The Best Smart Watches for Cyclists
The Best Smart Watches for Cyclists
Compared to the GPS watch that fits on your wrist, a handlebar-mounted GPS computer offers the advantage of a larger screen area (and often a clearer one, too) to display maps and ride data. Other than that, both tools supply their users with relatively the same functionality, especially with GPS watches continuing to get cycling-specific features added to their already-growing list of fitness-tracking capabilities.
But there are situations in which a GPS watch has the edge. For multisport athletes, a smart watch with running, swimming, and cycling modes makes it easier to track all your activities and data in one place and cuts down on the electronics clutter of two devices. Wearing your computer on your wrist also means that it goes where you go—you don’t have to move it between bikes—and automatically tracks shorter commutes you might otherwise not bother with (hey, they add up!). If you just want to track your pace and ride distance, both watches and computers are equally as useful. However, if you’d like to incorporate all your daily metrics into your training, including sleep recovery and activity throughout the day, a smart watch is the way to go.
All the models below share a few key features you should consider when buying. First, a dedicated cycling mode is clutch if you have any interest in syncing your rides to Strava or another training program. Next, battery life is critical—not just overall run time but specifically battery life in GPS mode. And while wrist-based heart rate might not be as accurate as a chest strap, it’s still an important data point for calculating relative effort and caloric burn. Then there are the bonus features, like turn-by-turn directions, power meter compatibility, and music. Not all the watches here can handle those high-level functions, but several can. And the selection represents a range of feature levels, so you’re sure to find something that suits your needs.
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How We Tested
Every watch on this list has been thoroughly evaluated and vetted by our team of test editors. We raced and trained with these watches, as well as wore them in everyday life to get the most accurate overall impression. We used them to measure our fitness, track our sleep, and in place of and in support of a bike computer. We checked smartphone compatibility and routinely pushed batteries to the limit to see how long they held up. Most models have been tested by our staff and those that haven’t were carefully chosen based on their value, quality of parts, our experience with similar models, and how the overall package meets the needs of the intended buyer.
Vantage V Premium GPS Multisport Watch
Polar
amazon.com
$419.95
The Polar Vantage V is an unapologetic fitness watch, so light (66 grams) and comfortable that you’ll forget it’s on your wrist. Battery life is exceptional (up to 40 hours with—and seven days without—GPS). In fact, you might run the risk of ending up with a dead battery simply because charging it never becomes part of your routine. Along with pairing to external heart rate straps, which is standard fare at this point, the Vantage V also pairs to BLE-compatible sensors, such as power meters. The watch is user-friendly, the controls are intuitive, and the app does a good job guiding you through setup. It allows you to sync training data to third-party sites such as Strava and Training Peaks, and boasts sleep, recovery, and stress tracking that rivals the standout Whoop Strap. After three months of use, the battery life of our sample hasn’t degraded. And the optical heart rate sensor seems less prone to false readings, when compared to using a chest strap, than other watches.
ELEMNT Rival GPS Watch
Wahoo Fitness
backcountry.com
$329.99
Wahoo's first GPS Watch is aimed squarely at the triathlon crowd. Its headline feature is the touchless transition mode that automatically changes the sport modes on your watch as you go through a triathlon race. The built-in hardware like the optical heart rate sensor is similar to most other watches at this price point. It has Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity for pairing to a chest HR strap and on-bike power meters. Best of all if you already own a Wahoo computer it's an absolute breeze to set up. With all your third-party applications (Strava, Training Peaks, etc) automatically syncing to the watch once you pair it to your phone.
The main downside is that currently, Wahoo is missing a lot of "every day" features such as stress and sleep tracking. It is expected that Wahoo will slowly add these through firmware updates but if you're looking for all the bells and whistles, you'll need to look elsewhere. However if what you want is essentially a fully-featured cycling computer on your wrist, and you are already part of the Wahoo ecosystem then the Rival is an excellent option.
Galaxy Smartwatch
Samsung
amazon.com
$299.99
Like the Apple Watch, this is a powerful smart watch at a reasonable price worth a hard look. It comes preloaded with 45 sport profiles for recording workouts, and the activity-tracking functions keep tabs of not only your sessions in the saddle but also your daily movements, calories burned, and sleep patterns. Naturally, you can use Samsung Pay with it, and the watch features wireless connectivity for data access when untethered from your phone, including streaming music through your Spotify account. Add a data plan to take calls and texts from your wrist.
9 Baro GPS Watch
Suunto
amazon.com
$599.00
This feature-packed watch has astounding battery life managed by three preset power management modes. Performance mode has the most accurate GPS but uses the most juice. Still, the watch ran for longer than the 25 hours Suunto claims. Ultra mode dims the screen, turns off features such as wrist-based heart rate and Bluetooth, and sacrifices some GPS accuracy to power workouts for a claimed 120 hours. It gives real-time notifications on remaining power, which allowed us to change modes on the go so we could avoid running out of juice before the end of long rides (Strava or it didn’t happen!). Optical sensors read heart rate, and the watch can connect to a heart-rate strap for greater accuracy.
