I’m not sure if all this GPS technology can fit into a smaller package or if GPS watches are just designed almost entirely for men, but most running watches are gigantic! More often than not it seems, the women’s specific running watch is just the unisex version in pink. Some watches I’ve tested out have been so huge that I couldn’t securely tighten it to my wrist or even be able to get my jacket on over it!
That being said GPS watches are great, they can measure your speed and distance and depending on how fancy of a watch you choose they can even measure things like elevation, heart rate, activity tracking like number of steps, and barometric pressure and other fun related weather measurements.
(1) Garmin Forerunner 25
The new Garmin Forerunner 25 is a perfect first running watch and it now comes in a SMALL size. The watch tracks distance, pace, speed, and calories burned and has an optional heart monitor strap for heart rate tracking. You can pair the watch to your smartphone for easy uploading to your favorite fitness programs and you can wear the watch between workouts to monitor your activity level and number of steps. It is pretty much an updated version of the Garmin 110, which was my first ever GPS watch that I used flawlessly for years, but the 25 has so many more features for close to the same price so I’d choose the Garmin Forerunner 25!
Pros
- •Available in small size
- •Long battery life
- •Great entry-level GPS watch
Cons
- •Only displays 2 data fields at a time
- •Data limited to distance, pace, speed, calories, and optional heart rate
Where can you buy?
(2) Garmin Forerunner 230
The Garmin Forerunner 230 is the next step up from the Garmin 25 and offers a few more features in a slightly larger package. Besides monitoring pace, distance, and time, the Forerunner 230 includes activity tracking and can count daily steps, distance, calories burned, and monitor sleep. The Forerunner 230 also records heart rate and estimates VO2 max, recovery time and race times for several distances. I am currently using the Garmin 220 which is the previous version of this watch (minus the activity tracking) and a steal at 150 bucks.
Pros
- •Available in several snazzy colors
- •Long battery life
- •Can display 3 data fields at a time
- •Doubles as an activity tracker
Cons
- •Larger size