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One of the first purchases that really makes you feel like a serious runner is investing in a running watch. Gathering training data and putting all info from your running app onto your wrist feels like a flex. And having the ability to quickly glance at your map and metrics mid-run is useful, even for casual runners who mostly work out on a treadmill.

Here’s the thing, though: While it’s an exciting purchase, most runners don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on a running watch. Many of the best, most feature-rich smartwatches cost well over $500. They offer advanced metrics, weeks or months of battery life, and other unique features.

But honestly, most of us don’t need all that.

For hobbyist runners looking to get the most out of their runs, having accurate records of your pace, heart rate, route, distance, and time can make a world of difference. If that sounds like you, these are our favorite basic running watches, which hit a sweet spot of price and performance for daily runners and cost less than $250.

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• Best Overall: How to Avoid Injuries
• Best Value: Low overall battery life
• Best for Kids: days 38 hours of GPS run time
• Best Lifestyle: Apple Watch SE (40mm)
• Best for Kids: Garmin Bounce Kids Fitness Watch

The Expert: I’m a fitness reporter and gear specialist who’s reviewed a wide array of running and cycling gear for publications for publications like Self, Good Housekeeping, PopSugar Fitness, and more. I appreciate a simple, yet effective watch, and have worn my trusty (but kind of ancient) Garmin Forerunner 45 for everything from 5Ks to marathons.

How to Choose an Affordable Running Watch

Features

Display

Companion App

Battery Life

Fit

One of the first purchases that really makes you feel like a serious runner is investing in a

I selected the best basic running watches after testing and running in many different running watches over the course of my running career, and researching the top options of the market. These watches excel at tracking core running metrics, measuring speed, heart rate, and location with reasonable accuracy. (If it’s important to know the difference between hitting 155 bpm and 156 bpm, you will need a more expensive watch or, better yet, a dedicated heart rate monitor.)

They also offer great battery life, and features like multi-sport modes, advanced biometrics like blood oxygen, and built-in coaching programs. Last, but certainly not least, they all fall within what I’d call a budget-friendly price point of $250 or less.

Even if you decide to upgrade in the future, these watches offer a great way to start tracking your running journey, offering valuable data that shows you the results of your hard work. Plus, you’ll have a good sense of what features you like and think you’d appreciate when you’re ready to shell out for something flashier.

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I was impressed by how much Coros was able to pack into the entry-level Pace 3. It features a 1.2-inch always-on LCD touch display that looks larger than it is, and a quick, stable GPS connection and a bevy of advanced features similar to what you’d find in some of Garmin’s mid-tier watches.

It tracks advanced run-specific metrics like running power, ground contact time, and left/right strength balance: That might not be necessary for new and casual runners, but they are useful measurements for training. (There’s a reason why RW Senior Reviews Editor Cat Bowen named it “Best Value” in our overall optical heart rate sensors guide.)

At just 30 grams, it’s the lightest modern GPS watch I’ve tested. (It’s actually a gram heavier than the Pace 2, but you won’t feel a difference.) It felt featherlight on my wrist, and its silicone band held it securely but comfortably in place.

Its battery life is also amazing for a basic watch, giving you up to 38 hours of GPS-on run time per charge. (That’s up from 30 hours on the Pace 2.) Depending on how long you go, you could take a week-long trip, run every day, and not need to charge it.

I will admit, I found it a bit cumbersome scrolling through data on the touchscreen post-run, and noticed the watch could get a little laggy, though that’s a common problem with cheaper smartwatches across the board. Ultimately, the Coros Pace 3 feels more like a high-end running watch than a basic pick, making it a steal at around $230.

I started my personal running watch journey with the Garmin Forerunner 45, and used it to train and run races for 3 years. The newest model, the Forerunner 55, remains a more-than-solid watch for any runner who wants to hold their basic stats in the palm of their hand (or on their wrist).

Its 1.04-inch display is a bit smaller than that of other watches on this list, but that cuts down its heft so it feels lightweight and comfortable. With little screen real estate, you’ll only see pace, time, and distance at a glance mid-run, which is a bummer if you’re running for fitness and want to keep tabs on your heartbeat first. The battery, while not as impressive as some of my other recommendations, lasts for up to 20 hours in workout mode. (Up from just 13 in my Forerunner 45.) I found that I only needed to charge it every other week or so.

You’ll also get some nice non-running features, like metrics on sleep and stress. It also supports Garmin’s “body battery” feature, which analyzes your metrics and provides a recovery score so you can quickly and easily tell whether it’s time to push hard or take a rest day. In addition to engaging with your stats, Garmin’s Connect app also syncs with system-level phone apps, allowing you to check calls, texts, and your calendar.

