Ordinary smartwatches are great for communication and using apps, but dedicated GPS sports watches provide extensive customization of the user experience with a focus on training. You don't have to be a professional triathlete to enjoy the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED, available starting at $1,100, and avid runners could easily train and excel using a value sport watch like the Coros Pace Pro, priced at $349.
With a sports watch, your sleep, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and more can help calculate adequate recovery time for optimal training periods. Exercises and other activities to help you improve your fitness may be presented, while stress measurements, breathing exercises, blood oxygen monitoring, ECG measurements, and more are designed to help you improve your overall health and wellness.
What is the best sports watch right now?
After testing and living with more than 20 sports watches over the past year, the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED is my clear pick for the best sports watch available today. It is expensive, but there is not a single sport or activity that I am unable to track, including golf, fly fishing, indoor rowing, and more. The Fenix 8 AMOLED has a fantastic LED flashlight, a brilliant AMOLED display, long battery life, the ability to take calls from the wrist or record voice notes while you are out running, and much more. It does everything well, and is perfect for those who want a watch that is durable enough to last for years.
If the price is too high and the watch is too large, the Garmin Venu X1 is an excellent alternative, with a large display, thin form factor, and support for the vast Garmin ecosystem. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 also punches far above its price, and some have compared it to a Garmin model priced three times more.
Also: The best Garmin watches: Expert tested
Sort by All
The best sports watches of 2025
Show less View now at Amazon View now at Garmin Why we like it: The Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED connects seamlessly to Android and iOS smartphones, in addition to golf club sensors, bike sensors, and more. Just about every sport is covered, including pickleball, with an updated smartphone experience so you can customize the watch settings on your phone and sync them over to the watch. One feature I use daily that ensures a Garmin will always be found on one wrist is the LED flashlight. I cannot express how useful this functionality is, which makes the Fenix 8 an essential tool in my collection. Also: This Garmin beat my Apple Watch Ultra in almost every way (and it's just as rugged) Who it's for: New communications features for the Fenix series include an integrated speaker and microphone that supports phone calls from the wrist, access to your connected phone's assistant, onboard voice commands, and voice recordings, so if you are looking for a capable watch to serve as your sports watch and your primary smartwatch, the Fenix 8 AMOLED fits that bill. You can also buy the watch in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes, with a variety of watch case and band color options too, so there is a model for every wrist size and personality. Who should look elsewhere: The Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED is an expensive smartwatch, and if you are not planning to run a full marathon, train for an ultramarathon, or focus on just a few sports, then there may be better options for you. The Forerunner 970 and Venu X1 pack in most of the functionality found in the Fenix 8 AMOLED at a lower price, designed with more affordable hardware elements. Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED (47mm) tech specs: Display: 1.4-inch 454x454 pixels | Battery Life (GPS tracking mode): 47 hours | Dimensions: 47x47x13.8 mm | Weight: 73 grams (titanium case with band) | Water/Dust Resistance: 10 ATM | Band Size: 22mm Pros Gorgeous, brilliant AMOLED touchscreen display
Extensive size and feature options
... continue reading