Garmin watches are known to all runners on the planet, surely the most popular among athletes of all types and conditions, but the brand offers a lot more to users, even unfamiliar devices.

For example, on Cyber Monday they recently sold a small accessory for €41.99 that will save you a lot of trouble in the long run, including serious injuries from poor running technique.

It's called the Garmin Running Dynamics Pod, a clip you can attach to your pants that measures six metrics in real time to analyze whether you're running well and, from the Garmin Connect app, give you tips on how to improve your technique.

For example, it indicates how long your footsteps last, the distance between them or the cadence, among other things. However, it may mean that you need to increase your stride time to reduce the impact on your knee and ankle joints, for example.

It has an accelerometer that detects movement and processes all data immediately. These are the parameters it evaluates:

• Cadence is the number of steps per minute.
• Ground contact time balance shows the balance of left and right leg ground contact time during running.
• Step length is the length of the step from one step to another.
• Vertical oscillation is the suspension phase during your running movement.
• The verticality ratio is the ratio between the vertical oscillation and the length of the step.
• Time of contact with the ground.

It is enough to detect problems that would otherwise have to be evaluated by observation, which you would hardly be able to do yourself. You would need someone knowledgeable in the field to independently evaluate your technique.

The battery usage time is approximately 365 hours, and it can be replaced later to extend it further if needed.

Tips for buying a sports smartwatch

If your desire is to record your workouts perfectly, then what you are looking for is not a smart watch, but a smart sports watch that specializes in measuring our heart rate, calories and GPS position.

Smartwatches have come a long way in recent years, so much so that we now have to separate several categories within them, as they vary greatly from one sports watch to another.

Despite some of the usual functionalities of smart watches, such as the synchronization of notifications, we are talking about watch models, the collection of physical and health data, as well as sports activities.

Then everyone processes and shows them in a different way, and there are also those who give advice on how to improve in different sports, especially running, cycling or swimming.

Here's a GPS sports watch buying guide with some recommended models and everything you need to know before buying, what to look for and what features are really important.

Recommended sports watch models

Let's start with a short list of up-to-date watches with the top three recommended devices to help you choose the best watch for you:

Garmin Fenix 7

Of all the brands competing in this sector, Garmin is surely the most acclaimed. It has models in all price segments, but the current high-end is the Garmin Fenix 7 in all its versions.

There is also a solar-charged edition, which is a bit more expensive. What is clear is that in terms of battery life (up to 22 days), connectivity and accuracy with GPS and NFC, they really have few competitors.

However, what users like most about Garmin's software and the way it processes data and information is the power of numbers: you can share exercise data and compare it with friends in real time.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

The king of sports watches is undoubtedly the Apple Watch Ultra, at least in terms of technical capabilities, because it is able to survive in extreme conditions, the deepest dives and the coldest peaks. Its materials are also fantastic, but if all you want is a simple running watch, you'll soon find that you're not tapping into its full potential.

But sometimes it's not a question of whether to use the watch or not, but that intention that leads many people to buy a Rolex Submariner, even if they don't live near the sea. There are watches that are something more, and this Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the only smartwatch in this category right now.