As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.
Sports watches may be small in size, but don’t underestimate their capabilities. These modern timepieces have integrated GPS technology, providing a range of functions that can be conveniently accessed from your wrist. Whether you want to track your movements, follow a preloaded route, or navigate through challenging terrain, these watches have got you covered, all while keeping your hands free.
One of the key advantages of sports watches is their ability to compile a vast amount of data. They can track various metrics such as distance, elevation, pace, cadence, heart rate, recovery time, and even sleep quality, among others. This makes them indispensable tools for athletes who want to monitor their performance and progress. In this article, we will focus on the best sports watches available, specifically those designed for endurance athletes.
Within this category, you’ll find a diverse range of options. There are rugged watches equipped with navigation features, ideal for adventurers exploring the backcountry. If you’re just starting out or on a budget, there are affordable entry-level models that still offer impressive features. And for those seeking a touch of luxury, you’ll discover sleek, high-end watches crafted specifically for endurance athletes.
| Image | Product Name | Editor's Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Garmin Forerunner 255 | Check Price | |
 | Garmin fenix 7 | Check Price | |
 | COROS PACE 2 | Check Price | |
 | Apple Watch Ultra | Check Price | |
 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Check Price |
Best Watches for Athletes Reviews
In this guide, we will delve into the finest sports watches available, analyzing their features, suitability for different activities, and exploring the various types on offer.
From budget-friendly options to luxurious Swiss-made timepieces, as well as both analog and digital models, we’ll cover it all. So, let’s dive in and discover the perfect sports watch to enhance your athletic journey.
1. Garmin Forerunner 255
One of the most common questions we receive is, “Which sports watch should I buy?” Our answer is simple: the best sports watch for you is not necessarily the most expensive option, the one with the most features, or the watch worn by your favorite professional athlete. Instead, the ideal sports watch is the one that offers the features you will actually use—neither too few nor too many—combined with an intuitive user interface, long-lasting battery life, and accurate tracking.
Considering these factors, we highly recommend the Garmin Forerunner 255 as our top choice. It boasts a well-balanced design that caters to the needs of most runners, swimmers, bikers, hikers, nordic skiers, and more. The Forerunner 255 is available in two sizes (41-mm 255S and 46-mm) and comes in various color options.
Garmin recently updated their Forerunner 200 series, elevating it to a new level of performance. Notable additions include a barometric altimeter, triathlon activity mode, dual-frequency GNSS, and power meter support. These enhancements transformed the Forerunner 255 into a fully-fledged multisport watch, surpassing the Coros Apex 2 on our list. In a comparison between the two, the Forerunner 255 exhibits slightly better accuracy, especially in urban areas with significant overhead coverage.
It also offers convenient daily features like GarminPay. On the other hand, the Apex 2 boasts a considerably longer battery life, a more durable titanium-alloy bezel and sapphire-glass screen, and on-screen topographic maps (unlike the 255, which only features simple breadcrumb navigation). Ultimately, we believe the Forerunner 255 remains the best choice for the average athlete seeking a sports watch, while the Apex 2 is a superior option for those with serious backcountry ambitions.
Lastly, Garmin has introduced the new Forerunner 265 , which features a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen display and additional data-driven features that appeal to athletes hungry for detailed information. These include Garmin’s Training Readiness score and Running Dynamics.
2. Garmin fenix 7
Undoubtedly, Garmin’s Fenix 7 is a premium and expensive sports watch collection, but it reigns supreme as the ultimate choice for backcountry enthusiasts. This powerhouse line offers various options, including three sizes and models with Solar and Sapphire features.
What sets the Fenix 7 apart is its exceptional build quality, durability, clear and easy-to-read screen, accurate tracking for a wide range of activities, and an extensive array of advanced metrics to satisfy even the most demanding athletes. One of its standout features is its unparalleled watch-based mapping, providing preloaded maps with detailed contour lines, trails, and geographic place names.
Whether you’re hiking, mountaineering, trail running, or skiing, the Fenix 7 offers comprehensive navigation tools to enhance your adventures. And now, with the addition of a touchscreen (addressing a previous gripe with the 6 Pro model), all these features are literally at your fingertips.
However, it’s important to consider the downsides of the Fenix 7, namely its high cost, complexity, and weight. Prices for sports watches have been increasing overall, the Fenix 7 may be out of reach for many individuals.
Additionally, the extensive range of features may be overkill for those seeking basic metrics like distance, elevation, and heart rate. Furthermore, even in its smallest “S” form, the Fenix 7 remains bulky and heavy, which can be noticeable during activities such as running, mountain biking, or cross-country skiing.
For those who prioritize cost and are willing to compromise on certain features, the Coros Apex 2 is a highly recommended alternative. it still delivers outstanding performance for backcountry use, offering incredible battery life, numerous activity modes, and decent mapping and navigation capabilities.
However, if you’re a dedicated backcountry adventurer in search of the absolute best, the Fenix 7 remains our top choice. It’s also worth mentioning the Garmin Epix within this category, as it offers a similar feature set with a high-end AMOLED screen.
3. COROS PACE 2
The Coros Pace 2 is a noteworthy contender despite its small size and affordable price. Weighing in at a mere 1.1 ounce (with the nylon strap), this watch offers a refreshing change from bulkier and heavier models like the Fenix mentioned earlier. Its low-profile design makes it easy to forget you’re even wearing it.
The Pace 2 also excels in battery life, boasting an impressive 30 hours in GPS mode and 20 days with regular use. Additionally, it’s challenging to find a more budget-friendly watch that includes a built-in barometric altimeter and multi-GNSS support.
