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How Garmin Connect badges work
Garmin awards badges for completing specified goals. Badges grant points toward your total, and Garmin describes badge levels from level 1 through level 10. Availability can change, and some badges are offered only for a limited time, so the badge details in your own account are the practical source for current requirements.
In the Garmin Connect app, open your profile, choose All Badges, then browse available badges or open one to see its requirement and point value. On Garmin Connect web, select Badges from the navigation. You can browse by badge type or difficulty and review progress and available badges.
Which Garmin badges are best to pursue?
There is no universal best badge or difficulty ranking. Choose a goal that fits your routine, the activity you already record, the time available, and any enrollment or deadline requirements. Garmin groups badges into several types:
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#1 Best Overall
- Easy-to-use running watch monitors heart rate (this is not a medical device) at the wrist and uses GPS to track how far, how fast and where you’ve run.Special Feature:Bluetooth.
- Battery life: up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode; up to 20 hours in GPS mode
- Plan your race day strategy with the PacePro feature (not compatible with on-device courses), which offers GPS-based pace guidance for a selected course or distance
- Run your best with helpful training tools, including race time predictions and finish time estimates
- Track all the ways you move with built-in activity profiles for running, cycling, track run, virtual run, pool swim, Pilates, HIIT, breathwork and more
| Badge type | How it works | Who it may suit |
|---|---|---|
| Step | Meet a specified step target in one day. Garmin says only one step badge can be earned per day. | People who want a short, everyday movement goal. |
| Distance | Complete an activity-specific distance target. Garmin says only one distance badge can be earned per activity; the award can depend on the saved distance. | Runners, cyclists, walkers, or others whose normal activity matches the badge. |
| Challenge | Join the challenge and meet its requirements before it ends. | People who like a defined deadline or shared goal. |
| Expedition | Build progress over time through daily steps for hiking expeditions or daily floors for climbing expeditions. Garmin says these do not expire after you start. | People who prefer a long-term cumulative target. |
| Virtual climb | Meet the listed ascent requirement through a floor-climbing activity. | People whose device and routine support tracking floors climbed. |
These categories are not all limited to a month. Some badges are recurring or cumulative, while others are temporary. Open the badge details before starting to confirm the activity type, target, deadline, and whether you need to enroll.
2025 Garmin badge dates: selected historical examples
The available 2025 archive evidence is incomplete and partly third party. It confirms selected March examples, not every badge, date, region, or account offering during the year. These entries are historical and should not be treated as current opportunities or a complete official schedule.
Rank #2
- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode (5 days display always-on)
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
| Historical period | Archive-reported badge or target | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|---|
| January 1–March 31, 2025 | Stage 1 quarterly challenges | A third-party archive reported targets of 300 km running, 91 miles walking, and 675 km cycling. |
| March 2025 | March Time to Swim; March Time to Run; March Time to Ride | The archive reported monthly targets of 4 hours swimming, 10 hours running, and 20 hours cycling. |
| March 2025 | March Walking; March Warrior | The archive reported monthly targets of 30 miles walking and 4 hours yoga. |
The quarterly and monthly figures above come from a third-party archive, not a complete official Garmin calendar. Regional availability may differ. Garmin says badge availability can change and some badges are limited-time, so consult your own account for current offerings.
How to join and complete a Garmin challenge
- Open Garmin Connect and go to Challenges or open the relevant badge details.
- Check the challenge period, qualifying activity, target, and any other stated requirements.
- Join or opt in if the challenge requires enrollment.
- Complete the requirement within the stated period and record it with a Garmin or Tacx device.
- Sync the device and confirm the activity appears in Garmin Connect.
A challenge may set a minimum rather than an exact target. Garmin gives the example that a marathon could qualify for a weekend 5K challenge. Follow the specific challenge details in your account rather than assuming every challenge uses the same rules.
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- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Why a badge may not appear
- Enrollment: Some challenge badges require joining before completion.
- Timing: The activity may need to fall within the challenge period.
- Activity rules: Check the specified activity type and target in the badge details.
- Upload: Make sure the qualifying activity has synced to Garmin Connect.
- Availability: Temporary badges may not be offered to every account or in every region.
If an old list conflicts with the requirement shown in Garmin Connect, use the in-app or web badge details. Do not assume a past challenge will award a badge retroactively.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
How do I earn Garmin Connect badges?
Complete the goal shown in the badge details using a Garmin or Tacx device. For a challenge badge, join if required and meet the listed requirements within its challenge period.
Rank #4
- Smartwatch with a bright, colorful display, stainless steel design, and built-in flashlight; up to 12 days of battery life gives a more complete picture of your health - physical size - 45 x 45 x 12.5 mm, Fits wrists with a circumference of 135-200 mm
- Make improvements to promote a healthier lifestyle and know your body better with extensive health monitoring features, including wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery energy monitoring, fitness age, stress tracking, meditation and more (device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching, including recommendations for how much sleep you need, tips on how to improve, alignment on your inner sleep cycle by using circadian rhythm and more; breathing variations feature uses Pulse Ox to check your level of variations while sleeping (this is not a medical device, and device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox is required and not available in all countries)
- The health status feature looks for changes in your health data that could indicate added stress to your body for key metrics — such as heart rate, HRV, skin temperature and more — which could be related to factors such as physical activity, potential illness or other health changes (device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Log custom or preset daily behaviors — such as caffeine and alcohol intake — and view reports in the Garmin Connect smartphone app on how lifestyle choices may impact your sleep, stress and HRV to help you make more health-conscious decisions (device data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Where can I find available Garmin badges?
In the app, open your profile and choose All Badges. On Garmin Connect web, choose Badges from the navigation. Open a badge to check its requirements and points.
What Garmin badge challenges were available in 2025?
The available archive evidence confirms selected March monthly targets and January-to-March Stage 1 quarterly targets. It does not establish a complete official calendar for 2025, and the examples are historical.
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- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Do I have to join a Garmin challenge before doing the activity?
Challenge badges require joining and completing their listed requirements before the challenge ends. Check the badge details for the enrollment process and dates, and join before starting when the challenge requires it.
Can one activity earn multiple Garmin distance badges?
Garmin says only one distance badge can be earned per activity. The badge awarded may depend on the saved distance and the activity-specific requirements.
The bottom line
Pick badges that fit activities you already do, and check their exact requirements before you begin. Garmin Connect’s badge screen is the best place to find what is currently available; archived 2025 examples can offer historical context, but they are neither a complete schedule nor current opportunities.
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