The best Garmin watch for HYROX runs Connect IQ apps and has a LAP button you can press by feel. As of October 2026, no Garmin has a HYROX mode, so the app matters more than the model. For most athletes, that's a five-button Forerunner: the Forerunner 70 or 170 for value, or the Forerunner 970 for a bigger screen.
Key takeaways
- Our picks as of October 2026: the Forerunner 70 or 170 for value, the 47 mm Forerunner 570 or the 970 for a bigger screen, the 51 mm fēnix 9 for battery and the Instinct 3 AMOLED for buttons only.
- On five-button Garmins such as the Forerunner 70, 570 and 970, the lower-right button records a lap, so you can press it by feel.
- The vívoactive 6 and Venu 4 have two buttons and a touchscreen, while the Instinct 3 AMOLED has five buttons and no touchscreen at all.
- Battery barely matters for HYROX: the lowest GPS rating among the Garmins compared here is 15 hours, on the 41 mm Venu 4.
What is the best Garmin watch for HYROX?
For most HYROX athletes, the best Garmin watch is a five-button Forerunner that runs Connect IQ apps. Connect IQ is Garmin's platform and store for third-party watch apps, data fields and watch faces.
A pricier model doesn't track the race better on its own. Already own a Garmin? Look up your model in our HYROX compatibility table before you buy anything.
We compared Garmin's current watches on the criteria below, using their owner's manuals (August and September 2026) and dated launch prices. We didn't test them on a device. Our picks:
Best value: Forerunner 70 or 170
The Forerunner 70 and 170 are the best Garmins for HYROX on a budget. Both have five buttons, with LAP on the lower right, and a touchscreen you can switch off for each activity.
The Forerunner 70 launched in May 2026 at £219.99 / US$249.99, with up to 23 hours of GPS. The Forerunner 170 launched the same month at £259.99 / US$299.99, with up to 20 hours.
Bigger screen: Forerunner 570 or 970
The 47 mm Forerunner 570 and the Forerunner 970 have 1.4-inch screens, and both manuals list Mixed Session. Mixed Session is a generic Garmin multisport activity on newer watches that saves several activities as one.
They launched in May 2025 at £459.99 / US$549.99 and £629.99 / US$749.99.
Premium: fēnix 9
The fēnix 9 comes in 43, 47 and 51 mm. Its August 2026 manual rates the 51 mm at up to 54 hours in an activity and lists Mixed Session. It launched in August 2026 from £859.99 / US$999.99.
No touchscreen: Instinct 3 AMOLED
The Instinct 3 AMOLED has five buttons and no touchscreen, so nothing on the screen can be tapped by mistake. Its manual rates it at up to 32 hours of GPS in 45 mm and 40 hours in 50 mm. It launched in January 2025 from £389.99 / US$449.99.
If you prefer a touchscreen: vívoactive 6 or Venu 4
The vívoactive 6 and Venu 4 have two buttons and a touchscreen, so fewer buttons than a Forerunner. The vívoactive 6 launched in April 2025 at £279.99 / US$299.99. The Venu 4 launched in September 2025 at £469.99 / US$549.99 and adds Mixed Session.
For smaller wrists, the Forerunner 570 comes in 42 mm, the fēnix 9 in 43 mm and the Venu 4 in 41 mm.
Garmin watches for HYROX compared: price, buttons, battery
Which Garmin is best for HYROX depends less on the model than on these criteria:
- a LAP button you can press by feel
- touch you can switch off or lock
- Connect IQ support, so a HYROX app can run the race format
- battery for your longest sessions
- chest-strap pairing, for heart rate at the stations
- a screen you can read mid-station
| Watch | Launch price (UK / US) | Buttons and touch | Screen | Mixed Session | GPS battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forerunner 70 | £219.99 / US$249.99 | 5 buttons + touchscreen | 1.2 in | Not in manual | Up to 23 h |
| Forerunner 170 | £259.99 / US$299.99 | 5 buttons + touchscreen | 1.2 in | Not in manual | Up to 20 h |
| vívoactive 6 | £279.99 / US$299.99 | 2 buttons + touchscreen | 1.2 in | Not in manual | Up to 21 h |
| Instinct 3 AMOLED | From £389.99 / US$449.99 | 5 buttons, no touchscreen | 1.2 in (45 mm), 1.3 in (50 mm) | Not in manual | 32 h (45 mm), 40 h (50 mm) |
| Forerunner 570 | £459.99 / US$549.99 | 5 buttons + touchscreen | 1.2 in (42 mm), 1.4 in (47 mm) | Yes | Up to 18 h |
| Venu 4 | £469.99 / US$549.99 | 2 buttons + touchscreen | 1.2 in (41 mm), 1.4 in (45 mm) | Yes | 15 h (41 mm), 20 h (45 mm) |
| Forerunner 970 | £629.99 / US$749.99 | 5 buttons + touchscreen | 1.4 in | Yes | Up to 26 h |
| fēnix 9 | From £859.99 / US$999.99 | 5 buttons + touchscreen | 1.3 in (43 mm), 1.4 in (47, 51 mm) | Yes | 18 h (43 mm) to 54 h (51 mm)¹ |
Launch prices and screen sizes from the5krunner's spec pages, except the Forerunner 970's UK price (Garmin UK). Buttons, Mixed Session and battery from Garmin's owner's manuals (fēnix 9: August 2026; others: September 2026). All checked 7 Oct 2026. GPS battery is each manual's GPS-only figure, except the fēnix 9. ¹ The fēnix 9 manual gives no GPS-only figure; this is its "Activity mode (Normal or Balanced power mode)" rating.
