These days, fitness watches are ubiquitous, and Garmin is one of the undisputed leaders in the world of wearables. The best Garmin watches for women track everything from your workouts to your cycle, allowing women to gain a comprehensive understanding of their personal health. Our top pick, the Garmin Fēnix 7S, is an ideal mix of style and performance, while our best pick for small wrists, the Garmin Vivosmart 5, is minimal enough to forget it’s even on your wrist.
Use one of the best Garmin watches for women to keep track of steps, miles, monthly cycles and so … [+] much more.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailers
Although Garmin’s fitness watches don’t look so different from the competition, there is one feature that continues to set them apart: Women’s Health Tracking. The application, unique to Garmin wearables, allows women to gain a comprehensive understanding of their personal health. Whether you’re logging miles or looking for insights into your sleep habits, there’s never been a better time to invest in a Garmin watch. These are the ones we recommend.
Best Garmin Watch For Women Overall: Garmin Fēnix 7S
Best Garmin Watch For Small Wrists : Garmin Vivosmart 5
Best For Music: Garmin Vivoactive 5
Best For Beginners: Garmin Forerunner 55
Best For Battery Life: Garmin Instinct 2S Solar
Best Display: Garmin Forerunner 265S
Best Waterproof Garmin Watch For Women: Garmin Swim 2
Display Size: 1.2 inches | Screen Resolution: 240 x 240 pixels | Weight: 63 grams | Battery Life: 11 days | Water Rating: 10 ATM
Reasons to buy:
A robust collection of features
Smaller watch face caters to thinner wrists
Multiple Fenix 7 models to choose from
Reasons to avoid:
Expensive
More features than most people need
The Garmin Fenix 7S represents the perfect fusion of style and performance—it’s the go-to fitness watch that caters to the needs of active women. And unlike other fitness watches that look like, well, fitness watches, this one seamlessly transitions from workouts to everyday wear, offering a touch of style with different watch faces and bands.
Beyond appearances, what makes the Fenix 7S truly stand out is everything under the hood. From keeping tabs on your menstrual cycle to providing insights into stress levels, it goes beyond the basics in just about every way. And for what it’s worth, the basics activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, breathwork activities, sleep tracking and so much more. After wearing different iterations of the Fenix series over the years, I can safely confirm that this is as good as a Garmin watch gets.
Oh, and while the battery life on this watch is decent (11 days in smartwatch mode), other variations of the Fenix 7S offer better battery life and additional features. The Fenix 7S Pro Solar Sapphire edition features a solar charging display and other extras.
Display Size: 0.41 x 0.73 inches | Screen Resolution: 88 x 154 pixels | Weight: 24.5 grams | Battery Life: 7 days | Water Rating: Swim
Reasons to buy:
Slim profile can pass for a bracelet
Extremely lightweight and easy to wear
Affordable and complete with basic features
Reasons to avoid:
Location tracking relies on a phone connection
The Garmin Vivosmart 5 isn’t so much a fitness watch as it is a daily wellness sidekick that blends simplicity with functionality. Designed with women in mind, isn’t just an accessory; it’s a lightweight, water-resistant device that adapts to any lifestyle. With features like menstrual cycle tracking and insightful sleep data, the Vivosmart 5 keeps tabs on your well-being without missing a beat.
But don’t let its simplicity fool you into thinking it can’t keep up with other smartwatches. The Vivosmart 5 also syncs with your phone to display notifications, and Android owners can even reply to texts from the watch. If you’re looking to track your mileage, keep in mind that you’ll need to sync the watch with your phone’s GPS, which is to say, it doesn’t feature a built-in GPS of its own. After a workout, however, it can tell you when you should opt for a well-earned rest day—something we can all enjoy.
