Best Watch for Runners 2019

They say that health is wealth, which quite true because you can’t go about your daily activities if you’re not in good shape.

One of the best ways of maintaining great health is exercising and running should definitely be part of the agenda. In order to hit the road properly, purchasing a good running watch is probably not a bad idea.

From Garmin’s to Apple Watches, the list can be endless. One thing these watches have in common however is that they use GPS collect data during running to help you analyze your workouts later.

Read on as we take you through some of the best devices for your everyday running.

1. Garmin Forerunner 235

In my opinion, the Forerunner 235 is the best watch for runners because it comes blended with great features, is reasonably priced, and has a simple enough design.

Quickly moving forward, it has a wrist-based heart rate monitor and a good battery life to keep you going no matter the distance you cover. The built-in accelerometer can also help you track your runs when both indoors on a treadmill or outdoors.

It also doubles up as a fitness tracker by helping you count your daily steps as well as monitor your sleep. To make it better you can analyze your workout data including distance, pace, elevation, and cadence by wirelessly uploading them to your smartphone.

All in all, this device is a great combination of both features and value.

Pros:
• Affordable
• Enough running data provided

Cons:
• Typical hear rate warnings

2. Garmin Forerunner 35

This is arguably the best basic GPS watch your money can buy. To begin with, it’s simple and easy-to-use and has a pretty clear screen. The added wrist-based heart rate helps this watch effectively track all the basic cardio info you’ll need.

In addition to this, it also has other great features such as smartphone notifications, activity tracking, and interval workouts. It goes without saying that you can also use it to track treadmill workouts in your attempts to stay fit.

Pros:
• Affordable price
• Waterproof properties
• Long-life battery

Cons:
• Compatibility issues with some smartphones
• Sluggish GPS

3. Suunto 9 Baro

Still looking for something that provides solid cardio info? Well, this Suunto runners watch is finally here to help you out.

This watch also comes with a battery that can last up to a whopping 120 hours and an excellent GPS, although enabling the Ultra battery mode can tamper with its GPS accuracy.

This is because this watch is specifically designed for running in places with no roads. In conclusion, any off-road, long distance runner should definitely get one of these. 

Pros:
• Rugged design
• Great battery
• Solid cardio info

Cons:
• Quite chunky
• Limited additional insights

4. Fitbit Ionic

Fitbit’s entrance into the smart watch world wasn’t well-received with the unimpressive Blaze. They immediately came back with the Fitbit Ionic.

This device comes with a great battery life, NFC for payments, an app store and sleep tracking. We can confidently say it almost has it all. This GPS watch has additional features such as continuous heart-rate monitoring and guided workouts in its Fitbit Coach app.

It also has a run-detect feature which automatically begins tracking your stats after about 2-5 minutes of running. In simple terms, you don’t have to press any button to select a workout. This can come in handy especially in the morning when you’re more likely to forget about starting a workout.

There are also plenty of Fitbit accessories out there too to make the device your own. You don’t have to stick with the same strap that your watch came with like with many other running watches.

Pros:
• Great battery life
• Enables mobile payments
• Accurate, insightful sleep analysis

Cons:
• Not enough apps
• Touch screen can be unresponsive

5. Apple Watch Series 4

We can’t talk about GPS wearables without reserving a spot for the Apple Watch Series 4. Its 2 game-changing features – the EGG app for taking electrocardiograms and the atrial fibrillation for 5 irregular heart rhythms alert, made Apple to be cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Apart from giving you crucial information about your heart rate, it also has a fall detection feature which can sense when the runner falls either forward or backward. It gauges the eventual impact to determine if you’ve fallen unintentionally. That said, don’t you dare fool it, because it most certainly won’t work!

Pros:
• Big, beautiful display
• Quick processing power
• Availability of the Rise to Speak Siri

Cons:
• Quite expensive

6. Polar M430

The M430 is the kind of watch that doesn’t really skimp on fitness features. Fast forward, its indoor activity tracking feature is second to none currently in the market. This feature can come in handy if you mostly train at the gym.

When you go outdoors, it has accurate GPS locking as well as a heart-rate monitoring system that doesn’t skip a single beat. In addition, you’ll get a variety of training modes with great post-workout feedbacks to choose from.

Pros:
• NFC
• Multi-platform support
• Water-resistant
• Optical heart rate monitor

Cons:
• Low-power GPS modes

Final words

It is now pretty obvious that your fitness goals require more than just proper nutrition plan, elite running shoes, and speed endurance.

In fact, you definitely require data, and where else can you get it if not from a good GPS watch?

Although you might be doing just fine with your standard Fitbit, these state-of-the-art GPS watches are definitely the better running companions.