The Forerunner is a cheap watch, even when you factor in our tightened budget, and you can see that it doesn’t work quite as well in certain respects. The GPS takes a bit longer than average to sync up–about 1 to 2 minutes. The battery life, while more than adequate for most runners, is lower than the other watches I recommended. If you’re looking for a truly basic running watch–one that sets a baseline for what you need, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is about as close as it gets.

At just around $240, the Polar Pacer has some great training specific features that make it especially useful for competitive runners training on a budget.

Health - Injuries 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon. Using the Polar Flow app, you can select your race type and date (or the name of the race) and it will create specific workouts to follow within the app that are synched to your watch to follow along. It also provides comprehensive training insights after intervals and long runs, and tracks your long-term fitness trends outside of training.

There are also niche, but useful features like fueling and hydration reminders, and “Training Load Pro,” which monitors strain and recovery. As someone who isn’t great at taking cues from my body when it’s time to take a break, having an active reminder was helpful. (And something you can usually expect in an affordable running watch.)

Although I generally liked Polar’s hardware and software design, I felt that Polar could have used the space of its 1.2-inch MIP display a bit more effectively. Much of the text was small, and the screen had lots of unnecessary white space that could have been used to support more specs, or at least a larger font.

I also found it a bit unintuitive that the “red” button was used for intervals, rather than a start/stop button. It ended up working out great–it’s a helpful button–but there was a bit of a learning curve.

For race runners who want support to help them train, but may not be able to afford a coach or training program, the Pacer feels about as close to having a coach on your wrist as possible at this price point.

Before I switched to a “proper” running watch, I started my wearable tech journey by tracking runs on an Apple Watch. I trained for my first marathon using one, and I actually still wear an Apple Watch SE between runs because of its effective multi-sport fitness tracking and quality of life features like setting voice-activated timers.

Though the Apple Watch is generally beloved, we generally steer runners towards brands like Garmin and Coros, which offer more robust tracking features and better battery life, often at lower prices than Apple’s generalist counterparts. That said, Apple Watches still work well for casual runners, tracking the basics and giving you lifestyle features that you won’t find on other watches in this price range.

To keep it to $250, we recommend the smaller of the SE’s two sizes, 40mm, which translates to a 1.57-inch display. (The larger 44mm version starts at $280, though you can sometimes find it for less.) Both versions are far larger than any of my other basic recommendations, which is great if you have a larger wrist or need a large screen for visibility. I personally like the smaller version, which keeps the watch light but still easy to read.

Apple Watches also generally feature a wider range of wrist band options, first- and third-party, and the SE’s bands come in two sizes: If comfort has been an issue for you, this watch gives you the best chance of finding something that feels good.

Apple offers two related apps that utilize your run data–the fitness focused Apple Fitness and the more metrics-minded Apple health. Fitness allows you to create workouts and segments for training, while charting deep metrics. You can see a lot of information at a glance, too, including time elapsed, heart rate, rolling mile (pace over the last mile), average pace, and distance. That said, I didn’t love the way Apple organized my workout data, you need to search by date rather than just checking an activity log. (Of course, you can always switch to Strava or Nike Run Club if you don’t like the system.)

As I mentioned, Apple Watches are usually lacking in the battery life department. The SE only has up to 18 hours of battery life–less when you factor in workouts. I usually need to charge mine more than once a day if I exercise for more than an hour. Obviously this isn’t ideal, especially if you’re training for a marathon, so competitive runners should probably look elsewhere. If you have your heart set on an Apple Watch, though, it’s worth noting that the SE is a viable option that doesn’t compromise too much on running features compared to the Apple Watch Series 10.

If you have a child who is starting to exercise and wants to track their steps like mom and dad, the Garmin Bounce is a special smartwatch designed for kids that covers basic fitness tracking and serves as a controlled way for parents to keep tabs, both via texting and GPS tracking.

The Bounce is designed for kids, which is to say that it’s built to withstand them. It’s durable and waterproof, so it can go anywhere with them. The battery lasts up to two days, minimizing the chance that it’ll run dry on them. It also has a colorful UI that encourages kids to engage with the watch and their metrics, and activities and games to help get them moving.

In terms of tracking, the Bounce falls short of my usual standards for tracking: It just shows time and distance. For a kid–not a teen or even a tween, but a kid–that’s about as much as they can handle or care about. That data syncs with the Garmin Jr. app, which parents can access remotely.

It’s worth noting that both the parenting and games features have elements that require mobile Wi-Fi (LTE) support, so you will likely want to add it to your mobile data plan, which will add about $10/month to your monthly bill.

Overall, this is a great way to help kids start to move around more and start thinking about the concept of exercise. For older kids who want a fitness tracker because they’re getting into sports, I would recommend moving right to a starter running watch like the Garmin Forerunner 55, We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.

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