Best Hiking Watches for Backpacking 2025

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This is a review of the Best GPS Hiking Watches for backpacking in 2025.

Looking for the best GPS watches for hiking to take on your next trip? A watch that may have built-in maps, GPS navigation, a barometer, an altimeter, and more. A watch that can not only tell you where you are but track your movements, alert you to the changing weather, tell you your altitude, and lastly tell you the time.

With so many great options the GPS watch market is changing quickly, and it can be hard to pick one. This is why I spent hundreds of hours researching and testing some of the best GPS Hiking watches on the market. I’ve added a brief buying guide for you and a handy checklist to ensure you’ve thought of everything before you buy.

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How We Tested

All the GPS Watches in this review have been extensively evaluated and researched by the expert author who has many years of experience in Thru-Hiking, Backpacking, and Hiking. The manufacturers supplied some of the Hiking Watches and the author purchased some for this review. They have been rigorously tested by the author on thru-hiking trails, backpacking trails, and trail running. The research, testing, and experience of the author have combined to come up with the Best Hiking Watches for 2025. Read the Review Policy for further details.

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Best GPS Watches for Hiking 2025

The Best GPS Watches for Hiking in 2025 are:

• Coros Vertix 2s
• Garmin Enduro 3
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar
• Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
• Garmin 965
• Coros Pace 3
• Coros Apex 2 Pro
• Garmin Instinct 2 Solar
• Garmin Fenix 7 Solar
• Garmin Forerunner 945

If you want to have an athletic watch that looks tough, is tough, and has exceptional battery life then the new Coros Vertix 2s is for you. I loved the previous model, the Coros Vertix 2 so what could they do to improve this model?

Coros improved the internal antenna on this new watch to make it the most accurate GPS hiking watch on the market. Although it uses the same battery as the previous model, the battery life is slightly less but still right at the top as some of the best endurance watches in the world right now. With 40 days of battery life when used in normal mode and around 43 hours when dual-frequency GPS and all systems are being used.

The Coros Vertix 2s might have every feature that you could want but the offline color maps paired with the accurate GPS make this the best navigation watch for GPS Tracking. Add to that the atmospheric altimeter, compass, barometer, heart rate monitor, ECG, and offline music on the watch make it up there with the best of the best in this review.

I like the very large watch face size which makes it possible for my failing eyes to see everything as clearly as possible. But not everyone will like this very masculine-looking watch. Despite the size, it is not the heaviest GPS watch in this review and has the highest quality Sapphire Glass and Titanium Bezel.

Overall, the Coros Vertix 2s has exceptional battery life and the most accurate GPS in this review. It is well suited to ultra-marathon endurance athletes, thru-hikers, or expedition-style travel. This is the best GPS watch, and the best alternative to Suunto and Garmin because it has better battery life and more accurate GPS.

The Garmin Enduro 3 is the upgrade from the Instinct Enduro 2 which now features exceptional battery life.

The solar battery lasts an unlimited amount of time when used in battery saver mode, and up to 90 days in smartwatch mode. When using the Garmin Enduro 3 on hiking trails with multi-band GPA it lasts up to 90 hours which is some of the best battery life of any watch in this review.

It has all the standard ABC watch features and more such as a Barometer, Altimeter, Compass, Thermometer, Weather, GPS, Tracking, Heart Rate Monitor, color maps, and more. It also has many smartphone features such as pairing with Apple and Android phones, sleep tracking, and Google Pay. There are almost too many functions and features to list on this multisport GPS watch. And it links with the Garmin Connect Mobile App.

Considering the number of features that come with this watch it is well-priced but still on the high end.

Overall, the Garmin Enduro 3 is a welcome upgrade with better battery life and more features. It is the Best Garmin GPS Watch for 2025.

When Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra, all the Apple fanboys went out to get one. It had a great user interface and essentially was a Smartwatch with maps and a GPS. The updated Apple Watch 2 improved some features but still lacked a battery worthy of use on multiday backpacking trips.

The upgraded battery now allows for 60 hours of normal use before charging. And when using the GPS it gives you about 36 hours of use depending on what mode you use. While the battery is not nearly as good as most of the Garmin, Coros, and Suunto watches, it is an improvement. And Apple fans might enjoy this watch for hiking and backpacking trips.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an Uber Cool watch from Apple. While it only pairs with iPhones and is more geared towards fitness and smartwatch features. But it is still popular on hiking trails.

Some of the great features include the pulse ox and ECG readings, and the ability to subscribe to the Apple Fitness App and make phone calls from the watch makes it appealing.

Overall, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is now worth considering as a GPS hiking watch. While the battery can’t compete with Garmin, Suunto, and Coros, it is the best smartwatch and has the best user interface.

After several years of producing average watches they recently released the Suunto Vertical and surprised everyone including myself. A combination of up to 1 year of battery life, free maps, and a very accurate multi GPS that is the equal of any of the best watches in the world right now. There is a lot to like about this watch.

