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After testing both, the Apple Watch is sleeker, but the Garmin is great for endurance athletes
Garmin and Apple are both trusted brands known for making high-quality, user-friendly personal tech products. But when it comes to smartwatches, does one brand clearly reign supreme?
To find out, the BestReviews Testing Lab put watches from both to the test in real-world scenarios to see how they stacked up. We spent weeks wearing the watches daily and overnight to test their various features, apps and data-tracking abilities.
Our favorite Apple Watches, the Series 9 and the Ultra 2, proved to be design-forward, comfortable and user-friendly with a minimalist aesthetic appropriate for the office, school or gym. The Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3, on the other hand, are better choices for dedicated athletes, especially those training for endurance events. What they lack in style and sleekness they make up for in GPS accuracy, data insights and fitness tracking.
Before you invest in a new smartwatch, here’s everything you should know about how Garmin and Apple products compare.
Garmin Watch vs. Apple Watch: What they do well
Apple Watches are known for their sleek, stylish look, while Garmin watches offer a more utilitarian design that’s made for athletes and outdoor adventurers.
Apple simply does some things better than Garmin — and vice versa. Here are the top benefits for each brand’s products.
Garmin Watch benefits
- Exact GPS tracking: On roads, trails and tracks, we found the Garmin GPS data to be accurate and precise.
- Long battery life: Many Garmin models stay charged for up to a week, and some for several weeks (especially without using GPS). In our tests, the Vivoactive 5 and Forerunner 345 stayed charged for a full week with occasional GPS usage.
- Smart training features: Using the Garmin Connect phone or web app, you can build a training calendar and send interval workouts directly to your watch.
- Bright, clear display: Many Garmin models, including the Vivoactive 5, the Forerunner line and the Venu 3, have large, bright, full-color AMOLED displays. We found this made them easy to read.
Apple Watch benefits
- Sleek design: The Apple Watch has a compact, minimalist design that we loved wearing during testing. It’s comfortable and stylish enough to wear daily.
- Two size options: The Apple Watch SE and Series 9 both come in larger and smaller size options to fit a wider variety of wrists.
- Connects seamlessly to Apple products: The Apple Watch slides into your existing Apple ecosystem, syncing with your iPhone, Mac and AirPods or Beats headphones.
- Highly customizable: The watch interface can be fully arranged to suit your needs, as can notifications and apps.
What they could improve
After testing watches from both brands, here are a few areas of improvement.
Garmin Watch drawbacks
- Bulky: Many Garmin watches have large, bulky faces that call attention to themselves, especially on smaller wrists. They’re very sporty-looking, not the most stylish and generally come in a single size option.
- Uncomfortable for sleep: Though Garmin watches offer sleep-tracking insights, which can be valuable for anyone invested in improving their health, we found the watches to be too large and uncomfortable to sleep in.
- Confusing interface: From scheduling and writing workouts to setting reminders and getting phone notifications, Garmin watches do a lot — but figuring out how to navigate the touch screen and side buttons takes some time.
Apple Watch drawbacks
- It only has a touch screen: The side buttons on the Apple Watch do very little, but the touch screen is pretty much unusable when wet. So if you run in the rain or take it for a swim, it’s nearly impossible to pause your workout or access any other watch features.
- It’s uncomfortable for sleep: Like the Garmins we tested, we also found the Apple Watch uncomfortable for sleeping.
- The GPS isn’t as accurate: In our tests, the Apple Watch location data was slightly off from reality, even on a running track. It wasn’t consistently long or short, but generally a few meters off, which can add up over the course of a longer ride or run.
Top Garmin models
We’ve tested many Garmin smartwatch models, including several designed specifically for golfers. Our favorite models for the average user and athlete are the Vivoactive 5 and the more advanced Venu 3.
Garmin Vivoactive 5
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 features built-in sensors that provide accurate health data, including heart rate and walking and running cadence.
Display Type: AMOLED | Battery Life: Up to 11 days | Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi | Compatibility: iOS and Android
The Vivoactive 5 is a well-outfitted smartwatch for endurance athletes and weekend warriors. It comes with more than 30 sports modes that cover everything from swimming to pickleball. The built-in sensors capture accurate health data, including heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation and walking and running cadence. The watch assesses your data to provide individual insights, including a daily “body battery” and “sleep score,” which athletes training for a specific event or goal may find helpful.
