The 6 best GPS fitness and smartwatches of 2024, according to a competitive athlete

At one point last year, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 became as common as the iPhone. I’m not surprised: Starting at $1,099, this versatile wristband is a good investment for Apple users. Behind its glossy, customizable screen and titanium shell is essentially a replica of your iPhone, with access to your apps, podcasts, music, fitness profile, wallet and more. The Ultra 2 also comes with a few new features: On-device Siri, a precise finder for your other Apple devices, and nifty functionality that lets you control the frame by double-tapping your index finger and thumb.

With all this said, the Ultra 2 comes with a few minor pitfalls for demanding athletes. The head is relatively bulky compared to Apple’s smaller models, or any model for example. Garmin Pioneer; and the array of functionality is enough to confuse those who only want speed and time. However, there is no better option for those who want to carry a mini phone on their wrist.

If one day I dare to climb the Himalayas, Polar Grit X2 Pro on my wrist. Yes, this Swiss army knife used as a watch costs a small fortune, but it has the power to back it up. Not only is it physically indestructible (the frame is stainless steel wrapped around scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass), but it also comes with military-grade navigation technology. This includes a GPS map that can be accessed even when offline, providing accurate elevation profiles, an altimeter, a turn-by-turn route, as well as instructions on how to return to any previous point in your journey.

The antidote to Murphy’s law. What I like about it is that it also addresses my more basic fitness needs: getting my effort levels and workout readiness out of my heart rate.

While Apple Watch Ultra 2 has become a popular wristband for the masses, COROS It positions itself as the watch brand for professional athletes. You don’t have to be a world-class runner or triathlete to buy and enjoy the Vertix 2, but using its features will make you feel like one. It has an optical sensor that captures accurate heart rate data, gives personalized nutrition tips, and even generates incoming storm alerts. All of this – along with pace and distance, of course – is displayed in a very sexy and user-friendly COROS app. Stravafitness platform for athletes.

There is no confusion that the watch is built for high performance. The entire package of the Vertix 2s is tougher than that of the Apple Watch or Garmins, and tough as nails: The titanium frame and sapphire display can withstand extreme cold and heat, and can even operate 100 meters underwater.

I’ve been a competitive distance runner for over a decade, and the Garmin Forerunner 935 is more helpful to me during training than any watch on this list. Of course, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has no parallel as a 24-hour wearable, but I’m totally 935 from start to finish of my workout.

Here’s why: Many wearable devices collect a lot of data and pass it on to you without consequence; Forerunner 935 collects information about your sleep quality, the previous week of exercise, and heart rate variability, compares it to your scores over time, and provides recommendations on how hard you should push based on previous sessions.

The guidelines help me avoid overtraining, even injuries, and the suggestions make sense: They are on par with the plans the coaches suggested to me, and I now trust them enough to guide my decision on the timing of tough workouts. The watch also weighs just 49 grams, which is incredibly light for the power it packs.

If you’re in the market for a smartwatch that’s an extension of your phone, you’ll likely choose between the Ultra or Pixel, depending on whether you’re currently affiliated with the Apple or Android team. I’m an Apple user and had never tried the Pixel Watch until Google gifted me this for testing.

It’s like a Fitbit on steroids, with a full library of exercise and mindfulness sessions; It is more useful for people looking for guidance or motivation than for experienced athletes. The latter may find the offering simple and prefer the deep data from, say, a Vertix 2s. However, since I’m more nervous than most, the appeal of the Pixel 2 for me was its stress feedback.

The watch recommends awareness applications based on the bodily feedback it collects, such as heart rate and skin temperature, with the original Pixel’s reinforced sensors. The clock itself won’t stress you out—that’s your responsibility—but reminders to take a break are still helpful.

It’s hard to find high-quality wearables under $300 these days; but Garmin Forerunner 55 is an exception. I’ve long been a fan of the Forerunner series because, as a distance runner, these watches provide me with simple but important basics (pace, time, distance) without having to search through a web of functionality.

Of course, you might not be able to take calls, send emails, or double-tap between three dozen apps like the Apple Watch; and I found personalized functions like the race time estimator and fitness calculator to be less on target for me than those on the Coros Vertix 2s or Polar Grit X2. But the Forerunner is indistinguishable from its counterparts during training, other than being pleasantly lighter.

Bonus: Less frills means less battery use. Forerunner 55 can survive for two weeks without paying anything.