10 Best Hiking Watches 2025 in the United States

The Garmin Instinct 3 is a solid choice for anyone looking for a reliable hiking watch. It has a built-in GPS with advanced SatIQ technology that helps you find your way accurately while saving battery power. Speaking of battery, it offers an impressive life of up to 18 days, which is great for long trips without needing frequent charging. The watch is designed tough, with a fiber-reinforced polymer case and a metal-reinforced bezel, making it durable and able to handle rough outdoor conditions. It also features water resistance, so you don’t have to worry about rain or splashes during your hike.

In terms of navigation tools, it comes with a 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter, helping you track elevation changes and direction—both important for hiking. The addition of a built-in flashlight is a thoughtful feature that can come in handy at night. For health tracking, it monitors your heart rate and offers sleep and Pulse Ox data, helping you keep tabs on your body's condition, although it’s not a medical device so these readings should be seen as estimates.

The watch includes smartwatch features like notifications and activity tracking, which are useful if you want to stay connected without carrying your phone. The 1.2-inch bright AMOLED screen makes it easy to read in various lighting conditions. One downside might be its size at 45mm, which could feel bulky on smaller wrists. Also, some users might find the interface slightly complex at first since it runs on Garmin's specialized OS. This watch is well suited for hikers who want a rugged, feature-packed device with long battery life and reliable navigation tools. It is especially suitable for those who spend extended time outdoors and value tough build quality and health tracking features.

The Garmin vívoactive 6 is a versatile GPS smartwatch suitable for hiking and general fitness enthusiasts. Its built-in GPS enables accurate route tracking, essential for outdoor adventures. The watch offers up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, minimizing the need for frequent charging during multi-day trips. The bright 1.2-inch AMOLED display ensures that stats are easily visible even in daylight.

It includes key ABC features—altimeter, barometer, and compass—that assist with navigation and weather awareness on the trail. The watch also monitors heart rate from the wrist and provides extensive health insights like stress levels, sleep quality, and energy monitoring, which can help with pacing during hikes. In addition to hiking, it supports over 80 sports apps and guided workouts, making it an excellent all-around fitness tracker.

Smartwatch functions such as notifications, alarms, and cycle tracking add to its convenience. For those seeking a reliable GPS watch with good battery life and a rich set of health features, the vívoactive 6 presents a solid option.

The Garmin Venu 3S is a stylish smartwatch with a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, designed for health and fitness enthusiasts. It boasts a long battery life of up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, which is excellent for extended use without frequent recharging. The built-in GPS is essential for hiking, providing accurate location tracking. However, it lacks specific hiking-oriented features like an altimeter, barometer, and compass (ABC), which are crucial for serious hikers for navigation and weather prediction.

On the positive side, the watch includes a heart rate monitor, stress tracking, and Body Battery energy monitoring, which provide valuable health insights. Its durable design with a stainless steel bezel and silicone band ensures it can withstand physical activities. The smartwatch features such as phone call handling, text responses, and compatibility with both Android and iOS make it versatile for everyday use.

The wide range of sports apps and animated on-screen workouts can benefit users looking to diversify their fitness routines. Despite its strengths, it may not be the best fit for hardcore hikers who require advanced navigation tools. Casual hikers and fitness enthusiasts looking for a combination of health monitoring and smart features might find it a compelling option.