Every watch in the table runs Hybrid Smash. The five-button models are the safest choice, and the Forerunner 70 already has everything the race needs from the watch itself.
Every watch in the table also lists Obstacle Racing, a Garmin running activity where you press LAP to mark the start and end of each obstacle. The Instinct manual marks obstacles with SET instead, and says some activities are Tactical Edition only.
Will your Garmin run a HYROX app?
Most current Garmin watches can run a HYROX app from the Connect IQ store. Hybrid Smash runs on most current Forerunner, fēnix, epix, Enduro, Venu and vívoactive models, plus the Instinct 3 AMOLED. Check your model on the Connect IQ listing or in the compatibility table.
We make Hybrid Smash, so its device support on this page comes straight from that live listing, checked 7 October 2026.
The Roxzone is the transition area between the running course and the workout stations. For HYROX race day on a Garmin, Hybrid Smash's Race Day mode times every run, station and Roxzone with one LAP press per changeover, using the race format and the station targets for your weight class, and saves the race to Garmin Connect.
Hybrid Smash has the features a HYROX athlete actually uses, from Roxzone splits and pacing to undo and Garmin Connect sync, without menus to get lost in.
- Two settings on race day. You choose your target pace and Run Type; everything else follows the race format and your weight class.
- No account. You buy it once in Garmin's Connect IQ store, with the Garmin account you already have: €9.99 / US$8.49 as of October 2026, and prices vary by region.
Other HYROX apps add extras that Hybrid Smash leaves out on purpose. One is ROXZONE's goal-time Race Plan, built on its website, according to its Connect IQ listing (checked October 2026). RoxTrack is listed as free (October 2026). Compare the HYROX apps for Garmin.
Is an older Forerunner or fēnix still good for HYROX?
Yes, if it runs a Connect IQ HYROX app. As of October 2026, Hybrid Smash runs on the Forerunner 165, 255, 265, 955 and 965 and the vívoactive 5. It also runs on the fēnix 7 and 8, the epix (Gen 2) and the epix Pro.
What older models lack is Garmin's own fallback. The Forerunner 165, 255, 265, 955 and 965 and vívoactive 5 manuals list neither Mixed Session nor Obstacle Racing. The fēnix 7 manual lists Obstacle Racing only, and the fēnix 8 manual lists both.
Hybrid Smash isn't available for the Forerunner 55, 245, 745 or 945. On those, record a run with GPS off and Auto Pause off, and press LAP at every changeover. HYROX on every Forerunner, model by model covers each one.
Why does a physical LAP button matter in HYROX?
In HYROX you press the LAP button at every changeover, mid-effort and often without looking. On every five-button watch compared here, the lower-right button records a lap during an activity, according to their manuals. It sits in the same place on each, so you can find it by feel.
Hybrid Smash doesn't detect stations automatically: you press LAP at every changeover. The app already knows what comes next, so each press closes one segment and names the next.
With Race Day, a full race is 32 LAP presses with Rox Zones (the setting that times each Roxzone) on, or 17 with it off.
Hybrid Smash uses three controls: LAP for the next segment, DOWN to undo a mistaken press and SELECT for the menu (the in-workout menu in the user guide). A short buzz confirms every LAP press, so you don't have to look at the watch.
That undo matters. The Forerunner 970 manual says Garmin's own lap undo isn't available in gym activities or workouts.
Is a touchscreen Garmin a problem in HYROX?
A touchscreen Garmin is fine for HYROX if you can switch touch off or lock it. Each watch compared here gives you a way:
- Forerunner 70, 170, 570 and 970: their manuals let you set the touchscreen for each activity profile. The fēnix 9 lets you turn it off too.
- Instinct 3 AMOLED: there's no touchscreen, so the five buttons do everything.
