Best sport watches review

Best sport watches of 2020: Beyond Fitness

The Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro boasts, among many things, a pulse measurement on the wrist and altimeter, is ideally suited for athletes who appreciate the bike but are just as active in other outdoor sports. The measurement of the heart rate at the wrist, in particular, makes it a practical multisport watch that is always ready. The bike compatibility of the Spartan is good, all relevant data and functions are available. If you additionally equip your bike with the bike sensor, it will not be far away from a bike computer since, in this case, cadence can also be measured.

The initial software problems were fixed and all functions are available now. The sports modes and customizable displays work well. They‘re great features for athletes who regularly participate in different disciplines, but also for everyday use. The Suunto Sport Wrist Baro has a simple design, but it is this simplicity that makes the watch look good. The size is just about right. It is a very large wristwatch, sure, however, that is completely fine for a sports watch. Personally, I even wear it in everyday life, despite its size.

You can tailor the display settings to your own preferences (and your sport). In addition, there are predefined sports modes available that focus on certain settings. Our goal was to test the watch in different sports contexts in order to get to grips with its multisport character and get as broad an impression as possible. Of course, biking was still a very important focus. On the bike, such a GPS watch has strong competition, as there are even more specialized solutions with GPS bike computers. The Spartan is very quick to notice speed changes, which is good. You can also mount it on the handlebar with the matching bracket, which is much more practical.

“The Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro is clearly a smart multisport watch that won’t let the wearer down in everyday life. We immediately liked the design of the watch; but of course, that’s a matter of taste. It‘s really designed for multisport use, is extremely versatile and makes the most sense in this context.

This is one of the best GPS sports watches available right now. Literally, one of the very best and most complete. It’s rugged, well connected, covers lots of sports, includes colour maps and has brilliant battery life. Plus you can use this as a daily activity tracker without worry of damage thanks to that sapphire screen and water resistance rating to 100 meters. You’ll look good too thanks to that chunky metallic build. If you’re a fan of the outdoors then this is the map, tracker, storm alert and notification giver for you. If the size and price don’t scare you off then this is a super capable running, cycling and swimming tracker too, plus any other sport you want it for.

The Garmin Fenix 5X is the pinnacle of outdoor adventure racing watches. The Fenix 5X solidly retains its membership in what we call the BAW (bad-ass watch) club with a size and shape similar to its predecessor, the Fenix 3 HR. It has the same round face and five-button layout (three on the left side, two on the right), a similar stainless steel bezel, and the identical sapphire crystal lens. The case of the 5X, which is water resistant to 10 ATMS, measures 51 mm in diameter and is 17.5 mm thick, just like the Fenix 3 HR, and includes the same optical heart rate monitor on the back. With the 5X, Garmin has bumped up the resolution of the colour LCD screen from 218 x 218 pixels to 240 x 240 pixels, giving the new watch a noticeable increase in screen detail. The 5X also features Garmin’s new Quickfit watch band system that allows different bands to be swapped out quickly, easily, and without any tools.

Inside, the Fenix 5X has all the tech. Like the other members of the Fenix 5 family it includes preconfigured apps for tracking road cycling, mountain biking, walking, hiking, running (outdoors, treadmill, and indoor track), swimming (pool and open water), snowboarding, skiing (cross-country and downhill), stand-up paddling, rowing (outdoor and indoor), and yes, even golf. It also pairs via ANT+ to all manner of sensors including cycling power meters, cadence sensors, running dynamics pods, temperature sensors, and more. When paired with a compatible smartphone, it delivers smart notifications and text messages, as well of the first few lines of emails. And if what’s on the watch isn’t enough, the 5X is compatible with Garmin’s Connect IQ store, which is loaded with downloadable apps that can add even more functions to the watch.

The Fenix 5X is expensive and it includes more tech features than any one person will ever use. But for those who keep track of all their athletic pursuits and biometrics in excruciating detail and want all that data on their wrist, all the time, there is no better watch than the Garmin Fenix 5X at any price.

The SUUNTO Spartan Ultra HR is designed for hardcore multi-sport enthusiasts/ athletes in mind. Unless you are part of that rare breed, this piece of tech, however incredible, will be a waste of your money. On the other hand, if you belong in that unique and rare category, the Spartan ultra HR can be so much more than just a watch. It provides training and endurance sports performance measurement and analytics so extent, with such precision and accuracy that it is an investment worth making. The Suunto Spartan Ultra takes on the Spartan Sport and gives it super powers. The main differences between the two models (apart from the optional Titanium bezel) are higher battery life, barometric pressure sensor, thermometer & watch face glass material. For most people looking for a highly functional, competent GPS sports watch with Triathlon mode and the ability to switch between ANY of the sports profiles within the watch mid-session the Spartan Sport is ideal.

Those undertaking FULL IRONMAN racing distances or any other mega endurance events taking more than 8 or 9 hours will need to get this Spartan Ultra version with it is extended battery life. Naturally, if budget no real issue, or you need/want the barometric pressure sensor and you like the titanium bezel & sapphire crystal watch face then you’re in the right place.

The Suunto Spartan Ultra is for people who rely on their GPS watch to monitor their performance, recovery and location. It’s for the athlete who does more than pound the pavement or eats up road miles on the bike. It’s for people who partake in several different sports, sometimes one after the other, in the same MULTISPORT session. It’s also specifically designed with the TRIATHLETE in mind, with its dedicated triathlon mode. If your exercise/race times are less than 10 hours you may consider the cheaper Suunto Spartan Sport.

