2023’s Top Fitness Watches
An excellent fitness watch ensures that your exercise is recorded and monitored, giving you the information you need to attain your fitness objectives.
Numerous activities, like walking, running, golfing, and climbing, all have various metrics to measure. The ideal fitness watch or tracker is one that enhances your exercise routine, records statistics, and blends in with your lifestyle.
Spent hours reading web reviews, and sought input from other athletes. We reviewed spec sheets for many brands and models.
Based on our tests, the following are the top fitness watches, GPS watches, and fitness trackers. To assist you in locating the fitness watch that best suits your specific requirements.
COROS Apex 2
Photo:
COROS® New Zealand
Specifications
Dimensions: 43.0 x 42.8 x 12.8 mm; 42 g.
a lithium-ion battery. 45 hours of battery saving time using GPS
GPS-enabled reception of GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS
Screen/Bezel Titanium bezel and 1.2″ sapphire screen
The Advantages of the Best Fitness Watches of 2023
Stunning GPS tracking Comprehensive activity profile suite
long-lasting battery
Band is comfortable
Disadvantages
insufficient mapping abilities
Dial-wheel is difficult to operate while in use
The COROS Apex 2 ($399), a watch with all the bells and whistles and a common-sense size, checks all of our boxes for the best overall fitness watch on the market right now, even if rival giant-bezel watches may pack in more longevity.
The COROS Apex series, which has just been revamped, is their mid-tier product, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at it. The whole set of tracking activity profiles, ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) sensors, and antenna for a recently enlarged five Global Navigation Satellite Systems are all included inside the 42 mm bezel. In our comparison, we discovered that there wasn’t much of a difference between the Apex 2 and the Apex 2 Pro ($499) even though the Apex 2 didn’t have a multi-band chipset.
We confirmed that the Apex 2 just keeps going when pushed to the test. This watch has a claimed (and proven) 45 hours of battery power in GPS alone mode, which is unmatched by watches of a similar size. Other timepieces, like the Garmin fenix 7 Solar, may last longer but take up much more wrist space.
And although Garmin has long been in the forefront when it comes to effective app integration, COROS has recently caught up. The COROS app has a fun user interface and does a great job of showing our daily numbers, such as active energy, heart rate, and sleep metrics, as well as our recorded activities, tracks, and metrics.
How, therefore, could the Apex 2 be superior? For starters, we acknowledged that we did not have access to the beneficial fitness numbers, reports, and exercises that are part of the Garmin ecosystem. We hope COROS will make the same shift toward data synthesis that Garmin has done with the data their fitness devices collect. In addition, when compared to watches of a comparable calibre, the Apex 2’s colours were a little subdued in the era of ultra-bright AMOLED displays.
The COROS Apex 2 is, in our opinion, the ideal choice for the explorer or fitness enthusiast who wants it all but doesn’t want to wear a calculator on their wrist.
COROS Pace 2
Photo:
COROS
Specifications
Weight 29 g with a nylon strap and 35 g with a silicone band Size 42 x 42 x 11.7 mm
a lithium-ion battery. 30-hour battery-saving mode using GPS
GPS-enabled reception of GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS
Corning glass and fibre-reinforced polymer, 1.2″ screen
The Advantages of the Best Fitness Watches of 2023
excellent battery life given the cost
very affordable
Running power at the wrist and Stryd assistance
Disadvantages
Feels somewhat flimsy
During action, it is challenging to turn the dial.
inferior coaching and training knowledge compared to competitors
At this price range, it will be difficult to find a GPS watch with greater features. The COROS Pace 2 is a great deal at $200 considering that a line-by-line comparison of its capabilities to watches from Garmin, Polar, or Suunto would imply a $300 price point! You will have to give up a few things in exchange for such an incredible price, but we’ll talk more about that later.
Its most well-supported exercise is running, which is followed by bicycling and swimming. The battery lifespan and power numbers are its two main highlights. Impressive runtimes of 30 hours in GPS mode, 60 hours in UltraMax mode, and 20 days in watch mode are provided by the Pace 2.
It provides running power based on the wrist and will link with Stryd pods for improved readings. The software also allows you to design exercises depending on power.
You get all the standard tracking information, including steps, sleep, calories burnt, continuous heart-rate monitoring, exercise duration, and intensity, just as with more costly fitness watches. The app leverages this information to provide insights on training load and fitness. You can design and send routines for biking, swimming, running, and strength training from inside the app to your watch.
There are a few aspects of the Pace 2 that we didn’t like. It is marketed as the “lightest watch in the world.” We thought it was so thin that it almost seemed cheap. We also don’t like the cloth strap and advise choosing the silicone band instead.
The main turn-dial button and a smaller back button are the sole functional buttons.
