these tackling excessive situations, units like Garmin watches supply rugged builds that may deal with tough terrain, affect, and excessive climate.
Battery life
In contrast to common smartwatches, GPS operating watches have two forms of battery life you’ll want to contemplate: with GPS turned on and in “smartwatch” mode. The previous is extra vital than the latter as a result of most GPS operating watches have stellar battery life when used simply as a sensible timepiece. You’ll be able to anticipate to get a number of days on a single cost, with some surviving greater than two weeks (with all day and evening put on) earlier than they want a recharge.
Battery life with GPS turned on will likely be a lot shorter by comparability, however any GPS operating watch price its salt ought to offer you at the very least 10-15 hours of life with the GPS getting used repeatedly. The extra you’re prepared to spend, the upper that quantity usually will get, with some GPS operating watches lasting for 40 hours whereas monitoring your location.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-gps-running-watch-141513957.html?src=rss
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