Are you trying to find running gps units among various brands on the market but aren’t sure where to begin? To assist you in finding the right one, we’ve put together a list of the 7 best to help you pick the perfect one!
We investigated and evaluated a number of the top-selling running gps units on the market in order to create our list of the best. Making a decision among the many options available is never simple. There are an infinite number of models available, each with a distinct price. And as you’ll find out, the best options aren’t usually the ones you imagine! This comparison is rich and relevant because of the numerous factors that were employed. You will find products featured in this ranking not only based on their pricing but also on their features and other customers reviews. To write this review, we completed 21 hours of research and did 41 running gps units tests. You won’t need to pick products at random any more. If you’re unsure of what to look for, browse our list and consult the buying guide!
An overview of our top picks
Table of contents
The best running gps units you can buy today
- Easy-to-use running watch monitors heart rate (this is not a medical device) at the wrist and uses GPS to track how far, how fast and where you’ve run.Special Feature:Bluetooth.
- Battery life: up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode; up to 20 hours in GPS mode
- Plan your race day strategy with the PacePro feature (not compatible with on-device courses), which offers GPS-based pace guidance for a selected course or distance
- Run your best with helpful training tools, including race time predictions and finish time estimates
- Track all the ways you move with built-in activity profiles for running, cycling, track run, virtual run, pool swim, Pilates, HIIT, breathwork and more
- Tune in to your body with advanced wellness features, such as intensity minutes, fitness age, all-day respiration and more
- Customize your watch with free watch faces, data fields, apps and widgets from the Connect IQ Store (requires Garmin Connect app and Connect IQ app loaded on a compatible smartphone)
- Take the guesswork out of training with suggested workouts of varying intensities based on your training history, fitness level and recovery time
- Built with an always-on, full-color display that’s light on the wrist and easy to read even in direct sunlight.Special Feature:Waterproof.
- Battery life: up to 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode for a full picture of your health — from sleep to training; plus, get up to 42 hours in GPS mode and up to 80 hours in UltraTrac mode
- Click or swipe through maps and stats with traditional button controls or a new, responsive touchscreen
- Whether you’re running on city streets or riding densely covered trails, Forerunner 955 provides full-color, built-in mapping to keep you on track
- Access multiple global navigation satellite systems, and get access to multiple frequencies sent by navigation satellites for improved accuracy in areas where GNSS signals are reflected, weak or typically don't penetrate — giving you superior accuracy for how far and how fast you’ve run — even in challenging environments
- From the moment you wake up, get a training readiness score based on your sleep quality, recovery, training and more, so you can determine whether it’s a good day to go hard — or take it easy
- Get ready for your next race with race widget — which provides training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts and completion time predictions based on course details, weather and performance
- Using new indicators such as HRV status, your recent exercise history and performance, get an easy insight into your overall effort with training status — and know whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained
- Receive an overview of your sleep, recovery and training outlook as soon as you wake up with morning report — alongside HRV status, training readiness and weather; you can even customize your report to show what you want to see (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- With HRV status, gain a deeper understanding of your overall health, recovery and training performance through HRV while you sleep, based on technology developed by our Firstbeat Analytics team (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Rugged GPS smartwatch is water-rated to 100 meters and thermal- and shock resistant with fiber-reinforced polymer case and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla glass
- Battery life: up to 28 days in smartwatch mode; up to 30 hours in GPS mode
- Live the ultimate connected life with smart notifications and Connect IQ compatibility when paired with your compatible smartphone.
- Track your adventures with the built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter, plus multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo)
- Understand your body better with all-day health monitoring features that track your heart rate, sleep, Pulse Ox, respiration and more (Pulse Ox not available in all countries. This device is intended to give an estimation of your activity and metrics; it is not a medical device)
- Built-in sports apps to take on running, biking, swimming, strength training and more; plus, VO2 Max and other training features
- Comfort, Lightweight, Durable: With the Super-light sleek 11.7mm body and 30g Weight (with nylon band), COROS PACE 3 Sports GPS watch is made to be worn all day and night in completely distraction-free comfort.
