Best Trail Running Watches in 2023

1. Garmin fenix 7 Series

Our top choice – while the best out there – is not cheap. But we think it’s worth it. It’s got a ton of trail running features, long battery life, and looks stylish enough to wear for any occasion.

And the fenix 7 isn’t just one watch. It comes in a variety of sizes, styles, price points, and features. Generally speaking, they are fairly similar and all are ideal for trail running.

In addition to tracking running metrics like pace, distance, time, and cadence, the fenix 7 provides color topo maps to help navigate and find your way. Routes can be uploaded ahead of time. For trail runners, the watch syncs with Garmin Connect to find runs popular with other Garmin users.

For added navigation help, waypoints can be added. Waypoints are specific locations you can place pretty much anywhere. These can be trail heads, summits, campsites, or other landmarks.

The fenix tracks elevation with a barometer for the most accurate altitude reading. It also measures vertical speed (how fast you are climbing or descending). And with auto-climb, the fenix changes the screen automatically to show more elevation-related data when it detects you’re climbing uphill.

There are three size options (and each version has different band colors to choose from): the 7S, the smallest of the three, the fenix 7, and the 7X, which is the largest and most expensive. On top of that, there are Solar versions of each (see our review below) with additional features and colors. 

The fenix 7 is rugged and durable. Quick-fit watch bands easily swap out so you can change from a synthetic rubber band for trail running to a more casual metal band.

The fenix 7 also excels at other activities like mountain biking, skiing, swimming, and paddle sports (like kayaking or canoeing). So if you do more than just trail running, the fenix has you covered. And it looks just as good in non-sports situations as it does on the trail.

Like an Apple Watch, make payments directly with the fenix. You can store and play music without carrying a phone – just note this does sap the battery quite a bit. 

The battery life is not only better but is customizable, allowing you to select the features important to you to improve overall battery life. You can even adjust on the fly in the middle of a run.

2. Garmin fenix 7X Solar

There are many fenix 7 models at a range of price points. But we’re calling out the fenix 7X Solar in particular.

If you value battery life above all other features, it’s worth noting that the fenix 7X Solar has one of the longest batteries available. The watch face has solar charging to extend the battery.

This doesn’t mean the watch won’t run out of charge. But it does significantly extend the life of the battery. Keep in mind this is not an inexpensive watch. But it is an impressive feature.

3. Garmin Forerunner 955

If the fenix price seems too daunting, the Forerunner 955 is a great alternative.

It has most of the same features as the fenix. This includes basic mapping, uploadable routes, elevation tracking, and a strong battery. It also supports music storage and playback.

The Forerunner 955 weighs less than the fenix, but comes in a plastic casing, making it more susceptible to damage.

4. Suunto 9 Baro

If battery life is a concern, Suunto has topped almost every GPS watch on the market with the Suunto 9 Baro. It has an awesome battery life at 25 to 125 hours. And this is with wrist heart rate monitoring, which notoriously chews up battery power. It’s perfect for those 100 mile races and other long distance endurance events.

The Suunto 9 has multiple tracking modes to save battery power. The more conservative battery modes lose a bit of tracking accuracy. But what’s neat is that you can change modes in the middle of your run. The watch provides an estimate of how much charge is left – if you think that won’t be enough to get you through your run, you can switch to a more conservative power mode mid-run.

Even better, the Suunto 9 uses your past activity history to estimate how much power you’ll need for your next run. If it thinks you won’t have enough, it gives you a charge reminder to make sure you plug your watch in before your next run.

The Suunto 9 also introduces a new feature called Fusedtrack. This function combines GPS data with motion sensing data to provide an accurate track while conserving battery power.

From a durability standpoint, the Suunto 9 is designed to last. It’s tough and can withstand the pounding it’s going to take out on the trail.

Like many other GPS watches, the Suunto 9 tracks traditional GPS information along with elevation, wrist heart rate, and with its built-in barometer can track weather changes. Also expect great navigation features like breadcrumb maps and an electronic compass.

For multisport athletes, it records open and pool swims and is compatible with bike accessories like a cadence sensor and power meter. But with over 80 types of sport modes, this watch is perfect for a variety of outdoor activities.

5. COROS APEX

With its long battery, accurate GPS, and strong elevation tracking, the COROS APEX is a great watch for trail running.

Even better, it’s an awesome value compared to similar watches by Garmin and Suunto. While it doesn’t have nearly as many features as Garmin’s fenix or the Suunto 9, the APEX has the core GPS features you’ll need for trail running and costs about half as much.

The APEX has a 35 hour battery in regular GPS mode (this is with the larger 46mm version – the 42mm has a 30 hour battery). This should be plenty to get through training runs, trail races, and most ultras – even 100 milers. And the battery lasts for 30 days just in regular use mode.

If you need something even longer, the APEX has an UltraMax setting that reduces the number of GPS data points to save battery, but increases the accelerometer usage to track distance and pace. This setting allows for up to 100 hours of battery.

A built-in barometer accurately tracks elevation. And for very basic navigation help, there is a built-in compass. A future update in the firmware will let you upload routes to a breadcrumb map for even better navigation.

While running, the APEX tracks distance, pace, elevation along with cadence, calories, and wrist heart rate. Alerts can be set if you are looking to stay above or below a set pace or heart rate.

