Hiking is an outdoor sports activity. If you want to be alive and on the right track, you must use a GPS-enabled watch. Comparing the prices of many GPS hiking watches, we can say that they are very affordable. Most of them are offered at very high price points, but we opted for the mid-range for the avid budget hiker.
Contents
- 1 Benefits of Using Hiking Watches
- 2 Highly RecSuunto Core Wristommend Watch for Hiking
- 3 List of Best Hiking Watches Under 200 Dollars 2024
- 4 1. Garmin Instinct Rugged Outdoor Watch
- 5 2. Casio Men’s Pro Trek PRG
- 6 3. Casio Men’s PAG240T
- 7 4. Garmin Vivoactive 3
- 8 5. SUUNTO Core men’s outdoor sports watch
- 9 6. Casio Men’s Pathfinder Triple Sensor
- 10 7. Citizen Eco-Drive Steel Watch
- 11 8. G-Shock Ga110 Casio Wristwatch
- 12 9. Suunto Core Wrist
- 13 Best Hiking Watches Buying Guide 2024
Benefits of Using Hiking Watches
Before the wristwatch became a tool, it was customary to find a hiker with a compass and a map. Although that hasn’t changed today, most hikers no longer carry a handy map and compass. Just look for a compass watch that comes with a barometer and altitude sensor.
Finding your way in the wilderness: The purpose of buying a hiking watch is exploration. With the additional use of onboard GPS, the compass watch used for hiking can tell you where you are and which direction to follow based on your hiking destination.
Determining the altitude ascent & descent in the mountains: Although only the direction matters, it does not provide complete information about hiking trails in high mountains. It is also important how many feet you climb up and how many feet down while trekking.
A good hiking watch with an altimeter tells you how far you have climbed a mountain or how deep you have hiked. Hiking watches with ABC sensors and built-in GPS is perfect for distance and altitude tracking.
Predict the weather: Tracking weather conditions and changes is another great reason to choose a rugged watch for your hiking kit. The best hiking watches are equipped with an onboard barometer or temperature sensor to detect changes around the hike. The smartwatch for hiking allows you to view the full weather forecast report by simply loading a hiking map on your display screen.
Some hiking adventure watches show sunrise and sunset times, so for hikers looking to trek, it’s a longer hike, so you know when it’s time to get out of the woods before it gets dark. Hiking in a thunderstorm and getting caught up in unprepared things is even more fatal. So, at the very least, buy a weather hiking watch that guides you.
To use the onboard Topo map for navigating the hiking terrain: Maps have been an essential part of any outdoor activity, and if you choose an outdoor watch, a hiking watch with a map is a better choice. Use the GPS map watch to familiarize yourself with the hiking environment before you set off. Staying safe and found is far better than getting lost in the wilderness.
To get notifications even after hiking without a phone: Best of all, many hiking watches help you check your calendar and receive texts, messages, emails, and phone notifications without a smartphone. If you have a hiking smartwatch, all of this will happen right on your wrist.
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To track the health, fitness, and reporting performance: The most excellent hiking watches are perfect for tracking both the fitness and health of the hikers involved. Not all hikers can trek or run 500 feet in the woods, so you need to make sure the hiker still has the (healthy) ability to follow your outdoor adventures.
For smart outdoor activities, it’s common to find that most hiking watches have the same fitness features as outdoor smartwatches. The hiking fitness watch counts your trek steps, monitors your heart rate 24/7, tracks your sleep, and stress, and alerts you if you’re tired.
A good ABC sports watch can also count calories burned during the trial so you can eat or bring plenty of food if you’re not playing weight loss games. A great hiker watch syncs your hiking data to your phone.
Highly RecSuunto Core Wristommend Watch for Hiking
If you just forget your budget for a while I would highly recommend you the best hiking watch I have ever seen. I’m talking about the one and only “G-Shock Rangeman G series stylish watch”.
