Great performance: Nothing beats the fact that you can monitor your exercise with the snap of your fingers. With a GPS running watch, everything is made to perfection, and its performance is top-notch. It serves a lot of purposes--it can measure stress levels, help you prepare an optimal route to run, measure the distance and altitude, and more!

Allows for different types of sessions: One customer noted that his Polar M430 GPS Running Watch could be adjusted for different sessions: easy, medium, and long runs, as well as mobility, core, and strength workouts.

Monitors you at all times: You can use your GPS running watch to monitor all of your activities--even your sleep! It will monitor your heart rate, even when you’re sitting or lying down.

Good for even someone who isn’t a techie: A customer who bought the Polar M430 watch was impressed that the interface was easy to use--even for a person who is not so technically minded. That way, you can concentrate on your exercise sessions.

Clean your watch face: When done using your watch for the day, it’s expected that you clean the watch face, ideally with a dry cloth, or with a lens-cleaning cloth (which usually comes with a new pair of eyeglasses).

Protect your watch: A GPS running watch is made to put up with a lot--whether it’s sweating or rain. For example, the Garmin Instinct Rugged GPS watch is thermal, shock, and water-resistant. But, you shouldn’t expose it unnecessarily. Make sure to keep your watch away from direct sunlight, which may damage the electronics. Also, although GPS watches aren't completely waterproof, it is still important to factor in the limit of which the watch can withstand water. When you come across a watch that shows water-resistant, it means that that watch can only withstand small drops of rain. To get a watch that is waterproof, it is best to look out for the atmosphere (ATM) rating. It indicates to what depth of water the watch can withstand.

Heart rate monitor: One interesting feature a GPS running watch should have is a heart rate monitor. This heart rate monitor would help you in knowing not just your recovery rate, but also the maximum oxygen consumption and maximum VO2 levels (=the maximum volume (V) of oxygen (O2) your body uses when exercising. It’s a good indicator of your overall athletic ability.).

Compatibility: All of the data that your watch collects needs to be tracked and analyzed. You’ll need to hook it up to a smartphone or computer, to analyze the data. One feature to look out for is compatibility with other smart devices, such as your mobile phone or your laptop.

Garmin, founded in 1989, is named for the two founders of the company, Gary Burrell and Min Kao. They started out making GPS devices for vehicles and planes, and later moved on to wearable technology and fitness trackers, whether it’s for running, swimming, golf, or even just for children!

Polar has been making heart rate monitors since 1977. They make heart rate monitors, fitness trackers, and GPS watches for a variety of activities: cycling, running, cross-training, and even triathlon training.

Coros started making cycling equipment in 2016, with their “smart biking helmets”. They presently make a number of GPS sports watches: the Vertix, for hiking and outdoor activities, the Apex series, for overall training, and the Pace series, primarily for runners.