10 Best Hiking Watches 2020 [Buying Guide]

Your Authors and Guides

Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Choose the Best Hiking Watch

The best hiking watches don’t just tell you the time – they provide you with a lot of useful information to keep you safe while you’re on an outdoor adventure! They can tell you the temperature, altitude, heart rate, track your location, and a whole lot more! Whether you spend a little or a lot, it’s a piece of equipment you shouldn’t leave home without! Before we dive into the reviews, here are some features to know about while you’re shopping!

Material: Hiking watches are made in a wide variety of materials. Stainless steel and metal alloys look great with both formal and casual outfits, while plastic and silicone watch bodies are comfortable, water resistant, and easy to wear on long hikes.

Waterproof: We will let you know if each watch is water resistant or waterproof, and how deep you can submerge them. This will allow you to buy the best watch for fishing, swimming, diving, or just taking on a casual hike.

Case Size: To fit your style, we found hiking watches in a variety of sizes. Larger cases typically have larger screens that are easier to read. Smaller cases are great if you want a comfortable watch that doesn’t get in your way!

Display: If you want a hiking watch with a classic look, grab one of the analog watches we reviewed. If you’d rather have a watch that can show you the time, altitude, weather, and more, we found great digital options as well!

Movement: Quartz movement hiking watches work by using a battery to move the gears and springs inside your watch to power it. Automatic movement hiking watches don’t need a battery – your arm movements continually wind them up as you wear them.

Warranty: A good hiking watch is an investment that should last you through years of travel, hiking, and adventuring around the world. A solid warranty is great to have in the event that your watch malfunctions, breaks, or needs minor repairs.

Top 10 Products

Now that you’re familiar with the cool features found in hiking watches, let’s find the best hiking watch for you! Below are 10 of our favorite hiking watches that will work for a variety of needs, budgets, and styles! These would also make great gifts for your outdoorsy friends, too! If you’re short on time, no problem! Check out the Top Pick and Budget Pick now, and then come back later when you have more time to read the rest!

Garmin Foretrex 401 Hiking GPS

Our Top Pick comes to us from the popular GPS equipment brand Garmin. The Garmin Foretrex is by far the best GPS hiking watch out there because it does so much! It’s basically a fully-loaded GPS monitor that fits comfortably on the wrist! In addition to tracking basic information like time, location, and altitude, it has some useful tools for beginner and hardcore hikers. Our favorite feature? It can help you retrace your steps if you need help getting back to your vehicle, camp, or base! We also like that it can give you information on sunrise/sunset times, fishing and hunting information, and even save old trips to use again and again! Oh, and it’s a wireless-friendly device, so you can pair it with your computer, wireless heart rate monitor, and even send data to another Garmin Foretrex watch! This watch is a great investment for any level of hiker who wants as much information as possible at their fingertips!

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Timex Expedition Chrono Watch

If you don’t want to spend a lot on a hiking watch, this simple watch from Timex is the best cheap hiking watch for the money! First of all, we like that this watch is water resistant to depths up to 330 feet. You can wear this while fishing, swimming, and even snorkeling without worrying about it taking on water! It also has up to 3 alarm settings, so you can use it to remind you to wake up, take a break during a long hike, or remember to work out! There is also a stopwatch and countdown feature if you want to track your hiking or running pace. If you plan to use it while on a night run, or during an overnight camping trip, no worries! It has a night light feature you can turn on to see the digital watch face better, even in pitch darkness! If you’re looking to save money, or don’t need a GPS tracker on your watch, this is a nice and comfortable one you can wear anywhere you want to go next!

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Suunto Core Computer Watch

If you’re a hiker that loves to get up into the mountains, it’s important to have a watch that can track certain information to keep you safe while you climb. This hiking watch from Suunto collects all the data you need to do a safe mountain hike solo or with friends! It tracks vertical movement and air pressure, so you don’t ascend too fast – which is important for new climbers who aren’t used to rapid altitude changes! It also has a compass to let you know what direction you’re going, and a depth meter if you plan to bring it on your next diving trip. We also like that it has sunrise/sunset timers, so you know when to stop for the day and set up camp, or when to get up and going in the morning! The sleek, modern look is great for wearing anywhere, and it comes in a variety of fun wristband colors to match your personal style!

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Casio Men’s Sport Watch

Next up in our hiking watch reviews is this classic Casio watch with a few added perks for athletes, hikers, and active adventurers out there! For your everyday needs, it tells you the date, time, and even month if you want. To help you keep up with your workouts, morning runs, or other fitness goals, it has an alarm with a snooze to get you out of bed and out the door on time! If you prefer to run at night, or before the sun rises, it has a light-up function to help you read it in the dark. It’s also waterproof up to 100 feet deep, so you can wear it while swimming laps, running in the rain, or washing dishes (…which is totally a workout, right?) without it breaking! It has a bit of a retro look to it, which is popular right now. However, the all-black design looks a bit modern and cool at the same time!

