The Best Hiking Watches to buy in 2018 – Buyer’s Guide and Reviews

Are you looking to buy a new hiking watch in 2018? If the answer is yes you have come to the right place. At Top 10 Travel we have reviewed the best hiking watches that you can buy online in 2018.

Our Current Favorite View on Amazon Dont have time to read our in-depth article? We believe the Garmin Fenix 3 GPS is the best overall Hiking Watch you can buy in 2018. Lots of features make it perfect for day hikers, trekkers or even mountaineers while offering all the features you need. It has ABC, GPS, High Resolution Display as well as other great features.

Like a lot of people we love to head out into the great outdoors and hit the trails. Hiking or Bushwalking as us Australians like to call it is a great way to relax and take in some amazing scenery and also great for fitness.

Whether you are heading out on a short day hike or a longer multi-day hike knowing your location and correct time is critical to your safety. Another key feature to help keeping you safe is being able to predict upcoming changes in the weather, depending on when you are hiking this could save your life.

Hiking Watches have come a long way over the last 10 years where previously a good hiking watch probably only told you the time and maybe had an inbuilt compass. In 2018 hiking watches can tell you everything from GPS Coordinates to Altitude to barometric pressure.

The best Hiking Watch come in a wide range of prices from entry level to luxury watches, and each watch will offer a different set of features. Remember that high cost of the watch doesn’t always means quality, some of the budget hiking watches available will have all the features you need.

Remember when buying a hiking watch – the most expensive watch is not necessarily the best. Look for the features you need for your style of trekking.

Not everyone has the time to spend on this kind of research so I have created a comparison table and buyers guide of the 10 Best Hiking Watches you can buy online in 2018.

Comparison table of the best hiking watches

The following comparison table helps you identify the 10 best hiking watches from different brands and offering different features. We also offer you a option to purchase one of the recommended hiking watches from one of our partner stores.

The following are the 10 Best ABC Hiking Watches in 2018.

Garmin Fenix 3 GPS Hiking Watch – Overall Best Hiking Watch 2018

Model: Garmin Fenix 3

Brand: Garmin

Buy Now: Amazon

The Garmin Fenix 3 GPS is the overall best hiking watch we reviewed and also a great option for other sports like running and cycling. This watch is perfect for all hikers although the price range would probably scare off people looking for entry level.

This watch has all the key features you can find in a hiking watch including ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) as well as added GPS functions including being able to set markers, track your course and mark up to 1000 locations making it easy to find your way back to camp. The ABC sensors are automatically calibrated by GPS meaning you do not have to worry with pesky manual calibration.

Featuring a high resolution color LED display that is easy to see even in sunlight and features a backlight for night viewing, this watch has the perfect user interface to access all your hiking data quickly and easily. The battery is rechargeable and allows up to 2 weeks in watch mode and up to 20 hours while the GPS is functioning.

You can connect easily to a series of Garmin apps available online and included WIFI and Bluetooth make it easy to share data to and from the watch.

The Garmin Fenix 3 has a stylish design and is available in 3 different models including the Sapphire and is perfect to take on your next hiking adventure. We highly recommend this model while the budget conscious could look for the cheaper Fenix 2 which is still available to buy online. This model is the Best Garmin Hiking watch currently available.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

GPS calibration

High Resolution color LED display

3 Models available

CONS: Nothing of note

Overall Best Hiking Watch 2018 We highly recommend it. View on Amazon We believe the Garmin Fenix 3 GPS is the best overall Hiking Watch you can buy in 2018. Lots of features make it perfect for day hikers, trekkers or even mountaineers while offering all the features you need. It has ABC, GPS, High Resolution Display as well as other great features.

Suunto Ambit3 Peak Hiking Watch – Best GPS Watch for Hiking 2018

Model: Suunto Ambit3 Peak

Brand: Suunto

Buy Now: Amazon

The Suunto Ambit3 Peak offers the essential features of a good hiking watch including ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) while also including a GPS function and heart rate monitor. The features of the Ambit3 are perfect for hikers of different skill level and work for the day hiker through to the mountaineer.

The Ambit3 offers an accurate altimeter that can constantly update your trek details (15 minute intervals) and you can then have the data presented in a handy graph or sync the data using Bluetooth to one of your other devices like a cell phone or tablet. Using the Suunto Movescount website you can also create topographic maps and plan your trip with amazing detail.

The Ambit3 is a durable watch which is perfect for the great outdoors and features Mineral Crystal glass and a case made of Polyamide. The bezel of the watch is made with either steel or Polyamide depending on the version you pick.

