Best Tactical Watches: Reviewed By A US Army Ranger

I tested popular tactical watches from brands like Garmin, Casio, Suunto and Dekelife. Here's my personal ranking, along with hands-on reviews. I'm sure each of these options will help bring out your inner rugged manliness.

FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

1. Garmin Instinct 2X Solar - Rugged GPS Smartwatch

Highlight: Rugged polymer case is built to industry standards.

Helpful review: I’m seriously so happy with my new Garmin watch. It seriously has everything I thought I wanted–and then some! It records my sleep, my exercise, and just gives me a whole bunch of information on my fitness and health journey. I’ve been doing CrossFit for just over a decade, and this is the first watch I’ve found that actually follows my different workout method and gives accurate readings. It’s super durable, and surprisingly comfortable, to the point where I have no problem wearing this. It’s also pretty cool how everything syncs into my iPhone from the Garmin app and into my Apple Health app. I can see all the data in one place, so it’s even easier to track my goals and share all of my accomplishments with my friends in my work out support groups.

I pride myself as an outdoorsy person and for that reason, my favorite features definitely has to be the navigation features. There’s a tide app and the advanced map features are pretty cool. There’s even an LED flashlight that actually works really well and has been super useful. It has solar charging capabilities and that just really helps with extending the time between actual charges. I’ve only had this a week, but I can tell that there’s so much still to figure out and learn about this tool. And I call it a tool over a watch, because that’s honestly how it feels. You can also add even more apps and features through the GarminIQ app, and that really feels like there’s endless possibilities with playing around with this. It also connects with my phone and tells me when I get notifications from my phone, which is super convenient.

MY NEIGHBOR’S REVIEW:

I’ve owned an Apple Watch (the Series 7) on top of other Apple watches over the years. I was really bad at remembering to charge this thing, and I wanted something that made it easier (aka solar charging potential) while still being able to track my activity and have solid technology capabilities. For a tactical watch, this one is everything I was hoping for. I love the torch light, the coyote color, and that the solar recharging actually works, and makes it so I don’t have to remember to constantly charge it. It’s been over a week now, and I’ve been using this non stop (without charging it once) and it stills says it has thirteen days of battery life left. On top of that, it comes with a lot of additional features I didn’t expect. The health features are great, the rugged design is awesome, and it’s actually still comfortable.

The price was also right on board with what I was hoping to spend. There are a lot of pricey Garmin watches out there, and this one hit the mark. There were a few features I had to give up from other watches, like color display and rotating bezels, but the battery life, along with being able to get notifications directly to my watch from my phone really make this thing worth it. Honestly, at this point, there’s definitely no going back to other types or brands of watches. It’s just a huge relief to not have to charge it every night. Definitely doesn’t disappoint!

Get it from Amazon now: $499.99 & FREE Returns

2. Garmin Instinct 2 Solar - Tactical GPS Outdoor Watch

Highlight: Unlimited solar charging plus GPS mode.

Helpful review: Keep in mind that there are a lot of Garmin watches on the market, and I’d probably consider this one near the bottom of all of the line ups. It’s definitely not an Apple watch, aka, a mini phone. But that’s kind of why I like it, though.

It comes with an LCD screen that I find is super easy to read, even when it’s extra bright out. In terms of battery life, yeah, you can measure that in weeks, not hours haha. And that’s even when you consider that it’s essentially always on, and you don’t have to tap it to wake it up. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Personally, I didn’t like the touch interfaces on other watches, although I will say that a lot of brands have built them differently. I want something that’s easy to use, and that I won’t have to worry about accidentally tapping it and swiping on different apps or something.

This watch has five functions that are essentially just an okay button, a back button, an up and down, and a menu button. It’s actually really intuitive to work and use. The GPS is super accurate, along with the heart rate data, and I’ve found that it really isn’t affected by sweating. It also takes pulse ox readings, which is awesome, just keep in mind that it’s turned off by default because it uses a lot of battery.

