The 5 Best Outdoor Watches Under $200

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The number of outdoor watches in the market comes in various styles and colors. So, from the start, you want to be clear about how much technology you are looking out for. If you go out for too much, your battery will be out in no time; too little and you can only imagine the dire consequences.

If you are going for a big expedition, smartwatches and GPS trackers can be said to be power-hungry, and you will need something that works with solar energy or that will continue working in all conditions.

Before you choose an outdoor watch, you will have to consider some significant elements which could influence your choice and possibly make your adventure worthwhile.

NameFeatures
Suunto Core WristEasy-to-use MenusPRICING
Garmin Fenix 2Long Battery LifePRICING
Garmin Foretrex 401Utilizes 2 AAA BatteriesPRICING
Garmin Approach S20Bluetooth ConnectivityPRICING
Garmin Forerunner 10Accurate GPSPRICING

Where will it be used?

There is an outdoor watch for all any kinds of outdoor adventure; pen down a list of your must-have features, so you don’t end up on a wild goose chase.

What is your budget?

An outdoor watch with the necessary features won’t come cheap to carry out its primary responsibility. However, a wide range of watches are available that are quite affordable, so go for your top budget-friendly choice.

There are a few features to look out for:

Firstly, reliability and durability; it is best picking a watch that is designed explicitly for outdoor activities, especially from a notable brand.

Secondly, ensure you get a watch which has a scratch-proof Sapphirecover and not precious stone, plastic or glass.

Water resistance must be in the range of 10 atm. Also, pick one with luminous hands and numbers.

If these features describe what you want in an outdoor watch, then the list we have rounded up will be useful for your choice—if you wish to go hiking, climbing, etc.

1. Suunto Core Wrist-Top Computer Watch

The Suunto Core is a tested and trusted watch with which comes with an altimeter. The Core has something for everybody: waterproof buttons that come handy for snorkeling and shallow diving, perfect working altimeter and barometer, simple-to-use interface, and a very delightful graph with a pleasantly labelled and straightforward menu.

The Core features three alarms, which are equivalent to the Suunto Ambit2 and the Suunto Vector but not exactly like the Pathfinder PAG240T-7 and Casio Pathfinder PAG240-1, which come with five. Aside from having fewer alarms, the bigger deal is that Suunto alarms are noiseless, and you will have to put the watch close to your head so it can wake you up. The Core comes with a stopwatch and a timer and amid both functions; you can have the opportunity to see the time and what your stopwatch/timer is giving out.

The Core has an altimeter and barometer function all linked together, which the Pathfinder models and vector cannot boast of. It helps to measure elevation in one-meter interval, while the Pathfinder is 5 meters and the vector is 3 meters.

The altimeter/barometer is a great feature. It studies long-term pressure patterns to give you an accurate reading. For instance, when you are climbing, it gains with you as the barometric pressure changes at a rate far quicker than the barometric pressure changes in line with the weather. As soon as you stop gaining elevation for some time (for example, sleeping), it understands that and sees any pressure changes as what they are instead of elevation.

Just like its competitor, the Core also features a compass that includes an adjustable declination. It may be set to record and follow through with compass bearing. In most models, when it comes to serious off-trail adventure, you will not want to use this as your main compass; it is ideal if you need it for a general point of reference.

Pros

  • The altimeter is very accurate
  • It has easy-to-use menus
  • Superior altimeter and barometer feature
  • User friendly interface

 Cons

  • The display is a bit dark
  • It is relatively expensive

2. Garmin Fenix 2 GPS Watch

With so many GPS sports watches in the market, choosing the best-fit can be confusing. The Garmin Fenix 2 meets all your needs in one place—it is not your average tracker. It was created for the serious multi-sports fan who wants to track everything—from cross country skiing to running and also indoor sports.

The tally of the sports it tracks is similar to the schedule of the Olympics rather than a wearable device feature list. While running, hiking or mountaineering, you can have it strapped on. It can help get the heart rate information via the chest strap.

It weighs 91g. When you compare it to the Garmin Forerunner, its weight is less than half of that watch. The screen is made of monochrome LCD alongside a red backlight for dark conditions.

With activity tracking, the range of sensors comes to play inside the Fenix. The first thing is that there is a GPS—which is essential to any decent sports tracker. But the new sensor put the Fenix in a class of its own. The presence of barometer will measure the altitude. The 3-axis compass will guide you on runs, that is if a route is included using the Garmin Connect–which is the app.

It has an incredible battery life, all thanks to the simple screen and its giant build. It is ideal for people who wish to go hiking during the weekends in the hills or visit the winter slopes.

Pros

  • Its tracking feature is superb
  • It gives impressive stats
  • Long battery life
  • Great quality

Cons

  • It is of a chunky design
  • The display screen can be dark

3. Garmin Foretrex 401 Waterproof Hiking GPS

You have a perfect choice in Garmin Foretrex if what you seek is a portable GPS device for all your needs now and going forward.

You can securely strap the Garmin Foretrex 401 Waterproof to your chest, keeping the hands free in the process to do whatever you want. It can be frustrating balancing the GPS in your hands with another thing you will need for your adventure. The strap works perfectly here.