Notably, with a firmware update in the spring of 2024, the Pace 2 now allows you to upload tracks and follow them using breadcrumb navigation—an impressive feature typically unheard of in this price range. For those on a budget or athletes who don’t require top-of-the-line features, the Pace 2 is a solid choice.
However, it’s essential to acknowledge the limitations of the Pace 2. Coros intentionally designed this model primarily for activities like road running, biking, and pool swimming, omitting modes for hiking, skiing, and climbing. The plastic construction reflects this focus, as it may not withstand significant impacts and may not be the most stylish option for everyday wear.
The small digital dial can be challenging to use with gloves on, and the water resistance is average, rated at just 5 ATM. Unlike many other watches, it lacks music capability. Nevertheless, considering its price, the Pace 2 offers impressive GPS tracking, mileage, and elevation accuracy, comparable to high-end Garmin watches.
This level of performance is truly remarkable. If you can overlook the no-frills design, Coros’ entry-level Pace 2 proves to be a reliable and affordable companion for your daily workouts.
4. Apple Watch Ultra
For a long time, the Apple Watch remained on the outskirts of the sports watch world, offering limited features that satisfied Apple enthusiasts but didn’t capture the attention of the broader fitness community. However, that changed with the introduction of the Apple Watch Ultra.
With this release, Apple has made a solid entry into the market, presenting a GPS-equipped sports watch that can rival premium designs from Garmin, Coros, and Suunto. Notably, the Ultra now boasts improved battery life, with Apple claiming it can last for the duration of an average Ironman race.
Additionally, updated activity profiles provide athletes with all the advanced metrics they might desire. Enhancing its outdoor capabilities, the Ultra even includes a unique emergency siren for potential search-and-rescue scenarios. With essential features like reliable multi-GNSS support, a barometric altimeter, and water resistance up to 100 meters, Apple’s latest watch certainly deserves attention.
We highly recommend the Apple Watch Ultra for athletes who primarily engage in frontcountry activities. Its user interface and health tracking platforms stand out among the competition. However, the Ultra falls short when it comes to backcountry use.
It lacks navigational features and heavily relies on the touchscreen, which can be a drawback for those who frequently encounter precipitation or cold conditions. Nonetheless, as a daily training tool with a superior user experience, the Apple Watch Ultra is hard to beat.
5. Garmin Vivoactive 4
While sports watches are designed to excel during workouts, they may not always be suitable for wearing in professional or everyday settings. Models like the Garmin Fenix 7 and Instinct 2 mentioned earlier are often considered too bulky for daily wear.
Additionally, sleek options from Coros may lack convenient extras such as contactless payment, music capabilities, and comprehensive health monitoring. Striking a balance between style and functionality, the Garmin vívoactive 4 emerges as an excellent choice.
It features an elegant exterior and offers two sizes to choose from (the 40-mm vívoactive 4S and the 45-mm version). The watch is equipped with a robust set of features, including multi-GNSS support, a compass, a barometric altimeter, 15 sport modes (although it lacks a dedicated triathlon setting), and Garmin’s sought-after smart features.
However, it’s worth noting that despite having similar underlying technology to some of the top-performance watches mentioned earlier, the vívoactive 4 falls short in terms of software performance.
During testing, its accuracy was compromised when tracking steeper trail runs, and the consistency of distance and elevation data proved to be less reliable compared to the more affordable Pace 2 mentioned previously.
Moreover, using a touchscreen in outdoor conditions, especially in rain or snow, can be tedious. The battery life of the vívoactive 4 is not exceptional either.
Nevertheless, the Garmin vívoactive 4 boasts a stylish and comfortable design suitable for everyday wear, even in professional settings. It embraces its casual nature by offering a range of on-screen workouts, including yoga, pilates, and mindful breathing sessions.
Final Verdict
One of the key features that make sports watches highly desirable is their ability to track and analyze various activities such as hiking, running, cycling, swimming, skiing, and more. When engaged in an activity, the watch uses GPS technology to collect waypoints at regular intervals (typically every second or less) to gather data such as distance, elevation, pace (current and overall), cadence, and more. This information can be viewed on the watch itself during the activity or accessed through a companion app on your phone once you finish.
Entry-level watches like the Coros Pace 2 generally provide basic data points suitable for activities like road running and cycling. As you move up the price range, you gain access to a wider range of activities and more detailed information. Premium designs like the Suunto 9 Peak Pro offer over 80 sport modes, including activities like paddleboarding, golfing, and indoor climbing. Interestingly, when it comes to accuracy, most sports watches perform similarly.
For example, the budget-friendly Coros Pace 2 is known to provide reliable GPS tracking data (such as distance and pace) comparable to watches like the Garmin Fenix 7, which comes at a significantly higher price.
In addition to tracking activities, many athletes use sports watches to collect body-related data to enhance their training. These watches incorporate optical heart rate monitors and pulse oximeters (typically found in premium models) to synthesize data and combine it with activity tracking statistics.
This combination provides valuable insights such as training load, training effect, altitude acclimation, sleep quality, and more. These measurements help athletes understand their exertion levels, determine recovery needs, and set goals for future workouts.
Furthermore, several watches offer training plans for various sports, delivering alerts and audio prompts based on metrics like pace, heart rate, functional threshold power (for biking), and more. High-end models like the Garmin Fenix 7 even feature animated pilates, yoga, cardio, and strength workouts on their high-resolution screens.
If you’re looking for a sports watch that doubles as a personal trainer, prioritize models with pulse oximeters and comprehensive multisport features, as Garmin watches excel in this regard.