The Vivoactive 5 has a bright, full-color AMOLED display and a generous battery life. During testing, the battery lasted well over a week, including several GPS-tracked runs. The additional fitness and training features are especially helpful for endurance athletes. You can set up a training calendar, including building interval workouts, using the intuitive Garmin Connect app on your smartphone or on the web, and send it to your watch to guide you on the roads. This is helpful if you want to run intervals of a specific distance without using a track.
Outside the fitness features, the watch syncs seamlessly to iOS and Android phones to send messages, email and other app notifications to your wrist (you can also turn these off). The interface is bright and clear, but it took us some time to fully figure out how to navigate it during testing. We preferred looking at our post-run data, including maps, speed, cadence and topography, on the Garmin Connect app rather than on the watch face.
Garmin Venu 3
Offering impressive battery life, the Garmin Venu 3 can hold a charge for up to two weeks
Display Type: AMOLED | Battery Life: Up to 14 days | Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi | Compatibility: iOS and Android
The Venu 3 is a high-end Garmin smartwatch outfitted with a wide range of fitness and workout settings and data collection. The watch has a slightly more sleek and less sporty look than other Garmin options. It’s substantial and solid-feeling, and, after spending some time with it, we’re confident that it’s built to last, even with regular use by serious endurance athletes.
Though it’s bulkier than the Apple Watches, the Venu 3 is among the more stylish of Garmin’s smartwatch offerings. It has a bright, highly legible and easy-to-read AMOLED display that feels as smooth and elevated as the Apple Watch — it also integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem, including offering access to Siri.
The interface is easier to navigate than the Vivoactive, and the touch screen is appropriately responsive. The 14-day battery life can’t be beat, and the GPS is as accurate as we expect from any Garmin model.
Top Apple Watch models
We’ve also tested a number of Apple Watches over the years. Our current favorites are the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Apple Watch Series 9.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Ideal for all your outdoor adventures, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 is water-resistant up to 100 meters.
Display Type: Retina | Battery Life: 36 hr (72 hr in low-power mode) | Operating System: watchOS 10 | Processor: Apple S-series | Storage Capacity: 32GB
The Ultra 2 watch from Apple really wowed us when we tested it. It’s a high-tech smartwatch with all the sleekness and coolness you expect from Apple but with the high-tech sensors and fitness-minded features of a smartwatch geared toward endurance sports.
The Ultra 2 is larger than other Apple watches to accommodate the sizable battery. It therefore has a bigger, clearer retina display that’s easier to read and interact with on the move. The watch is built with additional waterproofing, up to 100 meters, which is a plus for divers, swimmers and triathletes who spend a lot of time in the pool.
The Ultra has the longest battery life of any Apple Watch, but at up to 72 hours, it doesn’t compete with the Garmin watches’ week-long life. This watch comes with every bell and whistle you could want for health and fitness tracking, including temperature sensing, an altimeter and accelerometer, plus an ambient noise sensor and ECG.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 built-in GPS and can be used to make calls and send messages.
Display Type: Retina | Battery Life: 18 hr | Operating System: watchOS 10 | Processor: S9 SiP with 64‑bit dual‑core | Storage Capacity: 64GB
If you’re searching for a great-looking and easy-to-use smartwatch at a lower price point than the Ultra 2, the Apple Watch Series 9 offers many of the same features with a pared-down profile.
During testing, we loved that it connects seamlessly with other Apple products, including a precise Find My Phone feature that locates your device within feet. For health tracking, the Series 9 can detect an abnormal heart rate, track sleep and body temperature, and has dozens of sport modes for accurate calorie data and tracking.
The watch, which comes in two face sizes (41 or 45 millimeters), has built-in GPS and can be used to make calls and send messages when connected to your iPhone via Wi-Fi, or from anywhere if you add the watch to your cellular data plan. It can also help you stay organized and more connected by providing to-the-wrist notifications from iMessage, email, calendar and other apps — but those notifications are easy to customize if you’d rather not be bothered.
Garmin Watch vs. Apple Watch functionality
If you’re looking for a great smartwatch that meets your needs in terms of functionality, looks and usability, here are the main differences between Apple Watch and Garmin models.
