The best Garmin watches 2023: all the latest models tested

When you're looking for the best Garmin watch, there are lots of factors to take into account. What is your preferred sport, what level are you at currently, what do you want to achieve, how frequently do you train? It's also important to think about how long you'll be able to go between charges, and how much of a beating your watch is likely to take, and last but not least, how much cash you have to spend.

It's tough to pin down a single watch that will work best for everyone, but we've tested all the current models and put together this guide to help you pick the right one for you. Our current top pick is the Garmin Forerunner 955, which is a versatile, powerful watch that'll help take your training to the next level whatever your sport.

Whatever your needs, read on to find the best Garmin watch for you. We test new watches all the time, and will update this guide with new entries as they're released. We'll soon be testing the new Garmin Instinct 2X Solar, so what this space.

The best Garmin watches

The quick list

In depth

It might look unassuming with its plain resin case, but the Forerunner 955 is our pick for the best Garmin watch of 2023. It offers all of the company's best training tools in a neat package that's surprisingly compact and lightweight to wear.

It offers the best GPS tracking of any watch we've tested to date (and there have been a lot), and its advanced training tools are very impressive. It was the first watch to include heart rate variability (HRV) and training readiness scores to help you understand how your body is responding to life and training, and it also delivers a daily morning report to help you prepare for the day ahead.

Navigation is excellent, and whichever type of workout you choose to track, we think you'll be impressed by the sheer depth of data available afterwards. If you're purely a runner then the Forerunner 55 is a much cheaper alternative, and the Forerunner 255 will suit entry-level triathletes well, but if you enjoy getting stuck into a wide range of sports then the 955 is the one for you.

Our only real criticism is that the battery life wasn't as long as we'd expected, but opting for the solar edition stretches it out further between charges.

Read our full Garmin Forerunner 955 review

If you're interested in taking your running, cycling, swimming or hiking to the next level, the Fenix 7 is the ideal training tool for you.

We were particularly impressed by the new real-time stamina tool, which shows how much energy you have remaining in real time during a workout. If you're starting to run low then you might choose to dial back the effort a little or bring things to an end sooner, but if you've still got plenty in the tank then you might choose to push yourself a little harder.

GPS proved particularly accurate, and during an intense indoor cycling interval session, we found that changes in heart rate were detected by the Fenix 7 almost as swiftly as a chest strap heart rate monitor.

During our tests we found that the watch's blue backlight tended to make colors look a little muddy, particularly when navigating using the watch's on-board maps and GPS, but that's a fairly minor complaint. if you'd prefer to have a watch with an OLED display, take a look at the Garmin Epix, which is otherwise nearly identical.

Read our full Garmin Fenix 7 review

If you're considering trading in your Apple Watch for something more sports-focused, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus could be exactly what you're looking for. It's packed with all the fitness tracking tools you'd expect from a modern sports watch, but also includes lots of useful extras that make it an ideal watch for everyday wear.

The bright AMOLED display is crisp and easy to read in all conditions, and in our tests we found it much easier to read messages and view maps on the Venu 2 than many other Garmin watches. We also appreciated the addition of a microphone to the left-hand edge of the case, which allows you to answer calls and access your phone's voice assistant without digging your handset out of your pocket. If cash is a little tight, you can also pick up the regular Venu 2, which has all the same features except for the built-in mic.

There's only one case size available, and if you're used to the Apple Watch's wireless charging then you might find it frustrating to mess about with a fiddly charging cable, but with a battery life of up to 14 days, you won't need to charge the Venu 2 Plus anywhere near as frequently as one of Apple's devices.

The Garmin Enduro gives you the training tools of the Fenix 7 with the battery life of the Instinct 2, and it's a joy to use. This is a watch that makes no compromises. It's big and bold (which is necessary to accommodate its large solar cell). with a titanium bezel, sapphire crystal lens, and an enormous 1.4in screen for displaying stats and maps. It's even packing a bright LED flashlight that's incredibly handy for early morning and late evening runs, or around a campsite.

GPS accuracy is exceptional (with Garmin's SatIQ automatically switching between satellite tracking modes to maximize battery life), and although the display isn't as bright as that of the Epix (Gen 2), it's still bright and detailed enough to make navigation a breeze.

The only question is, are you really going to be off-grid enough to justify it? The Enduro 2 can run for weeks between charges even with regular GPS use, but if you're not planning any ultra runs or long backpacking expeditions, a Fenix or Forerunner might be a better option.

Read our full Garmin Enduro 2 review

The main selling point of the Garmin Instinct Crossover is its hybrid face, which marries physical hands with a digital display. It works well (the hands even have special shockproofing to prevent them being knocked out of alignment) and is something fresh, fun, and different. Many people have compared it to a Casio G-Shock, and it's easy to see why.

Like all Instinct watches, the Crossover has fantastic battery life; we tested it for around a month and only charged it twice despite pretty heavy use. It doesn't have multi-band GPS, but established a lock quickly nevertheless, and proved to be one of the most accurate wearables we've tested to date. Not just a funky face.

It's not the best watch for navigation, though. You can transfer maps via Garmin Connect, but the Crossover's memory-in-pixel display is grayscale and relatively small, which makes to tricky reading. The biggest problem, however, is the hole in the center where the hands are mounted, which chops out a few important pixels of your route. If you know where you're going, though, it's a great option.

Read our full Garmin Instinct Crossover review

The Forerunner 55 is Garmin's entry-level running watch, and very reasonably priced, but we'd happily recommend it to intermediate level runners as well. You're getting a huge amount for your money here – despite its modest price tag, it's a very accurate GPS watch with impressive heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, recovery stats, and training tools including workout suggestions and recommended recovery periods.

