10 Best Running Watches for Women | Garmin, COROS & Polar

Which Are the Best Running Watches for Women?

***Updated in June 2023 to include new Garmin watches.***

When it comes to the best running watches for women, several factors come into play and will have varying degrees of importance to individual runners. Because no 2 runners are exactly alike, no 2 running GPS watches are the same either. This is, of course, a good thing, but finding out which GPS smartwatches offer and even excel at the features you want can be time-consuming and, sometimes, downright daunting.

Thus, the creation of this article. As you shop for the running watch that is right for you, you'll want to know about size and wearability, performance features, GPS accuracy and on-watch navigation tools, health-monitoring, ease-of-use, and, of course, price. Style and bonus smart features like music may also be must-haves.

Get ready, because we're dishing up all the details on the top 9 running watches in our PlayBetter collection. We only offer trusted brands like Garmin, COROS, and Polar, so you know you'll be selecting your new running partner from the best smartwatches the industry has to offer.

The Best Overall Women's Running Watch — Garmin Forerunner 955/955 Solar

The Garmin Forerunner 955/955 Solar manages to pack the most running features into a sleek, lightweight smartwatch. The only minus may be a lack of color options. It is, however, QuickFit band compatible, so you can change the band to a color you prefer.

The Forerunner 955 has a 1.3" display, weighing in at 52 g with a physical size of 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 mm. It has a fiber-reinforced polymer bezel and cover. No metal and less bulk give it a slim, lighter fit on your wrist.

The 955 includes profiles for Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running, and Virtual Running. Get highly accurate wrist-based heart rate and VO2 Max for your run and trail run, which tells you how you might expect to perform with heat or altitude factors. Training Status lets you know if you’re training productively, peaking, or overreaching. Training Load compares your most recent stats to your optimal and historical fitness stats. Use PacePro™ pacing strategies for grade-adjusted guidance as you run a course. Real-time Stamina uses your data to track and manage your exertion.

You won't find better navigation than what you get in a Garmin watch. The Forerunner 955 offers Multi-frequency positioning (GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS) for the best tracking in challenging enviroments. You'll also get ABC sensors—an altimeter for elevation data, a barometer to monitor weather, and a 3-axis electronic compass. Topo maps, road and trail maps, round-trip course creator, and Trendline™ popularity routing come standard as well as great navigation tools to help you find your way there and back!

While the Forerunner 955 standard does not have the most battery life management in this lineup, it's still more than sufficient for most runners. But it you need more, you can get the solar-charging option.

Stay on top of your health and well-being with fitness age, Body Battery™ energy monitor, women's health, sleep score and insights, and more. Smart notifications come standard as well as music—store up to 2,000 songs on watch!

Garmin Forerunner 955/955 Solar Price: $499.99–$599.99

Best Running GPS Watch with AMOLED Display — Garmin Forerunner 965

Train brilliantly with Forerunner 965, the premium GPS running and triathlon smartwatch with a stunning AMOLED touchscreen display and lightweight titanium bezel.

And enjoy your favorite training tunes by loading them from services like Spotify®, Deezer, and Amazon Music, and listen through headphones with BLUETOOTH® technology. No phone needed!

Wake up to your morning report with HRV status to see health insights with an overview of sleep, recovery and training outlook (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked). The training readiness feature tells you when you’re primed for a productive session — while daily suggested workouts adapt to performance and recovery alongside the race widget, which provides training tips, course details and completion time predictions.

Navigate any route confidently with multi-band GPS and full-color, built-in maps. With traditional buttons and a touchscreen display, it’s easy to tap into your training status and know whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained.

If you’re pushing to outshine the competition, the Forerunner 965 is there to light up every run with up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

Garmin Forerunner 965 Price: $599.99

Check out the new Forerunner 265/265S with AMOLED display

Best Heart Rate Monitor Running Smartwatch — Polar Vantage M2

Train smarter, not harder, with the Polar Vantage M2. With this GPS running watch as your training partner, you can track your performance in real time and get valuable sleep and recovery stats. Plus, you'll also get the advanced wrist-based heart rate that Polar is known for!

Polar Vantage M2 uses the Polar Precision Prime™ sensor fusion technology to track heart rate from the wrist. This innovation combines optical heart rate measurement with other sensor technologies in order to rule out involuntary movement that might disturb the heart rate signal and produce unreliable readings.

As far as running features go, this mid-range priced watch offers some high-end features like Polar Running Program, Training Load Pro, and Nightly Recharge. FitSpark training guide offers you different types of daily workouts to choose from that match your recovery, fitness level, and training history.

Get smart notifications, and access to the Polar Flow app where you can keep a running diary, analyze your stats, and visualize your next plan of attack!

The Vantage M2 battery life gets up to 40 hours in training mode (GPS and wrist-based heart rate) or up to 7 days in smartwatch mode with continuous heart rate tracking. Multiple power saving options are available and make this a great running watch for women.

Polar Vantage M2 Price: $299.95

Lightest Running Watch for Women — COROS PACE 2

Keep it super light and ultra fast with the easy-to-use COROS PACE 2 premium GPS running watch for women. There's no fat on this featherlight wearable that weighs just 29 g with the COROS nylon band.

