15 Best Outdoor Watches of 2022 for Adventure Enthusiasts

best outdoor watches

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Getting away from the myriad of screens we see every day, from smartphones to computers to e-readers, and spending some quality time in nature is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle, but there’s one essential gadget we recommend taking along for the ride on your next adventure: an outdoor watch.

Today’s smartwatches and fitness trackers are filled with features you can’t take advantage of on typical treadmill runs. Where these tech gadgets really demonstrate their power is in the great outdoors. Features like a compass, GPS to track your location, and an altimeter to measure elevation take your smart timepiece from being a useful toy to an actual survival tool when backpacking, snowboarding, or trail running.

We picked out the 15 best outdoor watches available now—from an affordable adventure watch to the best hunting watch—to meet the needs of every kind of nature activity you have planned. Because getting away from it all and partaking in some exercise outside is one of our favorite ways to recharge, and a little technology can make it that much better.

Read More: Best Gifts for Outdoorsmen

Best Outdoor Watches

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    Best Overall Outdoor Watch

    Instinct GPS Watch

    · Best outdoor watch for: any rugged outdoor activity
    · Water resistance depth: 100 meters
    · Smartwatch capabilities
    · Barometer

    If you’re looking for an outdoor watch that touches upon just about everything, look no further. This tech-savvy wellness watch features a barometric altimeter, a compass and multiple GPS systems. It brings a whole lot of important features at a really great price point. It’s constructed to the U.S. military standard 810G, which means it’s rugged and shock- and thermal-resistant. You get 14 days of battery with just one charge, or more if you turn off some GPS features. It’s the perfect marriage of an old-school outdoor barometer timepiece and the latest in smartwatch capabilities. If a one-size-fits-all watch existed, this would be it.

    Best Outdoor Watch for Android Users

    Sport Smartwatch

    · Best outdoor watch for: basic fitness, Android users
    · Water resistance depth: 50 meters

    An easy-to-read display and sporty silicone band make the Fossil Sport Smartwatch a good entrée to the world of outdoor fitness watches, especially for Android lovers. For a reasonable price, it provides GPS, 24-plus hour battery life, heart rate and fitness tracking, and smartphone notifications. You’ll get access to Google music through Bluetooth headphones, and you can choose from a myriad of colors to gleefully express yourself. One major call-out is the built-in Google Assistant. It’s like having the world of information around your wrist. This one is swim-proof, too.

    Best Outdoor Watch for Hunting

    Traverse Alpha

    · Best outdoor watch for: hunting, fishing, all-weather
    · GPS tracking with automatic shock detection
    · Water resistance depth: 100 meters

    For the avid hunter or fisherman, we like the Suunto Traverse Alpha. Besides boasting two different types of satellite navigation, GPS and GLONASS, it also has specific features that make it the best outdoor hunting watch, like shot detection and a red backlight for nighttime use. It is extremely durable and shock resistant to thrive in all weather conditions. It operates in temperatures ranging from -5 degrees all the way up to 140 degrees. The location tracking is based on the moon phase calendar that helps you best determine hunting and fishing times.

    Best Rugged Outdoor Watch

    Mudmaster GWG1000-1A3

    · Best outdoor watch for: extreme rugged activity
    · Water resistance depth: 200 meters
    · Mud, shock and water resistant
    · Altimeter, thermometer, barometer, digital compass

    The Casio G-Shock Mudmaster is probably the most rugged outdoor watch on this list, boasting the utmost utility. Take advantage of its altimeter, thermometer, barometer, and digital compass on your next mountain backpacking trip. It comes at a hefty price point, but with a 25-month battery life, it can take you (and save you) on your most extreme adventures.

    Charge 4

    · Best outdoor watch for: basic fitness
    · Water resistance level: up to 50 meters

    The Fitbit Charge 4 is more known as a fitness watch than an outdoor watch, but it’s a great affordable option that actually holds up against the others on this list. It has built-in GPS so you can view your pace and distance along whatever path you choose to trek upon (it even shows your heart rate along the course!). It’s fully equipped with Fitbit Pay and Spotify, along with over 20 built-in workout modes. The battery lasts up to 7 days, making it a perfect companion for adventurous trips.

    Best Budget Outdoor Watch

    Ironman Classic 30

    · Best outdoor watch for: fitness, triathlons
    · Water resistance depth: 100 meters

    Let’s say you’re most commonly enjoyed outdoor activity is running the local track rather than climbing a mountain. In that case, you can get away with purchasing an outdoor watch for under $100. We’d recommend a budget-friendly outdoor watch, like the Timex Ironman 30-Lap, which isn’t a smartwatch, but it gets the job done when it comes to tracking your laps, biking, or running times. You can even take a dip with it.

    Best Outdoor Watch for Endurance Activity

    9 Baro

    · Best outdoor watch for: long-distance runners, endurance activities
    · Water resistance depth: 100 meters
    · Barometer

    There are a lot of smartwatches that track your heart rate right from your wrist these days, so why do we recommend purchasing the Suunto 9 Baro with its heart rate belt accessory? Because removing heart-rate tracking from your wrist frees up a ton of battery life, making the Suunto 9 Baro one of the best outdoor watches for ultra-marathons and long endurance activities, lasting up to 120 continuous hours. If you need a rugged outdoor watch that takes you past mile 26, consider this one. It has 80 different sport modes and is water-resistant up to 100 meters. The belt isn’t entirely necessary, as the watch is great on its own, just recommended.