The battery life varies depending on open and used applications but in standard watch mode (no apps) you can get from 20 – 30 days quite comfortably. The battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery making it easy to charge.

The display features a 128 x 128 resolution with backlight LED that is easy to read even in brighter sunshine. The screen wasn’t as good as the Garmin Fenix 3 but did the job required well.

The Suunto Ambit3 offers nearly every feature currently available in any hiking watch and is also great for running, swimming and cycling. The advanced route planning and tracking make it ideal for any planned hike.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

GPS calibration

Backlight LED display

Great Apps available

Strong durable Design

CONS: Screen better on Garmin Fenix 3

Garmin Epix TOPO Hiking Watch – Best Watch with Hiking Maps 2018

Model: Garmin Epix Topo

Brand: Garmin

Buy Now: Amazon

The Garmin Epix is a fantastic hiking watch offering ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) as well as GPS navigation. The model we reviewed was the TOPO which also includes pre-loaded topography mapping of the US or Canada.

The ABC sensors are auto-calibrating which helps to provide relevant real-time information that can be wirelessly sent to the Garmin Connect apps and website. The altimeter allows you to capture your current height above sea level while also monitoring ascent and descent during your trek.

The inbuilt barometer is great for helping you to predict trends in air-pressure predicting potential weather changes and the watch also features a 3-axis electronic compass.

The Garmin Epix offers a 1.4” high-resolution Chroma touchscreen display which helps the visibility especially in bright sunlight conditions. The user interface and display can be customized with a variety of watch faces, widgets and applications.

The battery is rechargeable and can last approx. 2 weeks between charges and Bluetooth connectivity allows you to receive notifications from your cell-phone and track your location in real time.

If you are looking for a great hiking option that offers all the key features then the Garmin Epix is perfect for you.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

Integrated Maps

1.4” high-resolution backlight LED display

Great Apps available

Rechargeable

CONS: Expensive

Suunto Spartan Ultra Hiking Watch – Best ABC Hiking Watch 2018

Model: Suunto Spartan Ultra

Brand: Suunto

Buy Now: Amazon

The Suunto Spartan Ultra HR is one of the newer hiking watch models from Suunto and as a result is still quite expensive. Fully featured the Spartan is a good choice for more serious trekkers while the price currently puts it out of reach of the average day hiker.

The Suunto Spartan features a color touchscreen, water resistance and the lithium-ion rechargeable battery can last approx. 20-30 hours in training mode or under 20 while using full power and GPS. The watch faces are fully customable and a recent software update fixed a few of the early flaws.

The Suunto Spartan offers full ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) as well as GPS tracking and route navigation including breadcrumb trail which tracks your every movement onto a map. This version also features a heart rate monitor to further track your progress.

The watch is very well made and offers a titanium or steel bezel and strong sapphire glass to provide durability on even the most rugged hikes. The watch is also fully compatible with the Suunto Movescount APP which provides a heap of different tracking and training tools including a heat-map of common routes taken by Suunto users. Share you hike details with your friends and compare all your hiking metrics against previous hikes.

The Suunto Spartan is a great hiking watch and featured packed however too expensive for most consumers who are better suited with the Suunto Ambit3.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

GPS Tracking

Movescount Support

Backlight LED display

Great Apps available

Strong durable Design

CONS: Expensive

Suunto Traverse Hiking Watch – Best Value Hiking Watch

Model: Suunto Traverse

Brand: Suunto

Buy Now: Amazon

The Suunto Traverse has become an extremely popular GPS hiking watch used by hikers and trekkers of all skill levels. The watch offers a great looking design and is fully featured at a reasonable price.

Some of the other watches we have reviewed were targeted at a wider range of consumers including runners, swimmers and athletes, the traverse is designed especially for the hiker and features everything you need on a day or multi day hike.

The Suunto Traverse is a fully featured ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) watch that also offers GPS and GLONASS route navigation tools as well as some extra features like storm alerts, activity monitoring and the time is update by GPS.

This watch can also be connected to the Suunto Movescount Apps via Bluetooth and synchronised with your cell phone or tablet. You can sync hike data including route, altitude while also planning your route using topographic maps.

The Suunto Traverse is the perfect hiking watch and although it lacks some of the features of the Suunto Ambit3 the price certainly makes up for it. The great value and features make this a great choice for your next outdoor adventure.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

GPS and GLONASS navigation

Movescount App

Great Value

CONS: Lacks some key features

Garmin Tactix Bravo Hiking Watch – Best Tactical Hiking Watch 2018

Model: Suunto Tactix Bravo

Brand: Suunto

Buy Now: Amazon

The Garmin Tactix Bravo is a fully featured ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) outdoor watch that also offers GPS and supports the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS).

