Best Watches For Skiing

by Ben Jackson
man_skiing

Watches can do everything these days!

Some smartwatches for example can give you all your fitness tracking data, all your social media notifications and provide you with a GPS signal.

Not all watches are suitable to take skiing however.  They also have to be durable, waterproof.

We have looked at the best watches for skiing out on the market today, and have identified our Top 5, reviews of which will follow shortly.

After that we have a little buying guide for you, going through everything you might like to think about before buying your watch.

Best Watches For Skiing – Reviews

Bestseller No. 1
Amazfit T-Rex 3 Rugged/Military Smart Watch 48mm, GPS (with Privacy), Offline Maps, Long Battery Life,328 Feet Water-Resistant, 170 Fitness/Sport Modes, AI, Voice Control, for Android or iPhone, Lava
  • Large, Bright Display: The AMOLED display can reach peak brightness of 2,000 nits; read your maps and workout data easily in any light. Night mode reduces eye strain in the dark, and Glove Mode keeps...
  • Built for Adventure: Endure any challenge with a 316L stainless steel bezel and buttons. The military-grade body can resist 158℉ heat and -22℉ cold. Water-resistant to 100m, wear it while surfing,...
  • Over 3 Weeks of Battery Life: The Amazfit T-Rex 3 can last for 27 days with typical use, 42 hours in GPS Accurate Mode, and up to 114 hours in GPS Long Battery Life Mode. With some settings disabled,...
  • Free Maps & Advanced GPS: Download free global, contour, and snow maps. Track your adventures accurately with dual-band positioning, backed up by 6 satellite systems for fast connection. Get turn...
  • 170+ Workout Modes & AI Training Plans: Explore 170+ workout modes including hiking, strength training, ultramarathon, surfing, skiing, and more. Get personalized AI-generated training plans,...
Bestseller No. 2
Dakota Mini Clip Microlight, Clip Watch, Flashlight and Watch, Outdoor Gifts for Men and Women, Use for Fishing Hunting, and More, Tactical Watch with LED Flashlight
  • TACTICAL WATCHES: Clip on watches are 100 feet water resistant, have a built in ultra-bright LED flashlight with a military watch dial. Made from the highest quality metals and components.
  • MULTI TOOLS: Handy military watch and LED flashlight make this an all-in-one tool and survival tool. The red LED work light does not obstruct night vision and is more visible to the human eye.
  • TOUGH CONSTRUCTION: Metal cased clip on pocket watches are outdoor tools for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, backpacking, travel, or other adventures that require time knowledge and tactical tools.
  • GREAT GIFT IDEAS: These cool gadgets for men and women make perfect gifts for fathers, mothers, husband, wife, hunters, outdoors and DIY enthusiasts. A gift for anyone who seems to have everything.
  • GREAT IDEAS: These cool gadgets for men and women make perfect for fathers, mothers, husband, wife, hunters, outdoors and DIY enthusiasts. For anyone who seems to have everything.
Bestseller No. 3
CARBINOX Blaze Smart Watch with GPS (Sport Mode), Rugged Fitness Tracker Waterproof IP69K, Compatible with Android and iOS, 170+ Sports Modes, Gorilla Glass Screen, Make/Receive Calls (Round)
  • ⌚ SUPPORTS 7 GPS TRACKING SPORTS MODES: Must be connected to the watch to track outdoor walking, running, snowboarding, cycling, mountaineering, cross-country running, and skiing.
  • ⌚ FEATURES STATE-OF-THE-ART GPS NAVIGATION: Whether you're exploring outdoors or navigating job sites, the GPS system ensures precision in tracking your every move.
  • ⌚ RECEIVE AND MAKE CALLS DIRECTLY FROM YOUR WATCH: Stay connected without needing your phone nearby, thanks to built-in call functionalities and text notifications on your wrist.
  • ⌚ SOCIAL MEDIA NOTIFICATIONS, ALARM CLOCK, AND WEATHER UPDATES. Stay in the loop with notifications for messages and social apps, plus live weather updates right on your wrist.
  • ⌚ SLEEP TRACKING AND BREATHING REMINDER FOR BETTER WELLNESS. Monitor your sleep patterns and get reminders to take a breather, ensuring you're maintaining a healthy balance.
Bestseller No. 4
Timex Men's T49831 Expedition Rugged Analog Black Resin Strap Watch
  • Adjustable black 20mm resin strap with fits up to 8-inch wrist circumference.Band Material : Nylon
  • Black dial with date window at 3 o'clock; partial Arabic numerals; 24-hour time
  • Black 43mm resin case with acrylic lens
  • Indiglo light-up watch dial; luminous hands
  • Water resistant to 50m (165 ft): In general, suitable for short periods of recreational swimming, but not diving or snorkeling
Bestseller No. 5
Casio Casual Watch AE-1500WH-5AVCF
