The Best Smartwatches for Hiking and Outdoor Adventures
Best outdoor watch 2024: rugged timepieces for adventurers
The best outdoor watches are genuinely sophisticated wearables. These rugged smartwatches manage to pack a considerable number of potent sensors and tools for modern life into a tiny package. They're often able to track position more precisely than smartphones and typically offer far better battery life. Here, we listed all models worth considering, including Garmin, Suunto, Polar, Huawei, Apple, and more.
While screen real estate is limited, adventure watch manufacturers have taken many tips from smartwatches. Indeed, many outdoor watches do double duty as smartwatches, as well as hiking GPS units, running watches, training aids, and music players, to name but a few functions.Read on for our ranking of the best outdoor watches right now whatever you're into.
The Top 3
Best outdoor watch overall
Right now, the Garmin Enduro 2 is the best wearable for anyone interested in the Great Outdoors. It has an insanely long battery life, a rugged build, accurate GPS and an accurate heart rate sensor. Garmin also added offline TOPO maps to make outdoor navigation easier. It's not cheap, but it's worth every penny.
Read more below
Best outdoor watch for swimming
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a rugged titanium case and a large AMOLED display. We used it to run marathons and ultramarathons, and we also took the Ultra scuba diving; it performed well under these circumstances. It's a premium wearable with plenty of health and safety features.
Read more below
Best outdoor watch for hiking
The Huawei Watch Ultimate is a premium outdoor smartwatch that makes you look classy without compromising on the outdoor prowess of the wearable. The watch has a dedicated physical button to summon its Expedition mode, which is fun to use, even if you aren't planning on re-conquering the Arctics.
Read more below
The best outdoor watch to buy right now
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Best overall
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best outdoor watch overall
Specifications
Bezel: titanium
Weight: 64g (case only)
Water resistance: 100m
Battery: 46 days in smartwatch mode and up to 150 hours in GPS mode
Solar charging: yes
Reasons to buy
+Ultra-long battery life
+Offline TOPO maps
+Fast processor
+Multi-band, multi-GNSS system
Reasons to avoid
-Comes in one size, and it's huge
The Garmin Enduro 2 is the best outdoor watch right now, despite the insane competition it faces, even within Garmin's own stable. There is the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro, the Garmin Epix Gen 2, and countless Garmin Instinct variations why would you choose the Enduro 2 instead?
For one, it has an extremely long battery life, longer than any other watch from Garmin. The brand not only optimised GPS performance via SatIQ but also added the solar harvesting Power Glass to help maintain battery power longer.
The watch is mega durable, thanks to the scratch-proof Power Sapphire glass lens, the lightweight yet tough titanium bezel and the fibre-reinforced polymer watch case with a titanium rear cover.
Finally, Garmin also added offline topographic maps, something the watch's predecessor lacked, as well as various other outdoor-ready features, such as TrackBack and more.
Read our full Garmin Enduro 2 review.
Best for swimming
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best outdoor watch for swimming
Specifications
Bezel: titanium
Weight (case only): 61.4g
Water resistance: WR100 water resistance, EN13319 standard for dive accessories
Battery: Up to 36 hours (normal use), Up to 72 hours (Low Power Mode), Up to 12 hours (Outdoor Run with GPS)
Solar charging: no
Reasons to buy
+Added Free Diving mode
+Improved maximum operating altitude
+Plenty of smart features
+Carbon Neutral product (when paired with certain straps)
Reasons to avoid
-Battery life is not on par with competitors
-Diving and mountaineering features are aimed at a very niche market
Apple's second-generation Ultra rugged wearable is prettier, more intelligent and faster than before without a price increase.
Of all the outdoor watches, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is your best option for swimming. It's water-rated to 100 metres and meets the EN13319 standard for dive accessories. Better still, unlike its predecessor, the second-generation Ultra can be used for freediving (the Ultra was only suitable for scuba diving). Apple also revamped the Dive app, making it easier to see your dive history on the watch and to share your dives via the app on your iPhone.
