Top 10 Best Garmin Watches for Women

What Are the Best Garmin Watches for Women?

We wanted to take a closer look at the best Garmin watches for women and thought you might want to, too. But what's the criteria for women's watches? Garmin only makes one watch specifically for women, the Garmin Lily 2 (Standard, Classic, and Active) fitness smartwatch, which is very affordable with an elegant style and all of Garmin's wonderful health and fitness tracking.

But what about those hardcore ladies who want the best running watch or the powerhouse triathlon watch that's going to kick their butt? Or all the women golfers who want a gorgeous watch with all the best Garmin golfing features? We know that all active types and athletes want options—and Garmin knows too. So, they offer up a variety of watches, but in different styles, sizes, and color schemes. They know you may be a beginning runner who doesn't want a giant watch on her wrist. But you could also be an extreme athlete who wants a beast of a watch that's loaded with top-shelf features.  

In this article, we go over the Garmin watches of 2024 that have impressed us and spotlight the ones we think women will really love. It's not too hard—with watches as high-quality and attractive as Garmin's!

Best Overall Garmin Watch for Women — fenix 8 AMOLED (43 mm)

• Weight: 60 grams 
• Size: 43 x 43 x 13.8 mm
• Display size: 1.3″ (33 mm)
• Lens: Sapphire Crystal
• Battery life:

• Smartwatch: Up to 10 days (4 days always-on)

• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 15 days
• GPS Only: Up to 28 hours (22 hours always-on)
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 23 hours (18 hours always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 21 hours (16 hours always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 6 hours
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 49 hours
• Expedition GPS: Up to 10 days 

• GPS Sensors: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou; multi-frequency position; SATIQ technology
• Connectivity: Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®
• Water rating: 10 ATM (up to 100 meters)

The fenix 8 AMOLED is built to stand out in any condition for women who are built the same.

Meet any athletic or outdoor challenge with cutting-edge training features, sports apps, and health monitoring. Styled for any-sized wrists, this Garmin fenix is available in 43 mm, 47 mm, and 51 mm. This watch’s fresh new design adds a stunning AMOLED display with a sleeker new look.

Not only is this Garmin fenix eye-catching, it also features a speaker and microphone, allowing you to  

The navigation and GPS tech is top-shelf, and Topo maps come preloaded.

Your loved ones will worry less about your outdoor adventures, because all the fēnix 8 running watches have safety and tracking along with robust battery life. And now, you'll also have a super-handy and powerful LED flashlight on your wrist.

All fēnix 8 multisport watches are tough, tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance, making it the perfect running watch for women who frequent trails, multi-day ultra runs, or long journeys into the backcountry.

Read more about the best fenix Garmin has made yet.

Best Running Watch for Women — Garmin Forerunner 265S

As the best Garmin mid-range running watch the Forerunner 265 GPS smartwatch comes in a little lighter on the wallet to help women train and recover smarter.

Not only is it topped with a gorgeous AMOLED display, it's loaded with features to help you improve, including:

• Training status
• Running power
• Multi-frequency positioning (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS)
• Daily suggested workouts that adapt to your performance and goals.

Plus, other new features—such as a race widget—help plan your race-day strategy, and a morning report with HRV status reveals your overall health alongside the day ahead.

The FR265 watch is jam-packed with smart features like Garmin Pay and notifications, more than 30 activity profiles—even for triathlon—and the battery life that is sure to go the distance with you.

The Forerunner 265 is a great option for women who want a fully loaded lightweight running watch, offering a smaller size for smaller wrists, at a more affordable price point. This Garmin watch is the mid-range priced answer to a high-end running training tool.

Learn more about this brilliant running watch here!

