We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Garmin watches are generally regarded as the best in the business, but anecdotal testimonies don’t really paint an accurate picture of just how dominant the brand is in the outdoor space. In 2021, for example, Garmin raked in a whopping $4.98 billion in revenue. That’s a lot of smartwatches, gang.
Technically, a lot of that money was spent on GPS units, dive computers, satellite communicators, and equipment for aviation and maritime use — but the fact remains that Garmin has serious dough, know-how, and drive to create unparalleled GPS watches for military and civilian use. Just ask the Navy aviators who used their Garmins to navigate home after an aerial mishap, or, you know, any lost lieutenant.
I sifted through Garmin’s extensive watch catalog to find the very best ones for military personnel. That includes battle-hardened watches built for combat and comfortable training assistants to help you dominate your next fitness test. The ones that made the cut to appear on this list are, hands-down, the best Garmin watches for life in the military. Here’s why they deserve a place on your wrist.
- Best Overall: Garmin tactix 7 Pro Ballistics Edition
- Best Tactical: Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Tactical Edition
- Best Budget: Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
- Best for Fitness: Garmin fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
Best Overall
Garmin tactix 7 Pro Ballistics Edition
Pros
- Unparalleled technology and features
- Military-specific apps and capabilities
- Everyday practicality with Bluetooth, music, and touchless payment
Cons
- Eye-watering cost will price out most service members
- Bulky and heavy compared to other Garmin watches
Product Specs
- Screen size: 1.4 inches
- Lens material: Sapphire crystal
- Color display: Yes
- Solar charging: Yes
Why It Made The Cut
- This tech powerhouse can do everything from calculating ballistics to creating a flight plan. It can definitely handle whatever you throw at it.
Best Tactical
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Tactical Edition
Pros
- The best value in military GPS watches
- Soft-touch band and case are incredibly comfortable
- Unlock more features with the Garmin Connect app
Cons
- Small, simple, black and white display
- Polymer case and Power Glass lens are a step down
Product Specs
- Screen size: 1.1 inches
- Lens material: Power Glass
- Color display: No
- Solar charging: Yes
Why It Made The Cut
- Not only is this watch totally capable in the field — with navigational aids, night vision compatibility, and Jumpmaster mode — it’s affordable enough to be bought by the people who actually need it.
Best Budget
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
Pros
- Great alternative to fitness trackers
- Tremendous value for exercising and casual wear
- We love a color display at this price
Cons
- Not intended for use in the field
- Short battery life compared to our other picks
Product Specs
- Screen size: 1.2 inches
- Lens material: Gorilla Glass 3
- Color display: Yes
- Solar charging: No
Why It Made The Cut
- The Forerunner 245 Music has everything you need to get in fighting shape without inflating the price with features you don’t want. Crank up the tunes and get ready to set a personal best time.
Best for Fitness
Garmin fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
Pros
- Solar charging and a sapphire crystal are serious upgrades
- You’ll fall in love with the full-color touchscreen display
- Sapphire-equipped watches come with multiband GNSS
Cons
- The Garmin epix presents tempting competition
- Is it worth the upcharge over an Instinct Solar?
Product Specs
- Screen size: 1.3 inches
- Lens material: Sapphire crystal
- Color display: Yes
- Solar charging: Yes
Why It Made The Cut
- This is one of the most capable fitness-oriented smartwatches you can get. Use the color touchscreen to control sport-specific apps and detailed biometric data to reach peak performance.
Things to consider before buying a Garmin watch
You have a lot of options when it comes to GPS watches and smartwatches. Once you rule out alternatives like the Suunto 7 (which is great in town but not built for hard field use) and Apple Watch (which works seamlessly with other Apple products but has lackluster battery life), you’ll need to decide where in Garmin’s massive product range you should be looking.
Garmin’s website currently lists 30 models in the watches and wearables category. Each has multiple options, creating a buying environment ripe for paralysis by analysis. One way to narrow your search is by price. Then, you can prioritize which features and characteristics you care about most.
Features
How do you plan on using your Garmin watch? Fitness apps, health tracking, and convenience features like control over your music are available on even the budget-friendly Forerunner 245 Music. Upgrading may or may not get you a better display — the Instinct 2 Solar Tactical Edition has a simple black and white display — but it will allow you to enjoy more advanced health monitoring, navigation, and activity-specific apps.
Battery life
If you’re new to Garmin watches, battery life is going to be a pleasant surprise. With the exception of our budget pick, any of the watches on this list would put an Apple Watch to shame. While other smartwatch manufacturers brag about batteries that last 18 hours, it’s common to get several weeks out of a Garmin. With careful GPS use and ample exposure to sunlight, solar models can last longer than a month.
Size
Most Garmin watches are sized similarly to the other options on the market. Frankly, they’re not very different from a lot of analog dive watches. The exception is the mammoth tactix series. Garmin’s flagship GPS watch has a bezel diameter of 51 millimeters and stands 15 millimeters tall on the wrist. Depending on your needs, that could be an asset because it means you get a giant display — or it could be too bulky. You’ll have to decide that for yourself.
FAQs about Garmin watches
Q: How much does a Garmin watch cost?
A: The entry-level Forerunner 245 Music has an MSRP of $349.99, and prices go all the way up to $1,599.99 for the loaded tactix 7 Pro Ballistics Edition.
Q: Are Garmin watches worth it?
A: Garmin does a great job of offering watches at a wide range of prices so you can pay for only the features you need. No matter which one you buy, you’ll get a segment-leading product that’s trusted around the world.
Q: Are Garmin watches compatible with iPhones?
A: Yes, although some add-on apps are only compatible with Android devices.
Q: Are Garmin watches waterproof?
A: The Forerunner 245 Music has a water-resistance rating of 50 meters. All the other watches on this list have a waterproof rating of 100 meters.
Final thoughts
The Garmin tactix 7 Pro Ballistics Edition is the undeniable king of the hill right now (as it should be, for $1,600). It’s jam-packed with military tech that’s a genuine asset on battlefields anywhere in the world. If you don’t need every single bell and whistle, you can get the price as low as $1,099.99 for the standard model.
Methodology
Narrowing down the best Garmin watches can be daunting and subjective. In this case, I focused my attention on determining which ones work best in a military context. That might mean navigating uncharted terrain during a deployment to a hostile environment, or it could mean keeping you on pace to crush your annual fitness test. Features like night vision compatibility and stealth mode were given preference, but so were ones like contactless payment and the ability to control your music during a training run on your own time. I did my best to narrow the extensive list of Garmin watches currently available to the best overall, the best on a budget, and the best in two other price categories.
In the case of the tactix 7 and Instinct 2, I was able to put test units through their paces myself over the span of several months. You’ll find specific aspects of those watches that stood out in their respective sections of this gear guide.
The result of this is a Garmin watch review that’s written from a military perspective for people in the military — or those who have separated and are keeping the tradition alive.