Despite its ultra light weight, it offers a 1.5x more powerful processor, offers 5x more RAM, and 4x more storage than the original COROS PACE.

Furthermore, this super sleek running watch provides a battery life that last 30 hours in full GPS and 20 days in daily use.

And while this premium GPS multisport watch has an attractive price, it doesn't skimp on training features. It's packed with sports modes for running, biking, swimming, strength training, and has an impressively accurate track run mode!

This mighty and light GPS watch is available with a breathable nylon band, and the COROS DIGITAL DIAL makes it a cinch to use. You can also count on it to auto-detect your body movement and monitor heart rate and calories burned.

This wearable that won't weigh you down and will raise you up to your personal best for an attractive price, is a sassy, spirited running watch for women.

COROS PACE 2 Price: $199.00

Click here to view a full list of product specs.

Best Running Watch with Music for Women — Garmin Forerunner 255S Music

Garmin hit the mark with this running watch with music. For ladies who want both beats and performance metrics on watch without dropping $500 or more—the Forerunner 255S Music is on point.

The "S" in 255S stands for a smaller wrist size with a 1.1" diameter display with a 41 x 41 x 12.4 mm case size. If you prefer a larger screen, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is a 1.3" display with a 45.6 x 45.6 x 12.9 mm case.

This Garmin watch stores up to 500 songs, which for many runners is more than sufficient. Just download your must-have workout tunes from your Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon account and go.

Additionally, you get a nice chunk of running metrics with the 255, including VO2 Max for run and trail run, Race Predictor, PacePro, Recovery Advisor, Training Status, and Training Load—plus new features like wrist-based running power, Morning Report, Race Widget, and HRV Status.

For health, factor in wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery energy monitor, Pulse Ox, women's health, and advanced sleep monitoring.

Get a rich mix of running, cycling, swimming, and gym workout profiles and multi-frequency positioning (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) for more accurate GPS, as well as some highly useful navigation tools like point-to-point and back to start.  

Battery life is impressive for a mid-range sport watch: Up to 12 days in smartwatch, 6 hours in GPS+music, and 26 hours in GPS without music.

Garmin Forerunner 255S / 255 Music Price: $399.99

Get even more motivated over on our Forerunner 255/255S page!

Best Women's Running Watch for Training — Polar Vantage V2

Train like a pro, recover like a pro. The Polar Vantage V2 Premium running watch for women helps you track how hard you've pushed, how your body adapts, and how well you recover. Knowledge is the key to progress, and the Polar Vantage V2 is the tool!

The Running Performance Test lets you track your progress and personalize your heart rate, speed, and power zones. See how your training sessions strain the different parts of your body with Training Load Pro™. It also shows you how much you’ve been training, so you can determine if you’re on the right track.

For triathletes, personalize your power zones and understand your personal functional threshold power (compatible power meter required) with the Cycling Performance Test. Also, the Vantage V2 premium GPS watch supports over 130 different sports. Add your favorite sports to your watch in the Polar Flow app and customize what you see on your watch during each sport.

Find out if your body is ready for marathon or triathlon training with recovery feedback right on your watch from Recovery Pro™(Polar heart rate sensor required). The Leg Recovery Test tells you whether your legs are ready for high intensity training in just a couple of minutes without any special equipment—just your watch! Find out how well you recover from the demands of your day during the night with Nightly Recharge™ recovery measurement.

Plan your route on Komoot and let the turn-by-turn guidance do the navigating for you. Refuel and maintain adequate energy levels during long sessions with FuelWise™. Use the FitSpark™ training guide for ready-made daily workouts that match your recovery, fitness level, and training history.

With a lightweight, slim design, comfortable silicone band, and color touchscreen—the Vantage V2 looks and feels great on your wrist. Get weather, control music from your wrists, and conveniently receive smart notifications right on your watch face. Plus, get a lot more out of this watch, including 40-100 hours of continuous training battery life.

Polar Vantage M2 Price: $299.95

Best GPS Trail Running Watch for Women — Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)

The epix Pro running watch for women is Garmin's latest AMOLED display wonder wearable, that provides a sleek formfactor coupled with a eye-catching screen—and it's loaded with all of this tech titan's amazing training tools, health & wellness monitoring, and smart features.

And it now comes in three sizes, so you an find the right balance of stunning screen and watch feel on your wrist! Choose from a 42 mm (1.2" display), 47 mm (1.3" display), or 51 mm (1.4" display).

Get on-watch activity-specific profiles for the gym, running, cycling, swimming, golf, and outdoor recreation. Level-up with training features, such as heat and altitude acclimation, VO2 Max for run and trail run, Training Status, Training Load, Training Effect, finish time, a virtual partner, course guidance, Garmin and Strava live segments, and much, MUCH more.

Get a whole lot of health monitoring, including wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, Body Battery™ energy monitor, Fitness Age, women's health, and sleep score and insights.