This G-Shock Rangeman is the most popular “Casio G-Shock” military watch on the market these days, with both buyers and personal concerns. From a cost-effective and practical standpoint, the functionality, durability, style, and functionality of this watch are hardly comparable to other G-Shock watches.
This watch offers a mineral “dial window” with a “fully digital display“. The case is about 5.5 cm in diameter and 17 mm thick. This band is 22mm wide and is made of full resin. It is also solar-powered and can easily last up to 7 months without sun exposure. This watch has garnered a huge amount of optimistic reviews and reviews for its benefits.
Pros:
- The Watch is long-lasting, high quality, & very comfortable.
- Not difficult to read despite the negative display.
- Provides the comfort of Sunlight.
- This watch has everything everyone needs or wants.
Cons:
- Over the budget.
List of Best Hiking Watches Under 200 Dollars 2024
In this article, we’ve highlighted the best ABC watch features and other features you’d expect from a great hiking watch for under 200 dollars.
1. Garmin Instinct Rugged Outdoor Watch
The Garmin watch that comes with a great health feature is the heart rate monitor, which accurately tracks and provides a hiker’s heart stove performance during a harsh hike in the woods. The ability to track stress using heart and blood data is one of the amazing features that come with Instinct.
If it detects fatigue, the professional hiker will immediately stop his trail to avoid possible falls or injuries on the mountainside. The Garmin Instinct is the ultimate GPS hiking smartwatch for trekking and long hikes. Featuring a built-in 3-axis compass, high-efficiency multi-navigation GPS including Glonass and Galileo, and barometric altimeter, this Garmin is an excellent outdoor tool watch to equip and prepare the trail hiker for any rough terrain.
If you’re afraid of getting lost on new trails in unfamiliar jungles, your Garmin instincts give you trackback skills. This function can be used to return the hiking route to where it started. One of my favorites is Garmin’s data-tracking system.
After a long trail, you can sync your hiking data or connect it to your smartphone to generate a report on your hiking activity. You can also choose to seamlessly automatically upload your hike data to the Garmin Connect fitness community right from your wrist.
Pros:
- Speed monitoring and 3-axis compass
- Accurate heart rate monitor
- Seamless automatic upload of collected data
- Rugged GPS watch built to withstand
- Up to 14 days of battery life.
Cons:
- Just a 3-axis compass.
2. Casio Men’s Pro Trek PRG
This Casio Pro Trek is a versatile digital compass watch with everything for outdoor travel and adventure. Comes with a Pro Trek version 3 triple-sensor altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass. CASIO ABC watches are cold-resistant and can support sub-zero weather conditions without problems. If you want to hike the world’s highest mountain peak, this watch can withstand extremely low temperatures at high altitudes of up to –10C/14F.
Atomic time displays (UK, US, Germany, China, and Japan) help to receive time-corrected radio signals to keep the displayed time accurate. In the case of China, we rely on the auto-receive function, receiving 6 times a day/up to 5 times a day. The watch is powered by Pro Trek’s powerful solar power, this hiking watch comes with an integrated solar panel that uses both sunlight (UV) and artificial light to recharge the watch’s battery.
The ultimate outdoor gear for hiking. On a single charge, the battery is no longer exposed to light and can be used for up to 9 months. Full Auto LED lighting supports backlighting, making the screen readable even in dim (dark) lighting conditions. On this Casio weather watch, the barometric trend alert alerts the wearer to sudden changes in pressure readings.
Design features include cases designed for outdoor gear performance. This Tough Solar hiking watch is rated for 100m water resistance and if you want a rugged diving watch for hiking, this Casio Pro Trek Solar Digital watch model is 200m ready for diving.
Pros:
- Digital compass with altimeter
- Low-temperature resistance
- Tough solar power
- Automatic LED super illuminator backlight
- 9 months of Battery life on a full charge.
Cons:
- Available in just 1 color.
