The Best Running Watches, Headphones and Other Gadgets – LIVESTRONG.COM

If you’re looking to get some feedback about your run once you’re done — your pace, splits, heart rate, distance, etc. — a fitness watch is a great way to track your progress. The two most important things are getting a watch that fits properly and knowing how to use it before you start your run.

Try the Apple Watch. “If I’m wanting to hold a specific pace, I set it prior to starting my run so that I receive a gentle reminder to speed up or slow down from the watch when needed,” says , Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) level 1 coach. “I like to know how many miles I have run, as well as the total time I have been running, and the Apple Watch shows both. Plus I connect it to my phone so that I can easily control my music on my wrist.”

, RRCA Certified running coach, sub three-hour marathon runner, , agrees. “Transitioning from competitive athlete to working out for health and fitness, I prefer the Apple Watch for every day use,” he says. “It’s nice to go on an outdoor run and quickly see any important emails or texts as well as heart rate tracking.”

Buy it: ; Price: $699

Another option is the Garmin Forerunner 235. “It is accurate and tracks all my vital running stats, like pace, distance, time and heart rate,” says , RRCA- and USATF-certified coach and founder of . “The watch has a sleek design and style, and it’s both functional and lightweight.”

“I’m all about simplicity and when it comes to getting faster — it doesn’t need to be over complicated,” says , Certified RRCA Coach, Runner’s World Coach, coach at in New York City. She this watch because it gives her “insight into my overall effort exerted so I can learn how to improve and when I need extra rest.”

Buy it: ; Price: $249.99

Safety comes first when you’re running outside — especially if you’re running alone, in the morning or at night or on dimly lit streets or trails. Lots of running gear has reflective details built in, but it can’t hurt to add another level of precaution by taking along lights, like the Amphipod Vizlet Flash Mini Wink Safety Lights, which will flash LED reflectors so you can really be seen.

Buy it: ; Price: $10.93

If you don’t need all the capabilities of a watch, but still want to analyze your runs (and perhaps other cross-training workouts), a fitness tracker is a good option to consider. One that tracks sleep and constantly monitors your heart rate? Even better.

“You get better at runs knowing what’s going on outside of them,” says , USATF-certified track and field coach and Nike+ Run Club coach. “The WHOOP picks up heart rate very accurately and is also able to show me how my run compares to other runs I typically do. If you’re someone who likes to see how your heart changes during interval workouts as well, this band is perfect. And because it can also track daily activity as a whole, I can also see how things I’m doing outside my run may effect it.”

Buy it: ; Price: membership starting at $18 per month (band included)

While many races discourage and sometimes even forbid the wearing of headphones or earbuds, that doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence while training. In fact, listening to music can enhance your endurance and improve your mood, according to a 2008 study published in the .