Garmin watches have long been a favourite of ours to bring on outdoor activities.
Whether we’re hitting the trail for a day hike or trekking and camping over long distances, we love having a system to help us navigate our way through the wild and keep track of our progress.
But which Garmin smartwatch should you choose for your next adventure?
To help you decide we’ve made a list of the best Garmin hiking watches to bring out on the trail, where we’ll break down the specs of each and look at their pros and cons. All of the models we have included are equipped with at least one form of navigation system and ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer, compass), in addition to being rugged and having long lasting batteries.
Let’s get started!
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Instinct 3 Solar
- Size and weight: 45 x 45 x 14.9 mm ∙ 52 g
- Case materials: Fiber-reinforced polymer
- Crystal: Power Glass
- Display: Monochrome MIP
- Average battery life in smartwatch-mode: 28 days ∙ unlimited (solar)
- Water Resistance: 10 ATM
With a military-inspired design, rugged build and a solar battery capable of powering the watch indefinitely in the right conditions, the Instinct 3 Solar is one of Garmin’s most outdoor-ready devices.
In addition, it has a slew of training programs and health functions to assist you in making the most out of your workout routine, as well as other useful functionalities like music controls, phone notifications and payments via Garmin Pay.
When it comes to assisting you in the outdoors, the Instinct 3 has you covered with multi-band GPS and Garmin’s SATIQ for an optimised and less battery-consuming satellite reception. These were sorely lacking from the Instinct 2, and we’re super happy that Garmin included these features in the new model.
On the other hand, the Instinct 3 still does not have maps and full-on navigation, and instead only has a back-track mode to retrace your steps and a basic route following.
Fortunately, the Instinct 3 is still as tough as ever, and the addition of a steel ring around the bezel further adds to the looks and durability of this awesome smartwatch. It’s also water-resistant up to 10 ATM, so you can swim and snorkel without any fear of damaging the device.
Like most Garmin watches, however, it’s not dive certified.
As we mentioned, something that sets the Instinct 3 aside from the rest of Garmin’s lineup is the incredible battery life, which can push up to 28 days in smartwatch mode with up to 130 hours of GPS use, or even 65 days in power saving mode. Not only, the Instinct 3 Solar series is the only one capable of running indefinitely in smartwatch mode without needing to be recharged, although this depends on the amount of sunlight exposure and the usage intensity.
To compensate for a reduced energy consumption, the Instinct 3 Solar has a monochrome MIP display that, while an improvement over the Instinct 2, is still the most basic out of any Garmin smartwatch.
For this reason, we also recommend checking out the Instinct 3 AMOLED, which offers a brighter screen with better details and more vivid colours. The tradeoff is that you lose the solar charging capability, reducing the battery life in smartwatch mode to a still way above average 18 days.
All in all, the Instinct 3 Solar is a great improvement over the older model, especially when it comes to the reliability of the GPS. It’s a cool-looking, rugged device that we absolutely recommend to any traveller looking to leave the beaten path.
Pros and cons
Fenix 8 Solar
- Size and weight: 47 x 47 x 15.2 ∙ 80 g
- Case materials: Fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium rear cover and titanium bezel
- Crystal: Sapphire glass
- Display: MIP
- Average battery life in smartwatch-mode: 21 to 28 days (solar)
- Water resistance: 10 ATM (Dive certified)
The Fenix 8 is the latest in Garmin’s flagship series, and is one their most complete devices yet. This, however, comes with a steep price tag that might push some users towards other options.
The Fenix 8 improves over its predecessor in a number of ways, both in terms of functionality and ease of use: It now includes, among other things, a microphone and speakers to take calls and issue voice commands, along with a new, more customisable menu layout, a focus mode to help with work and sleep, and a notification centre.
When it comes to its GPS navigation capability, the Fenix 8 is as good as ever, and even here has received some improvements in the form of more detailed maps with terrain contours and a new route planner that allows the watch to create a track with the exact distance you want to cover.
Overall, we found it easier than ever to check our location, analyse the terrain during our hikes and plan our itinerary on the go. Something else that we really like and that will surely come in useful during excursions is the addition of a built-in flashlight, which was previously only available on the Fenix 7X and 7X Pro.