3. Casio Men’s PAG240T
Casio has solidified its brand reputation with valuable watches that come in a handful of designs, colors, functions, and smart options. Casio Pathfinder offers attention-grabbing triple-sensor navigation for under $200. Casio Men’s PAG240T Pathfinder Triple sensor watch for outdoor activities with a sporty design, large digital display, titanium color, and metal bracelet makes it an ideal choice for athletes.
The uniqueness lies in the specific band material made of titanium, a light, and alluring natural appearance. The bezel is made of resin and has direction markings, and the outer case is made of stainless steel.
The main features of Casio Pathfinder are a digital compass, accurate altimeter, barometer, low-temperature resistance, and solar charging. Mineral rend can withstand scratches and breakage. The watch comes with 5 daily alarms, a stopwatch, and thermometer readings with automatic backlighting for low light and night vision.
The ABC triple sensor and water damage resistance of 330 feet. The battery in this Casio Tough Solar watch can be backed up for 5 to 23 months without charging.
Pros:
- Outstanding triple sensors watch for outdoor activities
- Round watch with quartz movement
- UV and sunlight rechargeable battery
- Lost lasting battery life on a single charge.
Cons:
- A bit difficult to use.
4. Garmin Vivoactive 3
A Garmin watch will warm men’s hearts with its stylish design, colorful icon display, and GPS. You may want these watches to be worn for indoor sports activities, outdoor activities, yoga, and running. So please wait a moment. Garmin Vivoactive 3 is privileged to make your dreams come true. Best hiking watch for less than 200 dollars with GPS and many other important features.
This Garmin GPS watch allows you to check your current location, speed, and distance traveled. The watch chroma display is admirable as it is easy to read even in bright sunlight. The display screen is surrounded by Corning Gorilla Glass, making it extremely durable.
It comes pre-loaded with 15 apps to help you with a variety of outdoor and indoor activities, tailored to your needs, and contactless payment options so you don’t even have to face-to-face to pay. Heart rate monitor, activity monitor, stress monitor, and VO2 for fitness level are all perks you can do with this watch. Connect IQ allows you to change and customize the watch user interface.
The watch is lightweight due to the material consumed. The bezel and back cover are made of stainless steel and the outer housing is made of fiber-reinforced polymer. The battery is rechargeable and can be backed up for up to 13 hours with GPS and up to 7 days with smart mode.
Pros:
- Heart Rate Monitor, Stress Monitor
- GPS for location, speed, and distance
- Customizable on-screen interface
- Sync with your smartphone to get all your updates.
Cons:
- Exercise data is not accurate.
5. SUUNTO Core men’s outdoor sports watch
Often classified as the best tactical watch for the outdoors, this rugged outdoor watch helps you track your altitude effortlessly with an efficient altimeter. That’s not all. The pressure level is monitored with the help of a built-in barometer.
The rugged military-certified altimeter watch provides weather trend tracking and air temperature information in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, and German. With a temperature tolerance of as low as 20°C to as high as 60°C, this built-in thermometer feature is uncommon for most outdoor hiking watches below 200 degrees.
This Suunto GPS navigation includes more features to view the sunset and sunrise schedules for up to 400 locations around the world, which is a great help when planning multi-day hiking trips. If you want to enjoy the truly natural outdoors, Suunto Core is the best choice. This Finnish company barometer watch is available in a variety of colors.
Additional features include a dedicated backlit button (which doubles as a lock button), dual time, sunrise and sunset functions, an accurate temperature sensor, and a storm alarm. I do not regret using this tactical Suunto weather watch for outdoor adventures. Remember that Suunto watchmakers have created this watch for all outdoor activities.
Pros:
- Rugged military-certified altimeter watch
- Temperature tracker
- Graphical weather trend indicator
- GPS Navigation with 400 locations around the world.
Cons:
- Not for indoor activities.
