Best Cycling Watches 2023 | Reviews & Buying Guide
Finding the best cycling watches may be challenging due to the current increase in the market for these watches. A number of things must be considered. To learn more, keep reading.
Do you wish to track and enhance your cycling fitness with a great fitness tracker, wristwatch, heart rate monitor, and other gadgets? You’ve come to the right place.
Let’s get to work on finding you the best biking watch on the market.
Top 5 Best Cycling Watches
Without further ado, here are the best cycling watches of this year.
- Fitbit Ionic Watch
- Polar M430 GPS Running Watch
- Garmin Forerunner 235
- Garmin Fēnix 5 Multisport Smartwatch
- Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch
Best Cycling Watches Reviews
This article will discuss the features and benefits of the top-rated best cycling watches that will undoubtedly prove their worth if purchased.
We’ll also go over the pros and cons of each watch so you can figure out which one is ideal for you.
So, now that we’ve cleared that up let’s get into the in-depth reviews of the best cycling watches on the market.
1. Fitbit Ionic Watch
Key Features:
The Fitbit Ionic Watch is, first and foremost, a conventional fitness tracker. It can track a wide range of fitness indicators, including steps taken, calories burned, active minutes, and more. Even better, this model includes GPS.
This means you can use it to plan and evaluate your routes, as well as track your distance, pace, speed, and elevation by connecting it to your phone.
The Fitbit Ionic Watch may be used as a heart rate monitor to track and improve your fitness level. It has an accurate and real-time wrist-based heart rate monitor.
The Fitbit Ionic Watch includes a variety of coaching programs to assist you in improving your overall fitness. It may be used for cycling, jogging, swimming, and a range of other hobbies and sports. It also includes a number of sport modes.
In terms of general durability, this watch is a tank with a Gorilla glass screen that is exceptionally resistant to knocks and scratches, and the watch itself is quite impact resistant. The Fitbit Ionic Watch is waterproof since it was designed with swimmers in mind.
This watch is compatible with the Fitbit app, which allows you to keep and organize all of your important data in one place for easy analysis. There are several health and fitness suggestions as well. The app can track your sleeping patterns and quality of sleep.
Up to 300 songs may be stored and played on the Fitbit Ionic Watch, and the inbuilt NFC chip can also be used to make quick payments. Unless you activate the GPS function, which uses a lot of power, this timepiece has a battery life of nearly four days. Finally, the Fitbit Ionic Watch boasts a beautiful display that is easy to read in low light.
Pros
- Great durability
- Waterproof
- Multiple sport modes
- Coaching features
- Basic fitness tracking
- HR monitoring
- Sleep tracking
- GPS enabled
- NFC payments
- Stores and plays music
Cons
- A little bulky
- Bluetooth connection issues
Final Verdict
Fitbit’s Ionic Watch is a mid-to-high-end smartwatch designed for cycling, running, and other sports. It comes with a slew of important features at a reasonable cost.
2. Polar M430 GPS Running Watch
Key Features:
While it may not be the most attractive option, this fitness tracker/smartwatch stands out since it is lightweight and compact, as well as has a comfortable, durable, and adjustable wristband. Simply told, it’s quite comfortable to wear and doesn’t get in the way while exercising.
The Polar M430 GPS Running Watch can also be used as a regular watch with time, date, and other features when not in use for running. Another feature worth mentioning is that this watch can run for well over 30 hours on a single battery.
This GPS-enabled gizmo does exactly what it says on the tin. This means that no matter where you travel, whether you’re jogging or cycling, you can keep track of your pace, mileage, altitude, and route. On the same note, this watch has an always-on, real-time, and exceptionally accurate wrist-based heart rate sensor.
This timepiece also has all-day fitness tracking built-in, so you can keep track of how much time you spend exercising, how many calories you burn, how many steps you take, and more. This watch has a clever sleep-tracking feature that guarantees you get adequate sleep day in and day out.
Keep in mind that because this is essentially a running watch, it keeps track of indoor running data such as pace and distance, which is particularly beneficial when running on a track or treadmill. It has a Polar running software built-in that allows you to train with unique sessions. It also offers fitness tests, a comprehensive running index, and a variety of recovery time data.
When you link the Polar M430 GPS Running Watch to your smartphone, you can utilize the Polar app and receive notifications for calls, messages, social media, and more.
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Accurate heart rate monitoring
- Fitness tracking
- Sleep tracking
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Better for runners than for cyclists
Final Verdict
Runners and bikers alike may be interested in the Polar M430 GPS Running Watch. It’s made for jogging, but it can also be used to ride a bike and has a lot of fascinating features.
3. Garmin Forerunner 235
Key Features:
The Garmin Forerunner 235 features a large, bright color display with backlighting and plenty of contrast that is simple to read in all weather. Despite its size, the screen is rather thin, making it fashionable and light to wear no matter what you’re doing.
The Garmin Forerunner 235 has a strong battery life as well. If you’re using it as a regular watch or fitness tracker, a single charge can last up to nine days. However, keep in mind that if you utilize the GPS, the battery life will be cut in half.