- Always-on 1.2" transflective touchscreen display: The COROS PACE 3 offers a touchscreen experience. Touch Screen Settings include three modes Always On, Navigation and Activity Interface, and Navigation Only. You can know about how to set this in the A+ page.
- Extended battery life: Designed to increase battery capacity, COROS PACE 3 Sports watch GPS maximizes time on your wrist. 38 HRS Continuous GPS Use or 17 DAYS Continuous Daily Use (with Daily Stress disabled).
- Accurate GPS with Dual-Frequency: With optional Dual-Frequency, A redesigned satellite chipset will keep your GPS data accurate and GPS coordinates, even in high-rise cities. Including the air pressure, and estimated elevation.
- ROUTE PLANNER: Easily build custom routes or search for a destination and sync to COROS PACE 3 Sports GPS watch on the Explore page in the COROS app. Breadcrumb navigation feature to help you stay on track with many powerful tools.
- Extensive Activity Modes: Run, trail run, bike, swim, strength, Snowboard, Ski and XC Ski. COROS PACE 3 Sports watch GPS provides an extensive range of activity modes that are optimized for accurate measurement.
- Fit for performance with rugged, sophisticated design that features an always-on 1.3” (18% larger than previous fēnix models) sunlight-readable display with bezels in stainless steel, titanium or diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating
- Enhanced estimated wrist heart rate and Pulse Ox to support advanced sleep monitoring and altitude acclimation at high elevations (this is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition)
- Advanced training features include PacePro for grade-adjusted pace guidance throughout your activity plus environmentally adjusted VO2 max and training status estimates
- Navigate the outdoors with preloaded TOPO maps, ski maps for over 2,000 worldwide ski resorts, multiple global navigation satellite system (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) support and built-in sensors for 3-axis compass, gyroscope and barometric altimeter
- Support for Garmin Pay contactless payments (not all countries and payment networks are eligible), music storage with premium streaming service (may require subscription with third-party music provider) support, smart notifications and more
- GPS running smartwatch with music advanced training features
- Sync with music streaming services, such as Spotify, to easily store and play your favorite songs right from your watch
- Evaluates your current training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it; offers additional performance monitoring features
- Get free adaptive training plans from Garmin Coach, or create your own custom workouts on our Garmin Connect online fitness community
- Provides advanced running dynamics, including ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more (When used with Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Run or HRM-Tri monitors (sold separately))
- Safety and tracking features include incident detection (during select activities) which sends your real-time location to emergency contacts through your paired compatible smartphone
- Battery life: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode; up to 6 hours in GPS mode with music
- Easy-to-use running smartwatch with built-in GPS for pace/distance and wrist-based heart rate; brilliant AMOLED touchscreen display with traditional button controls; lightweight design in 43 mm size
- Up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours in GPS mode
- Reach your goals with personalized daily suggested workouts that adapt based on performance and recovery; use Garmin Coach and race adaptive training plans to get workout suggestions for specific events
- 25+ built-in activity profiles include running, cycling, HIIT, strength and more
- As soon as you wake up, get your morning report with an overview of your sleep, recovery and training outlook alongside weather and HRV status (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- With training effect and training effect labels, you’ll see how your workouts impact your fitness and understand the primary benefit achieved from your workout.; recovery time lets you know how long you need to recover before your next high-effort workout
- Safety and tracking features, including incident detection (during select outdoor activities) and Assistance, send a message with your live location to emergency contacts when paired with your compatible smartphone; requires setup and your smartphone to be in an area with network coverage where data connectivity is available
- Never miss a call or text with smart notifications from your paired Android or Apple smartphone
- Leave your cash and cards at home; Garmin Pay contactless payments let you pay for purchases on the go (with a supported country and payment network)
- See your health and fitness information, connect and compete with friends, and sign up for challenges to earn badges and more in the Garmin Connect smartphone app
- (Playback Language)
- 17 built-in activity profiles including running, cycling, pool swimming, virtual running, Pilates, HIIT and breathing exercises.
