Garmin Watches

Garmin Watches: Essential Timepieces for an Active Lifestyle

Garmin is one of the most respected and established brands of sports watches across the world. It provides highly-functional watches with robust features at affordable prices. All Garmin watches are equipped to help every wearer have a healthy lifestyle. Each Garmin timepiece has its own steps and sleep tracking functions, heart rate monitor, and water resistance features. They are all powered using batteries that only need a single charge every so often. While most models specially cater to athletes according to their various sports interests, some Garmin watches are more specifically designed to be smartwatches. 

For instance, the Forerunner® 945 LTE is great for runners and triathletes while the Venu® 2S models are the best Garmin golf watches. The best model for tactical training and extreme adventures is the Instinct® Solar – Tactical Edition. And for those who want to have a Garmin smartwatch and a sports watch in one, the Vívoactive® 4 is a great option. Regardless of their focus, however, all of these high-tech watches contain smartwatch features such as contactless mobile payment and smart notifications, making them the most useful watches for the modern generation.

Price List at a Glance: Garmin Watches

Garmin Brand Descriptions

These Garmin wristwatches are all made to improve your active lifestyle and even work as modern survival watches. Let us take a closer look at some of the best-selling Garmin smartwatches.

Garmin Vivoactive

The Vivoactive pieces are Garmin’s best fitness watches. It is designed for every wearer to stay healthy and active every day. Both the Vívoactive® 4 and Vívoactive® 4S share multiple wellness features like body battery energy monitoring and stress tracking. They also allow the wearer to create their own custom workouts and have several other fitness components, including the Garmin Coach. 

The Vivoactive® 4 has a bigger case size of 45mm. It features a power reserve that lasts up to eight days in smartwatch mode, six hours in GPS mode with music, and up to 18 hours without music. Meanwhile, the Vivoactive® 4S has a smaller case size of 40mm. It allows up to seven days of smartwatch mode, five hours of GPS mode with music, and up to 15 hours without music. The Vivoactive® 4 comes in two variations, with black and shadow gray cases, while the Vivoactive® 4S is available in three models: dust rose, white, and powder gray cases—all of which retail at the same price of $299.99 USD. The dust rose-toned Vívoactive® 4S Ref. 010-02172-32 is a great Garmin watch for women with smaller wrists who enjoy fashionable vibes.

Garmin Venu

The Garmin Venu is the best smartwatch that you can have from this brand. These are smartwatches that are built with either round or square cases. Its overall style and features, such as the ultra-performance GPS and the fitness tracker, are all intended to maintain the wearer’s health and wellness at an affordable price. This watch is available in four different models: Venu® 2S, Venu® 2, Venu® Sq, and Venu® Sq – Music Edition. 

Venu® 2S and  Venu® 2 share many wellness features like the health snapshot which records key health stats to generate your overall health report. Their fitness functions range from easy-to-follow animated on-screen workouts to advanced weight training. The Venu® 2S, which is available at $399.99 USD, is a smaller-sized GPS smartwatch with a 40.4mm round case. On the other hand, the Venu® 2 retails at the same price but a bigger case size of 45.4mm. The Venu® 2S Ref. 010-02429-00 is a great pick for those who want a Garmin sports watch that can be paired with any choice of outfit since it comes in a versatile all-black shade with its graphite case and black silicone band. 

The Venu® Sq – Music Edition and Venu® Sq come in square cases. They have fewer health and fitness features than the Venu® 2S and  Venu® 2, although they still include the basics, such as a mindful breathing tracker, a wrist-based heart rate tracker, and built-in sports apps. The Venu® Sq retails at an affordable $199.99 USD. Equipped with a play-and-control music app and music storage of up to 500 songs, the Music Edition model is slightly more expensive, at $249.99 USD.

Garmin Forerunner

The Forerunner series from Garmin is the best running watch in the market. It is built for an easy running routine with functions such as built-in track run activity and race time prediction. It comes in different models—some are basic watches for running like the Forerunner® 55 and some are made for professional runners and triathletes such as the Forerunner® 745. The prices for all the models vary according to the different functions they provide, starting from $199.99 USD to going as high as $649.99 USD.

One of its most advanced and newest additions to this collection is the Garmin Forerunner® 945 LTE Ref. 010-02383-00. This running watch is one of the best models for triathletes who are training for endurance and strength. It has all the premium sports features of Garmin plus the VO2 Max smart trainer, which allows you to calculate how you can improve over time based on your current fitness level. VO2 Max also takes into consideration changes in real time performance due to heat and altitude differences.

Garmin Instinct

The Garmin Instinct smartwatches are the best Garmin watches for men who love to do extreme adventures, from mountaineering to surfing and even esports. These watches have a bold and rugged appearance but each have their own key features. Some are best used for surfing like the Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition, while the Instinct® – Tactical Edition is built for military professionals with its stealth and night vision modes.

The Garmin Instinct® Tundra 010-02064-01 can be bought for $349 USD. It is a 45mm-sized watch designed with the U.S. military standard thermal, shock, and water resistance capacities. With multiple navigation tracking systems and the TracBack® feature, which retraces your route back to where you started from, you will never get lost with this timepiece, even if you are in the middle of the forest or high up in the mountains.

