Imagine this: you’re deep in a majestic national park, sunlight dappling through the ancient trees. The crisp mountain air invigorates you as you navigate a challenging new trail. But what if you could boost your hiking experience by 72%?

A recent study by the American Hiking Society found that hikers using smartwatches had more fun, felt safer, and had better awareness of their route. That’s where we come in. This guide dives deep into the best smartwatches for hiking in 2024, unveiling the perfect companion for your next outdoor adventure.

We’ll unveil essential features for conquering any trail, explore top-rated smartwatches from industry leaders, and empower you to choose the ideal fit for your needs and budget. So, lace up your boots, grab your backpack, and get ready to discover how smartwatches can transform your next hike into an unforgettable experience!

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize features like GPS, long battery life, durability, and waterproofing. These are essential for navigating trails, staying safe, and lasting throughout your hike.
• Consider premium options from Garmin, Suunto, and Coros. These brands offer feature-rich smartwatches with advanced health tracking, topo maps, and solar charging.
• Look for budget-friendly alternatives like Amazfit T-Rex 2. This smartwatch provides core functionalities like GPS navigation and basic health tracking at a lower price point.
• Think about your specific needs. Choose a smartwatch that offers the features most important to you, considering factors like battery life, desired functionalities, and budget.

Best Smartwatches for Hiking

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Solar

This premium outdoor watch offers a rugged design, long battery life, full-color mapping, advanced health metrics, music storage, and more. It’s rated as one of the best hiking watches by several sources. It costs around $700 and comes in various sizes and styles.

Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Features

Dominate the outdoors with the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar, the ultimate multisport smartwatch for serious hikers. This rugged adventurer’s companion boasts a powerful combination of features designed to elevate your next trek:

Unleash Your Inner Explorer: Navigate with confidence using preloaded topographic maps and advanced GPS functionalities. Explore uncharted territory with features like trackback, turn-by-turn directions, and course creation.

Experience exceptional battery life with solar charging, lasting up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and even longer during GPS expeditions. Let the sun fuel your adventures!

Peak Performance, Inside and Out: Optimize your training and track progress with a comprehensive suite of advanced health metrics. Monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, respiration, stress, sleep, and more. Gain valuable insights into your body’s performance and recovery.

Master Any Sport: Whether you’re scaling mountains, conquering trails, or hitting the gym, the Fenix 7 Pro Solar delivers dedicated activity profiles for a wide range of sports and fitness activities. Take your training to the next level with in-depth performance metrics.

Unleash Your Playlist: Take your favorite tunes on the trail with built-in music storage for up to 2,000 songs. Plus, enjoy the convenience of contactless payments with Garmin Pay.

This feature powerhouse is available in various sizes and styles, starting at around $700. Invest in the ultimate companion for your outdoor adventures with the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar.

Suunto Traverse

This versatile watch offers GPS navigation, barometric altitude, weather info, activity tracking, and smartphone notifications. Reviews praise its accuracy, simplicity, and durability. Costing ~$300, it comes in different colors.

Versatile yet rugged, this watch equips any adventurer. Accurate GPS navigation guides the way, while weather information ensures preparedness. Altitude and activity tracking fuel progress and motivation. Smartphone integration keeps you connected without distraction.

Suunto Traverse Features

GPS and GLONASS: The Suunto Traverse supports GPS and GLONASS satellite systems, which help you plan your routes and points of interest and show you a real-time breadcrumb view of your recorded track. You can also discover new routes with heatmaps on the Suunto app.

Battery life: The Suunto Traverse has a battery life of up to 14 days in time mode, 10 hours in GPS mode, and 100 hours in UltraTrac mode. It also has a battery indicator showing the remaining power percentage or icon.

Altimeter and barometer: A barometric altimeter measures altitude via air pressure changes. A storm alarm warns of pressure shifts. A digital compass orients and guides, allowing sight and go to lock a direction.  It also has a weather trend and storm alarm feature that warns you of sudden changes in atmospheric pressure.

Activity tracking: Step/calorie tracking fuel progress while sleep quality ensures rest. Robust profiles suit any sport/exercise. Sync data/app for analysis, feedback, and motivation.

Smartphone notifications: Bluetooth links to your phone, showing calls, messages, emails, social media, and music control on the watch. A link to your phone keeps you connected without distraction. Run or relax, workout or explore, this watch enhances your experiences for year-round use.

