The Garmin Venu 2 strikes a tricky balance between smartwatch and sports watch, successfully delivering the best of both worlds. Its design is understated, and doesn't scream 'sports watch', but it's packed with an impressive array of training tools including accurate GPS supported by Galielo and GLONASS , quick access to Garmin Coach training plans, sensitive heart rate monitoring, cadence, splits, and more.
There are plenty of indoor training modes too, and the watch even syncs with compatible gym equipment, plus third-party fitness and diet apps. On the smartwatch front, there's on-board storage for songs, plus third-party music apps from Deezer and Amazon Music. You can view your day's schedule at a glance, check your heart rate, water intake and stress level, log period symptoms, receive smartphone notifications and send replies and more.
This is all made possible by the super high-resolution AMOLED display, with three brightness settings and an optional always-on mode that allows you to see a huge amount of data at a glance, without digging out your phone.
A superb all-purpose Garmin watch, the Venu 2 comes highly recommended. Read our full Garmin Venu 2 review. The Garmin Forerunner 55 is Garmin's new entry-level running watch, and is almost identical to the Forerunner 45 in terms of design and operation. Instead of a touchscreen it's operated using five buttons around the circumference of the case, but they're thoughtfully designed and clearly labelled to avoid confusing new users, and avoid fumbling mid-run.
There are some big upgrades though, including new suggested workouts based on your past activities, which help give your training some structure even if you're not following a dedicated plan. After a workout, you'll also see advice on how long to rest and recover before your next effort.
The Forerunner 55's standout feature is Garmin's signature GPS accuracy, which makes it a great entry point for anyone upgrading from a Fitbit to a dedicated sports watch - and it won our Best New Running Watch award in our recent prize-giving. Read our full Garmin Forerunner 55 review. If battery life is your main priority, you need the Enduro. As this name suggests, this is aimed at endurance athletes and offers the best battery life of any Garmin watch. It can go either 50 or 65 days in smartwatch mode, depending on whether you factor in solar power, and offers between 70 and 80 hours of GPS battery life.
Plus, if you really pare usage and features down, your watch can run from anywhere from days to a whole year. Read the full Garmin Enduro review. Some Garmin watches are pretty utilitarian in design, and even though the face of a Garmin Instinct Solar below isn't any larger than a typical smartwatch, its overall look can be overwhelming on a slimmer wrist.
That's where the Garmin Vivoactive 4S comes in. At just 40 x 40 x Like its larger counterpart, the Vivoactive 4S boasts excellent fitness tracking with on-board GPS that locks on in just a few seconds and gives an accurate record of your runs and rides, rather than smoothing out the route as some trackers do. It's smart enough to wear all day, and with sleep tracking and an SPO2 sensor to monitor blood oxygen levels, you'll want to keep it on all night as well.
Read the full Garmin Vivoactive 4 review. The Garmin Instinct Solar isn't the only watch capable of receiving regular top-ups through its Power Glass screen, but it's definitely the most impressive when it comes to sheer longevity, and can theoretically last indefinitely between charges when in power-saving mode. In real-world use that's unlikely to happen, but a few hours of sunlight mean that even with GPS enabled, you'll be able to use the Instinct Solar for days rather than hours,.
Another of the Garmin Instinct Solar's best features is its dual display, which shows contextual information in a small cut-out, making it far easier to navigate the watch's myriad settings and options. In our tests we found it extremely useful, particularly since the Instinct Solar has a frankly enormous number of activity tracking and fitness monitoring options.
The only downside is that it's nor particularly attractive, with a chunky design that would look out of place in the office, but this is a Garmin watch designed for the great outdoors and that robust build means it'll take more than a few knocks when you're hiking, trail running, kayaking, camping or hiking.
Tough and extremely practical. If you're on a slightly tighter budget, check out the original Garmin Instinct. It's also super tough and practical, but lacks the Power Glass to keep its battery topped up. Read our full Garmin Instinct Solar review. The Garmin Venu Sq is one of the most affordable watches Garmin has released in some time, but certainly doesn't look it, with an attractive design and bright color screen that defy its modest price tag.