- Suggested daily training taking into account the level of fitness.
- Free training plans to prepare a 5 km, 10 km or half marathon.
- GPS/Glonass/Galileo: allows you to know its position more precisely even in the steepest areas. Built-in G-sensor.
- Features PacePro, Finish Time and Recovery Time for perfect effort management.
- Display Size: 1.04 inch
- Included components: Forerunner 55, Charging cable, Documentation
- (Playback Language)
- Built with a slim design and an always-on, full-color display that’s light on the wrist and easy to read even in direct sunlight — with available sizes of 46 mm and 41 mm
- Forerunner 255 provides up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 30 hours in GPS mode for a full picture of your health — from sleep to training
- Morning report summarizes your sleep, HRV status and daily workout suggestion in one place as soon as you wake up (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Get ready for your next race with training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts and completion time predictions based on course details, weather and performance
- View your entire week of daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run to match your performance and recovery
- HRV status tracks your heart rate variability while you sleep, giving you greater insight into your overall wellness, recovery and training performance (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Get free adaptive training plans from Garmin Coach for a 5K, 10K and half-marathon, or create your own custom workouts in the Garmin Connect smartphone app
- Evaluates your current training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it; offers additional performance monitoring features, including recovery time after your workouts
- When using a Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Pro monitor (sold separately), get a continuous measurement on your wrist of how much power you’re applying to the road as you run, so you can manage your effort
- When using a Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Pro monitor (sold separately), get advanced running dynamics, including ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more
- Bright, high-resolution 5” glass capacitive touchscreen display lets you easily view your route
- Get more situational awareness with alerts for school zones, speed changes, sharp curves and more
- View food, fuel and rest areas along your active route, and see upcoming cities and milestones
- View Tripadvisor traveler ratings for top-rated restaurants, hotels and attractions to help you make the most of road trips
- Directory of U.S. national parks simplifies navigation to entrances, visitor centers and landmarks within the parks
- Includes detailed map updates of the North America
- Provides spoken turn-by-turn directions with Garmin Real Directions landmark guidance feature
- Brilliant AMOLED touchscreen display with traditional button controls; lightweight design in 46 mm size
- Up to 13 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS mode
- As soon as you wake up, get your morning report with an overview of your sleep, recovery and training outlook alongside HRV status, training readiness and weather (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Plan race strategy with personalized daily suggested workouts based on the race and course that you input into the Garmin Connect app and then view the race widget on your watch; daily suggested workouts adapt after every run to match performance and recovery
- Training readiness score is based on sleep quality, recovery, training load and HRV status to determine if you’re primed to go hard and get the most out of your workout (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- 30+ built-in activity profiles include running, triathlons, cycling, open-water swimming and more
- Using indicators such as HRV status, recent exercise history and performance, get insight into overall effort with training status — and know whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Safety and tracking features, including incident detection (during select outdoor activities) and Assistance, send a message with your live location to emergency contacts when paired with your compatible smartphone; requires setup and your smartphone to be in an area with network coverage where data connectivity is available
- Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology provides superior positioning accuracy in challenging environments while also optimizing the device’s battery life
- Never miss a call or text from your paired Android or Apple smartphone with smart notifications · Leave your cash and cards at home; Garmin Pay contactless payments let you pay for purchases on the go (with a supported country and payment network)
- Built with a slim design and an always-on, full-color display that’s light on the wrist and easy to read even in direct sunlight — with available sizes of 46 mm and 41 mm
- Forerunner 255 Music provides up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 30 hours in GPS mode for a full picture of your health — from sleep to training
- Download up to 500 songs to your watch, including playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music or Deezer (subscription required), and connect with your wireless headphones for phone-free listening
- Morning report summarizes your sleep, HRV status and daily workout suggestion in one place as soon as you wake up (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Get ready for your next race with training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts and completion time predictions based on course details, weather and performance
