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Rankings · Budget Picks

Best budget running watches (2026)

14 watches that list at about $300 or less. Ranked by our weighted meta-score. Updated Nov 3, 2026.

#1
COROS
Pace 4
Score
8.7 / 10
Battery · GPS
41 h
Price (MSRP)
$249
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#2
COROS
Pace Pro
Score
8.7 / 10
Battery · GPS
31 h
Price (MSRP)
$299
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#3
COROS
Pace 3
Score
8.4 / 10
Battery · GPS
25 h
Price (MSRP)
$199
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#4
Amazfit
T-Rex 3
Score
8.2 / 10
Battery
27 days
Price (MSRP)
$279
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#5
Garmin
Forerunner 170
Score
8.0 / 10
Type
GPS running watch
Price (MSRP)
$299.99
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#6
Suunto
Run
Score
8.0 / 10
Type
GPS running watch
Price (MSRP)
$299
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#7
Amazfit
Active 3 Premium
Score
7.9 / 10
Battery
12 days
Price (MSRP)
$169.99
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#8
Garmin
Forerunner 70
Score
7.9 / 10
Battery · GPS
23 h
Price (MSRP)
$249.99
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#9
Polar
Pacer Pro
Score
7.9 / 10
Battery · GPS
35 h
Price (MSRP)
$299
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#10
Amazfit
Cheetah Pro
Score
7.8 / 10
Battery
14 days
Price (MSRP)
$299
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#11
Garmin
Forerunner 165
Score
7.8 / 10
Battery · GPS
19 h
Price (MSRP)
$249.99
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#12
Amazfit
Balance
Score
7.7 / 10
Battery
14 days
Price (MSRP)
$229
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#13
Amazfit
Active 2
Score
7.5 / 10
Type
GPS running watch
Price (MSRP)
$149
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#14
Apple
Watch SE 3
Score
6.6 / 10
Battery · GPS
7 h
Price (MSRP)
$249
Shop ↗

Questions

Frequently asked

Which is the highest-rated budget running watch?

COROS Pace 4 leads this list at 8.7/10 on our weighted watch meta-score (GPS, battery, training, build, value).

Which budget running watchs have offline maps?

7 of 14: COROS Pace 4, COROS Pace Pro, Amazfit T-Rex 3, Suunto Run, Amazfit Active 3 Premium, Amazfit Cheetah Pro, Apple Watch SE 3.

What is the cheapest budget running watch here?

Amazfit Active 2 lists from $149 MSRP, then Amazfit Active 3 Premium from $169.99. Street prices change — confirm before you buy.

How is this list ranked?

By our editorial meta-score only: GPS 25%, battery 20%, training 25%, build 15%, value 15%. No brand pays for position. Outside reviews inform the score; they are cited on each watch page.

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Index

Watches on this list

Occasional notes when major GPS watches launch or our scores change. Free. Signups are stored only — this form never sends email by itself.