I review running watches and these are my top 3 suggestions for most people

I’ve been testing and reviewing running watches for a decade and one thing I’ve noticed in that time is that I get a lot more people asking me which one to get during the summer.

Which makes sense, right? There’s no better time to start running or do more running than when the weather is warm and the days are long.

I’m always happy to give advice because it’s not easy to pick a running watch these days. Not only are traditional sports watch brands like Garmin, Suunto and Coros releasing more devices than ever, but smartwatches from the likes of Apple and Samsung have improved their run tracking a lot in recent years.

Our full round-up of the best running watches available contains a multitude of options to suit different people, but for me it usually boils down to three main options when I’m suggesting a watch.

Those are the top option overall when if money is no object, the greatest value running watch and the one I’d recommend for beginners. Here’s what I consider to be my top trio right now.

My top three running watches

Specs compared

Best overall: Garmin Forerunner 970

The top-end of Garmin’s range is confusing, with the latest models like the Garmin Fenix 8, Enduro 3 and Forerunner 970 competing with each other and older watches like the Garmin Epix Pro, Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro.

I think it’s important to say that for the most part, these watches offer a very similar experience in terms of their features and design.

The day-to-day sports tracking on all of them is excellent, and while the latest models have a few more bells and whistles, any of those older watches is worth looking for in the sales.

However, we’re not walking about bargain-hunting right now, and the Forerunner 970 stands out from the pack of Garmins because it has all the latest features in an impressively light and slim design that I think is better for runners than the bulkier Fenix 8.

The design is also durable thanks to a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal screen — the latter is a key upgrade on the Forerunner 965, which I scratched— and the Forerunner 970 also has a built-in flashlight and a mic and speaker.

I’ve had the Forerunner 970 strapped to my wrist since it launched and have run a couple of hundred miles with it including several races, and the accuracy can’t be faulted. I have a lot of watches to pick from at home, and the Forerunner 970 is the one I use for my own marathon training.

It also introduced some new features for runners to Garmin’s range, including an estimate of your running economy and tolerance in terms of the training load you can handle.

Plus, it's a very good-looking watch, in my opinion, with a bright AMOLED display that rivals what you get on any of the best smartwatches.

Despite this impressive screen, the battery life is still four or five days with the screen always-on when running every day, which is good — though Garmin does offer watches with much longer battery life like the Enduro 3.

Compared to the value and beginner watches I’ve picked out, the upgrades you get with a top-of-the-range device like the Forerunner 970 are a bigger, better screen, a more durable design, more training analysis features, offline maps and better navigation tools.

Best value: Coros Pace 3

Value can be a tricky thing to nail down with running watches, because if a watch doesn’t do what you want or need it to, it’s not good value, no matter how cheap it is.

I think the Coros Pace 3 is the watch that offers the best balance of features and price for most people, but you might find that there are others that suit you better, especially in sales.

For $230 you are getting a watch that offers dual-band GPS tracking that’s as accurate as on watches that cost over $1,000, and Coros offers the same training analysis and advice across its range, so the Pace 3 is as good as the flagship Coros Vertix 2S watch on this front.

While the all-plastic design of the Pace 3 might not suit everyone’s taste and it’s not as hardy as a metal, I like the small and lightweight watch, and it fits well on smaller wrists.

The Pace 3 also comes in a range of colors and with different bands — I’d get a nylon band myself, they’re more comfortable than the standard silicone one.

For such a small watch the Pace 3’s battery life is sensational. It routinely lasted me five or six days on a charge even with heavy use, and I wore it for a 50-mile ultramarathon during testing without any fear it would run out of juice during the race.

Part of that long battery life is down to the memory-in-pixel screen, which is not as bright as an AMOLED watch, but it’s still easy to read in all conditions.

Whether you’re a new runner or a veteran, the Pace 3 will tick all the boxes you really need from a watch, and it does so at a great price. I’ve recommended it so often it’s become a regular sight on the wrists of people at my running club.

Other watches I consider great value include the Suunto Run, an impressive entry-level AMOLED watch, and the Garmin Forerunner 965, which isn’t cheap but is more affordable than most top-end Garmins with maps, especially in sales.

Best for beginners: Garmin Forerunner 165

I think one of the best things about modern running watches is the amount of guidance they can offer new runners to help them get off to a great start with the sport.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 exemplifies this through daily suggested workouts, easy-to-understand training analysis, and even full training plans for events you can follow on your wrist.

All of these can help you avoid the biggest pitfall for new runners, which is going too hard, too soon. This can risk injury or just make running feel like too much of a slog to carry on with, whereas a slow and steady introduction to the sport will hopefully create a long-lasting love for it.

These are features available across Garmin’s range, but the Forerunner 165 is more affordable, especially as it often features in sales now for $50 less than its MSRP.

It comes in two models, one with music and one without. The music feature allows you to store MP3 files and sync over playlists from streaming services including Spotify, so you can run without your phone and listen to audio if you like.

The lightweight plastic design is comfortable to wear 24/7 and there are some attractive colors to pick between in the Forerunner 165 range. The watch has an AMOLED screen and is stylish enough to wear outside of runs in my opinion, though I’m not necessarily a great barometer for style.

While I recommend the each to new runners in particular, it has enough features for more experienced runners too, which I think is important — this isn't a watch you'll have to ditch a year after starting running because it doesn't do enough.

Conversely, it also offers a lot outside of running, being a great activity and sleep tracker that also with a wide range of sports modes and some handy smart features including contactless payments alongside music.

So if running doesn't take for you, and as much as I love it, I know it isn't a sport for everyone, the Forerunner 165 will still be a useful watch to have on your wrist.

That's one reason I also rate the Apple Watch Series 10 as a great beginner running watch, because although it's not as sporty as the Forerunner 165, it's still a great tracker and has lots of appealing features outside of running too.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ran a half marathon with the Garmin Forerunner 570 vs. Garmin Forerunner 265 — here’s the winner
• The best Garmin watches to have on your wrist
• Garmin Fenix 8 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2 marathon test