The Best Fitness Watches of 2023

While other giant-bezel watches can cram in more longevity, when it comes to a watch that is a common-sense size, has all the bells and whistles, and still trudges on with incredible battery life, the COROS Apex 2 ($399) ticks all of our boxes for the best overall fitness watch available today.

Newly updated, the Apex line from COROS is their mid-tier offering, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at it. Within the 42 mm bezel is the full complement of activity tracking profiles, ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) sensors, and antenna for a newly expanded five Global Navigation Satellite Systems. The Apex 2 didn’t receive the multi-band chipset that the Apex 2 Pro ($499) did, but we found during comparison that this yielded little difference.

When put to the test, we verified that the Apex 2 simply goes and goes. At a stated (and confirmed) 45 hours of battery life in the GPS only-mode, this watch can’t be touched by watches of the same size when it comes to longevity. Other watches, like the Garmin fenix 7 Solar, can eke out more time, but command much more wrist real estate comparatively.

And while Garmin has consistently led the pack in terms of efficient app integration, we can now say that COROS has caught up. The COROS app is an enjoyable interface to use, and does an excellent job of displaying our recorded activities, tracks, and daily stats such as active energy, heart rate, and sleep metrics.

So how could the Apex 2 be better? For one: we did find ourselves missing the helpful fitness stats, reports, and workouts that exist in the Garmin ecosystem. Garmin has made a big push toward synthesizing all of the data their fitness watches soak up, and we do wish that COROS will make the same pivot. Beyond that, in the age of mega-bright AMOLED screens, the colors of the Apex 2 were a bit muted compared to watches of a similar caliber.

Ideal for the adventurer or fitness devotee who wants it all without carrying a calculator on their wrist, the COROS Apex 2 lands as just about the perfect solution in our books.

Read Review: COROS APEX 2 Pro Review: This Sports Watch Sets Benchmark for Battery Life

You’re going to have a hard time finding a more feature-packed GPS watch at this price point. A line-by-line comparison of features to Garmin, Polar, or Suunto watches would suggest a $300 price point, so $200 for the COROS Pace 2 is a steal! There are some sacrifices you’ll make for such a stunning price point, but we’ll get to that later.

Running is by far its best-supported activity, followed by cycling and swimming. Its biggest standouts are battery life and power metrics. The Pace 2 offers an impressive 30 hours of runtime in GPS mode, 60 in UltraMax mode, and 20 days of watch life.

It offers wrist-based running power and will pair with Stryd pods for enhanced readings. You can also create workouts based on power via the app.

Like the more expensive fitness watches, you’re getting all the typical tracking data (steps, sleep, calories burned, 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, workout time, and intensity). The app then uses this data to give training load and fitness insights. Within the app, you can also create and push workouts to your watch for running, biking, swimming, and strength training.

There are a few things we didn’t like about the Pace 2. It’s advertised as the “world’s lightest watch.” We found it so light it bordered on feeling cheap. And we’re not a fan of the fabric strap, and would suggest going with the silicone band.

Functionally, there are only two buttons: the primary turn-dial button and a smaller back button. Our tester found the turn-dial button very difficult to use to scroll through data field screens while running.

When it comes to swimming, biking, and running, Garmin is the undeniable winner. Garmin is the biggest sport-specific watch manufacturer and the second most popular smartwatch, only behind Apple. Over 85% of the runners and triathletes we polled use Garmin and highly recommended a Garmin watch.

The Garmin Forerunner 745 ($500) is one of Garmin’s best running and triathlon watches, pinned between the pricier Forerunner 965 and the less expensive Forerunner 265. In terms of design, the 745 finds a perfect balance of size, weight, and materials, and easily lands as the most feature-rich fitness watch of the year.

It’s sleek and light without feeling cheap. It’s less bulky than the pricier Forerunner 965 and fenix 7 and higher quality than the less expensive Forerunner 55 and 265. The 1.2-inch sunlight-visible, transflective, memory-in-pixel display is bright and easy to read in direct sunlight — the best of all the watches tested. Top that with crisp button action that makes navigating and viewing during your workout a breeze.

The 745 comes standard with all the features you would expect from an advanced GPS watch: built-in sport profiles with easy-to-scroll-through, customizable data fields; 21-hour battery life in continuous GPS tracking mode; pre-programmable workouts with customizable training zones; a wrist-based heart-rate monitor; and health tracking.

