Tracking runs, rides, and everything in between just feels easier with a smartwatch. These wrist gadgets keep an eye on heart rate, distance, pace, and sometimes even our motivation—especially when a nap sounds better than a jog.
Pairing a smartwatch with Strava? It’s honestly like having a personal assistant who never complains about sunrise jogs.
The smartwatch world is packed. Some screens look bright enough to light up a room, others have batteries that outlast our best excuses for skipping workouts.
When picking the best smartwatch for Strava, we’ve got to think about compatibility, GPS accuracy, battery life, comfort, and how easy it is to sync our sweaty stats. Nobody wants to stop mid-run to poke at a stubborn watch or feel like they’re hauling a brick on their wrist.
In the end, we just want a smartwatch that tracks workouts smoothly and gets our data to Strava without any fuss. We tried out a bunch of popular models to find the ones that actually keep up—and don’t turn exercising into a daily hassle.
Best Smartwatches for Strava
Let’s be real: we all love to flex our epic runs and rides on Strava. To make tracking smoother (and bragging easier), we’ve rounded up the best smartwatches for Strava fans.
Setting up the Bip 5 took less time than picking socks. The large display made stats easy to read, even when we were out of breath.
Swiping stayed smudge-free, thanks to the anti-fingerprint screen. We tracked everything—from heroic couch-to-fridge missions to real jogs—and syncing with Strava just worked.
The battery goes for days, honestly making us wonder if it ever gets tired. We forgot the charger on a weekend trip and came back with power left.
Notifications sometimes doubled up, just to make sure we got the message. The watch doesn’t feel fancy, but it gets the job done and keeps us moving.
If you want something with more advanced features or a metal body, you might want to keep searching. For the price, though, our wrists and wallets feel pretty good.
If you want serious Strava tracking and a watch that survives the occasional kitchen flood, this one’s worth a look.
Pros
Battery life keeps you away from the charger for days
Built tough—handles the gym or the wild
Strava sync works reliably, so your runs always count
Cons
Display isn’t AMOLED, so colors look a bit dull
It’s bulkier than some
No auto-brightness for the screen
The Amazfit Active Edge made us feel ready for adventure—or at least an extra-long bike ride. It shrugged off bumpy trails and surprise rain without flinching.
Strava syncs up without drama, so our bragging rights stay current. After a week of use, we barely made a dent in the battery, which is a relief since finding a charger mid-hike is not on our resume.
The built-in GPS kept our routes accurate, so there was no guessing who took the detour. The screen isn’t as punchy as AMOLED, but it’s bright enough outside—unless the sun gets dramatic.
No auto-brightness means a little fiddling in changing light, but that’s a tradeoff for extreme durability. The fit stays secure, whether we’re doing burpees or just snacking on the sofa.
If you want long battery life and a rugged build over flashy screens, this watch is a no-brainer for Strava.
Touchscreen sometimes gets a little too responsive during workouts
Navigation isn’t super intuitive at first
Price might make your wallet nervous
The Forerunner 265’s colorful display stands out right away. Whether you’re squinting in full sun or sneaking a glance between intervals, you can see your stats with no problem.
No more blaming missed splits on a dim screen—now it’s just your legs and pacing. The training features actually help, not just record your struggle.
The training readiness score tries to tell you when to push and when to wobble home for pancakes. The morning report feels like having a coach who says, “Maybe nap before that personal best?”
Strava syncing is painless, so all your glorious data lands in the app. There are more workout profiles than some of us have shoes.
Battery anxiety? Not really—13 days if you don’t overdo GPS, which is plenty for a couple weeks of denial about charging. If you can handle a small learning curve and a higher price, the Forerunner 265 keeps you tracking every sweaty, triumphant mile.
This watch is perfect for anyone who wants to track Strava runs, chat with Alexa, and pretend to be more organized than reality suggests.
Pros
Bright display is easy to read outside
Alexa voice assistant helps with reminders
Charges quickly and battery lasts surprisingly long
Cons
Needs your phone nearby for GPS
Screen feels big on smaller wrists
Sports tracking options can feel overwhelming
Taking this watch out for a morning run felt almost like cheating—we could answer calls and yell at Alexa right from our wrist.
The screen is big and bright, perfect for checking Strava stats after a lap—unless you’re trying to hide the numbers. Syncing with our phones was easy, and the notifications actually helped us ignore our phones for a bit.
Switching between 100+ sports modes was both fun and a little confusing. Who knew you could track curling before coffee?
For sweaty jogs and rainy walks, the waterproof rating held up. Just don’t expect it to join you in the hot tub.
If you want a smartwatch juggling fitness, daily reminders, and voice control, this one delivers a lot for the price.
