It’s difficult to decide which Garmin watch is the finest in 2025. There are just so many available, ranging from high-tech, premium timepieces made for serious sportsmen to older, less expensive models that are popular for recreational bikers and runners. They are also given odd names. For instance, what distinguishes an Instinct from a Fenix or a Forerunner?
Garmin’s primary focus is on athletic performance, heart rate monitoring, and excellent multisport tracking. They’re also platform agnostic, which means they’ll work just as well with either iPhone or Android, making them an enticing alternative to the best Apple Watch or best Android smartwatch.
These are the top Garmins to assist you if you want to step up your 2025 fitness endeavors. Keep checking back since we will soon be testing the much awaited Instinct 3 for this guide.
Table of Contents
- No 1 Garmin epix Pro Gen 2
- No 2 Garmin fenix 8
- No 3 Garmin Venu 3S
Top 3 Best Garmin Watches In 2025
No 1 Garmin epix Pro Gen 2
The Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) is one of the more challenging wearables I’ve reviewed, simply because (somewhat embarrassingly) I don’t think I could ever physically do enough to push the smartwatch to — or beyond — its limits. I’ve been wearing the Sapphire Edition of the Epix Pro (Gen 2), which has a titanium bezel and a tough silicone strap in the Whitestone color. It’s the 47mm model, but you can also choose it in a smaller 42mm case size or an even larger 51mm size.
You have many options because each case size has a variety of finishes and straps. A little less expensive option is to choose it with a stainless steel bezel and Gorilla Glass over the screen. The case is composed of fiber-reinforced polymer and is positioned between a stainless steel case back and a titanium bezel. The Epix Pro (Gen 2) is an extremely large watch, with a 47mm case that is 14.5mm thick.
In the pictures, you can see how dominant my 6.5-inch wrist is. The white case and strap, however, minimize its impact, and I haven’t found it startling to look at. Additionally, I believe that titanium’s use and its delicate, unpolished finish help to subdue the appearance, and I anticipate the black versions are It is surprisingly light, weighing only 70 grams.
I haven’t had any significant issues wearing it during the day, but in warmer weather, I’ve had to frequently adjust the strap because it tends to get sweatier under the case than many other smartwatches. Wearing the watch overnight to monitor my sleep, however, has proven to be impossible. It’s not very heavy, but it is noticeable and distracting, and the recent hot nights have made it more likely for it to perspire under the silicone strap and cover.
Pros
- High quality materials
- Durable construction
- Hugely customizable
- Comprehensive sporting platform
- No subscription needed
Cons
- No Qi wireless charging
- Operating system takes some learning
No 2 Garmin fenix 8
the Fenix 8 is capable of. And there’s no getting around it: this is the ultimate watch for adventure enthusiasts, with a smorgasbord of hardware and software features and a battery that lasts for weeks. The Garmin Fenix 8 was perhaps the most anticipated watch from Garmin in a very long time, and the reveal didn’t disappoint.
The Garmin Fenix 7 series has been consistently rated among the best Garmin watches ever, and the Garmin Fenix 8 is packing most of Garmin’s best hardware features that were introduced in the years since the Fenix 7 was released. Features like an AMOLED display, a microphone and speaker for calls, and an LED torch for attracting attention or running safely at night (and, er, for seeing in the dark) have been folded into the Fenix 8.
It now has new waterproofing and an Apple Watch Ultra-style dive watch capability, cribbed from the Garmin Descent series. The watch can act as a working dive computer for scuba activities down to 40 meters, although in our exclusive chat with Garmin product lead Jon Hosler he revealed that the watch can actually go beyond that depth.
Pros
- Advanced GPS
- New heart rate sensor
- Garmin’s trademark modularity
Cons
- Expensive
- Bulky
No 3 Garmin Venu 3S
The Garmin Venu 3 is a powerful lifestyle tracker with a stunning screen and lots of sports tracking. Thanks to that AMOLED display – plus speakers and microphone – it is powerfully interactive and gives some superb meditation-based guidance, wheelchair user tracking, and doorbell visual alerts on top of its sleep tracking and guidance. Not cheap, but with plenty of skills to back that price tag up.
Unquestionably, the Garmin Venu 3 is a stylish wristwatch that doubles as a fitness tracker and a stylish daily worn. The silicone strap has a simple design, is comfortable, and is waterproof.
It also has a high-end finish thanks to the stainless steel bezel, something that rival curved-screen wearables like the Google Pixel Watch 2 and Apple Watches lack. But you can’t truly appreciate the quality until that screen comes to life. The stunning 1.4-inch AMOLED display on this watch has a high resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. Regardless of the lighting, this incredibly bright and vivid screen makes all of your measurements visible and appealing. Additionally, you have three buttons to facilitate menu interactions, which are effectively used.
For instance, you must confirm using one of the buttons after hitting the red cross on the screen to abandon an exercise. There are two sizes available for the Venu 3: the bigger 45mm size, called the Venu 3S, and the smaller 41mm size, called
the Venu 3. The Venu 3 is available in black, white, or black with a leather strap. There are even more options if you choose the Venu 3S, such as sage gray, rose pink, and soft gold.
Pros
- Stunning AMOLED display
- Wheelchair user tracking
- Speaker and mic built-in
- Intuitive health guidance
Cons
- Priced high
- Lacks some premium training features
Best Garmin watches for women vs men: Is there a difference?
In terms of functionality, Garmin watches for men and women are identical because they are typically unisex. Everybody considers size, weight, and style, and since Garmin watches come in a variety of sizes, we’ve detailed those alternatives in our comprehensive reviews. Generally speaking, those with narrower wrists choose lighter and smaller timepieces, especially running watches.
If you’re interested in women’s health tracking, you should also think about the features that are offered. Even though the majority of Garmin watches provide the option to track menstrual cycles using heart rate, skin temperature, and other information they gather, you can opt out or disable the capability in Settings.
How we test?
We wear a Garmin watch every day for at least two weeks in order to give it a complete picture of our fitness and health and make sure the battery performance meets expectations. To find out which Garmin watch is better for what, we used them for sleep, exercise, and recuperation. We evaluated the quality of their training resources, the responsiveness of their heart rate monitors, and the precision of their GPS tracking. We’ve even assessed their overall design, battery life, and display quality.
To get an estimate of how long the watch’s battery will last under normal conditions, we track at least five exercises throughout those two weeks and, if available, activate SpO2 tracking. We can also use a battery monitor app to see how quickly the battery runs out if the watch allows app downloads from Garmin Connect.
We assess the watch’s GPS accuracy by running it on pre-measured courses multiple times and comparing the findings to those of a competing watch, typically an Apple Watch Ultra, and equivalent route-mapping apps on our phones. We utilize Garmin Connect to generate a new route, sync it to the watch, then use it to navigate it if it has mapping capabilities.
We’ll examine the specifics of measurements like heart rate variability and sleep scores while testing the watch in a range of scenarios, from indoor cycling to running. Is the abundance of information comparable to watches in its price range? Is the presentation informative or complex?