10 Best Hiking Watches

For anyone who enjoys hiking, a high-quality hiking watch is a must. The best hiking watches are durable and have features that will make your life more convenient. This guide will tell you what to look for in a hiking watch then list the best options on the market today so you can get ready to hit the trail.

Quick Answer: Best Hiking Watches

1. Suunto Core
2. Garmin fenix 6X Sapphire
3. Garmin Instinct
4. Casio Pro Trek PRW2500
5. Suunto 9 Baro
6. Casio Pathfinder PAG240
7. Garmin Tactix Charlie
8. Timex Expedition Grid Shock
9. Suunto Traverse Alpha
10. TomTom Adventurer

What to Look for in a Good Hiking Watch

You should consider the following before you purchase your new watch:

1. Battery Life

Your watch needs to be able to follow you throughout your adventures. Some watches have batteries that last at least a year, while others have batteries that need recharging every evening, and others still are charged with solar power. Consider that the more you use certain features, like the GPS, the quicker your battery will die. If you have a watch with a battery that frequently needs recharging, it’s wise to bring along a portable charger to make sure your watch doesn’t die in the middle of a hike. 

2. Weather-Resistant

If you take enough hikes, eventually you’ll get rained on. Purchasing a water-resistant watch will prevent you from having to buy a new one every time it gets wet. If you want to go in the water with your watch then be sure you know the water-resistant depth and make sure it fits what you want to do. Some watches are only water resistant up to 30 meters and others are water resistant up to 300 meters. If you want to go paddle boarding with the watch then 30 meters should be fine, but not if you want to go deep sea diving. 

3. Comfort

You want the band to be comfortable while you’re hiking and you want to make sure it won’t irritate your skin. Bands that are soft and promote airflow help prevent sweat build up. Another thing to consider is the weight. To make sure you don’t feel weighed down by the watch, a watch less than 60 grams (around 2 ounces) is most comfortable. 

4. Interface

Make sure you’re comfortable using the watch. Consider whether it’s a touchscreen watch or if it has buttons. Both options have pros and cons.

• Touch Screen: These are usually easier to navigate, especially if you already have a touchscreen smart watch you’re familiar with. However, wetness may prevent you from being able to select things on the screen. Also, if you’ll be hiking in cooler weather and wearing gloves, you’ll need to make sure you can use the touchscreen with your gloves on, otherwise you’ll have to go through the hassle of taking off a glove everytime you need to use the watch.

• Buttons: Buttons are easier to navigate for some people, but others find them more difficult because typically they have to be pressed in a specific order to get the result you want. On a positive note, wetness won’t impact the buttons like it will a touchscreen watch. 

5. Extra Features

Do you want a simple watch or one with all the bells and whistles? Here are some common features included with many watches for the outdoors. Keep in mind that these features will increase the price but they also add convenience.

• Music: A common feature on some hiking watches is the ability to download music and connect your true wireless earbuds via Bluetooth. 

• GPS: A GPS signal helps you with trail directions and shows your coordinates in real-time. This is particularly necessary if you’re going hiking in the backcountry, or if there’s a chance of getting lost. Many of the best GPS watches for hiking will also allow you to record and save information about your hikes like distance and elevation change. However, tracking can be hindered if you’re in a heavily wooded area with lots of trees impacting the signal, and these watches have a significantly shorter battery life.

• Compass: Almost all of the best GPS hiking watches include a compass. If a compass is important to you, make sure you know whether you prefer a 2D or 3D compass. 

• Heart-Rate Monitor: If tracking your exercise is important, you’ll want a hiking watch with a heart-rate monitor. It will tell you how hard you’re working and you can use it to create personalized workouts to control your heart rate at different points in your hike.

• Weather: Hiking watches with thermometers are super convenient, especially on multi-day hikes, just make sure the watch actually reads the temperature outside and isn’t impacted by your body temperature. These watches tend to measure the outdoor temperature better when not being worn. One way to avoid this issue is to buy a watch that can sync with your phone to give you more accurate weather data, including times of sunrises and sunsets. This can be convenient for camping trips so you know how many layers to put on before you emerge from your backpacking tent.

• Altimeter: Watches with altimeters track the altitude of your hike and can be helpful when trying to locate your position on a map. 

• Barometric Altimeter: Many altimeters are barometric. Barometric altimeters measure air pressure. The higher your elevation, the lower the atmospheric pressure. 

• Barometer: Barometers show changes in air pressure. Watches with barometers also tell you your estimated elevation and detect upcoming weather. If the pressure increases then you can expect good weather, however if it drops rapidly it’s time to grab your rain gear and take cover.

Best Hiking Watch Reviews

Many of the following watches are not only excellent for hiking but are high-quality options for other outdoor adventures as well.

No matter what’s most important to you in a hiking watch, whether it be GPS, recording your hike information, multisport modes, etc., if you pick a watch from this list it’ll make your hikes more enjoyable. With all they have to offer, your hiking watch will be one of your new favorite pieces of hiking gear.