Huge sport mode library—if it exists, you can probably track it
Cons
No built-in GPS—depends on your phone, so Strava gets lost if you leave it behind
Some stats seem more optimistic than accurate (our step count was suspiciously heroic)
App setup isn’t exactly thrilling
Wearing the Sanorum feels oddly freeing. The band is lightweight, and we forgot it was there during a bike ride—until it buzzed about a text.
Switching between sport modes is as easy as scrolling a to-do list. The health tracking features try to charm, too.
Sleep hygiene gets judged (in a supportive way), and continuous heart rate data finally lets us quantify how much coffee is too much. Tracking everything from sprints to deep sleep is simple—almost too simple, since we managed to activate snowboarding mode in the living room once.
Here’s the catch: if you leave your phone behind, GPS tracking just gives up. So, it’s best for folks who always have their phones nearby on a run or ride.
For casual Strava use and loads of daily features, this watch offers plenty to play with. Just don’t expect it to prep you for the Olympics (unless you’re going for gold in wishful thinking).
If you want solid Strava tracking with a budget-friendly and surprisingly flashy smartwatch, the Motast makes a strong case. It might even make us look sportier than we really are.
Pros
Big color screen that’s easy on the eyes
Bluetooth calling works without yelling at your wrist
Loads of fitness modes to keep things interesting
Cons
Step tracking sometimes shows we climbed Mount Everest (when we just went to the fridge)
App can be as confusing as assembling flat-pack furniture
Needs your phone for GPS mapping
Trying out the Motast Smartwatch, we were surprised by how sharp the screen looks in person.
It’s huge, colorful, and actually readable in the sun, so no more squinting or guessing at our stats.
Swapping watch faces is as easy as swapping socks—great for the indecisive among us.
We liked answering calls straight from the wrist, even if it made us look like secret agents at the grocery store.
The speaker is clear enough to make calls while jogging pretty painless.
Tracking runs on Strava is straightforward, though we did need our phones nearby for GPS routes.
It’s a small hassle, but not a deal breaker for casual runners.
The step counter? Sometimes it thinks a lap around the kitchen is a marathon (no complaints about bonus steps, though).
Syncing with the app took a bit of patience and some trial-and-error.
Despite those quirks, if you want Strava integration, a big display, and playful features without breaking the bank, the Motast Smartwatch covers the basics with some style and plenty of value.
This smartwatch is a solid pick if you want to track Strava activities without melting your wallet.
Pros
Syncs neatly with Strava, Apple Health, and Google Health Connect
Fun gesture controls make us feel a bit like sci-fi wizards
Strong battery keeps chugging along for days
Cons
Can be a little stubborn about syncing instantly
Screen isn’t at its brightest when we’re outside, especially in the sun
We miss having NFC for taps at the checkout
We strapped on the CMF Watch Pro 2 and honestly felt ready for an adventure—or at least a brisk stroll before lunch.
Setup was quick, and the app’s guidance actually made sense (for once).
Swapping bands and bezels to match our outfit? Totally doable, and no engineering degree required.
During our usual Strava runs, the GPS locked in reliably as long as we weren’t hiding in a metal bunker or wedged on a crowded bus.
The heart rate and blood oxygen sensors kept tabs in the background.
Syncing stats to Strava felt as easy as forgetting leg day.
We just had to remember to open the app now and then to keep the connection happy.
The call feature comes in handy when we don’t want to dig through backpacks for our phones.
We can pretend we’re secret agents answering crucial calls from our wrists—until we accidentally gesture-skip a song instead.
For the price, the CMF Watch Pro 2 gets a lot right, especially if you want a simple workout buddy that won’t drain your bank account or your patience.
Buying Guide
Let’s be honest—nobody wants a smartwatch that just sits there looking pretty. If you’re into Strava (or just like tracking your workouts), you’ll want to keep a few things in mind before you drop your cash.
Battery Life: Nobody wants their watch dying halfway through a run. Check the battery specs, especially if you’re the type to “accidentally” run a marathon without realizing it.
GPS Accuracy: A bad GPS can mess up your stats and, honestly, your post-run bragging rights. You want your tracking to actually show where you went, not some weird zig-zag mess.
Comfort and Fit: If you’re wearing this thing all day, it should feel good. Nobody wants smartwatch tan lines that look like you lost a bet.
Compatibility: Your watch should get along with your phone and Strava. Trust me, picking one that syncs easily will save you from a lot of pointless frustration.
Activity Tracking: Let’s be real—we love stats. The more data, the better, even if we’re just out for a casual stroll.
Hi, my name is Garrett Jones, and I am a tech enthusiast. I enjoy researching the new tech that has been released, and have a vast knowledge of the best tech to purchase.
From a young age, I have always had a big interest in technology, and this blog is an extension of that interest. Through this blog, I hope to provide others with all of the information they need regarding tech options to consider, and things such as compatibility. Some of the different items I will be discussing include headphones, smartwatches, and how to fix common issues.
