Yahoo News Everything You Need to Know About Garmin Fitness Watches
When it comes to wearables, Garmin is a go-to brand thanks to the massive selection of impressive options for all types of wearers.
Catering to both seasoned athletes looking to beat their PB, and casual trainers getting back into fitness, Garmin has covered almost all bases, building durable, accurate devices that do more than just tell the time.
If you're kicking off 2021 with a January fitness regime, it might be time to check out the best offers from Garmin to help you out – but where do you start?
Broadly speaking, there are two types of Garmin wearables: smartwatches and fitness trackers, though there’s quite a lot of overlap which makes things confusing.
RELATED: The Best Tech on the Market: Our Favourite Fitness Watches in 2020
For example, Garmin’s smartwatches, like the Fenix, offers more rugged durability and advanced tracking across multiple sports that come at a high price. While the Venu is much more focussed on style and image, with sleeker, wider displays for you to interact with apps or send texts.
The smartwatches also extend to the Forerunner, Swim 2, and Vivoactive, though these watches will include tracking features for specific sports or activities. You'll also find smart features like Garmin contactless pay and access to apps like Uber in these devices.
We have also included the VivoSport and VivoSmart devices, which sit firmly in the tracker camp, with stripped back designs, smaller displays and a stricter focus on health monitoring and fitness tracking.
Below, we've outlined the key specs to look out for, so let's get underway.
GPS mapping
Almost all Garmin wearables will have some form of GPS tracking on them, but some will be more advanced or tailored to a specific activity. For example, the Fenix is a hiker’s dream, with the advanced GPS mapping out terrain elevation and even recommending walking routes as you explore. Others will have your standard tracking services so you can leave your phone at home and get an accurate map of where you went and how fast you were going.
The government might be stipulating you only exercise for an hour a day outside, but at least with GPS tracking you can get a good indication of how long your routes will take around your house and plan accordingly.
Battery life
The battery life on the Garmin devices will vary depending on how often you use the GPS or music features, stretching from just a few hours’ use, all the way up to a month on some of the more premium options. Note that the VivoFit Junior 2 is the only watch with a replaceable battery that can last up to a year.
Water resistance
For the swimmers and winter athletes, a waterproof watch is a must to keep it working in all weathers. Each watch will have varying degrees of water-resistance, with some able to go diving. The models on this list range from protection against accidental water splash damage all the way up to 10ATM, letting you dive to 100m should you want to. All the models on this list will cope with rain-spatter and sweat, but you’ll need to keep an eye on the water protection if you’re taking yours into the pool.
Smartwatch notifications
Some of the devices below straddle that middle ground between smartwatch and fitness tracker and will allow you to send and receive texts and social media notifications away from your phone using 4G data connections.
Music apps
You might not want to lug around your phone or iPod when you’re trying to focus on improving your lap times, so you should pick up a Garmin watch that can Bluetooth connect to headphones and play your Spotify or Apple Music playlist. However, some will be able to store your playlists on the internal hard drive, ranging from 100 all the way up to 2,000 tracks.
You might also want to look to see if the watches below have Garmin’s contactless payment system so you don’t have to take your wallet out with you. As you’d expect, Garmin’s smart watches will also have deeper storage capabilities and might even be bigger or heavier than the fitness trackers to fit more info on the display.
Garmin fēnix 6S Pro Solar Edition
The Best Option For Big Battery
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Display size: 1.2”
Battery life: 10.5 days with solar (nine days without), up to 36 days in Battery Saver Mode
Waterproof: Yes, 10ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Calls, texts, and social media notifications
Number of exercises tracked: 32
Music: 2,000 songs
Strap material: Silicone
Storage: 32GB
One of the most expensive smartwatches on the market, the Fenix 6S Pro is the one to go for if a long battery life means a lot to you. It can last more than a month in “Battery Saver Mode” and also uses the power of the sun to charge it using the “Power Glass” solar charging feature.
It can track a wide range of sports – 32 in total ranging from cross-country skiing to golf, hiking, and swimming– with precision thanks to the built-in GPS. For the hikers, it has Garmin’s “TOPO” mapping, which highlights trails and routes for you to explore in your area, and for the swimmers, it can be taken with you when diving down to 100m.
And if running is more your thing, use the PacePro feature to get real-time feedback on whether you’re achieving the pace you set per mile and automatically adjusts it when required to make sure you still achieve your desired time.
Garmin Venu
The Stylish Smartwatch Option
Display size: 1.19”
Battery life: Smartwatch Mode up to five days, GPS mode with music up to six hours
Waterproof: Yes, 5ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Calls, texts, and social media notifications
Number of exercises tracked: 23
Music: 500 songs
Strap material: Silicone
Storage: 3.5GB
A good option for someone who wants a stylish smartwatch that can also do some useful exercise tracking. Competitively priced, it costs around £60 less than the similarly well-equipped Apple Watch Series 6 but with all the same features you’d want from a smartwatch.
The big AMOLED touchscreen display is a slight design change from some of the more rugged and hardy looks you might see on the other Garmin models, but the display is clear and can be brightened for easy reading during evening runs in the dark.