OK, its color memory in pixel screen isn't as vivid as the AMOLED display of the Venu 2 Plus or Epix, but it's still clearly visible in most lighting conditions, with a backlight for when things get gloomy, and all your stats are clearly presented with graphs and charts to illustrate trends over time.

Although it was only released in 2021, you can already snag it for much less than its list price, making it a particularly great deal. If you're not sure which Garmin watch to choose, this one should tick the most important boxes.

The Forerunner 255 is the next step up from the 55, and is the best Garmin watch if you're looking to take the next step and add cycling or swimming to your regular run training. This is an excellent entry-level triathlon watch with an extensive range of training tools for all three sports (plus others) and the ability to switch between sports at the press of a button for triathlons and duathlons.

When we tested the Forerunner 255, we were particularly impressed by the accuracy of its multi-band GPS, which gave the most precise results of any GPS watch we've tested to date. Even during an out-and-back race that passed through a mile-long tunnel, the results were accurate to within a few meters.

The Forerunner 255 offers great battery life as well, though we would have liked to see a solar option to extend it even further. The lack of a touchscreen also takes a little getting used to, but this is a superb Garmin watch for the price and comes highly recommended.

Read our full Garmin Forerunner 255 review

The Garmin Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) is part of the company's lineup of premium watches, and definitely looks the part with its titanium case and leather band (lined with rubber to prevent sweat damage). Even the presentation is special; rather than the typical recyclable card box, the Adventurer comes packaged in a tough metal flight case.

During testing, I found it almost identical to the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) in terms of features. It has all the same fitness and workout tracking tools, a great AMOLED display that plays very nicely with Garmin's new Map Manager, and multi-band GPS. Put simply, it's the best of everything the company currently has to offer, all rolled into an exceptionally slick package.

The downside is the price, which is twice that of the Epix. That's a big premium for the upgraded materials, especially when you could buy the Marq's Italian leather strap for $200 and have a watch that looks almost exactly the same.

If you want the best of everything, though, the Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) is the one for you. 

Read our full Garmin Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) review

If you're hard on your watches, then the Instinct 2 is the best Garmin Watch for you. Like the original Instinct before it, this watch is built like a tank with a tough resin case topped with Gorilla Glass and a design made to shrug off bumps and knocks. After several camping trips and a spot or two of mountain biking, we can confirm that it works.

The Instinct 2 also offers remarkable battery life, particularly if you opt for one of the solar models, which feature Garmin's Power Glass. Provided you're able to get outdoors and soak up a little sunshine, you'll notice that the battery meter barely drops, even with GPS active. Garmin itself claims that the solar edition of the watch can run indefinitely if it catches enough rays, though admittedly you'd need to keep all its most interesting tools switched off to achieve that.

GPS is excellent, as we've come to expect, and during testing we particularly appreciated the watch's new training tools, including suggested running workouts. The only real drawback is that the monochrome memory-in-pixel display isn't great for displaying maps. There's very little detail, and no hues to differentiate different parts of the landscape. If you don't need help navigating though, the Instinct 2 comes highly recommended.

The Venu Sq 2 is a smart, square-faced watch that's a direct rival to the Fitbit Versa 4, with superior fitness tracking chops. In our tests, we were particularly impressed by its dual-band GPS, which locks on super fast even in tricky locations with tall buildings or tree cover.

The biggest upgrade from the original Venu Sq is the addition of an OLED display, which looks absolutely stunning and makes it easy to check your health stats at a glance thanks to clear text and graphics. Touch controls are responsive, but the inclusion of two physical buttons on the case means you can also operate it with cold, wet, or gloved hands.

Our biggest complaint with the Venu Sq 2 is that there's no support for maps. Its high-resolution AMOLED screen would be ideal for navigation, but sadly there's no way to transfer your routes from the Garmin Connect app. Hopefully that's something Garmin will change for the third generation watch.

Read our full Garmin Venu Sq 2 review

The Garmin Vivomove Trend has the distinction of being the company's first watch with wireless charging. Just place it on a Qi charger and watch it power up. Unfortunately the watch doesn't come with its own wireless charging mat (only a slightly fiddly clip-on cable), and that's just one of its issues.

The Vivomove Trend is unquestionably a stylish watch, with its hybrid analog/digital face and minimalist design. It's one of the smartest looking Garmin watches around right now. Unfortunately the hands are hard to see, and lack any lume on the tips to make them visible after dark. 

GPS is also an issue. The Vivomove Trend doesn't have its own GPS module, and instead piggybacks on your phone via Bluetooth. This is usually fine, and works great with the tiny Garmin Lily, but in our tests the Trend took an extremely long time to connect, and its plotted routes veered wildly off-course.

If you're looking for a more stylish alternative to a Fitbit then the Trend might suit you well, but if your budget will stretch to it, the Garmin Venu 2 is a far superior watch.

Read our full Garmin Vivomove Trend review

How we test Garmin watches

We test each Garmin watch for at least two weeks so the watch and its companion app have time to build up a full picture of our health and fitness. We wear each watch day and night so we can assess its sleep and recovery tools, and compare its results against those from a Withings Sleep Analyzer sleep tracker.

To test each watch's GPS, we take it for several runs and walks in a variety of locations, including built-up areas, open fields, and wooded areas that present a challenge of satellite navigation. We also take each watch on a pre-measured route to see how accurately it records distance.

To test the accuracy of each Garmin watch's heart rate monitor, we put it to the test in a series of intense interval training sessions and compare its results to those from a chest strap heart rate monitor, which serves as a benchmark.

For more details see how Advnture tests products.

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