The Best Running Watches Under $250
A running watch doesn’t need a watch , but it’s nice to have a watch on your wrist that tells you how fast you’re running or how many miles you’ve run this week. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a good watch.
The $200-$250 running watch market is quite competitive, and three different brands offer worthy models that can meet virtually any runner’s needs. Let me share my favorites and explain how they differ.
Five Key Features of a Good Running Watch
All the watches on this list perform the following functions, and perform them well:
-
Track your location accurately . All of them use multiple GNSS systems (including GPS), and some even have dual-band GPS for extra accuracy.
-
Display detailed metrics while you run . Unlike some watches that only display heart rate and time, this watch provides detailed data and allows you to customize the display to show exactly the information you need.
-
Get directions and show where you’ve been . This watch doesn’t have built-in maps of the surrounding area, but it can show where you’ve been with a line in the dark. If you get lost, it can show you the way home. You can also sync a route to the watch, and it will tell you when and where to turn to follow that route.
-
Sync and analyze your training data . Easily view your training history and get additional metrics and insights, such as VO2max, training readiness, and more.
-
Track your sleep . While I wouldn’t trust any watch to accurately determine sleep stages or quality, it’s helpful to know how much sleep you’re getting. Metrics like heart rate variability and resting heart rate, measured while you sleep, help you understand how much your workouts are (or aren’t) taxing your body.
Watches that are not on this list
I’m not including Apple, Pixel, or Samsung smartwatches in this list, although you can run with any of them. These smartphone-focused smartwatches can be used while running, but I wouldn’t call them running watches. A good running watch has physical buttons for starting, stopping, and counting laps, as well as built-in running data tracking, and the other key features listed above. That’s what I’ll focus on.
I’m also excluding Whoop and other screenless wearables from this list, as they can’t display data while running, and none of them have their own GPS. And I’m excluding Fitbit—the Charge 6 is suitable for basic tasks , but its functionality is limited.