For automated exercise monitoring, GPS operating watches characterize a step up from health trackers: Along with step counts and distance measurements, GPS watches provide a slew of superior coaching metrics.
Since 2014, we’ve put 34 watches by means of the paces, taking a whole lot of heart-rate readings, interviewing operating consultants about fashions and options, and sporting the watches for lengthy and brief runs on trails and on tracks. The dependable Coros Tempo 3—with its speedy GPS acquisition and glorious battery life—is the only option for many runners.
For Garmin devotees or of us who need extra smartwatch options than the Tempo 3 supplies, the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 255S provide the perfect general worth within the firm’s lineup. In the meantime, the Forerunner 45 and Forerunner 265 are trusty price range and improve picks, respectively.
Our choose
The most recent model of a long-standing favourite will get a greater battery life and higher GPS, but it surely lacks a complicated display screen.
Coros Tempo watches have been lauded for his or her long-lasting batteries, fast GPS acquisition occasions, and correct monitoring capabilities. The most recent model, the Coros Tempo 3, improves on these attributes, and it provides some long-desired options like dual-frequency GPS monitoring and music storage—all with no steep value hike.
In contrast with earlier watches within the sequence, the Tempo 3’s most notable improve is arguably the improved GPS. The twin-frequency GPS monitoring permits this watch to connect with as much as 5 satellites, theoretically creating higher alerts in distant areas or when the consumer is surrounded by tall buildings (the Tempo 2 linked to solely two satellites). In common checks close to skyscrapers in Manhattan, the Tempo 3 had the quickest GPS sign acquisition time of our picks.
The Tempo 3 additionally has the longest battery lifetime of any watch we examined. It has a shade touchscreen, but it surely lacks an AMOLED display screen, which creates the colourful colours you see on many smartphones and higher-end operating watches, together with our improve choose.
Runner-up
This watch packs running-watch expertise in a smartwatch package deal, but it surely has a shorter battery life than the Coros Tempo 3.
This upgraded model consists of music streaming and storage capabilities.
The watches within the Garmin Forerunner 255 sequence stay among the finest GPS operating watches, with correct distance and route monitoring, in addition to strong heart-rate monitoring. There are many options for runners and triathletes—together with sport modes like path operating and triathlon coaching—in addition to multiband GPS and a good battery life (14 days, in contrast with the Coros Tempo 3’s 24 days). The 255S has a 41 mm case, and the Forerunner 255 has a 46 mm case. For those who search intensive music storage and streaming, Garmin presents the Forerunner 255S Music model (for a further $50). Nevertheless, the Forerunner 255 (with out music streaming) remains to be about $130 greater than the Coros Tempo 3. Given the Tempo 3’s new updates, the Forerunner 255S falls only a notch under our high choose in worth.
Funds choose
This pared-down watch has fewer options than all of our different picks, but it surely nonetheless presents greater than a health tracker.
The Garmin Forerunner 45 doesn’t have as many exercise modes as our different Garmin picks, but it surely has dependable GPS and performs virtually as nicely at precisely measuring distance. We discovered that the heart-rate monitoring confirmed larger discrepancies throughout intense exercises (we examined all of our watches with a trusted heart-rate-monitor chest strap). And it lacks swim monitoring, music, a colourful display screen, and different options discovered within the higher-end Garmins we advocate on this information.
Improve choose
This dear watch has a lovely display screen, and it presents many options for athletes whose pursuits transcend operating.
With its vibrant display screen and user-friendly interface, the Garmin Forerunner 265 stands out. The colours on the show actually pop, and there’s no main glare in direct daylight, so scrolling by means of the assorted screens is a cinch. And on the proper facet, there’s a helpful Run button, which lets you go straight into monitoring a run. The Forerunner 265 is simply as correct at measuring distance, routes, and coronary heart price because the Forerunner 255S. The Forerunner 265 additionally consists of storage for music, in addition to a complete coaching readiness function, which helpfully guides you with prompts of when and the way exhausting you need to practice (one thing the 255S and 255S Music lack).