Forerunner 745 by Garmin
Photo:
Garmin
Specifications
Dimensions: 43.8 x 43.8 x 13.3 mm; 47 g.
a lithium-ion battery. GPS runs for 21 hours in battery-saving mode.
GPS-enabled reception of GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS
Screen/Bezel Gorilla Glass DX and fibre-reinforced plastic measuring 1.2″
The Advantages of the Best Fitness Watches of 2023
Personalised one-button scrolling to examine statistics on fitness and health
Programmable exercises for cycling, swimming, and running
It is simple to operate while activities thanks to the bright display and sharp button action.
Disadvantages
Expensive
No reception of a multi-band GNSS satellite
battery life is inadequate given the pricing.
Garmin is clearly the best device for swimming, biking, and running. The largest maker of sports watches, Garmin is also the second-most popular smartwatch brand, just behind Apple. More than 85% of the runners and athletes surveyed use Garmin and strongly suggest one.
One of Garmin’s top running and triathlon watches, the Forerunner 745 ($500), is situated between the more costly Forerunner 965 and the more affordable Forerunner 265. The 745 is without a doubt the most feature-rich fitness watch of the year thanks to its flawless design, which strikes the ideal balance between size, weight, and materials.
It looks and feels expensive without being cheap. It is more high-end than the cheaper Forerunner 55 and 265 and less bulky than the more costly Forerunner 965 and fenix 7. The best of all the watches tested, the 1.2-inch transflective, memory-in-pixel display is brilliant and easy to see in direct sunshine. Add to that the responsive buttons, which make viewing and scrolling throughout your exercise a snap.
The 745 includes all the standard features you would expect from a high-tech GPS watch, including built-in sport profiles with scrollable, customizable data fields, a wrist-based heart-rate monitor, and health tracking. It also has a 21-hour battery lifespan in continuous GPS tracking mode.
A pulse oximeter to evaluate blood oxygen saturation levels, 500 songs of audio storage, automatic pool swim stroke recognition, and interoperability with Garmin cycle power metres are some of the more sophisticated features you won’t find on most watches.
You’ll also get access to Garmin coaching and training, which leverages data from your workouts and health readings to provide you with practical insights on your preparedness for performance, training load, and recovery.
The battery life, which is just slightly below average for a watch at this price range and lasts seven days in smartwatch mode and 21 hours in GPS mode, is our sole complaint. Due to this, you will only be able to use your GPS device for roughly one full day before needing to recharge. If you don’t have access to an outlet, you may need to carry an additional battery pack.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 is the undisputed champ if you’re looking for a premium sports watch that can do everything—swimming, biking, and road running—while also having some smartwatch features.
Garmin fenix 7
Photo:
Garmin
Specification
Dimensions of the Garmin fenix 7 Solar Multisport GPS Watch are 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm.
79 g in weight.
a lithium-ion battery. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS reception is possible for up to 57 hours in battery-saving mode and 73 hours with solar GPS.
Power Glass and stainless steel on a 1.3″ screen
The Advantages of the Best Fitness Watches of 2023
Excellent battery life and sun charging Industry-leading breadth of sport modes and reporting Runner-specific features PacePro and ClimbPro
Disadvantages
Heavy Expensive
The Garmin fenix 7 Solar ($800) is the only high-end fitness watch with additional backcountry-specific capabilities. Its rugged design has a clear, easy-to-see 1.3-inch LCD display encased in your choice of a stainless steel, titanium, or DLC-coated bezel that has passed tests for heat, shock, and water resistance that meet U.S. military requirements.
It has over 35 distinct activity modes as standard, including backcountry skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, biking, and surfing. Other sports include swimming, jogging, biking, hiking, skiing, and golfing.
We liked the widget arrangement and the simple, clear navigation. You may swiftly cycle through important information like weather (including radar), downloaded music, previously completed activities, training status, health and performance numbers, and SMS and email alerts by pressing just one button.
With solar charging included, its battery life is nothing short of remarkable. According to standard specifications, a wristwatch can last up to 18 days (22 with solar) and a GPS device up to 57 hours (73 with solar). The previous generation, which was already at the top in its class, has been significantly improved.
Along with the usual run, swim, bike, and hike GPS watch functions, you can also anticipate Garmin Pay and up to 2,000 tracks of digital music (Spotify, Amazon, and Deezer supported).
PacePro (grade-adjusted running pacing assistance), ClimbPro (showing forthcoming ascent details and where you are on the climb), and storm warning utilising the barometer trend indicator are some of the outstanding features we found most intriguing.
Short recordings of rides in front of Surfline cameras are captured by Surfline Sessions, and ski and golf resort maps (including maps of more than 2,000 ski resorts and 41,000 golf courses) may also be imported. For swimming in pools, auto swim includes stroke detection.
The weight penalty associated with all of this technology comes in at 79 grams, making it almost the heaviest in our assessment. The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is a simple switch for people who want a smaller footprint (but still many of the same capabilities).
Still not good enough for you, then? Additionally, Garmin provides the fenix 7X ($1,000) with sapphire glass and an even longer battery life in addition to the fenix 7S ($900) with sapphire glass and multi-band GNSS reception. Although these improvements are beneficial, the 7 Solar will be enough for the majority of adventurers.
Series 8 Apple Watch
Photo:
Apple
Specifications
Size: 41 x 35 x 10.7 mm; weight: 42.3 g for 41 mm; and 51.5 g for 45 mm.
Battery Lithium-ion. battery-saving mode for 36 hours using GPS
enable GPS GPS tracking
Aluminium/steel and Ion-X glass/sapphire with an Ion-X bezel
The Advantages of the Best Fitness Watches of 2023
Comprehensiveness of smartwatch capabilities and available downloads
simplicity of responding to SMS and calls without a phone connection
contemporary health monitoring
Disadvantages
Large, clear display
Low battery life, unreliable GPS
lack of customisable fields and thorough sports data
Heavy
Because it is without a doubt the greatest smartwatch (not a GPS watch; we’ll discuss that later) on the market, Apple is the brand of smartwatch that sells the most globally. Everyone we spoke to who had one raved about it. “I just purchased an Apple Watch after avoiding using a wristwatch for literally decades. One early sceptic afterwards declared, “I adore it.
The health monitoring and smartwatch functions are its strongest points. The pulse ox feature, which measures blood oxygen levels, has been enhanced for the new Series 8 watch ($399). Although its use for the typical individual is debatable, tracking it is entertaining.
The watch’s heart rate monitor and ECG, which may alert you to abnormal heart rhythms and measure heart rate variability, a symptom of overtraining, are probably a more important — and possibly life-saving — function.
The Series 8 can monitor rest, steps, and calories and presents the information in an easy-to-understand style, much like all of the watches we examined. But Apple incorporated temperature monitoring for this most recent version. This is referred to on their website as “a breakthrough feature that provides deep insights into women’s health.”
The Apple Watch is head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to streamlining daily living, particularly when your phone is out of reach. The watch makes it simple to view and react to notifications. The App Store has more applications available than any other retailer.
The GPS is not fantastic, and it lacks the depth of capabilities that more runner-focused smartwatches offer, according to our resident trainer, who has trained several runners who use an Apple Watch. The capacity to monitor and plan pace sessions and training intervals is mostly absent.
However, the Apple Watch Series 8 is for you if everyday convenience and smartwatch capabilities are more important to you than a thorough physical activity. One major restriction: It can only be used with iPhones. We advise the Garmin Venu 2 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 if you don’t own an iPhone. Both provide a variety of applications and smartwatch capabilities and are equally focused on fitness monitoring.
The recently announced Apple Watch Ultra ($799) combines the L1 and L5 bands of the GPS satellite system for substantially higher accuracy if you want Apple Watch capabilities but require additional GPS capability. Additionally, battery life has increased significantly to 36 hours of typical usage.
Charge 5 Fitbit
Photo:
Fitbit
Specifications
Dimensions: 36.7 x 22.7 x 11.2 mm; 28 g.
Lithium-polymer batteries. 7 days, 5 hours when using GPS
GPS reception with GPS enabled
1″ glass and stainless steel for the screen/bezel
The Advantages of the Best Fitness Watches of 2023
Without a phone connection, GPS tracking
Music controllability
Disadvantages
simple sports tracking
tiny screen
The Fitbit Charge 5 ($150) is the top fitness tracker, adorning the wrists of exercise fanatics worldwide. The inclusion of a colour AMOLED touchscreen, a significant improvement over its forerunner, is the highlight of the fifth edition.
The Charge 5 is also the first Fitbit model without any buttons at all. Up to 7 days’ worth of battery life or 5 hours of continuous GPS operation.
An optical heart-rate monitor is typical for 24/7 tracking and gives precise sleep information, heart-rate zones for exercise, and estimations of calories burned. It keeps track of your daily steps, calories burnt, and active minutes to support data-driven health choices.
With the Charge 5, you can monitor up to 20 different sports, including walking, bicycling, swimming, HIIT, yoga, spin, and golf. One of our biggest problems with the Fitbit is that it doesn’t provide finer data like cadence, power, or rep counting for weight training. You can work out outside without a smartphone thanks to the included GPS tracker.
The ability to get alerts (call, text, email, and calendar), manage Spotify (but only with your phone in Bluetooth range), and do simple app downloads are a few more functions not often seen on trackers. We advise the less expensive Fitbit Luxe if you don’t need these functions and are OK using your phone while engaging in GPS-required activities (including walking, jogging, and cycling).
