What is the Best GPS Watch for Hiking in 2023?

Hiking-specific watches have been very popular in recent years. ABS, GPS, and fitness trackers for hiking also used. Companies are adding countless new features to these hiking GPS watches.

GPS, altimeter, barometer are some common features present in the modern watches made to assist you during your hiking. As companies release new models with improved features every now and then to the already crowded list of options available in the market, it has become really tough for one to choose the best hiking GPS watch.

That’s why we have created this list of best GPS watches for hiking after hours of testing and research. There are two manufacturers, Garmin and Suunto who lead this race with their exciting features and price.

Best Hiking GPS Watches – 10 Watches Reviewed

Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire GPS Watch

After a year of being absent from the market, Garmin has returned with Fenix 5 GPS Watch. Though it is quite expensive, this all-purpose GPS-enabled watch is well worth it.

Designed to be used in deep wilderness and trails with functions designed for running and skiing, which can be surprisingly useful for hikers too!

With its durable body and the ability to track everything, this GPS Hiking watch makes it ideal for the outdoors.

Design

Garmin Fenix 5 has a rugged design and tough exterior that enables it to be shock and drop-proof. It has a 1.2-inch display with five circular buttons with three on the left and two on the right.

The beveled and black bezel is held in a place with five screws. The inner bezel around the watch screen and outer bezel together measure half an inch which provides the smart look.

With the tough built-in design, the Fenix 5 is also water-resistant to 100 meters which is comparatively high among other outdoor GPS watches.

Display

The always-on color display with the transflective surface in this Fenix 5 uses the sunlight to make the screen brighter. You won’t have a hard time reading the device even in direct sunlight.

Still, the screen is viewable indoors with lighter contrast than most of the smartwatches. Naturally, it also has a backlight for after-dark.

Battery Life

This Garmin Fenix 5 has a great battery life which will last long up to two weeks without using GPS or the heart rate monitor. So for a day out and trips that won’t last more than a week, you can take your watch without chargers.

With GPS usage it has up to 24-hour battery life which is far better than most other GPS models.

If that is not enough, by turning on the feature called UltraTrac mode. In this mode, it connects with satellite only once every minute than every second, which can extend the battery life up to 60 hours

Other Features

This Fenix 5 GPS watch also offers the VO2 maximum score which is your overall fitness level measurement.  This is the comparison of your fitness training with the past week and this smartwatch also predicts how fast you will finish a 5k, 10k, half, and full marathon.

Summary

Garmin Fenix 5 is a highly professional field watch. It has a rugged design and tough body which adds more weight and it is unfit for official wear.

Garmin Fenix 3 HR Hiking GPS Watch

The Garmin Fenix 3 HR has the look and feel of its predecessor, but with a Heart rate monitor added….which will be where that “HR” moniker comes from!

It is a similarly durable, chunky, silicone strap, and rugged exterior, which is shockproof and water-resistant to 100m.

Fenix 3 HR has come with its latest software upgrade which in addition to its dedicated functions for running, swimming, cycling, hiking, now have data downloading settings particularly created for snowboarding, paddling, and golfing….something of an all-rounder

Display

It has a rounded 218×218 pixels transflective color display. The display is covered by Garmin’s special Sapphire lens and has five buttons around the face.

Features

This Fenix 3 HR has loaded with various and extensive features such as Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, Thermometer, and Accelerometer. It will tell you the time, day and date, sunrise and sunset times.

The watch case is water-resistant up to 100 meters.

On the fitness side, it calculates the traveled distance, steps, burned calories, and sleep time, so you can use this watch for your daily fitness routines also.

Heart Rate Monitor

Fenix 3 and Fenix 3 HR have no difference in their wrist design but when you turn the watch at the back you can find the major difference which is an optical heart rate monitor.

The New Training Status app available with this Garmin Fenix 3 HR estimates and adjusts your exercise routines. This feature improves the running or hiking goals of the user and their techniques.

