Smartwatch

Coros pace 3/4 depending on budget

Either one of Garmin forerunner series (55/155/255/955 best imo since MIP) or coros pace 3 or 4

The best bang for buck is Huawei. They're not popular in the running community but the Fit 4 has dual GPS where the positioning and HR accuracy rank in the absolute top brackets along with apple watch. And the Watch Fit 4 only costs 100 euro. You can't really go wrong as a beginner if you're interested in pace and HR and tracking your routes.

OnePlus watch 2R if you want wear OS.
Huawei watch fit 4, gt5. Amazfit active 3.

Za mňa Amazfit, má výbornú aplikáciu. Mal som Huawei fit 4 pro a rýchlo som ich zbavil.

The best bang for buck is Huawei. They're not popular in the running community but the Fit 4 has dual GPS where the positioning and HR accuracy rank in the absolute top brackets along with apple watch. And the Watch Fit 4 only costs 100 euro. You can't really go wrong as a beginner if you're interested in pace and HR and tracking your routes.

I’ve been using Garmin watches for years so I am pretty used to their UI, but it’s quite simple on the Venu 3. Swipe up/down takes you to your “widgets” which is health stats, notifications, calendar, weather etc to whatever you want to see. Then if you hold the top right button, that opens up to “activities” and “apps”. You can also create 3 short cuts. I have my shortcuts as timer, weather and music control. All of these things are very customizable. If you haven’t already, check out DC Rainmaker’s website for in-depth reviews on fitness tech. They are helpful!

Tried the venu 4. It was heavier so I wasn't fond of it.

It looks great though. And it wasn't unreasonably heavy. But the venu 3 just disappears. I forget I'm wearing it.

Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Active :-)

I have one. I love mine. I use it for health tracking, and I also use it because I'm a standup comedian and I can time myself easily.

I use a Redmi Watch 5 Active, so it wasn't a big investment.

Suunto Race. My wife has a Garmin, and I don’t like all the gamified bells and whistles—I just want to track my pace and heart rate while I run

Suunto race s. Been with it 2 days and happy for now 😊

liking with the caveat that apple watches are great for under 12 miles. switched to garmin 165 after my apple watch died on longer runs, and now garmin is my primary running watch. use apple for everything else, fitness-wise.

Garmin Forerunner 165 music. It isn't the fanciest, but it tracks everything I need and more.

counterpoint, I had an Apple Watch (maybe 3 years old or so) that had enough battery life to last all day, but would die after about 90 to 120 minutes of running. I traded it in for a Garmin Forerunner 265, I only have to charge it once a week. I’m sure the math would be different with a brand new Apple Watch, but it annoys me that the margin could be thin enough to lose the data in a middle of a long run.

Had the FR265, was super happy with appearance, weight of the watch and features. Was gifted an Epix Gen 2 Sapphire, love the watch but it’s an overkill for running alone and on the heavier side since it’s titanium. Was always curious about the Coros - seem very light and thin, I guess I wouldn’t mind not feeling it on my hand while I run/sleep in it.

Huawei watch gt 5

Huawei gt5.
Great watch. Excellent battery(10 days between charging) All the guff of a fitness tracker with a good app on the phone. Takes calls via the watch. I thought 46mm was too big for my wrist, but get away with it.
Aesthetics, it's black, round and it ain't a rolex. I wear it to work and when I'm working out.

I have Garmin forerunner 965

If you value the smartwatch aspect then the Apple Watch is the way to go if you have an iPhone. If you have an android I have nothing for you. I hear the new Pixel watch is pretty dope.

If you value more the sport watch aspect then the Garmin Forerunner line is my favorite. You can even save money looking for an used Forerunner 970 or last year's flagship the Forerunner 965.

It really depends on your budget

Fitbit remains the benchmark for sleep tracking accuracy and long‑term comfort, especially for 24/7 wear and smaller wrists. A Sense 2 replacement keeps that familiarity, lightweight feel, and consistently strong sleep metrics. Battery life is solid rather than exceptional, but it balances well against comfort and reliable overnight data, which is what matters most here.

