

The Forerunner 55 is actually our favorite Garmin running watch. So, here are our favorite Garmin watches - all of which play nicely with Strava. That list just so happens to be the most expensive Garmin devices. Live Segments will show you how far ahead/behind your PB you are for that specific stretch of road or trail. Thankfully, you can link your account with the app for seamless syncing of runs, cycles and swims. Garmin Connect isn't nearly as fun, informative and motivating as Strava, despite its recent facelift. So connecting Garmin Connect and Strava does give you the best of both worlds.


Strava does a lot of good analysis of your sessions based on heart rate – but there are data points it doesn't track such as vertical oscillation and running cadence which you'll find in the upper reaches of Garmin's range. That means you get full Strava Segments, KOM and records. You can connect Garmin and Strava from within Garmin Connect, meaning any activity you track on your watch can be synced automatically to Strava.

We've listed our favorite Strava-compatible watch brands below and picked out the ones with special features. However, if you are a Strava power user, buying a top-end device will bag you things like Live Segments. There's no need to spend big, which is why we've presented options for every budget and level below. You will have to pay for the luxury of some of Strava's best features, though, like creating routes or seeing matched runs and rides data.įinding a Strava-compatible running watch isn't too hard, so your main job here is to figure out how much you're willing to spend. Strava really makes it easy to dive into looking at your performance levels, and, in our experience, does a better job of showing improvement than many of its rivals. In our experience, you're likely to find more of your friends recording their workouts on Strava than on other apps, and that can be a real motivating factor. We love using Strava here at Wareable, both for its use of things like Strava Segments and the bustling community. This enables you to track your workouts - whether they're running or cycling - directly from the wrist and have them appear in the app. Strava is a great place to store your workout data, and the good news is that most big-name sports watches work with the service.
