Best 2022 Smartwatches for GPS accuracy

#1 Garmin Forerunner 255
4.8

GPS accuracy was one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly calling it extremely accurate, impressive, or among the best they had tested.

Pros: GPS accuracy, battery life

Cons: smartphone notifications, mapping and navigation

#2 Garmin Forerunner 955
4.8

GPS accuracy was a standout strength, with reviewers repeatedly calling the tracks fast-locking, precise, and among the best they had tested.

Pros: GPS accuracy, battery life

Cons: onboard music storage, charging convenience

#3 Garmin MARQ Gen 2
4.6

GPS accuracy drew strong praise across road, trail, city, golf, and multiband tests, with only minor caveats in difficult urban conditions.

Pros: display quality, battery life

Cons: value for money, smartphone notifications

#4 Garmin Forerunner 255S
4.5

GPS accuracy was one of the strongest themes, with multi-band GNSS often praised as accurate or spot-on; one reviewer found it merely okay beside higher-end Garmin models.

Pros: value for money, battery life

Cons: menu navigation, user interface

#5 Garmin Venu Sq 2
4.3

GPS accuracy was one of the strongest themes, with many reviewers praising reliable tracks and distance results, while a few saw limitations in dense cities or slower lock-on.

Pros: battery life, display quality

Cons: smartwatch features, style and design

#6 Suunto 9 Peak Pro
4.3

GPS accuracy was broadly positive for land activities, often impressing reviewers despite the lack of multiband GNSS, though a few tests exposed weaker open-water or urban performance.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: value for money, mapping and navigation

#7 Polar Pacer Pro
4.0

GPS accuracy was mixed-to-positive: several reviewers found it fast, reliable, or excellent, while others saw wobble, offsets, or lower scientific GPS scores.

Pros: GPS accuracy, value for money

Cons: battery life, smartwatch features

#8 Fitbit Versa 4
3.9

GPS accuracy was mixed: some reviewers found it quick, precise, or on target, while others reported slow lock-on, vague routes, or inconsistent performance.

Pros: battery life, GPS accuracy

Cons: value for money, heart rate accuracy

#9 Coros Apex 2
3.7

GPS accuracy was mixed: some reviewers found it great or close to measured routes, while others saw corner cutting, drift, weak open-water recovery, or merely good-not-great performance.

Pros: value for money, GPS accuracy

Cons: mapping and navigation, onboard music storage

#10 Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4
3.7

GPS performance is mixed: reviewers praised fast acquisition and passable results, but others found distance over-reporting.

Pros: style and design, battery life

Cons: value for money, heart rate accuracy

#11 Garmin Vivomove Sport
3.4

GPS evidence was context-dependent: connected GPS could line up well with phones or other devices, but lack of onboard GPS hurt runners and precision-focused users.

Pros: value for money, style and design

Cons: battery life, display quality

#12 Polar Pacer
3.2

GPS accuracy is the most mixed core metric: some reviewers saw accurate routes and fast locks, while others found hit-or-miss accuracy, slow lock-on, or signal glitches.

Pros: value for money, workout tracking variety

Cons: GPS accuracy, mapping and navigation

#13 Fitbit Sense 2
2.7

GPS accuracy is one of the most divided areas, ranging from solid locks and accurate routes to wandering tracks, distance errors, and poor reliability for serious training.

Pros: battery life, stress tracking

Cons: value for money, GPS accuracy

#14 Polar Ignite 3
2.5

GPS accuracy was the most divided tracking area: a few reviewers found it reliable, but many saw drift, building cut-throughs, or poor multiband results.

Pros: display quality, coaching features

Cons: value for money, battery life