The Tactix offers a 1.2 inch high resolution Garmin Chroma LED display which is made with tough sapphire glass and domed to make it less reflective and easier to read in sunlight. The display also features LED backlight and is capable of switching between night vision and day modes.

The lithium-ion battery is rechargeable and can last up to 50 hours in saver mode and approx. 20 hours while using the GPS functionality.

The Garmin Tactix offers a lot of great hiking features including comprehensive navigation and tracking functions and TracBack which will help you navigate you back to your starting point following the track you came on.

The inbuilt ABC sensors help to constantly provide information on the weather, altitude and direction you are heading. You can receive notifications including alerts directly on your watch and is compatible with smartphones.

The Garmin Tactix is designed for military use and offers a lot of tactical features that most hikers would not need however it is still a good choice when looking for a new hiking watch.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

Tactical Features

Notifications and alerts

Sapphire Lense

CONS: Slightly Heavy

Older model

Casio Pro Trek PRW-6000Y Hiking Watch – Best Hiking Watch under $400

Model: Casio Pro Trek PRW-6000Y

Brand: Casio

Buy Now: Amazon

The Casio Pro Trek PRW-6000Y is a fully functional ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) hiking watch that also offers thermometer and world time in 29 cities. This model does not include a GPS but is priced under $400 which makes it a good alternative to more expensive watches.

This watch is slightly different to the others as the main face is traditional analog with a small digital display used for providing all the key information about your hike. This means that the watch is lacking in some of the stats and other information of the more advanced models.

The battery of this model is recharged using solar power which is a function unique to the Casio models and a good option for long hikes without access to any power. The PRW-6000Y does offer storm alarms which detect any sudden changes to air-pressure which are usually signs of a storm approaching.

The Casio Pro Trek PRW-6000Y offers some good features for the price tag but lacks some important features including GPS. I would consider spending more money for a Garmin or Suunto however if the budget cannot stretch that far look at one of the Casio models.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

Storm Alerts

Solar

Traditional Analog watch

CONS: No GPS

No Connectivity

Small Digital display

Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch

Model: Casio WSD-F10

Brand: Casio

Buy Now: Amazon

The Casio WSD-F10 is a good entry level hiking watch that features ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) although it is lacking a GPS or a heart rate monitor that some of the other models offer.

The WSD-F10 is an android wear marshmallow device and features a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that has been known to get up to 20 hours in always-on screen mode and 30 hours in watch only mode. The battery is fast charging and can be fully charged in approx. 2 hours.

The display includes both a color and monochrome LCD installed on separate layers. The mono LCD is used for time display and operates in a battery saving mode, the color display is used for notifications and other information about your hike.

Because this is an Android Wear device you can install a heap of different apps to provide you with notifications on email, text messages etc. This also means that it only offers limited functionality when connected to iOS devices.

This watch seems more like a smartwatch with some hiking functionality however it is not really tailored towards advanced hikers. It might be ok for day hikers but other models are more preferred.



PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

Android wear allows app installation

Notifications and alerts

CONS: NO GPS or Heart Rate Monitor

Limited functionality on iPhones

Suunto Core Hiking Watch – Best Hiking Watch under $200

Model: Suunto Core

Brand: Suunto

Buy Now: Amazon

The Suunto Core is a good hiking watch that is a bit cheaper than some of the other alternatives with some models now under the $200 mark.

The Core is a full ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) hiking watch that doesn’t offer GPS like some of the more expensive Suunto models. It can track the weather, height and direction of your hike but isn’t as accurate as GPS models.

Like most of the other models the Suunto Core offers weather trend graph and features an alarm on potential storms, It also tracks sunrise and sunset times in 400 locations worldwide.

The Suunto Core doesn’t offer the connectivity of some other models but is a good choice in hiking watch if you only need the basic features.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

Storm Alerts

Notifications and alerts

CONS: NO GPS or Heart Rate Monitor

Limited App support

Casio PAG240 Pathfinder Hiking Watch

The PAG240 Pathfinder from Casio is a great solar powered hiking watch that can last up to 6 months on full charge; the solar charger is built into the face of the watch so it is always ready to go when you are.

This watch features an attractive round design and offers a stainless steel case with dial window and looks like a traditional watch while offering full ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass) functionality as well as a thermometer.