- vívoactive 6 and Venu 4: two buttons plus the touchscreen. Both manuals, including the Venu 4 manual, offer Touch Lock "to prevent inadvertent screen touches".
On a touchscreen watch, Hybrid Smash's Touch Gestures setting turns touch on or off on the workout screen, and the menus always accept touch. With Touch Gestures on, a swipe down does the same as LAP, and a swipe up undoes.
On a vívoactive or Venu, the buttons work differently from a five-button watch, so check your manual first. Here's how to set up a vívoactive or Venu for HYROX.
Do you need Mixed Session for HYROX?
No. You don't need Mixed Session for HYROX if you use a Connect IQ app. Each Mixed Session switch takes a stop, a Next Activity pick and a restart.
Mixed Session gives you no station names, no station targets and no Roxzone split. A Connect IQ app runs the race sequence instead, on watches with or without Mixed Session. So treat Mixed Session as a backup, not a reason to pay more.
How much battery does a HYROX race need?
Every current Garmin compared here outlasts a HYROX race: the lowest GPS rating is up to 15 hours, on the 41 mm Venu 4.
- Indoors, GPS stays off. Hybrid Smash's Indoor and Cardio Run Types use no GPS, while Outdoor turns it on and uses more battery.
- Always On Display cuts battery life. The 45 mm Instinct 3 AMOLED is rated for up to 18 days as a smartwatch with Wrist Gesture, but up to 7 days with Always On Display.
If you want battery for longer sports too, the 51 mm fēnix 9 goes furthest of the Garmins compared here. Compare the fēnix, epix and Enduro models for HYROX.
Do you need a chest strap for HYROX?
You don't need a chest strap to time a HYROX race, but a strap is likely to give steadier heart rate at the stations. SkiErg, Sled Pull, Rowing, Farmers Carry and Wall Balls all load your grip and wrist, where wrist readings are likely least reliable.
Every watch compared here pairs a chest strap. Their manuals say that if wrist and chest heart rate are both available when you start an activity, the watch uses the chest data.
In Garmin's own running activities, the HRM 600, HRM-Fit and HRM-Pro can also supply indoor pace on compatible watches, but they calibrate on outdoor runs only.
Hybrid Smash uses your watch's heart-rate source, including a paired chest strap. The watch summary shows times. Heart rate per segment (average and max) is in the shared web breakdown.
Which Garmin screen is easiest to read mid-race?
The easiest Garmin screen to read mid-race is a larger AMOLED screen that's awake when you glance at it. Every watch compared here has an AMOLED screen. The largest are 1.4 inches across: the Forerunner 970, the 47 mm Forerunner 570, the 45 mm Venu 4 and the 47 and 51 mm fēnix 9.
Garmin's AMOLED watches turn the screen off after a timeout to limit burn-in. You wake it by turning your wrist or pressing a button, or by tapping the screen on touchscreen models. You can set the display separately for activities, so check that setting before race day.
What the screen shows matters as much as its size. Hybrid Smash keeps the watch screen to what you need right now: what you're on, how long you've been on it, and what comes next.
Should you buy an Amazfit instead of a Garmin for HYROX?
Buy an Amazfit instead of a Garmin only if you want a HYROX race mode built into the watch. If you already own a Garmin, a Connect IQ app such as Hybrid Smash adds the race format instead. You press LAP once per changeover, and Garmin Connect stores the station name with each lap.
Amazfit became HYROX's exclusive wearables partner in a three-year global deal announced on 15 April 2026. As of October 2026, several Amazfit watches have a HYROX race mode. In its Amazfit Balance 3 review, the5krunner says the race mode "automatically advances as it detects changes in motion patterns", but didn't test race mode itself.
COROS has a Hybrid Fitness mode, but it isn't HYROX-branded (the5krunner, 31 March 2026). Amazfit vs Garmin for HYROX weighs switching against keeping your Garmin.
Garmin vs Apple Watch for HYROX: what can each track?
As of October 2026, neither Garmin nor Apple Watch has a HYROX workout type built in. Both can time a race split by split.
A Garmin times splits with its LAP button or a Connect IQ app. An Apple Watch uses workout segments or an App Store app.
| Garmin (Forerunner 70, 570, 970) | Apple Watch | |
|---|---|---|
| HYROX workout type | None | None in Apple's list of workout types |
| Mark a split | Press the lower-right button | Tap Segment or double-tap the display; Ultra models can use the Action button in running workouts |
| Change activity mid-session | Mixed Session on the 570 and 970: stop, Next Activity, pick, start | Tap New and pick another workout type |
| HYROX apps | Connect IQ store, such as Hybrid Smash | App Store, such as RoxLane |
| Battery as a smartwatch | 10 to 15 days | Up to 24 h (Series 12), 50 h (Ultra 4) |
| Battery with GPS | 18 to 26 h | Up to 10 h (Series 12), 18 h (Ultra 4) |
Garmin owner's manuals (September 2026); Apple Support and apple.com, checked 7 Oct 2026. Apple measured its workout figures on outdoor runs, with heart rate on and no iPhone.