Best Triathlon Watch for Women — Garmin Forerunner 965

• Weight: 53 grams
• Size: 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm
• Display size: 1.4″ (35.4 mm) AMOLED
• Lens: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX
• Battery life:
• Smartwatch mode: Up to 23 days
• GPS-only mode without music: Up to 31 hours
• SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 22 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 19 hours
• GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 10.5 hours
• SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 9.5 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours
• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo; multi-frequency position; SATIQ technology
• Connectivity: Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®
• Water rating: 5 ATM (up to 50 meters)

You run marathons. You chase down your goals. You deserve an elite watch—the Garmin Forerunner 965

For women who like to push the limits, the Garmin Forerunner 965 premium GPS running and triathlon smartwatch has all the training, maps, performance, health, and smart features that the most expensive Garmin multisport watches have. 

The training readiness feature shows when you're primed for a productive session—while daily suggested workouts adapt to your performance and recovery alongside the race widget, which provides training tips, course details, and completion time predictions.

With your morning report, you’ll get an overview of your sleep, recovery, training, and more—as well as a picture of your overall health with heart rate variability (HRV) status.

Plus, multi-band GPS and full-color, built-in maps give you all that you need to navigate with confidence. Additionally, you can choose how you use this running watch: traditional buttons or the touch display.

For the serious runner, tap into training status and know whether you’re training productively, peaking, or strained with this lightweight (53 g) running watch for women. Available in Whitestone/Powder Gray, Black/Powder Gray, and Amp Yellow/Black.

The Garmin Venu 3/3S — Best Fitness Smartwatch

• Weight: 40 grams
• Size: 41 x 41 x 12 mm
• Display size: 1.2″ (30.4 mm) AMOLED
• Lens: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX
• Battery life:

• Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days (5 days display always-on)

• Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days
• GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 15 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours

• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
• Connectivity: Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®
• Water rating: 5 ATM (up to 50 meters)

Dial in to your well-being with the Venu 3/3S. This GPS smartwatch has advanced health and fitness features to help you better understand your body. When paired with your compatible smartphone, enjoy the convenience of keeping that phone in your pocket, and making and taking calls right from your wrist. You can even use your smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages.

This next-gen Venu offers viewable text images, a larger font option, and even more in-depth sleep info—including Nap Detection. Additionally, Garmin now provides enhanced tracking and activities for wheelchair users.

Switch up your activities with animated workouts and more than 25 built-in sports apps. Built-in music storage lets you bring your favorite tunes along. And get even more functionality on the wrist with Garmin Pay™ contactless payments in supported countries and payment networks, safety tracking features and more (Requires setup and your smartphone to be in an area with network coverage where data connectivity is available).

Choose from two sizes and several fresh color palettes on PlayBetter today!

Learn more about the Venu 3/3S here!

Best Battery Life on a Garmin GPS Watch — Enduro 3

• Weight: 63 grams
• Size: 51 x 51 x 15.7 mm
• Display size: 1.4″ (35.56 mm) 
• Lens: Power Sapphire 
• Battery life:
• Smartwatch: Up to 36 days/90 days with solar
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 92 days/unlimited with solar
• GPS Only: Up to 120 hours/320 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 80 hours/144 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 60 hours/90 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 22 hours
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 210 hours/unlimited with solar
• Expedition GPS: Up to 77 days/unlimited days with solar
• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou; multi-frequency position; SATIQ technology
• Connectivity: Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®
• Water rating: 10 ATM (up to 100 meters)

The Garmin Enduro 3 is an ultraperformance multisport GPS watch created for endurance runners, trail runners, and anyone who trains and participates in marathons, triathlons, ultra marathons, and days of backcountry hiking. The rugged, lightweight design won’t slow you down, and the light UltraFit band offers a secure, comfortable fit during all activities.

Solar power comes standard on this Garmin watch that provides battery life of up to 320 hours in GPS mode with solar charging—that'll help you outlast anything! A variety of built-in sports apps as well as endurance, realtime stamina, and other performance metrics will help take your training to the next level. This watch has all the training tools, performance metrics, and analysis as the Forerunner 965 and fēnix 8. And like with those Garmin GPS watches, you can choose traditional button controls or touchscreen interface to access features—plus this watch is fully customizable.