Track in the most challenging environments with access to multi-frequency satellite imagery systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo). Plus, navigate smarter with ABC sensors: altimeter for elevation data, barometer to monitor weather, and three-axis electronic compass. You can download TopoActive maps and use built-in Wi-Fi to do it—no computer necessary. BONUS: the Sapphire models come preloaded with maps!

The built-in LED flashlight on your epix Pro offers variable intensities and strobe modes to give you greater awareness while you train at night.

Get the convenience of smart notifications, Garmin Pay™, and phone-free music.

Battery life is more than enough to get you through. However, if you want to go weeks without charging, you can forego the AMOLED display and get extra-long battery life with the fēnix 7/7S/7X Pro Solar series.

Garmin epix Pro Price: $899.99–$1,099.99

Best Ultra Running Watch for Women — Garmin fēnix 7S Pro Sapphire Solar

The NEW 2023 fēnix 7S Pro Sapphire Solar is a beast offering solar-charging technology, which puts this rugged yet sophisticated GPS wearable over-the-top and makes it the best ultra running watch for women.

Here's what your fēnix 7S Pro Sapphire Solar battery life looks like when you feed it the sun:

• Smartwatch: Up to 11 days/14 days with solar
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 38 days/87 days with solar
• GPS Only: Up to 37 hours/46 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 26 hours/30 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 15 hours/16 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 7 hours
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 90 hours/162 hours with solar
• Expedition GPS: Up to 26 days/43 days with solar

Additionally, the Garmin fēnix 7S Pro Sapphire Solar is more durable with a scratch-resistant Power Sapphire lens and titanium bezel and rear cover. Topo maps come preloaded out of box on this model.

Your loved ones will worry less about your outdoor adventures, because all the fēnix 7S Pro GPS smartwatches have safety and tracking along with that ultra long battery life! And now, you'll also have a super-handy and powerful LED flashlight on your wrist.

All fēnix 7 Pro watches are tough, tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance, making it the perfect running watch for women who frequent trails, multi-day ultra runs, or long journeys into the backcountry.

If you want a larger size, 47 mm (1.3" display) and 51 mm (1.4" display) are available in this family of premium Garmin watches.

Garmin fēnix 7S/7/7X Price: $799.99–$999.99

Best Battery Running Watch for Women — COROS APEX 2 Pro

With the COROS APEX 2 Pro premium running watch for women, you get all the features, quality construction materials like titanium alloy, and the hyper battery life you'd expect from a more expensive GPS watch. It's the perfect training partner for any kind of runner who also wants a designer watch with a simple user interface and a sleek, lightweight fit.

Performence metrics and running features include COROS Trainer for advanced training and analysis and Intelligent Stride model that learns your running form. With COROS Training mode, you can create, share, and even download workouts from professional athletes and coaches. Build your own workout in the COROS App for Running, Cycling, Swimming or Strength Training with virtually no limitations. Select from more than 200+ preloaded exercises to create your ideal strength training session.

Run where you want with GPS route tracking and built-in barometer, altimeter, and compass, and pre-loaded breadcrumb trail maps.

Wrist-based heart monitor, VO2 Max, and step counter help you understand how you're pushing during you run and daily life.

But it's battery life where COROS watches naturally shine. In UltraMax setting, the APEX 2 Pro lasts up to 75 hours using GPS. While using normal mode it provides up to 45 hours, and regular usage up to 30 days.

The digital dial for ease of use, smart notifications, fully customizable home screen, and ultra-comfortable silicone bands top off this smart running watch for women.

COROS APEX 2/2 Pro Price: $349.00–$449.00

Best Running Watch for Beginners — Garmin Forerunner 55

There are runners of all skill levels who want a simplified running watch—especially runners just starting out. The Garmin Forerunner 55 running watch for women is easy to use while still offering a wealth of high-end running, workout, and sport features.

Beginners can simply press a button and start their run and track their time, distance, speed, pace, and heart rate data right from their wrist.

Use great running features like cadence alerts that let you know when you’ve gone outside your target cadence range, helping to improve your running form. It has several built-in activity profiles, including track or virtual running, pool swimming, Pilates, HIIT, and more. Take advantage of Garmin Coach training plans that offer on-screen guidance from expert coaches and free 5K, 10K, or half marathon training plans that adapt based on your goals. Daily suggested workouts take the guesswork out of training by offering personalized run workouts tailored to your training history, fitness level, and recovery time

Built-in GPS tracks how far, how fast, and where you run. PacePro provides guidance to help you tailor your efforts to a selected course or distance. Plus, the finish time estimator lets you select a run distance and get an estimated finish time right on your wrist.

Wrist-based heart rate provides data all day and night. Following a workout, the built-in recovery advisor will let you know how long to rest before your next big effort.

Use the Body Battery™ energy monitor to track energy levels to find the best times for activity and rest. And women can track their menstrual cycle or pregnancy and log symptoms, receive exercise and nutrition education, and more through the Garmin Connect™ app.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS running watch comes in one size, with a slim, bulkless 1.04" diameter color display, and weighs only 37 g. Choose from black, white, or aqua colors.

Garmin Forerunner 55 Price: $199.99