Unlike a lot of other smartwatches on the market, you don’t really need an app or phone link and the watch can pretty much work entirely on its own, which is pretty much what I wanted. I know other watches don’t work with the GPS unless you’re using your phone, so I wanted something separate from that. However, you can also use the watch to access your notifications on your phone, but there isn’t a voice control so the responses you can choose are pretty simple, but it’s still a nice thing to have.

You can also use the Garmin IQ app to download extra stuff, although I didn’t find much interest in that, but that’s probably a subjective thing. Another cool thing? You can use Garmin pay on the watch so you can use the watch for contactless pay, which is an extra convenient thing I didn’t expect to have access to.

I would say that the battery life is really good, but keep in mind here that there are two modes, smartwatch mode, and GPS mode. Without the GPS on, it only needs about three hours of moderate sun per day. And when you use your GPS, it will eat up the standby time. Even with the GPS used occasionally, I still get about two to three weeks of battery life and that’s just from getting occasional outdoor exercise each day, bike rides, walks, etc.

If you live somewhere that is really overcast, I would say that a solar watch probably isn’t the best choice for you, for obvious reasons. But if you live in Florida like me, then yeah, you’ll find it’s definitely worth that extra hundred bucks. And you do have to charge it with the USB cable, I found it only took about an hour and a half to go from dead to fully charged. So that’s ven extra convenience if you ask me! For a smartwatch that functions as a fitness tracker, I’d say this is exactly what I wanted.

Get it from Amazon now: $449.99 & FREE Returns

3. Casio Men's 8CR G-Shock - Stainless Steel Solar Watch

Highlight: Includes four alarms and one snooze alarm.

Helpful review: For a digital watch, I’d say that this is pretty to the point and I think it will last for a really long time. I’ve had a lot of Casio watches, and they all lasted a really long time and those weren’t even G-Shock watches. The only issue I had with those watches was the plastic bands. These are even better because the stainless band it comes with holds up really well.

It can be a little tricky to size it, mainly because the links don’t have holes on the sides of it to remove the links. It has a nice sleek design as a result, but it makes it difficult to size. I ended up fixing it with a flathead screwdriver. Pro-tip: Look on the inside of the band to hit the notch that removes the pins. And... I thought it would be harder to attach the links back, but it actually became easier the more I did. The pins just clicked into place, so that was nice.

The watch illuminates using a backlight that’s similar to other Timex lights, but it doesn’t really get that bright. I also don’t like that it only lights up for like two or three seconds. It’s barely enough time to read the time at night, especially when I’m half asleep. I’m sure it saves battery, but it would be nice if it was closer to five or six seconds.

It did come fully charged, which I found very convenient, although I read mixed reviews that some people received their watch completely dead, so maybe that’s just chance, I don’t know.

This one is also solar powered, which alone is super helpful when it comes to charging and maintaining battery life. I would say my old batteries would last about five years with replacements only lasting two to three years. It’s super comfortable and although it's on the thicker side because of the G-Shock protection, it doesn’t really bother me.

I will say that the watch face is more standard size, so if you’re looking for a watch with a big face, then this one probably isn’t the best option for you, however it’s still large enough to read everything. It has a stopwatch on it, too, but really for the most part, it just keeps good time. It’s straightforward, does what it needs, is simple, but durable and long lasting. That’s exactly what I wanted in a wristwatch. I’m a happy customer.

Get it from Amazon now: $170.00 & FREE Returns

4. Casio 7CR Pro Trek - Triple-Sensor Watch

Highlight: Has water resistance up to two hundred meters.

Helpful review: I ended up getting this Pro Trek as a replacement for my PathFinder PAG70-T. I do really miss that watch. It was sharp looking, and worked with both dressing up in suits or being out in the wilderness. A lot of this review will probably be me comparing this Pro Trek to my PathFinder, so just be aware, I’m a little biased here. The PAG70-T didn’t have atomic clock syncing capabilities, but it was still an awesome piece of equipment. There wasn’t a rotating outer bezel, but I didn’t need that. When I lost it, it was brand new and its solar battery was working wonderfully. The alarms were audible in a quiet room and even under my jackets.

In terms of specs, this Pro Trek is technically better than the Pathfinder. It has atomic clock syncing capabilities that worked daily for me. It has a built in calendar that actually goes all the way to 2099 (versus 2039 for my Pathfinder). It also has two hundred meter water resistance and triple sensors.