This gadget allows you to retrace your steps; even tracking of your data is possible while staying connected within the Garmin community.

If you are going hiking with this GPS unit in an unfamiliar terrain, this gadget will come through for you. This unit works uniquely to get you back to where you first started—so getting lost is out of the equation.

Garmin Foretrex 401 Waterproof utilizes the digital breadcrumbs to help you find your way back. So worry less when you have it strapped on to your body.

This product comes with great value, and you can never say no to the features it presents to lovers of outdoor activities who want to navigate unknown terrains for their adventure. This is a quality gadget to have any day.

By staying within the community, you will be able to view all routes uploaded by the millions of users. You will enjoy the experiences shared by others and be motivated to share yours at the right time to help improve the community.

Pros

  • Easy strapping to your wrist to free the hands
  • Its GPS is a High-sensitivity feature
  • Utilizes 2 AAA batteries
  • TraceBack enables you to retrace steps
  • Dual position readout feature
  • Electronic compass and Trip Computer

Cons

  • The gadget small in size
  • It goes off after a while
  • Gives off inaccurate measurements occasionally

4. Garmin Approach S20

Garmin GPS golf watches have been around for quite a while, and they can help you step up your game. Get more stats with the latest Garmin Approach golf watches—even data is not exempted from what it brings.

The Approach S20 has over 40,000 global courses preloaded, including course update, which are automatic and standard.

With the Garmin Approach S20, you can have it on every day to show off to friends and family and also in the clubhouse. If you’re particular about your daily step count and the total distance covered for your personal fitness goal, this watch will perfectly meet your needs through the added activity tracking.

Garmin has included this feature all along to most of its devices, which you will appreciate when counting calories and as holes in one.

The best features in a typical golf GPS watch is all that the Garmin Approach S20 boasts of. You will be able to see the precise distance to the front on the golf course—even back and middle of the green. You will also be able to analyze every location as well as the distance of every shot through the Garmin Connect app.

The Approach S20 records this data using what is known as the AutoShot round analyzer feature. Pairing with your phone, you will get notifications for calls, emails, and texts as well as other alerts using the Bluetooth.

The new golf swing sensor called TruSwing is another feature every watch lover will appreciate; this sensor is easy-to-use and attaches to your club, providing you with a detailed metric for improving swing consistency.

Through Garmin Connect, you can have control over your swing data or better still, review your swing with great 3D animation or overlay one swing with another for a careful examination. TruSwing allows monitoring of data, for example, speed, club-path measurement, swing tempo and several others. This will be vital in improving your swing consistency and your game form—either on the course or at the range.

Pros

  • This gadget can be paired using TruSwing sensor
  • AutoShot round analyzer feature
  • It reveals distances to hazards
  • It contains 40,000 preloaded golf courses
  • It measures shot distances
  • Bluetooth connectivity feature

 Cons

  • Garmin Connect app has its issues
  • Smartphone pairing is difficult

5. Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS Watch

In case you are searching for a cheap way to map your runs, the Garmin Forerunner 10 is at your service. This waterproof GPS watch precisely tracks pace, distance, speed and calories — at the same time mapping and storing your running courses. The Forerunner 10 does not have Bluetooth to sync devices. However, it will serve your outdoor running needs, and you will not have to break the bank to meet those needs.

The Garmin Forerunner 10 looks almost indistinguishable to the Garmin Forerunner 15, which includes daily activity-tracking feature as well Bluetooth—only for Garmin accessories. It has the equivalent squarish body, four tactile buttons and a customary wristband (one on each corner). It is designed in a variety of shy and bright color, including lime, orange, pink, green and violet

The buttons come at the same capacities like the ones on the Forerunner 15: The top right button begins a run and chooses options on the screen; the bottom right looks through options; the upper left button will control the display’s backlight. Finally, the bottom left is for returning to the screen.

The display resolution is at 55 x 32 pixels for the Forerunner 10. That makes it have ample room to show you time and date. There is no step count on the screen because it does not behave like a passive activity monitor.

The Garmin Forerunner 10 has a primary home screen which shows you the date and battery life. There are three other pages when you use the bottom-right button to scroll down. The pages are Run Options, History and Settings.

The Garmin Forerunner 10 is perfect for outdoor jogging and running with its embedded GPS. This gadget will map out your work accurately—even though it could take a while to grab hold of the location signal. This is the watch for outdoor enthusiasts.

Pros

  • Accurate GPS
  • Fantastic waterproof design
  • It is affordable
  • Impressively responsive buttons

Cons

  • Has no Bluetooth

Conclusion

If you are a lover of outdoor activities, then you can never do away with the outdoor watches fitted with GPS. Whether you are going hiking, running, skiing—or even swimming—you can never get enough of this gadget to make your adventure a truly rewarding one. We may not specifically know the circumstances surrounding your outdoor intentions but we are confident that whatever it might turn out to be, you are definitely going to get your own fit right from this list of reviewed outdoor watches.

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