Buzz
This article is part of Find Your Fit Tech, Mytour's guide to fitness wearables. I explore whether these devices truly enhance your health, how to choose the best one for your needs, and how to maximize the data they provide.
A reliable watch can be your ultimate adventure partner—guiding you, keeping you connected, and monitoring your activities, no matter where your journey takes you. Outdoor watches are built to handle more than standard running watches or fitness trackers, and I’ve curated a list of the top options available.
While a watch isn’t essential for hiking, camping, or kayaking, many outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the convenience of having one on their wrist. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you choose the perfect watch for your adventures.
Key features to consider in an outdoor watch
Does it include maps?
Certain GPS watches come equipped with detailed maps pre-installed, while others offer GPS capabilities without maps. These devices allow you to trace your route (known as "breadcrumbs") and mark locations you want to revisit (called "waypoints"). Be sure to check if the watch has built-in maps, supports user-uploaded maps, or only offers breadcrumbs and waypoints.
How reliable is the GPS?
GPS is no longer the sole navigation system available. Options like GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS are also in play. For the best accuracy, opt for watches that can utilize multiple systems. While GPS is typically included, dual-band GPS outperforms single-band in precision. Generally, the more navigation services a watch supports, the more accurate it will be.
How long does the battery last?
While smartwatches are designed to last a full day and running watches aim to cover your workout, an outdoor watch must excel in battery life to handle multi-day hikes. Some of my top recommendations can endure for weeks on energy-saving modes and track all-day activities with continuous GPS usage. I also give extra credit to watches featuring solar charging capabilities.
Always explore your watch’s settings; multiple power-saving options may be available to help you balance performance and battery life.
Top recommendations for outdoor and adventure watches
Best overall: Coros Apex 2 Pro ($449)
The Coros Apex 2 Pro features five-system GNSS with multi-band GPS for precise location tracking. It also includes pre-loaded global maps.
This watch offers a wide range of sport modes, covering swimming, biking, skiing, water sports such as windsurfing, and even multi-pitch climbing. It also includes triathlon and multi-sport modes for combining various activities into a single session.
In smartwatch mode, the Apex 2 Pro lasts up to 24 days, and with full GPS, it runs for 66 hours. It boasts a sapphire screen and provides personalized training plans if desired.
Coros Apex 2 Pro ($449)
The Coros Apex 2 (non-pro version) is priced at $349. While it lacks multi-band GPS and pre-loaded maps, you can upload your own maps as needed.
The Coros Vertix 2, an upgrade from the Apex, costs $699 and offers extended battery life and a larger, higher-resolution display.
Best for battery life: Garmin Instinct Solar ($259.99)
This durable watch supports multi-system GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo) and includes a built-in compass and altimeter. Garmin highlights its compliance with military standard 810 for resistance to heat, shock, and water.
While the Instinct Solar doesn’t feature full maps, it offers navigation through breadcrumbs (displaying your path) and waypoints (marking locations for future reference).
The Instinct Solar boasts an impressive battery life, lasting up to 24 days in smartwatch mode or 30 hours with GPS and heart rate tracking. In battery-saving mode, it can extend to 56 days. With at least three hours of direct sunlight (50,000 lux) daily, the watch can achieve unlimited battery life.
My recommendation: Garmin Instinct Solar ($259.99)
For a more affordable choice, the non-solar Instinct is currently priced at $169.99.
Looking for the latest and greatest? The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar costs $399.99, but the improvements over the original are minor, such as slightly better battery life and the ConnectIQ feature for customizing watch faces.
The premium option: Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Sapphire ($899.99)
This model was our top choice for a high-end running watch, and it retains that position here as well. The Fenix 7 series offers extended battery life, solar charging (in Solar models), a durable build with scratch-resistant glass, and a built-in flashlight for camping convenience.
In addition to running and hiking, the Fenix 7 supports activities like skiing, rock climbing, and even skydiving. It also includes specialized modes for hunting and fishing, with tools to navigate to hunting spots or log fishing details.
The watch features an expedition mode that records your location hourly—ideal for multi-day hikes where you want to track daily progress without draining the battery.
My recommendation: Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Sapphire ($899.99)
Looking to save? Consider the Fenix 7S Solar (non-Pro, non-Sapphire) at $579.99, offering 11 to 14 days of battery life depending on sunlight exposure.
If you can forego the flashlight, solar charging, or touchscreen, this refurbished Fenix 6 Pro is available for $329.99.
Best for rugged adventures: Suunto 9 Baro ($239)
While Garmin and Coros dominate this space, Suunto, a Finnish brand, has a loyal fanbase. Many forum discussions praise the durability and value of Suunto watches, often comparing them favorably to similarly specced Garmin models.
The Suunto 9 Baro includes a barometer for measuring air pressure, which can alert you to incoming storms. It supports 80 sport modes and offers up to 7 days of battery life in smartwatch mode or 24 hours of GPS activity tracking.
My recommendation: Suunto 9 Baro ($239)
For extended battery life, consider the Suunto Vertical ($629), which lasts up to 60 days in watch mode and includes free global maps.
The Suunto 9 Peak Pro ($409) offers a 21-day battery life and is more compact and lightweight than the 9 Baro.