There are two versions available: the regular edition, and one with a built-in music player. Whichever you pick, you'll get contactless payments, downloadable apps from the Garmin Connect IQ store. If you're looking for an entry-level watch for sports tracking then the original Venu will serve you better, but if value is your main priority than the Venu Sq comes highly recommended. Read our full Garmin Venu Sq review. The Garmin Vivomove 3 looks similar to the Garmin Vivoactive 4 at first glance, but is a hybrid smartwatch, meaning it has an analog face, with hands that move out of the way automatically to display smartphone notifications and fitness stats on a hidden digital display.
It's a great-looking watch, though lighter on fitness features than the Vivomove. There's no on-board GPS, for one - instead you'll need to carry your phone to track outdoor workouts.
The smaller than usual digital display also means that you get less information than with a more conventional Garmin. While the Go provides many of the same features as the Garmin DriveSmart 55, we prefer the 55 for US use because it gives more specific directions and clearer lane guidance, it has a sharper display, its menu system is easier to use, its voice controls are more extensive, and it offers more driver alerts.
Like the DriveSmart 55, this budget model gives you a best-in-class user interface and points-of-interest database, and top-notch directions, but it lacks its high-resolution display, Bluetooth connectivity, voice commands, and Wi-Fi updating.
It was about the size of a small desktop computer and could track your car on a digital map, but it left it up to you to plot your own route. But if you tend to drive in rural areas or off the beaten path, where data coverage is sketchy, you may have found that you were unable to get directions through your phone, perhaps forcing you to resort to a paper map or, gasp , even stop and ask for directions.
Similarly, on long road trips, you may have found that navigating with your phone depleted its battery—or your data plan—too quickly. The best GPS devices can pair with a phone via Bluetooth to get up-to-date traffic and weather info, display text messages and calendar reminders, and allow you to conduct hands-free calls.
You can also send destinations and routes from your phone or computer to your GPS device, which can be more convenient than inputting them while sitting in your car. Thinking of buying a new car? All car GPS devices have a common suite of features. If you miss a turn, it automatically recalculates the route. Most models include digital mapping of the US and Canada, and virtually all of them provide free lifetime map updates, which you download either via Wi-Fi or by plugging the device into a computer, depending on the model.
Most have a 5-inch display measured diagonally , although larger 5. In addition, while scouring the specs and features of all current models, we looked for the following options, which can make a device easier to use or more useful:. The differences often come down to the way you interact with the device: The best models make it easier to navigate by offering more precise visual and verbal directions, clearer lane guidance through tricky intersections, a more driver-friendly screen layout, and easier methods for inputting destinations.
So for each update to this guide, we sought out the latest models from the major brands, set up each in a car, and put them through their paces in environments ranging from rural countrysides to the urban depths of New York City. We evaluated the driver-friendliness of the screen layout, the accessibility of the menus, and how quickly we could input a destination and get a route—both by entering it on the screen and, when possible, by using voice commands.
We tinkered with the settings, evaluated the routing, assessed how easy it is to update the map and POI data, and judged the sturdiness of the included mount and simplicity of installation and removal of the device. We also paired each unit to a smartphone, when possible, to see what advantages that provided. This latter feature results in a larger, 5. As with your smartphone, the 55 allows multi-touch gestures, such as pinching or spreading for easier zooming on a map.
This is a clear step up from the resistive displays of less expensive units, which allow only single-finger gestures and require you to tap on the plus and minus buttons to zoom in or out.
Like some TomTom models, the DriveSmart 55 and its larger sibling, the DriveSmart 65 also now include 3D mapping; in some major cities, it shows familiar buildings and landmarks as recognizable 3D images, which can help you more easily orient yourself with your surroundings in an unfamiliar area.
