The Coros Apex 2 Pro delivers exceptional battery life and a focused, athlete-first interface, making it a high-value option for endurance multisport training where runtime and reliability matter most. Technically it rivals the Fenix for battery and GPS performance at a lower price point, and its firmware-forward simplicity keeps the unit responsive and cost-effective compared with the larger Garmin ecosystem.
Marathon battery champ
Ultra-accurate metrics
Marathon battery champ
Ultra-accurate metrics
Review Summary
"Users value the Coros Apex 2 Pro for its outstanding battery life, accurate tracking and strong value proposition; common complaints are limited mapping features and slower software updates."
Light-as-air build
Industry-leading battery life optimized for long multisport sessions and ultras.
Light-as-air build
Industry-leading battery life optimized for long multisport sessions and ultras.
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Time-Saving Convenience
Skill Development & Mastery
The Coros Apex 2 Pro delivers exceptional battery life and a focused, athlete-first interface, making it a high-value option for endurance multisport training where runtime and reliability matter most. Technically it rivals the Fenix for battery and GPS performance at a lower price point, and its firmware-forward simplicity keeps the unit responsive and cost-effective compared with the larger Garmin ecosystem.
Marathon battery champ
Ultra-accurate metrics
Light-as-air build
Industry-leading battery life optimized for long multisport sessions and ultras.
Accurate GPS tracking and performance metrics including running and cycling power.
Marathon battery champ
Ultra-accurate metrics
Light-as-air build
Industry-leading battery life optimized for long multisport sessions and ultras.
Accurate GPS tracking and performance metrics including running and cycling power.
$500-700 USD
A purpose-built pool and open-water swim watch, the Garmin Swim 2 earns best-in-class status for swimmers by delivering highly accurate stroke detection, interval support, and simplified swim-focused metrics tailored to training sessions. Compared with multisport flagships like the Forerunner 965 and Suunto 9 Peak Pro, it offers a more affordable, swim-centric feature set and longer pool-mode battery life while sacrificing smartwatch app depth and mapping features found on higher-end devices.
Pool-specific metrics
Underwater HR
Pool-specific metrics
Underwater HR
Review Summary
"Long-term users praise its pool-focused metrics, reliable stroke and lap detection, and simple interface, though its smartwatch features and open-water tracking are limited."
Lap-counting champ
Dedicated pool swim mode with automatic stroke detection and lap counting
Lap-counting champ
Dedicated pool swim mode with automatic stroke detection and lap counting
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Skill Development & Mastery
A purpose-built pool and open-water swim watch, the Garmin Swim 2 earns best-in-class status for swimmers by delivering highly accurate stroke detection, interval support, and simplified swim-focused metrics tailored to training sessions. Compared with multisport flagships like the Forerunner 965 and Suunto 9 Peak Pro, it offers a more affordable, swim-centric feature set and longer pool-mode battery life while sacrificing smartwatch app depth and mapping features found on higher-end devices.
Pool-specific metrics
Underwater HR
Lap-counting champ
Dedicated pool swim mode with automatic stroke detection and lap counting
Wrist-based heart rate and GPS for open-water swims
Pool-specific metrics
Underwater HR
Lap-counting champ
Dedicated pool swim mode with automatic stroke detection and lap counting
Wrist-based heart rate and GPS for open-water swims
$250-350 USD
Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2
The Epix Pro Gen 2 is Garmin's premium multisport and mapping smartwatch that pairs industry-leading recovery and sleep analytics with superb sensors, long battery life, and rugged materials—making it the best choice for athletes who want top-tier technical accuracy and comprehensive outdoor features. It is the most expensive option here but offers unmatched on-device computing and mapping compared with the Forerunner 965, and it avoids subscription costs tied to platforms like WHOOP while delivering broader functionality than Oura's ring.
Sapphire tough
Topo mapping
Sapphire tough
Topo mapping
Review Summary
"The Epix Pro Gen 2 earns strong long-term praise for best-in-class GPS accuracy, comprehensive recovery and training analytics, and excellent battery life on top-end hardware, making it a favorite for outdoor athletes. Criticisms center on high cost and bulkiness, but overall users find it a top-tier multisport/recovery watch."
Ultra battery
Professional-grade sensors delivering HR, HRV and advanced recovery metrics for athletes.
Ultra battery
Professional-grade sensors delivering HR, HRV and advanced recovery metrics for athletes.
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Time-Saving Convenience
Skill Development & Mastery
The Epix Pro Gen 2 is Garmin's premium multisport and mapping smartwatch that pairs industry-leading recovery and sleep analytics with superb sensors, long battery life, and rugged materials—making it the best choice for athletes who want top-tier technical accuracy and comprehensive outdoor features. It is the most expensive option here but offers unmatched on-device computing and mapping compared with the Forerunner 965, and it avoids subscription costs tied to platforms like WHOOP while delivering broader functionality than Oura's ring.
Sapphire tough
Topo mapping
Ultra battery
Professional-grade sensors delivering HR, HRV and advanced recovery metrics for athletes.
Extended battery life and topo/maps for long outings while retaining sleep and recovery tracking.
Sapphire tough
Topo mapping
Ultra battery
Professional-grade sensors delivering HR, HRV and advanced recovery metrics for athletes.
Extended battery life and topo/maps for long outings while retaining sleep and recovery tracking.
