Thinking of buying a Garmin smartwatch? Compare all series and prices
Looking for a Garmin smartwatch? Here you’ll find all models from every series in one place, with the current prices from all stores side by side. Garmin makes watches for people who really want to do something with their fitness and health data: from a slim model for a narrow wrist to a rugged outdoor watch that lasts for weeks on a single charge. We compare prices 100% independently, so you’ll always see where you can get the best deal. Use the filters for series, screen type, or battery life to instantly find the Garmin that’s right for you.
1 product
fēnix series
Venu Series
Forerunner Series
All Garmin smartwatches
Which Garmin series is right for you?
First choose your series, then your model. Within a series, the watches differ mainly in size, display type, and materials; between series, the overall approach differs. Garmin divides its smartwatches into five lines, each designed for a different type of user.
- fēnix: the premium multisport flagship with titanium, sapphire glass, and built-in maps, plus the longest battery life in the lineup. For those who want it all and are willing to pay top dollar.
- Forerunner: running and triathlon watches, with the Forerunner 570 and 970 as the current top models. Lighter than a fēnix and entirely focused on training data.
- Instinct: the rugged outdoor line, with the Instinct 3 as the current generation. Built to withstand rough use and significantly cheaper than the fēnix, but without the premium finish.
- Venu: the lifestyle series with a bright AMOLED display, focused on health, sleep, and everyday wear rather than extreme sports.
- vívoactive: the affordable entry-level model. The vívoactive 6 handles the most important sports and health features well, without the maps and materials found in the more expensive series.
Garmin, Apple, or Samsung?
Garmin wins in battery life and sports data, but falls short on apps and smart features. An Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch usually lasts just one to two days; a Garmin lasts anywhere from days to weeks, depending on the model. On the other hand, the app selection on a Garmin is much more limited, the voice assistant is less capable, and the controls are buried deeper in the menus. If you mainly want to reply to messages, control music, and make payments at the register, Apple and Samsung offer a smoother experience. If you want to know why your heart rate variability is dropping this week, Garmin is the logical choice.
A practical advantage of Garmin: the watches work with both iPhones and Android phones. An Apple Watch requires an iPhone, and a Galaxy Watch only works to its full potential on Android.
Choose Garmin if you train seriously, want to go several days without a charger, and value in-depth fitness and recovery data.
Choose Apple or Samsung if you’re mainly looking for an extension of your phone: you don’t mind using apps, responding to notifications, and charging it daily.
AMOLED or a power-efficient display?
Several Garmin series come in two display types, and that choice affects your battery life more than any other spec. An AMOLED screen is bright and colorful and easier to read indoors; the power-efficient transflective screen, on the other hand, performs best outdoors in bright sunlight and consumes so little power that some models can even be charged by sunlight. If you keep the screen on constantly on an AMOLED model, the battery life is roughly halved. That’s exactly why the advertised battery life figures vary so widely.
What will you run into?
Garmin watches are expensive, and the top-of-the-line models have become significantly more expensive in recent generations. The larger models are also really big: a 47mm or 51mm case looks bulky on a slim wrist. Expect a learning curve, too, because Garmin packs so many metrics into the app that the first few weeks can be overwhelming. And check in advance whether your bank supports payments via Garmin Pay; that’s less common than with Apple Pay or Google Wallet.
