Best Running Watches under $450 in 2026

Running watches are one of those purchases that should be simple, but quickly turn into a spreadsheet problem when you start researching.

Every brand has a “best” option, every model claims to be more accurate, and suddenly you’re looking at $600+ watches for runs you mostly do from your front door.

This is my guide to the best running watches under $450. I’ve been testing a lot of these watches across real training, not just a couple of easy jogs.

Steady mileage, intervals, trails, long runs, and the usual day-to-day wearing that reveals the little annoyances (or the little joys) pretty fast.

The good news is that under $450 is plenty of budget now. You can get excellent GPS accuracy, useful training tools like structured workouts and pacing features, and solid wrist-based heart rate tracking without needing to strap a chest monitor on every time you head out.

Most of these also work well as everyday watches, with sleep and health tracking that gives you a bigger picture than “how fast did I run”.

Here’s what I expect from a running watch before I’ll even consider recommending it

Every watch in this guide earns its spot by doing the fundamentals properly:

• Reliable built-in GPS for pace and distance you can trust
• Battery life that fits real training (I’m looking for at least ~15 hours in GPS mode, and around a week or more of normal use)
• Clear pace, split, and distance data that’s easy to read mid-run
• Wrist-based heart rate that’s good enough for day-to-day training (with the option to pair a HR Monitor strap if you want more precision)
• Easy syncing to your phone so you can actually review sessions, spot trends, and plan what’s next
• Proper water resistance (typically 5ATM / 50m) so rain, sweat, and the odd swim aren’t a concern

Most of these watches go well beyond that too. Things like structured workouts, recovery metrics, sleep tracking, music controls, and navigation tools can all be genuinely useful, but only when the basics are already solid.

For each watch below, I’ve called out the standout features and included links to the full product pages and my deeper reviews where relevant.

COROS PACE 4

• Cost: $249 at coros.com
• Battery life: Up to 19 days daily use | Up to 41 hours in high GPS mode
• Weight: 40g (silicone band) | 32g (nylon band)
• Dimensions: 43.4 x 43.4 x 11.8mm
• Display: 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen (390 x 390). Tip: It can be always-on, but you recommend Always On OFF + Gesture Backlight ON to protect battery.

If I’m being honest, the COROS PACE 4 surprised me with how quickly it became the watch I reach for most for road running. The headline of my review is how little it feels on-wrist (32–40g depending on band).

The 1.2-inch AMOLED screen is genuinely easy to read at speed and in bright sun, GPS/HR performance stays reliable day-to-day, and the battery holds up way better than most AMOLED watches when you use gesture backlight instead of always-on.

The little extras ended up being more useful than I expected too: voice pins mid-run (“gel taken”, “legs heavy here”) and quick post-run voice notes make training logs more honest and less of a chore.

You also get Effort Pace + EvoLab metrics for training load/readiness/race predictions without any subscription wall. The main compromise is navigation: breadcrumb is clear and responsive, but there are no offline maps, so it’s better for familiar routes than exploration.

Overall, for a “pure running” watch under $450, this one feels like a ridiculously easy pick for most runners.

Garmin Forerunner 265

• Cost: $449.99 at Garmin.com
• Battery life: Up to 13 days in smartwatch mode | Up to 20 hours in GPS mode
• Weight: 47g
• Display: 1.3” AMOLED touchscreen (416 x 416)

If you want Garmin’s running ecosystem without stepping up to the pricier, map-heavy models, the Forerunner 265 sits in a really sensible spot for a “do-it-all” running watch under $450. You get the training features Garmin does best (Training Readiness, daily suggested workouts, and that morning report vibe), plus multi-band GNSS for tougher routes, and it still stays pretty lightweight on wrist.

It’s also one of the few watches in this price range that can cover proper training + everyday convenience: phone-free music and Garmin Pay are genuinely handy if you like leaving the phone at home.

The trade-off is pretty simple: you’re not buying this for detailed onboard maps, and you’ll still need to be okay living in Garmin Connect. For most runners training on roads and familiar routes, that’s usually a fair deal.

Suunto Run

• Cost: $249 at suunto.com / My full review
• Battery life: Up to 12 days daily use | 20 hrs GPS (performance) | 40 hrs GPS (power-save)
• Weight: 36g
• Display: 1.32-inch AMOLED (466×466)

The Suunto Run is exactly what a lot of runners actually want: a lightweight watch that nails the basics, tracks accurately, and doesn’t drag you into a $500+ price bracket.

It keeps things run-first, with dual-band GPS, HRV recovery tracking, structured workouts, and a clean AMOLED display that’s genuinely easy to read in bright sun and early mornings.

The GPS holds lock really well, even on trails and tree cover, with only a second or two variance from other watches, over 1km splits. The button interface also stays responsive with gloves, and I’ve had comments from readers using it in proper cold conditions (down to -20°C), which is a nice bonus for winter runners and XC skiers.

Training-wise, it covers (among other things): structured intervals, Ghost Runner pacing for steady work, Training Load/TSS, and sleep + HRV-based recovery.

Smart features stay minimal (music controls, notifications, weather), and navigation is breadcrumb-only, but if you want a focused running watch under $250 that feels light and gives clean, useful training data, the Suunto Run is a really easy one to recommend.

COROS APEX 4

• Cost: $479 at coros.com (just over $450 but too good not to include here) / My full review
• Battery life: Up to 65 hours of GPS | Roughly 20–30 days of everyday wear (with the right settings)
• Weight: 64g
• Display: 1.3-inch always-on MIP touchscreen

The COROS APEX 4 is the watch to grab when battery, accuracy, and navigation matter most. It doesn’t try to be a smartwatch, but it makes long trail days feel simpler because charging and getting lost stop being part of the conversation.

The always-on MIP display can look a little washed out indoors, but outdoors it’s clear, efficient, and stays readable without punishing battery. Despite the titanium + sapphire build and full offline mapping, it still wears well at 64g, making it durable without feeling clunky long runs.

Maps are the big reason to choose it. Offline topo + street maps load fast, trail/street names make navigation feel complete, and the 3D terrain view genuinely helps on unfamiliar routes. Add the strong GPS and the improved vertical accuracy (especially if you manually calibrate the barometer before big runs) and the data stays reliable under tree cover too.

Overall, if your running leans trail-heavy: ultras, mountain blocks, or route exploration, the APEX 4 delivers the stuff you actually rely on: battery + accuracy + proper maps.