Choosing your GPS running watch

A GPS watch transforms training: it measures, guides and motivates. But the offer is vast and prices range from affordable to quadruple. Here's how to choose based on YOUR practice, without overpaying.

The features that really matter

• Reliable GPS (distance, pace, route): the basics.
• Wrist heart rate to monitor effort and train by heart rate zones.
• Training load and recovery tracking (HRV, training status) on mid/high-end models.
• Structured workouts guided on your wrist (intervals, pace/power targets): very useful for quality sessions.

Adapt to your practice

For recreational running, an entry-level watch is more than enough. For trail running (mapping, long battery life) or triathlon (multisport mode, bike/swim sensors), you need to go up a level. No point paying for worldwide mapping if you always run in the city.

Heart rate accuracy: a limitation to know about

Optical heart rate at the wrist can sometimes be inaccurate during highly variable efforts (intervals). For detailed monitoring, a heart rate belt is still more reliable — an inexpensive accessory and often more useful than a more expensive watch.

Battery life

Check battery life in GPS mode: sufficient for a 10 km on all models, but decisive for an ultra or a long outing.

Making the most of your data

A watch collects data; but you still need to turn it into a plan. Sports Coach AI connects to your data (Garmin, Strava, Intervals.icu) and transforms your figures into concrete sessions, pushed directly to your watch.