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
SKMEI Simple Digital Men’s Military Watches Waterproof Electronic LED Double Time Black Wristwatch Sport
  • Simple and black background style, big dial, large numbers, simplicity at its finest.
  • Super soft wrist silicone rubber band that contours around your wrist and has a smooth feel, the band is long (max band perimeter 9.45 inch/ 24cm), it can fit even large wrist
  • High elastic PC shell, make it shockproof and durable. EL backlight makes it easy to read in the dark, all the buttons are really easy to get to push
  • 164 ft waterproof (50 M) - 5ATM, suitable for gym, fishing, swimming, skiing, paddle boat, etc. Please DO NOT press any buttons in the water, and also not suitable for LONG TIME underwater activities...
  • Function: 12H/24H time, calendar, week display, dual time, alarm, chronograph, countdown, 50m water resistant, LED back light, shock resistant
Bestseller No. 2
Infantry Men's Wrist Watch Field Military Watches for Men Analog Black Tactical Outdoor Sport Work Wristwatch Waterproof Date Day 12/24 Hour with Army Nylon Band
  • 【FUNCTION】12/24 hour military time display, complete with a day and date calendar. Our tactical watch supports both English and Spanish, making it easy to read and use.
  • 【5ATM WATER RESISTANT】Our military watch is designed to withstand splashes of water, rain, and short periods of recreational swimming. Please note that it is not suitable for bathing with warm...
  • 【JAPANESE MOVEMENT】 Features an imported Japanese quartz analog movement and battery, providing accurate timekeeping and long-term running.
  • 【TACTICAL GRADE】Our field watch is built to last, with an anti-scratch mineral dial window, tough stainless steel case, and adjustable black 22-millimeter nylon slip-thru strap that fits up to a...
  • 【PACKAGING 】Your purchase includes 1 * Watch; 1 * Original Watch Box; 1 * Instruction Manual w/Warranty card. It makes a perfect gift for yourself or that special someone, and is sure to win the...
Bestseller No. 3
TACTIME Tactical Watch for Men and Women Military Style Digital Sports with World Time and 5 Alarms Carbon Fiber Made and LED Backlit
  • Tactical Watch Features: With its 50m water resistance, while the world time feature keeps you well-informed wherever you go. With its precision stopwatch, 5 customizable alarms, countdown timer, and...
  • Material: Our TACTIME Tactical Watch Watch: Crafted with a durable carbon fiber watchcase and a comfortable TPU strap, this watch is designed for outdoor enthusiasts , business leisure and also a...
  • Tactical Watch size : Engineered with a lightweight yet robust carbon fiber case measuring 45mm/1.77inch in diameter, this watch offers durability without compromising on style. The adjustable strap...
  • Packaging: Our TACTIME watches come in a high-quality and exquisite black square watch box, which not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also provides optimal protection during transportation to...
  • After-sales service: If there are any non-human-induced damages to the product within one year, you can contact us for assistance. For any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out,...
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
CakCity Outdoor Tactical Watches for Men Digital Wrist Watch Military Waterproof Watches Carbon Fiber with Barometer,Altimeter,Compass,Temperature,Pedometer,5ATM
  • 【Multifunctional Sports Watch for Unisex】This men's wrist watch is a multi-functional outdoor sports watch with barometer,altimeter,temperature,compass,pedometer,metronome,dual time,countdown,dual...
  • 【Carbon Fiber Work Watch for Men/Women】 This unisex digital watch features reinforced carbon fiber composite material, a high-performance carbon rod compound. Not only is it sturdy, durable, anti...
  • 【Waterproof Watches for Women/Men】164 Ft /50M/5ATM water resistance helps you do all kinds of indoor/outdoor sports or daily use freely.(Note: Please clean the outer shell promptly after...
  • 【Tactical Watches for Men】Barometer shows local pressure and sea level pressure, Altimeter tells current altitude and 24-hour history by trend graph. 4 weather forecast symbols indicates the...
  • 【Hiking Watches for Men with Compass】The compass which is accurate, it’s a great sports watch for hiking or outdoor activities and wilderness survival.we will calibrated the compass during...
