Polar Vantage V2 のレビュー .
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
6. Garmin fenix 6X Pro Solar
Best running watch for the great outdoors
Battery Life in GPS mode: 15 hours (with music), 60 hours (without music), 148 hours (Max Battery GPS mode) | Size: 51mm case, 93g (Steel) or 82g (Titanium) | Water Resistance: 330 feet | Music Storage: Up to 2,000 songs | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: Yes
Solar charging offers battery life for weeks
Track many activities besides running
Sensors for weather and altitude
Bulky
The Garmin fenix 6X Pro comes with the same features of high-end Garmin watches such as the Forerunner 945, including mobile payments and native music storage, but with a rugged design suitable for the most remote of backcountry adventures.
Along with health and fitness monitoring and the usual types of workouts, you can also track your golf games and ski runs with the Garmin fenix 6X Pro Solar. You also get an altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. Sunlight will charge the watch, adding up to 28 hours to the 120 hours you get by using the watch in Max Battery mode. Put the watch in Battery Saver mode and get enough sunlight for solar charging and the battery will last as many as 120 days.
Make no mistake, though: The Garmin fenix 6X Pro Solar is huge. The case alone— 54g for the Titanium model and 66g for the Steel model —weighs more than most watches, plus there’s another 30 or so grams for the band. At 51mm, too, the watch will take up a sizable portion of your wrist. Fortunately, you can swap out metal bands for silicone if the device is weighing you down.
Read our full Garmin fenix 6X Pro Solar review .
(Image credit: Coros)
7. Coros Apex
Best running watch for form
Battery Life in GPS mode: 35 hours | Size: 46mm, 55g | Water Resistance: 330 feet | Music Storage: No | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: No
Able to measure running form
Navigation features
Training and recovery recommendations
Pulse ox and blood oxygen sensors not standard
For some runners, changes to form can lead to faster times and reduce the likelihood of injury. Runners interested in measuring and improving their form should look no further than the Coros Apex.
When paired with the Coros Performance Optimization Device ($69), which clips to the back of your shorts or pants, the Coros Apex will collect several metrics related to running form, including stride length and height, cadence, and stride angle. This data helps you identify how to make your running form more efficient. It’s one of the best running watches because it also uses activity data to provide training plan recovery recommendations.
In addition, the Coros Apex comes with tracking and navigation features that let you upload maps onto a grid with compass settings. This is handy if you plan to venture onto a running route for the first time or plan to take the watch into the backcountry for trail runs or hikes.
The slightly larger Coros Apex Pro ($499) has a touchscreen, a battery that lasts 40 hours in GPS mode, and blood oxygen and pulse oximeter sensors.
(Image credit: Garmin)
8. Garmin Forerunner 45
Best running watch for beginners
Battery Life in GPS mode: 13 hours | Size: 42mm, 36g | Water Resistance: 165 feet | Music Storage: No | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: No
Easy to use
Inexpensive
Entry-level access to Garmin Connect
Limited features beyond run tracking
The Garmin Forerunner 45 is the ideal “starter” running watch. It’s comfortable and easy to use, featuring Garmin’s typical circular design with three buttons on the left and two buttons on the right. Higher-end Garmin watches may get a GPS signal faster, but the Forerunner 45 will get the job done, and give you at-a-glance access to the data you need during and after your run to make sure your training is on track.
Through Garmin Connect, you can access training plans that are personalized to your specific running metrics on the Forerunner 45. This is a step up from both Nike or Under Armour training plans or similarly priced smartwatches like the $200 Galaxy Watch Active and the Apple Watch Series 3. However, the Forerunner lacks a lot of smartwatch features, and it’s designed to look like a running watch first and foremost, so it may not be the ideal pick for a runner who wants something more stylish and functional after a run.
Read our full Garmin Forerunner 45 review .
(Image credit: Suunto)
9. Suunto 7
Best running watch for Wear OS
Battery Life in GPS mode: 12 hours | Size: 50mm, 70g | Water Resistance: 165 feet | Music Storage: No | Workout Recommendations: No | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: Yes
Wear OS integration
Customizable watch faces and straps
Offline maps
Can be difficult to use
Short battery life
Google’s Wear OS watch operating system has been hit or miss, as devices have suffered from complex setup and use as well as limited battery life. When it comes to running watches, the Suunto 7 is the best of the bunch.
