Best running watches 2024

Keeping track of your running progress is essential to see how much more you need to improve. Whether you're running a marathon or a 10K, having one of the best running watches is a must.

For example, you can try the Garmin Forerunner 265 or choose another smartwatch on the list. A Wear OS watch offers some essential fitness functions and helpful lifestyle apps. However, your choice will depend on what matters most to you in a smartwatch: a good battery or affordability.

Namerah Saud Fatmi

Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart tech. She spends her time guzzling coffee, writing, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends.

At a glance

Best overall

For years, the Garmin Forerunner 245 was Android Central's #1 pick thanks to its reliable health and location tracking and tools like Garmin Coach that keep you on the right training path. Then, the Forerunner 255 took its place with key upgrades like heart rate variability, all-systems multi-band GNSS, and new widgets like a Morning Report and Race Widget that made training planning easier.

I bring up these watches first because the Garmin Forerunner 265, our pick for the best runners' watches, is only a "prettier 255," as my review described.

You're getting the same experience for $100 extra to analyze your form, performance, and heart health to help recommend your future workouts and recovery times. Both are fantastic devices and when you compare the Forerunner 265 vs. 255, the latter has 95% of the same tools.

So why do I recommend the Forerunner 265? Because the 416 x 416 AMOLED display is significantly more readable than the memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays on most running watches. The 265 is beautifully bright and ensures using your watch indoors isn't an eye-straining chore. It also lowers the battery life compared to bulkier Forerunners, but 20–24 GPS hours is still above average.

We also appreciate its one exclusive upgrade over the 255: Training Readiness. An update to the Body Battery stat uses HRV status, sleep data, and acute load to measure your muscles' recovery time and your body's overall energy. So you'll never be told to run when your body is sore just because you slept well.

Ultimately, this is one of the most comprehensive watches for self-guided runners to improve their PRs and VO2 Max scores. The Forerunner 965 is better, but the 265 has a slightly more reasonable price and has all the core tools most runners need.

Best budget

Shopping for the best running watch doesn't automatically mean you need to spend a fortune. The Amazfit Cheetah Pro has core features like built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, sports apps, energy monitoring, and stress tracking. It trades off features like NFC but has all the essentials for a much lower price than most running smartwatches.

As our Cheetah Pro review explained, the lightweight Amazfit smartwatch offers plenty of value for money. It offers extremely accurate GPS tracking, Alexa onboard, the ability to answer calls on your wrist thanks to the mic and speakers, and local music storage. The wearable can last around two weeks on a single charge, so the battery life is excellent.

Apart from all the necessary health and fitness tracking sensors, the Amazfit Cheetah Pro also comes with the brand's proprietary AI Zepp Coach. Like any decent Garmin watch, it uses AI to create a recovery plan and helps you understand how much rest time you need between workouts.

If you want to go even cheaper, the Amazfit Cheetah Round is a stripped-down version of the Cheetah Pro with almost the same features. It's a decent, affordable alternative to consider.

Best battery

Most people are happy enough with a watch that lasts one day under normal circumstances, while last-gen running watches often only lasted 10-20 hours with GPS tracking enabled, or relied on solar panels to last longer. The COROS APEX 2 can last a whopping 45 hours per charge, ensuring it'll never die on you even if you start a workout with low battery levels.

COROS is a popular brand among many runners, and in recent years it has developed significant software tools like an EvoLab for measuring training effect and recovery time and a Training Hub for getting training plans to improve your times. If you're only familiar with Garmin watches, you shouldn't sleep on the APEX 2, which gives the Forerunner 265 a run for its money (no pun intended).

It has a titanium frame and sapphire glass, giving the APEX 2 a more premium appearance than most plastic-heavy running watches (like most Garmin watches). Otherwise, I appreciated that it has both a touchscreen and digital crown for whichever type of navigation you prefer, though some runners will prefer Garmin's specific Up and Down buttons to a dial.

The APEX 2 has blood oxygen and ECG detection — though you can only spot-check this information rather than run it continuously. And it uses all-systems GNSS tracking, meaning it relies upon multiple satellite systems at once to detect your positioning more exactly, in case your signal is blocked from a specific direction.

Technically, the better option for battery life is the COROS APEX 2 Pro, which lasts a whopping 75 hours per charge and offers other "pro" upgrades like increased storage and dual-frequency GPS tracking. But we recommended the APEX 2 over the Pro in our review, noting that it's a better deal for its lower price point. COROS lowered the APEX 2's price after launch, making it $100 less than the Forerunner 265 at full price. 