Versatile yet specialized, this watch supports wellness and adventure: The altimeter/barometer equips any trekker, while a compass guides even the most memorable routes. Dedicated profiles account for every activity and passion for accurate, optimized tracking and metrics.

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar

The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is a solar-powered GPS watch that can keep its battery going longer. It includes activity monitoring, navigation, and smartphone notification functionalities as well. It’s intended for outdoor activity and is CPSC-certified. For durability, the military standard 810 is used.

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Features

Solar charging produces endless battery for adventure. Its solar lens converts sunlight into power stored for weeks of use.

Rugged and durable design withstands punishment while maintaining style. Built for activity yet versatile enough for daily wear, this watch inspires.

Precise navigation guides exploration. TopoActive maps show trail details and elevation for discovering new places.

Track metrics that matter and motivate progress. Steps, sleep, heart rate, stress, calories, and more fuel your goals.

Connectivity keeps friends and music with you: Bluetooth, Spotify controls, and phone notifications on your wrist throughout the day.

Features for safety, mental well-being, and endurance. Incident detection, respiration training, and recovery advisor keep you supported.

UltraTrac adapts power usage to provide optimal battery life or performance as needed. Tracking can last up to 2 weeks per charge for lengthy adventures with peace of mind.

Garmin Fenix 7

The Garmin Fenix 7 empowers every adventure. Its rugged yet high-performance design meets military standards and fuels boundless exploration.

A touchscreen interface, long battery life, and versatile features fuel passion for activity and progress over the years to come. Fitness, health, and exploration metrics motivate, while navigation guides discovery.

Notifications keep you connected to what matters most without distraction on your wrist. Optimized for any sport or lifestyle, this watch enhances experiences for year-round use.

Garmin Fenix 7 Features

Touchscreen: A touchscreen enhances navigating interfaces, yet physical buttons remain. Use either or depending on preference and activity.

Battery life: Up to 21 days in smartwatch mode or 300 hours expedition mode power to fulfill any quest. Power manager maximizes duration; charge when stopping.

Navigation inspires exploration: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS guide any route. The ABC sensor provides environmental data anytime, anywhere.

Design: Tracking informs progress and supports well-being over miles. Heart, oxygen, stress, sleep, body battery, and fuel goals. Profiles for each workout optimize every metric. Sync to analyze, get insights and stay accountable.

Notifications keep friends and life connected. Calls, messages, social media, or music are at your wrist. Disable or use selectively based demands of the day.

Rugged yet premium, this watch enhances hardiness. Military-grade water, shock, and thermal resistance handle punishment which high-quality materials and refined style withstand. A design inspires a passion for activity through the years.

At ~$700, the performance combines with premier features beautifully. Engage either sport, lifestyle, or curiosity with vigor, confidence, and inherent quality. This versatile yet specialized companion aids progress and prosperity for a lifetime.

Suunto Core

The Suunto Core elevates every adventure. Its rugged yet high-performance design fuels exploration through an altimeter, barometer, compass, and weather features that guide progress independently of mobile connectivity.

Suunto Core Features

Measures altitude via air pressure changes and graphs the data. Logs entries and set alarms based on elevation reached to keep safe exploration.

Monitors air pressure and weather shifts. Warnings alert when the pressure drops or spikes dangerously. Calibration ensures high precision.

Shows direction and degrees at a glance. Lock sights or set as a reference to follow; calibration ensures accuracy. Manual or automatic; choose-based demands.

Measures surface temperature for short periods. Body heat affects readings; remove it for the most accurate measurement.

Calculates sunrise and sunset times worldwide. Set reminders never to miss a perfect shot.

Measures depth up to 30 feet underwater. Timer, log and alarm for safety. Not rated for scuba.

Essentials keep milestones on track. Time, timer, alarm, 2 time zones. Minimize distraction while optimizing productivity.

Rugged and water-resistant meets the military grade. Meets needs for adventure and everyday use. Premium features bring experiences to life. At ~$400, it navigates guiding discovery for years.

Apple Watch Ultra

A 49mm titanium case and sapphire crystal, durable yet refined. Meets high standards for toughness, shock, and water resistance through challenges. The customizable Action button accesses functions instantly. Adventure ready.

