15 Best GPS Running Watches For Women (2024), Expert Picks

There’s a reason running is one of the most preferred forms of exercise. It gets your heart racing and helps with fat reduction, promoting personal transformation. Investing in the best GPS running watches for women can help you become more strategic and plan your runs to meet your daily, weekly, and monthly goals. These devices track your performance and fitness level, and help you improve your form, making workouts more effective.

So, if your goal is to get fitter and be more mindful about your runs, this list of our top 15 watch recommendations will definitely be of help. Have a look!

GPS Running Watch Vs. Fitness Tracker Vs. Smartwatch – How Are They Different?

GPS Running Watch –

A GPS running watch provides you with accurate data on your pace and distance while running. These watches are perfect for sports like cycling, swimming, and hiking. They offer advanced metrics like an instant heart rate tracker and calorie count tracker. Some may even have software that helps you plan a workout routine.

Fitness Trackers – A fitness tracker estimates your running distances by counting the steps you have taken. Some fitness trackers may contain a GPS, though that tracking feature may not be as good as that of a GPS running watch.

Smartwatch – A smartwatch will not show you the pace and distance that you have run. But the smartwatch needs to be connected to your phone via Bluetooth app. You will see your fitness progress, sleep score, stress level, etc. uploaded on the phone.

Now that we have decoded how GPS running watches stand apart, let us look at the top brands available on the market.

15 Best GPS Running Watches For Women

1. Best Cost-Effective:Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate & Fitness Tracker

4.3

Image: Fitbit

BUY ON AMAZON | $166.81

The Fitbit Inspire HR is an everyday friendly fitness tracker. This device will serve as a good motivator to reach your fitness goals. This fitness tracker will help you track your progress by letting you know how many calories you have burnt. It has various added features like recording 24/7 heart rate, workout features, calories burned tracker, and goal celebrations.

The 24/7 heart rate helps you track calories burned and resting heart rate and heart rate zones while you workout. This tracker tracks all exercises and training activities, including steps, calories burned, and distance. It also tracks sleep, and this smart feature will give you insights into different sleep stages – deep and REM sleep stages. With an impressive battery life, it lasts up to five days, and the charge time is 2 hours. Check out this in-depth review to get the user insights of using the Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate & Fitness Tracker on YouTube.

Quick Tip

Clean the band with a soft toothbrush dipped in a mild, soap-free solution mixed with water to remove stains and oil residue.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

A whopping 49,113 reviews on Amazon make it obvious that users genuinely love this product.

2. Best Battery Life:Garmin Forerunner 35, Easy-to-Use GPS Running Watch

4.4

Image: Garmin

BUY ON AMAZON | $169.99

The Garmin Forerunner is a stylish, easy-to-use GPS running watch. It monitors your heart rate and also doubles as an all-day activity tracker. Featuring a larger display with a clear screen and long battery life, Garmin can become a great addition to your daily exercise routine. The watch has an elevated wrist heart rate technology.

The GPS can track how fast you walk or run, even when you are under a tree. The watch does not need a phone. It comes with vibration alerts that notify you of running prompts. It also tracks milestones and shows your virtual pacing progress. Although it is a great device, its software may be too complicated to use for some people. For an honest review of the watch, check out this video to explore a reviewer’s experience of using it.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

The product has more than 14,245 reviews and is a top choice all around the world.

3. Most Comfortable:Garmin Vívoactive 3 Music GPS Smartwatch

4.4

Image: Garmin

BUY ON AMAZON | $174.99

This smartwatch from Garmin is a multitasker. It has both music streaming and a sports app, which may become your perfect companion when the workout routine gets a bit dull. Along with its sleek design, it also is very comfortable to wear.

The watch fits wrists with a circumference between 5 to 8 inches. It can store over 500 songs. The Garmin Pay feature in the watch allows you to make payments right from your watch (you do not have to carry your card). The running watch has more than 15 preloaded apps. You can monitor your daily activities and fitness levels with the VO2 max and fitness age estimates. The watch battery lasts for 7 days in the Smartwatch mode and for about 5 hours in the GPS with Music mode. The reviewers mention that the product tracks steps accurately, works underwater, and has a long battery life.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

This product has garnered over 6,584 positive reviews on Amazon, and the number continues to grow.