We can confidently recommend the Spartan range and especially the Ultra model as the top of the range GPS sports watches. It was originally released too early and with some issues but all that criticism can be put aside. The Spartan Ultra is now a reliable, robust, attractive and functional GPS sports watch, now a viable alternative to the Garmin Fenix due to Suunto’s relentless improvement of the firmware.

Though Garmin positions it as a running/triathlon watch, we discovered in our Forerunner 935 review a device equally adept at being a cycling computer, a hike navigator, or just a plain old smartwatch. During three weeks of testing, it did almost everything we asked it to do and did it darn well. The Garmin Forerunner 935 is an attractive, round-faced GPS multisport smartwatch that treats its copious internal technology with aesthetic humility. Featuring a glass lens, a fibre reinforced polymer case that’s water resistant to 5 ATMs, and a silicone band, the Forerunner 935 has a customizable watch face sporting a 1.2-inch colour display with a resolution of 240 × 240 pixels and includes watch basics like a timer, stopwatch, and up to 10 customizable alarms with audible and vibration alerts.

From the outside, it’s difficult to believe that the Forerunner 935 also features a built-in optical heart rate monitor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, and thermometer. Or that it connects to smartphones via Bluetooth, external sensors via ANT+, and networks via Wi-Fi, because it doesn’t look big and bulky enough to hold all that tech.

Size-wise, at 49 grams, the 935 is 8 grams heavier than the 735XT, but 36 grams lighter than the rugged Fenix 5. The 935 is 47 mm round and 13.9 mm thick, two mm wider and thicker than the 735XT, yet it’s 1.6 mm thinner than the Fenix 5. Garmin marketing may want to keep their running and outdoor watch segments separate, but the truth is the Forerunner 935 is nothing less than a Fenix 5 built for runners. It’s not as big and bold, nor as heavy, but on the inside, it’s every bit as capable.

The fitness metrics from these tracking apps are stored on the watch and then uploaded to the Garminconnect.com website via Garmin’s smartphone app or by direct USB connection to a computer. You can dig into the data on the site for full views of each activity, or check training overviews in calendar view. Athletes who want to create training programs can build them on Garminconnect.com and then download them to the watch. The Forerunner 935 was designed for serious athletic training, but it has all the daily fitness metrics covered as well. It tracks steps, calories burned, floors climbed, intensity minutes, distance travelled, sleep time and quality, and heart rate 24-7. When paired with a compatible smartphone via the Garmin Connect App, the watch is a full-featured smartwatch that can display smart notifications for calls, text messages, and calendar alerts, and it can display current weather as well.

No other action-oriented GPS fitness watch even comes close to the depth of features, ease of use, and daily wear functionality of the Forerunner 935. This is the perfect watch for active people who enjoy tracking every aspect of their fitness exploits with deep metrics. It isn’t cheap, but for all that it does, it might be one of the best wrist watch bargains around.

Polar is one of the most recognizable brands on the long course and short course triathlon circuits. Having recently released the Polar Vantage V and M models, their new multisport watch line, Polar has integrated activity monitoring with high-performance training features into a sleek new look. The Polar Vantage V has a circular contour and is incredibly comfortable. Its wristband is made up of silicone which adds durability and comfort to the straps. Weighing just 2.32oz/ 66g, the Polar Vantage V is one of the lighter all-purpose, high-performance GPS watches on the triathlon scene.

The Vantage V is a multi-sport and triathlon watch that also monitors activity 24 hours a day. It is intended for demanding athletes who are looking for advanced performance analysis functions and training tools. High-level athletes, professionals, amateurs looking to train like the pros or fans of statistics and analysis will find their happiness with this watch from the word go.

With its sleek profile, interactive interface and intuitive setup, I had the Polar Vantage V up and running in no time. In the 21st century, triathletes of all abilities are interested in data and gathering lots of it. The Polar Vantage V quite literally does it all, from sleep monitoring to 130 different activity profiles. I’ve always known sleep can have a significant impact on performance, but I never really knew how many hours I slept. After I synced my Vantage V to the Polar Flow App, my sleep from the previous night was quantified in numbers I could understand and analyse. I’m aware this technology is likely no different to what is seen in the newest activity monitoring watches but combined with the added features in the Polar Vantage V, I was pretty impressed.

Besides the expected swim, bike and run profiles, the Polar Vantage V is also able to record your inactivity. As more research in the health and fitness industry emerges, we are continually learning how detrimental sedentary behaviour is to our health, regardless of the number of hours we spend training. The number of sport profiles on the Polar Vantage V is staggering. When I first opened the Polar Flow App, I explored the sports profile page – a list of the specialized activities you can sync to your watch. With over 130 different profiles, you can make sure you are recording every piece of activity. And with 40 hours of battery life,  you will have no excuse for missing a workout.

The Vantage V targets a very sporty public who love data and analysis and who are looking for concrete tools to get to know each other better, optimize their performance and progress. Fortunately, the wrist pulse measurement, Training load Pro and Recovery Pro functions, power measurement and activity monitoring give this watch a new lease of life that will interest a targeted audience.

If you feel having a sports watch is too much of an overkill for you, why don’t you try reading our reviews of smartwatches and fitness trackers?