Amazon
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Display Size: 1.2 inches | Screen Resolution: 390 x 390 pixels | Weight: 23 grams | Battery Life: 11 days | Water Rating: Swim, 5 ATM
Reasons to buy:
Stores music via on-device storage, which lets you leave your phone at home
AMOLED display is vibrant and easy to read
Reasons to avoid:
Expensive if you only want music playback capabilities
As someone who thrives on the combination of music and exercise, Garmin’s Vivoactive 5 fitness watch is an ideal tracker that keeps you motivated through every activity. With its sleek design, 4 GB music storage and water-resistant housing, it makes the tough workouts just a little easier—something we all stand to benefit from. The AMOLED display adds a touch of visual class, making it easy to navigate playlists on the fly, and with up to 11 days of battery life and quick-release bands for convenience, it seamlessly integrates into the daily routine.
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Amazon
Garmin Forerunner 55
Display Size: 1.04 inches | Screen Resolution: 208 x 208 pixels | Weight: 37 grams | Battery Life: 14 days | Water Rating: 5 ATM
Reasons to buy:
Built-in GPS at a reasonable price point
Five bezel buttons control the entire interface
Coaching feature suggests workouts and recovery options
Reasons to avoid:
Lacks a touchscreen display
Menus can be difficult to navigate
There are many Garmin Forerunner models worth highlighting, but the 55 stands out as the no-frills option that delivers on the basics without overcomplicating things. The lack of over-the-top features means the battery life here is substantial at 14 days, but you still get the health data you need along with some serious perks, like Garmin’s fitness innovative predictor that lets you know if you’re peaking during any given workout or week. Sadly, the display isn’t a touchscreen, but five easy-to-use buttons along the bezel allow you to toggle between menus and activity options.
And while you can’t store music on the watch itself, you can still expect your phone’s notifications to show up on the display. Garmin’s software also encourages you to view your previous workouts and health stats after you’ve had a chance to catch your breath.
Garmin
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar
Display Size: 0.79 x 0.79 inches | Screen Resolution: 156 x 156 pixels | Weight: 43 grams | Battery Life: 51 days (with solar) | Water Rating: 10 ATM
Reasons to buy:
Extremely long battery life
Heavy-duty materials and design
Available in a wide range of colors
Reasons to avoid:
Expensive
Bulkier and heavier than other Garmin models
If you’re the type of person who absolutely hates when your watch dies on you at the worst possible moment (like the second you happen to leave your house for a run), then the Instinct 2S Solar is for you. It harnesses the power of the sun to keep the battery charged and as long as you’re directly exposing the screen to the sun, the watch has virtually unlimited battery. It’s also built to military-grade standards with materials like Gorilla glass for those of us (most of us, let’s be honest) who beat up on our devices. Under the hood, advanced mapping courtesy of GPS, GLONASS and Galileo helps guide the way and a built-in coach lets you know how your week is going before recommending a potential workout. Oh, and speaking of directions, this watch also uses Garmin’s proprietary TracBack feature that helps you find your way back after setting out from any given location.
The watch is equipped with all of the necessary sensors to track calories burned, mile splits and sleep habits. It also syncs with your phone to display your notifications at a glance or, if you’d prefer, the weather, calendar events and alerts.
Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 265S
Display Size: 1.1 inches | Screen Resolution: 360 x 360 pixels | Weight: 39 grams | Battery Life: 15 days | Water Rating: 5 ATM
Reasons to buy:
Beautifully detailed graphics
Touchscreen and bezel buttons deliver a refined user experience
Plenty of battery life
Reasons to avoid:
Shorter battery life when using all available features
Pricey if you don’t need the AMOLED display and touchscreen
For years, we were content with the colorful display found on the Venu 2S, but now that Garmin has released a few new Forerunner watches with touchscreen AMOLED displays, it’s time to shake things up. Average display size aside, the stunning graphics of this watch (thanks to AMOLED touchscreen technology) make it the most aesthetically pleasing timepiece to look at—which just might convince you to wear it and use it more often. From menu navigation to workout modes, so many features have suddenly become animated, which adds a little flair to otherwise mundane menu navigation.