This made us more aware of those unexpected changes where police often like to park themselves with radar guns. Each alert is accompanied by a small icon, which pops up in the lower left corner of the screen, and a soft chime, which you can turn off individually for each type of alert. The Garmin Lily looks like actual jewelry and comes in two different models - Classic and Sport. Where the Garmin Lily shines is in its display and its responsive, monochromatic touchscreen, which is easy to use, even in direct sunlight.
This would make a brilliant first-time smartwatch for the fashion-conscious shoppers out there, especially someone with a smaller wrist. Read our full Garmin Lily review. If golf is your game, then the Garmin Approach S62 is the watch for you. The Garmin Approach S62 comes with key golf features such as access to data on 41, courses worldwide, GPS readings on distance and hole hazards, and a shot-tracking function.
It also works well as a smartwatch, with Garmin Pay and customizable smartphone notifications. Read our full Garmin Approach S62 review.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Garmin Forerunner , which is designed for triathletes, trail runners, and other endurance sport fanatics. The Forerunner offers the same training and recovery metrics as the Forerunner and while adding metrics for tracking heat and altitude, which are important for determining the difficulty of a key workout. It also boasts a battery that should be long enough to support ultra marathon runners on race day.
More importantly, with Garmin's LTE service, the Forerunner is the ultimate personal safety device. Even when your phone is nowhere to be found, this smartwatch can send your location to your designated contacts and let them know when there's an emergency. If you're someone who ventures out alone, the can give you and the people who care about you some peace of mind.
The Garmin Forerunner supports more than a dozen types of indoor and outdoor workouts, provides feedback on your training including recommended workouts and recovery times , and picks up a GPS signal in a matter of seconds. The Garmin fenix 6 is a rugged watch for outdoor adventurers. Make no mistake: With a weight that starts at 2 ounces for the standard fenix 6S, and tops out at 2. But the trade-off is storage, battery life, and water resistance up to meters feet.
The fenix 6 comes preloaded with more than 41, golf courses as well as more than 2, ski resorts, and it supports music storage. In addition, the battery on the standard fenix 6S will last up to 20 days in expedition GPS mode, which pings satellites less frequently than normal GPS mode, and up to 34 days in battery saver move. Splurge on the fenix 6X Pro Solar Edition and you get 46 days in expedition mode, plus another 10 days from the solar panel built into the display.
Read our full Garmin fenix 6 Series review. Unlike the Forerunner and fenix watches, the Garmin vivoactive 4 offers a touchscreen. It also comes in two sizes: 40mm and 45mm. Where the Garmin vivoactive 4 shines — and beats the other smartwatches on the market — is in its fitness-tracking capabilities. Read our full Garmin vivoactive 4 review. The vivomove series is the most stylish of all the best Garmin watches. These models offer a sharp analog face, a stainless steel bezel, and optional color displays.
You have to swipe on the OLED touchscreen to view this information - and while the display size is limited, the analog watchface always stays in view. Read our full Garmin vivomove review. However, if ultra adventures are your bag, this is a seriously impressive piece of kit, so much so, we named it the best smartwatch for the outdoors overall in our Health and Fitness Awards.
Read our full Garmin Enduro review. For example, the Forerunner will last for 14 days in smartwatch mode and 36 hours in GPS mode, while the fenix 6 will last up to 20 days in expedition GPS mode.
If you plan to spend extended periods of time outdoors, choose your watch accordingly. In addition to standard metrics, some models like theGarmin Forerunner also track heat and altitude, which are key for planning the impact of outdoor workouts. Others, like the Garmin Approach S62, offer in-depth golf training, too. The watches in the vivomove series are the only Garmin watches without a GPS sensor.
Smartwatch features Some Garmin models have more smartwatch features than others. The Venu, for instance, has a touchscreen and an AMOLED display, which are both rare for Garmin devices, along with support for mobile payments, onboard music, and a stainless steel bezel.
Onboard music Not all Garmin watches support onboard music with built-in storage. Some Garmin series even offer a dedicated music variant, like the Forerunner Music.
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