We’ve been strapping this watch on our wrists for two years, and it just won’t die. The battery life is still incredible–we can record 32 consecutive hours of data using the most accurate GPS function. And Suunto just released an update allowing users to create routes within its app. That, combined with the fact that there are no visible signs of wear on the watch, means we won’t stop using it anytime soon.
fēnix? 6 Pro Solar Edition
Garmin
amazon.com
$709.95
The Fēnix 6X Pro Solar is a premium watch with more sport and fitness-related functions than one person can possibly use, but what we love most is the insane battery life. On a full charge, the watch claims 14 days of it, but consistent exposure to direct sunlight significantly extends the amount of life on a single charge. Wearing the watch full time and recording rides with it, we’re consistently getting three weeks out of a single charge. It can pair to ANT+ sensors in addition to Bluetooth ones. For power nerds (TrainingPeaks upload or it didn’t happen), this means you can use this watch as a substitute for your normal bike computer if you either forgot to pack it or simply don’t want to use it on some days. The watch records sleep and stress data, which you can easily access along with a bevy of other health stats in the Garmin Connect app, and you can auto-sync with a wide variety of third-party apps including MyFitnessPal, Strava, and TrainingPeaks.
Garmin Forerunner 745
Garmin
amazon.com
$399.99
Garmin’s newest addition to the Forerunner family, while appearing to be closely related to the more budget-friendly 735XT, has much more in common with the fully loaded 945. In fact, it has most of the same features as its more expensive sibling except offline maps and a comparable battery life. However, with a claimed run time of 16 hours with GPS and six hours with GPS and music, this watch should have adequate juice to handle most daily workouts. The watch has much-improved location tracking now that it utilizes GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS satellites, and multisport athletes will appreciate that the watch can actually determine which lane of a running track they’re on. Other sport-specific features include Garmin’s ClimbPro, pulse oxygen data, training load and stress tracking, heat and altitude acclimation, and incident detection. Check back for updates as we spend more time with this watch.
Forerunner? 735XT
Garmin
amazon.com
$169.99
Garmin’s Forerunner 735XT turns four years old in 2020, but its multisport pedigree means it has more bike-specific features than you find in most newer GPS watches. You can control it from Shimano Di2 buttons, and you get GPS navigation and Strava live segments (the map is a bit sparse by today’s standards, but it works). It will also link to ANT+ sensors and record power meter data. And for triathletes, the multisport mode allows you to change activities with a single press of the “lap” button.
In addition to the cycling tech, Garmin packed the 735XT with features like an optical sensor that can estimate heart rate variability, GPS and GLONASS sensors, waterproofing, sleep monitoring, and most of the others you’d expect for $350. We also found the 11-hour GPS battery life claim to be fairly accurate, give or take an hour. However, newer models like Garmin’s Forerunner 245 Music and Venu include music storage and Pulse Ox. But those watches don’t include many of the 735XT’s cycling features, so you’ll have to weigh what’s most important to you.
Garmin Forerunner 945
Garmin
amazon.com
$524.99
The Forerunner 945 takes all that we love about the 935, which was already loaded with just about everything you could possibly want in a smart watch, and incorporates some new functions for athletes. In addition to Wi-Fi, ANT+, and Bluetooth connectivity and loads of preset activities and tracking functions, the 945 gets more accurate GPS and adds navigation capabilities. On the training front, you get a pulse oximeter, Strava integration and live segments, and downloadable workouts so you can leave your bike computer at home and still record your workout. And that’s just skimming the surface. It’s not a discount watch, but the seemingly endless list of features for casual and elite-level athletes make it worth the investment.
After a year, the 945 has earned its place as one of our go-to watches for hard training. It’s lighter than some of the more expensive watches, retains all of the critical features for tracking workouts, and the battery life is still good enough to record multiple rides on a single charge.
Coros Apex
Coros
amazon.com
Packing precise GPS tracking and a ton of battery life into a compact package, Coros made the Apex a top-tier watch not just for cyclists but for multisport athletes. It keeps the countless metric combinations found in the Pace, the brand’s previous sport watch, while integrating some exciting new features. Notably, battery life is up to 35 hours in regular GPS tracking mode but can be extended to last up to 100 hours if you require. It also gives you a slew of metrics, such as blood oxygen monitoring. And you can view more than five screens during your workout, including a new metric called stamina—an estimate of how much energy you have left in your own tank. It’s compatible with ANT+, so it can connect to any third-party sensors using that protocol. Unfortunately, its Bluetooth capabilities are limited to connecting only to smartphones.
Polar Grit X
Polar
amazon.com
$355.99
Polar finally gets into the rugged outdoors scene with the Grit X, designed to compete with the Garmin Fēnix and Suunto 9. Like those other watches, it has a long-lasting battery, navigation capabilities, and advanced workout-tracking features. But, on your wrist, the Grit X is smaller than those other models. The battery will last 40 hours in standard GPS mode (taking a position reading every second), but like the Fēnix and 9, you can boost that lifespan by reducing the frequency of its tracking—up to 100 hours if it pings your location every two minutes and all other sensors are disabled. That means you can record multiple jaunts without running out of juice. Like many high-end watches, the Grit auto-syncs with most major online fitness platforms like Strava, MyFitnessPal, and TrainingPeaks, as well as Polar’s own online training management platform, Polar Flow.
Every year GPS watches add cycling-specific features to their growing list of fitness-tracking capabilities. Here are the best smart watches for cyclists.