Up in arms about wearable tech? We sussed out five of the most durable watches that’ll tell more than the time on your next adventure.
Test Conditions
Each watch was worn for a week to test features and we measured value-for-money by assessing each of the following characteristics out of 10:
- Features: Some watches stick to a heart rate (HR) monitor alone while others have an altimeter, thermometer, GPS ability, waterproofing and still tell the time.
- Ease of use: Does it have a bright, easy-to-read display and can you find the features easily, or is it a case of endlessly cycling through watch modes only to miss the one you want to read?
- Battery life: Will you need to charge your device every night next to your smart phone? Or can you stash it in the drawer until needed?
- Comfort: Does the strap make you sweat or does the HR monitor dig into your wrist?
1. Suunto Ambit 3 Peak HR
R7999, capeunionmart.co.za
Weight: 89g
Features: 10/10
Ease of use: 8/10
Battery life: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10
Best tech
- Water resistant up to 100-meters
- Tracks speed, pace and distance
- Route navigation, compass and GPS to mark waypoints such as a start/finish line or a campsite
- Thermometer, barometer, altimeter, storm alarm, sunrise and sunset info
- Trekking, skiing and mountaineering settings
- Percentage battery indicator
- Great easy-to-use app to sync info for iPhone and Android
- Can receive notifications like missed calls from your smartphone
- Two year warranty
Our rating
8,5/10. The external heart-rate monitor strap is out-dated considering other options on the market and it’s the priciest watch here, but if you’re a regular adventure traveller who appreciates tech, this is the watch for you.
Did you know?
The barometer on these adventure watches is used to predict weather changes by showing differences in air pressure.
2. Garmin Fenix 3
R8999, garmin.co.za
Weight: 82g
Features: 8/10
Ease of use: 8/10
Battery life: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10
Best tech
- Easy to push buttons
- Waterproof to 100 meters
- Tracks speed, pace and distance
- Route navigation, compass and GPS to mark waypoints, such as a start/finish line or a campsite
- Thermometer, barometer, altimeter, sun and moon info
- Swim, ski and hiking settings
- Alarms, stopwatch and world clock
- High resolution colour display
- A fabric wristband option is available
Our rating
7,5/10. Like the Suunto, the external HR monitor strap doesn’t compete with new tech and the GPS took a while sometimes to get its bearings, but it’s a slick piece of arm candy with all the right specs if a little bulky.
3. Tomtom Multi-Sport Cardio
R4599, tomtom.com
Weight: 63g
Features: 5/10
Ease of use: 9/10
Battery life: 5/10
Comfort: 8/10
Best tech
- Big display and very easy to use with one-button control, don’t even need to read instructions
- Waterproof to 50 meters
- Built in HR
- Tracks speed, pace and distance
- Quick GPS location
- Data tracking app for Android and iOS
Our rating
6,75/10. A funky statement multisport watch, but the battery life isn’t great if you plan on daily use.
Did you know?
A Heart Rate monitor is used to exercise effectively to burn fat, endurance training or build speed. Until recently, you had to strap a belt across your chest to monitor the heart, but these days they are built into the watchstrap. It works via a sensor (a green flashing light) that monitors changes in the blood flow in your wrist by detecting changing light reflections. Neat huh?
4. Casio Gshock SGW-400HD
R2040, casiowatches.co.za
Weight: 103g
Features: 4/10
Ease of use: 8/10
Battery life: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10
Best tech
- Lightweight
- Water resistant to 100 meters
- Altimeter and barometer
- Digital and analogue readings
- Electro-luminescent backlight
- Various timers and alarms
- Doesn’t need to be charged
Our rating
7,5/10. Looks like a regular watch, acts like it’s on an adventure.
5. Fitbit Charge HR
R2599, istoreonline.co.za
Weight: 25g
Features: 6/10
Ease of use: 10/10
Battery life: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10
Best tech
- Waterproof to 50 meters
- Built in HR
- Tracks speed, pace, steps, calories and distance
- Can set a silent alarm and monitor sleep
- Wireless sync via Bluetooth
- Splash, sweat and rain resistant
- Up to five days battery life
- Well-designed mobile app with data presented in easy-to-understand graphs
Our rating
7,25/10. An inconspicuous tracker, but I found the sensor presses uncomfortably into the arm when worn for long periods and some may dislike the small display face.
Keep your eyes peeled
For the 215-gram Leatherman Tread QM1 – the multi tool that wraps around your wrist and tells the time. Each link contains a tool such as a bottle opener, oxygen tank wrench and various screwdriver heads and the device can be worn through airport security. Waterproof to 200 metres, this guy has 25 tools and a 25-year warranty. For more info go to Awesome Tools.
