Best Garmin watch 2021: Fenix, Forerunner and Vivo compared
(Pocket-lint) - Garmin is one of the major names in the world of fitness, and in its portfolio it has an utterly vast variety of trackers and gadgets. Within each of its product families, it provides not only a variety of options, but also a broad range of sport-specific devices and lifestyle choices.
It can be overwhelming to choose a Garmin, but you're in the right place to demystify the range. Before diving into the details of what each system can do, we are going to quickly tell you how each form of device is placed.
Garmin fitness tracker quick summary
Before we go any further, this is how the main families of Garmin devices break down:
- Fenix - Premium outdoors watches, several versions - for those who want the best of everything with a premium look and price.
- Forerunner - Top-tier sports watches, several versions with a leaning towards running - best for multi-sport athletes and runners.
- Vivoactive - Fitness watches, several versions - best for fitness fans who want a little more information.
- Vivomove (Luxe & Style) - Watches with hidden fitness tracking functions
- Venu - Garmin's Apple Watch rival
- Instinct - Rugged GPS watch
- Legacy - Themed smartwatches with fitness features
- Vivosport - Fitness band with GPS - best for general fitness without being bulky, good for casual runners.
- Vivosmart - Fitness band, several versions - best for those wanting a general fitness tracker and step tracking.
- Vivofit Jr and Jr 2 - Fitness band for kids - best for children.
It is possible that you are interested in anything from the Forerunner or Vivo ranges if you are looking at a Garmin system, since these are the key devices covering most sports and fitness applications. Some of the more unusual devices, like Swim, Epix or Descent, are not shielded.
Garmin Forerunner ranges from a basic running watch to the fitness tool for a professional competitor, so there's plenty of variety to choose from - and plenty of price difference. Choosing a watch that does anything you need it to is the main thing.
Garmin Fenix 6
The Garmin Fenix 6 provides the best, but also the most expensive, Garmin experience. It comes in a range of forms, including 6, 6S (smaller), 6 Pro (with WiFi, music and mapping) and 6X, which is both, but larger in size. As well as solar charging models, there are Sapphire versions too. For the best mix of features and value for money, our hot pick is the Fenix 6 Pro. It has a larger monitor and a longer battery life than the Fenix 5 Plus.
The Fenix 6 has a battery life of 14 days, 10ATM waterproofing, GPS, heart rate, altitude, barometer and temperature sensors, all linked to your smartphone. From regular steps to multi-day activities, it provides stellar sports tracking performance; it offers customization, quick change harness, and compatibility with the wider Garmin system.
All the data is evaluated with feedback on the success of training and recovery through daily stress and sleep quality. It also supports mobile payments.
Garmin Fenix 5 Plus
To the excellent Fenix 5, the Fenix 5 Plus was introduced, piling in more features. The main improvements are support for Garmin Pay and music, from broader GPS standard support to topographical charts, ensuring that the 5 Plus is more accomplished as a standalone watch than the older Fenix 5 - and similar to the current Garmin Fenix 6. For various sizes, the 5 Plus also comes in 5, 5S and 5X models.
The Fenix 5 Plus battery is not quite as good as the Fenix 5, but for those wanting a luxury outdoor and sports watch, it is a complete experience. Basically, it provides everything that the top Forerunner models do, just bundled in a much more robust box.
Garmin Fenix 5
Launched in 2018, the Fenix 5 updated the Fenix 3 comprehensively, but the Fenix 5 Plus models, which offer more overall, were soon updated. That means that some of the latest features are missing from the Fenix 5 - support for Garmin Pay and music via Bluetooth headphones, but it still offers great tracking and results for sports.
If you are looking for a quality watch to track your sports, in terms of what it provides, the Fenix 5 still rivals the Garmin Forerunner 935 - and the improved looks could make it more appropriate for daily wear.