- View your entire week of daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run to match your performance and recovery
- HRV status tracks your heart rate variability while you sleep, giving you greater insight into your overall wellness, recovery and training performance (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Get free adaptive training plans from Garmin Coach for a 5K, 10K and half-marathon, or create your own custom workouts in the Garmin Connect smartphone app
- Evaluates your current training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it; offers additional performance monitoring features, including recovery time after your workouts
- When using a Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Pro monitor (sold separately), get a continuous measurement on your wrist of how much power you’re applying to the road as you run, so you can manage your effort
- Premium GPS running/triathlon watch with wrist-based heart rate
- Offers advanced running and multisport Features in a comfortable watch you can wear all day, and it only weighs 49 grams
- Provides elevation changes with a built-in barometer; altimeter and electronic compass help you keep your bearings
- Evaluates your training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it and offers additional performance monitoring Features
- The 1.4” Power Sapphire lens harvests the sun’s energy, giving you more power and time between charges
- AutoSelect mode uses SatIQ technology to dynamically determine the GPS mode necessary to maximize battery life without compromising positional accuracy
- The rugged, lightweight design won’t slow you down, and the light UltraFit nylon band provides a secure, comfortable fit during all of your activities
- Navigation tools help you find your way with preloaded TopoActive and ski maps
- A superbright LED flashlight (twice as bright as the fēnix 7X multisport GPS watch) offers variable intensities with a strobe that matches your running cadence; red safety light mode helps you keep an eye on your immediate surroundings while running at night
- The NextFork map guide shows the distance to the next trail intersection; grade-adjusted pace helps you understand how to adjust your pace over varying terrain, and an automatic rest timer logs your breaks
- A variety of built-in sports apps, an Adventure Racing World Series-approved adventure racing app and advanced performance metrics — plus endurance and stamina — help you take your training to the next level
- Traditional button controls that work in any environment are matched with a highly responsive touchscreen interface for quick, convenient access to selections
- Traditional button controls that work in any environment are matched with a highly responsive touchscreen interface for quick, convenient access to selections
- Battery performance with solar charging: up to 46 days in smartwatch mode (Assumes all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions) and up to 150 hours in GPS mode (Assumes continuous use for entire period in 50,000 lux conditions)
- Gps running watch with Garmin Coach training plan support.Supported Application:GPS,Fitness Tracker,Heart Rate Monitor,Sleep Monitor,Music Player. Connectivity technology:GPS. Wireless comm standard:Bluetooth
- Easy to use running watch estimates heart rate at the wrist and features GPS to track your pace, distance, intervals and more
- Works with free Garmin coach adaptive training plans that bring expert, personalized coaching right to your wrist
- Connected features include smart notifications for incoming texts and calls, automatic uploads to our Garmin connect online community, live tracking and controls for the music playing on your paired compatible smartphone
- Safety and tracking Features include incident detection (during select activities) which sends your real time location to emergency contacts through your paired compatible smartphone
- Sports apps for running, cycling, indoor track, treadmill, elliptical, cardio, yoga and more
- Battery life: Up to 7 days in smartwatch mode; 14 hours in GPS mode
- Premium GPS running/triathlon watch with wrist based heart rate; Strap material: Silicone; Smartphone compatibility: iPhone, Android, Windows.Control Method:Application.Special Feature:Smarter Connections.Water Resistant: Yes
- Offers advanced running and multisport Features in a comfortable watch you can wear all day, and it only weighs 49 grams
- Provides elevation changes with a built in barometer; altimeter and electronic compass help you keep your bearings
- Evaluates your training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it and offers additional performance monitoring Features
- Provides advanced dynamics for running, cycling and swimming, including ground contact time balance, stride length and more. Bezel Material: Fiber reinforced polymer
- TrackiPro, 60 days battery life in normal use, up to 200 days in battery save mode. Waterproof, with industry's strongest magnet, hide it under the car discretely. Battery life of 2-7 months per charge, has huge 10,000mAh battery, which is up-to 5 times larger capacity then other trackers and 7 times larger then the round tracker. Unlimited distance 4G worldwide coverage + extra extended 3G/2G. GPS tracking + Wi-Fi tracking using Google's Wi-Fi location database. Durable, professional industrial anti theft GPS tracker.
