Over the last 2 or 3 years the popularity of GPS Running Watches has increased at a staggering rate with many of the major brands rolling out new models on a regular basis. The ideal GPS watch is definitely a personal choice and will depend amongst other things on your budget and the amount of data you want to garner from your runs. Here’s a quick look at 12 of the best-selling GPS Running Watches on the market right now.
Fitbit Surge
Self-proclaimed as “the #1 selling GPS Watch in the US”, the Fitbit Surge is an attractive, all-day activity tracker with GPS tracking capability and built-in optical heart rate sensor. Battery life is approximately 7 days in tracking mode and up to 10 hours in GPS mode. The Surge is available in black, blue and tangerine color options and 3 different sizes for the perfect fit.
Features
- GPS Tracking
- PurePulse™ Heart Rate
- All Day Activity
- SmartTrack™ + MultiSport
- Long Battery Life
- Notifications + Music
- Auto Sleep + Alarms
- Wireless Syncing
Shop now! Amazon.com
Garmin vívoactive HR
The Garmin vívoactive HR is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades in the GPS Running Watches market – not only tracking the standard runs, rides and swims, but also skiing, snowboarding, golf and rowing. Battery life maxes out at 8 days in watch/activity tracking mode or 13 hours using the GPS. Smart notifications and smart coaching can be received when paired with your phone, and the vívoactive can be customized with free watch face designs, widgets and apps from the Garmin Connect IQ™ store.
Features
- 24/7 Heart Rate Monitoring
- GPS Enabled
- Long Battery Life
- Smart Notifications
- Built-in Sports Apps
- Wrist-based HR
Shop now! Amazon.com
Garmin Forerunner 235
The Forerunner 235 is my current go-to GPS Running Watch, providing as much data as I need from daily training runs and races. The optical heart rate sensor was a bit temperamental when I first purchased the unit, but recent firmware updates have made readings a lot more consistent and accurate. Battery life is excellent at around 17 hours in GPS mode with Garmin claiming an impressive 12 weeks in basic watch mode. Cycling mode is available with built-in support for ANT+ Speed/Cadence sensors, but to be honest I use the 235 exclusively as a running watch. Worth noting – the optical sensor can be disabled, allowing a traditional heart rate strap or Scosche Armband to be paired with the unit – useful in colder weather conditions or when you choose to wear the GPS watch on top of clothing during winter training.
Features
- Activity tracking
- Wrist-based HR
- Smart Notifications
- Built-in accelerometer
- Recovery Advisor
- GPS and GLONASS
Shop now! Amazon.com
Polar M400
The Polar M400 is a good looking watch that tracks steps, distance, sleep and calories throughout the day using a wrist-based accelerometer. The M400 includes Sport profiles for over one hundred Polar sports and is waterproof to 30m. Battery life is fairly average at approximately 8 hours use in GPS mode.
Features
- Advanced GPS
- Activity Tracking
- Heart Rate Training
- Smart Notifications
- Running Cadence from the wrist
Shop now! Amazon.com
Garmin Forerunner 25
The Forerunner 25 is one of the most basic units featured in this post, but sometimes simple is all you need. To be honest, you probably won’t find an easier-to-use running watch with built-in activity tracking. The Forerunner 25 is available in 2 sizes – small and large – and 4 good looking color options. Battery life is adequate in GPS mode (8 hours small and 10 hours large), and more than impressive in activity tracking mode (8 weeks small and 10 weeks large). The unit is water rated at 5 ATM and is heart rate strap compatible.
Features
- Tracks distance, pace, heart rate and calories
- Activity tracking
- Smart notifications
- GPS Enabled
Shop now! Amazon.com
Tom Tom Runner
The Tom Tom Runner originally launched way back in 2013, but is still a popular player in the GPS Running Watches market. Functionality is pretty basic, but the Runner gets great satellite reception and does an excellent job of tracking running workouts. The one-button control can be a little clunky to use, but at least the large display is easy to read at a glance. Battery life maxes out around 10 hours in GPS mode.
Features
- QuickGPSFix Technology
- Interval Training
- Ultra-Slim Design
- TomTom MySports mobile app
- Extra-large Display
- One-Button Control
Shop now! Amazon.com
Garmin fenix 3
The fenix 3 is a high-quality, rugged, GPS watch aimed mainly at the outdoor and hiking crowd, but also popular amongst multisport athletes too. The basic fenix 3 retails for $499, but there’s also fenix 3 HR, fenix 3 Sapphire and the recently launched fenix 3 Chronos models available as well. Options are numerous with several color and strap/band choices available. Battery life is an impressive 20 hours in GPS training mode and up to 50 hours in UltraTrac mode, with the units water rated at 10 ATM.
