Hello, I am getting his/her watches for my fiance and I , we both like to hike and travel and I was hoping for some input, I have no experience on smart watches as I am an old school military/field watch guy.
We would like something we can use here in US and well as Philippines (or Asia in general) , solar powered not needed but nice..main thing is easy to read topo's, would really like to be able to send/share locations with each other and of of curse waterproof and not to flashy.
we both have I phones but compatibility or synching up with them is not a big deal to us.
I am not a fan of the I watch and looking for something more rugged , maybe a smaller size for her though.
thanks !

This message has been edited. Last edited by: golddot,

max budget is 1k total

The Garmin Instinct Solar might fit your needs ( https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/679335/ ). I have one and and found that it did everything I needed...including really long battery life. I consistently got several weeks on a single charge (less if I used the GPS feature a lot). I only wish that I'd had one of these 30+ years ago when I was still in the Army.

I can’t figure out how you’re gonna be able to use a topographic map on a screen the size of a wrist watch. That’s probably just me, though.

maybe TOPO was not the best wording, SOME of the watches I have seen have full color hi rez style screens, some are just monochrome or black and white. There are some that had contour lines , etc..on them, in color.

Garmin Fenix line is probably going to get the nod. They’re pretty tough and probably have the most civilian friendly support. If you’re serious about using the mapping features, recommend you go with the 51mm option(biggest). You can zoom in/out and pan on their maps. $1K for both is probably going to be something like a NOS Fenix 5, which is a solid full featured watch…it just doesn’t have touch screen.

I would probably steer clear of the infomercials claiming they have some wizbang watch better than a Garmin for $100-$200. If you’re going that route the only one in my limited research is the Amazfit brand, but I have no first hand experience.

$.02 Worth/YMMV,
B

A new old stock Fenix 5 would not be my choice. I have one. It is useful for fitness, but the screen is not easy to read with maps.

I would specify a sapphire crystal Fenix newest generation you can afford for the pair. I would not choose 51mm for fiancée as the watch will likely flop around on the smaller wrist.

I have an Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. Two of the newer Garmin Instinct 3 can be had at or under your budget. Garmin Adventure Watches

Mine is monochrome, that presents no problem for me. Battery life is up to two weeks depending on use. I combine it with Garmin Connect (Android version) for hiking. The watch can be configured to alert you to calls, messages and notifications from apps on your phone. I use AllTrails which sends notifications if you deviate from your intended trail. The watch can track heartbeat, sleep, steps and a bunch of other things. It tracks hikes and collects the stats in Connect. I am not gentle with my watch and it doesn't show signs of wear (my apologies to the horologists that frequent this site). Since it's linked to my phone, travel works out well. The watch, via connect, automatically updates to local time. Using Goggle maps to navigate cities works well too since sends notifications to the watch. In short, the Instinct is reliable, rugged, has a great battery life and more than meets my needs.

Garmin is jumping on the subscription bandwagon for the Fenix line but the Instinct is still subscription free. Garmin has been very good with providing updates which are downloaded via wireless or Garmin Express on a PC.

I should note that most of my hiking is on marked trails. If I were bushwhacking I would look to a handheld GPS device (or map and compass for those of us that remember orienteering). I have a Garmin SE to track when I am off the beaten path.

The new Google watch is within budget and getting great reviews if you are an Android user. My wife has a Google watch and likes it.

Friends that have Apple watches like them but I will leave the feedback to those who actually use them.

Garmin is a good place to start and the latest model can access 5 or more difference satellite location services, so you get accurate coverage anywhere on this planet.

As noted the screen on a wrist watch is tiny. As a result I would suggest a watch in the Instinct line and combine the watches with a Garmin hand held tracker.

Battery Life. In a word Apple Sucks. Many of their wrist watches will need charging every 16 to 18 hours. Garmin can go 3-5 days with the lower priced models and even longer with the giant high priced Fenix watchs. Note I have a Fenix 3 and it's so large it's basically parked in a bathroom cabinet and only gets charged once a month.

Heart Rate Monitor. One reason that Garmin has such an extended battery life is that the Heart rate monitor only uses the LED's once or twice an hour, the rest of the time it's estimated and that estimate is based on the general population where 40% of that population is Obese. So don't every believe that heart rate monitor unless you are parked on a couch watching TV or sleeping. It's so bad that lifting your wrist will result in the indicated heart rate going from 60 to 72 BPM. If you really want accurate heart rate data then strap on an electronic Heart Rate Monitor which Garmin does still offer.

quote:

Garmin SE

Interesting, esp about the estimation portion..

this is good info as always here on SF, thank you so much fellas, now off to go shopping for those watches !

I currently have a Garmin Fenix 6 but I am waiting for my Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar to come in and compare the 2. The Suunto should give me more battery life but I really have no complaints about the Garmin.

I have a Garmin Instinct 3 Solar w/MIPS screen.

It does not do mapping - but it will do track back.

I have HRM enabled full time - the LEDs on the underside are always blinking.

I really like the watch. The battery life is very good, it uses a bunch when I do activities with GPS tracking - but still lasts more then a week. and the solar does make a difference.

so I have narrowed it down to a few:
Suunto Race S and Vertical,
Coros Apex 4 pro
and
Garmin Forerunner® 955

I am looking to have the most interactive and easy to use map features. If I travel overseas , it would be nice to download (into the watch via app?) a map of the city or country area I was going to be staying in..

Any suggestions on the aboves for best mapping ecosystems ?

This may sound crazy, but If i am overseas and have to bug out or bug in in place, I want to already have those maps on my WATCH not just my cell when I arrive in country

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
I currently have a Garmin Fenix 6 but I am waiting for my Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar to come in and compare the 2. The Suunto should give me more battery life but I really have no complaints about the Garmin.

i like the build quality of the Suuntos, but garmin seems to have a better system set up for users

Garmin is the only option with solar. It's also the only smartwatch I'd buy, I'm so highly antagonistic to charging a watch I refuse to buy one that requires it.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c...ce-asc¤tPage=1

I have a Garmin Instinct Tactical Solar.

Battery life is rough.

I'm about 2 years in, and the battery life is significantly diminished.

I probably wouldn't do it again. I believe I have about a grand into it (titanium band was an expensive upgrade).

Just got my Suunto and started using it. I like it over the Garmin, it seems to be more user friendly and you can easily download maps (for free) from US and abroad to use in offline mode. The battery is supposed to last longer but I will have to verify that.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
Garmin is the only option with solar. It's also the only smartwatch I'd buy, I'm so highly antagonistic to charging a watch I refuse to buy one that requires it.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c...ce-asc¤tPage=1

Suunto has solar, I have one.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
Just got my Suunto and started using it. I like it over the Garmin, it seems to be more user friendly and you can easily download maps (for free) from US and abroad to use in offline mode. The battery is supposed to last longer but I will have to verify that.

It seems more intuitive from the youtube vids I watched, and has less of that casio G Shock look to them.