If you’re looking for recommendations on the best watch for mountain biking, then you probably appreciate the benefits of this wonderful pastime. Few forms of exercise are as fun, enjoyable, and challenging as mountain biking.
Not only that, but it’s super easy! All you have to do is get on your bicycle, put on some protective gear and you’re good to go!
Best Mountain Bike Watches
Your search for the best mountain bike watch has come to an end. In the following post, you’re going to discover some of the best watches for mountain biking, factoring in durability, safety, functionality, affordability, and GPS.
1. Garmin Fenix 5 Smartwatch
Garmin, being one of the most well-known names in the outdoor apparel industry, has outdone itself with this rugged smartwatch. The Fenix 5 is easy to use through the bezel-protected circular buttons and is the best Garmin watch for mountain biking. These make this watch easy to use even with gloved or sweaty hands.
The screen is always on so it’s nice to know that you won’t struggle with sun glare thanks to its trans-reflective surface. It’s designed to track several outdoor activities. This includes mountain biking, hiking, SUP paddle-boarding, rowing, swimming, golfing, mountain climbing, running, and even bungee jumping. It’s the ultimate outdoor smartwatch for mountain biking!
We particularly appreciated the breadcrumb feature. It’s designed to make for easy navigation so that you never get lost in the sauce when looking for features. There’s also another feature that allows you to include power meters, which isn’t something that you see every day.
2. Coros APEX Multisport GPS Watch
This is one of the best GPS watches for mountain biking, on account of how precise and compact it is. It’s a wonder how they managed to get all the features it has in there. It’s perfect not just for mountain biking, but other athletic pursuits as well.
Similar to Pace’s previous model, it can maintain all the numerous metric combinations you’d come to expect. The battery can last for up to 100 hours with GPS tracking off. But once you switch it on, that will reduce to 35 hours.
In addition to helping you to track your location, this smartwatch will help you to monitor blood oxygen among other important metrics. Also, there are five screens to choose from including Stamina, which lets you know how much energy you have until the you-know-what hits the fan.
It’s also worth noting that this best MTB watch is compatible with ANT+. This means you can use it to connect to a third-party sensor you like. But, you can only use the Bluetooth feature to connect to a smartphone – no other devices!
3. POLAR Grit X Rugged Outdoor Watch
As the name implies, the GRIT X from Polar is rugged and has plenty of grit. It competes with the likes of Suunto 9 and the Garmin Fenix. Similar to these watches, the Grit is designed to simplify and streamline your workouts, navigation and it has long battery life.
But, what sets the Grit X apart is the fact that despite having all of these features, it’s much smaller and more lightweight than other models.
It has a 40-hour battery life when the GPS mode is turned on, which you can boost to 100 hours by disabling all other sensors. All you must do is make sure that it’s recording your location once every two minutes to log it while preserving battery life.
But, make no mistake! This is a high-end watch that’s compatible with all the big fitness platforms that athletes use, including Training Peaks, MyFitnessPal, and of course, Strava. This is in addition to Polar Flow, which is available courtesy of Polar.
4. Huami AmazFit BIP Smartwatch
This AmazFit smartwatch weighs just 1.1 ounces yet it has the longest battery life of any watch in its weight class.
In fact, it can last for up to three weeks at 45%. According to AmazFit, it can last for up to a month or more without needing a recharge. We were pleasantly surprised by the built-in route maps which made our lives that much easier.
In addition to the stopwatch features, you have a heart rate tracker. It’s worth noting that the latter feature requires that you cinch the MTB watch tightly around your wrist in order to work as expected.
For best results, we recommend operating this using the AmazFit app. This is way better than using the single button built into the watch. You can even use the app to switch from default military time to 12 hours and vice versa.
5. Apple Watch Series 5
First up in our list of the best watch for mountain biking we have the Series 5 from the ever-popular Apple Watch range. This one has similar physical dimensions to the previous model, as well as similar features like EKG, fall detection, and size screen.
But, there are also plenty of new features to be excited about with the Apple watch for mountain biking. This includes a compass and an “always-on” screen. We also noticed an improved display view and it was thoughtfully designed to ensure prolonged battery life by becoming dimmer when it’s idle.
The battery has a rather prolonged lifespan of up to 18 hours. So, it’s a good idea to recharge it every night if you plan on using it daily as we did. It’s also worth noting that the battery life might get reduced when you start using things like the optical heart rate, GPS, music streaming, and cellular service features.
For best results, you’ll want to use it reasonably and be careful with the features you utilize in order to preserve the battery longer. For the most part, the battery can at least last for about six hours with Bluetooth and cellular data turned off and GPS turned on.
6. Fitbit Ionic Watch
One of the best mountain bike watches for fitness enthusiasts, the FitBit Ionic can be utilized to make mobile payments.
That’s because it has an NFC chip that’s designed to make your life that much easier by performing a task that would ordinarily require a whole other device.