This watch is almost 5 years old now and is perfect for budget conscious hikers and offers great functionality without all the bells and whistles of some of the other designs.

PROS: ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass)

Solar Powered

CONS: NO GPS or Heart Rate Monitor

That rounds up our 10 best hiking watches and hope you found one to match your style and budget. If you are still undecided on what you need for your style of hiking then read our buyers guide below.



Hiking watch buyers guide

This buying guide is designed to give you all the information you need to find a hiking watch that suits you. There are hundreds of different models available and each has its own set of features.

Why features do you need?

What is a good GPS Hiking Watch?

Which brands are good?

What design features make a good hiking watch?

What is a good ABC Hiking Watch?

Our buyers guide helps you to answer these questions and more. We go through the features of hiking watches and which ones are essential and which ones are just adding additional cost and wasting battery usage.

Which hiking watch should I buy?



Hiking watches like most products are sold in a wide range of styles, shapes, sizes and prices ranges. In this buying guide we will look at the design, features and functionality to ensure you buy the best hiking watch to suit your style and budget. View our comparison table for some great hiking watches.

What are the best Hiking Watch Brands?

The hiking watch category is currently ruled by only a few quality brands and a lot of cheaper unknown brands. These brands include Garmin, Suunto and Casio.

Garmin Hiking Watches



Garmin is a Swiss based company founded in 1989 that are known for their range of GPS products including Marine GPS and Fish finders. With the invention of smart watches Garmin have moved into direct competition with other smart watch manufacturers like Fitbit and even Apple.

The Garmin range of hiking watches is led by the Garmin Fenix which is now into its 3rd model and is the most popular of all the brands. The Garmin hiking watches are featured packed with the main concern being they are a little more expensive than some of the other options.

Suunto Hiking Watches



Suunto was founded in 1936 in Finland and is part of the massive Amer sports group of companies. Well known for their range of sport watches including an amazing set of hiking watches. Suunto offer the fantastic Moves Count website where you can customize your watch, plan and track your progress and share it all with your friends online. The Suunto range of hiking watches includes the Ambit3, Traverse and Spartan which contain all the key features needed in a good hiking watch

Before making any hiking watch purchase in 2018 please ask yourself the following questions.

What is the intended use of the hiking watch?

Firstly you need to determine how and where you intend to use the watch. Are you a day hiker, trekker, climber or mountaineer? Some of the features you need when mountaineering are designed to save your life and these would be overkill for a day hiker. Knowing your hiking style will help you decide which watch you buy and which features you need.

Will you be hiking in rough terrain in the middle of no-where or trekking through a national park?

Are you heading to high altitudes?

Heading to high altitudes creates risks associated with the change in air pressure and reduction in oxygen. Knowing how high you are by using an altimeter is extremely important for high altitude hiking.

Is heavy rain, high heat or snow fall possible?

Extreme weather changes can be deadly when hiking, especially if you are not prepared. Good hiking watches now will offer barometers and thermometers to help you assess your environment and changes in the weather. Some of the higher end models also have radar maps and storm alerts.

Is the trail adequately mapped?

Most the main trails in North America are well mapped and in a lot of cases sign posts are available to help prevent you getting lost. If you venture into rougher territory then the quality of the maps can be less reliable. In this instance it is essential for your watch to have a built in compass or GPS mapping technology.

What features do I need?



As mentioned earlier there are some incredible features now available on hiking watches that would not have been dreamed of 10-15 years ago. The important thing to consider when looking at a hiking watch is which of these features you actually need.

Some of the features available include

Altimeter

Barometer

Compass

Time / Date / Alarms

GPS

Thermometer

WIFI

Heart Rate Monitor

We have looked at all the key features and will provide a summary of each one helping you to decide what you actually need compared with just being a cool function.

Essential hiking watch features

A good hiking watch should offer a combination of different features and offer more than a standard watch. When looking at hiking watches in 2018 the most important features to consider are ABC (Altimeter, Barometer and Compass). Every hiking watch we have reviewed in our comparison table has at least these 3 features and in most cases more.

Altimeter

An Altimeter displays your altitude above sea level and can be based on either barometric pressure or from GPS data. The altitude data is used to help with your navigation and makes it easier to locate your position using maps.

A barometric altimeter calculates your altitude by the change in atmospheric pressure, as you go higher during your hike the surrounding air pressure reduces and the altimeter uses this air pressure change to accurately calculate your height. A GPS altimeter is much more accurate than a barometric one and uses the GPS satellite signal to calculate latitude, longitude and altitude.