Attribute	Best Durable	Best Battery Life	Best Comfort
Product Name	Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate & Fitness Tracker	Garmin Forerunner 35, Easy-to-Use GPS Running Watch	Garmin Vívoactive 3 Music GPS Smartwatch
Heart Rate Monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleep Tracking	Yes	No	Yes
Smart Watch Functionality	Limited	No	Yes
Water Resistance	Up to 5 ATM	5 ATM	5 ATM
GPS	Connected	Built-in	Built-in
Amazon Ratings	4.4	4.5	4.5
Amazon Reviews	52,820	14,870	14,578
Buy Now	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

4. Best Screen Size:Apple Watch Series 5

4.2

BUY ON AMAZON | $195

The series 5 watch from Apple is truly stunning. With its always-on feature, you will be able to see the time whenever you want without turning the watch on. One important feature of this smartwatch is that it has an ECG app. This app will read your heart rate and heart rhythm easily, thanks to its electrical and optical heart sensors for heart rate tracking.

Not only this, but the watch also lets you track your menstrual cycle and informs you when the noise around you is too loud to impact your hearing. The watch also comes with a built-in compass, an emergency SOS, and a fall detection feature. It has a 30% larger screen. The Apple Music Library allows you access to over 60 million songs, including podcasts and audiobooks. The most interesting feature of the watch happens to be its watch face. There are over 100 of them you can personalize them in several ways to suit your style. For further information about the Apple Watch Series 5, check out this video detailing a tester’s experience of using it.

5. Best Wrist-Based Heart Rate Tracker:Garmin Forerunner 735XT, Multisport GPS Running Watch

4.5

Image: Garmin

BUY ON AMAZON | $189.95

The Forerunner 735XT is a perfect watch for athletes. This watch has a wrist-based heart rate tracker and comes with smart notifications, automatic uploads, and a connect IQ compatibility. This watch also has a slim feature and an in-built GPS. It is available in two colors – Black and Frost Blue.

The watch offers advanced dynamics for running, swimming, and cycling. These include ground contact time, stride length, vertical ratio, etc. It also has a recovery advisor. You can customize the watch with free watch faces from the Connect IQ store.

6. Best Sleek Design:Coros APEX Premium Multisport GPS Watch

4.5

Image: Coros

BUY ON AMAZON | $349.0

The APEX premium watch from Coros is known for its long battery life. In addition to an in-built GPS, this watch also has a built-in barometer app. This multisport mode watch will also track your sleep. What makes this smartwatch different from others is its 24-day battery life. It has a comfortable and modern design, and you would want to wear this watch everywhere.

This watch bagged the 2019’s Runner’s World Editor’s Choice award. It has a ceramic bezel finish with a sapphire glass and a digital knob. In the UltraMax GPS mode, the battery lasts for about 80 hours. In the Full GPS mode, the battery lasts for about 25 hours.

7. Best Smartphone Customization:Garmin Forerunner 935 Running GPS Unit

4.6

Image: Garmin

BUY ON AMAZON | $229.99

This running watch from Garmin will be a good addition to your workout routine. This may come in handy when you go for a run, as the navigation system in this watch is a class apart. The Forerunner 935 is completely smartphone customizable. One interesting feature of this watch is that it has an in-built electronic compass. The reviews mention the watch receives prompt GPS signals, shows accurate workout data, and has an easy setup. However, this watch comes in two versions – ROW (Rest of The World) and the Asia Pacific. Many have reported varying differences between the two versions and prefer ROW to Asia Pacific.

The watch is comfortable to be worn all day as it weighs only 49 grams. The built-in barometer provides elevation changes. The watch also helps you understand if you are under-training or overdoing it and helps in framing your training plans. It offers dynamics for running, cycling, and swimming, including ground contact time and stride length.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

The overwhelming 2,718 positive reviews on Amazon show how popular this product is with happy users.