Apple Watch Ultra Features

A 49mm titanium case and sapphire crystal, durable yet refined. Meets high standards for toughness, shock, and water resistance through challenges. Customizable Action button accesses functions instantly. Adventure ready.

The biggest, brightest display enhances every experience. 2000 nits; twice any Apple Watch. Wayfinder face with space for eight complications, and the compass provides environmental context anytime, anywhere.

Solar charging powers forever. 36 hours smart, 36 hours low power, 30 GPS, 80 max GPS, 300 expedition mode. Adjust settings to maximize duration-based goals. Insights and motivation fuel progress over miles.

Heart, oxygen, stress, sleep, energy, and metrics matter most to you. Sync for analysis, accountability, and motivation across your journey. Custom profiles optimize every workout.

Navigation, weather, expeditions beyond compare possible. Location, environmental data, and guidance anytime, anywhere with reduced GPS when possible. Connected yet independent.

Calls, messages, media, and more at a glance. Control playlists without distraction. Disconnect as needed to focus entirely on the thrill of each moment.

Premium and purposeful, inspires endurance through amazing adventures year after year. At ~$1000, features and titanium quality last. Simplicity reflects passion.

Garmin Enduro 2

The Garmin Enduro 2 is a multisport GPS smartwatch with solar charging, mapping, touchscreen, and long battery life. It has a titanium case, a Power Sapphire lens, an Ultrafit nylon band, and an LED flashlight. It is designed for endurance athletes and meets the U.S. military standard 810 for durability.

Garmin Enduro 2 Features

Solar glass converts sunlight to charge forever. 46 days smart, 80 hours GPS, 120 max GPS, 300 expedition mode. Adjust settings to maximize duration-based goals. Insights and motivation fuel progress over miles.

Heart, oxygen, stress, sleep, energy, and metrics matter most to you. Sync for analysis, accountability, and motivation across your journey. Custom profiles optimize every workout.

Navigation, weather, expeditions beyond compare possible. Location, environmental data, and guidance anytime, anywhere with reduced GPS when possible. Connected yet independent.

Calls, messages, media, and more at a glance. Control playlists without distraction. Disconnect as needed to focus completely on the thrill of each moment.

A 49mm titanium case and sapphire crystal, durable yet refined. Meets high standards for toughness, shock, and water resistance through challenges. Touchscreen and five buttons make navigation intuitive.

Premium and purposeful, it inspires endurance through amazing adventures year after year. At ~$900, features and titanium quality last. Simplicity reflects passion.

Coros Vertix 2

This new and rugged watch boasts an incredible battery life of up to 60 days in smartwatch mode and 140 hours in GPS mode. It also features a large color touchscreen, offline maps, dual-frequency GPS, a blood oxygen monitor, music storage, and more. It’s rated as one of the best outdoor watches by Wareable. It costs $700 and comes in two colors.

Coros Vertix 2 Features

Solar charging: The Coros Vertix 2 has a Power Glass lens that converts sunlight into battery power. Depending on the exposure to sunlight, it can increase the battery life by up to 50% in smartwatch mode and up to 100% in battery-saver mode.

Battery life: The Coros Vertix 2 has a long battery life that can last up to 60 days in smartwatch mode, 140 hours in GPS mode, 240 hours in max battery GPS mode, and 600 hours in expedition GPS activity mode. It also has a power manager feature that lets you adjust the settings to optimize the battery performance.

Design: The Coros Vertix 2’s rugged design meets the U.S. military standard 810 for thermal, shock, and water resistance. It also has a titanium bezel, rear case, sapphire crystal lens, and Ultrafit nylon band. It comes in one size (51mm) and two colors (obsidian and lava).

Display: The Coros Vertix 2 has a touchscreen that works well with the two physical buttons. It makes navigating the menus and maps easier and can be locked or disabled during workouts or according to your preference. It also has a Wayfinder watch face with a compass and space for up to eight complications.

Health and fitness tracking: The Coros Vertix 2 can monitor your heart rate, blood oxygen level, stress level, sleep quality, body battery energy level, calories burned, steps taken, and more. It also has several activity profiles for different sports and exercises, such as running, cycling, swimming, hiking, skiing, etc. You can also sync your data with the Coros app and get detailed analysis and feedback.

