Best Fitness Tracker for Hiking – From heart-rate tracking and step count to email and blood-oxygen level readings, there is not much that some of these watches can’t do. Since I spend a lot of time in the mountains and work as a guide, I love having a watch that gives accurate altitude readings, storm alerts, and tracking points – all vital data points when leading groups in the mountains.
OVERVIEW
You are well versed in the world of outdoor watches. In recent years, the technology and capabilities of the once-humble watch has exploded and us outdoor and adventure people are here to reap the benefits.
ROUND UP
From all of the watches on our list, it may be hard to pick a favorite. If you are looking for a good all a-rounder that will serve you in a variety of settings, go with our top pick: the Garmin Instinct GPS Watch.
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Features
- Ultimate multisport GPS watch that estimates heart rate at the wrist and includes color Topo maps featuring trend line popularity routing to help you find and follow the best paths
- Wrist based Pulse Ox Acclimation sensor, a non medical device that provides awareness of your estimated blood oxygen saturation levels especially useful when you're adjusting to higher altitudes (not available in all countries)
- Fit for adventure with rugged design that features scratch resistant domed sapphire lens plus stainless steel or diamond like carbon (DLC) titanium bezel, and rear case
- Easily store and play upto 500 songs on your watch, and connect with Bluetooth headphones (sold separately) for phone free listening
- Garmin Pay contactless payment solution (available for supported cards from participating banks) lets you make convenient payments with your watch, so you can leave your cash and cards at home.Battery performance: Upto 20 days in smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS mode with music
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2.Fitbit Charge
Features
- Use built-in GPS to see your pace and distance on screen during outdoor runs, rides, hikes and more and see a workout intensity map in the app that shows your heart rate changes along your route
- With Active Zone Minutes, feel a buzz when you reach your target heart rate zones during exercise, and celebrate when you earn extra minutes outside of exercise
- Use 24x7 heart rate to track resting heart rate & better measure calorie burn. Syncing to mobile devices requires Bluetooth LE and internet connection. Syncs with Mac OS X 12.2 and up, iPhone 5S and later, iPad 5 gen. and later, Android 7.0 and later
- See your SpO2 nightly average and range on wrist, and view trends over the past week in the Fitbit app (SpO2 is not available in all markets. The SpO2 feature is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition or for any other medical purpose)
- Track your skin temperature each night to see how it varies from your personal baseline (Not available in all markets. Only available in the Fitbit app and only displays variation. Not intended for medical purposes)
- Track workouts in real-time with 20+ goal-based exercise modes. It’s also swimproof and water resistant to 50 Meters, so you can track swims, wear in the shower and more
- Multi-day battery lasts up to 7 days and up to 5 hours when using built-in GPS (varies with use & other factors). Track sleep stages & review your in-app Sleep Score for an easy way to see how well you slept
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3.SUUNTO
Features
- Suunto 9 Baro: This durable multisport GPS watch is designed for athletes who demand the best; Featuring over 80 sports modes, a barometer for accurate altitude info, and wrist heart rate monitor
- Built To Last: Made for training, racing and extreme adventures, this GPS watch delivers up to 120 hours of continuous exercise tracking; Water resistant to 100 meters; Great for running, hiking, cycling and more
- Get Connected: Connect to your favorite sports apps and services from the Suunto app to get more from your watch; Share with your sports communities and access specific training analysis and guidance
- Adventure Starts Here: Combining Scandinavian design with ultra durable materials, our watches track your sports, daily activity, and sleep to help you keep life, training and recovery in balance
- Authentic Heritage: Founded in 1936, Suunto brings over 80 years of high quality heritage craftsmanship, relentless accuracy, and pioneering innovation to our watches, compasses, and dive products
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4.Misfit Shine
Features
- Swimproof, aircraft-grade anodized aluminum disc
- White LED progress and time display
- Wirelessly syncs with paired smartphone to upload data
- Automatically tracks steps, distance, calories, and light and heavy sleep
- Non-charging, replaceable battery lasts up to 6 months. Please refer the Installation and the Battery replacement Video before use.
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5.Inzopo
Features
- 100% brand new and high quality,Replacement wrist band strap for Misfit Shine 2 (without tracker, only replacement bands).
- The size can be adjusted according to the circumstance of individual wrist.
- Specially designed for Misfit Shine 2, not for Misfit Flash or other models.
- Frosted texture, Pittards WR100, anti-slide, feel comfortable and easy to clean.
- Durable for strong activity, capture this beautiful accessory for you.
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6.Odetina
Features
- Please take off the phone case before linking, The smart ring is a fashionable and wearable electronic Be able to connect to a mobile phone
- The chip is ntag213 chip, which can be set to open the smart door lock, recharge all-in-one card, unlock the smart phone, lock the important files of the mobile phone, and transfer files with one key
- By touching the NFC signal area of the mobile phone, the smart ring can unlock the screen, lock the application program, quickly start the application, send and read the business card and website information.
- Standard US size 7, size 8, size9, size10, size11, size12 No need to charge and waterproof.
- Never to worry about your cellphone is out of grid, out of battery, or don’t have access to your cellphone.