Best for professionals

If you're looking for the best for professionals, the Garmin Forerunner 965 has features that will give you the data you need on your daily runs. The newer model gives you a bigger 1.4-inch display with a 454 x 454 resolution on the AMOLED touch display. 

Thanks to the 5ATM water resistance rating, you can wear the watch while swimming without worrying about water damage. The GLONASS, gyroscope, accelerometer, and other sensors will give you the necessary data to improve your running data.

In contrast to the Forerunner 955, the 965 doesn't have a solar option. You can also choose between three colors with the 965: a Carbon Gray bezel with a black case and a Black/Powder Gray or Amp Yello/Black Silicone Band. There isn't a vast difference between the 965 and the 955; the watch's differences are in the display and overall design.

The Forerunner 965 refreshes faster than the previous model when you swap between widgets or browse through maps. You can also use the NFC tap-to-pay to get something to eat after that run and the ANT+ to connect accessories such as heart rate straps. The Garmin Forerunner 965 offers much and is a great running companion.

Best Android

Most of the best running watches value running coaching and health data more than traditional "smartwatch" features that require a battery-guzzling processor. But some runners don't want to compromise on smarts and will accept a shorter battery for better functionality. In that case, pay close attention to the Samsung Galaxy Watch series.

The Galaxy Watch 7 sports an Exynos W1000 chipset with 2GB of RAM for silky-smooth performance and app support that most other runners' watches can't offer. That includes Wear OS apps like Strava, Adidas Running, and so on; you can directly access these running apps instead of exporting data from apps like Garmin Connect.

The Galaxy Watch 7 has a gorgeous super AMOLED display with a touch bezel for scrolling menus. The watch also has a bevy of health sensors that measure everything from your heart's health and rhythm to your overall body composition (fat and muscle percentage) and blood oxygen.

The 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 has a 425mAh battery, while the 40mm version has a 300mAh battery. The Galaxy Watch 7 is the best Android smartwatch we've tested, offering plenty of perks outside of fitness while still offering plenty of perks for casual runners striving to achieve their goals.

Best health tracker

Some people run for the joy of running; others because it's the simplest way to get your heart and body healthier. If health is your main concern, or if you spend as much time in the gym as hitting the pavement, you may want to opt for a Fitbit instead. The Fitbit Versa 4 is the more affordable watch, or you could switch to a tracker like the excellent Charge 5 instead. However, the best Fitbit for health tracking is the flagship Fitbit Sense 2.

The Sense 2 comes with one of the widest ranges of health sensors available, tracking your heart rate, rhythm, variance, blood oxygen, and skin temperature. With Fitbit Premium, you'll get various reports on your Daily Readiness, overall health, stress levels, health trends over the last 90 days, possible issues like fevers or AFib, and other valuable tools and scores.

Our Fitbit Sense 2 review explains the many perks that come with this model, starting with the attractive "squircle" design with an AMOLED touchscreen and the new side button that replaces the finicky capacitive button of the original Sense. Its reliance on a touchscreen makes it less reliable than button navigation when your fingertips get sweaty. Still, it's undoubtedly a lighter, more attractive watch for casual wear outside of runs. And you'll get good everyday mileage from tools like tap-to-pay, Amazon Alexa integration, and even Google Maps support.

In terms of fitness features, you get essentials like heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, automatic exercise recognition, on-screen workouts, and female health tracking. And you'll love Active Zone Minutes, which shows the time you spend in fat burn, cardio, or break heart-rate zones.

You don't get any super-advanced running features here, and the six-day battery life doesn't match other options on this list. Plus, it only has 5 hours of estimated GPS tracking, well below the other options on this list—plenty for casual runners who won't run longer than an hour or so, but not enough for all-day tracking.

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How to choose the right running smartwatch for your needs

When shopping for the best running watch, several factors must be considered, including your battery life needs, feature preferences, and budget. Most dedicated runners will find the Garmin Forerunner 265 their best option, whether you prioritize price and battery life or display quality and the latest software. Regardless, Garmin watches give you great running guidance at no extra charge.

Before you choose your running watch, make sure that you're committed to using that software to boost your running performance and endurance. Otherwise, you may just want a traditional smartwatch until you're sure you're committed. A Galaxy Watch gives you the essentials and lets you export data to popular third-party running apps, where you can get useful maps and analysis. 

Not everyone needs a watch that lasts for weeks since it could mean missing out on more innovative tools or attractive designs. But if you want something on the other end of the spectrum, anything from a COROS to a Fitbit could give you the health and fitness focus you want.