- World Wide Coverage in 180+ Countries. Advanced Network Technology: uses LTE(4G) CAT4 technology with fallback options to 3G and 2G networks. Ensuring the device will work even with older cellular networks. Supports GPS, QZSS, Glonass, and BDS satellite systems, providing accurate location information. Tracki listens to nearby Wi-Fi routers MAC ID, matching IDs to Wi-Fi database for accurate location when GPS is not available for tracking inside buildings. For each device a monthly fee of 19.95USD is required or as low as 9.95USD for long term plan
- Ultra Long Battery Life Included: The tracker has a battery life of up to 2-7 months per charge, depending on the mode of operation and cellular network conditions. Durable & Waterproof: designed to ensure that it can withstand harsh all weather environments. Battery and All needed accessories included. Size: 3.54 in x 2.52 in x 1.34 in (LxWxH)
- Lifetime warranty including lost or damaged device. TrackiPro is cutting-edge & easy to set up working out-of-the-box within a few minutes. TrackiPro comes included with highly rated smart phone Apps compatible with: Android, iOS and all Internet browsers. Real-time speed, fence crossing, movement & battery alerts via Email, SMS & in-app alerts. Suitable for cargo monitoring, fleet management, golf cart, electric scooter, electric bike
- Multiple accessories to attach. High strength magnet to attach under the vehicle or any steel metal surface. Screw Mount, a special mount to attach the tracker with screws is included and Double sided Tape to attach to any surface. Built in slots allowing use with belts, straps and harnesses.
- Brilliant 1.3-inch AMOLED Display: PACE Pro’s Always-On AMOLED screen delivers vibrant colors and an impressive 1500-nit brightness, ensuring crystal-clear visibility in any light—from bright daylight to pre-dawn hours. Access your data instantly with our fastest-ever gesture-activated backlight.
- More efficient WiFi transfer experience & More Powerful RAM: With over 2x processor performance and 3x zoom speed of its predecessors, COROS PACE Pro delivers the fastest responsiveness in its class.
- Unbeatable Battery: A single charge lasts 38 hours for outdoor activities or 31 hours with dual-frequency GPS. Experience 20 days of non-stop use or a six days when using Always-On display mode.
- Pin-Point GPS Accuracy: An all-new satellite chipset and hardware configuration make PACE Pro's GPS accuracy our most precise GPS performance whether on city streets or remote trails
- Navigation Route Planner: Effortlessly create custom routes with topographical and landscape maps in the COROS app. Send them directly to your COROS PACE Pro watch for seamless turn-by-turn navigation, keeping you on track every step of the way.
- USB-C Charging: The improved charging port ensures a secure connection even on the go. And with the new keychain adapter, you only need one USB-C cable to charge all your devices - reducing environmental impact and waste.
- Better fitness management: The COROS app provides essential insights and tools athletes need to perform at their best, including Training Status, custom workouts, detailed activity summaries, sleep analysis, and more.
- PACE Pro Silicone Band Width: 22mm Wrist size: 130-220mm
How to choose a good running gps units
Does the idea of finding a fantastic running gps units make you anxious? When it comes to purchasing this product, specifically when deciding which model to select, has your head been spinning between options? You are not alone if that is the case. We are aware of the pressure involved in the purchasing process!
