Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor, and holds certifications as a personal trainer and weightlifting coach. She has been writing about health for over 10 years.
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I only got seven days of battery life in my testing
Vivoactive watches are among the most underrated products Garmin makes. They're lightweight, stylish in a casual kind of way, and they pack many of the features of a sports watch in a package that doesn't look or feel like you have to be an athlete to make sense of it. It's like a better Fitbit. The newest version is the Vivoactive 6, and I have a full review of it here.
Among its best features: a training plan for walking. The watch will suggest a walking workout for you each day, and allow you to preview workouts up to a week in advance. You can see a selection of sample walking workouts in my review, but they come with plenty of variety. Some days are just a "base" walk at a brisk pace, but others alternate easy walking with speed walking, the better to improve your fitness.
Available with cellular service, if you'd like to walk without your phone
Third-party apps provide a wealth of features (sometimes for a fee)
Cons
Needs to be charged daily
You read that right—my pick is the Series 10, even though the Series 11 is the most current Apple Watch. The Series 11 just didn't do much to improve on the Series 10, so you might as well save a few bucks and go with the older model.
The Apple Watch is a classic for a reason. It's a good all-around smartwatch, and you can install any apps on it you like. For walking, hiking, or any outdoorsy traveling, I'd highly recommend the WorkOutDoors app, which I reviewed here. It can show you a map of where you're going, while displaying any metrics you care to track, like miles or steps. Plenty of other fitness apps run on the Apple Watch as well, like social fitness app Strava and health tracker Bevel.
There are three tiers of Apple Watch, with the SE being the budget model, and the Ultra 3 at the top—one that's arguably overbuilt, and maybe overkill for your needs. Our associate tech editor, Michelle Ehrhardt, previously called the middle-of-the-road Series 10 the best Apple Watch for most people, and she has a rundown of what the differences really are (not much!) between the 10 and the 11.
Larger than most watches on this list, in 45 and 50 mm
If your idea of "walking" is more like "hiking," a more rugged watch might be the one for you. Garmin's Instinct series is built for the outdoors and comes in a solar-powered model that can extend your battery life between charges if you're outdoors all the time. Even without solar, though, the battery lasts for weeks—28 days is Garmin's best-case estimate. Note that there are several other models of the Instinct, depending on your preferences for display type and what features you need.
Besides just being a great outdoor watch, the Instinct watches are among the Garmins that have rucking features. This means that you can track rucking (weighted walking) separately from regular walks. You can also add a pack weight to walking and hiking workouts, if you'd like to keep them under those workout types.
The Scanwatch 2 is a fitness watch that definitely puts the "watch" part first. It's an actual analog watch, with hands that move around throughout the day—although you can always press the crown to show the time digitally if you prefer. (The hands even briefly move out of the way if they're positioned in front of the screen.)
Instead of a glowing full-color display, the screen on this device is just a little window toward the top of the watch face. But that's enough to start workouts, check your pulse, or adjust settings. Underneath that screen is another clever mechanical touch—a round dial that counts your steps for the day. One full revolution corresponds to meeting your step goal for the day. Conveniently, I've found that even if I leave the watch on my dresser, but bring my phone or another device with me around the house, the step count dial will update when my watch syncs again.
To select the watches on this list, I looked for watches that had features specific to walking (including hiking and rucking), with special attention to watches I have personally reviewed. Of the four on this list, I have tested the Vivoactive 6, the Apple Watch Series 10, and the Scanwatch 2. I'm familiar with the Instinct 3 from my research but haven't used it personally.
For the Garmin Vivoactive 6, I reviewed the watch in depth and tested its heart rate accuracy, GPS accuracy, and the walking training program. (I did not train with the program for weeks, but I did evaluate the types of workouts provided and did one or two of them.) You can read more about my testing of the Vivoactive 6 here.
For the Withings Scanwatch 2, I did a similar in-depth review, looking at factors including overall usability and heart rate accuracy. Since it does not have its own GPS, I did not test GPS accuracy.
What do you think so far?
For the Apple Watch Series 10 (and the Series 11, which did not make the list) I tested both watches extensively, but I didn't write an individual review for each one. Instead, you can see my work in articles like this comparison of the Apple Watch Series 10 versus the Fitbit Charge 6. I do have a separate review of WorkOutDoors, an Apple Watch app that I recommend here for people who want mapping and detailed metrics for their walks and hikes.
Best Watches For Walking FAQ
What should I look for in a walking watch?
That depends on how walking fits into your life. If your walks can happen at any time throughout your day, you'll want a watch that feels comfortable to wear all the time and that fits aesthetically with most things you wear (if looks are important to you). This way you'll actually wear it, so it will be with you when you start walking.
If you do your walking in dedicated workouts, prioritize features over looks. Look for a rucking or "pack weight" feature if you use a weighted vest or hike with a pack. The Garmin Instinct 3 (and some other Garmins, like the Forerunner 570) have these features. And if you hike on trails, consider a watch with navigation and routing capabilities. The Vivoactive 6, Instinct 3, and Apple Watch on this list all have the ability to follow downloaded routes or help you find your way back to the start. Of these, only the Apple Watch can show you detailed maps.
Is a Garmin better than a Fitbit?
In my opinion, yes! Fitbit devices aren't bad—the Charge 6 is fine if you don't need many features or if you already subscribe to other Google services—but Garmins have a lot more going for them. Garmin watches like the Vivoactive 6 have built-in, accurate GPS, and can control music on your phone from any service rather than just from YouTube Music.
Also, and maybe this is more of a gut feeling than an objective truth, but Garmin feels like a better investment in the future. Garmin watches tend to age well and get updates for many years. Google has denied rumors it's killing off the Fitbit smartwatch lines, but its actions tell a different story: Fitbit features keep disappearing or getting rolled into Google services, and the brand hasn't released any new devices (except one 2024 kids' watch) since 2023. The most recent Fitbit smartwatches, the Versa 4 and Sense 2, date from 2022. I wouldn't bother with them if you're shopping for a watch in 2026.
Which Garmin is best for walking?
Plenty of Garmins have features for hiking, rucking, and various kinds of outdoor adventuring, but if you're just interested in walking—like, around your neighborhood or on a treadmill—go with the Vivoactive 6. It has a built-in training plan to improve your walking fitness if you're into that sort of thing, and it's simple enough and comfortable enough you'll gladly wear it as a casual watch.
Beth Skwarecki
Senior Health Editor
Covering health, fitness tech, home gym equipment, and more.
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