Like most Suunto devices, the Suunto 7 is a rugged watch that can handle plenty of outdoor activities. B-but as a Wear OS watch, it also has a touchscreen suitable for everyday use. Along with supporting offline maps, the watch offers access to heatmaps for popular spots for running and other activities in cities around the world, given you ideas for where to work out (or where to avoid) the next time you travel.
While the Suunto does have better battery life than the typical Wear OS watch (-12 hours in GPS mode and close to 48 hours in everyday mode)-it’s less than most other running watches in its price range. Turning on low-power mode or locking the screen will extend the battery life during exercise, but this limits the ability to see key data such as distance and pace. In addition, the Suunto 7 provides a training log and recovery recommendations, but it doesn’t offer recommended workouts.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
10. Amazfit T-Rex
Best durable budget running watch
Battery Life in GPS mode: 10 hours | Size: 44mm, 57g | Water Resistance: 165 feet | Music Storage: No | Workout Recommendations: No | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: No | Mobile Payments: No
Inexpensive
AMOLED touchscreen
Robust tracking for the price
Dated design and display
If you can get past the bulky design the Amazfit T-Rex is a worthwhile option for runners who want an inexpensive watch that’s durable enough for the great outdoors.
The Amazfit T-Rex features an AMOLED touchscreen, which is rare for watches under $150. The screen locks once you start a workout, though, which not only prevents accidental taps but eliminates the frustration of trying to navigate the watch with sweaty fingertips. During workouts, the buttons allow you to navigate. The watch will also provide metrics such as altitude and compass position during workouts, another rarity for watches in its price range.
The Amazfit T-Rex and its accompanying app don’t come with the fitness analysis capabilities that a range of other running watch makers offer. While that may be a downside for some runners, those who find the metrics distracting or work with a dedicated running coach may appreciate a watch that doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles.
Read our full Amazfit T-Rex review .
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
11. Garmin vivoactive 4S
Garmin’s best smartwatch for runners
Battery Life in GPS mode: 6 hours (with music), 18 hours (without music) | Size: 40mm, 40g | Water Resistance: 165 Feet | Music Storage: Up to 500 songs | Workout Recommendations: Yes | Sleep Tracking: Yes | Smartphone Notifications: Yes | Mobile Payments: Yes
Smartwatch with Garmin’s insides
Battery life
Touchscreen plus push buttons
Difficult to navigate menus
The Garmin vivoactive 4 is Garmin’s best smartwatch for runners. On the outside, it has the touchscreen you expect from a smartwatch and the easy push button controls you expect from a Garmin. It doesn’t have the AMOLED display of the Garmin Venu, but that also means the battery lasts longer — 18 hours in GPS mode and up to 8 days in smartwatch mode.
The main selling point of the Garmin vivoactive 4S is what’s inside: Garmin’s activity and sleep tracking capabilities, plus the ability to create custom workouts or complete preloaded workouts. Those features aren’t available on other smartwatches, and they make up for the limited availability of third-party apps. The watch does support mobile payments and music storage, which are key features for runners.
Size is another benefit of the Garmin vivoactive 4S. At 40mm and 40g, this watch is designed for runners with smaller wrists. The Garmin vivoactive 4 is a slightly larger version of this watch, at 45mm and 50.5g, which puts it more in line with the Forerunner 945.
Read our full Garmin vivoactive 4S review .
How to choose the best running watch for you
If you want a running watch that can also be an everyday watch, overall design and appearance are key considerations. Will it clash with a dress or blazer, or will it get caught on the sleeve of a sweater or shirt? The availability of third-party apps or the ability to sync with your phone are important if you want a running watch with some smartwatch capabilities.
On the other hand, if you only plan to use the watch in the great outdoors, smartwatch features will likely matter less than battery life, support for tracking multiple activities, and overall durability.
How we choose the best running watches
Even today’s low-end running watches typically come with GPS sensors, heart rate monitors, and step counters. In addition to evaluating watches on these features, we look at more advanced functionality such as VO2 Max data, sleep tracking, music storage, and the presentation of training data such as recovery time and recommended workouts.
Our reviewers are experienced runners who test devices on several runs in open spaces, around tall buildings, and in the woods. We pay attention to accuracy, ease of use, and comfort during our runs, and we evaluate each watch and its companion app together after our runs. We wear watches for several days to compare battery performance to manufacturers’ claims.
If a running watch also has smartwatch capabilities, we look at the software, application ecosystem, and use of special features such as mobile payments or notification responses.
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