9 Best ABC Altimeter Watches For Hikers (Review And Tested)

Last Updated on May 14, 2022 by Res Marty

Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, having a great ABC watch should be a high priority for any hiker or mountaineer. It is an essential part of your overall outdoor gear. Before you go shopping for one, we suggest you read this article to know precisely which watch suits you. After all, an altimeter barometer compass watch is not your everyday watch.

In this article, we will take a look at the 9 best ABC watches on the market in 2022. We will give you thorough reviews for each of them so you know which one is best for you.

To make it easier for you to choose the best ABC watch, we will consider some important things when buying altimeter watches. 

What is an ABC Watch?

ABC watches are used mainly to find out the barometric pressure so you can predict the weather conditions (storm alarm) and altitude. These allow you to know how high up or down low you are and the direction in which you are headed as well as where you need to go.

The ABC stands for altimeter, barometer, and compass. Nowadays, ABC watches come equipped with so much more than just altimeters, barometers, GPC functionality, and compasses. For example, you can find things like health and fitness features and even download music on your watch.

In terms of modern features, they are water-resistant, air-pressure safe, have low-temperature resistance, digital displays, and digital compass, with some even being solar powered.

One of the most helpful features that most ABC watches now is a navigation system (digital compass) or GPS, making hiking so much more convenient and enjoyable. I find this article, on how to use an altimeter watch very helpful, and I recommend taking a look at it.

Some of the critical aspects we will be taking a look at when buying altimeter watches will be features like: Battery life, durability, value for money, whether the watch has GPS or not, and accuracy and reliability. 

Before we get into it, be sure to check out some of my other articles about the 8 best-hiking pants of 2022 and the 11 best-hiking apps of 2022. 

When Buying An ABC Altimeter Watch, What Important Things Should You Consider?

Battery Life

Battery life has to be one of the top concerns for a hiker or mountaineer when choosing an ABC watch. When you’re out in nature, you don’t want the headache of having to constantly charge your watch. 

Some ABC watches nowadays are solar-powered, which charge the battery when the sun is out.

This is a solid feature for one to have on their ABC watch on a hiking or mountaineering trip, as it dramatically reduces the need to charge your watch. 

If you can afford a watch with a solar panel that charges the battery, then I suggest you go for that as battery life is very important, but if not, you can always go for one that has a good battery life anyway. With you being able to do so much on your watch nowadays, our ABC watches need to be charged a lot more than simpler watches of the past, unfortunately so important to keep long battery life in mind.

Durability

Hikers and mountaineers come face to face with the elements of nature a lot of the time, so they need an ABC watch that can resist the wear and tear and still keep ticking (literally and figuratively).

We suggest you go for a watch that is highly durable so that it lasts you for some time at least. 

Whether your hand hits a rock or you have a slight fall, the watch should be able to resist some damage and not break apart or stop working so quickly.

You don’t want to lose your digital compass just when you’re deep in the mountains, now do you?

For rainy or wet conditions, it is practical for the watch to be water-resistant while also having a stainless steel case. In fact, having a storm alarm is also a plus as it can warn you beforehand.

Other than that, the ABC watch should also have some resistance against heat and low air pressure. After all, you’re going hiking in the mountains, and the air pressure is bound to drop. Therefore you should have the best ABC watch that is durable.

Additionally, You want to buy a watch with display glass that provides excellent protection against cracks and scratches.

We feel durability is a key feature to have in your ABC watch as there is a high chance that a watch that isn’t so durable will break or stop working due to shock, heat, or water. 

Value for Money 

The price point is another crucial aspect that many people might look for when buying a new ABC watch. Before you go out and buy yourself an ABC watch, you want to make sure that you are getting the best bang for your buck. 

What you want is the best and most amount of features on your watch without having to pay a tooth and a nail for it.

Some ABC watches offer great value for money, and some are just needlessly expensive. The prices of some of these ABC watches have become pretty eye-watering due to the many different things that they can now do.

