Best smartwatch 2024: wearables for Android and iPhone

If running is your workout of choice, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is the best option available. The real reason to buy it over the competition is the OLED screen, which looks great even in bright sunlight.

Battery life is compromised slightly by including this, but you can still get up to 20 hours of consistent use of the impressively accurate GPS. That’s enough for even marathons, with extensive running data combined with really useful coaching for a great user experience.

It also works well for cycling and swimming, making the 265 an excellent choice for triathlons. But various other activities are also supported, and the lightweight design makes sleep tracking very comfortable.

The regular smartwatch features are more limited, but you can still receive phone notifications (from iPhone or Android) and download songs for offline listening. But Garmin Pay is limited to just a few banks in the UK, and there’s no mapping app.

If you can live with that and the premium price, you couldn’t be better off looking out for runners.

But if an OLED display, touchscreen and the training readiness feature aren’t important, go for the cheaper Forerunner 255S.