GARMIN FORERUNNER 645
$580
The Forerunner has long been the bread-and-butter running watch for the vast majority of runners. This new mid-level model does everything you’d want a GPS unit to do (an accurate, fairly quick connection, a gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, barometric altimeter, compass, heart-rate monitor and even GLONASS, which is an alternative to GPS, in case there are issues with that system). The 645 uses these sensors to tell the obvious (pace, distance, time), but can also work as a personal coach and lab tech on your wrist.
All that stuff is nice (and expected at this price point), but the hype around the 645 is that it can play music. It uses Bluetooth to connect to wireless headphones, a first for a Garmin watch. This requires you have access to downloadable files, and it works seamlessly in that regard, storing up to about 500 songs on the watch. Where there could be problems is with streaming services, as most require a paid subscription to listen to music offline, and even then don’t truly give you access to these files in order to upload them to a device offline, such as this watch. Garmin says it’s working with certain services (they already have iHeartRadio as a partner), but it will be key to get the major players onboard, including Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play.