AutoSelect mode uses SatIQ™ technology to dynamically determine the GPS mode necessary to maximize battery life without compromising positional accuracy. It's loaded up with all the ABC sensors that will help you find and track your way, plus built-in TopoActive and ski maps, so you can run, ride, or hike wherever you want and always know where you are. Enduro 2 includes an Adventure Racing World Series-approved adventure racing app. Plus, its advanced features, including the NextFork™ map guide, grade-adjusted pace, and automatic rest timer for ultra runs, will help you prepare to go the distance. A superbright LED flashlight will even guide you in the dark. If you want “all the things” in a premium multisport GPS watch, this is it!

Learn everything you need to know about the Enduro 3 here.

Compare the 2024 Enduro 3 to the fenix 8. 

Best Garmin Golf Watch for Women — The Approach S70

• Weight: 44 grams
• Size: 42 x 42 x 12.6 mm
• Display size: 1.2” (32.02 mm) AMOLED
• Lens: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
• Battery life:
• Smartwatch mode: up to 10 days
• GPS mode: up to 15 hours
• GPS Sensors: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo; multi-frequency position; SATIQ technology
• Connectivity: Bluetooth Smart and ANT+®
• Water rating: 5 ATM (up to 50 meters)

The Garmin Approach S70 now offers a stunning AMOLED display. But course management strategy, better decision-making, and overall game improvement is where it really shines.

And now this top of the Approach lineup GPS watch is available in two sizes—42 mm and 47 mm.

The improved virtual caddie feature provides a recommended club based on your shot dispersion data, elevation, and more.

An enhanced PlaysLike Distance feature utilizes a built-in barometer, so you’ll know how far each shot is playing.

And on your way to the hole, preloaded green contour data gives you insights into the slope direction of the green (with an active Garmin Golf app membership—$9.99 per month or $99.99 per year).

Plus, you get all of Garmin's other golfing features, activity and health tracking, and smart features that make this a golf watch for beyond the clubhouse!

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) 42 mm — Most Stylish Women's Garmin Watch

• Weight: 58 grams
• Size: 42 x 42 x 14.2 mm 
• Display size: 1.2″ (30.40 mm) 
• Lens: Sapphire Crystal
• Battery life:
• Smartwatch: Up to 10 days (4 days always-on)
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 14 days 
• GPS Only: Up to 28 hrs (20 hrs always-on )
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 21 hrs (16 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 13 hrs (10 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 6 hrs 
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 49 hrs
• Expedition GPS: Up to 9 days

• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo; multi-frequency position; SATIQ technology
• Connectivity: Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®
• Water rating: 10 ATM (up to 100 meters)

Get epic features and design on your wrist epix Pro multisport GPS watch for women—Garmin's latest AMOLED display wonder wearable that provides a sleek formfactor coupled with an eye-catching screen. Plus it's loaded with all of this tech titan's amazing training tools, health & wellness monitoring, and smart features.

And it now comes in three sizes, so you an find the right balance of stunning screen and watch feel on your wrist! Choose from a 42 mm (1.2" display), 47 mm (1.3" display), or 51 mm (1.4" display).

Get on-watch activity-specific profiles for the gym, running, cycling, swimming, golf, and outdoor recreation. Level-up with training features, such as heat and altitude acclimation, VO2 Max for run and trail run, Training Status, Training Load, Training Effect, finish time, a virtual partner, course guidance, Garmin and Strava live segments, and much, MUCH more.

Get a whole lot of health monitoring, track in the most challenging environments with Garmin's superior GPS positioning, navigation tools, and maps.

The built-in LED flashlight on your epix Pro offers variable intensities and strobe modes to give you greater awareness while you train at night.

You'll also have the convenience of smart notifications, Garmin Pay™, and phone-free music.

