Thinking of getting into triathlons and wanting the best equipment to help you on your journey? Well, we can help you with that. Of course, when it comes to triathlons, athletes would look for the most comfortable running shoe or the best bicycle. But another thing that is important in triathlon is a good and reliable triathlon watch. For this list, we’ll be showing you 15 of the best triathlon watches worth considering.
What to Look for in a Triathlon Watch
A triathlon watch is equipped to help you out on every leg of a triathlon race. Now, it could be a simple digital watch or it could be the latest smartwatch. What’s important is that it’ll have the features that will come in handy for swimming, cycling, and racing. But if you’re not entirely sure yet what makes a triathlon watch good, look for the following features in your watch.
Multisport Feature
As many of you know, a triathlon includes three activities: swimming, cycling, and running. The multisport feature of the watch allows for a quick and easy transition from one activity tracker to the next. In a race, your goal is to finish fast. And you definitely don’t have time to press a bunch of buttons while going through the menu and setting to shift from one activity to the next. So having a triathlon watch that makes that transition worry-free is important.
Battery Life
Depending on the event, a triathlon could last between a few hours to a couple of days. During this time, you definitely can’t afford to have your triathlon watch dying on you. And you also have to note that the battery life of a triathlon watch differs when in smartwatch mode and GPS mode. What you’ll need to be looking at especially is the battery life in GPS mode since you’ll be using that feature during the triathlon.
Water Resistance
As triathlon is composed of three different activities, you need to take into account each activity when purchasing a triathlon watch. Since one of the activities is swimming, you have to have a watch that won’t get damaged from water exposure. You don’t really need high water-resistance as you would find on dive watches. After all, you won’t be diving that deep. A water-resistance of 50 meters will work just fine.
Durability
The last thing you want is for your watch to break down in the middle of the triathlon. You should get a triathlon watch that’s built to handle a little beating. The glass should be scratch-resistant so that you’ll still be able to clearly see what’s on your watch despite bumping against other surfaces. Your strap should also be secure since you wouldn’t want your watch to accidentally fall off. It should also be durable enough to not break or crack.
Fit and Comfort
Sometimes, people don’t pay attention to the fit of their watch. Yes, all the other factors such as multisport and battery life are important, but this should also not be overlooked. Remember, depending on the event, you could be wearing that watch for several hours to a few days. It has to feel comfortable. Having a watch that digs into your skin or just doesn’t feel right will affect your performance.
Best Triathlon Watches: Our Top Recommendations
1. Coros APEX Premium Multisport GPS Watch
The Coros APEX is a great triathlon watch to start our list. Weight-wise, it is roughly at the average, weighing 55 grams. Its screen has a 24×24 pixel resolution and is 1.8 inches in diameter. The lens is made from sapphire glass, which is one of the most scratch-resistant watch crystal out there. It also has a pretty sturdy titanium alloy bezel.
This triathlon watch has amazing battery life. On regular use, this watch can last 30 days when fully charged. If it’s on UltraMax GPS mode, then it’ll last 100 hours, while on full GPS it can go for 35 hours. So you’ll definitely have no worries about your battery draining while using this triathlon watch.
For its features, it has a built-in heart rate monitor, compass, barometer, and altimeter. The Coros APEX has the industry-leading GPS and distance tracking, which work well even in dense woods. It has a 100m water-resistance and has a digital knob that allows for full control with the touch of a single finger.
2. Timex Ironman Classic 30
Our next watch is a tried and tested classic. When it comes to triathlon watches, the Timex Ironman series is very reliable. Now, it has to be said that this watch doesn’t have the cool features many of the modern watches on this list have. Of course, this is because it’s an older model. But that does not make this watch obsolete.
This watch is perfect for those who just want something affordable with accurate timekeeping. We definitely understand that not everyone wants a smartwatch, so we placed this classic on our list for those who prefer to keep it simple. This watch is super easy to use and can definitely take a beating.
The watch has an adjustable black resin strap which can fit wrists up to 8 inches in circumference. It has a black and blue resin case, an acrylic glass crystal, and a gray digital display. This watch is incredibly durable and has a pretty good water-resistance of 100 meters. It is quite easy to read not only because of its large digital time display but also because of the iconic Timex Indiglo light-up technology. The watch has three alarms, a calendar feature, two time zones, and 24-hour military time. It also has a 24-hour countdown timer and a 100-hour chronograph which has a 30-lap memory.
3. Garmin Forerunner 935 Running GPS Unit
The Garmin Forerunner 935 is lightweight but packed with a lot of cool features. Weighing 49g with an adjustable silicone strap, this triathlon watch is quite comfortable to wear. As a smartwatch, it’s compatible with Apple, Android, and Windows.
