Athletes who want music on their wrist can keep pace without pulling out a phone. This guide highlights top running watches with built-in music capabilities or strong music-control features, combining GPS accuracy, training insights, and long battery life. Each pick supports workouts, recovery data, and accessible streaming or offline playlists, helping you stay motivated from mile one to the finish.
| Product | Brand | Music Features | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Forerunner 165 Music (Black) | Garmin | Music on Wrist, GPS, HR | Daily workouts and recovery guidance |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 Music (Whitestone) | Garmin | Music on Wrist, GPS, HR | Bright AMOLED display with dial controls |
| Garmin Forerunner 255 Music | Garmin | Stored music, Spotify/Amazon/Deezer support | Long battery life, broad music options |
| Garmin Forerunner 55 | Garmin | Music Control via smartphone, GPS | Affordable starter with daily workouts |
| TRAUSI Smart Watch | TRAUSI | Music control, Bluetooth calls | Connectivity on the go with sport tracking |
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music — Black
The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music (Black) combines a colorful AMOLED display with easy-to-use running metrics. Built-in GPS tracks pace, distance, and tracks wrist-based heart rate for continuous monitoring. The watch supports music on the wrist, letting runners download or control playlists without a phone. Its 43 mm lightweight case balances comfort with features, offering up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and about 19 hours in GPS mode. It includes personalized daily workouts, Garmin Coach, and race-adaptive plans to tailor training around performance and recovery signals.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music — Whitestone
This variant mirrors the Black model with the same built-in GPS, wrist-based heart rate, and a brilliant AMOLED touchscreen. It remains a lightweight 43 mm watch designed to support long training sessions and daily activity tracking. The Whitestone edition shares the strong battery life—up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours in GPS mode—and keeps Garmin’s coaching features, including daily personalized workouts and adaptive training plans that respond to performance and recovery data.
Garmin Forerunner 255 Music
The Forerunner 255 Music extends Garmin’s line with a slim, always-on color display and two size options (46 mm and 41 mm). It supports up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and about 30 hours in GPS mode. A standout feature is the ability to download up to 500 songs directly to the watch and play them through wireless headphones, enabling phone-free listening. The watch also covers health and training insights from sleep to recovery, with planning tools included to shape ongoing performance.
Garmin Forerunner 55
The Forerunner 55 is a practical entry in Garmin’s lineup, featuring GPS tracking and a user-friendly interface. It allows you to store daily workouts and plan training with PacePro-like guidance, aiding race-day pacing on selected courses. While it focuses less on music storage, it supports music control through connected devices and offers extensive battery life, durability, and fitness insights suitable for runners who want essential training metrics alongside easy access to audio cues.
TRAUSI Smart Watch — Music Control
The TRAUSI Smart Watch emphasizes connectivity with 120 sports modes, sleep monitoring, and Bluetooth call and music control features. While it may not offer integrated music storage, it provides robust on-wrist music control and notifications that help runners manage playlists and calls during workouts. Its durable build and array of activity-tracking capabilities offer an affordable option for athletes who want music control alongside health metrics, notifications, and a broad sports mode range.
Buying Guide
- Music storage vs music control: If you want offline playlists, prioritize models labeled as “Music” with built-in storage. If you’re comfortable streaming or controlling playback from a connected phone, music control features may suffice.
- Battery life: For long runs or multi-day training blocks, consider watches with extended endurance in GPS mode and smartwatch mode. Battery life varies by display type and features active.
- Display quality: AMOLED displays are vibrant and easy to read in sunlight, but can impact battery. Transflective or memory-in-pixel displays offer better outdoor legibility with different trade-offs.
- Training insights: Look for coaching tools, adaptive workout plans, and race-pacing features (like PacePro) to build structured training that aligns with your goals.
- Fit and comfort: Size matters; consider the watch case diameter, weight, and strap material, especially for longer training sessions.
- Health metrics: Wrist-based heart rate, sleep tracking, HRV status, and recovery insights contribute to a broader understanding of readiness and progression.
- Compatibility: Ensure streaming services or offline music options match your preferred subscriptions (Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, etc.).