Design and materials comparison
Both Garmin and Apple smartwatches are constructed with high-quality, durable materials. One of our testers has owned an Apple Watch SE and a Garmin Forerunner for years and has used them both to track running, cycling and swimming while training for several marathons and triathlons. She found the Apple Watch screen to be slightly more delicate; for instance, it got scratched during a weight-lifting session at the gym. The Garmin screen, on the other hand, is stronger and harder to damage, though the plastic case may be more prone to dings and scratches.
The Apple Watch Series 9 and SE have alumium housing and are water resistant up to 50 meters. The more heavy-duty Ultra 2 has titanium housing and is water resistant up to 100 meters. Very lightweight, the Series 9 weighs just 31.9 grams, while the Ultra 2 weighs nearly double that at 61.4 grams.
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 are both water resistant up to 50 meters and have an anodized aluminum bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer case. The Vivoactive 5 weighs 36 grams (with the default strap) and the Venu 3 weighs 47 grams.
Navigation and connectivity comparison
As a regular iPhone user, our tester has never had connectivity issues with any Garmin or Apple Watch product. Apple Watches in particular integrate cleanly with other Apple products, including Beats headphones, AirPods and Macbooks (the Apple Watch can unlock your Macbook, for example). Our tester also loves being able to control music or podcasts from her wrist, so she doesn’t have to keep her phone with her at all times.
Garmin watches also sync well with Apple products, you just need to download the Garmin Connect app on your phone. The web app is easily accessible from any computer. The Venu 3 works with Siri and can be used like an Apple Watch to control music.
As for navigation and GPS, our tester finds that Garmin products are more precise than Apple. During marathon training, her Apple Watch was consistently a few meters off per mile, which added up to almost a mile difference over the course of a 26.2-mile run. The Garmin watches she has tested, however, are very accurate to course mile markers. While running with both watches on a standardized track, she also found the Garmin devices more accurate.
That said, for the average wearer or hobby jogger, the accuracy of the Apple Watch shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. You can also run GPS navigation via Apple Maps from your phone on an Apple Watch, which is handy if you’re cycling or walking and don’t want to be glued to your phone.
Battery life comparison
The battery life of Apple Watches really doesn’t compare to those of the Garmin products. In our tests, we found that you’ll likely have to charge any Apple Watch model daily, though the Ultra 2 can hold a charge for up to 72 hours in low-power mode. Activities like GPS tracking, using the always-on display and playing music will drain the battery faster. Both the Series 9 and the Ultra 2 have fast-charging capabilities.
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 maintained a charge for over a week during testing, and the Garmin Venu 3 can last up to two weeks with minimal GPS usage.
Health and fitness features comparison
Both watches provide in-depth personal insights on health and fitness, especially if worn 24/7. Because the Apple Watch needs more frequent charging, however, it’s harder to wear all the time.
Both Garmin and Apple products have accurate heart-rate tracking, which they use to provide an HRV measurement. The watches also track skin temperature and blood oxygen levels. The Garmin Venu 3 and both Apple watches have built-in ECGs.
Garmin does more to translate your health data into coached insights, which become more accurate and useful the longer you wear the watch. You’ll get a daily “body battery” score, which is calculated based on your sleep and recent activity, as well as a sleep score and a health snapshot that reflects your stress, cardio ability and overall well-being.
Pricing
The Apple Watch SE starts at $249 (available on Amazon). The slightly more updated Apple Watch Series 9 retails for $399 (available on Amazon and Best Buy), and the most rugged and tech-heavy Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799 (available at Amazon and Best Buy).
Garmin smartwatches for adults start around $200 for the Forerunner 55 (available at Amazon), and go up to $2,100 for the most heavy-duty and tactical MARQ collection gen 2 (available at Best Buy). There are several great models built for runners and similar athletes, such as the Vivoactive 5 for $300 (available at Amazon) and the stylish Venu 3 for $450 (available at Amazon and Best Buy).
Bottom line
Garmin and Apple both make excellent smartwatches that will last for years. The best model for you comes down to personal preference and needs. If you’re an endurance athlete looking for the most dialed-in GPS data and training insights, the Garmin Vivoactive 5 or slightly upgraded Venu 3 will have you covered.
On the other hand, if style and user-friendly functionality are your priorities, the Apple Watch Series 9 is a great-looking, comfortable smartwatch for everyday wear that also offers GPS and health data tracking. Or, if you’re willing to spend a little more for the best of both worlds, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a teched-out, highly durable, though slightly bulky option that’s more water-resistant and built for higher-intensity athletes.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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