More advanced features you won’t find on most watches include phone notifications, a pulse ox sensor to measure blood oxygen saturation levels, 500-song music storage, auto pool swim stroke detection, and compatibility with Garmin cycling power meters.

You’ll also have access to Garmin training and coaching, which uses its health readings and workout data to give you actionable insights into recovery, training load, and performance readiness.

Our only dismay lies in the battery life — which is a little subpar for a watch of this price point at seven days in smartwatch mode and 21 hours in GPS mode. This will limit you to about one full day of GPS use in between charges, which without an easy-to-access outlet might mean bringing along a separate battery pack.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a do-it-all premium sports watch for swim, bike, and road running with some smartwatch capabilities, the Garmin Forerunner 745 is the clear winner.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a premium fitness watch with more backcountry-focused features than the Garmin fenix 7 Solar ($700). Its tough-as-nails design includes a crisp, easy-to-see 1.3-inch LCD display wrapped in your choice of stainless steel, titanium, or DLC-coated bezel that’s tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance.

It comes standard with over 35 different sport modes (trail and track running, swimming, running, biking, hiking, rowing, skiing, and golfing, to name a few) with unique data tracking for backcountry skiing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and surfing.

Navigation is easy and intuitive, and we appreciated the widget layout. With the click of one button, you can quickly scroll through key data such as weather (including radar), downloaded music, past activities, training status, performance and health stats, and text and email notifications.

Its battery life is nothing short of impressive, especially with the addition of solar charging.  Standard specs read up to 18 days in smartwatch mode (22 with solar), and 57 hours in GPS mode (73 with solar). This is a significant upgrade from the previous generation, which was already near the top of its class.

You can expect all the standard run, swim, cycle, and hike GPS watch features, and others, such as downloadable music of up to 2,000 songs (supports Spotify, Amazon, and Deezer) and Garmin Pay.

Some of the standout features we found particularly interesting include PacePro (grade-adjusted running pacing guidance), ClimbPro (shows upcoming ascent info and where you are on the climb), and warning of incoming storms using the barometric trend indicator.

Surfline Sessions captures short videos of rides in front of Surfline cameras, while ski and golf resort maps (maps of over 2,000 ski resorts and 41,000 golf courses) can be loaded. Auto swim offers stroke detection for pool swimming.

All of this tech comes at a weight penalty — to the tune of 79 grams and nearly the heaviest in our review. For those who like a bit less footprint (but still many of the same features), the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar is an easy pivot.

Still not capable enough for you? Garmin also offers a fenix 7S ($800) with sapphire glass and multi-band GNSS reception, plus their fenix 7X ($900) with sapphire and an even further elevated battery life. While these upgrades are worth the coin, the 7 Solar will meet the needs of almost every adventurer.

Apple is the best-selling smartwatch worldwide, and it’s clear why — it’s undeniably the best smartwatch (not GPS watch; we’ll get to that later) on the market. Everyone we spoke with who had one gave glowing reviews. “After literally decades of not trying a smartwatch, I recently bought an Apple Watch. I love it,” said one initial skeptic.

Its biggest strength comes in health tracking and smartwatch features. The new Series 8 watch ($399) is upgraded with a pulse ox that tracks blood oxygen levels. We question how useful this is for the average person, but it’s fun to track. 

Probably a more useful — and potentially life-saving — feature is the watch’s heart rate monitor and ECG which can notify you of irregular heart rhythms and track heart rate variability, an indicator of overtraining.

As with all the watches tested, the Series 8 can track sleep, steps, and calories and puts it in an easy-to-understand format. But Apple added something new for this latest version — temperature tracking. Their website calls this “a breakthrough feature that provides deep insights into women’s health.”

In terms of making everyday life more streamlined, especially when your phone is out of reach, the Apple Watch rules the pack. Notifications are easy to read and respond to directly on the watch. The App Store offers more apps than any other brand.

Having coached many runners who wear an Apple Watch, our resident trainer can say two things with certainty: The GPS is not great, and it’s lacking the depth of features that more runner-focused watches have. Mainly lacking is the ability to track and set up speed sessions and interval workouts.

Still, if daily convenience and smartwatch features take precedence over a detailed fitness activity, the Apple Watch Series 8 is for you. One big caveat — it only works with iPhones. If you don’t have an iPhone, we suggest the Garmin Venu 2 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. Both are similarly focused on fitness tracking while offering a wide array of apps and smartwatch features.