8. Best Advanced Sleep Tracking Feature:Polar Ignite – Advanced Waterproof Fitness Watch

4.1

BUY ON AMAZON | $229.95

The Polar Ignite is a waterproof watch with advanced wrist-based heart rate tracker, GPS, and personalized workout guides. The heart rate tracker includes the technology of bio-impedance of electrodes and optical sensors. This water-resistant watch has a lightweight design that makes it comfortable to wear every day.

It suggests workout routines on a daily basis. Its Nightly Recharge feature measures your recovery in the night and gives workout suggestions if you must workout the following morning. The Advanced Sleep Tracking feature gives you inputs on how to get a good night’s rest, thanks to the Polar’s Sleep Plus Stages analysis. Chandel Stallworth, a Personal Trainer reminds you, “Never underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, greater chance of injury during your workout, and just overall grumpiness”.

9. Best For Swimmers:Apple Watch Series 4

4.7

BUY ON AMAZON

This is another one from the Apple watch series, The watch comes with an electrical heat sensor, an ECG app to monitor your heart rate, and personalized workout plans. Its ECG app will notify you about high and low heart rates and irregular rhythms, thanks to its electrical and optical heat sensors.

This watch also lets you share your activity with friends and awards you for reaching your achievements. This app also comes with a walkie-talkie, Apple music, and Apple podcasts that will keep you company during workouts. The watch has an improved accelerometer and a gyroscope for better fall detection. It is swim-proof. It comes with a 50% louder speaker and a 30% larger display. Many reviewers have testified that the product sends gentle action reminders to keep the body moving and allows you to customize all the functions according to your needs.

10. Best Activity Tracking Mode:PlayBetter Garmin Forerunner 55 Black GPS Running Watch

4.5

Image: Playbetter

BUY ON AMAZON | $204.99

The PlayBetter Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Watch can keep tabs on your time, distance, pace, and speed no matter your level of fitness. The battery on this watch can last up to 20 hours when using the GPS function and up to 2 weeks when using the smartwatch function. This watch is lightweight and comfy, making it the ideal smartwatch for jogging and daily life. The watch’s built-in PacePro Technology uses GPS to provide personalized pace recommendations depending on the user’s chosen route or distance. The watch is fortified with HD tempered glass screen protectors, a portable 5000mAh battery charger, and a USB charging connection. The Race Predictor tool uses your level of fitness and exercise data to help you reach your race objective and observe how training affects your expected finish time. It can even notify your emergency contacts about your position if the watch detects any threat.

11. Best Find Your Phone Feature:Huawei Band 3 Pro All-in-One Fitness Activity Tracker

4

Now 7% Off

BUY ON AMAZON | $54.99

The Huawei Band 3 Pro is a high-end running watch. This watch has integrated smart features like a heart rate monitor, GPS, fitness monitor, and sleep monitor. It also has a feature that sends you reminders about your workouts through messages. Another fun feature of this watch is its “Find your phone” feature. This comes handy when you forgot where you have kept your phone.

It also has True Sleep 2.0, a technology developed in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, that gives suggestions for better sleep. Many reviewers agree that the watch also works as a camera shutter remote for your smartphone.

12. Best For Multi-Sport Activities:SUUNTO 9 Peak & Peak Pro

4.2

Image: Suunto

BUY ON AMAZON | $499

The SUUNTO 9 Peak & Peak Pro Sports Watch is a full-featured GPS sports watch designed for the most strenuous activities and travels. Even in hard circumstances, the improved GPS navigation makes it possible for you to view your position as well as your speed and distance traveled with higher precision. The durability of the sports watch was evaluated using criteria established by the United States military. It is resistant to water immersion up to a depth of 100 meters and is constructed from materials of the best possible quality, including sapphire glass, stainless steel, and titanium in some models. The sports watch offers a battery life of 40 hours in GPS mode and 21 days in daily use. It is compatible with over 95 different sports and allows you to keep track of multisport activities as well. In addition, the watch monitors your activity levels by sensing any trackable activity around the clock, including your heart rate, calorie burn, and the number of steps taken, as well as your sleep.

13. Most Lightweight:Fossil Women’s GPS Watch

4.1

Image: Fossil

BUY ON AMAZON | $321.02

This running watch comes with a heart rate and activity tracker that uses Google Fit. The built-in GPS helps with navigation as well as tracking the distance one has run. It works as your personal Google, thanks to the responses from Google Assistant. This is an ultra-lightweight watch that is 40% lighter than other models. It tracks your workout as well, including swimming.