$1,099-1,399 USD
The Suunto Race positions itself as a lightweight, race-focused coaching watch that blends solid GPS accuracy and streamlined training-plan features with an athlete-focused ergonomics at a moderate price. It tends to be simpler than Polar and Garmin in ecosystem breadth, but its affordability and race-day tools make it an appealing option for triathletes and runners who want a dependable, no-nonsense device without the premium cost of the Epix Pro or some of Polar's advanced lab-style metrics. Compared with the Coros Apex 2 Pro, Suunto trades extreme battery life for a more refined race interface and a balanced price-performance fit for competitive athletes.
Race metrics — sprint-ready
Durable build — stormproof
Race metrics — sprint-ready
Durable build — stormproof
Review Summary
"Suunto Race users like the lightweight design, reliable sensors and race-focused features, but some find the software, third-party integrations and early firmware updates still need refinement."
Clean UI — tap-and-go
Race-oriented features with pacing guidance and turn-by-turn navigation for event prep.
Clean UI — tap-and-go
Race-oriented features with pacing guidance and turn-by-turn navigation for event prep.
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Skill Development & Mastery
The Suunto Race positions itself as a lightweight, race-focused coaching watch that blends solid GPS accuracy and streamlined training-plan features with an athlete-focused ergonomics at a moderate price. It tends to be simpler than Polar and Garmin in ecosystem breadth, but its affordability and race-day tools make it an appealing option for triathletes and runners who want a dependable, no-nonsense device without the premium cost of the Epix Pro or some of Polar's advanced lab-style metrics. Compared with the Coros Apex 2 Pro, Suunto trades extreme battery life for a more refined race interface and a balanced price-performance fit for competitive athletes.
Race metrics — sprint-ready
Durable build — stormproof
Clean UI — tap-and-go
Race-oriented features with pacing guidance and turn-by-turn navigation for event prep.
Lightweight, performance-focused design offering precise GPS and heart-rate tracking.
Race metrics — sprint-ready
Durable build — stormproof
Clean UI — tap-and-go
Race-oriented features with pacing guidance and turn-by-turn navigation for event prep.
Lightweight, performance-focused design offering precise GPS and heart-rate tracking.
$449-599 USD
The Amazfit Band 7 delivers a large AMOLED screen, very long battery life and a budget-friendly price, making it the best value pick for everyday wellness monitoring. While its app and ecosystem are less mature than Fitbit or Samsung, it undercuts competitors financially while still offering broad activity tracking and reliable basic health metrics.
Big-screen wow
Two-week stamina
Big-screen wow
Two-week stamina
Review Summary
"Buyers commonly call the Amazfit Band 7 a great value—offering a large AMOLED display, long battery life and good basic health tracking—while noting occasional inconsistencies in sensor accuracy compared with higher-end brands."
Value-packed performer
Large AMOLED screen and a wide selection of workout modes for the price
Value-packed performer
Large AMOLED screen and a wide selection of workout modes for the price
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Time-Saving Convenience
Recreational Enjoyment
The Amazfit Band 7 delivers a large AMOLED screen, very long battery life and a budget-friendly price, making it the best value pick for everyday wellness monitoring. While its app and ecosystem are less mature than Fitbit or Samsung, it undercuts competitors financially while still offering broad activity tracking and reliable basic health metrics.
Big-screen wow
Two-week stamina
Value-packed performer
Large AMOLED screen and a wide selection of workout modes for the price
Continuous heart-rate and SpO2 monitoring with usable sleep insights
Big-screen wow
Two-week stamina
Value-packed performer
Large AMOLED screen and a wide selection of workout modes for the price
Continuous heart-rate and SpO2 monitoring with usable sleep insights
$50-80 USD
The Forerunner 965 earns its spot as a best-in-class performance analytics smartwatch for runners and triathletes by pairing advanced training metrics, multi-band GNSS, and a vivid AMOLED display in a lightweight package. It delivers nearly the same sensor fidelity and analytics as Garmin's premium Fenix 7X Pro but at a noticeably lower price and weight, making it a more cost-effective choice for athletes who prioritize running and day-to-day wear over ultra-endurance battery life. Compared with competitors like Polar and Coros, the 965 balances comprehensive physiological data and smart features with a consumer-friendly price point.
AMOLED display delight
Elite running metrics
AMOLED display delight
Elite running metrics
Review Summary
"Users praise the Forerunner 965 for its bright AMOLED display, comprehensive performance metrics and multisport features, while some note battery life is shorter than bulkier models and advanced features can be complex."
Featherweight racer
AMOLED display with a lightweight, race-focused design
Featherweight racer
AMOLED display with a lightweight, race-focused design
Enhanced Physical Well-Being
Skill Development & Mastery
Time-Saving Convenience
The Forerunner 965 earns its spot as a best-in-class performance analytics smartwatch for runners and triathletes by pairing advanced training metrics, multi-band GNSS, and a vivid AMOLED display in a lightweight package. It delivers nearly the same sensor fidelity and analytics as Garmin's premium Fenix 7X Pro but at a noticeably lower price and weight, making it a more cost-effective choice for athletes who prioritize running and day-to-day wear over ultra-endurance battery life. Compared with competitors like Polar and Coros, the 965 balances comprehensive physiological data and smart features with a consumer-friendly price point.
AMOLED display delight
Elite running metrics
Featherweight racer
AMOLED display with a lightweight, race-focused design
Advanced training metrics including HRV status, Training Readiness and race predictor
AMOLED display delight
Elite running metrics
Featherweight racer
AMOLED display with a lightweight, race-focused design
Advanced training metrics including HRV status, Training Readiness and race predictor
$650-800 USD