The very best GPS operating watches for 2025

Whether or not you’re an off-the-cuff jogger or a severe path runner, having the suitable 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 sensible options like notifications and contactless funds.

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

With so many choices obtainable, from entry-level fashions to the very best operating watches full of superior operating metrics, it may be difficult to search out the suitable match. That’s why we’ve rounded up our high picks that can assist you select the right GPS watch to your coaching wants.

Greatest 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 out of doors 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 up to now. It’s additionally $100 dearer than our high choose.

Amazfit Cheetah Professional

The Amazfit Cheetah Pro tracked my out of doors 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 greatest problem with it was that its touchscreen wasn’t very responsive — it took a number of laborious faucets on the show to wake it, and infrequently the raise-to-wake characteristic didn’t work, leaving me observing a darkish display screen.

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

GPS velocity and accuracy

A very powerful factor for a GPS operating watch to have is quick, correct GPS monitoring. That may appear apparent, nevertheless it’s fairly straightforward to get distracted by all the different sensible options most of those gadgets have. Since most of them might be worn all day lengthy as commonplace sport watches, there’s a whole lot of (probably pointless) fluff that appears good on paper however received’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 ought to be sensible sufficient to allow you to begin monitoring a run whereas the GPS seems to be to your location.

Exercise profiles and trackable metrics

You could not have the ability to suss out GPS accuracy simply by a spec sheet (that’s the place this information can assist), however you possibly can test for options like supported exercise profiles. That’s one thing you’ll wish to look into, even when your one and solely exercise is operating. Verify to ensure the very best operating watches you’re contemplating assist all of the sorts of operating actions you love to do (out of doors runs, treadmill runs, and so forth) and some other exercises it’s possible you’ll wish to monitor with it.

Most health wearables right this moment 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 might be straight proportional to a tool’s worth: the higher-end the product, chances are high the extra particular, exact exercises it may monitor.

In the same vein, you’ll wish to test the trackable metrics of any watch you’re contemplating before you purchase. Since we’re speaking about the very best 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 extra stats like velocity, cadence, stride size, superior operating dynamics, cardio and anaerobic coaching impact, depth minutes and extra. If you happen to’re already a severe runner who trains for a number of races every year, or if you happen to're a path runner who wants elevation and navigation options, you’ll wish to dig into the spec sheet of the watch you’re contemplating to ensure it may monitor all your most crucial metrics.

Measurement and weight

It’s value trying out a watch’s case measurement and weight earlier than going all-in on one. GPS operating watches, and commonplace smartwatches as properly, can have a couple of completely different sizes to select from so that you’ll wish to ensure you’re getting the very best match to your wrist. I’ve a smaller wrist, so I are inclined to keep away from extra-large circumstances (something over 42mm or so), particularly if I intend on carrying the gadget all day lengthy as my most important timepiece. Weight, however, is rather less controllable, however sometimes smaller case sizes will prevent a couple of grams in general weight.

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

Battery life

In contrast to common smartwatches, GPS operating watches have two varieties of battery life you’ll want to think about: with GPS turned on and in “smartwatch” mode. The previous is extra essential than the latter as a result of most GPS operating watches have stellar battery life when used simply as a wise timepiece. You’ll be able to count on to get a number of days on a single cost, with some surviving greater than two weeks (with all day and night time put on) earlier than they want a recharge.

Battery life with GPS turned on will probably be a lot shorter by comparability, however any GPS operating watch value its salt ought to offer you a minimum of 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

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