As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.
I’m excited to delve into the fascinating world of tactical smartwatches, which set themselves apart from conventional smartwatches in several ways.
Tactical smartwatches boast a range of rugged features that make them exceptionally resilient. With their durable frames, shock-resistant bodies, top-notch GPS navigation, and impressive waterproof resistance, these timepieces are built to endure the toughest of conditions.
If you’re on the hunt for the ultimate tactical smartwatch for your outdoor escapades, you’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, I will present a selection of the most robust smartwatches equipped with an array of remarkable outdoor functionalities.
Without further ado, let’s embark on this exciting exploration.
| Image | Product Name | Editor's Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Apple Watch Ultra | Check Price | |
 | Garmin fenix 7 | Check Price | |
 | Amazfit T-Rex 2 | Check Price | |
 | Polar Grit X | Check Price | |
 | SUUNTO 9 Baro | Check Price |
Best Tactical Smartwatches For Outdoor Purpose Reviews
1. Apple Watch Ultra
For outdoor athletes and adventure enthusiasts, the top choice among tactical smartwatches is the Apple Watch Ultra. This remarkable timepiece boasts a titanium casing and a front made of Sapphire crystal, rendering it the most durable watch on our list.
Apple has made significant enhancements to the Apple Watch Ultra to enhance its durability. It is IP6X certified and undergoes MIL-STD 810 testing for thermal and heat resistance, ensuring its resilience in demanding environments.
Compared to other Apple Watches, the Apple Watch Ultra offers an impressive water resistance of up to 100m, making it suitable for extreme water activities.
One major improvement in the Apple Watch Ultra is its 2X bright display. With a peak brightness of 2000 nits, the display remains easily readable even in direct sunlight or when submerged in water.
In addition to its durability, the Apple Watch Ultra boasts premium fitness features that enable comprehensive tracking of your performance during hikes and outdoor adventures. It monitors heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep stages, breath rate, body temperature, and more.
The ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) directly on your Apple Watch Ultra is an impressive feature. However, it is worth noting that the watch lacks a recovery feature, which may be deemed crucial for athletes.
When it comes to GPS performance, the Apple Watch Ultra surpasses the Apple Watch 7. Its dual-frequency GPS allows for faster and more accurate tracking. However, it still falls slightly short of Garmin’s GPS capabilities.
Another notable advantage of the Apple Watch Ultra is its LTE connectivity, enabling you to make calls and respond to texts without the need for a smartphone connection.
The battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra has also seen improvements. It provides up to 36 hours of battery life under normal use and can last up to 60 hours on a multi-day adventure.
2. Garmin fenix 7
The Garmin Fenix 7 is a highly acclaimed tactical smartwatch renowned for its exceptional durability. With a stainless steel bezel, it is a heavyweight watch built for rugged use. The Fenix 7 encompasses all the essential features required to track your outdoor adventures and monitor your fitness activities.
Garmin has subjected the Fenix 7 to rigorous testing, ensuring that it meets the stringent standards set by the US Military, making it a reliable choice for military personnel.
One of the standout features of the Fenix 7 is its impressive battery performance. In smartwatch mode, it provides an impressive 18 days of long-lasting battery life, and it can last approximately 57 hours when using GPS.
Sports enthusiasts will find a plethora of premium features in the Garmin Fenix 7. Unlike the Apple Watch Ultra, it offers a range of recovery features that provide valuable insights into your overall health and well-being.
For outdoor runners and hikers, the Fenix 7 is an excellent choice. It includes running dynamics that provide comprehensive data about your runs or hikes, helping you analyze and improve your performance.
If you’re engaged in a strength training program, the Fenix 7 offers robust support. With performance metrics, real-time stamina monitoring, HRV status, and respiration performance tracking, it proves highly beneficial for strength training enthusiasts.
When it comes to navigational features, the Fenix 7 stands out from the crowd. It boasts Multi-GNSS and GPS functionality that works seamlessly, even in challenging terrains. Moreover, it comes packed with golf maps, ski maps, and topographic maps. The Nextfork map guide helps you identify your next stop, shows distances to the next trail, and offers other valuable information. Additionally, the navigation feature allows you to lock certain areas, which proves particularly useful for hunters.
Unfortunately, the Garmin Fenix 7 lacks certain smart features such as answering phone calls and texts. However, it does provide smartphone notifications that can be conveniently viewed on your wrist.
Another noteworthy feature of the Fenix 7 is its ability to stream Spotify. With built-in storage, you can store your favorite tracks for offline listening, adding to the watch’s versatility.
3. Amazfit T-Rex 2
If you’re on a budget, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 is the ideal choice for you. This affordable tactical smartwatch offers a wide array of advanced features for outdoor activities, strength training, and health tracking, ensuring you stay on the right track without breaking the bank.