So safe to say that unless you have an unlimited budget, you might want to do your research before deciding which one to buy. 

Another thing to be mindful of is just because a watch is expensive or inexpensive does not automatically mean that it is better or worse in terms of quality. It may just be that some brands are more expensive than others. 

GPS 

GPS functionality has been a major addition to the altimeter barometer compass watches in the recent past. This feature will be at the top of the list for many adventurers when they set out to buy an ABC watch. 

Besides making life a lot easier for hikers and mountaineers, a GPS watch also enables you to take control of your journey.

You can enjoy yourself without having to worry much about where you’re going and how to get there.

Of course, there might be areas and altitudes where you will not receive signals for GPS; for times like these, you will have to resort to the digital compass and manually find your way.

The only downside to having GPS navigation on your ABC watch is that it drains your watch’s battery life much faster. 

However, with a digital compass, chances are you will always be going in the right direction.

If you can afford it, then we suggest you go for a watch with GPS functionality as this is a fantastic feature to have on your ABC watch. It will get you places faster, more efficiently, and through safer routes.

Accuracy and Reliability

When you’re out on a hiking or mountaineering trip, you want to make sure the data you receive is an accurate reading that is as reliable as possible.

Some ABC watches are highly accurate and reliable, others not so much. 

We suggest you buy a watch whose ABC sensors work well, with the best altimeter being able to measure short increments, the compass showing degree changes in short periods, and the barometer showing when there is a change in pressure.

If your ABC data is highly accurate, the chances of a mess-up are greatly reduced, leading to you fully enjoying your hiking or mountaineering trip. 

For the aforementioned reasons, we believe having an ABC watch that gives you accurate and reliable data is one of the main things to look for when buying an ABC watch. 

Best ABC Watches: Video Summary:

For those of you, who prefer to see the best ABC watches in video form I have created this short summary video below. However, I recommend you to keep reading, as we will cover each ABC watch in more detail in the text.

9 Best ABC Watches Of 2022

Best Overall ABC Watch

• Weight: 1.9 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion and solar-powered
• Diameter: 45mm
• Pros: Durable watch with GPS and a solar-powered panel for self-charging
• Cons: Pricier than most other altimeter watches and screen is too small for navigation
• Overall rating: ★★★★★
  

Description

If you’re looking for an altimeter watch that can do it all, then Garmin’s Instinct Solar is just that and provides excellent value for money.

One of the most durable ABC watches on the market right now, this bad boy boasts a monochrome digital display and a five-button interface that’s easy to use even with gloves or in wet weather conditions. 

The watch offers high-tech features, which include a barometric altimeter, compass, water-resistant, thermometer, pulse oximeter, GPS, health monitoring, and music.

One of the best things about this watch is the large built-in solar-powered panel which reduces the need to charge the watch and greatly increases battery life when the sun is out. 

The Garmin Instinct Solar is our top pick for the best abc watch due to its features for the price.

Best Budget ABC Watch:

Suunto Core

• Weight: 2.3 oz.
• GPS: No
• ​Battery: CR2032
• Diameter: 49mm
• Pros: Good technology and performance.
• Cons: The band is not very reliable
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆
  

Description

The Suunto Core has a sleek and fashionable design and comes in many different colors that you can choose from.

The Suunto core costs around 250$, but you can sometimes find it for even less than that on sale, making it one of the budget-friendly ABC watch on the market. It’s kind of an everyday outdoor activities watch.

Just because it is relatively cheaper does not mean it’s not a great watch. You can find sunset and sunrise times for more than 400 locations on this watch.

The Suunto Core comes equipped with a storm alarm and lets you know when nightfall is coming. It also has a seven-day altitude log tracker with an air pressure monitor.

The black background and white text make it difficult to read in the sunlight, and the band sometimes needs replacing, but for the price you get it at, this is a great watch for everyday use.