This watch can store hundreds of songs and play directly from your streaming account too, and it can forward your phone’s notifications and calendar updates to your wrist. The watch keeps track of all the standard health and fitness metrics of its sibling devices, and interactive Women’s Health tracking is available as well. All of these colors, features and animations might drain the battery a bit quicker, but because this is a really new addition to the Forerunner lineup, you can expect top-notch battery life that, according to Garmin, should last you over two weeks in standard smartwatch mode.
Display Size: 1.04 inches | Screen Resolution: 208 x 208 pixels | Weight: 36 grams | Battery Life: 7 days | Water Rating: 5 ATM
Reasons to buy:
Waterproof housing
Affordable price tag
Easy-to-read display
Reasons to avoid:
Isn’t well-suited for non swimming-related activities
The Swim 2 is a great option for swimmers looking to track their workouts and improve their performance in the pool or open water. This fully waterproof Garmin watch accurately tracks swim metrics such as distance, pace (with alerts to keep you on track), stroke count, stroke type, stroke rate, stroke distance and more, making it easy to monitor your progress and identify areas that could use improvement.
The built-in GPS means the watch can track open water swims as well as pool sessions and the wrist-based heart rate technology delivers underwater heart rate data without a chest strap. With auto rest, the watch automatically takes a break when you do so you don’t have to mess with any buttons to pause your workout.
Even if you’re not a serious swimmer, the Swim 2’s design will often come in handy. Daily showers, rainstorms, rivers, lakes—this watch can handle all manner of moisture, which makes it a perfect option if you’re looking for a watch that’s big on protection without being big on price.
The Swim 2’s battery lasts up to seven days on a single charge and the clear, easy-to-read display shows all the relevant metrics at a glance. Weighing just 1.2 ounces (or 36 grams), the lightweight design won’t interfere with your stroke.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
To help you find a Garmin watch that meets your needs, we tapped into our team of experts across various fields, including fitness, consumer technology and lifestyle, who conduct in-depth research and testing of products to provide reliable and unbiased recommendations.
To assemble this list of the best Garmin watches for women, we pored over specs and customer reviews before cross-referencing this information with our own experience using various Garmin devices.
At Forbes Vetted, we’ve published many expertly researched gear articles that cover a range of fitness topics. These include dozens of running roundups that delve into shoes, brands and more niche topics, like the best compression socks for running.
This story was co-written by Cam Vigliotta, Forbes Vetted’s gear editor, and Amy Jurries, a contributing writer to Forbes Vetted. Vigliotta holds a degree in kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts, where he served as a research assistant in the biomechanics lab, and has covered the outdoors and wellness for years. He has extensively covered broader topics like GPS watches, as well as specific smartwatches like the Suunto Vertical.
The story was edited and updated by Forbes Vetted contributing editor Hayley Helms. With over a decade of experience covering fitness, the outdoors and wellness, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the topic.
How We Chose The Best Garmin Watches For Women
In order to determine the best Garmin watches for women, our editors relied on their own expertise and experience, consulted female athletes that test Garmin watches and read customer reviews from those who purchased Garmin watches on their own.
Several Forbes Vetted editors—each of whom have prodigious amounts of experience in the outdoors and fitness disciplines—had a hand in researching and contributing to our selection of the best Garmin watches for women.
Many of the watches listed here were personally tested or are currently owned by Vetted staffers.
We also scoured the internet in search of first-hand experience from users just like you to gain a better understanding of each watch.
We routinely research new products from Garmin and iterations of existing Garmin watches, and update this article as we have new information to share with you. It was most recently updated in October 2024.
The final list presented here reflects the opinions of reviewers, testers and editors, and includes the very best Garmin watches for women.
What To Consider When Shopping For A Garmin Watch
Size
When it comes to watches, one size does not fit all. Instead, you should choose a timepiece that fits both your wrist and your personal style. Unlike, say, a pair of glasses, there’s no set rules that define the most appropriate size watch and for that reason, we’d like to offer some tips that will help you make the right choice.
