12 Best Smart Watches for Outdoor Adventures
Adventure time takes on a new meaning with these rugged, information-filled watches perfect for a wide range of outdoor pursuits.
Adventure takes on many forms, and these watches help you along your journey by providing a variety of information. Time is of the essence with these devices, but you can also figure out your exact location with GPS functions. Plus, you can determine your altitude and mark waypoints, check the barometer for incoming storms, record your routes and gather other information to improve your performance. For purists, the analog watches offer no-worry performance with their light-charged batteries, so you never have to worry about batteries or charging when you're days out on the trail. These watches are built rugged enough for the knocks in the wild but stylish enough to wear daily. Here's a roundup of our favorite watches perfect for your next expedition, be it around the block or world.
The Suunto Baro 9 boasts a long battery life of up to 120 hours to record and monitor your multi-day missions. It also displays heart rate, barometer reading, altitude and training data with 80 sports modes. Find your way with its digital compass, track your route and mark waypoints. After your adventure, transfer your record into Suunto's app to overlay your route onto topo maps and even create sharable map movies online. Its sapphire crystal can take a beating and still look great.
BUY IT: MooseJaw, $599
The Garmin Fenix 5 displays your location on color topo maps on its face, helping you to pinpoint where you are in the wild, while the compass and altimeter keep you on course. The heart-rate monitor tracks your training, and it can store 1,000 songs to keep you motivated without a Wi-Fi connection. Use Garmin Pay to make purchases with your Fenix 5 Plus, and connect to your phone to receive texts and emails. Among its many health and training features is cycle tracking for women.
BUY IT: Garmin, $749.99
Receive calls and texts by either LTE or Bluetooth (two versions available), track your training with its sport modes, record heart rate and sleep habits, organize your day, share your workouts on Strava and more with the Samsung Galaxy. Several navigation apps are available for download and pinpoint your location in the city or on the trail. Keep an eye on your altitude and barometric pressure and when the day is done, charge it wirelessly.
BUY IT: Samsung, $349.99
Looking great at the airport or the summit, the Tissot T Touch Expert Solar II displays the time with analog hands, and its digital window cycles through altitude, compass, timers, date and barometers and other readings useful in the wild. It's solar-powered, so you never need to change a battery or worry about charging, and its ceramic bezel keeps it looking good through your many adventures.
BUY IT: Jomashop, $699 - $956
This fully waterproof watch is a scuba-diving go-to, but it's perfect for terrestrial treks thanks to its bomber construction and incredibly luminescent hands that glow well after the sun has gone down. Charged by any light source, it'll always be ready to go.
BUY IT: Jomashop, $139.99
With GPS, Google Assistant, sport modes, heart rate monitoring, Verizon connection and other on-the-go apps, the TicWatch Pro is a great companion around town or in the wild. Receive calls and texts with its 4G connection, and even send an SOS if necessary.
BUY IT: Mobvoi, $249.95
Built to military standards, the Suunto Traverse marks location and waypoints, speed, total ascent, barometric pressure and altitude with its 100 hours of battery life in the field. Its red backlight mode is perfect for navigating at night.
BUY IT: Backcountry, $419
The Coros Vertix GPS features an oximeter and altitude acclimation assistance for high-altitude adventures. Its battery life is rated to 60 hours in full GPS mode and can be stretched to 150 hours in UltraMax mode. Its titanium frame keeps the Vertix light at just 54 grams, and it can operate to -22 F. Zoom in to check your location in its map mode.
BUY IT: Amazon, $599.99
This classic design is water-resistant to 50 meters and its two-month power reserve is charged by any light source. Its brass construction and leather strap make this a daily wearer ready for any trek.
BUY IT: Timex, $95
Spot-on GPS and full-color topo maps keep you on track with the Casio Pro Trek WSD-F30, even if you're offline. Check direction, altitude and barometric pressure, and don't worry about the elements as it's water-resistant to 50 meters.
BUY IT: Amazon, $549
Crank your tunes while tracking your runs with Garmin's Forerunner 645 Music. Download up to 500 songs and monitor your running dynamics such as ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ration and other metrics for serious runners. Record your heart rate and your route with its GPS, and use Garmin Pay to purchase well-earned treats.
BUY IT: Garmin, $449.99
Record your tracks with the Misfit Vapor 2's GPS, and play your tracks with its music library. Monitor your heart rate and receive smartphone notifications right from your wrist.
BUY IT: Amazon, $179.99
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