Best GPS Watch for Maps and Navigation

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

• Weight: 2.9 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion
• Diameters: 42, 47, 51mm 
• Pros: A top-of-the-line navigation system with preloaded road, trail, and topographic maps.
• Cons: Very expensive, too heavy, and a bit too much for the average user.
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆
  

Description

If you’re someone who’s in search of an altimeter watch with the best GPS navigation system and digital compass, then the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is the watch for you.

This Garmin watch comes jam-packed with some great features, which include high-quality ABC sensors, built-in GPS, air pressure sensor, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite, due to which the watch tracks highly accurately. 

Sleep tracking and wrist-based heart rate monitoring are among some other great features of this watch.

The Fenix 6 Pro is available in 3 different versions: standard, sapphire, and solar.

Detailed contour lines and ample navigation tools are the reason this watch has the best available wrist-based mapping. 

The battery life is also much better than previous Fenix versions. The cost, weight, and complex navigation systems do not make this an ideal watch to buy for the average user. 

Additional Recommended ABC Watches

COROS Apex 46mm

• Weight: 2.0 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion
• Diameters: 42, 46mm
• Pros: Great price for a multisport ABC and GPS watch, excellent battery life, sleek design
• Cons: Limited smart features
  
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆
  

Description

While COROS might not be as popular as Garmin Fenix, Casio, or Suunto Core, the COROS Apex 46 mm is a welcome addition to the market.

One of the best things about this watch is the fact that it has a GPS navigation system, which you are very unlikely to find at this price point. 

The COROS Apex is also a beautiful-looking watch with an incredibly sleek design.

The watch has excellent battery life: 35 hours in tracking mode and up to 30 days with simple use.

The watch features a barometric altimeter, 20 sport modes, digital compass and is very durable as well as having a sapphire glass digital display. 

The dial and button interface is easy to use with gloves on.

The only downside to this watch that provides great value for potential buyers is the fact that it does not have many features, but for this price, we feel this watch is a solid purchase.

Casio Pro Trek PRT-B50

• Weight: 2.3 oz.
• GPS: No
• Battery: CR2025
• Diameter: 57.5mm
• Pros: Great build, amazing price, and has a useful smartphone app.
• Cons: Too big for a watch with no GPS; no atomic timekeeping 
  
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆
  

Description

Casio’s PRT-B50 is a new release among its Pro Trek series, which are some of the best abc watches in the market.

This watch features reliable and accurate sensors, has a layout that makes sense with well-labeled buttons on each side, and has a very solid feel overall. 

This watch looks like it’s meant for rugged use. To get accurate readings of altitude, barometric pressure, and temperature, you might have to take the watch off from your wrist.

The PRT-B50 is a relatively heavy watch and, due to its quite low price, misses out on features like solar power and atomic timekeeping. 

A game-changer for this watch is its Bluetooth sensor that allows you to pair the watch with a smartphone and the Pro Trek app.

While the app may not be as nice as Suunto Core or the Garmin Fenix app, this is still a great feature to have, considering the price of the watch.

Suunto 9 Baro

• Weight: 2.9 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion
• Diameter: 50mm
• Pros: Cheaper than the Fenix 6 Pro and amazing battery life in GPS mode.
• Cons: Battery life for everyday use is not good 
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆
  

Description

The Baro 9 is Suunto’s most technologically advanced watch yet. The watch features accurate GPS tracking, a reliable touchscreen, air pressure monitor, and a menu that is easy to use.

In terms of features, it does fall well short of Garmin Fenix 6, but it is cheaper than the Fenix. 

It has limited software and app functionality and a simple breadcrumb navigation system with a digital compass. This watch passes the durability check, though, and has multisport recording features.

The 9 Peak is a newer version of this watch which has a sleeker design and includes a pulse oximeter. 

The battery life is outstanding in GPS mode (120 hours) but pales in comparison to other watches in standard mode (14 days).

The watch looks great and is very reliable. The new Snap to Route feature makes it one of the best watches on the market in terms of tracking accuracy.