  • 10-Year Battery Life: Powered by a reliable CR2032 battery, this watch is designed to provide a decade of uninterrupted performance, perfect for everyday use and adventure.
  • 100-Meter Water Resistance: Built to handle swimming, snorkeling, and other water activities with ease, ensuring durability in all conditions.
  • Versatile Timekeeping Functions: Includes dual time, a 1/100-second stopwatch, and a 24-hour countdown timer with auto-repeat, ideal for managing your schedule and activities.
  • Bright LED Backlight with Afterglow: The amber LED backlight ensures clear visibility in low-light environments, making it easy to read the time anytime, anywhere.
  • Organized with 5 Multi-Function Alarms: Stay on track with five independent alarms, including a snooze function, and an hourly time signal for additional convenience.
Bestseller No. 6
Gosasa Men's Large Face Outdoor Sports Watches Military S-Shock Watch Waterproof, Backlight, Alarm, Stopwatch Features - Rugged Wristwatch for Training, Hiking, and Adventure
  • Imported
  • Military Watches: This is a watch that supports both digital and analog displays. It provides two different time zones for simultaneous setup and reading, with high quality sports and Japanese...
  • Multi-function sports watch: with stopwatch, dual-time display, independent alarm, 12/24H time, calendar, LED backlight, waterproof, shockproof and other functions. These features make it the perfect...
  • High-quality materials: The soft PU rubber band makes it comfortable to wear, and the durable plastic casing and mineral glass mirrors are extremely resistant to pressure and can be used in any...
  • 164 ft / 50M waterproof: wash your hands, bathe, sweat, swim, wash and rain without problems. But don't dive underwater or press any button.
Bestseller No. 7
Timex Men's T2N721 Intelligent Quartz Compass Tide Temperature Silver Case Brown Strap Watch
  • Adjustable brown 16mm genuine leather strap fits up to 8-inch wrist circumference
  • Off-white dial with date window at 6 o'clock; compass markings
  • Tide tracker counts down to high or low tide; thermometer measures air & water temperature; analog compass
  • Silver-tone 45mm stainless steel case with mineral glass crystal; Indiglo light-up watch dial; luminous hands
  • Water-resistant to 100m (330 ft): In general, suitable for snorkeling, as well as swimming, but not diving
Bestseller No. 8
GOLDEN HOUR Ultra-Thin Minimalist Sports Waterproof Digital Watches Men with Wide-Angle Display Rubber Strap Alloy Steel Case Wrist Watch for Men Women in Army Green
  • [DIGITAL MULTIFUNCTION WATCHES]: Imported EL backlight screen, the time can be clearly displayed in the backlight. The digital watch also has 12/24H, stopwatch, alarm, Date and Day.
  • [ULTRA-THIN METAL STEEL CASE]: Minimalist supper thin watch case thickness(only 8mm), Adjustable 250mm soft rubber strap fits up to 9.8-inch wrist circumference, 43mm alloy steel case with hardlex...
  • [5ATM WATERPROOF ]: 164Ft / 50M waterproof, In general,suitable for swimming in shallow water and cold showering, but keep away from hot water and steam, not suitable for long time underwater...
  • [SPORTS COLLECTIONS]: Suitable for men, especially to those who like doing sports, multi-functions make it perfect for both outdoor and indoor sports, such as running, climbing and so on.
  • [After-Service]: A perfect gifts for Valentine's Day, anniversary, business, birthday, Thanksgiving Day, Father's Day Christmas etc. Offer 12-month after-service, if you have questions, contact us...
Bestseller No. 9
Garmin fenix 7 Sapphire Solar, adventure smartwatch, with Solar Charging Capabilities, rugged outdoor watch with GPS, touchscreen, wellness features, mineral blue DLC titanium whitestone band
  • Long-running solar powered multisport GPS watch with scratch-resistant Power Sapphire lens and always-on 1.3” display uses the sun’s energy to extend battery life
  • Battery performance: in smartwatch mode, up to 18 days while indoors or up to 22 days with solar charging in 3 hours of direct sunlight (50,000 lux) per day; in GPS mode, up to 57 hours indoors or up...
  • Take your training to the next level with endurance and real-time stamina tracking, training status, advanced performance metrics and 30+ built-in sports apps
  • Get 24/7 health and wellness monitoring with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox (not available in all countries), stress and enhanced sleep tracking (this device is intended to give an estimation of...
  • Navigate the outdoors with a higher level of positioning accuracy, thanks to new multi-band frequency and GNSS network support (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) plus built-in sensors for 3-axis compass,...