Firstly, let’s talk about the battery life of the Suunto Vertical. The solar model of the Suunto Vertical can get up to 1 year of battery life when using the normal mode. Yes, you heard correctly, 1 year! And up to 60 days of battery life with the low-power mode or standard model which lets you use smartwatch features.

There are 4 GPS accuracy settings on the watch, namely, Performance, Endurance, Ultra, and Tour. When using the most accurate Dual-band GNSS GPS tracking you can expect around 90 hours of battery life with the solar version. And let’s face it, if you are hiking, backpacking, or spending a lot of time off the grid then you want to extend battery life with this option.

The maps on the Suunto Vertical are free unlike some of the Garmin maps and they are reasonably good. Certainly good enough for hiking and backpacking. With the super accurate altimeter, barometer, and compass you have everything you need to stay found.

If you are environmentally aware, then you will be impressed that the watch is built in Finland using only renewable energy sources and is backed by 100% carbon offset.

I’ve been using Suunto watches for many years but in the last 5 years, I’ve changed to other brands like Garmin and Coros that have been market leaders. This Suunto GPS watch is the first one that has made me consider going back to Suunto as my go-to hiking and backpacking watch. I’m impressed.

Overall, the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar is one of the best backpacking watches for 2025. The combination of exceptional battery life, free maps, and one of the most accurate GPS systems on any watch make this a worthy option.

The Garmin Fenix 8 Solar is the newest top-of-the-range Garmin Smart Watch that comes with everything, including the premium price tag. There is little to separate the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar from the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar or even the Garmin Enduro 3. The main difference is all the smartphone features and the ability to track more sports such as golf, scuba diving, and more. All that for about $500 more than the Instinct 2 Solar.

Not only does it have up to 48-day battery life in smartwatch mode, and up to 65 hours when using the multi-band GPS.

The Garmin Fenix 8 Solar has all the standard ABC watch features and more such as Altitude, Barometer, Compass, Thermometer, Weather, GPS, Tracking, Heart Rate Monitor, and more. It also has many smart features such as sleep tracking, pairing with Apple and Android phones, and Google Pay. There are so many features and functions on this multisport GPS watch that it is difficult to list them all in this review. Oh, and did I mention that it comes with over 42000 golf courses preloaded and can be used as a dive computer?

Overall, the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar is the Best Garmin GPS Smart Watch for 2025. The only thing stopping it from being in the top spot is the high price.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is the latest upgrade to the highest-spec Forerunner series of Garmin GPS watches. There is not too much of an upgrade in this latest incarnation, with a brighter AMOLED screen being the most notable. Up against the older 955 is noticeably brighter, even in bright sunlight.

That much-improved screen does use a bit more of the battery than the older 955 but battery life is quite similar. There is a solar version of the 955 which has better battery life. As of the time of writing, there is no word from Garmin if they will produce a solar version of the Forerunner 965 but it seems unlikely.

Overall, the battery is just not up to the same level of endurance compared to other Garmin watches and the latest Coros and Suunto models making it less of an option for hikers, backpackers, and ultra-marathon runners. But it is great for runners and trail runners.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 has good mapping features with the option of purchasing maps from their ever library of paid maps. And like most good quality smartwatches for the outdoors, it comes with an accurate altimeter, barometer, and compass.

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 965 is one of the best GPS trail running watches but there are better options out there for hikers and backpackers that offer better battery life.

The Coros Pace 3 is a great hiking watch at a reasonable price. When it comes to a budget hiking watch it just beat the closest competitor, the Garmin Instinct 2.

The updated Coros Pace 3 has one of the most accurate GPS of any hiking watch on the market at the moment. Much better than the previous model and right up there with watches that cost 3 times the price.

It has all the all the standard ABC watch features and more such as a Barometer, Altimeter, Compass, Thermometer, GPS, Tracking, Heart Rate Monitor, and more. Like its big brother the Coros Vertix 2s, it allows you to change the watch face to one of the hundreds of options available. The only thing that is missing from the Coros Pace 3 is maps. It does track your position but only has the breadcrumb feature. This is enough to know your location and backtrack if needed.

For such a small and lightweight watch it has a decent battery life of 15 days when using it as an everyday watch, and up to 15 hours with multi-band GPS.

Overall, the Coros Pace 3 is one of the more affordable watches and made the shortlist as the best budget hiking watch. It is the current watch I use every day and when hiking. Full in-depth review coming soon.

Now, the Coros brand may not be quite as well known as the likes of Suunto and Garmin. But when they dropped the updated Vertix 2 it surprised a lot of people, myself included. And the recently updated Coros Apex 2 is also another great upgrade from the original version.

Although it is marketed as a trail running watch and ultra-marathon watch it works quite well on the trails for hiking and backpacking too.

