The best Garmin watches you can buy: Fenix 7, Venu 2 Plus, and more

Fitbit might be the king of activity trackers, but Garmin is nearly untouchable when it comes to fitness watches. Whether you’re looking for a running watch, a golf watch, a fitness tracker, or a smartwatch that can do it all, Garmin has something for you. In fact, Garmin has so many options it can be hard to keep track of them. Here are the best Garmin watches and the best Garmin smartwatches you can buy in 2023.

How to choose the right Garmin watch for your needs

Garmin has dozens of watches and they’re all built for specific users. That makes it difficult to pin down “the best” Garmin for every shopper. To help, we’ve separated all of the Garmin watches on this list into categories.

The best Garmin watches

• Garmin Fenix 7 series: Devices from the Fenix 7 series are the top Garmin watches you can buy. These are Garmin’s everything-but-the-kitchen-sink devices boasting tons of features for outdoor enthusiasts and runners.
• Garmin vivoactive 4 and 4S: At a fraction of the cost, the Garmin vivoactive 4 and 4S are the best multisport Garmin options if you don’t have $700 plus to spend on a Fenix 7.
• Garmin Venu 2 Plus: The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is Garmin’s best smartwatch thanks to its bright OLED display and onboard music storage.
• Garmin Venu Sq 2: The Garmin Venu Sq 2 is the best cheap Garmin smartwatch. It’s similar to the Venu lineup but with a few cost-cutting measures.
• Garmin Forerunner 955: Our pick for Garmin’s best running watch, the Forerunner 955 is a little pricey but has tons of useful features for runners. Recently, Garmin released a promising new Forerunner 965 with an AMOLED display, but we’ll update this list when we complete our review.
• Garmin Forerunner 55: For runners on a budget, the best cheap Garmin running watch is the Garmin Forerunner 55.
• Garmin Lily: The Garmin Lily is the best Garmin fitness tracker for women. It’s made specifically for people with small wrists.

Garmin Fenix 7 series: The best multisport Garmin watches

Garmin’s top-tier multisport watch lineup, the Fenix line can track dozens of sports modes including running, cycling, gravel biking, skiing, hiking, and much more. The devices also track your daily metrics from steps and stress to sleep and SpO2. During our Garmin Fenix 7 review, we found notably accurate GPS (classic Garmin), though the heart rate sensor wasn’t quite perfect, especially in cold conditions.

On top of these metrics, the Fenix 7 can determine your fitness age using metrics like your weight and BMI. Additionally, unlike its predecessor, the Fenix 7 series showcases tools like Garmin’s Body Battery and Health Snapshot. These tools proved especially useful during our review period for at-a-glance insights into energy and overall wellness. More importantly, Fenix 7 devices display all of their users’ stats on the very first touchscreen display to be found on the Fenix line. This crisp, responsive display is just one of many hardware upgrades the Fenix 7 series offers over the Fenix 6 and older models.

The Fenix 7 line is available in three sizes — Fenix 7S (small), Fenix 7 (large), and Fenix 7X (extra large). All three models are available with solar charging capabilities. Likewise, each model is also available in multiple colorways, though you’ll only find a flashlight built into the Fenix 7X.

Garmin vivoactive 4 and 4S: The best cheap multisport Garmin watches

The Garmin vivoactive 4 is the multisport Garmin watch to buy if you don’t have roughly $700 to spend on a Fenix smartwatch. The device features the same great software as other Garmin trackers and the same excellent ecosystem of apps. You’ll also get a heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, seven-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance. Additionally, the vivoactive 4 includes the same music playback that came with the vivoactive 3 Music. Other features include a pulse oximeter for measuring blood oxygen, along with all-day stress tracking, and Body Battery. The screen also received an upgrade from the vivoactive 3 line. Finally, if you need something for slimmer wrists, the vivoactive 4S variant has you covered.

During our Garmin vivoactive 4 review, the vivoactive 4 proved to be a reliable fitness tracker. Both the GPS and heart rate sensor performed adequately (and better than those of the vivoactive 3 line). It’s also a very useful sleep tracker with a sleep timeline that was easy to read and advanced sleep stage stats for breaking down your rest. We would not tout this device as an especially well-rounded smartwatch, however, just a solid fitness watch. For phone call support or digital assistant support, shoppers should look to the Venu 2 Plus, below.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus: The best Garmin smartwatch

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is hands down the company’s best smartwatch. It upgrades the original Garmin Venu 2 in many ways, adding a few important smart features for a more functional device. In fact, our Garmin Venu 2 Plus reviewer called it “the best smartwatch Garmin has ever made.”

The biggest additions are on-wrist calls and voice assistant support. These everyday tools help a fantastic fitness watch compete as a well-rounded smartwatch. When testing phone calls on the device we found voice quality virtually unaffected by the hardware. Our voice assistant had a bit of a delay but it was far from frustratingly slow or finicky. Post-launch, Garmin added an FDA-approved ECG app to the Venu 2 Plus, bringing an even more powerful health-tracking tool to users’ wrists. The app can take on-demand readings and notify users of signs of AFib.

Beyond those additions, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus retains the original’s activity-tracking metrics, Body Battery, sleep score, hiking and climbing workout modes, and Health Snapshot. Plus, it also still supports Garmin Pay and has plenty of music storage. You can grab a Venu 2 Plus in Silver, Slate, and Cream Gold. It’s pricey for sure, but well worth the money.