It has a wrist-based heart rate monitor to help you keep track of your heart rate while doing extensive physical activities. The watch also has a built-in barometer that provides elevation changes. Additionally, it also has an altimeter and a compass feature. This helpful watch can even evaluate your training status. Based on your record, it’ll tell you when you’re underperforming or overdoing your usual training. Aside from that, it also has some cool dynamics for sports like running, cycling, and swimming.
4. Garmin Forerunner 945
Our next watch is the successor to the Forerunner 935. It’s newer but also pricier but that’s because it has some additional features and improvements. The Garmin Forerunner 945 weighs 50g and has a 240×240 pixel resolution. Its screen is 1.2 inches in diameter and is made with the incredibly strong Gorilla Glass. When it’s in smartwatch mode, it’ll last for about two weeks. If it’s in ultratrac mode, it’ll last for 60 hours; while if it’s in GPS mode with music, it can go for ten hours.
One of the things that the Forerunner 945 has that its predecessor doesn’t is the music mode. So if you love to listen to music while on a run, this would come in pretty handy. You can download your favorite songs on this watch, even playlists from third-party music providers such as Spotify.
Like the 935, this triathlon watch can monitor your performance and your training status. It even adjusts for heat, training load focus, altitude, aerobic and anaerobic training effects, and recovery time. This watch even helps you make cashless transactions with Garmin Pay. Aside from the GPS, it also has full-color maps to really help guide you. Lastly, it has some pretty cool safety and tracking features. One example would be its incident detection feature, which will send your real-time location to your emergency contacts if ever the need arises.
5. Garmin Forerunner 735 XT Black-Grey GPS 2016
Up next, we have yet another Garmin watch. The Garmin Forerunner 735 XT is an incredibly lightweight triathlon watch with a soft silicone band, making it quite comfortable to wear on your wrist for several hours. Like the other Garmin watches, the Forerunner 735 XT also has a heart-rate monitor and a multisport feature. It has data support for the typical running, cycling, and swimming, and even hiking, skiing, paddle sports, and more.
The watch also has great connectivity. It has live tracking and automatically uploads your training data to Garmin connect. This watch even has music controls for a hyped-up training session, and it also has smart notifications so you can stay updated even when you’re on a run.
6. Garmin Fenix 5 Plus
Our next watch is another triathlon watch from Garmin, but this time, it’s from the Fenix series. The Garmin Fenix 5 Plus is a multisport GPS smartwatch with lots of perks. This triathlon watch can last 10 days when in smartwatch mode, and eight hours if it’s in GPS mode with music. Like the other Garmin watches on this list, the Fenix 5 has a built-in heart rate monitor. Thanks to the music feature, you can store up to 500 songs on this watch and connect it to a Bluetooth headset for hands-free listening. You can also make cashless payments with this watch using the Garmin Pay contactless payment solution.
Aside from the GPS, it also has colored maps to make sure you don’t get lost. These maps even have trendline popularity routing that lets you know the best paths you can take. The Fenix 5 also has navigation sensors such as a barometric altimeter, gyroscope, and a three-axis compass. Its multiple satellite system has GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS for more reliable tracking even in challenging environments.
7. Coros PACE Multisport GPS Watch
The Coros PACE Multisport GPS Watch is a lightweight triathlon watch that’s packed with a ton of amazing features. This watch weighs only 48g and has a 240×240 pixel resolution. It also has amazing battery life. When in smartwatch mode, it can go for 30 days. While in full GPS mode, the battery would last for roughly 25 hours, and 50 hours if in UltraMax GPS mode. Speaking of GPS, the Coros PACE has the industry-leading distance tracking thanks to GPS, BDS, and GLONASS. This multiple satellite system allows for continuous and reliable tracking even in challenging environments such as dense woods.
For the workout aspect, this triathlon watch has an optical heart rate monitor that you can connect to your favorite training apps. The watch has 13 workout modes that will help you track your performance in running, cycling swimming, and more. It also has a built-in compass, barometer, and altimeter.
8. Garmin Vivoactive 3
Our next watch is another triathlon watch from Garmin. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 can last seven days on smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS mode. This watch has great connectivity. It allows for smart notifications when connected to a compatible smartphone.
The Vivoactive 3 also automatically uploads your workout data to Garmin Connect for better tracking. It has 15 preloaded indoor and GPS sports apps, such as swimming, running, and yoga. The watch monitors your fitness level and even helps keep an eye on your stress levels. You can also make contactless payments using this watch via the Garmin Pay feature.
9. SUUNTO Ambit3 Peak GPS Watch with Heart Rate
Next up, we have this cool and sleek triathlon watch from Suunto. The Ambit3 Peak has a built-in heart monitor, like many of the watches on this list. It also has a compass and gives information about the weather and altitude. The watch can track your distance, speed, and pace. It also has route navigation and bike power support.
