The best 10 sports watches in comparison

Sports watches are wearables taken to the next level. Although the lines between sports watches, smartwatches, and fitness trackers are getting blurrier thanks to tech developments, sports watches are typically sturdier than other wearables and often include distinctive features. Some of these specialties can be physical (like dedicated bike mounts and wind speed sensors) or come as extra functionalities. Although an integrated GPS may be included in more recent fitness trackers and smartwatches, it is an expected feature when it comes to sports watches. What makes this relevant is that a built-in GPS is the way to go for phone-free movement, while the user also benefits from navigation assistance and data-gathering for route and exercise reports.

As always, features vary among models, but you can always compare products and functionalities with Versus' search function and filters. Additionally, if you're struggling to choose your sturdy health and wellness companion, check out our recommendations on what to consider.

Design and build

Design surely matters, but in this case, you may want to pay extra attention to how comfortable your sports watch would feel while you practice your preferred activity, and what your favorite activities require from a wearable in terms of durability. Fortunately, there are plenty of sleek-looking sports watches that associate durability and advanced functionalities.

The robustness expected from a sports watch also implies that water resistance ratings tend to be higher than those of smartwatches and fitness trackers, making sports watches suitable wearables for the practice of the majority of water sports (still, we advise you to verify any wearable's water-resistance level, which you can do on our platform). Furthermore, if durability is high on your priority list, you may want to keep an eye out for models with damage-resistant displays – sapphire glass and Corning's proprietary Gorilla Glass are the most popular options.

Speaking of displays, the touch screen "issue" is something to consider. "Wait," you may be thinking, "can a touch screen anything but an advantage?" Well, yes, and no. Although being able to command your sports watch with your fingertips is highly useful, targeting items on a display that is considerably smaller than that of a smartphone may be difficult at times. In this case, sports watches with a side dial or buttons (sometimes even both) come in quite handy. You can find options in the Garmin Fenix 6 family (which also includes the Garmin Fenix 6, Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, Garmin Fenix 6S, Garmin Fenix 6S Pro, as well as sapphire glass editions) and models by other brands, which you may want to check out on our sports watches rank.

Features

As we've mentioned, the lines that separate wearables are not as sharp as they should be, considering that smartwatches and fitness trackers are packing increasingly advanced features. Still, some of these features – like GPS and a heart rate sensor – are more likely to be found in sports watches.

Having a clear picture of your needs can make this decision a much easier one for you. Which specialty features do you see as non-negotiable? Is it crucial that your sports watch includes a bike mount, or perhaps body temperature and oximeter sensors? With your priorities in mind, you'll be able to narrow your options down with the help of our specs filter tool.

Some cyclists may require a sports watch that is compatible with external speed sensors so that data is synced across devices, which some models can offer. There are also sports watches specially designed to cater to the needs of divers, featuring planners and additional tools (besides, of course, being waterproof).

You may also choose a model that is compatible with geocaching activities (a kind of current-day treasure hunting), water intake tracking, fast GPS lock, or that provides information such as sunrise and sunset times, thunderstorm forecasting, to name but a few possibilities.

Compatibility

As is the case with other wearables, the compatibility between a sports watch and your smartphone is not guaranteed, so pay attention to it when making your selection. Although sports watches are less reliant on smartphones – mainly due to having their own GPS and other advanced sensors –, you could find yourself highly frustrated by not being able to enjoy everything that your adventure companion could offer, as important tracking features and report generation might require device pairing.

Pairing and connectivity

Current sports watches should make pairing between your phone and your wearable quite simple, especially after the first time you link the devices. Still, it's good to know what to expect, as you'll want your gadgets to sync seamlessly – this way, you can make the most of the in-depth activity and health tracking that your sports watch can offer. Wearables may feature different Bluetooth versions and Wi-Fi standards. In rare cases, they are equipped with cellular modules. An advantage of Wi-Fi over Bluetooth connectivity would be the ability to have your devices sync automatically across greater distances. Finally, the consumer electronics market's investment in turning wearables into digital wallets is something to consider; if fast wireless payment sounds interesting to you, you'll want to look for a product equipped with NFC.

Battery life

Most sports watches offer a multi-day battery life. Differently from smartphones, which many of us charge overnight, sports watches typically include sleep tracking features. Therefore, you may want to wear it for as long as possible for more precise activity and sleep reports. However, that battery life significantly decreases once the GPS function is activated; given that an inbuilt GPS is a decisively attractive feature for sports watches, it would be more accurate to take this value into account when comparing sports watches. For the most prolonged battery life possible, you may want to consider buying a solar-powered sports watch – the caveat of more sustainable tech, however, are still considerably higher prices.