Your presence here indicates that you are interested in running gps units. Before choosing which product would be the best for your needs after being inundated with information, locate a reliable source with genuine selections. You can get that information from a variety of sources, including buying guides and rating websites, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family, online discussion forums where users can share their own experiences, product reviews that can be found all over the internet, and YouTube channels. You can only get the right product through exhaustive analysis. But you realize that’s not always simple. In order to ease your concerns, we have taken the time to develop a list of the top running gps units products available right now. You might be wondering how we came up with the list. How was this buying guide developed?
First, we used our algorithms to gather as much reliable data as we could about these products. To verify all the data gathered, we used both artificial intelligence and a lot of algorithms.
Then, our experts used criteria that are recognized in the business to evaluate them according to their quality to price ratio, allowing us to choose the top running gps units on the market right now!
The selection of the goods is not arbitrary. Before creating a list, we take into account a number of factors. Below are some of the criteria discussed:
Brand Value: What happens if you choose a dubious brand just because it appears to be a good deal? So the likelihood of receiving a product with a short shelf life increases. That is due to the fact that well-known brands have a reputation to uphold, while others do not. Top running gps units brands strive to provide some distinctive traits that set them apart from the competition. So, hopefully one or more of the items on our list will be perfect for you.
Features: Useful features are all you need, not tons of them. We consider the important aspects and select the top running gps units based on those.
Specifications: Numbers always help you measure the quality of a product in a quantitative way. We try to find products with higher specifications, but with the right balance.
Quality: A product’s quality may always be quantified with the aid of numbers. We look for goods with better standards that strike the proper balance. The best quality product that gets highly appreciated and recommended by experienced users.
Customer ratings: Would it be accurate to suggest that the running gps units were used by hundreds of customers before you? Superior ratings indicate that many customers had better service.
Customer Reviews: Like ratings, provide you with accurate and reliable information about the product from genuine customers. Customer ratings are very important to all of us because they contain accurate and reliable information about the customer service we received from several hundred customers.
Seller Rank: This is very intriguing! Not only do you need a good running gps units, you also need a product with rising sales that is trendy. It accomplishes two goals. First, the expanding user base proves the quality of the product. Second, given that number, producers must be able to offer greater quality and after-sales support.
Value: You get what you pay for, they say, so consider the value. Cheap isn’t always good and expensive isn’t always bad. However, that does not imply that spending a lot of money on a product that is flashy but underwhelming is a good idea. Before adding them to the list, we make an effort to evaluate how much value you can get for your money from your running gps units.
Durability: Durability and reliability are closely related concepts. You will benefit from a strong and long-lasting running gps units for months and years to come.
Product availability: Products come and go, and new ones replace the old ones. Most likely, a few new features and required changes were made. What use is it to use a supposedly good product if the maker no longer supports it? We make an effort to highlight products that are current and offered by one or more trustworthy sellers, if not more.
Negative Reviews: Yes, we do take that into account as well! The goods with the majority of bad reviews are filtered out and disregarded when we choose the best-rated one on the market.
These are the standards by which we selected our running gps units. Do we end our process there? Hell no. The most crucial fact about us that you should be aware of is that we regularly update our website with current and pertinent information. We have one more layer of filtration since we place the greatest importance on reader satisfaction. Please let us know if any product included here is incorrect, irrelevant, subpar, or simply out of date. We always value your opinions, and we’ll work hard to make any necessary corrections to our list in response to them.
Why should you believe us?
There are now thousands of possibilities for these products on Amazon, but choosing the best one can be difficult and time-consuming. And what running gps units should you purchase in 2022?
This guide is the result of more than 10 years of experience in researching, testing and writing about many topics. Each member of our team is an authority in their area. We read every article we could find online and every consumer review on every retail website for seven hours. Additionally, we discovered a ton of websites that offered helpful resources, including buying tips and thorough information on running gps units.