10. Timex Ironman Classic 50
Let’s take a quick break from all the smartwatches, and introduce yet another tried and tested classic. The Timex Ironman Classic 50 is made of durable resin and will last you a long time. It has an adjustable black strap that can fit wrists up to eight inches in circumference. Its gray digital display shows large numbers and letters for easy readability. The watch even has the iconic Timex Indiglo light-up technology, which makes it much easier for you to read the time at night. This watch has a great water-resistance of 100 meters, which is just perfect for swimming.
Of course, this watch wouldn’t be on this list if it didn’t have features to help you in your triathlon training. It has a 100-hour chronograph which has a 50-lap memory. The watch also has interval timing and a 24-hour countdown timer. Additionally, the watch has 24-hour military time, three customizable alarms, two timezones, and a day, date, and month calendar.
11. Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire
We’ve talked about the Garmin Fenix 5, but let’s take a look at its successor. The Garmin Fenix 6 is larger than the previous Fenix models with a display size of 1.3 inches. It is also, unfortunately, heavier. This watch weighs 49g but that’s just the case alone. It has a 260×260 pixel resolution and a lovely orange strap. The watch has a pretty decent battery life as it can last 14 days in smartwatch mode. When in GPS and music mode, it’ll last for up to 10 hours. However, if you want it to last for a longer time, expedition GPS activity mode can go for 28 days. And if you’re in battery saver mode, it can go for 48 days.
The watch has Pulse Ox and an enhanced heart rate monitor which supports advanced sleep monitoring and also altitude acclimation. It also has a bunch of advanced training features such as PacePro, which allows for grade-adjusted pace guidance. Now, let’s talk about the navigation features. The Fenix 6 has a multiple global satellite system which includes GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS. It also has built-in sensors for its three-axis compass, barometric altimeter, and gyroscope. The watch has preloaded TOPO maps and even ski maps for over 2,000 ski resorts worldwide. Lastly, the Fenix 6 also has Garmin Pay which allows for contactless transactions.
12. Polar Vantage V
For our next triathlon watch, we have the Polar Vantage V. This watch has a fairly large screen that’s 1.8 inches in diameter, making it quite easy to read. It also has an amazing battery life since it can go for 40 hours in GPS training mode. Its heart rate monitor provides an accurate optical heart rate thanks to its optical sensors and bio-impedance electrodes.
The Polar Vantage V watch does an excellent job when it comes to fitness tracking. It can help you improve your training through features such as the Polar Training Load Pro, which lets you see how your training affects your body and separates your cardio load, muscle load, and perceived load. Its Recovery Pro feature also provides a holistic view of your training and progress by taking into account other factors that affect your recovery.
13. Polar Vantage M
Up next, we have another watch from Polar, which is the Polar Vantage M. This triathlon watch has a less impressive battery life compared to its sibling, only lasting 30 hours of training instead of 40. However, that’s still quite great compared to other triathlon watches. It has the same heart rate monitor as the Polar Vantage V and it also has the Training Load Pro.
This watch captures key data like your pace and swimming stroke so you’ll know how you’re performing and what you can improve.
14. Timex Full-Size Ironman Sleek 150
For a more traditional triathlon watch, we have the Timex Full-Size Ironman Sleek 150. The watch has an adjustable resin strap that makes it quite comfortable to wear even after several hours. It has a large digital display with Indiglo light-up technology for easy night reading.
This watch has a water-resistance of 100 meters, which is just perfect for the swimming leg of the triathlon. The watch has three customizable alarms, two timezones, 24-hour military time, and a day, date, and month calendar. It also has a 100-hour chronograph with a 150-lap memory, 24-hour countdown timer, interval training timer, target time pacer, and even hydration alerts.
15. Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Watch
For our last watch, we have the Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Watch. For the battery life, you can choose from Performance, Endurance, or Ultra mode, depending on your intended usage. Its battery life ranges from 25 hours to 120 hours, and you can switch between modes anytime. It also has a few battery-saving features. For example, with the help of the FusedTrack algorithm, GPS power is lowered to extend battery life without compromising accuracy.
When you connect your watch to the Suunto app, you’ll be able to see the trends and track your activity, which even includes your sleep.
Final Thoughts
The best triathlon watch is the one you’re most comfortable using. To some people, it has to be a watch with all the best features and the latest technology. While for others, it could be a simple Timex Ironman watch that still gets the job done. It all depends on what you choose to prioritize and what you know will help you in your training.
In this list, we included both smartwatches and digital watches. If you want to find out more cool digital watches, check out our article on the best digital watches under $100.