As the successor to the T-Rex, the T-Rex 2 is constructed with polymer, enhancing its ruggedness and durability. Weighing only 66.5g, it provides a comfortable fit during outdoor adventures and various operations.
The water resistance capabilities of the Amazfit T-Rex 2 are comparable to those of the Apple Watch Ultra and Fenix 7, with a 10ATM water-resistant rating.
Given its focus on outdoor usage, the T-Rex 2 incorporates numerous sports tracking features. With over 158 sports modes, including running, swimming, hiking, trekking, and more, it caters to a wide range of outdoor activities.
In the health tracking department, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 offers heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation tracking, and stress tracking. Notably, the PAI health assessment feature provides an overall score based on your daily health data, which I find particularly valuable.
Distinguishing itself from the Apple Watch Ultra, the T-Rex 2 includes various training and recovery features such as Vo2 max performance, recovery time, training load, and training effect. These features enable you to maximize your performance and achieve your fitness goals effectively.
Like any high-end tactical watch, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 delivers impressive battery performance. The 500 mAh battery lasts approximately 24 hours with typical usage and offers an impressive 45 days of battery life in power-saving mode.
The watch supports a wide range of third-party apps, and you can even connect it to a GoPro camera to record your adventures, adding an extra level of convenience and versatility.
With its dual-band and five-satellite positioning system, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 provides precise navigation for runners, hikers, and climbers, ensuring you can navigate your way confidently.
Overall, the T-Rex 2 is an excellent choice if you’re seeking a mid-range tactical smartwatch. It encompasses all the essential features necessary to make your outdoor adventures memorable while offering exceptional value for your money.
4. Polar Grit X
The Polar Grit X is a compelling mid-range tactical smartwatch packed with numerous premium features for both tactical and sports applications. It excels in terms of navigation and sports tracking capabilities, making it an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts.
The Grit X boasts a sporty and rugged design, featuring a stainless steel bezel with Gorilla Glass protection. This ensures its durability even in harsh environments and underwater conditions.
Similar to the Fenix 7 and Tactix Delta, the Polar Grit X has undergone several MIL-STD-810G tests, certifying its suitability for military use.
With a 1.2″ display and a resolution of 240×240, the Grit X offers a bright and vibrant color display, distinguishing it from Garmin watches.
The navigational features of the Polar Grit X are exceptional, providing GPS support with Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS systems. Additionally, the barometric sensor enables you to measure weather conditions and altitudes.
Furthermore, the Grit X offers global navigation, turn-by-turn guidance, and route guidance, ensuring you stay on the right path during your outdoor adventures.
When it comes to training and health features, the Polar Grit X performs on par with high-end tactical watches. It provides various recovery features, training load pro, energy sources monitoring, running power measurement, and more.
One standout feature is the advanced FitSpark, which acts as your training guide, offering on-demand daily workout suggestions tailored to help you meet your fitness goals.
5. SUUNTO 9 Baro
Suunto is renowned for its exceptional tactical smartwatches, and the new Suunto 9 Baro is no exception. This highly sophisticated smartwatch offers a plethora of outdoor features to cater to your adventurous spirit.
The Suunto 9 Baro exhibits a rugged design that instills confidence in achieving your goals. With its Sapphire glass crystal, the watch is well-protected against wear and tear, ensuring its durability in demanding conditions.
To cater to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, the Suunto 9 Baro undergoes testing against the US military standard 810H. It’s worth noting that due to its slightly bulkier size, it is recommended primarily for females and those with smaller wrists.
The GPS and navigation features of the Suunto 9 Baro are remarkably powerful. The GPS functionality is paired with GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, and BEIDOU, providing you with precise and reliable data. Real-time breadcrumb trail tracking, route planning, point of interest marking, and global heatmaps for 20 sports are among the many navigational capabilities offered.
As the name suggests, the Suunto 9 Baro excels in barometric functionalities. You can measure barometric pressure, altitudes, heights, vertical speed, and more, making it an ideal choice for professional hikers and outdoor enthusiasts seeking accurate altitude tracking.
In addition to its outdoor features, the Suunto 9 Baro incorporates various training functions to help you train effectively. With over 80+ sports modes to choose from, it caters to a wide range of athletic activities.
Overall, the Suunto 9 Baro is the perfect choice for athletes as it provides comprehensive data for runs, hikes, cycling, and other sports, ensuring you have access to valuable insights to enhance your performance.
Final Word
Tactical smartwatches serve as indispensable tools for outdoor enthusiasts and military personnel. Beyond their timekeeping function, they act as virtual training coaches and fitness companions.
Having explored the information presented in the preceding guide, I trust that you have discovered the perfect tactical watch to adorn your wrist.