If you’re looking for Apple Watch functionality, but need more GPS power under the hood, the newly-released Apple Watch Ultra ($799) does just that — incorporating L1 and L5 bands of the GPS satellite system for much more fidelity. And, battery power is much improved, jumping up to 36 hours of normal use.

Adorning the wrists of workout enthusiasts everywhere, the Fitbit Charge 5 ($150) takes the crown for the best fitness tracker. The headline for the fifth iteration is the addition of a color AMOLED touchscreen, a huge upgrade over its predecessor.

Additionally, the Charge 5 is the first Fitbit to have no buttons whatsoever. Battery life lasts up to 7 days or 5 hours in continuous GPS mode.

An optical heart-rate monitor for 24/7 monitoring is standard and provides accurate calorie-burn calculations, sleep data, and heart-rate zones for working out. It tracks daily steps, calories burned, and active minutes to help you make informed health decisions based on hard data.

The Charge 5 has up to 20 different sport modes for tracking including running, walking, biking and swimming, HIIT, yoga, spin, and golf. If you’re looking for finer details such as cadence, power, or rep-counting for weight training, you’re out of luck, one of our most notable issues with the Fitbit. A built-in GPS tracker allows you to go without your smartphone during an outdoor workout.

A few bonus features not usually seen on trackers are the ability to get notifications (call, text, email, and calendar), control Spotify (but only with your phone in Bluetooth reach), and basic app downloads. If you don’t need these features and you’re OK carrying your phone during activities that require GPS (such as walking, running, and cycling), we suggest the cheaper Fitbit Luxe.

Decked out with reception for the GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite navigation systems, you’d think that the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar ($450) may well sprout an antenna array when in use. Couple that with its altimeter, barometer, and compass functionalities, and you have a wrist-bound information vacuum that we’d take on any remote adventure.

The newly updated Instinct 2X got an infusion of new features, including new multi-frequency GNSS reception across the GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo systems, as well as an LED flashlight that can be deployed for close-quarters work. And that’s not to mention the most exciting shift of all: an updated watch face that incorporates a new version of Garmin’s Power Glass and harvests 50% more solar energy than the previous version — keeping you off the charging cord for longer.

Garmin claims a respectable 40 days of power when in smartwatch mode, which then becomes unlimited (!) when the solar panel is in play. Functionally this will greatly depend upon your time outside and under direct sunlight, but it’s a bold shift toward total off-grid use.

We greatly appreciated the bevy of smart fitness features that Garmin was able to pack into this device, going beyond simple data and into a synthesis of things like Body Battery Energy monitoring, or tracking intensity minutes across a day.

There are a few concessions to hit the price point, such as an unremovable strap and plastic watch body, but the styling is dialed as with most Garmin watches, and with a little more care we expect the Instinct 2X to last as long as the rest.

With many of the bells and whistles we enjoyed in the Garmin fenix 7 Solar, but in a smaller and cheaper package, the Instinct 2X Solar lives on our wrist when we’ve got a long and far day ahead of us.

Read Review: The Fitness-Tracking, Light-Shining, Do-It-All Smartwatch: Garmin’s Instinct 2X Solar Review

Suunto has jettisoned itself squarely amongst the leaders in the GPS watch world with the new Vertical ($629-839), a watch that hits almost all the marks when it comes to a feature-packed wearable with plenty of horsepower under the hood.

The Vertical salves all of the things that didn’t quite make the grade for us with the Suunto 9 Peak Pro (still an excellent watch, read below), including brightening up the screen, adding Wi-Fi, and incorporating dual-band GNSS reception, and really cements itself as a true flagship watch — landing amongst the Garmin Fenix 7 Solar, and COROS Vertix 2.

Then there’s the new mapping functionality, something that Suunto hasn’t incorporated into a device since their Suunto 7 watch. The company has obviously taken the time to perfect it as well, because in the Vertical it’s an excellent rendition. From the Suunto app, users are able to download (for free) shaded topographic maps for essentially the entire globe — directly onto the watch. These maps are sufficiently detailed for phone-free navigation, and can have routes uploaded to them from the app for course-making on the go.