The battery life has also received a pretty good boost and can now push a maximum of 21 days in smartwatch mode with max of 92 hours with active GPS. The battery life in smartwatch mode is extended to 28 days when using the improved solar charging feature, giving it plenty of juice for long distance trips and hikes.
The cost, again, for the extra battery life is a MIP screen which, if anything, we actually prefer to the AMOLED version; it looks pretty good, offers great legibility even in direct sunlight and, most importantly, is a lot easier on the eyes and doesn’t make us feel like we have a smartwatch strapped to our wrist.
When it comes to durability, the Fenix 8 follows the same design as previous models.
The large and heavy casing is made of shock-proof fiber-reinforced polymer with a titanium rear cover to ensure it can resist any impact it could sustain during sports and outdoor activities.
The main difference from previous models is that, while it maintains a water rating of 10 ATM, the Fenix 8 is now certified for recreational diving up to 40 meters. This is thanks to a new internal design that isolates the interior components, with the buttons now transmitting signals via contacts instead of pushers. However, this does result in the buttons loosing that satisfying “click”, which definitely took us some time to get used to.
The Fenix 8 is an incredibly useful device to bring on your outdoor outings. We particularly liked the feature to create route options based on distance, and found it very enjoyable for jogs and day hikes.
- The only thing that holds this smartwatch back is the price tag, which is honestly a little beyond what we are comfortable spending. If the cost of this device is also giving you some doubts, we really recommend checking out the Fenix 7 Pro Solar. For 300 dollars less you’ll get the same rugged build with slightly less battery and no diving-certification, as well as the same functionality and the same high-end sports and navigation features, minus the ones we mentioned here.
Pros and cons
Forerunner 970
- Size and weight: 47 x 47 x 12.9 ∙ 56 g
- Case materials: Fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium bezel
- Crystal: Sapphire glass
- Display: AMOLED
- Average battery life in smartwatch-mode: 15 days
- Water resistance: 5 ATM
While there is no denying the Fenix 8 is close to unbeatable when it comes to the ruggedness and its sheer number of functionalities, it’s also a large, bulky and expensive device that might be a bit over the top for some travellers.
The Forerunner 970, being designed more for sports and less for wilderness adventures, is a lighter, minimalist and more affordable alternative that still offers most of the capabilities of the Fenix series.
It has the full set of Garmin workout assistance and training programs, now with ECG, evening report, skin temperature and improved running metrics. In addition, the Forerunner 970 is now equipped with a microphone and a speaker to take calls and use voice commands, as well as a built-in flashlight that is great for evening runs and quickly finding your way around camp at night.
The Forerunner 970 is very advanced when it comes to navigation and GPS features, and features both road and topographic maps with improved graphics for better legibility and easier route planning. Overall, in this category we found it performed much like the old Forerunner 965; it also shares essentially the same features, such as round-trip routes and a track-back function to retrace your steps. Unlike its predecessor, however, the Forerunner 970 has the built-in flashlight that seems well to on its way to become a Garmin staple.
Now, where you need to make a bit of compromise with the Forerunner series is the durability. Don’t get us wrong, these are tough watches, but the design definitely focuses on creating a lightweight and slim device over making it bulletproof. The water resistance is also fairly mid, and the 5 ATM rating will only be sufficient for swimming and surface snorkelling.
On the other hand, the Forerunner 970 is the first Garmin watch classed below the Fenix series to have scratch-resistant sapphire glass, a huge improvement that in the future we hope to see in more models in this price range.
The battery also took a hit coming from the Forerunner 965, and now only lasts 15 days instead of the old model’s 23. There is again also no option for a MIP display and solar charging, which at this point seems to have fully left the Forerunner lineup.
If you’re looking to take full advantage of Garmin’s top notch navigation features for your sport activities and outdoor excursions, the Forerunner 970 is absolutely one to check out. There are a few compromises to be made, especially when it comes to the slightly lacklustre battery, but the new and improved health features, sapphire glass and flashlight make this a worthwhile upgrade in our eyes.
Pros and cons
Forerunner 165
- Size and weight: 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm ∙ 39 g
- Case materials: Fiber-reinforced polymer
- Crystal: Chemically reinforced glass
- Display: AMOLED
- Average battery life in smartwatch-mode: 11 days
- Water resistance: 5 ATM
If you’re searching for a relatively inexpensive smartwatch to assist you with your training and offer some basic navigation features to make finding your way on the trail a little easier, then we recommend the Forerunner 165.