Features
- Advanced Fitness Metrics
- Running Dynamics Features
- Altimeter, Barometer and Compass
- Custom Apps and Watch Faces
- Smart Notifications
- High-resolution Garmin Chroma Display
Shop now! Amazon.com
Suunto Ambit3
Similar to the fenix 3, Suunto’s Ambit3 is available in a whole host of different models and options. The Ambit3 Run is a very capable unit combining route navigation with running performance and sleep recovery measurements. Battery life is around 15 hours with 5 sec-GPS accuracy and a claimed 100 hours with 1 min-accuracy. The Ambit3 family also includes the Peak with advanced outdoor and multisport functions, the Vertical with advanced training and recovery functions and the Sport with advanced run, cycle and swim functions – all a bit complex, but Suunto’s Ambit3 website should break things down very well.
Features
- GPS Speed and Distance
- Foot POD Support
- GPS altitude
Shop now! Amazon.com
Garmin Forerunner 230
Pretty much the exact feature set as the Forerunner 235 listed above, with the exception of the wrist-based optical heart rate sensor.
Features
- Activity tracking
- Smart Notifications
- Built-in accelerometer
- Recovery Advisor
- GPS and GLONASS
Shop now! Amazon.com
Polar V800
The Polar V800 is a beefed up version of the M400 and geared towards multisport athletes, shifting easily between sports and recording transition times. Training can be analyzed using the free Polar Flow app, with data being transferred via USB or Bluetooth Smart. Available in black or red colorways.
Features
- Integrated GPS
- Sport-Specific Profiles
- Running Cadence from the wrist
- Smart Notifications
Shop now! Amazon.com
Tom Tom Spark
The Tom Tom Spark is the upgraded version of the original Tom Tom Runner GPS Watch. The Spark is available in 4 model options – Runner 2, Runner 2 Cardio, Runner 2 Music and Runner 2 Cardio + Music. The basic Runner 2 now includes Multisport mode and 24/7 Activity Tracking as standard, is waterproof to 40m and has a slightly improved battery life of 11 hours in GPS mode.
The Runner 2 Cardio includes a built-in heart rate monitor, with the Runner 2 Music offering 3GB of music storage (approx 500 songs). The Runner 2 Cardio + Music combines both additional features to provide a very unique, yet functional unit.
Features
- Multisport Mode
- GPS Tracking
- 24/7 Activity Tracking
- Race Mode
- Interval Training
- Indoor Training Mode
- Wireless Syncing
- Automatic Sleep Tracking
- Goal Setting
Shop now! Amazon.com
Garmin Forerunner 735XT
The Forerunner 735XT is another GPS Running Watch geared towards the multisport athlete. The unit is extremely lightweight, yet packs a big punch in the features department. The optical heart rate sensor works well, and the 24/7 activity tracking operates as expected, although numerous owners weren’t happy that stairs aren’t counted in this mode. Battery life is around 14 hours in GPS mode – pretty impressive for such a small, lightweight watch.
Features
- Wrist-based HR
- Smart Notifications
- Music Control
- 24/7 Activity Tracking
- Advanced Running Dynamics
- Varia Vision Support
- Structure Swim Workouts Support
Shop now! Amazon.com
Naturally, this isn’t an all-exclusive guide to GPS Running Watches; rather a brief overview of some of the most popular current models. Technology is evolving ever so quickly and it will be exciting to watch out for product releases from the major players in the running tech gadgets sector.
Questions
- GPS Running Watches – love ’em or hate ’em?
- What GPS Running Watch are you currently using?
- What features/functionality would you like to see in future product releases?
Let me know your answers in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to receive future blog post updates.
@Steve, which Garmin watch would be best for a beginner in the 60’s that wants to view data to help setup a workable training program?
Hi Nick. The Garmin Forerunner 230 would probably be a good match. It allows you to download workouts and training plans direct to your watch via Garmin Connect.
I am a huge fan of anything Garmin and as far as GPS watches go, the Forerunner and the Fenix5 I think are the best bang for your buck. Great features like the ability to download workouts and routes or training plans through their app Garmin Connect.