Garmin Forerunner 945
The Garmin Forerunner 945 is Garmin's newest top-tier watch that takes all that the Forerunner 935 provides and fills in the gaps. It not only provides a wide range of sports monitoring features, but it also adds Garmin Pay to the list, as well as offline music support.
That means you can attach via Bluetooth to your headphones and listen to your favourite songs from services such as Spotify and Deezer. That sees a slight price bump, but it also adds full colour offline mapping and emergency call functions to alert individuals if you have a driving or running problem.
That's on top of support for a wide range of sports, system compatibility across the Garmin range, and tracking for a wide range of metrics.
Garmin Forerunner 935
The Forerunner 935, the flagship Forerunner wearable of 2017, replaced the 925XT with almost the same feature set as the Fenix 5, but in a smaller and slightly more affordable package - with a more sporty style - as the top multisport watch offered by Garmin.
The Forerunner 945, which adds music and payments to an already expansive list of sports monitoring features, has now been replaced. Although the 935 is a fantastic product, the 945 is the best smart watch, providing a little more versatility. Nonetheless, if it's just sports that you're involved in, then look for a deal on the Forerunner 935, or consider the more recent 745.
Garmin Forerunner 745
The Garmin Forerunner 745 replaces the old 735XT, which is a multi-sport watch for triathlon or other multi-sport activities. It is filled with many of the same metrics and characteristics as the 945 flagship, covering in great detail activities like running, swimming and cycling.
It's a package that's more compact than the 945 and it's a bit cheaper, with the biggest difference being the overall battery life on offer. But, if you want to support your triathlon training or your running aspirations with all the features, then the Forerunner 745 is a great option.
Garmin Forerunner 735XT
The 735XT was Garmin's first wrist-based heart rate watch, a step down from the Garmin Forerunner 935 (but it's still completely compliant with other external sensors) and what a watch it is. Like the 935 and 945, it is built with complete triathlon and duathlon support for the multi-sport athlete - including the tailor-made preparation you may be doing for those activities - as well as daily running, cycling, swimming, and much more.
The main difference is that the user interface is not as logical and slick as the top models and the show is not as rich in graphics. Although the data it returns is much the same, while it does it, it doesn't look quite as good and the battery life isn't quite as long.
The 735XT is a hot option for advanced features and greater affordability - but it's a little older than many of the watches on this list.
Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
Garmin Pay is also provided elsewhere by the Forerunner 645 Music, and it was the first Forerunner to do so, but you can spot the similarity between this model and the Garmin Vivoactive 3. The Forerunner 645 leans towards being more of a smartwatch than any other Forerunner devices in that regard. That means it doesn't have the power to compete with the likes of the Forerunner 935, but it offers iPhone and Android notification compatibility and plenty of customization.
Garmin Forerunner 235
The Garmin Forerunner 235 which sound numerically like a huge step down from the 735XT, but the architecture is very similar to the 735XT and part of the same generation. It has been replaced with the 245 now, but it's still a working unit.
While it still includes heart rate, GPS and other sensors, there is no digital compass and less functions for navigation. It will let you navigate back to your run's starting point, but does not have point-to-point navigation.
The Forerunner 235 also loses out on many of the advanced running dynamics provided by the 735XT and 935, even though that probably won't bother you too much if you're a fitness runner.
Similarly, while the 235 supports some external devices, that support is not as wide as the Garmin family's higher-level versions. However, it connects via Garmin Link to your phone and provides you with updates, so for many, this will be all the running watch they ever need.
Garmin Forerunner 45
It switches from a square style to a round face, so it's more traditional than the Forerunner 35 that it replaces, a serious refresh to the entry-level Forerunner. The Forerunner 45 is a perfect watch for those who want to monitor their training runs, mobile updates, and sleep without paying over the odds for details they don't need.
It has support for a number of sports, including an emergency warning feature if linked to your phone and a battery life of 7 days.
Garmin Forerunner 35
The 35 takes this family of fitness devices into a smaller, squarer, box, providing a drastically different design to other Forerunner versions, so it could cater to a broader variety of runners than the other devices that we have covered so far that are a little bit chunky.
