What Is the Best Garmin GPS Watch for Hiking or Backpacking?

There’s a Garmin watch for every type of hiker — from those just starting to venture outside to those accustomed to weeks-long mountainous adventures.

Whether you’re new to hiking and starting with walks around your neighbourhood or an expert hiker who backpacks through rugged terrain, you need a watch you can count on.

Just want to track your activity? Do you need reliable navigation or advanced mapping options? Need your watch to do all that — and more? There’s a Garmin smartwatch for everyone.

Let’s break down our watches, from the simpler options to the most advanced.

For those who just want to track their activity and enjoy the outdoors:

Venu^® 3: You’re going on simple walks through the park or your neighbourhood. The Venu 3, with up to 14 days of battery life (or the smaller Venu^® 3S with up to 10 days of battery life), will track your activity. It shows your GPS-based distance, time and pace, and has GPS navigation features so you can save and navigate to places.

For those who want to hit the ground running:

Forerunner^® 965: The Forerunner 965 gets up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 31 hours of battery life in GPS mode. It also has full-colour, built-in mapping with multi-band GPS plus preloaded road and trail maps.

For those who want a rugged look and reliable navigation:

Instinct^® 2 series: This series of rugged and bold GPS smartwatches comes in three sizes and provides up to unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode with solar charging¹. Each includes an altimeter, barometer and 3-axis electronic compass (ABC sensors) as well as access to multiple global navigation satellite systems.

For endurance hikers pushing themselves — and their watch — to the limit:

Enduro^™ 3: You’re going to push your body to the brink with this lightweight ultra-performance GPS smartwatch while getting up to 320 hours of battery life in GPS mode through solar charging². Enduro 3 has built-in mapping, ABC sensors and point-to-point navigation.

For expert adventurers who need advanced mapping and strength training:

fēnix^® 8 series:  The fēnix 8 is our premium multisport GPS smartwatch. It now has three size options, phone-free voice commands, leakproof inductive buttons, and you can choose between a bright AMOLED display or a solar charging display. You can get up to 29 days of battery life in smartwatch mode with the larger-size AMOLED display and up to 48 days with solar charging¹.

The fēnix 8 has an LED flashlight, built-in mapping, dynamic round-trip routing with multi-band GPS, ABC sensors, preloaded road and trail maps, and point-to-point navigation. It also has preloaded TopoActive maps. With Outdoor Maps+, you can add map layers, including satellite imagery, public land maps, campgrounds, national parks and more to meet all your hiking needs³.

Those leakproof inductive buttons also support dive features, including scuba and apnea dive activities up to 40 metres deep. Plus, the fēnix 8 includes targeted, four- to six-week strength and sport-specific training plans to improve your fitness before your next trip.

For everyone, safety first:

inReach^® Messenger Plus: We know, we know: This isn’t a watch. But safety is key when you’re exploring the outdoors. And this SOS satellite communicator⁴ (with battery life that can last for weeks) helps you stay in touch with loved ones through voice recordings, photos and group messaging if you connect your compatible smartphone with the Garmin Messenger™ app⁵. You can trigger an SOS to connect with Garmin Response^SM, our 24/7 staffed international coordination center, for help.

inReach^® Mini 2: The inReach Mini 2 is a compact GPS satellite communicator⁴. With this, you can push the SOS button and get access to emergency help. When you don’t have cellphone signal — which can happen often when you’re enjoying the great outdoors — this global satellite coverage is essential. It has up to 14 days of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode, plus two-way messaging and location sharing so you can stay in touch with loved ones while you’re gone.

Ready to hit the neighborhood or mountain hiking trail? There’s a Garmin watch for every outdoor need.

_{¹Assumes all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions}

_{²Assumes continuous use for entire period in 50,000 lux conditions}

_{³Always defer to official sources because this information may not be up to date. This information is not available for every LTE service provider or every geographical area.}

 _{⁴Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.}

_{⁵Photo and voice messaging requires use of the Garmin Messenger app on your compatible smartphone}