While these aren’t hard and fast rules, one thing to consider is whether or not the watch is comfortable. Is it too tight or too loose? Does the band width feel too narrow or too bulky? If it doesn’t feel quite right, chances are you’re not going to wear it, and you’re out the money (and no closer to keeping tabs on your body). If you’re unable to test the watch out in-person, it may help to determine your wrist size. Wrists that are 14 to 16 centimeters are considered very thin, 16 to 17 cm are slender, 17 to 18 centimeters are medium and anything above 18 centimeters is large. If your wrist is on the smaller side, try to avoid anything too bulky and opt for a slim band or smaller watch—Garmin denotes these with an ‘S’ at the end of the watch name. On the other hand, if you have a larger wrist, go for something sportier (but don’t go crazy and pick the chunkiest thing on the market). The goal is to balance size with style.
Weight
A watch might appear small and lightweight, but that can change as soon as you put it on your wrist. As an avid fitness watch wearer, one of our editors chose to return one that felt heavy enough to fatigue her arm while she was running. Since she didn’t want to lift it to her line of vision time after time, it felt all but useless to her, so she exchanged it for a lighter model that didn’t literally weigh her wrist down.
Customizations
If you’re someone who likes to move the apps around on your phone or match your accessories to your outfit, the level of customization that your fitness watch allows could be a deal maker (or breaker). While some watches don’t allow you to choose which fitness features display most prominently, others will let you choose what and how you want these stats to display, which can make it feel more like the watch is working for you instead of the other way around. Many also offer face and band replacement options so you can switch out the colors to better suit your mood.
Features
A smartwatch, beyond helping you track your wellness goals like steps and hours of sleep, can help you stay on top of your digital life. It can share texts, phone calls, social media notifications, handle contactless payments, sync with various apps and more. But not all smartwatches are created equal. Some things to consider include: whether your watch is compatible with your smart phone; how long it lasts on a single charge; what fitness features it offers (and what apps it works with); whether or not it’s water resistant; if it shares notifications; if it continues to work when it’s away from your phone; whether it can answer incoming calls, emails or texts; whether it can be personalized.
Price
Generally speaking, most Garmin watches range between $100 and $500, depending on the features they include. Ultimately, what you’re willing to spend comes down to what you hope to get out of your watch. If you’re looking for something stylish with a long battery life and access to myriad features, choose one of the pricier options. And if you’re looking for something that covers the basics, like telling time and tracking some (but not all) biometrics, consider investing in something simpler.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is The Smallest Garmin Watch For Women?
As of this publishing, the smallest full-size Garmin watch for women is the Garmin Forerunner 255 (released June 1, 2022). At just 41 millimeters in diameter, it’s fairly close in size to a traditional women’s watch, however, it contains many of the same fitness and health tracking tools of its larger peers. If you’re looking for something lightweight and simple, this is it.
Display size aside, the Garmin Forerunner 45S is the lightest full-size watch in terms of weight at 1.12 ounces. While it doesn’t boast the smallest size overall (the display is larger than the one found on the Forerunner 255), it certainly doesn’t weigh enough to weigh you down.
Are Garmin Watches Better Than Fitbits?
Choosing between Garmin and Fitbit really comes down to personal preference. If you’re into outdoor activities and advanced tracking, Garmin might be the way to go. On the other hand, Fitbit is known for being user-friendly and offering a variety of affordable options. Just think about your fitness goals, design preferences and the features you want to find the best fit for you.
Can You Text On A Garmin Watch?
No Garmin watch allows you to type out a custom text message, but there is some texting capability built into a few models. The Venu 3 has a built-in microphone and speaker, and allows the user to connect to Siri. To respond to a text on your Garmin watch, you can select from a menu of messages, and can customize those pre-written messages in the Garmin Connect app. This function is only compatible with Android phones.