Hybrid Smash isn't available for Apple Watch: it runs only on Garmin watches, through Connect IQ. On Apple Watch, RoxLane is one App Store option. Its listing describes a 16-segment race timer with Roxzone tracking (checked 7 October 2026).
For marking splits, Apple Watch relies on the screen, apart from the Ultra's Action button in running workouts. A five-button Garmin uses a physical button. If you already own either, both can time a HYROX race.
What is Hybrid Smash?
Hybrid Smash is a Garmin Connect IQ watch app that tracks and paces HYROX races, simulations and workouts while you do them. One press of the LAP button per changeover, and every run, station and Roxzone is timed, labelled and saved to Garmin Connect.
It is a one-time purchase on the Connect IQ store with no account, no subscription and no phone needed while you train. It offers Race Day (the official sequence of 8 × 1 km runs and 8 stations, with station targets for your weight class), Hyrox Sim, Free Training (pick the next station on the watch as you go), 8 ready-made HYROX workouts and 3 custom workouts.
It is built for the balance between simplicity and the right features: a clean screen, few options and a design nobody needs a tutorial for.
- Three controls run the session: LAP for the next segment, DOWN to undo a mistaken press, SELECT for the menu.
- Saved to Garmin Connect as Indoor Run, Outdoor Run or Cardio, depending on the Run Type you pick, with every segment as a lap.
- Works on most current Garmin watches, including Forerunner, fēnix, epix, Venu and vívoactive models. Check your model on the Connect IQ store.
FAQ
Is there a HYROX Garmin watch?
No. As of October 2026, no Garmin watch has a HYROX mode or activity profile, and HYROX's exclusive wearables partner is Amazfit. To track HYROX on a Garmin, press LAP at every changeover in a built-in activity, or install a Connect IQ app such as Hybrid Smash. Hybrid Smash doesn't detect stations automatically: you still press LAP at every changeover, and it names every run, station and Roxzone.
Did the Forerunner 265 get a HYROX profile?
No. At least one buyer guide, checked on 6 October 2026, says a firmware update added a "HYROX Activity Profile" to the Forerunner 265. The Forerunner 265 manual (June 2025) never mentions HYROX, and as of October 2026 no Garmin watch has a HYROX profile. The Forerunner 265 can still run Connect IQ HYROX apps such as Hybrid Smash: the Forerunner 265 section of our Forerunner guide covers its real options.
Do you need a special watch for HYROX?
No. Any Garmin that records laps can time a HYROX race if you press LAP at every changeover. A Connect IQ app such as Hybrid Smash adds the race format and names every run, station and Roxzone. The HYROX 26/27 Singles rulebook (version of 14 September 2026) bans phones on the race floor, so whatever tracks your race has to run on the watch itself.
Does GPS matter for HYROX?
No, not at an indoor venue: Garmin's manuals say "GPS is turned off for indoor activities". Hybrid Smash's Race Day starts on the Indoor Run Type, which uses no GPS. On Indoor, pace and distance come from your watch's wrist sensor, which is an estimate: pace reads --:-- until you're moving. A paired footpod gives more reliable indoor pace. For an outdoor course, the Outdoor Run Type uses GPS.
Sources
- Forerunner 70 Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Forerunner 170 Series Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Forerunner 570 Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Forerunner 970 Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- fēnix 9 Series Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, August 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Instinct 3 AMOLED Series Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- vívoactive 6 Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Venu 4 Series Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Forerunner 265 Owner's Manual (PDF), Garmin, June 2025. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Forerunner 970 product page, Garmin UK, archived 15 May 2025. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin Forerunner 70 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin Forerunner 170 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin vívoactive 6 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin Forerunner 570 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin Venu 4 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Garmin fenix 9 specs, the5krunner. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- HYROX and Amazfit strengthen alliance with a global partnership, Business Wire release via Yahoo Finance, 15 April 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Amazfit Balance 3 review, the5krunner, 5 August 2026, updated 3 October 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- COROS Spring 2026 update, the5krunner, 31 March 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Workout types on Apple Watch, Apple Support, published 14 May 2025. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Start a workout on Apple Watch, Apple Support. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Run with Apple Watch, Apple Watch User Guide, watchOS 27. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Apple Watch battery, Apple. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Hyrox Race Tracker: RoxLane, Allegro Digital, App Store listing (UK), version 1.0. Accessed 6 October 2026.
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (EN), HYROX, version of 14 September 2026. Accessed 6 October 2026.