Coros Vertix

• Weight: 2.7 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion
• Diameter: 47mm
• Pros: Extremely durable; great for high altitudes and extreme temperatures.
• Cons: The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro has much better features while having a similar price point
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆
  

Description

This is Coros’s top-of-the-line watch that goes head to head with Garmin’s premium watch, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro.

The watch boasts some great features like a barometric altimeter and a pulse oximeter, 60 hours of battery life in GPS mode compared to Garmin’s 36 hours, and the best water rating of 15 ATM. 

The Vertix helps monitor your blood oxygen levels for very high altitudes by sending out SpO2 alerts. It also has an air pressure monitor, making it one of the best abc watches available today!

A durable, water-resistant sapphire glass display and titanium bezel make sure that this watch is ready for rugged use at extreme temperatures and high altitudes. 

There is a digital display touchscreen feature in some modes, and the large dials are easy to use with gloves on.

The reason why the Vertix is ranked below the Fenix 6 is due to its lacking of navigational features, and the user interface not being as good.

All in all, the Vertix is still a pretty solid watch, especially for extreme environments. 

Casio G Shock Move HR GPS

• Weight: 3.6 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion and solar-powered
• Diameter: 63mm
• Pros: Hard to kill and uses proven Firstbeat analytics.
• Cons: Outdated, heavy, and more expensive than modern options with similar technology
  
• Overall rating: ★★★☆☆
  

Description

Casio’s newest addition to its famous line of the G Shock series. Casio watches are one of the best abc watches, known for their durability and solar-power battery charging and this latest edition stays true to that.

Some modern features have been added like activity tracking, a heart-rate monitor, air pressure sensor, and smartphone support. 

You can send collected data like training load, recovery time, and calories burnt straight to your phone through Bluetooth, and for this, Casio is using Garmin’s Firstbeat technology.

As expected from a G Shock watch, durability is its most prominent feature.

The rugged and shock-resistant case makes it even more indestructible. 

The G Shock is a tough watch that also features the best water-resistant rating on this list (up to 200 m depth).

You can go almost a year without charging this watch, thanks to the built-in solar-powered panel.

For around $400, this rugged outdoor watch doesn’t offer anything that other best ABC watches don’t in this day and age, and also, the watch isn’t exactly the best-looking watch on the market. 

Polar Grit X

Features:

• Weight: 2.3 oz.
• GPS: Yes
• Battery: Lithium-ion
• Diameter: 47mm
• Pros: Durable build and super accurate HR monitor.
• Cons: Firmware needs fine-tuning and battery life isn’t the best for daily use.
  
• Overall rating: ★★★★☆

Description

While Polar might not be a household name or be as popular as Casio or Garmin watches, their watches can more than hold their own in the market.

The Grit X is their top-tier multisport offering and is a very durable watch for use in rough conditions. The heart rate accuracy and the air pressure monitor for this watch is absolutely incredible. 

The watch has a stainless steel case Gorilla Glass touchscreen and, even though it’s very durable, has a nice overall build and sleek design.

The Grit X has reliable tracking with multi-GNSS support and a bunch of multisport settings.

The Polar Flow app can be viewed on both your mobile and computer instead of just on the mobile. 

The battery life in GPS mode is average, and the watch lacks any power-saving modes meaning you will have to charge it every few days when used without GPS.

The navigation features are very basic, and unless you’re actively tracking, the compass is very difficult to access.

There are no added features like music or contactless pay. 

The Polar Grit X might not be for everyone, but for the price, it is a decent buy and among the best ABC watch you can get!

Conclusion

We hope that after going through this article, you are better educated and informed about which ABC watches are going strong in the market in 2022 and which one would be best for you.

Figure out which aspects and features matter the most to you and then decide which watch would be the perfect one for you.

Some people will go for the looks, some for the durability, for some, the best watch will be the one that provides the best value for the money.

To make the choice easy for you I have included the chart below with the main advantages for each mode.

Garmin

For others, it may be that they are looking for the most reliable and accurate watch, for some GPS navigation may be it. But, whatever your preference, maybe there is definitely an ABC watch for you out there.