Designed for endurance athletes trekking through trails over mountains and the great outdoors, it offers a very accurate GPS that is able to use all 5 GPS systems at the same time with Dual frequency GNSS support. It also has all the traditional navigation tools, including an altimeter, barometer, and compass. Plus a few extras, like a gyroscope and a thermometer.

And it has a range of different fitness tracker functions too. It can monitor your heart rate 24/7 thanks to the optical heart rate monitor, as well as calculate your number of steps and number of calories burned. It can also measure the likes of pace, distance, stride length, and cadence.

It has a good quality, sturdy construction, and is so highly water-resistant, that can be used for water sports.

It has an incredibly long battery life when in GPS mode, and will last 24 hours before needing a recharge. In smartphone mode with the GPS turned off it can last up to 21 days.

Overall, Coros is not as well known as Garmin and Suunto and the Coros Apex 2 Pro is the best value Coros watch on the market and certainly worth a look.

The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is a recent upgrade from the Instinct Solar which now features exceptional battery life. In recent years Suunto had the battery life but now Garmin is back with a much better battery life for their hiking watches.

Not only does it have up to 28 days in smartwatch mode, but with the solar edition, it can have up to unlimited battery life when solar charging the watch. Add to that it can also be up to unlimited when using the GPS in expedition mode and you have some of the best battery life of any watch in this review.

It has all the standard ABC watch features and more such as a Barometer, Altimeter, Compass, Thermometer, Weather, GPS, Tracking, Heart Rate Monitor, and more. It also has many smartphone features such as pairing with Apple and Android phones, sleep tracking, and Google Pay. The only thing it doesn’t have is the ability to store and play music. There are almost too many functions and features to list on this multisport GPS watch. And it links with the Garmin Connect Mobile App.

Considering the number of features that come with this watch it is reasonably priced. You could buy two of these for the price of the Garmin 7 Solar Sapphire Crystal Edition.

Overall, the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is a welcome upgrade from the Garmin Instinct Solar with better battery life and more features and is well priced. It is one of the Best budget GPS watches for 2025.

The Garmin Fenix 7 Solar is the top-of-the-range Garmin Watch that comes with everything and more, including the premium price tag. There is little to separate the Garmin Fenix 7 Solar from the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar or even the Garmin Enduro. The main difference is the ability to store and play music through the phone. All that for about $500 more than the Instinct 2 Solar.

Not only does it have up to 28 days in smartwatch mode, but with the solar edition, it can have up to unlimited battery life. Add to that it can also be up to unlimited when using the GPS in expedition mode.

The Garmin Fenix 7X Solar has all the standard ABC watch features and more such as Altitude, Barometer, Compass, Thermometer, Weather, GPS, Tracking, Heart Rate Monitor, and more. It also has many smart features such as sleep tracking, pairing with Apple and Android phones, and Google Pay. There are so many features and functions on this multisport GPS watch that it is difficult to list them all in this review. Oh, and did I mention that it comes with over 42000 golf courses preloaded!

Overall, the Garmin Fenix 7 Solar is the Best GPS Watch on the market in 2025. The only thing stopping it from being better than the Instinct 2 Solar is the high price. Still, it is the best, especially if you upgrade to the Saphire version!

The Garmin Forerunner 945 is a solid performer as a hiking watch. It is getting a bit old now that they have introduced the 965 version, but they can be purchased at a discounted price.

This watch is marketed as a premium running and triathlon sports watch, but the features that make it so well equipped for this are also the ones that make for a good hiking watch.

First off, coming from Garmin, you know it’s going to be great for GPS. It provides you with full-color maps, so you can see exactly where you are as you hike.

Secondly, it also has great fitness tracker functionality, including elusive Vo2 Max monitoring, enabling you to accurately track your training load, recovery time, and aerobic and anaerobic status. It also is able to use the Garmin Connect app.

It’s also a smartwatch, so you can pair it with your phone for all your smart notifications. It works with a range of different apps to play music, where you can not only stream your favorite tunes but also download them so you can listen to them offline as you hike.

It also features Garmin Pay, so if you need to pay for something and you don’t have your wallet, that’s not a problem.

The battery lasts for up to 10 hours in GPS mode, so you can go on a long day hike in the wilderness before you need to recharge it overnight. And the battery will last up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode.

Designed for triathlons, it’s more than capable of standing up to a little rain.

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 945 is one of the best GPS watches from Garmin but more suited to someone who wants a fitness watch first that they can also use for hiking and backpacking.

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More Hiking Watches for Backpacking

• Suunto 9 Peak Pro – The Suunto 9 Peak Pro has yet to be tested and reviewed and will be added to the list soon.

