Altimeter Watches

Also known as ABC watches, these are wrist devices with features that go beyond standard time-telling. They are a great fit for athletes, sportives, outdoor adventurers, hikers, and people who work on wide areas of terrain. 

A watch that’s equipped with a basic altimeter, barometer, and compass is extremely useful when it comes to orientating in space, following a trail, or just monitoring the steps you’ve taken. Many are suitable for rugged outdoor activities. In addition, many of these advanced devices are designed to monitor fitness activities and athletic performance and can communicate with mobile devices using WiFi or Bluetooth. 

In search of the best altimeter watch, we reviewed some of the best products on the market that came with ABC sensors. Still, we also took under consideration other important features such as design, weight, durability, GPS module, and battery life. Garmin produces excellent GPS watches and we have two models listed in our guide. 

As you will see from our reviews below, the best ABC watch must be a combination of these features and a bit more.

Best Golf GPS Watches

Fenix 6 Premium ABC Watch

Suunto 9 Baro ABC Watch

Coros Vertix ABC Watch

Suunto Ambit3 Peak ABC Watch

Casio Pro Trek Solar ABC Watch

Garmin Epix ABC Watch

Fenix 6 Premium ABC Watch

Highlights

This outdoor sportwatch has GPS, and other navigation features that make it ideal for multiple outdoor sports. The crystal is protected by a rugged stainless steel bezel (the top ring on the watch that surrounds the crystal) and the watch is tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance.

There are satellite navigation and tracking functions, along with a 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter.

The GPS combines with GLONASS and Galileo to track your position more accurately than GPS alone, meaning you can hike or trail ride in more challenging environments.

Activity features include enhanced wrist heart rate, built-in activity profiles, Vo2 Max estimates and more. The built-in activity profiles are for trail running, swimming, running, biking, hiking, rowing, skiing, golfing and more.  There’s also performance metrics and training load balance readings, advanced sleep monitoring and the ability to read altitude acclimation at high elevations. Use the watch to track your training load balance, training status, and running and cycling dynamics.

A great feature is the customizable power manager, where you can monitor how various settings and sensors impact battery life, allowing you to adjust to extend your battery life. The battery has four modes with different performance life depending how you use it: up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, up to 36 hours in GPS mode, up to 28 days in expedition GPS activity mode, and up to 48 days in battery saver watch mode.

The display is readable in sunlight and is “always on,” meaning you can easily check it while climbing or cycling. When paired with a compatible smartphone, you can receive notifications and use Garmin Pay™ contactless payments. Also when paired with a smartphone, the watch will sense an incident and send your location to emergency contacts.

Specifications

Material:Stainless Steel Bezel and Black Band
Size:1.85 x 1.85 x 0.58 inches
Weight:2.82 ounces

Specifications

Pros

  • GPS combines with two other systems to provide accurate tracking capability.
  • A multitude of activity monitoring, including built-in activity profiles.
  • Customize what features you’re using to extend battery life.
  • Garmin is known for its GPS products.

Cons

  • Despite the ability to adjust battery modes, this watch will need lithium battery replacement on a regular basis if you use the advanced features on a regular basis.
  • The multitude of features may be too much for some users.

Why We Chose This

Besides the Garmin name being synonymous with GPS capabilities, this watch has a multitude of fitness features for the outdoor enthusiast. It has rugged construction with a stainless steel bezel to protect the crystal. A bonus is being able to monitor battery life and adjust settings to extend it. A great Garmin watch.

Altimeter (ABC) Watch Buying Guide

Design & Size

The design of a wrist altimeter is built around durability and ease of use. As such, most ABC watches have a large display and a slim profile (where possible). In addition, the materials used are thought to be water and shock-resistant which is why you won’t find many luxurious designs in this category. However, this doesn’t mean the design of an ABC watch is not attractive. They can be accessorized with casual and sport outfits, which is why many users wear them every day.

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