For serious runners looking for a serious running watch, the Garmin Forerunner 630 offers all the bells and whistles you could want.
The high-resolution touch screen is easy to navigate through all the data — and you will get plenty of it from this GPS watch. Starting with the basics, you’ll be able to track your speed and distance, as well as create charts, graphs and maps to view your workouts and wirelessly upload them to the Garmin Connect network. The watch has audio prompts, music controls and social-media sharing.
But the reason to go all-in with a watch like the Forerunner 630 is to dive deep into the data, with advanced measurements like ground contact time, stride length and lactate threshold. In other words, this is a serious watch for athletes who want to accurately measure all aspects of their training.
The watch even offers a stress score, based off of heart rate, that can help you keep from overtraining. It can also help you plan for your next race, measuring your VO2 max and offering a time target for several distances. But while the watch has an impressive array of functions, the interface is easy to use, customizable and intuitive.
Price: $400, garmin.com