The APEX has a large, easy-to-read color screen. Data fields and the watch face can be customized. Two buttons and a crown bezel control the watch menus. It’s pretty simple and straightforward to use.

The watch syncs to a phone. Runs upload wirelessly to the COROS app after you’ve finished. There is no COROS software other than the phone app. But you can connect to Strava and other 3rd party apps to track long-term progress.

The APEX also shows phone notifications including texts, calls, and reminders.

If you do other activities beyond trail running, the APEX records treadmill runs as well as pool and open water swims.

Mostly, we like the APEX as a trail running watch for its long battery and value price-point.

6. Polar Vantage 5

Polar changed athletic watches years ago with their heart rate monitoring technology. They continue that tradition with the Vantage 5, this time with the most accurate wrist heart rate monitor available. But they pack in enough extra features to make this a nice trail running watch.

While Polar has been a late adopter to the wrist heart rate trend, they’ve come out with a new way to track heart rate that’s more precise than other wrist heart rate monitors. They use skin contact to factor in movements that might otherwise provide a less accurate heart rate reading. The result? Less misreads and better data.

Running power – an alternative to heart rate for tracking intensity – is built-in to the Vantage 5. Other watches like Garmin’s fenix and Forerunner 955 measure power. But only with a separate pod that must be worn on the waist. The Vantage 5 tracks running power without additional accessories.

For trail running, we like the battery life on the Vantage 5. It should last around 40 hours in GPS and heart rate mode. Right up there with the fenix. The Vantage 5 also includes a barometer for accurate elevation readings.

A new feature is simple route navigation. You can upload routes and waypoints and view on a basic breadcrumb map.

The Vantage 5 has a clear display. Its thin design makes it lightweight. Though it may not be as durable as the fenix or Suunto 9. And price-wise, it’s close to the cost of the fenix or Suunto 9.

7. Garmin Forerunner 55

If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-use watch and don’t necessarily care about key trail running features like mapping and elevation, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is a nice option. While it doesn’t have barometric elevation and a super-long battery – it doesn’t cost as much as most of these other watches.

But it still has a nice 20-hour battery and does a great job tracking pace, distance, and cadence. It comes with wrist heart rate and acts as an activity tracker when not running by counting steps, monitoring goals, and creating daily step goals. All in a lightweight design with a large, high-resolution screen.

When synced with the Garmin Connect app on a phone, it wirelessly uploads your runs. Here you can see key data like routes, elevation, pace, distance, and heart rate.

The Forerunner 55 is ideal if you want a lightweight, simple to use watch that can track your trail runs and provide nice data post-run to analyze where you ran.

8. Suunto Spartan Sport

Suunto’s Spartan Sport wins with its long battery life and rugged, durable features. The Spartan Sport was expensive when first released, but it has since been discontinued and can be found at nearly 50% off.

The Spartan Sport has a slim and lightweight design. It’s not only great for trail running, but it can track various other activities including pool and open water swimming, cycling, and hiking.

While the watch has a basic breadcrumb map to navigate on the trail, you can route or find other tracks using Suunto’s app: Movescount.

While there is no barometers for accurate elevation, it still tracks ascents and descents with GPS elevation.

The Spartan Sport also has a large display that’s easy to read. Battery life lasts 10-80 hours depending on exact settings. More accurate GPS tracking results in shorter battery life. But adjust the settings and you get a longer battery.

9. Garmin Forerunner 255

For a better basic GPS watch, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is a great option. It has a large, color display. Along with basic GPS data, you can upload customized workouts onto the watch.

The 255 has a basic breadcrumb maps to help navigate. And new to this version is a barometric altimeter, so you’ll have accurate elevation readings.

It wirelessly uploads workouts, provides phone notifications on the watch, and works as an activity tracker. If you do some road and treadmill running in addition to trail, the Forerunner 255 works well for non-dirt running. Interval workouts can be programmed directly on the watch (in addition to custom workouts we already mentioned).

It can track treadmill and indoor runs with its built-in accelerometer. For tracking heart rate, the 255 has wrist heart rate monitoring, like the Forerunner 55. For your non-running activities, it does a great job at tracking bike rides and swimming, along with other activity profiles.

If you really want to dig into your running form, it supports Garmin Running Pod, which tracks stride length, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time – used together you get a good sense of how efficient your running form is.

Overall, the Forerunner 255 is a pretty simple watch to use. And it has enough extra features to justify the higher price.

10. LAD Weather ABC Watch

The only non-GPS watch on our list – and the least expensive option – the LAD Weather watch won’t track pace or distance, but it does provide accurate altimeter, barometer, and compass sensors.

The altimeter tells you altitude – good to know if you are climbing and curious how much more you need to ascend. It’s also a good way to find your position on a map. If you know your elevation and can find a trail or stream on a map, you can use the topo lines to pinpoint your location.

The barometer is what’s used to calculate altitude, but it also provides a basic weather forecast based off air pressure changes. The compass is very accurate and is yet another way to help navigate during your run.

Other functions include a timer, step counter, and a thermometer.

This watch is more of a hiking watch than a trail running watch, but if you don’t care about distance or pace and want something inexpensive to time your runs, the ABC sensors on this watch make it nice, low-cost option.