Love running or working towards your fitness goals but fear taking your phone on your escapades, then investing in a GPS watch might be the ideal option for you. A GPS watch has an integrated GPS receiver that determines the user’s location through the process of triangulation. It can also act as a smartwatch and monitor your daily activities, heartbeat, and calories burnt and even provide insights into your sleeping pattern.
We can understand that finding the GPS watch can be a bit overwhelming, so whether you wish to buy a GPS watch as a mapping device or just to track your fitness, we have tested the top models and curated a special list of 5 best GPS watches in the market.
Top 5 GPS Watches in 2023 – Quick Ranking
1. Garmin Instinct Solar – Best Overall
Garmin Instinct Solar is a show stealer when it comes to lucrative features at an attractive price point. This GPS watch has a vastly extended battery life that can be extended through solar charging. The average battery life extends for 24 days in smartwatch mode and 30 hours in GPS mode. It is best suited for outdoor mountain and hiking activities.
Watch face has been built to show the wide array of activities that the watch can track and its companion app, Garmin Connect is exceptionally user-friendly. The watch has a barometric altimeter and built-in-3-axis compass plus multiple global navigation satellite systems which includes Galileo, Glonass and GPS.
Pros
- Waterproof up to 100m
- Extensive battery life with solar charging facility
- User friendly
Cons
- Can be bulky
- Sleep tracking is not accurate
2. Fitbit Charge 5 – Best User-Friendly Interface
If you are looking for a simple, user-friendly, under-budget GPS watch to track your fitness goals, then Fitbit Charge 5 is the one for you. It has inbuilt GPS though which you can check your pace and distance in real-time without your phone.
The average battery life in the Fitbit Charge 5 lasts for 7 days in smartwatch mode and 5 hours in GPS mode. The facilities provided by Charge 5 are highly accurate, especially its sleep tracking capabilities. The daily readiness score available in this GPS watch can reveal whether you are ready to take a workout or should take a rest day instead. Its 6-month free premium membership can unlock premium personalised insights which include guided programs, advanced analytics and much more.
Pros
- Waterproof to 50m
- Very user-friendly and excellent companion app
- Accurate health metric data
Cons
- Battery life can be improved
- Watch band included is not comfortable
3. Coros Pace 2 – Best for Running
Weighing at only 29 grams, Coros Pace 2 is the best GPS watch you can choose if you are an athlete or extensively incorporate running into your fitness regime. It is the lightest GPS watch on the market and has quite an impressive battery life. Coros Pace 2 can have a battery life of 20 days in normal use and 30 hours in complete GPS mode.
This watch has a built-in running power matrix that provides elaborate post-run metrics. It has graphs that outline average speed and elevation gain. Coros Pace 2 also includes an accelerometer, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, optical heart rate monitor, thermometer and calorie tracking.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to navigate interface
- Great battery life
Cons
- Do not have access to apps
- Cannot play music
4. Polar Vantage V2 – Best High-End GPS Watch
With the presence of Polar Precision Prime Sensor Fusion Technology, Polar Vantage V2 is a powerful GPS watch. The average battery life lasts for 7 days in smartwatch mode and 40 hours through GPS mode. It can be extended through ultra-GPS mode.
With the help of the training load pro and recovery pro system, you can get comprehensive insights into your training sessions and view which sessions strain your body and the amount of recovery you require. The Polar Vantage V2 is more than just a smartwatch. It can provide complete training and activity analysis and pulls data from different satellites to provide accurate mapping coverage.
Pros
- Good battery life
- Waterproof to 100m
- Generates personalised training plans
Cons
- Can be expensive
- The companion app is not detailed
5. Apple Watch Series 7 – Best for iPhone Users
One of the few GPS watches in the market that can be fully connected to a cellular plan, Apple Watch Series 7 allows access to Siri, making phone calls and texts and using navigation without having the phone nearby. This watch is extremely stylish and comes with an average battery life of 18 hours. You can have access to advanced health monitor features associated with the GPS watch.
Pros
- Stylish and has a wide array of band colours to choose from
- Waterproof to 50m
- Premium fitness tracking features
Cons
- Expensive
- Battery life could be improved
Conclusion
Now there you go, some of the best GPS watches in the market. Hopefully, this article catered to different requirements of watch users and acted as an effective guide. However, before making the final choice, make sure you understand all the features and keep your general requirements in mind.