Best 2022 Smartwatches for onboard music storage

#1 Garmin MARQ Gen 2
4.4

Onboard music storage and offline playlists were repeatedly praised as useful for phone-free workouts.

Pros: pairing reliability, reliability

Cons: size options, call handling

#2 Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4
4.3

Onboard music support is positive where tested, especially offline playlist and downloaded music support.

Pros: contactless payments, pairing reliability

Cons: LTE connectivity, call handling

#3 Garmin Forerunner 255
4.2

Onboard music was generally liked for phone-free use and Spotify playback, though one reviewer found the storage allowance limiting.

Pros: durability, cross-platform compatibility

Cons: stress tracking, app ecosystem

#4 Garmin Forerunner 255S
3.6

Onboard music storage split reviewers: some praised offline storage and streaming support, while another found setup slow and confusing enough to carry a phone instead.

Pros: step counting accuracy, fit

Cons: blood oxygen tracking, charging convenience

#5 Garmin Forerunner 955
3.2

Onboard music storage was mixed: offline playback is valued, but setup issues, service limits, and battery drain frustrated reviewers.

Pros: outdoor visibility, charging speed

Cons: LTE connectivity, call handling

#6 Garmin Venu Sq 2
3.0

Onboard music storage was polarizing: it works for offline listening on the Music Edition, but reviewers disliked paying extra or dealing with certain transfer limitations.

Pros: charging speed, coaching features

Cons: ECG functionality, call handling

#7 Coros Apex 2
2.4

Onboard music was repeatedly limited by MP3-only loading, no streaming, slow or old-school transfers, and competition for storage space.

Pros: resume later function, durability

Cons: watch face quality, call handling

#8 Garmin Vivomove Sport
2.0

Onboard music storage was absent and treated as one of the limited extras compared with fuller smartwatches.

Pros: pairing reliability, reliability

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#9 Suunto 9 Peak Pro
2.0

Onboard music storage was consistently criticized as absent, making the watch less convenient for phone-free workouts.

Pros: step counting accuracy, durability

Cons: voice assistant quality, contactless payments

#10 Polar Pacer
1.5

Onboard music storage is a weakness because reviewers note music cannot be loaded directly onto the watch.

Pros: third-party app support, comfort

Cons: contactless payments, onboard music storage

#11 Polar Pacer Pro
1.3

Onboard music storage was consistently absent and criticized as a limitation for a sports watch.

Pros: workout tracking variety, activity auto-detection

Cons: onboard music storage, blood oxygen tracking

#12 Polar Ignite 3
1.2

Onboard music storage was consistently weak because reviewers repeatedly noted that music must come from a phone.

Pros: brightness, charging speed

Cons: call handling, third-party app support

#13 Fitbit Sense 2
1.1

Onboard music storage is also a clear weakness, with reviewers saying offline music or storage support is gone or unavailable.

Pros: pairing reliability, durability

Cons: music controls, Wi-Fi connectivity

#14 Fitbit Versa 4
1.0

Onboard music storage was one of the clearest omissions, with reviewers repeatedly saying music could not be stored, downloaded, or used phone-free.

Pros: pairing reliability, user interface

Cons: third-party app support, music controls