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GPS Hiking Watch Comparison Table

Brand	Battery Life Normal Use	Battery Life Multi-Band GPS	Weight	Face Size	Maps
Coros Vertix 2s	40 days	43 hours	3.06 oz	50.3mm	Yes
Garmin Enduro 3	90 days	90 hours	2.22 oz	51mm	Yes
Apple Watch Ultra 2	60 hours	36 hours	2.02 oz	49mm	Yes
Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar	60 days	90 hours	2.61	49mm	Yes
Garmin Fenix 8 Solar	48 days	65 hours	3.35 oz	47, 51mm	Yes
Garmin 965	23 days	19 hours	1.87 oz	47mm	Yes
Coros Pace 3	15 days	15 hours	1.36 oz	42mm	No
Coros Apex 2 Pro	21 days	24 hours	1.87 oz	46mm	Yes
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar	Unlimited	36 hours	1.87 oz	40, 45, 50mm	No
Garmin Fenix 7 Solar	14 days	16 hours	3.4 oz	42, 47, 51mm	Yes
Garmin Forerunner 945	14 days	10 hours	1.76 oz	47mm	Yes

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Navigational Aids

Having GPS right on your wrist is the height of convenience when you’re hiking. Unlike handheld GPS units, a watch with GPS leaves you entirely hands-free.

If I had to choose between GPS and traditional navigation tools, I would favor GPS. But if you want to go old school and use the older tools, we recommend going for the full ABC, which includes an altimeter, barometer, and compass.

I would argue that color GPS maps are best, but you can often make do with black-and-white maps.

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Altimeter

The altimeter feature on all watches is a nice feature to know your altitude when hiking and backpacking. When the watches use the atmospheric pressure of the barometer to measure your altitude and add the data from the GPS you have a very accurate reading. The top-of-the-range watches can advise you on acclimatization schedules when heading up into high mountains and more.

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Barometer

It is handy to know the air pressure when in the backcountry. If you do not have access to the weather forecast and do not know how to read the clouds and mountain weather patterns then a rapid drop in barometric pressure can advise you of a potential storm heading your way. Some phones have a storm alert that uses the barometer to let you know when a storm is coming.

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Compass

A digital compass is a nice thing to have and I use it regularly when in the backcountry. Although the compass is a good addition it doesn’t make up for a proper hiking compass and paper maps, or even a proper Handheld Hiking GPS.

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Size, Comfort, and Fit

Some of the watches in this review are quite a bit bigger and heavier than most other non-outdoor watches. Unless you have a very small wrist or a very large wrist there will be something to suit and they will all feel fine. Having said that the extra weight on the wrist for the heaviest models is not really that noticeable.

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Level Of Water Resistance

Even if you plan to do your hike on a fine day, you never really know when you might get caught in a rain shower or go swimming with your watch.

Hiking watches come in varying degrees of water resistance. I recommend going for a hiking watch with a water resistance rating of around 50 meters. A couple of years ago I destroyed an older Suunto Watch when I went diving in a Cenote in Mexico, so just in case go for 50 meters or even 100 meters worth of water resistance.

Generally speaking, any watch designed with watersports in mind, as many sports watches are, can handle lots of rainfall.

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Battery Life

The last thing you’d want while hiking is to be lost and find that your watch battery is dead if you want to use it for navigating. Of course, you will not be using the watch as your primary method of navigation. A map and good quality hiking compass will be better for this.

Sure you can avoid this by ensuring the watch is fully charged before you leave home. But some hiking watches in this review will only last 10 hours or so in GPS mode. Using GPS mode can drain the battery. The best GPS watches will last for several days and still have enough battery to use for navigation.

Thankfully however all the watches that made our shortlist last longer than this in GPS mode. Some last significantly longer.

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Fitness Tracking

Many sports watches these days offer all kinds of fitness tracking, including the likes of distance traveled, number of steps, and heart rate monitoring. Some even enable you to share your hike location and stats online. All the top-of-the-line watches have almost unlimited amounts of fitness tracking.

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Smartwatch Functionality

Many sports watches these days can be paired with a smartphone so that you can receive smart notifications right on your wrist. Most people find this very convenient, but some consider it a nuisance. Some of the features include the ability to pair with your phone, track your sleep, pay using Apple Pay or Google Pay, and many more.

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Value For Money

The watches in this review could be considered a luxury. And for many people, they are not needed to enjoy the outdoors. Expect to pay over $700 for some of the best-featured watches in this review with some going as high as $1300 if you want the best of the best.

However, if you do have a budget to stick by, be sure to check the prices as you go along.

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Conclusion

Overall, the Best GPS Hiking Watches in 2025 are:

• Coros Vertix 2s
• Garmin Enduro 3
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar
• Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
• Garmin 965
• Coros Pace 3
• Coros Apex 2 Pro
• Garmin Instinct 2 Solar
• Garmin Fenix 7 Solar
• Garmin Forerunner 945

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Frequently Asked Questions

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