Best Triathlon Watch Reviews

The 935 is the quintessential triathlon watch from Garmin. It is designed for durability and it focuses on delivering useful information for the active person. The slick design is easy to pair with a casual and/or sports outfit because it’s an all-black, lightweight build. 

The screen is not sensitive to touch, but you can use the side buttons to scroll through the apps. The menu is built around the active person who practices a wide range of sports such as running, swimming, cycling, and more. On the back of the case, there is a heart rate sensor and inside it, a GPS+GLONASS module. 

It also has features that are useful to athletes looking to measure their progress. For instance, there is an UltraTrack mode (reliable due to the built-in gyroscope), and the possibility to follow metrics such as ground contact time and stride length. 

All these features also help you measure your training status, to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it. In addition, it has a built-in barometer, altimeter, and electronic compass which can be extremely useful while hiking or running long distances. 

Forerunner 935 also features smart notifications, music control, automatic uploads and connects to the Garmin app for custom Watch faces and apps. It is compatible with most mobile devices (iOS and Android) and it works with other Garmin devices designed for tracking sports or it can be paired with external sensors (for more accurate tracking).

Lastly, the Forerunner 935 has a better battery life than other similar models from Garmin (up to 24h in GPS mode and up to 2 weeks in watch mode) and it comes with built-in WiFi.

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.

This unisex training watch has GPS capability with an integrated heart rate wrist monitor and an atmospheric pressure sensor. It features support for over 80 sports. It’s ideal for cycling or running, and since it’s waterproof to 100 meters, it’s also ideal for swimming. 

It also has new outdoor features for mountain and snow sports, along with navigation system improvements and storm warning. Hikers, skiers and trail runners will appreciate the exact altitude measurement provided by the combination of Barometric and GPS altimeter. That’s what enables exact altitude profiles and helps to identify meteorological changes, allowing you to cancel your trek if bad weather is coming. 

Suunto’s value proposition states that this watch will take you from “the highest mountains to the deepest oceans.”

It features an intelligent battery system that allows you to adjust the battery mode. Switch between the three modes to get from 25 hours up to 120 hours of use from the battery. You’ll get real-time notifications on how much battery life is remaining, so you can change modes to save the battery before it completely runs out of power.

The Suunto website provides regular software updates.

The Glonass technology can be used in addition to GPS for improved tracking, providing quick and exact recognition of your position. There are also  tracking and route navigation options, with waypoints and real-time breadcrumb navigation features. 

There’s a graphic heart rate wrist display that shows heart rate even while resting, a step display and calorie display, including showing the last 7 days. The activity monitoring is 24/7. A colour display has 3 action buttons for toggling among the features. If you want even more detailed heart rate data, you can purchase separately the compatible Suunto Smart Belt.

The watch is used in conjunction with the Suunto App, which offers training insights and social features to stay motivated. It helps you track daily activities and workouts, plan routes, show activity maps, and calculate overall speed and distance using the GPS connectivity. You can also monitor sleep patterns and overall fitness levels, and share milestones on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

This multisport training watch, designed for men and women, has a wrist-based heart monitor, using what’s known as Polar’s “Sensor Fusion Technology.” This provides heart rate monitoring for over 130 sports besides the common ones of cycling and running. 

The fitness tracker also monitors cardio load and perceived load, telling you how training sessions are straining your body. It provides insights into your sleep and helps you avoid overtraining and injuries. You can use the information to get practical tips on how to train, sleep better and regulate energy levels.

Using the Polar Flow platform on your desktop or mobile device, you can track your workouts, analyse your progress and achieve more. The watch also syncs to several training programs such as Strava, Training Peaks, and more. 

There’s an integrated GPS and Glonass, giving you accurate speed, distance and route tracking, and an assisted GPS for fast fix times, ideal for sports like cycling. The barometer allows you to track barometric altitude, incline, ascent and descent.

The connectivity is with a low energy bluetooth, and there’s a custom USB cable for charging and data synchronisation. It even has the time and date, and a vibrating alarm with a snooze function. The watch features an “always on” colour touch display.

While your heart rate is monitored right on your wrist, the watch is also compatible with Polar BLE heart rate sensors.

The rechargeable battery has ultra long life, up to 30 hours of training time with the GPS and heart monitor active. This durable watch is waterproof, allowing you to track swimming performance too.  There’s even special metrics for swimming, besides heart rate, including swimming style, distance, pace, strokes and rest times. A personalised, adaptable running plan also makes it perfect for runners as a true multisport watch.

The Apex is designed for multiple sports and outdoor adventures. Use it hiking or camping with its GPS and distance tracking functions, using three satellite technologies (GPS, GLONASS or BDS satellites) and proprietary algorithms, even working in dense woods. You can access a preloaded route when you’re in unfamiliar locations.

It also features a barometer, an altimeter, and a compass, to help you stay safe. Barometric readings will let you know if a possible storm is coming, and it doesn’t require the internet for the alert. You can also keep track of sunset so you know how much light is left.

It has a wrist-based heart rate monitor, and can be paired with an external one as well. Use it for training, with the ability to build your own workouts, create a circuit featuring over 200 pre-loaded exercises, or download a featured workout from the COROS website. It’s also water resistant up to 328 feet (100 meters).

Battery life can be adjusted, lasting up to 24 days of regular use, 25 hours in full GPS mode and 80 hours in UltraMax GPS mode.

You can integrate with several third-party training platforms, such as Strava, TrainingPeaks, Relive, Final Surge and Runalyze.

The Ironman Classic 30 from Timex is a beautiful timepiece that features a lightweight body and a solid build. Equipped with a 16mm adjustable resin strap (fits an 8-inch wrist circumference), the watch feels comfortable on the skin. 

The size of the case is just right for both men and women, and the display is sealed for water resistance (up to 100m or 330 feet). Also, the acrylic lens is durable and doesn’t scratch easily, and the digital display is gray. Furthermore, the watch is designed with an Indiglo backlight that’s not too bright and only lights the numbers, which is easy on the eyes.  

In terms of features, you get a 100-hour chronograph with 30-lap memory, 24-hour countdown timer, a customizable alarm (daily, weekday or weekend alarms). The watch can be set in two time zones and has a day, date, and month calendar feature.

The Garmin name is synonymous with GPS, so this multisport watch fits the bill with GPS and GLONASS capacity and much more.

It has a wrist heart rate monitor to track your performance, and comes with advanced dynamics for running, cycling and swimming.

It can also be paired with a Running Dynamics Pod, HRM Run or HRM Tri Monitor, to provide more in-depth data. Check your VO2 max estimate, use it as a race predictor and recovery advisor, and pair it with a chest strap heart rate monitor to read your lactate threshold. Use the information to improve your running form with running dynamics data such as ground contact time balance, stride length and vertical ratio.

You can also use it to do live tracking, receive smart notifications, and do automatic uploads to Garmin Connect. The Garmin Connect IQ store offers free watch faces and apps for customization, as well as training plans, and the ability to track your progress with personal bests, activity reminders and more.

Adjust the settings to adjust the battery life: in Smartwatch mode it’s up to 11 days; in UltraTrac mode without the wrist heart rate it’s up to 24 hours; and in GPS mode it’s up to 14 hours.

Garmin rates the watch at 5ATM, meaning it will withstand a pressure equivalent to a depth of 165 feet (50 meters). It can handle splashes, rain or snow, showering, swimming, diving into water, and snorkeling.