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MJSCPHBJK Digital Sports Watch

For a modern-looking watch that looks just as good while you’re hiking as it does in the boardroom, this sports watch looks a lot more expensive than it is! The large, shock-resistant digital face is easy to read, and it has an EL light function to read it in the dark. Instead of just backlighting the watch face, it switches over to let the numbers and letters glow! It tells you the date and time and has a timer setting to track your workouts, hiking times, and more! Oh, and it’s also waterproof up to 164 feet deep. You can wear this watch while swimming, showering, snorkeling, fishing, and more without worry! Unlike full metal watches, this one has a wristband made of silicon rubber that’s lightweight, comfortable, and easy to move around in. We think this would make a great gift for a man in your life who wears his watch everywhere – from work to gym to date night!

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Timex Expedition Gallatin Watch

As a casual hiker, you may not need a watch to tell you a ton of information like altitude, lap splits, barometric pressure, and all that. Sometimes, a simple analog watch will work perfectly for your weekly hikes around the lake, park, or neighborhood trails. This watch from Timex is great for hikers who want a basic watch that is comfortable to wear all day long while hiking, fishing, swimming, and sitting by a campfire with loved ones. Its analog watch face is durable and waterproof to 165 feet, so it won’t break down if you get thrown off a kayak or decide to take an impromptu dip in the ocean! It has a light you can turn on at night to see the watch better, which is great for taking early morning or evening hikes. We also like that the nylon strap is comfortable to wear and easy to adjust to your exact wrist size for a perfect fit!

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LAD WEATHER Outdoor Sport Watch

For hikers of all levels, a hiking watch with compass is a great addition to your hiking kit that will keep you moving in the right direction! This sports watch from LAD Weather is a versatile and modern watch that provides useful information for hiking, running, and more while looking great! The digital compass is great for always knowing what direction you’re moving in, and it adjusts direction in real time to give you the most accurate information. It also has an altimeter that tracks your altitude every hour for up to 34 hours so you don’t ascend/descend too quickly. We also like that it tracks future weather conditions, barometric pressure, and temperature to keep you informed of any potential weather changes while you’re hiking, so you can change course or head back if needed. The flexible band is also comfortable and easy to wear for long periods, making this a great watch for extended hikes and weekend camping trips!

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SKMEI Sports Watch

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for an outdoorsy man in your life, this sports watch from SKMEI is a great one for guys who enjoy hiking, running, and tracking their activity all day long! This watch has everything you need to keep track of your fitness stats, including a pedometer, mileage tracker, calorie counter, and more! For hikers, it also has an altimeter to track altitude, a barometer to track air pressure changes, and a digital compass that tracks direction. It also has a thermometer that gives you up to date temperature, so you can plan your trip safely! There are also everyday functions like alarms, timers, countdowns, and calendar to keep you moving through your day efficiently. We also like the sleek, modern look of this watch, with its large face that lights up, and the soft, comfortable wristband that’s easy to wear. It’s a great gift idea, and inexpensive enough to grab one for yourself, too!

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EZON Hiking Sports Watch

This next hiking watch from EZON is great for hikers, runners, mountain climbers, and outdoor workers who want a reliable and accurate watch to get them through the day in style! We like this military-style watch because it looks rugged and durable, with a pliable watch band that’s comfortable and easy to wear all day long. For hikers, this watch has an altimeter and barometer to track important data to keep you safe, as well as a thermometer to track temperature changes. There is also a digital compass that tells you what direction you’re moving in or helps guide you to a point you set to keep you on track. It’s water resistant up to 164 feet, so it’s great for wearing while swimming, bathing, and washing your hands at work without needing to take it off every time. Whether you work outdoors, play outdoors, or both, this is a great watch to get you through whatever life throws at you!

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Reabeam GPS Hiking Watch

Last up in our search for the best hiking watches for sale is from Reabeam. We think this is a great sports watch to pick up for your next hiking trip or triathlon because it tracks everything you need to know! You can set it to one of 11 professional sport modes that track the stats you need, whether it’s heart rate, pace, distance, calories burned, speed, time, humidity, and more! You can also pair it with your smartphone to track your heart rate, save workout data, and use your phone as a GPS tracker. The large display and clear interface make this easy to read while you’re biking, running, golfing, or hiking. It also has basic clock functions like time, stopwatch, alarms, and more. The watchband is flexible and easy to adjust, so it’s comfortable to wear through a marathon, triathlon, or weekend hike! We think this is a great, high-performance watch that men and women would both love!

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About the Author

Samantha Dewitt

Expert Researcher and Writer

Samantha Dewitt is a lead researcher and writer for GeekWrapped, writing under a pen name. She gets excited about pet, baby, and science products and has over 12 years of experience.

Best Hiking Watches

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

Garmin Foretrex 401 Hiking GPS

Timex Expedition Chrono Watch

How to Choose the Best Hiking Watch

Top 10 Products

Garmin Foretrex 401 Hiking GPS

Timex Expedition Chrono Watch

Suunto Core Computer Watch

Casio Men’s Sport Watch

MJSCPHBJK Digital Sports Watch

Timex Expedition Gallatin Watch

LAD WEATHER Outdoor Sport Watch

SKMEI Sports Watch

EZON Hiking Sports Watch

Reabeam GPS Hiking Watch

About the Author

TOP PICK

Garmin Foretrex 401 Hiking GPS