Because the Garmin Forerunner 235 has GPS, you can connect it to your phone and use it to track metrics such as elevation, distance, and speed. It can help you plan and track your trip.
You may use the app to acquire audio cues and run programs once your phone is connected to it. When connected to your phone, the Garmin Forerunner 235 will get call, text, and social media alerts.
This smartwatch can also be used as a simple fitness tracker because it monitors steps taken, calories burned, and time spent active. It also has a lot of sleep tracking features. The Garmin Forerunner 235 can track both your heart rate and your VO2 max.
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Fairly durable
- Receives notifications
- Decent battery life
- Nice display
Cons
- Better for runners than cyclists
- Not waterproof
Final Verdict
Another affordable fitness tracker and smartwatch that is geared for runners but may also be used as a fitness monitoring tool by bikers. Garmin Forerunner 235 comes with a lot of features at an affordable price.
4. Garmin Fenix 5 Multisport Smartwatch
Key Features:
The Garmin Fenix 5 Multisport Smartwatch features several sport modes for running, cycling, and other activities, each with its own set of ideas, prompts, and training program.
Furthermore, for specific activities, such as cycling, this device maintains track of vital metrics. It monitors your heart rate and VO2 max, so you’ll always know how much energy you’re expending.
The Garmin Fenix 5 Multisport Smartwatch then tracks basic fitness metrics like steps taken, calories burned, active time, and so on. Thanks to the incorporated GPS, you can also create and track routes while linked to your phone, as well as keep track of mileage, speed, and elevation.
The comprehensive running programs and analytics provided with this unit will appeal to runners. There’s also a 3-axis compass, a gyroscope, and a barometric altimeter.
The Garmin Fenix 5 Multisport Smartwatch is known for its outstanding durability. It’s built of stainless steel and has a scratch- and impact-resistant display. The compact and lightweight design, as well as a bright, colorful, and easy-to-read display, demonstrate that this watch is created for ease of use.
Pros
- Made for many types of sports
- Advanced GPS functions
- Basic fitness tracking
- Superior durability
- Accurate HR & VO2 max readouts
- Sleek and lightweight
- Very nice display
- Can get notifications
Cons
- Not waterproof
- Battery life could be better
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for an advanced smartwatch that can be used for a number of activities, has a lot of features, and you’re willing to pay a premium for it, the Garmin Fenix 5 Multisport Smartwatch is a good option.
5. Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch
Key Features:
The Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch stands out for its long-term reliability. This watch was built in the United States to military specifications. It features exceptional impact and shock resistance, as well as the ability to go underwater for up to 100 meters. It’s not just tough as nails, but because of its ultra-slim and light design, it’s also rather comfortable to wear.
The Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch also boasts a lengthy battery life, with smartwatch mode lasting up to 14 days, energy saver mode 40 hours, and GPS mode around 16 hours. The battery life is actually quite good.
The Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch has basic fitness tracking, which keeps track of steps taken, calories burned, and time spent exercising. It also has a lot of GPS capabilities, so you can plan and track your route, as well as measure distance, pace, and elevation. There’s also a 3-axis compass and a barometric altimeter. It can also track your heart rate and degree of stress.
This smartwatch offers a number of sport modes, including cycling, jogging, hiking, swimming, and more, and it will track your fitness level during each activity. You can use the Garmin app to track, analyze, and organize your data, as well as access a plethora of training tips and programs when your Garmin watch is connected to your phone.
Pros
- Extreme durability
- Waterproof
- Very nice display
- Great battery life
- Advanced GPS functionality
- Basic fitness tracking
- HR tracking
- Great Garmin app
- Smartphone notifications
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Does not perform sleep tracking
Final Verdict
In the end, the Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch is the most advanced outdoor and fitness watch available today. It offers a lot more features than you’d think.
Best Cycling Watches Buying Guide
Finding the best cycling watches might be tricky and technical. So, before you go out and buy a smartwatch for cycling, have a look at some of the most significant traits and features to consider.
Easy-to-understand display
A display that is easy to read should be bright, have a lot of contrast, be high-resolution, and preferably have an anti-glare coating. The size of the display should also be considered.
Water Resistant.
When it comes to cycling watches, water resistance isn’t a big deal, but it does come in handy if it rains while you’re out riding. Some of the watches we’ve looked at today are entirely waterproof, which is great if you want to wear your watch while swimming.
Heart Rate Monitor
Two things to look for are a heart rate monitor and even a VO2 max meter. Remember that the precision of the monitoring is the most important feature of all.
Battery Life
As you may anticipate, the battery life of these watches varies substantially. Choose one that will last at least 10 hours in GPS mode and several days while the GPS is turned off, if at all possible.
Comfort
Finally, a watch with a comfortable, adjustable strap that isn’t too cumbersome or hefty is great. You don’t want your smartwatch to get in the way of your exercise.
Conclusion
There you have it: the best cycling watches of the year.
If you want the best of the best, the Garmin Instinct Outdoor Watch or the Garmin Fenix 5 Multisport Smartwatch are also terrific options. Both are on the pricey side, but they are by far the most technologically advanced watches in this comparison.