This monitor records and stores the user’s heart rate throughout the day (24/7). The sensor is attached in the middle of the backside of the watch. There are three green lights that glow when it’s searching for a heartbeat.

Summary

A really tough, well-specced GPS watch. The only problem with Garmin Fenix 3 HR is the huge size and design. People who like to wear light watches may not be convinced of its weight.

Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire Performance Bundle

The Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire GPS watch is one of the new smartwatches added to the list of outdoorsmen gears. Nowadays, fitness tracking GPS watches for various backcountry actions are steadily expanding their market with their amazing features and functions that were only handled by smartphones in the past.

This Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire is specially designed for cyclists and fitness fanatics for their adventurers in unknown mountains and wilds.

Fenix 3 Sapphire is available in three different models and six different color options. It has Wi-fi capability and is resistant to water and heat.

Garmin Fenix 3 GPS watch is designed as a multisport training watch that works great for all the sports you’re involved in. It will track the activities of hiking, running, swimming, cycling, training, climbing, and more. This GPS watch for backcountry has come with outdoor navigation and an Exo-Antenna.

This Garmin GPS watch has the Chroma Display which enables the user to easily read and operate the watch even in direct sunlight on a hot sunny day.

Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire has been commended for its iron-plated metal bracelet and stylish watch face with the high-grade sapphire crystal. The total finishing of this watch is designed as scratch-resistant, chip and flake proof at anywhere anytime

It also has the Exo Antenna which is the connectivity technology that proved to be faster than the GPS. This Exo Antenna is designed using stainless steel. You will get track steps, time, distance, and location with this GPS watch.

The watch also comes with a Storm tracker so the user will be informed about the possible storm conditions. The extended GPS and GLONASS support in this GPS watch offer precise and accurate information.

There is also a built-in sleep tracker and heart rate monitor. The stroke detector and open water feature benefit the swimmers.

The Wi-Fi option in this Fenix 3 Sapphire can connect to one or more hotspots networks automatically using Garmin’s special Garmin Connect App.

However, this Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire could have worked in their swimming features. Also, it only has one alarm and lacks the information about other timezones.

SUUNTO Ambit3 Peak HR Running GPS Watch

The Ambit3 Peak is a multi-sport watch that has a very accurate altimeter. The accuracy and GPS ability make it popular among outdoorsmen. Even though the battery life of this watch is not as great as other models, this GPS watch is comparatively easy to use and has a clear and crisp display.

SUUNTO Ambit3 Peak HR is accurate. In addition to barometric pressure, the altimeter in this watch also uses the sea level pressure as a reference.
If you are not new to Suunto, you know about the FusedAlti function. This GPS watch also uses this function to increase accuracy. This advanced feature autocorrects the altimeter using the GPS. So you will get benefited twice with accurate readings from the GPS and secured traditional barometer-based altimeter. It will help you in the case where you can’t get the signal due to dense forests.

It’s more comfortable compared to other watches with its soft and flexible wrist strap and rounded edges on the base. In GPS ping intervals at 1 or 5 seconds, GPS accuracy is great.

This GPS watch has adjustable profiles. You can select either automatic, barometric, or altitude information to view. There is an automatic profile that switches the altitude to barometric based on the user’s movement. If you are hiking, your watch will automatically change your altitude profile. It changes to a barometric profile if you are on the flat grounds. But you can’t see both profiles at once.

Suunto Ambit3 has Wi-Fi capability. So you can connect the watch with your smartphone and transfer your route information and files. Your activities will be synced with your gadgets while on the trail or moving. It can receive notifications in three ways: text, call, and email. This watch can be connected to the Suunto app and Movescount. These apps took the workout or activity data from the watch and you can access it further.

Ambit3 could have vibration alerts to help the runners at the loud places. As this watch has multiple layers, it is hard to hear the beep sound. In that case, a vibration sound would alert the runners about the operations.