Best GPS Watch

Walking & Running

For walkers or novice runners, basic watches that track time, distance, and speed are enough. All GPS watches do this nowadays, so just go with what you like — style preference, price point, and any extra features.

For those who run more heavily, there are watches that also include heart rate monitoring, pre-programmed interval workouts, and usually more detailed or customizable screens to display multiple data fields of your choice. more advanced likely won’t be needed. Some models also allow you to download your runs to a computer or phone to better track and log your information.

Cycling

For basic cycling, a watch should display your speed in miles or kilometers per hour as a minimum. Thankfully, every GPS watch does this. If you want something that offers more, find a model that tracks bike speed using a cadence sensor. This accessory measures the bike speed using the number of wheel rotations, similar to a traditional cyclometer (this comes in handy when the GPS isn’t working for whatever reason). If you own multiple bikes, check if the watch can be customized for more than one bike so you don’t have to constantly readjust the wheel size setting when tracking your speed and cadence.

For advanced cyclists, GPS watches should be compatible with a power meter. A power meter is a tool that measures power output while cycling. It gives you an idea of just how much force you’re exerting while pedaling, unlike the cadence sensor that gives you overall speed (think of the power output difference when pedaling uphill versus down a hill).

Hiking

There are a lot of GPS watches geared toward hikers that have your general GPS trail tracking, but not all of them take elevation into consideration. While GPS elevation isn’t necessarily 100% accurate, it’ll give you a general idea of what altitude you’re at. If you’re really wanting to track your elevation changes, find a model with a barometer — barometers are far more accurate than GPS elevation. They also have sensors to detect the temperature.

If you’re camping overnight while hiking, it’ll be helpful to have a watch with good luminosity so you can actually see it at night whether you’re on the move or at your campsite.

Hunting

Like GPS watches for hiking, most hunters will have a watch with a GPS navigation system that comes in handy when trekking through unknown spots in fields or forests. This tracking technology can also come with some extras, like marking down spots of interest for future reference or even “shot detection” technology to mark where you took your shot.

Also similar to hiking watches, GPS watches for hunters should come with a compass and barometer. Going one step further, look for models with an altimeter. The combination of an altimeter and a barometer will give you a good look at surrounding mountainous regions and weather conditions when out on a hunt.

Hunting trips can often start or end when it’s dark out, and most hunting GPS watches come with an LED light or luminosity to help you see no matter the lighting conditions.

Other features to take into consideration

Battery Life

Most GPS watches run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and will last around 10-12 hours before needing to recharge. There are some outliers that’ll last 15-20+ hours, which are definitely useful if you’re out on a multi-day trek. It’s important to remember that how you use your watch will truly determine its battery life — frequently using the backlight/LED, storing it improperly (in the extreme heat/cold/humidity), and the overall age of the battery will change how long the battery will last per charge.

Water Resistance

Every GPS watch will be sweat- and rain-proof, but not all are waterproof enough to be fully submerged. GPS watches lose satellite signal underwater, so models used for swimming are essentially just being used as a stopwatch.

Water resistance for GPS watches is rated using the IPX system — in layman’s terms, it essentially means that the watch can be submerged in water and survive, but not for long periods of time. When looking at a watch’s water resistance, just make sure it clearly states “water-resistant to at least 30 meters” if you’re looking for anything more than splash-proof.

Other Training Aids

For runners, “auto-lap” and “auto-pause” features can be extremely helpful. Most GPS watches will automatically mark a lap at a certain distance, whether it be 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, mile, etc. (You can typically choose the distance you want to mark laps within the watch, but the default is usually per mile.) Along with auto-lap, an auto-pause feature is great whenever you stop mid-run. Most models will automatically detect when you’ve stopped running instead of you needing to push a start/stop button every time. It may take your watch a couple seconds to realize you’ve stopped, but it’ll certainly give you a better idea of your mile/minute and other specs when you can take your stop time into account.

Another handy feature is having customizable screens — these allow you to choose which data fields you want displayed on different screens. You’re usually able to display anywhere from one to six different types of data specs per screen. Having all your data on one screen can save you time when looking for specific information after a run or hike.