Best Running Watches

Whether you are training for your first 5-K run, or have a bunch of marathons under your belt, a running watch will help you reach your goals.  Running watches can help you improve your speed and conditioning by keeping an accurate record of distance, time and heart rate.  Garmin, Polar, Timex and Suunto all make very good running watches.

Garmin Running Watches

Garmin makes a number of different running watches. The Garmin Forerunner 405 is one of the best running watches out there.  When paired with a heart rate monitor, the Garmin Forerunner 405 will monitor your time, distance, pace, calories and heart rate.  The 405 comes in black or green.  The Garmin Fr60 is also a popular Garmin Running Watch.  It is less expensive than the Forerunner 405, but does not have GPS.  The Garmin Fr60 uses a foot pod to measure distance traveled.  There is a Garmin Fr60 LTD in Pink that is very popular with women. You can find a complete list of Garmin Running Watches and reviews here.

Polar Running Watches

Polar Running Watches are a solid choice for all types of runners. The most popular Polar Running watch is the Polar RS300X SD.  The RS300X SD comes with Polar’s S1 foot pod, which accurately tracks time, distance and speed.  There is also a GPS sensor (available separately) which is great if you do a lot of cross-training (skating, paddling, biking, etc).  The Polar RS100 is a simple running watch that is perfect for entry level runners.  Check here to see the full line of Polar Running Watches.

Timex was one of the first companies to offer running watches.  The Timex T5E231 is one of their most popular watches.  This performance digital watch has a 100-lap memory recall, 199 lap counter, and 9 interval timers.  It also has the Timex Flix system, which activates the Indiglo night-light with a flick of your wrist.  Please visit the Timex Running Watches page to see all the Timex Watches.

Suunto Running Watches are an excellent choice for the serious runner.  The Suunto T6D simultaneously displays your heart rate, a stopwatch function and time to lap time to countdown. There are adjustable heart rate zone features, and  an alarm that warns you when you fall below or above your target zone.  The Suunto M5 is the latest addition to the Suunto Lineup of running watches. The Suunto M5 provides a personal exercise program, with suggested workouts each day and workout achievement summaries to keep you motivated.