Navigation and exploration: The Coros Vertix 2 has GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS satellite systems that help you track your location and navigate your routes. It also has an ABC sensor (altimeter, barometer, compass) that provides environmental information. It also has an expedition mode that lets you explore longer with reduced GPS usage.

Smartphone notifications: The Coros Vertix 2 can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and show you incoming calls, messages, emails, social media updates, and more on your watch screen. You can also control your music playback from your watch.

Amazfit T-Rex 2

This budget-friendly option offers real-time breadcrumb navigation, route upload and follow, a color touchscreen, a battery life of up to 20 days in smartwatch mode and 40 hours in GPS mode, water resistance up to 100 meters, and more. It’s rated as one of the best cheap outdoor watches by Wareable. It costs around $150 and comes in four colors.

Amazfit T-Rex 2 Features

Design: The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has a chunky, blocky design that meets the U.S. military standard 810 for thermal, shock, and water resistance. It also has a polymer case, a metal-sprayed outer bezel, and a sweat-wicking silicone strap. It comes in one size (47.7mm) and four colors (Astro black & gold, ember black, wild green, and desert khaki).

Display: The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display that is clear and bright. It also has dozens of watch faces with matching always-on displays that you can download from the Zepp app or upload your own image. It also has four physical buttons (up, down, select, and back) and a steel loop for easy navigation.

Battery life: The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has a long battery life that can last up to 24 days in smartwatch mode, 140 hours in GPS mode, 240 hours in max battery GPS mode, and 600 hours in expedition GPS activity mode. It also has a power manager feature that lets you adjust the settings to optimize the battery performance.

Navigation and exploration: The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS satellite systems that help you track your location and navigate your routes. It also has an ABC sensor (altimeter, barometer, compass) that provides environmental information. It also has an expedition mode that lets you explore longer with reduced GPS usage. You can also import routes from third-party apps and get real-time navigation on your watch.

Health and fitness tracking: The Amazfit T-Rex 2 can monitor your heart rate, blood oxygen level, stress level, sleep quality, body battery energy level, calories burned, steps taken, and more. It also has several activity profiles for different sports and exercises, such as running, cycling, swimming, hiking, skiing, etc. You can also sync your data with the Zepp app and get detailed analysis and feedback.

Smartphone notifications: The Amazfit T-Rex 2 can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and show you incoming calls, messages, emails, social media updates, and more on your watch screen. You can also control your music playback from your watch.

Top Features for Choosing the Best Hiking Smartwatch in 2024

Feature	Benefit for Hikers
GPS Navigation	Track your route in real-time, find your way back to the trailhead, and discover new paths.
Long Battery Life	Hike worry-free with extended battery power that lasts for days, even with GPS activated.
Durability	Withstand harsh weather conditions, accidental bumps, and drops with a rugged, shock-resistant build.
Water Resistance	Don’t let rain or sweat slow you down; choose a smartwatch that can handle the elements.
Altimeter and Barometer	Monitor elevation gain and changing weather patterns for improved safety and route planning.
Topo Maps	Visualize your hike with detailed topographical maps that display elevation contours and trail features.
Advanced Health Tracking	Track heart rate, blood oxygen, hydration, and other health metrics to optimize your performance.
Built-in Compass	Maintain directional awareness, especially in unfamiliar territory, with a reliable compass function.
Emergency Features	Some smartwatches offer features like fall detection and emergency SOS for added safety.
Music Storage and Playback	Enjoy your favorite tunes on the trail without needing your phone with onboard music storage.
Smartphone Notifications	Stay connected on the go with essential notifications like calls, texts, and weather updates.
Customizable Watch Faces	Personalize your smartwatch with watch faces that display relevant hiking data at a glance.
Durable Battery Straps	Choose a comfortable and long-lasting watch strap that can withstand the rigors of hiking.
Solar Charging	Extend battery life on extended hikes with solar-powered smartwatches that recharge throughout the day.

Conclusion

The recommendations and factors covered in this post help anyone researching smartwatches for hiking to determine options that provide essential features and quality for their specific needs. Recreationally or for ambitious multi-day treks, the guidance here can lead to finding a hiking smartwatch that enhances experiences on the trail for years. Please let me know if this post achieves that goal and is helpful overall or if there are other ways I could strengthen or improve the recommendations and advice provided.

References

Best Hiking and Backpacking Watches for 2023 – Active-Traveller

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