Another big outdoor update is the operating altitude range of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which has been increased to -500-9000 meters (-1640 feet to 29,500 feet), exceeding the current standard of other Apple Watch models of 0 meters to 3000 meters. Battery life could be (much) better, but apart from that, this is a terrific outdoor wearable!
Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.
Also consider: Thanks to the release of the Ultra 2, the original Apple Watch Ultra can be bought for less than RRP these days. It's a super-capable wearable that can track your adventure both below and above the waterline. Read our full comparison between the two iterations here: Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Apple Watch Ultra.
Best for hiking
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best outdoor watch for hiking
Specifications
Bezel: liquid metal
Weight: 76g (case only)
Water resistance: 100m
Battery: up to two weeks in smartwatch mode (GPS battery life not disclosed by brand)
Solar charging: no
Reasons to buy
+Premium build and materials
+Huge, bright LTPO AMOLED display
+Fast processor and smooth touch interactions
+All health and fitness features under the sun
+Amazing battery life
Reasons to avoid
-Bubble icon UI feels a bit too close to Apple's interface
The Huawei Watch Ultimate is your best outdoor watch option for hiking. In Expedition mode, the Watch Ultimate tracks your movements in three dimensions, day and night, as well as letting you add waypoints and markers as you go along on your adventure.
The watch can also be used for commercial diving, which we're sure everyone will appreciate (considering the number of commercial divers out there). We suspect it's one of those niche features Huawei added just to have a stab at Apple, but the watch has some interesting additional diving features, such as Apnoea training and Apnoea test.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate has a large, bright AMOLED display and a surprisingly long battery life, which is why we listed it so high in this outdoor watch roundup. It's a shame you can't buy it in the US, but if you live in a country where it's available, we recommend checking it out.
Read our full Huawei Watch Ultimate review.
Most sustainable
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Most sustainable outdoor watch
Specifications
Bezel: stainless steel/titanium
Weight: 86 grams/74 grams (case only)
Water resistance: 100m
Battery: up to 60 days in Time mode, up to 500 hours in Tour mode
Solar charging: yes (optional)
Reasons to buy
+Long battery life (+ solar charging)
+Dual-band multi-GNSS
+Fully carbon-compensated manufacturing process
+Excellent mapping performance
Reasons to avoid
-Touch interactions are sluggish
-Backlight cannot be turned off (not ideal for sleeping)
-The watch seems to beep randomly throughout the day, even when it's in 'Do Not Disturb' mode (e.g. when you hit your calorie goal for the day)
The Suunto Vertical has superb mapping features, long battery life aided by solar charging capabilities and a durable build everything you can ask from a capable outdoor watch.
It's not as slick as Garmins; the CPU could be faster, and the touch interactions smoother. If you prefer non-AMOLED wearables for outdoor activities, the Suunto Vertical is one of the best options for you on this list.
One of our favourite things about the Suunto Vertical is that it was made using 100% renewable energy, and the little carbon generated by the production is offset by the company in Africa. It's an admirable effort and something we'd like to see more from other brands.
Read our full Suunto Vertical review.
Best for mountaineering
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best outdoor watch for mountaneering
Specifications
Bezel: Grade 5 Titanium Alloy With PVD Coating
Weight: 66g
Water resistance: 5 ATM
Battery: 30 days of regular use/75 hours of full GPS
Solar charging: no
Reasons to buy
+Offline TOPO maps
+Fast processor
+Multi-band, multi-GNSS positioning system
+Dedicated off-road sports modes (e.g. Mountain Climb)
Reasons to avoid
-Watch case doesn't feel as premium as Garmins
-Touchscreen operation is far from smooth
-Screen isn't the most visible in bright conditions
Like most Coros watches, the biggest appeal of the Apex 2 Pro is that offers an updated heart rate sensor, dual-frequency GPS chip, plenty of trail running and outdoor sports features, rugged titanium and sapphire glass design, an okay touchscreen display, a lot of training support via the Coros app and the Coros EvoLab for half as much as the Garmin Enduro 2.
