On Test: Best GPS Watches

Over four months, we put every GPS watch we could get our hands on through its paces. Here’s our roundup of the best

We took time to see how they fared and now the results are in

to quibble with about this watch. Sitting low on the THERE’S VERY LITTLE

GPS price scale, it does everything you need it to (and more) without setting you back the GDP of a medium-sized nation.

Physically, it’s light and the display is big, bright and easy to read on the run. It’s simple to operate straight out of the box, with decentsized buttons meaning no sweaty fumbling as you clock up the miles.

GPS lock is consistently under 30 seconds, and if you’re in a hurry, it detects movement without GPS lock, so you can set off and let it find satellites while you run. It also has a wrist-based heart-rate sensor, which was once the preserve of much higher-end tech but is now expected as standard, and the Garmin Coach tailored training plans are excellent – you choose a goal and add details about your mileage and the days you can run etc, and it’ll cook you up a personalised plan and send it to the watch, like a mini coach who sits on your wrist.

Although this is very much a runner’s watch, there is the usual plethora of multisport functions to choose from too, as well as several wellness features, such as stress and body battery (energy) monitors. To sum up, this is a hugely impressive piece of kit that offers runners incredible value for money.