Smartphone synchronization involves critical monitoring such as GPS and wrist-based heart rate, ensuring you can sync your data to Garmin Link and display your stats. But the Forerunner 35 doesn't have a big running memory, storing only the latest activity data.
Running metrics are well covered, but you do not get the kind of advanced dynamics or navigation provided by some of the other Forerunners on this model. The decrease in characteristics means it's simpler, and that could be a welcome difference for many.
While this older model has a shorter battery life and offers slightly fewer features, the design is very similar to the Forerunner 30.
Garmin Vivoactive 4
There's a range of sizes - 42 or 45mm - with the Vivoactive 4, but just one iteration of this fitness tracker. Garmin is moving to simplify things and package the support from the off with the Vivoactive 3, while upgrading the offering over the previous edition, with a version with music and one without.
The Vivoactive includes heart rate, GPS and much more with all Garmin's sports monitoring. In terms of features, it's similar to both the Garmin Venu (below) and the Forerunner 645 Music (above), but when it comes to style, it's a little smart watch. It also supports Garmin Pay and has a touchscreen, as well as buttons, unlike other units. The show can't equal the Venu's quality, but that's why it's less expensive.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 and Vivoactive 3 Music
The Vivoactive 3 is being pushed into new territories by a new watch-like style. The previous edition, the Garmin Vivoactive HR, was very square, but the Vivoactive 3 is more appealing with a high quality round design. Garmin Pay is provided by The 3 to allow you to pay with your watch, without having your phone.
Vivoactive 3, otherwise, is more like a smartwatch than the Forerunner devices, providing touchscreen control rather than button-only control. That might make it a little more lifestyle, but GPS, heart rate dependent on the wrist and more sensors, such as altitude and a compass, increase the information you can gather.
Garmin Venu
Since these two devices are very similar to what they deliver, we have slotted the Venu under the Vivoactive 4. They have the same functions and a very similar layout, but the Venu is fitted with a slightly smaller, but higher resolution, AMOLED monitor. That pits it against the likes of the Active 2 Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch.
However, it's still a Garmin at its core, so apart from having a shorter battery life, it can give you all the benefits of the Garmin ecosystem, including music, Garmin Pay and complete GPS sports monitoring, heart rate and tonnes of more info, as well as connecting to your phone to serve you alerts.
Garmin Venu Sq
The second Venu unit by Garmin is the Venu Sq. Garmin categorizes it as a smart watch, with a square design, a low price point and a selection of features that conform to the essentials. It provides many of the lifestyle features of Garmin, such as automatic monitoring of movement, 24/7 heart rate tracking, steps and sleep tracking.
It also has a GPS that is able to monitor your sports training and results, which not all lower-priced devices do, so it's a capable sports system. It is a decent Garmin for those who want something that is a little smaller and subtle, combined with 6 days of practical battery life and providing mobile alerts. If you want offline music, there is a music version, but it costs a little more.
Garmin Legacy Hero and Saga
Under the Vivoactive 4 and the Venu, we have included these Legacy devices because they follow the same pattern of evolving the same core hardware into something a little more unique. The Hero watches are modelled after Captain Marvel and Captain America, while Rey or Darth Vadar themed devices are provided by the Saga. They also get themed applications to take the excitement of Avengers or Star Wars a little further.
All these devices are exactly the same underneath, with the same monitoring features for fitness and lifestyle, but with a style lick to make them a little different. In fact, like the rest of the range, they are as strong as sports equipment.
Garmin Instinct
Another evolution of the same core concept is the Garmin Instinct, but it is built to be much more rugged. Although the Fenix usually takes the rough role, the Instinct meets the security of Mil-Std 810G, checked to 100m and shock resistant as well - but this watch also provides 14 days of use.
It's a little more chunky than some other Garmin watches, but it will give you the same GPS, heart rate and activity tracking at its core, but it loses out on some smartwatch features - there's no Garmin Pay, no music support.