Aimed at ultra-runners, the Coros Apex 2 Pro will surely appeal to people who liked the first iteration of the watch and are fans of the brand a group that's getting increasingly numerous these days. We'd imagine Garmin users might not be swayed quite as quickly, but that's fine; there is room for two (three, four...) wearable brands in the outdoor watch market.
Read our full Coros Apex 2 Pro review.
Best mid-range
(Image credit: Polar)
Best mid-range outdoor watch
Specifications
Bezel: stainless steel
Weight: 64g
Water resistance: WR100
Battery: up to 40h in training mode, or 7 days in watch mode
Solar option: no
Reasons to buy
+Plenty of training and recovery features
+Geared towards use on trails
+Lots for your money
Reasons to avoid
-Not the most comfy to wear at night
While it's not exactly cheap, the Polar Grit X delivers plenty of bang for your mid-range buck. Part of a new focus on adventure watches from Polar, this outdoor watch offers a wide range of tracking, training and recovery tools, including a number specifically designed for use on trails and mountains Hill Splitter, FuelWise and WeatherWatch, for example. It's robustly built, easy to navigate and boasts up to 40 hours of battery life in full activity mode.
Read our full Polar Grit X review.
Best budget
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best affordable outdoor watch
Specifications
Bezel: Polymer alloy
Weight: 66.5g
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Battery: up to 45 days/heavy use 10 days/continuous GPS 58 hours
Solar option: no
Reasons to buy
+Great GPS accuracy
+Long battery life
+AMOLED display
Reasons to avoid
-Pointlessly bulky
-So-so heart rate accuracy
Until recently, our pick for the best budget outdoor watch was the Amazfit T-Rex Pro, and while you'll still find it at the bottom of this round-up, it's been thoroughly superseded by the latest version: step forward, the Amazfit T-Rex 2. It's a significant upgrade to the T-Rex Pro, with a larger and brighter AMOLED display, longer battery life and a much better GPS chip, and if you're after a cheap alternative to the Garmin Fenix, this is about as good as it gets right now.
It's rugged and surprisingly lightweight put that down to the polycarbonate case with a new BioTrackerTM 3.0 PPG biometric sensor that supports 24-hour health management functions, as well as over 150 sports modes (most of which you'll never use).
The GPS accuracy is fine, if not super-accurate, while the heart rate accuracy is a little hit-and-miss, but on the whole, you get a lot of functionality and plenty of bang for your buck. We can't help but feel that the chunky design is there for the sake of it, but if you can live with that and if you're on a budget, this is definitely an outdoor watch worth considering.
Read our full Amazfit T-Rex 2 review.
Best analogue
(Image credit: Future)
8. Elliot Brown Bloxworth Heritage Diver
Best analogue outdoor watch
Specifications
Bezel: ceramic
Weight: not stated
Water resistance: 200m
Battery: a very long time
Solar option: no
Reasons to buy
+Ultra-robust
+Cool design
+Option of wetsuit-friendly ratchet buckle
Reasons to avoid
-No hi-tech features
-No date widow
Of course, you don't need to go for a smartwatch when heading into the great outdoors, and our current pick from the analogue market is the Elliot Brown Bloxworth Heritage Diver watch (or, for women, the Bloxworth Hali). Sure, there's no GPS, but you're also getting years of battery life, with no need to ever hunt down a charge point.
This outdoor watch is ultra-robust, with a toughened, anti-reflective sapphire crystal face framed by a ceramic bezel. There's a movement shock protection system that'll withstand a bashing from a 3kg stainless steel pendulum mallet, and it's waterproof to 200m, too. Details are geared towards use in the great outdoors the coin-edged bezel is deep enough to grip with a gloved hand, for example, and if you decide to opt for the bracelet strap version, there's a ratchet buckle that lets you fit it perfectly over your wetsuit.
Head to our guide to the best dive watches for some more tech-free options.
