The very best GPS operating watches for 2025

Whether or not you’re an off-the-cuff jogger or a critical path runner, having the correct GPS watch in your wrist could make all of the distinction. The very best GPS operating watches do extra than simply monitor your tempo — they provide real-time metrics, superior coaching options that can assist you hit your objectives and, after all, GPS monitoring for exact distance measurements. Some fashions go even additional, with offline maps for navigation, sleep monitoring for restoration insights and good options like notifications and contactless funds.

For individuals who want additional sturdiness and lasting battery life, higher-end sport watches — like among the greatest Garmin watches — are constructed to deal with intense exercises, harsh climate and lengthy runs. When you're coaching for a marathon, triathlon or simply desire a multisport possibility that may sustain along with your way of life, these watches have the tech to assist you.

With so many choices obtainable, from entry-level fashions to the most effective operating watches filled with superior operating metrics, it may be difficult to seek out the correct match. That’s why we’ve rounded up our high picks that can assist you select the proper GPS watch in your coaching wants.

Finest GPS operating watches for 2025

Different GPS operating watches we examined

Polar Pacer Professional

The Polar Pacer Pro regarded and felt fairly much like our high choose, and it mapped my outside runs precisely. Nonetheless, Polar’s companion app is leagues behind Garmin’s with a complicated interface and a design that feels very a lot caught prior to now. It’s additionally $100 costlier than our high choose.

Amazfit Cheetah Professional

The Amazfit Cheetah Pro tracked my outside runs precisely and Zepp’s companion app has a training characteristic very similar to Garmin’s adaptive coaching plans that may define a routine so that you can full in preparation for a race or to realize a selected purpose. My largest problem with it was that its touchscreen wasn’t very responsive — it took a number of arduous faucets on the show to wake it, and infrequently the raise-to-wake characteristic didn’t work, leaving me looking at a darkish display screen.

What to think about earlier than shopping for a GPS operating watch

GPS pace and accuracy

Crucial factor for a GPS operating watch to have is quick, correct GPS monitoring. That may appear apparent, but it surely’s fairly straightforward to get distracted by the entire different good options most of those gadgets have. Since most of them could be worn all day lengthy as commonplace sport watches, there’s numerous (presumably pointless) fluff that appears good on paper however gained’t imply a lot if the core objective if the gadget is left unfulfilled. To that finish, I paid specific consideration to how lengthy it took every gadget’s built-in GPS monitoring to seize my location earlier than a run, if it ever misplaced my spot and the accuracy of the generated maps. Additionally, the gadget must be good sufficient to allow you to begin monitoring a run whereas the GPS appears to be like in your location.

Exercise profiles and trackable metrics

Chances are you’ll not have the ability to suss out GPS accuracy simply by taking a look at a spec sheet (that’s the place this information can assist), however you may verify for options like supported exercise profiles. That’s one thing you’ll need to look into, even when your one and solely exercise is operating. Verify to ensure the most effective operating watches you’re contemplating assist all of the sorts of operating actions you love to do (outside runs, treadmill runs, and so forth) and every other exercises chances are you’ll need to monitor with it.

Most health wearables as we speak aren’t one-trick ponies; you’ll discover a wholesome variety of trackable train modes on any sport watch value its salt. That mentioned, the variety of exercise profiles could be straight proportional to a tool’s worth: the higher-end the product, chances are high the extra particular, exact exercises it might probably monitor.

In an identical vein, you’ll need to verify the trackable metrics of any watch you’re contemplating before you purchase. Since we’re speaking about the most effective GPS operating watches, most will have the ability to monitor the fundamentals like distance, coronary heart fee and tempo, and people are naked minimums. Some watches can monitor further stats like pace, cadence, stride size, superior operating dynamics, cardio and anaerobic coaching impact, depth minutes and extra. When you’re already a critical runner who trains for a number of races annually, or in the event you're a path runner who wants elevation and navigation options, you’ll need to dig into the spec sheet of the watch you’re contemplating to ensure it might probably monitor your entire most crucial metrics.

Dimension and weight

It’s value trying out a watch’s case dimension and weight earlier than going all-in on one. GPS operating watches, and commonplace smartwatches as properly, can have just a few totally different sizes to select from so that you’ll need to be sure you’re getting the most effective match in your wrist. I’ve a smaller wrist, so I are likely to keep away from extra-large instances (something over 42mm or so), particularly if I intend on sporting the gadget all day lengthy as my essential timepiece. Weight, however, is rather less controllable, however sometimes smaller case sizes will prevent just a few grams in general weight.

For individuals who want sturdiness, notably path runners or these tackling excessive circumstances, gadgets like Garmin watches provide rugged builds that may deal with tough terrain, influence, and excessive climate.

Battery life

Not like common smartwatches, GPS operating watches have two sorts of battery life you’ll want to think about: with GPS turned on and in “smartwatch” mode. The previous is extra vital than the latter as a result of most GPS operating watches have stellar battery life when used simply as a sensible timepiece. You possibly can count on to get a number of days on a single cost, with some surviving greater than two weeks (with all day and evening put on) earlier than they want a recharge.

Battery life with GPS turned on shall be a lot shorter by comparability, however any GPS operating watch value its salt ought to offer you not less than 10-15 hours of life with the GPS getting used constantly. The extra you’re prepared to spend, the upper that quantity sometimes will get, with some GPS operating watches lasting for 40 hours whereas monitoring your location.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-gps-running-watch-141513957.html?src=rss

Trending Merchandise