Garmin watches like the Venu line offer excellent battery life and fitness features, but sleep tracking often feels more algorithm‑driven and less intuitive compared to Fitbit. For users coming from Fitbit, that difference is noticeable. If music storage and running without a phone matter, both platforms handle this well, but Fitbit’s smaller form factor and sleep focus still give it the edge for all‑day wear.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I also really like the Venu 3S, it’s super comfy, looks good, and the battery life is great. But I’m still a bit unsure about the sleep tracking. I actually have sleep problems, so that was my main reason for getting a smartwatch in the first place, and I originally chose the Sense 2 because of its strong sleep tracking reputation. So it’s pretty important for me.
Out of curiosity, could you share a bit more about your experience with the Venu 3S? What are your favorite features besides sleep tracking?

Amazfit gtr 4… i love this because of built in Alexa for our house…

I wld get him a watch with fall detection. Its not perfect but it can make a difference . Amazfit gtr 4 might be suitable

Amazfit Cheetah 2 pro was on the wrist for 2 new world records in last Month. Josh Kerr wore it to break the 27 year old Mile world record. Then last week, Yomif Kejelcha wore it when he broke the half marathon world record, Yomif isn't even sponsored by amazfit.

The venu 4 has an LED torch, it's a ridiculously useful quality of life feature on a smartwatch.

The amazfit cheetah 2 pro or t-rex 3 pro are really good choices. I have the latter.

Thanks for the suggestion. I couldn't find any reliable source for amazfit after sales service,
So went ahead for an affordable samsung band fit 3. Trackers works more or less similar to GW4 which i am fine with.
Only thing i miss is inbuild gps for maps while riding my 2 wheeler.

Za mňa Amazfit, má výbornú aplikáciu. Mal som Huawei fit 4 pro a rýchlo som ich zbavil.

uh avoid garmin it is a nonsense

my fenix 8 is ridiculous, the battery does not stand, the gps unlock when it is not perfect flat land, it is full of display bugs, the health function are crazy inacurate, they manage to pull weather forecast even more inaccurate than the nationnals.
NO APP SYNCHRO, they almost block strava just because they have a decent debrief.

GARMIN IS FULL DISAPOINTMENT

looking a the price vs the quality i genuily feel they could be sued for usi g the term 'premium' when they advertise.

ok the saphire screen looks to do the job but this tech mastered last century...

I can use my Garmin Fenix 8 for Scuba diving, exercise, maps/trekking, surfing, snorkeling. Pretty much every hobby I do regularly

I don’t want texts and phone calls on it since it’s a watch. My Apple Watch I had LTE on it but then I was just connected to the world again

Garmin doesn’t track my sleep the best which is my only complaint. My sleep is poor due to chronic pain so I assume that’s why

Garmin charges fastt snd battery last multiple days

Check out "The Quantified Scientist" on YouTube. That might help. I use a Vivoactive 5 because it was on sale. Almost went with a Pixel Watch 3. I started running after getting the watch and would have gotten a Forerunner 164/170 or 265 if I were to do it again.

Pixel watch 3 41mm but I want to get back to samsung when they come around with a new design.

Im probably gonna go for the amazfit bip 5 although i prefer the look of the redmi watch 5 lite i have heard that the amazfit is generally better

Xiaomi watch 5 (and the redmi watch 5 lite on the side if i wanna a square watch)

A few to look at are:

- Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro (Global Edition)
- Pebble Time 2
- Amazfit Bip 6

I d recommend Amazefit Bip 6 or Active 2. Extremely good value for money and sleep

FitBit Charge 6 does two things really well - price to function ratio and battery life! I have an AW S7 which I wear every day. But I love my FB C6 for its form/function and most especially battery life. I also wear it much of the day including at night for sleep tracking. Can NOT ever imagine a case where I wear something as big and heavy as the AW or AWU to bed for sleep tracking…

Fitbit Charge 6 (dominant wrist) and a Seiko automatic (non-dominant wrist)

I have Huawie Fit 2, very versitile for all fitness exercises. Reliable for the last 3 years, would upgrade to a Huawie Fit 5.

GT6 pro or fit 5 pro are great options, amazing battery life, ecg no matter the brand of your phone, afib detection, arterial stiffness, HRV (24/7), and great sensors far better than most brands, great materials, and the price.