Some of the more advanced models of hiking watches allow you to collect the GPS and altimeter data and use it later on to display your hiking route. This additional can be used for a variety of different reasons including training purposes or just for fun.

Barometer

As mentioned previously barometers are used to detect changes in the atmospheric pressure which enables you to predict how the weather will change. If the air pressure is increasing then it is likely that the weather will improve. Dropping air pressure indicates a low pressure system is approaching which could also bring clouds rain or snow. Being able to track the atmospheric pressure is vital to your safety especially if you are hiking in remote wildness areas or areas like mountains that are prone to rapid weather change. Any sudden drop in atmospheric pressure usually means that a storm is approaching which could bring dangerous wind or flooding rains.

Compass

A built-in compass is a good feature for a hiking watch and provides basic information on the direction you are traveling. Compasses have been widely used in hiking for a long time and indicate the directions of North, South, East and West.

Anyone with basic compass training can use compass reading to triangulate and determine their current position on a map. Knowing the direction of north is a crucial part of navigation although GPS technology has reduced this reliance.

Different hiking watch models offer different types of compass technology including 2D and 3D. With a 2D compass you must hold your wrist and watch flat to be able to tell the direction, a 3D compass allows you to get an accurate reading of your direction regardless of the angle your wrist is facing, this means it is a lot easy to use while on the move.

Advanced hiking watch features

Most of the better hiking watches offer more features than just the ABC mentioned above. Other features that you may need to consider include GPS, Thermometers, Heart Rate monitors and data tracking software. The build quality of the watch, user interface and display quality are also important in the overall design of the watch.

Remember the more features a hiking watch has the more battery life will be consumed.

GPS

Most of the advanced hiking watches we looked at offered GPS technology which allows you to get instant co-ordinates of your current location. Knowing this data is extremely important in route planning and can be used to guide emergency services in the event of an accident while hiking.

In addition to location GPS can provide a wide range of key data such as the speed you are hiking, distance travelled and altitude. The main watch brands offer apps or software that helps you display the route you have travelled and synch the data with your cell phone, computer or onto a Google map image.

GPS and any advanced mapping features can consume a lot of battery life; look for models with rechargeable batteries that can be powered on the go using a power bank or turn off the GPS mode when it is not required.

Heart Rate Monitor:

A growing number of manufacturers are adding heart rate monitors to their hiking watches. This feature is used for more advanced hikers or trail runners to monitor their pulse and heart rate to ensure they are maintaining a steady pace. This feature is not required for the average hiker and in some instances turning this feature off will actually maintain battery life.

Thermometer

Thermometers can be used to determine the outside air temperature and may come in handy on longer hikes. I always found the watch thermometers kind of useless as they can give off inaccurate readings due to also detecting your body heat. If you remove them from your wrist for 5 minutes they become more accurate, however this kind of defeats the purpose.

Military Grid Reference System (MGRS)

The military grid reference system is a standard system used by NATO military for locating points on the earth. This is featured in some of the more advance hiking watch models and used my more experience hikers.

Which design features?

Rechargeable battery

A rechargeable battery is a great feature for any hiking watch, especially if the watch also offers a lot of other features like GPS or bright displays. Like cell phones, power drain can occur quickly if more features of the hiking watch are being used so I suggest turning off unnecessary features.

Carry a power bank with you while hiking keep all your devices including phones, handheld GPS or watches fully charge throughout the entire hike.

Connectivity

Some hiking watches offer Bluetooth, WIFI or 3G Connectivity which allows them to synch data to other devices wirelessly. This comes in handy if you like to track a lot of data; the watch can send all the key information about the hike like location, route, altitude and speed to your mobile phone.

User Interface

The user interface of watches has change significantly over the last decade as more features have become available. Traditionally watches prominently displayed the time and maybe date; with these extra features the user interface has changed to include menus and multiple screens.

Some of the advanced models allow you to download different user interfaces that suit their use. In some instances you may prefer to see distance travelled on the main screen or easy to read graphs of the key data.

Display Quality

The display quality of the hiking watch is important and must be easy to read on the small screen. Look for watches with higher resolution displays that help you read them in bright sunshine as well as backlit for night reading. As per cell phones the display resolution of watches is increasing year on year

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you are a day hiker or a multi-day hiker having a good quality hiking watch is essential when hitting the trails and getting out in the great outdoors. Make sure you choose a watch that has the features you need and falls into your budget range.

Now you are ready to buy a hiking watch why not view our 10 best hiking watches in our comparison table or check out the great range available on Amazon.