You can also receive notifications from your smartphone and other calendar alerts. The smart battery modes help extend the watch’s battery life for multiple days. It comes with a magnetic USB rapid charger that can charge up to 80 percent in under an hour.

14. Most Accurate GPS:Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS Watch

4.3

Image: Garmin

BUY ON AMAZON | $119.95

This is a cute and easy-to-use running watch that is also button operated. It is waterproof and is a highly sensitive GPS receiver. It also motivates you while running by notifying you when you have completed a mile. An added bonus will be its heart rate and calories tracker and the ability to upload your runs easily to your computer or phone. This watch is available in multiple colors – Pink, Silver, Purple, and Red.

The battery lasts for 5 weeks in power saver mode and 5 hours in the training mode. The watch also has different training tools that help track training metrics. Virtual Pacer, one such tool, compares the current running pace with your target.

15. Best Touchless Transition Design:Wahoo ELEMNT Rival Running/Multisport GPS Smartwatch

4.1

Image: Wahoo Fitness

BUY ON AMAZON | $301.58

The Wahoo ELEMNT Rival Running/Multisport GPS Smartwatch features an optical heart rate sensor and barometer. The GPS smartwatch has a robust user interface, made possible by the ELEMNT operating system. The multisport features such as touchless transition, multisport handover, and ideal view zoom provide a smooth performance edge throughout training and competition. It has a battery life of 2 weeks in smartwatch mode and 24 hours in GPS exercise mode. The watch can monitor your heart rate, steps, and calories burned all day, every day. It can even keep track of your sleep patterns. The 64-bit color display, ceramic bezel, and gorilla glass lens of this watch make it not only durable enough to handle your toughest workouts but also stylish enough to wear every day.

Pro Tip

Use a tempered glass cover or other similar screen protectors to prevent screen damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are GPS running watches worth it?

Yes, GPS running watches correctly keep a track of your pace and distance covered without you having to use your phone during running. GPS watches offer accuracy and are widely used by runners.

Are GPS running watches durable?

Yes, many GPS running watches are made of good quality material and are durable.

How accurate are GPS running watches?

On a flat, plain area, the error on GPS running watches is less than 1%. In the urban landscape with buildings, the error margin may be slightly more than 1%. However, the error margin might be more than 5% when running through a rocky forest.

How long do GPS running watches last?

GPS watches may last up to seven or eight years.

How long does the battery last on a running watch?

The battery may easily last between 20 to 35 hours. Expensive watches usually have better battery life.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author of this article, Aditi Naskar, has a diploma in health and wellness with a keen interest in finding the latest fitness gadgets that can help you meet your fitness goals. She has gone through plenty of customer testimonials online and has curated this list of the best GPS running watches for women. These watches help you track your performance and keep you in shape.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Chandel StallworthNCPT, CPT, CES

 

Chandel is a Nationally Certified Pilates Instructor, Personal Trainer, Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, and the owner of Curls & Pilates, a fitness company. She has 4 years of experience and trains some of the top names on the Fortune 500 list, teaching them how to tune into their bodies and create fitness practices that blend strength training and Pilates in with their busy lifestyles.

Read full bio of Chandel Stallworth

Aditi NaskarAssociate Commerce Editor

 

Aditi Naskar has a postgraduate degree in English literature from Presidency University, Kolkata, a bachelor’s degree in education from WBUTTEPA, Kolkata, and a diploma in health and wellness. She is an associate commerce editor with 5 years of experience and specializes in reviewing fitness and health products.

Read full bio of Aditi Naskar

Medha DebCommerce Editor

Medha Deb is a commerce editor with a master's degree in applied linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, which has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts. She specializes in the areas of beauty, health, and wellness and is committed to ensuring that the content on the website is of the highest quality.

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Rajeshwari DasAssociate Commerce Editor

Rajeshwari is a dedicated fitness and lifestyle enthusiast, deeply committed to enhancing our readers’ well-being and vitality. She has a master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from the University of Calcutta.

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