6. Casio Men’s Pathfinder Triple Sensor
If you’re looking for a rugged watch suitable for all outdoor adventures, including hiking, the Casio Pathfinder with a typical ABC sensor is the heroic watch for you. The Pathfinder is often ready to accompany you, even in very cold weather. This Casio Outdoorsman ABC watch withstands temperatures down to -10°C.
The watch is perfect for trekking as it comes with a durable battery that can last up to 6 months on a single full charge. The structure of the watch is to maintain high performance even in harsh environments. The watch case is made of 51mm high-grade rust-proof stainless steel and the strap is made of black resin for added comfort. An electroluminescent light (EL) backlight provides good readability for the Pathfinder in all conditions, day or night.
The backlight button also works as a lock button and the 3-second backlight duration is customizable. The luminous dial is protected by a mineral crystal that is hard but not as hard as sapphire. If the Casio watch manufacturer could get my opinion, I’d like to advise you to reduce the numerous displays on the watch dial.
Other features besides the ABC sensor include world time, 5 daily alarms, a 1/100 second stopwatch, an automatic calendar, a countdown timer, a 12/24 hour format, battery power indicator. The watch also has sunrise and sunset times, a negative display, and a rotating compass bezel.
For hiking, this watch is solar powered so you don’t have to worry about charging it. The compass works well and the temperature sensor draws attention, but it’s only accurate when the watch is away from your wrist.
Pros:
- Quartz movement with digital display
- The Backlight provides good readability
- 6 months battery life after full charge
- Solar power with sun and artificial light
- Also works for swimming and snorkeling.
Cons:
- Users have complained sometimes the Alarm chime doesn’t sound.
7. Citizen Eco-Drive Steel Watch
Citizen BM818003E is a watch from Citizens-Eco-Drive-Collection. It has a long-lasting classic look and very reliable technology. Good for hiking along with it is a daily watch that is good for casual wear. The round steel case and long lugs give it a classic yet very unique design. It has an 8mm scale and 37mm size.
That said, if you have a larger wrist or are opting for a stronger watch, it may not be the ideal option for your needs.
It would be perfect for others with small to medium-sized wrists. I have a large date/day window at 3 o’clock. Also, the black background provides excellent contrast between the print and white needles, making it very simple to check the time whenever you need it.
For the “low light” condition, you’ll find another outstanding aspect of this watch: the glossy paint on the hands. There are a huge number of optimistic reviews of this watch from buyers.
Pros:
- The reliable eco-drive system
- Excellent daily watch perfect for sports and casual wear
- A great feature to check the time even in low light conditions.
Cons:
- The quality of the strap is Poor.
8. G-Shock Ga110 Casio Wristwatch
Another beautiful model in Casio’s G-SHOCK series is the black GA110 watch, which has topped the charts since its launch. As a leader in “G shock” military watches, Casio has made significant strides in the manufacture of G-shock watches, which stand out in terms of appearance and performance. Casio has changed the look and style of military watches, making it more accommodating for people to carry a stylish look rather than simply function.
This Casio Gshock GA1101 military watch is an outstanding design example with features. This black military watch is shockproof, magnetic, and water-resistant. This watch is built with outstanding features to enable travelers and security forces to embark on an extraordinary adventure.
G-Shock displays all the features that make up a great G-Shock watch. The watch is simply stylish, reliable, and durable, but very affordable for anyone! Overall, this watch is undoubtedly amazing and it’s hard to find another watch on the market that can exactly match what this watch has to offer within a similar price range for hiking.
Pros:
- Simply stylish, reliable, and durable
- Preset calendars before 2099
- Select 29 cities time zones and world time.
Cons:
- A bit Difficult to use.
9. Suunto Core Wrist
Suunto is an amazing and evolving name in the smartwatch industry. Suunto Core models have established themselves due to interesting and unique features that are considered before long outdoor trips. We will talk briefly about it now. Watch for hiking under 200 Suunto core ABC watch. The design and appearance are comfortable, and more color variations are available.