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7.fenix
Features
- Fit for performance with rugged, sophisticated design that features an always-on 1.3” (18% larger than previous Fenix models) sunlight-readable display with bezels in stainless steel, titanium or diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating
- Enhanced estimated wrist heart rate and Pulse Ox to support advanced sleep monitoring and altitude acclimation at high elevations (this is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition)
- Advanced training features include PacePro for grade-adjusted pace guidance throughout your activity plus environmentally adjusted VO2 max and training status estimates
- Navigate the outdoors with preloaded topo maps, ski maps for over 2,000 worldwide ski resorts, multiple global navigation satellite system (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) support and built-in sensors for 3-axis compass, gyroscope and barometric altimeter
- Support for Garmin Pay contactless payments (not all countries and payment networks are eligible), music storage with premium streaming service (may require subscription with third-party music provider) support, smart notifications and more
- Battery performance: Up to 14 days in smart Watch mode, up to 10 hours in GPS and music mode, up to 28 days in expedition GPS activity mode, and up to 48 days in battery saver Watch mode
- Included components: Fenix 6, Charging/data cable, Documentation
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8.Ambit3
Features
- SUUNTO Ambit3 peak delivers stable and accurate altitude and weather information with full navigation in a robust casting
- Includes built in altimeter, barometer, compass and GPS with 100 meter water resistance
- One of the most competitive battery hours in the market, 200 hours with 1 minute accuracy. Case material: Polyamide
- Connect Ambit3 peak to your smartphone for syncing your activities, customizing on the go and seeing calls and notifications on the watch
- Add Photos in movement and create a SUUNTO Movie with the highlights of your adventure to share with your friends
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9.Samsung Galaxy
Features
- Track your way to real results: Automatically detects up to 6 exercises, while tracking up to 39 more, right from your wrist
- Resolve to rest better: Helps you analyze your sleep patterns and encourages you to wind down to keep you refreshed and at your best
- Sends you real time alerts if ever detecting a high or low heart rate, so you can be more proactive about your heart health
- Expand your Galaxy: Sync with your phone to stream your playlist, get notifications and more, right on your wrist
- Thin; Light; Durable: A thin, lightweight and durable swim ready design comes in a variety of colors and interchangeable bands
- Lasts for days: Go nonstop with a long lasting battery that lasts for days on a single charge
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10.Withings
Features
- 24/7 SEAMLESS TRACKING - Automatic walk, run, swim, bike & 10+ activities recognized. Plus calories burned & distance.
- SLEEP TRACKING - Wake to a Sleep Score based on light & deep sleep cycles, interruptions, depth & regularity, Smart Wake-Up with a silent alarm.
- CONNECTED GPS - Launch a workout via the side button and after your session get a route map in Health Mate with distance, elevation and pace.Silicone wristband
- AUTOMATIC SYNCHRONIZATION - Visualize trends and data on your smartphone with the free Health Mate app (iOS and Android️).
- GOES THE DISTANCE - Up to 18 month battery life and water resistant up to 50m.
- Withings products on must be “ships from and sold by” or Withings to be eligible for /replacement by Withings.
- Item Height: 1.3 Centimeters
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Best Fitness Tracker for Hiking – BUYER’S GUIDE
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Another important factor to consider when shopping for a fitness tracker is the design. Most fitness trackers come in the form of a band that you wear around your wrist, but there are also devices that you can clip into your clothing.
Choosing based on the design of the tracker not only depends on your personal taste, but for the intended usage as well. If you want a feature-rich tracker, you will want to get one with a display that provides elaborate information. If you’re planning to wear the device all day, you could go for a minimalist approach with discrete display.
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Do you want a device that you can wear and forget? There are trackers that can resist water even if you go for an unexpected dive while there are those that are simply splash-proof.
Again, this all depends on the intended usage of the buyer. Typically, splash-proof trackers are likely to be sweat-proof as well.
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Nearly every fitness band you’ll find in the market will have two essential features: steps and calorie trackers. Again, you should evaluate your intended usage for the band. If you need to know how many flights of stairs you climb daily, go for a tracker with the standard accelerometer and altimeter.
If you’re a runner or a cyclist, a band with GPS tracking should come in handy for tracking your progress. Those who are looking to improve their sleeping habits should invest in a tracker that has sleep monitoring features.
back to menu ↑Frequently Asked Questions
HOW DO FITNESS WATCHES CALCULATE CALORIES?
A fitness watch uses an algorithm that takes your age, weight, height, and combines that with how much you exercise (either steps taken or a more intense activity like running) to calculate the number of calories burned. More advanced watches will also incorporate heart rate into the calculation.
But you have to remember these calories are just estimates. They should be used as a general guideline and not a true number of calories burned.
HOW DO I CHOOSE A FITNESS WATCH?
A simple way to choose a fitness watch is to decide what types of activities you like to do, then combine that with how much you are willing to spend.
The most expensive fitness watches count steps and monitors your sleep – just like a basic fitness tracker. But they also do a whole lot more.
WRAP UP
The best fitness trackers act almost like a mini-trainer, offering insights into your workouts and the motivation to push yourself harder with every sweat session. Best of all, you don’t need to be a serious athlete to use one; pretty much anyone can get their money’s worth from a tracker or smartwatch.
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