It does receive the usual notifications of your modern smart watches, but it lacks voice activation or commands and a few other expected apps you’d want from a top-end device.
Garmin Venu SQ Music
The Budget Stylish Smartwatch Option
Available from Currys (£229), John Lewis (£229), and Garmin
Display size: 1.3" LCD
Battery life: Six days
Waterproof: Yes, 5ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Calls, texts, and social media notifications
Number of exercises tracked: 23
Music: 500 songs
Strap material: Silicone
Storage: 3.5GB
Slightly cheaper than the standard Venu, is the SQ Music edition, which drops some of the more premium features to bring the cost down.
The display is a lower resolution and is LCD instead of AMOLED. This means it's a little harder to read if you're in bright sunshine and of a slightly lowoer quality overall. However, it maintains the same fitness features from the more expensive device, tracking more than 23 activities (running, swimming, skiing, etc).
You can go even cheaper and get a standard Venu SQ edition for £179.99, but that removes the ability to play music while out exercising, so the Music edition is a much closer rival to the watch above in this list.
Garmin Forerunner 245
The Runner’s Option
Available from Amazon (£228), John Lewis (£249.99)
Display size: 1.2”
Battery life: Smartwatch Mode up to seven days; GPS mode up to 24 hours
Waterproof: Yes, 5ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Calls, texts, and social media notifications
Music: 500 songs
Strap material: Silicone
Storage: 3.5GB
This one is for runners looking to beat their PB, thanks to the improved training programme and race prep features that plan out your routes using the built-in GPS –factoring in the terrain on your journey– and organises target paces for you to hit based on previous performance.
You can use the free Garmin Running Coach, which is available on all the Forerunner watches, giving you unique training plans so you’re on track to reach your targets. The coach will also advise you on your running form to help with your performance and relieve stress on your knees and ankles while training.
The Forerunner 945 might be more advanced than this model, but it's still a great option to help you train.
Garmin Vivosmart 4
Best Entry-Level option
Available from John Lewis & Partners (£82.39), Amazon (£82.39) and eBay (£99.99).
Battery life: Seven days smart mode
Waterproof: 3ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Texts, calls, and smart notifications
GPS: No
Music: No
Strap material: Silicone
Storage: 3.5GB
If this is to be your first fitness tracker, both regular gym-goers and those just starting out might enjoy the VivoSmart 4, which is great for tracking basic fitness stats like steps, heart-rate and your sleep at a budget price.
It will automatically detect when you start exercising and logs it accordingly without you having to start tracking the session manually.
It might be among the more basic devices on the market, akin to Fitbit’s Inspire series, but for less than £100, it’s an affordable tracker for those just beginning their fitness journey. And if you’re already training hard, it can be an budget-friendly companion to keep you on top of your exercises.
Garmin Swim 2
The Swimmer’s Option
Available from Amazon (£213.09) and John Lewis (£219.99).
Display size: 1.04in
Battery life: Smartwatch mode up to seven days, Pool mode up to 72 hours
Waterproof: Yes, 5ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Smart notifications, activity tracking
Music: No
Strap material: Silicone
If the Forerunner series is specifically designed for runners, the Garmin Swim 2 is best for tracking water-based exercises.
Use the built-in GPS to assist training specifically in open water like lakes, oceans and rivers, giving you guidance on distance covered, where it is safe to swim, and how deep the water is wherever you are.
If you’d rather stay indoors, the “Pool Swim” mode will start recording distance, pace, stroke count and stroke type automatically once you enter the water, and it has a smart auto-rest feature which pauses tracking when you stop moving to take a break.
Garmin Vivosport
The Best Overall Option
Available from Amazon (£90), John Lewis (£90), and Currys (£99.99).
Battery life: GPS mode up to eight hours, smart mode up to seven days
Waterproof: 3ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Calls, texts, and social media notifications
Music: Yes
Strap material: Silicone
Storage: 3.5GB
This one is one of the best all rounders when it comes to an activity tracker for fitness fanatics, with all the stat-tracking you’ll need for your training regime.
This model competes with Fitbit’s Charge series in terms of price, and offers similarly useful features like heart rate monitors, sleep tracking, and step/calorie counting that you’ll find in most fitness trackers for a sub-£100 price-tag.
However, while it is waterproof according to the official Garmin site, it won’t track swimming exercises, so you can take it in the pool with you, but it’s better served as a running or cycling companion.
Garmin Vivofit Junior 2
The Kids Option
Battery life: Replaceable battery (lasts up to a year)
Waterproof: Yes, 5ATM
Smartwatch notifications: Reminders to exercise, and notifications when completing goals
Strap material: Silicone
If you’re looking to get your kids into fitness, the Vivofit Junior 2 offers impressive fitness tracking for smaller wrists at a smaller price.
The waterproof watch to be a great way to encourage kids to get out, with interactive games and stories rewarding them every time they reach a goal. And this can be expanded to completing chores and housework based on a list you create in exchange for virtual currency they can spend on their watch.
You can also use a timer to encourage them to spend a full two minutes brushing their teeth twice a day.
Though you should take note that you can’t change the strap of the activity tracker, which means your child could outgrow it.
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