Running watches are a must-have if you want to track and analyze your athletic performance, and the best running watches with music combine plenty of space for song storage with access to your favorite streaming services, making it easy to fuel your run with your favorite tunes. And they'll still give you all the fitness metrics you want, at a price for every budget.
If you want to store music directly on your watch, you’ll have to spend a little more money for storage space as well as the capability to connect directly to music service subscriptions via Wi-Fi or cell data. On the other hand, if you don’t mind bringing your phone on runs, you can opt for a budget-friendly option that connects to your smartphone and lets you control music directly on the watch while monitoring fitness metrics.
Next, you'll need to consider the metrics you want. All the best sports watch options below offer basic fitness tracking for you to evaluate performance, like heart rate, distance, and pace, but some are tricked out with high-level monitoring, like blood oxygen levels and high-altitude metrics, that'll help you tailor your running routine to meet your specific goals.
If you plan on wearing the watch while you're not running, you’ll want to consider style. Many of the best running watches have a sporty, utilitarian look, but if you want one that coordinates more with your everyday aesthetic, choose one with a sleek band and a design-minded bezel (or the groove around the watch face). Of course, a stylish option can still offer powerful fitness tracking and great music features to keep you motivated on runs.
Whether you’re taking a daily run around the neighborhood or training for a marathon, having easy access to adrenaline-pumping music makes each workout fly by. And with these running watches with music — which are all available on Amazon — you can easily keep track of your impressive stats, too.
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1The Overall Best
Designed with runners in mind, this Garmin running watch monitors performance metrics like stride length, vertical ratio, and heart rate while letting you store up to 500 songs right there on your wrist. The watch connects to compatible Bluetooth headphones (sold separately) for cord-free listening, and if you subscribe to Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Deezer, you can also sync music for offline listening.
The watch monitors your performance using an estimated wrist band heart rate, and as for running-specific features, the watch’s five-button interface lets you quickly mark laps, and consult a training tool that evaluates your performance and advises you if your routine needs adjustments. You can also measure advanced running metrics like cadence and stride length by adding a compatible heart rate strap or Garmin’s Running Dynamics Pod. And if you want to track other activities, the watch has built-in profiles for cycling, strength training, swimming (it’s water-resistant up to 50 meters), and more. Reviewers also report that it's quite accurate at measuring distance, a typical shortcoming in other fitness trackers.
Other handy features include contactless payment and smartphone pairing so you can receive and respond to text messages and email when you have your phone on you, when you take your phone along on runs. Additional apps, watch faces, and widgets are available in the Connect IQ store. The battery lasts up to five hours in GPS mode with music, or up to seven days in smartwatch mode (no music though). Choose from four colors.
According to a runner: “I typically run 20-25 miles per week and was sick of carrying my phone to listen to music. Within 10 minutes of opening it, I had it loaded with my running playlist and was out the door.”
2The Best Budget Option
While you can’t store music directly on this budget-friendly fitness watch, you can still use it to control the music on your connected smartphone, so you can quickly play, pause, and change tunes during your run without having to reach for your phone. The watch works with the VeryFitPro app — which is available in the Apple and Google Play app stores — to track real-time heart rate, count steps when walking or running, and even monitor sleep quality. And by connecting to a smartphone via Bluetooth while you run, you can use GPS to track routes and record distance, pace, and calories burned. Besides running, the watch’s eight sports modes help you track activity for cycling, yoga, and more.
When connected to a smartphone, the watch alerts you to incoming calls, text messages, and app notifications, and there are other helpful features, including a breathing guide to help you meditate and a sedentary reminder so you remember to get up and walk around. However, there's no mention of a contactless payment option. It has an IP68 rating, which means it’s dust-resistant and water-resistant at depths of up to 1 meter. The battery lasts three to 10 days on one charge. Choose from three band colors.
According to a runner: “I bought it for the running tracker feature to save battery life on my phone and it exceeds my expectations for that and the step counter … Nice that you can somewhat control your music through the phone too. Overall, this watch is a great deal.”
3The Best Splurge That Has The Most Metrics & Longest Battery Life
If you're ready to invest, the Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire has the most advanced fitness tracking options on this list. Besides accurately tracking distance, this luxury watch features enhanced estimated wrist heart rate and pulse oximetry readings that measure your blood oxygen levels, which is especially helpful for high-altitude training. And to keep you on pace as you climb hills, the watch has a PacePro feature that offers grade-adjusted guidance as you run. Other advanced features include heat- and altitude- adjusted VO2 max, a recovery countdown timer, and more. The watch also comes preloaded with 2,000 ski resort maps and features contactless payment, smartphone notifications (when connected to a compatible device), and a customizable power manager to better control battery life.
As for music, it stores up to 500 songs directly on the watch and syncs to your streaming music subscriptions, like Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer, and iHeartRadio.
The watch works for up to 10 hours in GPS and music mode, or up to 14 days in smartwatch mode (no music) — twice the amount of time as the first pick, so it's a great choice if you're training for ultra-marathons, or if you're just forgetful when it comes to recharging. The water-resistance rating is 10 ATM, so the watch can withstand water pressure to an astounding depth of 100 meters.
It also boasts a more traditional watch face, giving it a sleeker aesthetic, plus it comes in 18 color and design options for a more customizable look.
According to a runner: “I find the features pretty amazing, especially all of the feedback data I receive. It's really motivating to have that real time data on your runs. However, I primarily chose this device because I'm training toward running ultras and wanted to have the best battery life and the best tracking capabilities on trail runs."
4A Stylish Fitness Watch That Looks Like A Regular Watch
If you want a fitness-tracking smartwatch that looks like a sleek, everyday watch, the Garmin vívoactive 4S is an aesthetically minded choice. You can store music directly on the watch — reviewers report it can store about 500 songs — and it also syncs with Amazon Music, Spotify, and Deezer subscriptions.
The watch tracks running metrics like distance, speed, and stride length, and also comes preloaded with sports apps for other activities like biking, swimming (it has a 5 ATM water rating, so it can withstand pressure up to a depth of 50 meters), and more. Plus, there are easy-to-follow on-screen workouts. The watch tracks heart rate, respiration, energy, and stress levels, and there’s a pulse oximetry sensor to monitor your blood oxygen.
Other features include contactless payment, smartphone notifications when connected to a compatible device, and free watch faces, apps, and widgets through the Connect IQ store. The battery lasts up to five hours in GPS and music mode, or seven days in smartwatch mode (no music). Choose from four colors, including rose gold with a white band and all black.
According to a runner: “I wanted to improve my running and distance, and I also wanted a watch that looks nice (I have to dress professionally at work). This watch beautiful, and does a wonderful job tracking my runs. Great purchase- I highly recommend this watch!"