Bestseller No. 6
Timex Men's T49990 Expedition Rugged Metal Brown/Natural Leather Strap Watch
  • Adjustable brown 22 millimeter genuine leather strap fits up to 8-inch wrist circumference
  • Cream dial with date window at 3 o'clock; Full Arabic numerals; 24-hour time
  • Gray 45 millimeter brass case with mineral glass crystal
  • Indiglo light-up watch dial; Luminous hands
  • Water resistant to 50 meter (165 feet): In general, suitable for short periods of recreational swimming, but not diving or snorkeling
Bestseller No. 7
AOSLSI Watch Compass, Altimeter Barometer Thermometer Temperature, Pedometer ,WArmy Waterproof Outdoors Sport Digital Watch for Men, Black
  • ★Outdoors Military Watch : Altimeter tells current elevation and records last 24-hour history by altitude graph. Barometer displays both local pressure and sea level pressure. Thermometer shows...
  • ★Digital Compass: Accurately pinpoint direction to safely find your way through wilderness and in whiteout conditions. We calibrated the compass before sending out. If you still find a problem, we...
  • ★Sport Watch: Step, Calories, Distance, Stopwatch, Countdown Timer and metronome. Pedometer and Pace can track your steps and speed, which helps you to know your workout better. This non bluetooth...
  • ★Basic Functions: Double Alarms, Dual Time, 12/24H Format, Date/Week, Hourly Chime, Waterproof to 3ATM, Super Backlight.
  • ★Material & Size: High quality thick ABS case 50*47*17mm, durable and breathable PU double hollow band with stainless steel pin buckle is suitable for wrist from 6.7 to 9.0 inches. Weight 76g is...
Bestseller No. 8
45mm Apple Watch Series 7 8 Waterproof Case,Shockproof Impact Resistant Case with Bulit-in Screen Protector and Soft Strap Bands for Apple Watch Series 7/8 45MM
  • IP68 WATERPROOF TESTED. ADVENTURE READY - The Mangix apple watch cases for the 45 mm Apple Watch Series 7 has a waterproof score of IP68. Dive as deep as 7 feet (2 meters). Embrace the adventure, have...
  • QUICK & EASY ACCESS TO ALL FEATURES - Made with maximum precision, the Mangix apple watch cases always keeps your Apple Watch protected, but also fully functional: Bluetooth, heart rate monitor,...
  • HIGH MILITARY RESISTANCE TO DROPS – This resilient Mangix apple watch 45 mm case exceeds MIL-STD 810G military standard for shocks & drops up to 6.6ft (2 meters). Made of rugged, shock resistant,...
  • THE FINEST DESIGN. PRECISE CUTOUTS - The Mangix Case for 45mm Apple Watch Series 7 allows complete, seamless access and control of all buttons, sensors including signature rotating crown dial and the...
  • WARRANTED-100% Satisfaction Guarantee - For all the Apple Watch Waterproof case purchased from "MangixDrict", we not only offer 30 days Return & Refund policy, but also "Mangix "products come with 12...
Bestseller No. 9
AVTREK Mens Outdoor Sport Tactical Survival Watches Hiking Digital Wrist Watch Smart Swimming Military Army Altimeter Barometer Compass Watches
  • Summary of main functions: Pedometer, Calories, Countdown timer, Metronome,Altitude measurement, Atmospheric pressure measurement. Compass, Dual Time, 2 sets of alarm, 12/24H Format, Date/Week, Hourly...
  • Digital Compass: The compass which is accurate, it’s a great sports watch for hiking or outdoor activities and wilderness survival.we will calibrated the compass during production. But it’s better...
  • Barometer ,Altimeter and Weather Forecast: Barometer shows local pressure and sea level pressure, Altimeter tells current altitude and 24-hour history by trend graph. 4 weather forecast symbols...
  • Outdoors Military tactical Watch: it can be used for tactical training, hiking,swimming or any outdoor sports. great looking with military style. This is both technological and tactical for a long...
  • Material & Size: it’s solid, durable and rugged case, diameter 50.0mm/1.96inch, durable and breathable nylon band with stainless steel buckle,and suitable for wrist from 7.08 to9.45 inches, big...

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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