Garmin Vivomove
The Vivomove is a Garmin solution that is completely different, moving away from sports devices into something more classically styled. This is a hybrid watch family, with a secret display and heart rate tracker, giving you a normal watch face.
It began with the Vivomove HR, but now there is a Vivomove Luxe and a Vivomove Style, both of which are similar in approach, but slightly different in nature. If you're not really searching for a computer that will accompany you on runs, but just monitor your everyday life, then you're likely to be monitored by the Vivomove family.
It will still monitor a full range of activity data despite the subdued looks, reporting back on how successful you were and synchronizing with Garmin Connect on your phone and sending you updates.
Garmin Vivosport
For the Vivosmart HR+, the Garmin Vivosport is a substitute, since this is a fitness band that not only has a heart rate tracker, but also has an integrated GPS.
Vivosport can keep track of your everyday activities such as steps and sleep, automatically detect what you are doing using Move IQ, and provide help for more intentional activities such as running and cycling.
Garmin Vivosmart 4
The Vivosmart 4 is Garmin's latest fitness band, slotting in alongside the Vivosport and providing a blood oxygen saturation wrist-based PulseOx sensor and a heart rate monitor - but no GPS.
To provide input, it includes a small touchscreen monitor, so you can check your steps, sleep, or alerts, but it will also provide a variety of sports tracking. It also provides the Body Battery role of Garmin, contrasting your rest with your operation so that you know when it's time to stop.
Garmin Vivosmart HR+
The Vivosmart HR+ has a very unique collection of features because it is one of the few GPS-containing fitness bands, so it can give you as much details as some of the smaller sports watches, such as the Forerunner 35. The problem it faces is that it is not perfect for GPS reception, and it has been replaced by Vivosport.
Heart rate and GPS send you information about your running routes, while assistance is also available for other activities. It can keep track of your steps and sleep while it's not monitoring sports.
To pass data over, the Vivosmart HR+ syncs with Garmin Link on your phone, while also providing you with some alerts, but provides little in the way of advanced features on the Vivoactive and Forerunner offer.
Garmin Vivofit 4
Back in 2018, the Garmin Vivofit 4 was introduced. This is a simple band that's basically going to do anything for you: you're just wearing it. Once the data is synced to a linked smartphone using Garmin Connect, the Vivofit 4 will automatically recognize the type of operation you have performed.
The Vivofit 4 will allow you to keep track of your everyday hobbies, activities and sleep, while still being safe from water, so that you can wear it in the shower or swimming.
The real selling point of the Vivofit 4, however, is that it has a battery life of 1 year, so there's no need to charge it constantly: you just wear it and get on with your life.
Garmin Vivofit Jr and Jr 2
As an adult band, Garmin retired the Vivofit in favour of the Vivosmart (above), leaving the Vivofit Jr as a system for children. This fitness band for kids has two models, and the main difference is the light.
While the Vivofit Jr 2 switches to colour and improves the resolution, the Vivofit Jr has a mono monitor, so it looks better - while offering a few extra challenge features as well.
With the target of reaching 60 minutes of action a day, the Vivofit Jr will monitor steps and sleep while also providing movement reminders. Chore and reminder features are also available that the parent can monitor and offer incentives.
A number of character-themed versions - including Disney, Marvel and Star Wars - are also available for the Vivofit Jr 2.
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
The Garmin Forerunner 245 is a newer model from 2019, either as a straight update to the 235 below, or as a music version, which adds support from services such as Spotify or Deezer for Bluetooth headphones and offline music. The music edition takes us as it gives the greatest step up.
The Forerunner 245 comes at a high price elsewhere, great for those who want a full range of sports and success monitoring, as well as smartwatch alerts and sleep-like lifestyle tracking.
It also introduces a safety feature so that if you have a problem you can warn someone - if you have your phone with you, while also slightly upgrading the design over the Forerunner 235.
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