Meanwhile, the Instinct® – Esports Edition Ref. 010-02064-73 is meant for avid e-gamers. It has a built-in PC gaming stream that broadcasts your health stats directly to your selected live streams. The E-sports activity profile also helps to track and examine your body’s performance while playing. It is available for $299 USD.

Garmin Fēnix®

The Garmin Fēnix® is available in eight models, all of which feature a high-performance GPS for a myriad of outdoor sports. They are all extremely lightweight and have a long-lasting battery life of up to 46 days. These watches are great for any outdoor activities, from running and cycling to rock climbing and skiing. 

The Garmin fēnix® 6X - Pro Solar Edition Ref. 010-02157-24 has a larger case size of 51mm and comes with a titanium bracelet. You can use this in smartwatch mode for 21 days, and it can even last an extra three days with solar charging. Its battery saver mode can last you up to 80 days, and if solar charged, you will not run out of juice for an incredible period of 120 days. Using it with GPS will last you 60 hours, while charging it with solar will add another 6 hours for you. This $1,099 USD piece has various features for your different outdoor adventures, such as the MTB Dynamics for mountain biking, Expedition Mode for hiking, and Backcountry Ski for skiing. 

Another standout model, the Garmin fēnix® 6 Sapphire Edition 010-02158-23 costs around $999 USD. This timepiece has a smaller case size of 47mm and comes with a titanium band. The sapphire edition is shielded with a premium scratch-resistant sapphire lens. While it shares many similar functions as the aforementioned model, such as ABC sensors and more, it has a lower overall battery life of 14 days in smartwatch mode, and using it with GPS will only last you 36 hours. Its battery saver mode is also shorter, up to just 48 days.

Garmin's Milestones and Innovations

In the world of modern technology, innovation has become a fast-paced process, especially for watches. But Garmin has always been one of the best brands in this regard, despite the other technology giants in the market. Since the 1990s, it has been using its innovation and advanced technologies to create new products and diversify markets. Garmin started out by producing the first GPS watch for the aviation industry in 1993, then expanded its reach to the marine and automotive industries. 

In 2000, when the US government made GPS data available to the public, Garmin was able to take advantage of this to develop GPS watches for a wider clientele base. Today Garmin is known for having the best navigation systems and health tracking devices. Its multisport smartwatches have made the brand more remarkable in the world of digital nomads. Moreover, it has switched to creating sustainable products as part of its milestones. Garmin believes that the shift to sustainability will keep the company afloat, with persistent success and confidence in an extremely competitive market.

Best Features of Garmin’s Smartwatches

There are two best features of Garmin’s smartwatches that you should check out. First, we have the Garmin Connect. It is a web service or mobile application that gives you a wide range of access in guiding you to achieve your health, fitness, and wellness goals. It stores your data and performance through a visual display on the screen. The Garmin Connect’s features may differ depending on the model but some of the main shared features include:

• Caloric intake 
• Breathing rate tracker
• Heart rate monitor
• Training performance status
• Number of steps achieved
• Stress level
• Respiration tracker
• Advanced sleep tracking

Second, if you are an avid runner, you would likely consider the Garmin Coach as another of its best features. It is an easy-to-use feature with training plans that can be personalized according to your goals and performance. For the training, you will receive videos and running tips from your professional coach. The training plan also includes a choice of three different coaches: Amy Parkerson-Mitchell, a physical therapist and athlete; physiologist and online running Coach Greg McMillan; and Olympian Jeff Galloway. 

History of Garmin Smartwatches

Garmin’s smartwatch roots actually began with its GPS units, which were developed specifically for the marine, military, automotive, and aviation industries. While the brand had been producing GPS devices since 1989, it was only in 2003 that it ventured into wearables installed with GPS technology. 

The first three smartwatches by Garmin are its Forerunner models: the 101, 201, and 301 watches. These running watches have the key feature of allowing the wearer to upload training data to a personal computer. This was the primary reason why Garmin was able to develop the art of syncing its timekeeping devices with a tool watch that is extremely useful for health, wellness, and fitness. 

Following the success of its running watches, the brand swiftly innovated a series of multisport smartwatches that allowed one to engage in a wide variety of activities from golfing to hiking. These smartwatches are additionally equipped with health trackers to monitor an athlete’s health. Now, Garmin smartwatches are one of the products in the market that is well on par with digital giants like Apple.

Famous People Who Wore Garmin Smartwatches

This American brand is adorned by various famous individuals worldwide, with most of them being hardcore international athletes. One of them is English Commonwealth Games Marathon runner Steve Way. He was seen wearing the Garmin Forerunner 920XT. David Ribich, the world record holder in the four-by-one-mile relay, was also spotted wearing Garmin Forerunner 945. Meanwhile, Jill Kintner, the Red Bull MTB Downhill athlete, loves the Garmin Fēnix 6 Sapphire Edition. She reiterates how helpful the watch is in tracking her fitness journey across different sports like walking, hiking, yoga, and gym sessions. 

Forge Your Own Adventures With Garmin Watches

Garmin smartwatches are undeniably essential, especially if you have an active lifestyle. Garmin offers several models that are made to support every runner, swimmer, biker, triathlete, and many more sports enthusiasts. Aside from its multitude of wellness and fitness features, Garmin watches also include essential smartwatch functions, all at very affordable prices. Combining technology, innovation, and versatility, all of these incredible traits make Garmin watches unparalleled in the sports watch market.