And if all that wasn’t enough, Suunto also was able to boost their battery numbers by a substantial amount over the 9 Peak Pro, stretching the life in ‘Performance’ (all systems go) mode to an impressive 60 hours. We tested the Titanium Solar version of the watch, which leverages a solar watch face to juice up the Vertical on the go. This added feature will cost you (to the tune of $210), but it greatly extends your untethered time.

While the Vertical does not have any music storing abilities on the device (a functionality the Garmin Fenix 7 boasts), it can control the music playing from your phone. This is a small ding in an otherwise iron-clad GPS watch, and the Suunto Vertical would be an excellent timepiece for anyone who lives on the cutting edge.

Read Review: Sunny Suunto: ‘Vertical’ Sports Watch Gets Solar Charging, Offline Maps

Newly updated for 2023, the Garmin Forerunner 265 ($450) makes some huge strides on its predecessor. The updated AMOLED touchscreen is the big news here, and after use, we can say that the hype is definitely real. The colors are rich, the blacks deep, and the touchscreen is easy to maneuver. And that’s not even the half of it.

Like the other watches in the Forerunner series, the 265 aims to be your perfect workout partner — taking in training and health data and producing suggested custom workouts that angle to get you in shape for just about anything. Running is the big deal on the 265, but there are also activity profiles for just about anything you’re looking to get into.

On the wrist, the Forerunner 265 is quite comfortable — owed largely to the polymer case and silicone band. We found that during our test runs that the properly cinched-down watch wasn’t going anywhere, and didn’t inhibit us in any way. When it comes to moving through the menus, the new touchscreen is a smooth operator, and easily breezes you through where you’re looking to go.

When it comes to everyday use the 265 does provide a few niceties like Garmin Pay, but don’t get it twisted, this is definitely a sport watch first. For the runner who wants to lean into their training, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is a bleeding edge option with the tech to back it up.

After testing all the watches, the Vantage V2 ($499) was our preferred pick for running, even in a field dominated by Garmin. It’s not as jam-packed with features as most Garmins, but what it does offer it does very well — especially heart-rate monitoring.

A few key features highlight what’s been updated since its predecessor. You’ll now get everything offered on the Polar Grit X, Polar’s premium outdoor watch, including its popular Hill Splitter (detailed data for climbs/descents) and FuelWise (reminders for fueling and hydration).

In addition, the battery life has been extended to 40 hours in continuous GPS mode with the option of 100 hours in battery-saver mode.

Like all watches, you get training and recovery insights based on your unique physiological data to help you make more informed decisions about when to push and recover. It comes with built-in, step-by-step running and cycling performance tests to establish training zones via heart rate, speed, and power (meter required for cycling).

If you’re a Strava Segment-hunter, the watch will notify you as you approach your starred Segments and give real-time performance data so you can crush your Segment PRs.

Tester Cory Smith has been training by heart rate for over 20 years now. He has a uniquely low maximum heart rate confirmed by multiple lab tests, making it easy to identify irregular heart-rate reading spikes. Of all the wrist-based heart-rate watches, the Vantage V2 never spiked above his known max, something no other watch we tested can say.

Polar Precision Prime sensor fusion technology “combines optical heart-rate measurement with other sensor technologies to rule out involuntary movement that might disturb the heart-rate signal and produce unreliable readings.”

We weren’t, however, as impressed with the Polar Flow app that is used to sync your activities online — which is a bit simple and often has issues syncing data between the watch and your phone. Hopefully, this gets tweaked as time goes on.

Read Review: Polar Vantage V2 Smartwatch Review: Training Tests Give Greater Fitness Insight

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus ($450) is proof-positive that a savvy GPS watch doesn’t need to look like a piece of military equipment to get the job done. Take it from our editor: “I wanted something that I could wear to a dinner party or on a run. For me, the Venu 2 Plus does the trick.”

Part of Garmin’s Venu line, this smartwatch is aimed at folks that don’t need the full-tilt sports-centric features of the Forerunner line, but still want to be able to track their activities day to day. The main watch face can be populated with daily health stats to keep you moving, such as steps, heart rate, and your Body Battery level.

The Venu 2 itself is available in a number of different models, with the simplest being the Venu Sq 2 ($250), an affordable square-faced option. But for us, the 2 Plus is where it’s at, and for one simple reason: Voice Assistant technology. This watch pairs with your phone’s virtual assistant to respond to texts, set reminders, or even take phone calls right from your wrist. Very slick.