Compared to previous models, the Ionic comes with a lot of incredible features. These make it one of the best fitness trackers for mountain biking available.
Part of what makes this smartwatch for mountain biking so popular is the fact that it comes with a lot of diverse and useful features. Yet it’s lightweight enough for comfortable wearing. You won’t even feel as if you’re wearing it. Naturally, this Fitbit is the best fitness watch for mountain biking.
7. Polar Vantage V GPS Multisport Watch
Weighing just 66 grams, this is one of the most lightweight and comfortable sports watches on the market. Yet, it’s also one of the most functional and durable. It has a 40-hour battery life and it can last for up to 7 days with the GPS switched off.
This is one of those watches that you might forget to recharge along the way because its battery life is very strong. Not only that, but you can also pair it with an external heart rate strap and power meters, among other BLE-compatible sensors.
However, what really sets this watch apart from the rest is the fact that it’s easy to use. This is thanks to its intuitive controls and just how easy it is to set up. You can even synchronize it with other sites like Training Peaks and Strava to really optimize your ability to track things like stress, sleep, and recovery levels.
We put this watch through the wringer and after three months of daily use, it was still going strong. The optical heart rate sensor is the most effective we’ve come across yet.
8. Suunto 9 GPS Sports Watch
Next up, we have the Suunto 9 which has favorable dimensions of 50 x 50 x 16.5mm.
It’s built to handle a wide array of outdoor activities and environments. You can use it for mountain biking, surfing, swimming, riding, and running.
Also included in its range of features are GPS altitude, barometric, and optical heart rate features. This is to ensure that it can withstand immersion into water, as well as extreme humidity, freezing conditions, and rigorous drops.
But, despite having all of these fantastic features, this mountain biking GPS watch is ready for battle when you are. It has a stunningly stylish design that makes it easy to wear on a daily basis – even on smart-casual occasions.
How to Get the Best Watch for Mountain Biking
Now that you know our selection, check out the criteria we used to test the models featured on our list. This will make it that much easier for you to make your final selection.
Design
Smartwatch screens are pretty small so yours should at least have a decent user interface that’s easy to use, especially if you have large fingers. Also, make sure that you’ll be able to use the screen even if the watch gets wet due to rain or whatever.
Material
The screen of your smartwatch should ideally be constructed from rugged materials like mineral glass. Paired with silicone straps, this makes for a very comfortable combination.
Battery
Another important feature to look out for is the battery life. A lot of the best models have a super long battery life of up to 7 days straight.
The most important thing is to ensure that your watch is compatible with your lifestyle. So, if you’re going to go mountain biking for a time, then you should make sure that your pick can stand up to those requirements.
The real test of a watch’s battery life is its ability to stay on longer when certain features are switched off as opposed to when they’re still on.
Display
Make sure that your watch screen is easy to read so that you can get the most out of all that data it’s cranking out. Size isn’t the issue here. The most important thing is the interface itself.
It should be easy to use and read regardless of the weather conditions. That means that you should be able to read it even under sun glare.
GPS
As a mountain biker, it’s important to ensure that your smartwatch has a GPS tracker that you can rely on to track and maintain your location so long as the battery lasts.
You could also look out for the breadcrumb navigation feature which allows you to track your route and location all the way from beginning to end.
Comfort
The best GPS watch for mountain biking is often marked by comfort. These watches are often made from materials like silicone or rubber.
But, leather and fabric band models are also available for the style-conscious. The most important thing is to make sure that the material you use is comfortable. This means that the band itself should always be breathable and easy to wear no matter the conditions.
Waterproof
You should also make sure that the watch you choose is water-resistant so that it won’t fail you the moment you come across a little bit of rainwater.
The good news is that most of the watches on our list are water-resistant for up to 100 feet which is quite impressive. Anything that offers less than that is simply not worth the money.
Heart Monitor
The optical heart rate sensor is a given feature at this point, especially if you’re going to use your smartwatch in outdoor conditions. Of course, there are some discrepancies in information because this is a wristwatch.
Some models aren’t as accurate in their readings when not tightly worn, and that’s something you want to keep in mind when choosing the best watch for MTB.
Notifications
You want to be able to view notifications like messages and calls straight from your watch screen, and whenever you feel like it too.
The last thing you need is a smartwatch that beeps every time you receive a notification, interrupting your riding session.
Is Apple Watch the Best Mountain Bike Watch?
Yes, the Apple Watch is perfect for mountain biking. It comes with a variety of beneficial health and navigation features.
Plus, it’s known for its durability. This is one of those rugged watches that look stylish but can handle every condition thrown at it.
Of course, if you prefer to invest in another type of watch, then go ahead. There are plenty of watches that can do a better job.
Conclusion
If you’re still confused about which option to choose, we highly recommend Garmin Fenix 5 watch.
It’s the best sports watch for mountain biking thanks to its lightweight design, all the apps that you can choose from, and it even comes with a GPS. It’s just that great.