The Best GPS Running Watches

A GPS running watch can be a game-changing tool to inform your training and track your miles. To find the best one, we’ve put 21 watches through the paces since 2014. We have covered more than 500 miles, taken hundreds of heart-rate readings, tapped the expertise and opinions of a certified running coach and longtime competitive runners, reviewed dozens of features, and worn the watches individually 24/7. In the end, we think the Coros Pace 2 is the best choice for people who are zeroed in on finding the ideal watch for running. The Garmin Forerunner 255 is our pick for those who want a running watch that also offers plenty of what a smartwatch would.

If you want a super-lightweight watch with a longer battery life than most—and you don’t care as much about extra smartwatch features—we think the Coros Pace 2 is your best option. The lightest watch we’ve tested so far, the reasonably priced Pace 2 packs a raft of run-specific features to please a variety of runners. Its speedy GPS acquisition time (about 13 seconds) launched us into our runs quickly, and its GPS distance and route-tracing precision were largely dependable (though not perfect). The robust battery life (20 days in standby mode, 30 hours of continuous GPS) outdoes that of our other top pick, the Garmin Forerunner 255, by days. Instead of a suite of buttons like on the Forerunner 255, a digital dial and a separate button steer the Pace 2’s navigation. The Pace 2 stumbled when it came to heart-rate tracking (to improve accuracy, it can be paired with a heart-rate strap). The watch did a good job of tracking our daily step counts. It offers 17 activity modes, including indoor run and track run (though no trail option, which the Forerunner 255 has). The Pace 2 shows notifications of your choice, but it doesn’t offer other smartphone features, like onboard music capabilities or the ability to sync to your calendar or local weather report. But if those extras aren’t critical for you, the Pace 2’s run-specific metrics—including power (which can help inform running efficiency and evaluate workout intensity) and a no-fuss function and feel—deliver lots of value.

If you want handy smartwatch features—like notifications and the ability to sync to your calendar—in addition to dependable on-the-run data, consider the Garmin Forerunner 255, which is the newest version of our longtime pick, the Garmin Forerunner 245. In our testing, the Forerunner 255S Music acquired GPS as quickly as the Coros Pace 2 (13 seconds), and substantially faster than the Forerunner 245 (44 seconds). The Forerunner 255S Music’s distance and route tracking were impressively accurate, and its heart-rate tracking performed the best of any watch we’ve assessed. It includes triathlon and multisport support, optional multi-band GPS (for increased accuracy), and impressive battery life: 14 days in smartwatch mode for the 46-mm size and 12 days in smartwatch mode for the 41-mm size. After two full days of wear (including a run), the battery dropped to 79%. The Forerunner 255S Music’s five, traditionally placed control buttons are easy to access and we appreciate its clear data screens showing real-time metrics. (The Forerunner 255 does not measure running power, though the Coros Pace 2 does.) It has more than 30 activity modes, including trail running and hiking.

We recommend the Garmin Forerunner 45 for runners who want a simpler watch to track workouts and all-day activity. It regularly costs around $100 less than the Forerunner 245 and is priced similarly to the Coros Pace 2 (which we think is a better choice for runners who value GPS performance and running metrics more than smartwatch features). The Forerunner 45 features activity tracking (including step count and automatic activity detection), but it has fewer activity modes than the Forerunner 245 and no swim tracking. The Forerunner 45’s median GPS acquisition time (18.9 seconds) was within the bottom half of other models’ GPS acquisition times, but it was speedier than the 245’s and slower (by about 5 seconds) than the Pace 2’s. Its heart-rate monitoring performed serviceably during steady-state efforts but jumped around significantly on run/walk intervals. The Forerunner 45 has most (but not all) of the run/activity-tracking and smartwatch features of its more expensive sibling, the Forerunner 245. If you’d like a watch with a comparable look, feel, and price to the Forerunner 45, but with a few additional features (including swim tracking) and a longer battery life, the Forerunner 55 might be for you.

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How our picks compare

Display size

Coros Pace 2: 1.2 inchesForerunner 255S Music: 1.1 inchesForerunner 45: 1.04 inches

Total weight

Coros Pace 2: 1 ounce (nylon strap), 1.23 ounces (silicone strap)Forerunner 255 Music: 1.36 ounces for 41-mm size (1.73 ounces for 46-mm size)Forerunner 45: 1.13 ounces (42 mm size)