When it comes to Garmin watch models, the sheer amount of variety is enough to ensure each and every fitness enthusiast has a watch specially made for them.
Whether you prefer the smooth and seamless design and functionality of a Garmin Series Forerunner, or something bigger and bolder like the Garmin Enduro or the Fenix line, the versatility of Garmin watches is undeniably addictive. But the true standout of a Garmin watch has to be the features.
Some of the best Garmin watch features include sports tracking, innovative health metrics such as pulse ox sensor, sleep tracking, built-in-GPS, training status, training load, and the brand’s state-of-the-art GPS tracking smartwatch features.
In this guide, we are going to take a look at the top 10 best features of a Garmin watch. While we cannot go through all the features on every single Garmin smartwatch, we will highlight some of the true standard bearers that have made the brand a force to be reckoned with in terms of fitness smartwatches.
Read on to find out the top 10 best features of Garmin watches.
What is special about Garmin watches?
The best Garmin watches can be said to represent everything that is capable of smart technology in watch form. The innovation dedicated to the design, production, and creativity in what is now a wide-ranging collection, represents some of the best smartwatches on the market.
Garmin itself is a company that rests comfortably inside of a popular and dedicated fanbase that balances the line between both luxury and affordability in equal measure.
It doesn’t matter if you want a flashy and feature-packed watch or just a small and convenient fitness tracker like the Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch, Garmin’s watches combine versatility and simplicity in equal measure.
This means that whatever fitness style you have, it will be well-matched with an accompanying Garmin device that fits comfortably on your wrist.
Garmin watches have sports tracking, training, tracking modes, simple and complex fitness features, stress tracking, activity tracking in multiple categories, and essential health tracking features. But that is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
The battery life on Garmin watches is some of the best in the industry. No other company puts as much innovation and meticulous design in GPS accuracy and Garmin and this is true of virtually any Garmin model.
Additionally, smartphone notifications through the Garmin Connect App or Garmin Coach are also seamless and well-designed. This means that you can find most anything on an Apple Watch on a Garmin model as well.
Garmin is quite simply one of the best companies for GPS tech.
What are the key features of a Garmin watch?
There are both simple and advanced features on Garmin watches, which means that depending on the Garmin models you choose from, the feature inventory will likely be different. This goes for the most basic to the most advanced watch models.
Let’s take a closer look at an overview of the features you can expect to find on a Garmin model.
Smart watch features
Garmin watches go far beyond being just simple fitness trackers. The essential features on many models include smart settings that can benefit both casual users or serious athletes.
For example, one of the best Garmin wristwatches in terms of music is the Garmin Forerunner 245 or the Garmin Forerunner 945. Both of these models are similar to anything you would find on an Apple model, and include music storage and requisite streaming on Spotify or Amazon music.
There are a wide range of apps that are supported on Garmin models, as well as a wide range of health monitoring features that range from basic heart tracking to complex features for serious athletes, which can be found on devices such as the Garmin Instinct Solar, the Garmin Venu series, and the Garmin Series Fenix.
Read more about the Garmin 245 Music Edition and Garmin Forerunner 945 models.
Garmin connect app
The Garmin Connect Application is another feature that truly stands out on a Garmin wristwatch. Within Garmin Connect, you can get advanced data for training status, detailed breakdowns of performance tracking, and much more.
This app comes in handy if you value a sports watch that has all the game-related statistics as well as the fitness tracker specifics for whatever sport you are engaging in. The connect application is one of the main features that sets Garmin apart from other brands that simply provide basic fitness tech.
Garmin pay
The Garmin Pay feature on a Garmin watch is also convenient when you are on the go and want to pay for purchases with a quick scan of your watch. This is similar to other brands that have similar smart pay features, and a wide range of Garmin wristwatches have the pay feature.
Heart rate
Like most sports watches and fitness trackers, Garmin wristwatches also feature a wide range of heart monitoring features. Some of the new models like the 7th generation Fenix also have 24-hour health and wellness monitoring.