Best marine-focused
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
Best marine-focused outdoor watch
Specifications
Bezel: titanium
Weight: 82g
Water resistance: 100m / 10 ATM
Battery: up to 66hrs in GPS mode, up to 120 days in battery saver mode
Solar option: yes
Reasons to buy
+Ridiculous battery life
+Brilliant navigation tools
+Built-in boat autopilot
Reasons to avoid
-Quite complex
-Overkill if you're not taking to water
If you're a water lover, the best outdoor watch for you is the Garmin Quatix 6X Solar. This watch takes the land-based tools and tech found in our top-ranking 6X range and adds a whole bunch more geared towards more watery pursuits. There are plenty of features aimed at boat owners, SUP riders, windsurfers, kayakers and more.
Additions include wrist-based autopilot control, dedicated marine mapping and bespoke sailing tools. You'll also get Garmin's solar-boosted battery, which means this watch will run and run... and run. While it's absolutely excellent for marine sports, it's probably unnecessarily complex for land lovers.
In April 2022, Garmin released a new version of this watch. The upgraded version adds a touchscreen AMOLED face and some more sea-specific tools, although the former does impact battery life somewhat. Check out our full Garmin Quatix 7 Sapphire review for the full low-down on that one.
Read our full Garmin Quatix 6X Solar review.
How to choose the best best outdoor watch for you
Looking to gear up for your next outdoor adventure? Hold on to your compass and let's talk outdoor watches! With so many options out there, it's like navigating through a forest maze. Before you take the plunge, let's hash out how much tech you really need.
Too much gizmo, and you'll be stranded with a dead battery faster than you can say " width="50"lost in the woods." But skimp on the tech, and your training routine might suffer more than a hiker with a hole in their boot.
For those epic expeditions, smartwatches and GPS trackers can be more power-hungry than a bear at a picnic. Opt for solar-powered or simple models that can keep up with your trailblazing spirit in any weather.
If you're eyeing a tracking model, ask yourself: are you tracking your steps for fitness or navigating through the wilderness like a seasoned explorer? Sometimes, they're as compatible as a camper and a cactus.
Sure, models with GPS and fancy sensors might offer pinpoint accuracy, but they also drain your battery faster. The newest models come with settings to balance accuracy with battery life.
Ultimately, finding the perfect outdoor watch is like finding the perfect trail mixpersonal preference reigns supreme. So, choose wisely, strap on your boots, and hit the trails with confidence!
How we test the best outdoor watches
Testing outdoor watches involves putting them through their paces in real-world conditions to evaluate their performance and features.
Field testing is essential; we often take watches out on outdoor adventures such as hiking, camping, or backpacking trips. During these excursions, we pay close attention to how the watch handles different terrains, weather conditions, and altitudes.
We test GPS accuracy by comparing its readings with known landmarks, maps and hiking GPS units.
We monitor the watch's battery life during extended use, particularly when utilising features like GPS tracking or heart rate monitoring. Test how long the battery lasts in various modes and settings, and compare it with the manufacturer's claimed battery life to ensure it meets your needs.
If we can, we check if the watch withstands accidental drops, scratches, and immersion in water. That said, we don't purposefully try and damage the watch think more like real-life scenarios, like your arms brushing against thorny bushes.
We also test the watch's user interface and navigation features to ensure they are intuitive and responsive, even when wearing gloves or in harsh weather conditions (if applicable; we can't really test this in the middle of summer).
We wear the watch for prolonged periods to assess its comfort and fit, particularly during strenuous activities. We check if the strap is adjustable, breathable, and comfortable for long-term wear.
FAQ
What is an ABC watch?
An ABC watch refers to a type of outdoor watch that typically includes altimeter, barometer, and compass functionalities. The altimeter measures altitude or elevation, the barometer monitors atmospheric pressure for weather forecasting, and the compass provides directional guidance. Together, these features help users navigate terrain, track changes in weather conditions, and stay safe during outdoor activities.
Do I need a GPS watch for hiking?
GPS watches offer several benefits for hikers, including accurate navigation, route tracking, distance measurement, and location sharing. They can be particularly useful for exploring unfamiliar trails, remote areas, or challenging terrain where traditional maps and compasses may be less reliable. However, if you primarily stick to well-marked trails, are proficient in map reading and navigation, or prefer a simpler approach to hiking, a GPS watch may not be necessary.