    Ironman GPS With Silicone Strap Watch

    · Best outdoor watch for: simple climbing, hiking, cross-country running, swimming tracking.
    · Water resistance depth: 50 meters

    You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the most essential features of a good adventure watch. The Timex Ironman GPS is a lightweight, easy-to-use outdoor watch, just under $100 that connects to GPS for real-time pace, speed, and distance stats. This humble timepiece is a bit smarter than it looks. In the (what we can now call) retro-looking digital face, it’s actually tracking and uploading your activity data to third-party apps like Strava so you can take a deeper dive into your performance when completed. Sure, it doesn’t have bells and whistles like Bluetooth or flashy graphic displays, but that can take away from your experience in nature, right? It’s super easy to use, lightweight and lights up at night.

    Best Outdoor Survival Watch

    Fenix 5X

    · Best outdoor watch for: hiking, mountain biking· TOPO U.S. mapping
    · Barometer
    · Water resistance depth: 100 meters

    Over 100,000 topographic maps of the entire United States make Garmin’s Fenix 5 one of the best, most advanced hiking and mountain biking watches we have come across. It has top-notch navigation tools making it a true survival watch that’s ideal for taking on multi-day trips. The battery life gives you 12 days in smartwatch mode and the built-in navigation sensors that detect more difficult trails, bike paths, and elevation. It tracks and stores all activity, so you can review and share it later with the GarminConnect community. It’s also extremely durable with scratch-resistant sapphire and coated stainless steel.

    MARQ Adventurer Watch

    · Best outdoor watch for: extreme winter sports, golfing, climbing.· TOPO mapping
    · Pulse OX sensor
    · Heart rate sensor
    · Water resistance depth: 100 meters

    This elegant luxury tool is Garmin’s MARQ Adventurer. It’s a true survival watch that features a ClimbPro ascent planner, allowing you to see elevation gain in real time. It also has a Pulse Ox sensor to monitor heart rate and blood oxygen saturation levels, making it the perfect winter sport companion for skiing, snowboarding, or trekking. Plus, in the style department, the watch’s classic, vintage look feels vaguely Indiana Jones-inspired. Aside from it inspiring you to get outside and move, it has other wellness-focused features like a daily stress score, reparation and hydration tracking. One charge will last up to 12 days, making it ideal for any long adventure.

    Read More: Best Ski and Snowboard Brands for Men

    Suunto 7

    · Best outdoor watch for: overall outdoor fitness, extreme sports.
    · Water resistance level: 50 meters

    As you probably know by now, Suunto is a household name making some of the best outdoor watches on the market. The Suunto 7 GPS Fitness watch features over 70 pre-configured sport modes and a GPS function. Multi-faceted athletes love how versatilely smart it is when it comes to precise fitness tracking. It does just about everything you would expect a fitness watch to do. Plus, it runs off a Google system, so you if you’re an Android user, it’s even more convenient through Google Fit and Pay. But if not, it allows you to download and sync different apps to track and record your workouts. It’s made with a gorilla glass face and has a water- and shock-proof exterior, so there is no worrying about damaging this bad boy.

    Best Outdoor Smartwatch

    Watch Series 7

    · Best outdoor watch for: everyday use
    · Smartwatch capabilities
    · Blood oxygen sensor
    · Sleep tracking
    · Water resistance depth: 50 meters

    We don’t have to tell you about the Apple Watch Series 7 for everyday use (it’s the best). So, the question remains: is the Apple Watch good for hiking? While it might not be the first tool that comes to mind in your arsenal of outdoor gear, its GPS capabilities and compatibility with a plethora of hiking and outdoors apps (not to mention the fact that it’s totally waterproof) make it a great outdoor accessory. It’s a versatile item, appropriate for everyday activities and beyond. And you can switch out the band, from a bracelet or leather version to a durable sport band with a new clasp-free fit. Aside from basically being an iPhone on your wrist that tracks your every move, the latest wellness features include a blood oxygen sensor.

    Read More: Apple Watch Series 7 Review

    Forerunner 245 Music

    · Best outdoor watch for: running and convenience.
    · Smartwatch capabilities
    · Water resistance level: 50 meters
    · Altimeter

    The Garmin Forerunner 645 has a laundry list of features to make your life more convenient. It’s dubbed as best for people always on the move because of its seamless integration with Garmin pay and offline music streaming services. Plus, it can store up to 500 of your favorite songs. You can leave your phone and wallet at home, and still be prepared for whatever activities the day throws at you. This watch monitors your heart rate, performance, and automatically evaluates your current training status. The GPS mapping system and altitude tracking are known for their precision and accuracy, allowing runners to strive for more.

    Quatix 6

    · Best outdoor watch for: water sports.
    · Garmin SailAssist
    · Barometer
    · Altimeter
    · Compass

    Shocked to see yet another Garmin on this list? We’re not. The brand is a leader in map-based watches and has a model for just about every niche. The Quatix 6 is the best-in-class multi-sport marine watch. It’s more of a computer system than a timepiece, because of its extensive complex features, making it well worth the hefty price point. It’s compatible with Garmin Chartplotters to provide autopilot control, remote waypoint marking, data streaming, sail racing assistance, and more. Plus, you get a comprehensive tracking system made to monitor strokes, distance, and velocity. Outside of the water sports category, it monitors sleep, heart rate variability, and has the capacity to precisely track land activities like biking, hiking, and golfing, too.

    Breitling Superocean II 44 Men’s Watch A17392D8/C910-105X

    · Best outdoor watch for: swimming, diving, flying, surfing, etc.
    · Water resistance depth: 1,000 meters

    By the looks of it, you’d never think this is a sports watch. That said, Breitling is the go-to watchmaker for pilots and divers due to its long history of incorporating advanced navigation tools into its timepieces. If your outdoor sport of choice is diving, surfing, or swimming, this is one of the best waterproof watches to keep up with you. Its design is on the fancier side (and so is the price point), but it’s a keepsake item you’ll likely have forever without fail, even in the deepest waters.

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