Garmin Venu Sq 2: The best cheap Garmin smartwatch

Looking at the Venu 2 Plus but not looking to pay $400? The Garmin Venu Sq 2 gets you 90% of the way there for just $250. It may be a cheaper smartwatch, but it still has plenty to offer. A significant upgrade to a device we already loved, the Venu Sq 2 adds a few important updates to the original Venu Sq for an even better experience. Off that bat, users will notice a bright, colorful AMOLED display in the same, familiar square shape. This means you can now personalize the Sq line with hundreds of watch faces available in the Garmin IQ app. The watch is also available in sleek colorways with metallic bevels for an elevated look. We found it easy to pair the device with everything from activewear to formal attire during our Garmin Venu Sq 2 review.

Beyond the build, the device offers more than 25 sport modes, as well as 24-hour heart rate monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, and more. Users will even find Body Battery and Health Snapshot on board. In testing, the device’s sensors proved accurate and reliable, though we were surprised to see Garmin drop an altimeter from the line.

Like the previous generation, the Venu Sq 2 comes in both a base model and a pricier Music Edition with storage for up to 500 songs. We suggest splurging for the latter as the added storage means you can leave your phone at home and still have music on runs and rides. The base model can be found in Gray/Slate, White/Cream Gold, and Cool Mint/Metallic Mint. The Music Edition is available in Ivory/Peach Gold (pictured), Black/Slate, and French Gray/Cream Gold.

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar: The best Garmin running watch

The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar is currently our top pick among Garmin running watches. That said, the company recently released a Forerunner 965 featuring a colorful AMOLED display. Once we’ve had a chance to thoroughly review the device, the Forerunner 955 may find itself usurped.

Till the then, the 955 is a fantastic watch and our recommendation. It’s a great pick for anyone prepping for races, including marathons and triathlons. It is expensive, but only because it’s absolutely packed with features. Most notably, it now carries a highly-responsive touch screen and its Solar model boasts up to 15 days of battery life. After our Garmin Forerunner 955 review, our only complaint was that it doesn’t use quick-release bands.

Runners and riders can depend on multi-band GPS, and tap into tools such as training readiness, and HRV status. The latter tracks heart rate variability overnight to provide deeper insights into your recovery. Meanwhile, real-time stamina insights let you track your exertion mid-run (or ride). Finally, we also appreciate the Garmin Race widget and Morning Report both of which push out important stats and info. If the Forerunner 955 is a bit out of your budget, Garmin’s Forerunner 745 is a great alternative as well. Battery life won’t be quite as good and there is no solar model, but it’s a very good running watch at a more manageable price point.

Garmin Forerunner 55: The best cheap Garmin running watch

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is the best cheap running watch from the company. It follows Garmin’s typical update strategy — the Forerunner 55 is essentially a cheaper Forerunner 245 with hardware similar to the Forerunner 45 line. The 55 looks much more like Garmin’s other Forerunner devices. Luckily, you no longer need a screwdriver to remove the straps.

On this model, battery life is improved from seven days to two whole weeks. Garmin also brought many of its existing training features to the Forerunner 55, including PacePro, Race Predictor, Recovery Advisor, cadence alerts, daily suggested workouts and additional sport profiles. However, there’s still no Garmin Pay or music storage, so you may need to opt for a higher-end device if you want those features.

Most importantly, we were very impressed with the device’s accuracy during our Garmin Forerunner 55 review. Garmin’s Elevate heart rate sensor kept up well with more expensive devices including our Apple Watch. Likewise, GPS is very reliable. It accurately tracked our runs and even outperformed competitors in some cases.

Garmin Lily: The best Garmin tracker for women

The Garmin Lily is a small, basic activity tracker geared toward women. Primarily, the lightweight, compact design is refreshing for those with smaller wrists — a demographic underserved in the wearables market. However, the Garmin Lily is a bit bare-bones for our liking. Garmin markets this as “the small and fashionable smartwatch women have been waiting for.” Sure, it’s small and fashionable, but the second half of that sentence may be stretching things. We found the device somewhat barebones during Garmin Lily review.

Due to its compact design, Garmin made some sacrifices with the Lily’s feature set. For instance, it doesn’t have Garmin Pay or onboard GPS. It does however offer detailed sleep tracking and accurate heart rate data. If you are a woman looking for a very basic device, this is a good pick. It’s also Garmin’s only watch specifically designed for women.

Honorable mentions

That’s it for our list of the best Garmin watches you can buy, but it’s only a fraction of what’s out there. We also want to give an honorable mention to the following products:

• Garmin Fenix 6 series: Featuring last-gen tech, the Fenix 6 series is still a line of powerful devices and a good way to save some cash. The devices can often be found on sale for significantly less than their launch price.
• Garmin Venu 2: Now that the Venu 2 Plus is out, the original is available for a discount across many retailers. If you don’t mind skipping a few smartwatch features and the ECG app, this is a worthy option.
• Garmin vivosmart 5: Garmin reentered the fitness tracker game with the vivosmart 5. The latest adds a touchscreen display and interchangeable bands.
• Garmin Instinct 2: For adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts, this addition to the Instinct line adds a ton of features including added sport modes and impressive battery life with solar charging.
• Garmin Instinct Crossover: For a feature-packed hybrid experience, the Instinct Crossover offers the best of the Instinct lineup plus real ticking watch hands and even better GPS accuracy.
• Garmin Forerunner 255 or 265: Another great running watch at a middle-of-the-road price, the Forerunner 255 is easy to recommend. In fact, we couldn’t find much not to like about it. Garmin recently released a Forerunner 265 as well with an AMOLED display.

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