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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Best Running Watch, including Garmin, Polar, & Suunto}} This article is As of Jan 2018, I'm no longer actively reviewing watches, but this page will remain accessible as a concise guide point in time reference. The "what to look for in a running watch" remains valid and I'd recommend understanding the best limitations of GPS for running watches available today at differing prices and functionality. As well as recommendations for the I'd recommend checking out [https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best -running-watch] for a fairly unbiased opinion, I also have a few but you should read [[Stryd| my review of Stryd footpod]] as that are worth considering in spite remains one of their flaws, the most useful devices for measuring pace and some distance. I would suggest avoiding "pseudo-marketing" sites that proport to avoidbeing detailed reviews without providing any critical thinking. The flow chart below should help guide A good litmus test is to check what they say about [[GPS Accuracy]] – if they say "it's all good" then you through the selection process (click for a larger version'll know it's just marketing.) [[File:Best Watch.png|center|thumb|700px400px|This flowchart is a simple guide to finding the right watch for you. Use it as a starting point, and read the detailed reviews to understand if a watch is really right for you. (Click for a larger version.)]]
=What to Look for in a Running Watch=
A modern running watch often has a huge number of features, but I think it's best to focus on its ability to answer these basic questions.
* '''GPS Pre-cache'''. Some newer watches will download the predicted positions of the GPS satellites for faster initial acquisition. This pre-cache works remarkably well, and the data is usually downloaded automatically when the watch is connected to the internet. However, the data is only valid for a few days, so after that time the device will fall back to the usual approach of scanning for satellites.
=Comparison=
Here's a table of these features for each of the watches I recommend (all have GPS).
{{:Best Running Watch-table}}
=GPS Accuracy=
[[File:GPS Accuracy.png|none|thumb|600px|An infographic of [[GPS Accuracy]] of running watches. The top right corner represents the most accurate watches. (This graphic uses ISO 5725 terminology.)]]