The stainless steel buckle clasp is easy to loosen and strong enough to withstand deformation and force. The watch is equipped with a smart triple-sensor altimeter, barometer, and compass that updates for vertical height in terms of total ascent and descent, whether biking or cliff walking. The barometer closely monitors the barometric pressure while hiking. The slope and change of atmospheric pressure are graphed on the screen.
Suunto Core is equipped with a computer that aggregates barometric and altimeter data to predict possible weather conditions. 400 world positions for sunrise and sunset times are infused into the watch. Having an accurate compass can help prevent you from going in the wrong direction, which has proven to be a life-saving feature.
The backlight can be used to provide a brightness watch display in low light. The buttons are very smooth and I never miss a press. The strap is made of high-quality rubber that will withstand extreme cold and heat.
Pros:
- Comes with Accurate ABC sensors
- Reliable compass and weather forecast
- Large sporty display and backlight
- Updating sunrise and sunset times for around 400 countries.
Cons:
- Simple and old design.
Best Hiking Watches Buying Guide 2024
What to consider before choosing the best backpacking watch for mountain hiking trails? The following will guide you not only to choosing the right affordable hiking watch but also to get you home with the best outdoor hiking watch you can count on.
1. Should ease of use
The interface type of an affordable hiking watch is important. Would you like to check if your ABC watches for hiking use a touchscreen or buttons for navigation? If you are a fan of smartphones, the touchscreen-based outdoor man hiking watch will look more intuitive and attractive.
The downside of smart screen outdoor watches is that they may not work properly with gloves or wet hands. A good backpacking watch for hiking with buttons is easier to operate. Buttons have to be pressed in some sort of sequence before displaying what you want on the screen.
2. ABC sensor
If you plan to go to wilderness and cliff areas, you should go with an ABC watch that updates you on vertical distance, height, barometric pressure, current direction, and weather updates.
3. GPS
A GPS watch is your reliable companion, so you can easily get accurate location data anywhere. Easily upload maps and routes to keep track of your destination and trackback. A pedometer helps you count steps when running, walking, or hiking on a treadmill.
A thermometer can be useful when you are in a hot area. You can take a nap under the shade to avoid sunburn. A heart rate monitor is an additional option, but a must if you have cardiovascular heart disease. It can help you find your BPM and make decisions about your activities.
4. Strap
Outdoor watches are tough and sturdy due to their materials. So, choose a watch according to your needs and fit. Resin is a common material for most watches, although polymer-reinforced materials are also used. Dial windows can be made of acrylic, sapphire, and mineral. Acrylic is susceptible to scratches, while the other two are resistant to such damage.
5. Waterproof
If you hike near a body of water or in winter you will come into contact with the water. Most of the hiking, adventure, and mountaineering watches on the market are the best rugged, waterproof watches. They can survive splashes, showers, and rain. No need to worry if it rains in the mountains.
Other waterproof (100 or 200 m) watches are more suitable for showering, swimming, and snorkeling. If you love to swim while hiking, you should choose an outdoor waterproof watch rated at least 100 meters deep. For hiking and recreational diving, the water resistance must be at least 200 meters (660 feet).
6. Connection
Smartwatches are designed to give you the ability to pair with your phone and keep you updated on any notifications you see on your phone, so you should prefer it if you have room in your pocket.
7. Battery/Charging
Most tours finish within a week or a month. However, it is important to keep in mind that if your watch has all the sensors and advanced features such as GPS and ABC sensors, then you need to keep the watch to stand up to time. Suunto and Casio have launched a rugged solar watch for less than $200. However, some watches with GPS have battery timing of several hours after the first charge in working GPS mode.
8. Price range
It is necessary to check your budget. You can find plenty of best-hiking watches for more than 200 dollars but you have to decide how much money you want to spend for your adventure. Some brands make fairly affordable watches ranging from $100 to $200 for hiking with all the high-end ABC features. Lightweight and durable with a sapphire dial cover and scratch resistance.