I’m definitely still getting used to it, and maybe I’m still grieving my Pathfinder, but I was hoping to be more impressed by this than I actually am.

First off, the alarms are on the weaker side. I can barely hear it under my jacket, and that’s pretty annoying. The countdown timer lacks a final minute chime and there’s no auto-lap if you leave it uncancelled. The durations of the alarms are about ten seconds, at best, and you can’t configure it for longer. The snooze alarm repeats every thirty minutes, which is nice…but what good is it if you can’t even hear it?

MY THOUGHTS:

- I have found that the compass is definitely accurate when I compare it with GPS readings. The compass can also be calibrated in one degree increments for declination.

- The barometer seems accurate.

- The altimeter has surprised me. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it’s super inaccurate when I compare it with my GPS. Honestly, I’m doubting that any altimeter calibration will achieve accurate readings, but I’m still doing daily calibrations.

- Sunrise and sunset times seem really accurate. But make sure that the longitude and latitude entered correctly in the settings–and you have to do it manually. User beware–it’s more than just setting the time zone.

- I’d say that the illumination is solid in a dark room, but the light only comes from the left side of the watch face. It’s a lot larger than my last watch, which can be a hassle for people with smaller wrists. I had to adjust it a lot.

WRISTBAND ADJUSTMENT NB:

The titanium wrist band has link pins that are held in place by a one millimeter split clinch barrel. The ring slips a lot. When it's completely assembled properly, the pins go through the barrel ring and that prevents it from sliding out. Just be careful, because the link pin keeps the clinch barrel ring in place and once a link is taken out, the clinch barrel ring can fall out and it’s small enough that you can lose it pretty quickly. It almost happened to me. And as a result, I did research to see if I could find a replacement just in case I lost it and couldn’t find any place to get a replacement for that, so just be careful! I disassembled it over a tray with edges so I wouldn’t lose anything, so I recommend doing that.

FINALLY:

I will say this, the customer service for Casio is freaking terrible. If you don’t get one that works, I recommend replacing it with the seller as fast as possible. They say that they’re going to work, so obviously you should get a working one, but my friend bought this same one and had some serious issues with it and it didn’t work as advertised and it was a nightmare for them to get a replacement. So just be aware of that! That being said, I do think Casio is a solid brand, and if it’s working when it’s delivered, it will keep working. Still miss my PathFinder though.

Get it from Amazon now: $500.00 & FREE Returns

5. Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar - Tactical Hybrid Smartwatch

Highlight: Comes with GPS, ABC sensors, compass, and sports app.

Helpful review: Honestly, I never thought I’d want analogue hands on a watch again, with all of those out there on the market, but man, I just can’t say it enough, I love this thing. It makes it so easy to track time, especially when you’re comparing the difference between digital and dial readouts. I’d say that the battery life is really good, too. Not only are the movements of the hands awesome, but you can even press the bottom right button, and the hands move out of the way so you can see either feature, which I just find super clever and convenient. It makes it so you can still see what’s on the main screen.

If it’s your first time using a Garmin, I will say that the Instinct series is just utterly ideal for all needs that you might be looking for with a smart watch. You can charge it when you need to, but the battery life is strong enough that you don’t even have to do it every day.

In terms of cons, this is where I’m at: there isn’t a setting for a white background with black text. Hopefully an update will come out and fix this. When using the night mode, the screen switches to a simpler screen that doesn’t have notifications. It puts the time at the top and then the hands cover it, and yet it's too dark to read the hand.

Beyond that, I’d say that the readings are solid, that the heart rate monitor works well, and same with the GPS tracking ability. The location is correct a hundred percent of the time–and I’ve had it about a month to put that into context. The compass surprised me more than anything. I use it for my job and it works better than I expected. It’s essentially a smart watch with great features, but lacking all the flashy distractions that in my opinion, are just too much. The step tracking is more accurate than I expected, especially when you compare this to other watches I’ve tried that all average around five hundred in cost. I knew I wanted a rugged watch because I work in an industrial construction environment and needed something that could get banged up. I’ve worn this to work every day and it hasn’t been cut or scratched up at all!

The battery is seriously ridiculously long. I’ve only charged it once this entire month, and that’s even with using the GPS during my outdoors runs and workouts. Even with how rugged it is, it’s super comfortable, which was a nice plus I didn’t expect. I even forgot I was wearing it at one point. And it’s lightweight, too, which is not what I was expecting for a watch of this outdoor rugged quality.

The display is great in daylight, but again, it really is just frustrating to read at night, even with the back light set up to a hundred percent. If you’re someone with bad vision, you’ll likely end up returning this if you plan to use it at night. Just keep that in mind.

Get it from Amazon now: $499.90 & FREE Returns

6. Casio Men's G-Shock - Solar Sports Watch

Highlight: Digital display with Japanese quartz.

Helpful review: Let me say something before I dive into this, I’m not a watch guy. Never have been, never really understood the hype. Recently, my mind started changing a little bit, and I started doing research on the kind of watches I wanted. I wanted something rugged, but something that also showed the day, month, and time. I’m happy to report that this watch has all that and more! Fortunately I didn’t have to make the final pick. I probably would have gotten decision paralysis and made a mistake, but my wife knows me better than myself and she ended up buying me this for my birthday. All I told her was that I thought a Gshock was the type of watch I wanted.

I’m so happy that she ended up getting me this one. I’ve had it for just under a month now and I love it so much. It’s solar powered, and there’s a little bit of a learning curve, but the manual is super helpful and you can get everything you need from there. At its most basic, just make sure it get sunlight from time to time! And a little pro-tip: put it by the window at night! Then you’ll be good to go.

RELIABILITY:

I’ve taken this watch with me on two backpacking trips. And it was cold! Under twenty degrees at night. And let me tell you, this was definitely an opportunity to test out the actual ruggedness of this thing. It wasn’t just the colder temperatures, it was chopping wood, hiking in snow, snow actually falling, sitting by fires. This thing was never not wet or warm. And yet it’s still going strong! No issues at all. I’m a big outdoorsman, hunting, shooting, hiking, kayaking, etc. And this is definitely the watch for my lifestyle. This thing literally can handle the recoil from a gun. I’ve had zero issues with wearing this at the shooting range, even with guns up to my .357 revolver.

COMFORTNESS:

This watch has a really comfortable fit. I love that the band is made of resin as it’s a super durable material. I don’t really get the reviews of people saying that the Gshock is uncomfortable. This is far from that. I’ve worn it almost every day for three weeks and have zero issues with it. The manual recommends that it should be snug but not super tight. Essentially you should be able to slip a finger between the band. If you wear it too tight, it’s going to be uncomfortable. Common sense.

APPEARANCE/SIZE:

I think the size is just right, not too big, and definitely not small either. The time and the day are the biggest on this too which makes it super easy to read when I just glance at it quickly. A lot of people have complimented me on how it looks. I’d say it has a rugged look to it as well, but it can go with both nice clothes and outdoorsy clothes. I don’t think it would necessarily pair well with a suit, but you never know. The background light is a bright LED and you can turn it on for short bursts manually, which I find pretty convenient. I also really like the auto light mode which comes on when you lift it in a 45 degree angle, but you can also turn that off if you don’t like it. I leave it on as I like having it to look at when its dark out. I’d say its pretty customizable. It gives you indicators on the amount of solar energy it has left, it has timers, alarms, and a stopwatch.

OVERALL:

I’m super pleased with this watch, so much so that I would give it five out five stars, and I normally don’t do that on products. I rarely even write reviews, but that’s how good this thing is and how much I enjoy wearing it. I love its fit, its appearance, reliability, durability, and its functionality. Really all you could hope for in a watch!

Get it from Amazon now: $140.00 & FREE Returns

7. SUUNTO Core - Classic Adventure Watch

Highlight: Super durable, tracks sports, daily activity, and sleep.

Helpful review: I just love how this watch fits me, and the design is super sleek and looks really great on my wrist. The bezel is on the lower side, which gives it a leveled profile so it fits smoothly beneath the cuff of my clothing, and actually makes it less likely that it’ll get caught on anything. It’s lightweight, but still feels high quality, and because it’s so light on the wrist, it actually makes it better for exercise and sits higher up on your arm. I love how smooth the band is and that it’s a mixture of rubber and aluminum.

But my favorite part? The dark face of the watch is clean, sharp, and you can even choose which information you want displayed–there’s altitude, bearing, time, sunrise, sunset, date, countdown–you get the idea. I will say that in super bright light, it can be heard to read the display directly, however I found that as long as you tilt it towards you, you can see it clearly, so that’s an easy fix. The display at night is completely dark, with the exception of the rotating bezel which has glowing north indicators. But it does come with a backlit feature that’s super convenient and easy to use–you just press a button, and then it lights up everything, features and functions! You can also press a button lock that makes it so you can’t accidentally tap the menus or change any settings if you roll over in your sleep.

I really like using this watch when I go skiing, specifically because of the altimeter and barometer sensors. It lets you track your vertical feet each day you’re out on the mountain without having to use an app on your phone (I was using EpicMix before this and it was always a pain to take out, especially when it was snowing!).

I’ve found that so far it gives very accurate atmospheric pressure readings, and with the recent storms, it’s actually showing me the barometer drop as it’s occurring, which is so cool. You can even track the pressure in graphs so you can see the trends over a period of time. I wouldn’t necessarily use this to track the weather, but it definitely is helpful with seeing the current weather that’s happening, and that includes the thermometer, too, but I’m aware that heat from you body can affect that, too, and I still tend to use my weather app to check the active temperature outside. The compass is great and I really love the sunset and sunrise information.

Honestly if you’re even remotely an outdoorsy person, this watch is going to give you more than you need and then some. A couple other random tidbits: there’s a snooze feature on the alarm which is something my prior smart watches didn’t have. There’s a countdown, and there’s even a user community where people can connect with tips, recommendations, and share info.

So far, I really have no issues with this. After two weeks of consistent use, I’m really happy with it. And in reference to some of those negative reviews about the band's breaking, I haven’t had any issues. It seems durable enough, obviously time will tell. But replacement bands are cheap, like thirty forty bucks. Overall, I’m really happy and hope I’ll have it for a long time!

Get it from Amazon now: $219.00 & FREE Returns

8. Casio Men's Pro Trek - Triple Sensor Solar Watch

Highlight: Auto LED backlight plus afterglow.

Helpful review: Honestly, I wrote this review mainly in response to some other reviewers who complained about the accuracy of the altimeter readings. I think some people just don’t understand the watch limitations.

DESIGN:

This model is smaller than some of the other ones I’ve seen, and there is a smaller sensor. The sensor has also been moved from the 9 mark to the 10 mark. It has a triple sensor which means it has altitude, barometer and compass (ABC models). The compact design makes it easy to wear daily, but the face is kind of busy. I do wish the design looked more similar to the PRW3000, which has a sleek, cleaner and stylish design. Granted, that one is about three times as expensive, so keep in mind that you’re getting what you paid for. The watch is lightweight, and weighs about sixty seven grams. It also has 10 Bar water resistance, which means you can wear it in the shower or in shallow water, but not scuba diving. I’ve worn it in the rain and it works. If you want a wider strap, you will need an adapter, so keep that in mind.

FEATURES:

- Backlight is nice and bright.

- EL button is on the front, but you can set it for automatic, 1 or 3 second display.

- Date display.

- Time display can be changed to day and date or month and date or barometric graph (that lacks the date).

- Setting the time is super easy.

- Comes with a stopwatch and countdown timer.

- Five individual alarms.

- Power save allows the watch display to shut off overnight to conserve battery.

ALTIMETER/BAROMETER:

Altimeter watches with no GPS calculate the altitude by subtle changes in air pressure, like change in the elevation, weather, location and even the wind. The altimeter and barometer readings vary with the temperature, and I think they give more accurate readings off of your wrist. For more accurate altimeter readings, make sure you calibrate the altimeter watch so it references your altitude regularly. I typically do this when I’m preparing to hike and climb uphill. Just keep in mind that when the weather conditions change, it’s going to give you varying responses. It’s important to know the reference altitude, but it still can vary so keep in mind that the altimeter isn't a scientific instrument. It’s an estimate. I haven't gotten around yet to check how fast the altimeter updates, but so far it does seem ok for hiking. In terms of the barometer, the temperature reading was pretty accurate, but it can vary if the temperature rises quickly. Just make sure that you’re only calibrating the temperature when the watch is at a normal temperature.

ALTIMETER LOGS:

The memory can store up to thirty logs, and fourteen trek logs.

COMPASS:

Keep in mind that electronic compasses can get interference from other magnetic fields, so this might not be completely accurate when you’re on planes, trains, boats, or even some buildings that could cause incorrect readings. Even so, I’ve found it pretty accurate and reliable. The compass can also be set for magnetic declination. Oh, and you can also show the time display even when you’re in compass mode. Just make sure that when you’re trying to get a compass reading, you keep the watch level with the ground. Other than that, it’s pretty easy to calibrate it. You just press a button. I really only do that when I’m going on a hike and know I won’t have service, but other than that I keep compass mode off because it can drain the battery.

SUMMARY:

For the price, I’d say this is more than I was hoping for. It’s a really solid triple sensor and it’s compact enough to wear every day. That’s what I was hoping for. Just keep your expectations in check and you won’t be disappointed.

Get it from Amazon now: $200.00 & FREE Returns

9. Casio Men's Quartz - Stainless Steel Classic Watch

Highlight: Battery is rechargeable and comes with six months of power.

Helpful review: This lightweight, decent watch is fairly affordable, I’d say reasonable, and when you consider that it's a solar powered watch, you won’t have to remember to replace the batteries, which is something I’ve always struggled with when it came to watches.

However, I have to admit that the band is incredibly uncomfortable. And that’s pretty disappointing considering that I mainly bought the watch because of how cool the band looked. I swapped the band out for a nylon strap and ended up swapping out the bars too. It ended up being so much better this way, and I’m really happy I ended up doing that. So much more comfortable, and makes it a lot easier to use when doing normal day to day tasks.

I don’t really like the illumination on it either. It’s exposed to bright sunlight most of the day and once it gets dark, it's somehow barely visible. I tried charging it with a UV light and it glowed for a little then, yep, went dark again. Annoying.

Despite that, I would still say that this is a good looking watch if you want something that is more on the budget side of things, then this is definitely that! Solar charging makes it worth it in my opinion.

MY NEIGHBOR’S REVIEW:

I wanted a solar powered watch that was capable of handling me being a little rough with it. I’m really impressed by the durability of this thing. It’s easy to read, it’s accurate, and it’s functional. I’ve seen some reviewers that complained about the illumination, and I’d say that in my experience the hands of it illuminate really well, but the numbers don’t. I don’t really mind that, but some people might, you know, if you don’t know how to tell time without numbers haha. Personally, I enjoy the second sweep hand, it hits the tics right on the mark, just what I wanted and I like the green arrow tip on it. In terms of ruggedness, I like it. I kept it on when I went swimming and showered, and I even hiked across a river to a waterfall wearing this thing and it worked well. It also went in the mud and I was able to rinse it off and it handled it really well. It was affordable and reasonable and was delivered on time, and I just love that I’ll never have to replace the battery. Definitely what I wanted.

A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:

I really like this watch. I’ve only had it about a week, and honestly, it’s everything I wanted and expected it would be. I saw some negative reviews about the band it comes with being terrible, but I’m not sure what those people are talking about. I think it’s average, and that’s pretty much what I expected at this price point. I will say that at least for my wrist size, it’s never perfectly snug, either a little loose or a little tight, but that’s likely subjective. Either way, I ended up buying an extra band and I like it a lot more. For what it is, the watch is what I expected and I’m happy with it!

Get it from Amazon now: $130.00 & FREE Returns

10. DEKELIFE 43mt - Military Smart Watch

Highlight: Has one over hundred indoor and outdoor sport modes.

Helpful review: All right, I’ll be transparent. I’ve only owned this watch for about five hours haha, but I had to immediately write a review. Let me explain why. The band on my old smart watch broke a few days ago, and I decided that in general it was time to get a new one. I was hesitant about getting this one, mainly because they talked about how big this thing is. But the price was worth it, and there was guaranteed overnight delivery, so I ended up going forward with it, and I am so happy I did.

I don’t really understand what people are talking about when they say that this is massive. If anything, I’d say that this is almost identical to my last smartwatch! I ended up getting it from the same company, so it uses the same app, and I found that my fitness data is still stored, so that’s super convenient. It’s pretty much just an updated version of my old watch. It looks classier! And despite those reviews, I’d say that it’s about the same size, too. I could upload my own picture onto the dial face, and I just love how many different features there are. The fitness options, specifically, seem endless, honestly.

In terms of reliability, I’d say that it seems super well made. In fact, I stuck with the same brand, because the band that broke on my last version, was the first issue I'd had in almost three years of owning a watch from this company. The step counter is super accurate, and is almost perfectly aligned with the counter on my phone, so I know for a fact it’s accurate, which is pretty cool.

That battery is by far what I am loving more than anything. It’s just been great. Because I can pick and choose which features to use, I can get a week or even longer between all of my charges. By far, this battery life is better than any of the watches I’ve ever owned.

I would say the size is actually perfect. The screen has exceptional clarity and quality and I just love all the monitoring options and how I can access my messages and calls. I will say that the watch band is a little on the smaller side–but keep in mind I do have a big wrist, so that may be different for everyone who uses it. The setup does have a little bit of a learning curve as well but once you get it figured out, it’s really not that difficult to use.

The features are super versatile. I love that I can use it for heart rate, steps, distance, blood oxygen, and even to track my stress and blood pressure. Talk about all in one. It even has a sleep tracker, although I haven’t tested that out yet. I will say that when you’re tracking exercise, it doesn’t show the time. Also one little quirk that is kind of annoying: when you’re charging it, it doesn’t show the status, or the percentage, it just says charging, but that doesn’t really bother me that much, it might just depend on personal preference. I integrated this seamlessly with my fitness apps and had no issues. I love it so far. Will update if anything changes!

Get it from Amazon now: $49.99 & FREE Returns

11. Casio Men's Illuminator - Analog & Digital Solar Watch

Highlight: Super bright luminous hands.

Helpful review: I wanted an affordable, inexpensive watch, mainly so I could remember to take my meds. And I knew I wanted a Casio compared to other watches, mainly because they have a really good reputation and their digital watches tend to be on the inexpensive side. And this one definitely didn’t disappoint. It has five alarms, it’s a solid price, and I’m definitely happy with my choice.

SO FAR SO GOOD:

It’s been a little over a week now, and I’m happy to report that it’s working fine. The alarms are loud enough to catch my attention but not so loud that they’re annoying. It’s shock resistant, water resistant, has solar power, and a variety of digital display options. Definitely more than I expected for the price.

CHARGING:

I will say the manual is kind of confusing when it comes to explaining how solar power works. It’s not really that complicated. When mine arrived, it already had a mild charge, and after I set it outside for a few hours, it was fully charged! It claims that when fully charged, it can work ten months without extra light. That’s pretty impressive if you ask me. Either way, I’m not planning on just dropping it in a dark drawer, I’m going to wear it, especially on sunny days. It’s pretty nice to not have to worry about replacing the battery though! Really like that.

SETUP:

It took about an hour to set it up, which I’d say is to be expected for a digital watch with this many functions. Either way, once you figure out what every button is, and how to cycle through the digital menu, it’s pretty easy peasy going forward.

CONS:

I’ll admit, I have a few gripes with it. The manual mainly. The print is super small, and it would have been nice if it had been larger, or if there had been a digital documentation of it. Second, although the watch face is large and easy to read, the digital display, which is something I really wanted, is on the smaller side and hard to read. Not only that, the hands block part of the digital display and that’s kind of annoying. The digital display is used for setting it up and checking the battery, oh, and stopwatches, dates, universal time. It’s not unimportant. But I guess it depends how much you plan to use those features. If you’re going to use them a lot, then this will probably bother you.