The 5 Best Hiking Watches
Hiking watches are great devices to use on the trail because they can track various things about your hike and provide valuable alerts. Although they are not essential pieces of hiking gear, hiking watches can be great additions to your hiking gear! This guide will review everything you need to know to find the perfect watch, including what to consider and the best hiking watches on the market!
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The 5 Best Hiking Watches
Garmin fenix Multisport GPS Watch
Pros:
Great battery life
Accurate GPS tracking
Color topographical maps
Large display screen
Pulse Ox sensor
Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Cons:
Heart-rate tracking could be better
Expensive
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The Garmin fenix Multisport GPS Watch is one of the best hiking GPS watches to beat. It has everything you could ever want in a watch, including GPS tracking, preloaded topo maps, heart rate tracking, and long-lasting battery life. It also has music storage and can be used for contactless payments. This watch is one of the most expensive on the list, but you get what you pay for in terms of features!
The Garmin fenix Multisport GPS Watch has satellite navigation using GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo that tracks with a barometric altimeter, 3-axis compass, and gyroscope, so you can feel confident when you are hiking. It also comes preloaded with topo maps for your use! The Garmin fenix Multisport GPS Watch has incredible battery life that can last up to 18 days in its smartwatch mode and up to 57 hours in its GPS mode. One of the things I love the most about the hiking watch is the large screen that makes it easy to read everything and use the map features. If you are looking for one of the best hiking watches and don’t mind spending more money, the Garmin fenix Multisport GPS Watch is for you!
Bonus: The Garmin fenix has a few other versions that share similar features with the Garmin fenix Multisport GPS Watch and a few distinct differences listed below.
Suunto Baro watch
Pros:
More than 80 activities
Accurate GPS tracking
Great battery life
Integrated wrist-based heart rate tracking
Built-in storm alert
Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Cons:
Heavy
Interface can be clunky
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The Suunto Baro is another one of the best GPS watches for hiking that many say rival the Garmin fenix 6 watches. It has many great features, including accurate GPS tracking, integrated wrist-based heart rate tracking, training summaries, and an intelligent battery.
The Suunto Baro uses FusedTrack to improve tracking accuracy by combining GPS and motion-sensor data and tracks time, distance, pace, and elevation so you can feel confident on the trails. It also has intelligent battery technology that will automatically suggest battery modes as your battery life decreases. The battery life can last up to 25 hours in performance mode, which provides the most GPS accuracy and data. One of the things I love most about the Suunto Baro is the integrated storm alarm and weather data you can use while hiking. If you want to use your watch for a variety of activities, this hiking watch supports more than 80! The Suunto Baro is one of the best hiking watches for a great price!
Garmin Instinct Solar GPS Watch
Pros:
Solar charging
GSP tracking
Great battery life
Integrated wrist-based heart rate tracking
Durable
Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Cons:
GSP tracking could be faster
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The Garmin Instinct Solar GPS Watch is another top-of-the-line GPS watch for hiking. If you want a hiking watch with solar charging capabilities, a long-lasting battery life, GPS tracking, and military-standard durability, the Garmin Instinct Solar GPS Watch is for you!
The Garmin Instinct Solar GPS Watch has an extended battery life of up to an unlimited amount of days with solar charging, which is fantastic! It also has a built-in barometric altimeter and a 3-axis compass with multiple global navigation satellite systems to help you feel confident on the trails. If you are interested in a watch that supports other activities, the Garmin Instinct Solar GPS Watch comes preloaded with many activities, including swimming, running, biking, and more! On top of those features, it also is constructed to the military standard 810, which has incredible shock, thermal, and water resistance. The Garmin Instinct Solar GPS Watch is one of the best GPS watches for hiking for a great price!
COROS VERTIX watch
Pros:
Durable
Accurate GPS Tracking
Great battery life
Built-in pulse oximeter with 24/7 blood oxygen monitoring
Water-resistant up to 150 meters
Cons:
Display is dim
Bulky
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The COROS VERTIX is one of the best GPS watches for hiking with accurate GPS tracking, extended battery life, and a durable titanium case. If you are someone who wants a super durable watch, this is for you!
The COROS VERTIX is for any adventure with its Grade 5 titanium alloy bezel case and diamond-like-coating sapphire glass that is very durable. It also has one of the longest-lasting batteries without solar charging, lasting up to 60 hours in full GPS mode. The COROS VERTIX also has a built-in thermometer, gyroscope, barometric altimeter, compass, and accelerometer that tracks everything you need for your hiking trips! This watch also offers fantastic training modes and over 200 preloaded exercises, allowing you to create customized workouts for any sport. Although the COROS VERTIX is on the expensive side, it is one of the best hiking watches for the price!
Casio Pro Trek Multifunction Watch
Pros:
Solar charging
Great battery life
Durable
Water-resistant up to 200 meters
Cons:
The band can become uncomfortable
No GPS
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If you are looking for the best budget-friendly hiking watch, the Casio Pro Trek Multifunction Watch is for you! It has an efficient solar battery that can last up to 5 months without recharging on some of its modes! The Casio Pro Trek Multifunction Watch also has a built-in compass, altimeter/barometer, and thermometer to track your trips. If you don’t need a watch that tracks GPS, the Casio Pro Trek Multifunction Watch is the best hiking watch for you!
Hiking Watch Features
Battery life
One of the most important things to consider when looking for a hiking watch is its battery life. If you will be using a GPS watch, you want to make sure you get an accurate estimate for how long the battery will last using GPS. Many hiking watches have incredible battery life, but GPS modes can use a lot of the battery life. If you don’t want to worry about battery life, you can invest in a watch with solar charging capabilities!
GPS
I love having a GPS watch for hiking when I don’t have another GPS device with me. And most of the best hiking watches come with GPS tracking. If you plan on hiking in the backcountry, it may be helpful to buy a hiking watch with multiple global navigation satellite systems to make sure you are covered. If you use another device for GPS, you don’t necessarily need a hiking watch that has it, and you can save some money, too.
Water-Resistant
The weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, so having a water-resistant hiking watch is a must. If you plan on using it to track other activities, like swimming or paddleboarding, it is crucial to make sure it is water-resistant!
Comfort
I highly recommend trying on the hiking watch before buying it, so you can determine if the band will be comfortable for you and doesn’t irritate your skin. Ideally, you want a hiking watch that has a soft and lightweight band that allows airflow, but everyone’s preference is different, which is why I suggest trying different ones on.
Interface
When looking for a hiking watch, you want to make sure you can use it easily! Since most people are used to using touch screens, you may want to consider getting a watch that has one. Touch screens allow you to navigate the interface with ease but can be sensitive to moisture. Buttons on a hiking watch can make it easier to navigate the interface if you don’t want a touch screen.
Features
Hiking watches can have a variety of features, including:
music storage
heart-rate monitor
compass
weather tracking
smartphone compatibility
Most hiking watches aren’t solely for hiking anymore and have many features. You will have to decide what you want to use it for and find one with those features.
If you are looking for the best watches for hiking, this guide is a great place to start! It has everything you need, including what to consider and the best hiking watches!
Hey, I’m Nichole
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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