Best Watches For Skiing – Buyers Guide

There are all sorts of watch features that can come in handy when you’re out on the slopes.  We’re going to run through what we deem to be the most important features here for you now, and hopefully that will help you decide which watch is the one for you.

Waterproof Rating

To get the most out of your watch for skiing, you’ll want to wear it over your ski jacket, and you certainly don’t want any melted snow to damage your watch.  That’s why it’s important that your watch is waterproof as opposed to water resistant.  All of the watches in our Top 5 are waterproof to some extent.

Waterproofing is best judged by the IP rating.  An IP rating consists of two numbers, the first number representing resistance to dust and the second number representing resistance to water.  Higher numbers correspond to greater resistance.

For a skiing watch, we strongly recommend that you get a watch with an IP rating of at least IP67 or IP68.  Anything below an IP65 is not going to be good enough.  Objects with an IP rating of IP67 are typically described as being protected from immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.3 feet) for up to 30 mins.

GPS

We would also recommend that your watch is GPS enabled.  This means that your watch will give off a GPS signal to a global positioning satellite system, to help you to identify exactly where you are.  This is essential should you detour from any set skiing routes, and if there were any possibility that you could get lost.

GPS is the most well known global positioning satellite system, but there are others besides, and it’s better to have a watch that is enabled for more navigation systems rather than just the one.

ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass)

Before the advent of GPS, outdoor sport enthusiasts relied on altimeters, barometers and compasses in their watches.  Although they’re not as necessary now, they still seem to be a popular feature, and they can provide more accurate data than the GPS can on certain things.

How it works, is that a barometric sensor within the watch detects changes in air pressure. And since air pressure is lower on higher altitudes,the altimeter is then able to show both your current altitude, as well as the change in altitude.

Normally a barometric altimeter is only able to detect vertical changes, but when this is combined with GPS data you get better, more reliable information.

Should you find yourself without a GPS signal, a watch with a digital compass becomes very handy.  One with a 3 axis compass would be best since it gives you accurate information.

The other advantage of a watch with a barometric sensor is that, if there’s a sudden change in air pressure,  it can warn you that a storm is coming, in enough time to get you off the slope and find shelter.

Durability

If you’re taking a watch skiing, it’s best to invest in a watch that can take a knock, perhaps with stainless steel or resin in the casing.  You’ll also want a clock face that’s scratch resistant, perhaps with mineral glass or maybe even sapphire glass.

Smartwatch Features

There are several apps dedicated to skiing available on both Apple and Android watches.  It is beyond the scope of this article to go into any depth comparing the individual apps.  If you do decide to go for a smartwatch, you need to ensure that it’s compatible with your smartphone.

If you want a smartwatch that you can make calls from (since you’re unlikely to take your smartphone out on the slopes) then you’ll need a watch with it’s own SIM card slot.

Battery Life

The watch’s battery life is also an important consideration.  Using the GPS function on a watch really drains its battery, so ideally you’ll want a rechargeable battery that will last you all day, that you can simply recharge when you get back to the chalet at night.

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