Barometric Altimeter, Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer Garmin watch features
Some of the more advanced models also feature a range of features suited for the rugged outdoors, which makes them perfect for survivalists and others who enjoy camping and hiking or mountain biking in rough terrain.
Barometric altimeters, compasses, gyroscopes, and even accelerometers can be found throughout the Fenix and Instinct lines.
Body Battery
The battery life of a Garmin wristwatch is superb, and to be honest, Garmin’s wristwatches have some of the best battery life of any brand of smart tech watches out there.
Some devices have battery life within the vicinity of a few days per charge, while some of the newer models can go as far as a month on one charge without the need for constant charging.
Which Garmin watch has the most features?
One of the best Garmin smartwatch devices in terms of features is undoubtedly the new 7th generation Fenix. This is aided inevitably by the solar charging capabilities of the watch, as well as the new innovations in health and wellness monitoring that sets the watch apart from practically every model before it.
The mapping and navigation features that are found on this model are truly impressive. There is full-blown topo mapping available with this model as well as waypoint support which truly comes in handy when you need to generate roots on the fly.
You can also follow a pre-designed course using Connect’s excellent course designer tool. There are also new and improved ski view maps which is another feature that is brand new for 2022.
These maps support over 2,000 ski resorts worldwide and all are complete with individual run names, which show the runs tracks and are also color-coded for difficulty level.
Another really cool feature to this model’s navigation tools is the up ahead feature. This feature will display upcoming points of interest along a predefined route which includes course points or points of interest that you set up ahead of time.
Another standout feature of this new model that sets it apart from past models is the ability to use touchscreen in the map features. This makes using the maps easier since you can simply tap and drag around the maps or pinpoint a specific point that you want to navigate to by simply tapping the plus or minus sign.
This model is feature-packed to the brim and immediately stands out as possibly the most feature-packed of any recent Garmin wristwatch.
Are Garmin watches worth it?
Garmin wristwatches are definitely worth the investment. Great screen size resolution, innovative features, top-of-the-line design quality and smart technology, solar charging, and much, much more are just some of the features that make Garmin wristwatches standout in a crowded market.
The downside to many Garmin wristwatches is that many of them can be quite expensive, but even with this certainty, the sheer amount of quality in each and every model is enough to make up for the expense. There are also many basic, and less-expensive models in the first generation of each Garmin wristwatch line, and this is certainly an advantage if expense is an issue.
Who is Garmin good for?
A Garmin wristwatch is good for practically anyone. There are models available for children and for those who do not like bulky or uncomfortable wristwatches as well. Perhaps the only reason that someone may not prefer a Garmin wristwatch is if they feel as if they do not need many of the features.
FAQs
Is Garmin app free?
The Connect application on a Garmin wristwatch is free as long as you have a Garmin wristwatch paired with it. In addition to the brand app, there are also many free apps available on Connect as well as several paid apps that can be synced to different features on a Garmin wristwatch if required.
Should I wear my Garmin all the time?
A smaller watch like the Garmin Venu Sq or the Garmin Forerunner 55 will likely not reveal any adverse side effects from constant wearing, but some of the larger models, like the new Garmin Fenix 7, may cause wrist discomfort if you wear it all the time.
Based on in-depth reviews over many years, A Garmin wristwatch does not have as many negative ratings in terms of safety issues as other brands, and as long as you do allow your wrists time to breathe, all should be well.
Should I sleep with my Garmin on?
Based on the attractive screen size of a Garmin wristwatch, many users prefer to sleep with the watch to easily see notifications quickly. There are also many versions that feature sleep analysis features, which would require you to sleep with the watch on.
Read more about the Garmin sleep feature here, Guide to the Garmin Sleep Tracking Widget.
Conclusion
As you can see, a Garmin wristwatch is certainly a good investment based on the sheer amount of and overall quality of its wide range of features. For beginner runners, something like the 55 in the Forerunner line would be ideal, or if you like other sports that may be found on an advanced wristwatch, something from the Enduro or Fenix lines would be ideal.
Considering to buy a Garmin watch? Read these to help you make the right purchase: