Best Garmin watch 2023: models explained

That was a quick summary of the best Garmin watches. You also have specialized Garmin watches: you have Garmin cycling watches (the Garmin Edge series), swimming (Garmin Swim), diving (Garmin Descent), water sports (Garmin quatix), as well as golf watches (Garmin Approach) and even military watches (Garmin tactic family). Those are niche watches that go beyond the scope of this article, though, and if you are into one of those sports, you are probably already aware of those options.

And here is a quick guide to Garmin watch sizes:
“S” suffix (like Venu 2S, Fenix 6S) stands for “small”, usually 41mm or 42mm
“X” suffix (like Fenix 6X) stands for “xtra large”, usually 50mm or 51mm
No suffix indicates a mid-size model, usually 46mm or 47mm

The Garmin fenix are the company's most expensive and premium smartwatches with the most features. They are a great choice for hardcore athletes, runners and those who are participating in triathlons. These are watches for the high performance people and those that need the stats that come with such a lifestyle. Let's start with the newest Garmin fenix watches:

The Garmin Fenix 7 was announced in early 2022 with tons of improvements over the previous Fenix 6 generation. The biggest change is the addition of a touchscreen to all models, a first for the Fenix series, but don't worry, the hardware buttons are still here. Actually, you can control your smartwatch with either the buttons or the touchscreen, with only a handful of features explicitly requiring the usage of the hardware button. The Fenix 7X is also equipped with a handy strobe light that should bring a peace of mind to athletes when the lights go down.

The deal with Garmin's Fenix smartwatches is that you can easily mix and match features. For example, you can get the smallest version with solar charging if you wish, or you could get the largest one with a sapphire glass and no solar charging, or the regular version with both sapphire glass and solar charging. Of course, you can get a vanilla smartwatch with none of these features but at a more affordable price.

The Garmin Instinct 2 is a rugged watch made to survive in even the toughest conditions. The Instinct meets U.S. military standard 810G for thermal, shock and water resistance, features a 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter, and just as you'd expect it allows you to monitor your heart rate.

The Garmin Forerunner series comprise a wide array of watches from the very basic ones that cost less than $100 to the most advanced and feature-pack ones costing hundreds of dollars.

Forerunner 55: basic GPS running watch with Garmin Coach training plan support

Forerunner 255: GPS running watch with powerful metrics like HRV Data

Forerunner 955: Premium GPS running/triathlon watch

The Forerunner 55 is now the basic Forerunner, but it's a no-frills smartwatch aimed at aspiring runners and athletes. With built-in coaching, built-in GPS, heartrate monitoring, and up to two weeks of battery life, the Forerunner 55 is an affordable and viable option for anyone willing to take up running.

The Forerunner 255 and its Music edition are awesome upgrades to the series. The major new feature is having the device in two sizes, 41mm as well as 46mm, it also includes a next-gen HR sensor and a barometer. It also now supports NFC and Garmin Pay, while major new features include HRV data, Running Power, and a Race Widget.

The Forerunner 955 is a premium runners' watch. It now comes with longer battery life, for the first time a solar option, as well as pre-loaded maps.

Vivoactive 4: GPS smartwatch with sports apps, heart rate, Garmin Pay, and music

Vivosmart 5: Slim fitness tracker with Pulse-Ox sensor

Vivofit 4: Always-on color screen and 1+ year battery life

Vivofit jr. 3: Marvel-themed fitness tracker for kids with app adventures