Best Value Running Watches: Seven Picks That Punch Above Their Price

Introduction

Value in a running watch is not simply about being cheap. It is about getting a lot of features for the price, and that includes watches that were expensive a couple of years ago and now sit consistently in sales. Some brands price aggressively from day one, others rely on heavy discounting once newer models arrive. Both routes can land you a genuinely excellent watch for far less than the newest flagship, and several of the picks here are effectively last-generation top models at a mid-range price.

How We Picked the Best Value Running Watches

Our criteria were simple: a strong balance of features and price, accurate tracking, and a realistic price you can actually find, whether that is a low list price or a watch that is now reliably discounted. That includes the period around big sales, when running watches everywhere seem to be reduced, so you can weigh the true street price rather than the sticker price.

Garmin Forerunner 255

The Garmin Forerunner 255 is arguably the best value watch here overall. It is a slightly older model, the last of the 2-series before Garmin moved to AMOLED with the Forerunner 265, and that is exactly why it is now a lot cheaper. You still get dual-band GPS, accurate multisport tracking, and a choice of small or larger case sizes, so it works very well for smaller wrists too.

If you could somehow avoid seeing the newer AMOLED models, the 255 would cover everything you really need on a run. Battery life is decent for day-to-day use and the optical heart rate performance holds up well. What you miss out on are the newer training-readiness style features, a more rugged design, and the longer battery life some rivals offer. It has been seen for around £200 to £220 in sales, which is a very good deal for a watch that is effectively the same as the Forerunner 265 minus the AMOLED display, and it gives you a bit more battery life in return.

Coros Pace 3

The Coros Pace 3 takes a different route to value: Coros generally does not do big reductions, instead pricing its watches lower than competing brands from the start. At its full price, the Pace 3 is an incredible package. It is a full multisport watch with the same training analysis you get on Coros’s top watches, genuinely good battery life, and a very lightweight plastic build. It may not appeal to everyone because of that small plastic design, but it is one of the rare lightweight high performers in a market where watches keep getting heavier.

One of the most important points is Coros’s software strategy. The company strives to keep the same software experience across its range, including its most affordable watches, so going cheaper does not mean missing out on headline features. You will not be watching Apex and Vertix owners enjoy features your watch will never get, and the watch should keep improving over time.

Suunto Race and Race S

Suunto has not historically been known for great value watches, but the Suunto Race changed that, and the Race S follows as a smaller version with the same feature set. Both offer dual-band GPS, accurate tracking, an attractive and hard-wearing display, and a build with real metal on the case rather than an all-plastic body. They undercut the big hitters in this space, including the Coros Pace Pro, Polar Vantage M3, and Garmin Forerunner 265, while offering nearly all the same features.

The Race impressed on test for its dual-band GPS application, battery life with that tracking, and mapping support. It competes with much more expensive watches, though training and analysis presentation has room to improve, and it plays well with third-party training platforms. One honest caveat: the Suunto interface can be hard to navigate at first and takes more getting used to than most, but the performance and breadth of features make it easy to forgive.

Suunto Race S

The Race S brings the same experience in a smaller case, which makes it one of the few genuinely good-value options for smaller wrists. It is an AMOLED watch, which is easy to forget when talking about value here, and while Suunto, unlike Coros, does reduce its watches from time to time, you may even find it cheaper than the list price. In the UK in particular it undercuts the Coros Pace Pro, and there is also a titanium version of the Race that costs a bit more for more premium materials while operating exactly the same.

Garmin Forerunner 955

The Garmin Forerunner 955 is the last of the 9-series watches without an AMOLED display, and it remains very much up to date with Garmin’s latest software features. You get dual-band GPS, offline maps, and a top-tier Garmin experience in a lightweight plastic design with a memory-in-pixel display. It is not a huge watch, so it feels closer in size to the mid-range models than the more expensive rugged lines.

Newer top Garmin watches are expected to be AMOLED with more metal, so this kind of design is effectively in its final chapter. Pricing has been seen under £400, and it seems likely to keep dropping, perhaps into the low £300s. If you can live without the AMOLED screen, you get almost everything the newer models offer, including the mapping and multiband support, for less money, with more future-proofing than older discounted models.

Garmin Forerunner 945

The Forerunner 945 is the previous version of that high-end line, and the usual caution applies to older discounted watches: fewer software updates going forward. It is now out of Garmin’s update cycle, but it has been seen for well under £300, which is interesting if you want a very good watch at that price.

The trade-off is straightforward. The 955 is probably the better pick for value in terms of future-proofing, but if the 945’s price is low enough at the moment you buy, it remains a very capable option.

Garmin Epix 2

The Garmin Epix 2 is the standout deal every time it appears on sale. The titanium version is the one to look for, because it is the model with dual-band GPS and a sapphire screen, while the base steel version lacks dual-band GPS and is a bit heavier. With the Epix 8 and Fenix 8 lines now replacing the Epix Pro and Fenix 7 Pro models, the Epix 2 and Fenix 7 have been superseded, which means great deals on what were the top watches in Garmin’s range just a couple of years ago.

The titanium Epix 2 drops to under £400 in some places, and is usually around $450 in the US, for what is still basically a top-of-the-range Garmin: full software features, an AMOLED screen, and a rugged titanium build. Compared with the Fenix 8 you miss the mic and speaker, a newer optical heart rate sensor, the new interface, and the flashlight, which is a genuine loss. But those are nice-to-haves rather than deal breakers, and this is a watch that was already among the best on the market when it launched in early 2022. Launching a premium AMOLED watch today is hard when the Epix 2 is straight away £300 cheaper.

Overall Buying Advice

If you want the lowest-risk pick, the Forerunner 255 at a sale price is hard to beat. If you prefer a brand that prices fairly from day one and keeps software consistent across its range, the Coros Pace 3 is the obvious choice. The Suunto Race and Race S undercut Garmin and Coros rivals directly, with the Race S suiting smaller wrists. For more comprehensive features, the Forerunner 955 is the smarter long-term buy over the 945, though the 945 can tempt if you find it well under £300. And if you want a rugged, sapphire-and-titanium AMOLED flagship feel, the Epix 2 titanium at under £400 is the deal that undercuts Garmin’s own new releases. Keep an eye on sale periods, especially Black Friday, because most of these prices move.

Conclusion

Value is about matching a strong feature set to a price you actually pay, and all seven of these watches manage it in different ways. Some earn it through deep discounts, others through aggressive pricing and consistent software. Whichever you choose, none of them will leave you feeling like you settled.