Perfect for everyday wearing, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus makes an adaptable companion for whatever you’re facing that day.

Read Review: Garmin Venu 2 Plus Smartwatch Review: Improve Your Fitness With Style

While it may not look much different on the outside, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro ($550) got a big upgrade in late 2022 when it comes to internal muscle. Compared to our previously reviewed Suunto 9 Baro, the Peak Pro leaps ahead in both tech and sustainability.

The first watch from Suunto to have its carbon footprint calculated — and compensated for — the Peak Pro is made with 100% renewable energy, and has the lowest footprint of any GPS watch on the market at 16.5 lbs CO2e. That’s the same as driving a car roughly 27 miles.

Our testers have had issues with older versions of the Suunto 9 lagging during operation, but the Peak Pro gains a new processor, microcontroller, and user interface that greatly improves the pep in its step. It isn’t flawless (we noticed a bit of a stumble watching the arrow icon while following a route), but it is a great step forward for Suunto.

The battery also got a shot of extra juice, increasing to 40 hours in high-fidelity mode (a 50% increase) and up to 70 hours in battery-saving GPS mode. Then there’s the classic quick charge from Suunto — providing 10 hours of operation in just 10 minutes of charging.

While this is the flagship watch in Suunto’s lineup currently, we were a bit let down to see that it doesn’t incorporate multi-band GNSS reception, something we’re seeing becoming standard in high-end fitness watches. The satellite reception is otherwise impressive — receiving information from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS birds — just not the bleeding edge.

A killer option for those who want to keep their impact in check, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro is a greatly improved model that checks all the boxes we’re looking for in the best fitness watches.

Read Review: Suunto 9 Peak Pro Smartwatch Review: Off-Grid Action Star

With its “been there” shape and “done that” materials, the Amazfit Band 7 ($50) didn’t exactly make a strong first impression. But after a week of walking, biking, and workouts, this small bit of tech showed itself to be as useful as it is affordable. 

The Band 7 retails for just under $50. For that price, you get sleep tracking, a heart rate sensor, blood oxygen monitoring, and stress measurements. Users will also be treated to a strong catalog of workouts, from strength training to cardio activities. 

The Band’s screen is bright and well-made, and the interface is straightforward. If you can navigate a smartphone, you can find your way around Amazfit’s software with a few swipes and taps. The watch itself is similarly clean, with a low rise and a comfortable (if a bit short) strap. 

While the GPS tracking and required Zepp app may not be as accurate as some options listed above, it’s perfectly acceptable for biking, long walks, or anything that takes you across the map instead of in circles. The audible cues routed through your earbuds (marking distance, time, and heart rate) also provide a nice touch of encouragement. Still, its 50-meter water rating and svelte construction are more suited to in-town exercise as opposed to the wilderness. 

This is the second smart device we’ve tested from Amazfit, the first being the outstanding T-REX2. And while it may be smaller than its full-size cousin, the Band 7 offers an incredible amount of function for the price. The screen lock can be a little touchy (especially when exposed to water drops), but for the most part, the Band 7 is as easy on the wrist as it is on the wallet.

Our minds have been spinning trying to keep track of all the features and capabilities of each watch, so the Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL ($330) offered a breath of fresh air from the confusion. Wahoo advertises it as “a radically simplified multisport watch that delivers a seamless performance advantage.”

We agree. It’s super easy to understand and navigate, and it’s free of features 90% of us may never use.

For starters, it’s a good-looking watch — light and easy to read. Perhaps a tad on the larger side, but we didn’t mind it due to how light it was. The button action is smooth and crisp. Its functionality is really singularly focused on triathletes.

The standout features are touchless transitions and seamless connection to Wahoo’s suite of bike computers and components. All you’ll need to do is touch “start” when the race begins, and the watch will automatically record and track activity and transition time.

For a first version of a fitness watch, we’re impressed. It’s clear Wahoo has a solid team of technical folks working hard. We were a bit skeptical of the initial price of $380 for the feature set, but now that you can find it on sale for a good bit less, the ELEMNT RIVAL becomes a more attractive option. 

If you’re a triathlete already using a Wahoo bike computer and want to stick with the brand, it’s probably the best fitness watch for you.

Read Review: Wahoo’s First GPS Smartwatch, the Do-It-All ELEMNT RIVAL