Garmin vívoactive 5 — Best Heart Rate Monitor Watch

• Weight: 36 grams
• Size: 42.2 x 42.2 x 11.1 mm
• Display size: 1.2" (30.4 mm) 
• Lens: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Battery life:

• Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on)

• Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days
• GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours 

• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi
• Water rating: 5 ATM (up to 50 Meters)

The Garmin vívoactive 5 combines an AMOLED Display and extended battery life to bring you the essential fitness and smart features you need to keep step with your busy life.

With an impressive battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, you can stay connected and informed without constant recharging. That means goodbye to interruptions and hello to 24/7 health insights.

The vivoactive 5 also offers advanced training features like workout benefit analysis, helping you understand how each exercise impacts your body and recovery time, so you know when it’s time to push it and when it’s time to rest.

Elevate your workouts with phone-free listening (paired with wireless headphones) and leave your wallet at home with Garmin Pay™ contactless payment.

Look and feel good with four gorgeous color schemes to choose from! 

Most Affordable Garmin GPS Watch — Lily 2 Active

• Weight: 29 grams
• Size: 38 x 38 x 11 mm
• Display size: 1" x 0.84" (25.4 x 24.3 mm) 
• Lens: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Battery life:
• Smartwatch mode: Up to 9 days
• GPS mode: 9 hours

• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and ANT+
• Water rating: 5 ATM (up to 50 Meters)

The Lily 2 Active is Garmin's smallest GPS watch.

If you’re just looking for a bare bones running watch, it can fit the bill. Unlike Garmin’s Forerunner collection of running watches for serious runners, it shows up as a GPS fitness tracker. You’ll get treadmill and outdoor running activity profiles, as well as GPS-based distance, time, and pace.

You’ll also have access to Garmin Coach training plans from expert coaches to help you train for your next 5K, 10K, or half-marathon. Safety and tracking features can offer peace of mind when you’re out on a run.

But you won’t have even basic navigation, preloaded Topo maps, a barometric altimeter for stairs climbed, or most of the very specialized Garmin features that measure performance and plug it into a personalized history to help you recover and train more efficiently.

Nor does it have on-watch music storage that a lot of runners like to have for phone-free listening. Although you will be able to control the music on your phone with the Lily 2 Active.

Read all about the Garmin Lily 2 Active here!

Most Affordable Garmin Running Watch — Forerunner 165

• Weight: 39 grams
• Size: 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm
• Display size: 1.2" (30.4 mm) 
• Lens: chemically strengthened glass
• Battery life:
• Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days
• Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days
• GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 19 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours

• GPS Sensors:  GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and ANT+
• Water rating: 5 ATM (up to 50 Meters)

Standout running watch features on this most affordable Garmin running watch include:

• Race Adaptive Training Plans: Receive training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts, and completion time predictions based on race details entered into the Garmin Connect™ app.
• Wrist-Based Running Power and Dynamics: View real-time power and measure crucial running metrics, like cadence, stride length, and ground contact time—all from the wrist—to help improve running form.
• Training Effect: See how workouts are affecting fitness and understand benefits from training runs and workouts.
• Courses: Create or find existing courses in the Garmin Connect app and from third-party platforms, then sync them directly to the watch.
• Additional Activity Profiles and Workouts: Stay active with more than 25 activity profiles, including trail running, open water swimming, pickleball, tennis, and more. Plus get new workouts for strength, HIIT, cardio, yoga, and Pilates.
• Morning Report: Start the day off right with a customizable report that provides an overview of last night’s sleep and the day’s training outlook, alongside HRV (heart rate variability) status, and weather.

New health features on the Forerunner 165 over its predecessor—Forerunner 55—allow you to even better track your overall well-being before, during, and after your workouts. These include:

• Pulse Ox: Track blood oxygen saturation while awake or asleep.
• Sleep Monitoring and Sleep Score: Every morning, receive a personalized score for last night’s sleep, view the different sleep stages and gain insights for improved sleep quality.
• Nap Detection: Automatically track or log naps to see how they may benefit the body and the suggested time and duration they should be.

If you're looking for the most affordable running watch that is still pretty badass, we recommend you look further at these articles:

PlayBetter's Garmin Forerunner 165 Review

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