The Best Fitness Watches for Outdoor Adventures

This post is part of Find the technology that’s right for you, Lifehacker’s Fitness Wearables Buying Guide. I’m asking hard questions about whether wearables can really improve health, how to find what’s right for you, and how to make the most of the data they provide.

A watch can be your best friend when you go on an adventure. No matter what you end up doing, it helps you navigate, communicate, and track your activities. An “outdoor watch” has a harder job than a running watch or general-purpose fitness tracker. I have selected some of the best.

Let me be clear: you are not need The perfect watch for hiking, camping, and kayaking. But many outdoor adventurers enjoy having one on their wrist…so here’s our guide to finding the one that’s right for you.

What to look for in an outdoor watch

Does it come with a map?

Some GPS watches come with fully functional maps preloaded onto the watch. Other than maps, some also have GPS functionality. These allow you to keep track of where you’ve been (‘breadcrumbs’) and mark specific locations you’d like to return to (‘waypoints’). Note whether the watch comes with its own maps, can accept maps you’ve uploaded yourself, or can only do breadcrumbs and waypoints.

How good is GPS?

GPS is no longer the only game in town. Also available are GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS. But you don’t have to choose. The best accuracy comes from watches that can use several different systems. This usually includes the GPS itself, but keep in mind that single-band GPS is not as accurate as dual-band. In general, the more services a watch can use, the more accurate it will be.

How long does the battery last?

Your smartwatch should be able to be used throughout the day. A running watch is what you need to keep running. But for an outdoor watch to really shine in the battery department, it needs to be able to withstand multiple days of hiking. Some of the products I chose last for several weeks on a lower battery setting, and the GPS is always on so he can track his activities throughout the day. Additional points will also be given to watches that can be solar-charged.

Be sure to check your clock settings. There may be some battery saving settings so you can fine-tune the trade-offs.

Recommendations for the best outdoor and adventure watches

Best overall: Koros Apex 2 Pro ($449)

Coros Apex 2 Pro is equipped with 5-system GNSS with multi-band GPS for precise location tracking. Pro comes preloaded with global maps.

The watch has a variety of sports modes, including different types of swimming, cycling, skiing, water sports such as windsurfing, and multi-pitch climbing as well as rock climbing. There’s also a triathlon mode and a multisport mode if you need to combine multiple activities into one workout.

Apex 2 Pro can be used for 24 days in smartwatch mode and 66 hours with full GPS. It also comes with a sapphire screen and can also provide training plans if needed.

• Koros Apex 2 Pro ($449)

• of Koros Apex 2 (non-pro) is $349. The GPS is not multiband and does not come with maps, but you can upload the maps you want.

• of Top of Koros 2 The upgrade from Apex retails for $699 and comes with longer battery life and a larger, higher-resolution screen.

Best for battery life: garmin instinct solar ($259.99)

This rugged watch features multi-system GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo), as well as its own built-in compass and altimeter. Garmin also boasts that it’s built to military standard 810 for heat, impact, and water resistance.

Instinct Solar doesn’t come with a full-featured map, but it does have breadcrumbs (line showing you where you’ve been) and waypoints (marking spots so you can go there later). You can navigate using

The Instinct Solar has a long battery life, lasting up to 24 days (days, not hours!) in smartwatch mode and 30 hours when tracking GPS and heart rate. At the other end of the spectrum, this watch can run for a whopping 56 days in battery-saving mode.Theoretically, if your watch is exposed to at least 3 hours of bright (50,000 lux) sunlight per day, unlimited battery life.

• My choice: garmin instinct solar ($259.99)

• As a budget option, the non-solar Instinct is a great choice. Currently only $169.99.

• Want the best and latest? garmin instinct 2 solar It costs $399.99, but the upgrades are very minimal compared to the original version. For example, you get slightly better battery life and the ConnectIQ feature that allows you to customize your watch face.

Fancy pants model: garmin fenix 7 pro solar sapphire ($899.99)

This is our pick for the top-of-the-line running watch, and it’s in the same spot here. The Fenix ​​7 Series features long battery life, solar charging (models with Solar in the name), rugged construction with scratch-resistant glass, and a handy flashlight at the campsite.

In addition to the obvious activities like running and hiking, the Fenix ​​7 has even more modes like skiing, rock climbing, and even skydiving. There’s also a hunting and fishing mode, with the ability to travel to your favorite hunting locations and record when and where you catch fish.

There’s also an expedition mode that records your location once an hour, perfect for multi-day hikes when you want to know how far you’ve traveled that day but don’t want to constantly drain your battery tracking.

Best places off the beaten path: Suunto 9 Baro ($239)

Garmin and Coros are the best-known brands in this field, but Finnish brand Suunto also has a loyal following. I’ve read countless forum threads where people talk about how well made this watch is and how it’s better price-wise than a Garmin with similar specs. He speaks enthusiastically.

Suunto 9 Baro gets its name from its built-in barometer, which measures atmospheric pressure and warns you when a storm is approaching. This watch has his 80 different sports modes. The battery lasts up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and supports 24-hour activity tracking using GPS.

• My choice: Suunto 9 Baro ($239)

• If you want to keep using Suunto but need more battery life, check out: suunto vertical ($629) has 60 days of battery life in watch mode. There is also a free world map.

• of Suunto 9 peak pro ($409) has a 21-day battery life and is slightly smaller and lighter than the 9 Baro.