This slim and lightweight device is equipped with all basic health, sports and training features, as well as useful tools such as Garmin Pay and music control (music storage on the more expensive Forerunner 165 Music).
When it comes to navigation features, the Forerunner 165 we wouldn’t expect for the price point, just basic route tracking, waypoints and a track-back mode to bring you back to your starting point. Still, combining these features with an altimeter, barometer and compass results in a simple but still extremely useful tool to help you stay on the right path during your activities.
The Forerunner 165 is also surprisingly reliable in terms of GPS connectivity, although it does sometimes need a moment to catch up in areas with a lot of tree coverage or high-rise buildings.
Durability is another thing the Forerunner 165 does just fine. It’s of course not nearly as rugged as a Fenix, but it can withstand some impacts without too much trouble. The display, however, is the most fragile part and ideally would need a screen protector to ensure it the chemically strengthened glass doesn’t shatter from a bad hit.
Water resistance is in line with the rest of the Forerunner series at 5 ATM, meaning the watch can be used for swimming and snorkelling but is not rated for diving.
Since it’s a fairly small and compact device with an AMOLED display, it has a shorter battery life than the other models we included. It lasts on average 11 days with 19 hours of GPS use, but can push up to 20 in battery saving mode.
While it’s by no means super advanced, the Forerunner 165 is still surprisingly complete smartwatch that makes for a great entry-level device that can be incredibly useful for both pros and beginners looking for an affordable device to bring on all their adventures.
Pros and cons
Enduro 3
- Size and weight: 51 x 51 x 15,7 mm ∙ 63 g
- Case materials: Fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium bezel
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Display: MIP
- Average battery life in smartwatch-mode: 36 to 90 days (solar)
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
Only available in a massive 51 mm and with a huge battery that can top 90 days with solar charging, the Enduro 3 is an absolute beast of a watch that will be right at home even in the most extreme environments.
This is essentially a Fenix 7X Pro with a beefed up battery, and shares the exact same sports and training, as well as the same navigation tools.
Like the Fenix series, the Enduro 3 has full GPS navigation capabilities and can display topographic and road maps, as well as allow you to plan routes, set waypoints and use a track-back function if you get lost, making it an invaluable tool for both runners and hikers.
However, we found that the touchscreen to not be as responsive as the new Fenix 8; zooming in and moving around the map was sometimes a little tedious, but it wasn’t overall too much of a problem since you can also use the buttons or the Garmin Connect app, especially to set waypoints and routes.
What makes the Enduro really unique is the incredible battery life, as it can easily top a month on a single charge with a 120 hours of GPS use and even up to 90 days with regular sun exposure which also pushes the GPS usage to 320 hours.
It can even technically run indefinitely with solar charging, although only in battery saving mode. As per usual, since AMOLED screens are not compatible with solar charging, the Enduro 3 has a MIP display ported from the Fenix series, which offers great legibility in direct sunlight, although a little dim indoors, and decent colours and detail.
Since it’s designed to be used for endurance sports and extreme outdoor activities, the Enduro 3 is built like a tank. It again follows the design of the Fenix series, with a super tough fiber-reinforced polymer case that is shock-resistant and extremely durable, a titanium bezel and scratch-proof sapphire glass.
One thing we found interesting is that the backplate of the Enduro 3 is made of the same reinforced polymer as the rest of the case, instead of titanium like on the old Enduro 2. This has been done to reduce weight and make the watch more comfortable during prolonged use and, while we don’t think it affects the durability too much, it does make it feel a little less premium.
If it’s extremes you’re looking for, both for sports and the outdoors, then go for the Enduro 3. It’s big, loud, incredibly rugged and tops any other Garmin watch in terms of average battery life. All things considered, it’s even pretty affordable considering everything it offers. One thing is sure, if you want something discreet you should look somewhere else.
Pros and cons
And there you have it!
These are our favourite Garmin watches that we know we can rely on when tackling any kind of outdoor adventure or long distance travel.
If we had to pick one out of the list it would have to be the Instinct 3 for us. We love the G-Shock inspired design and the incredible battery life, although we do wish Garmin would just go ahead and add maps. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for an eventual Instinct 4.
What about you, what’s your go-to outdoor smartwatch?
Or do you prefer to go for old-school analog?
