How To Choose The Best Cycling Watch 2021 – Top 5 Options Based On People’s Recommendations
These days, tracking your fitness and health is extremely simple – any smartphone can get the job done with nothing but a few apps, not to mention the plethora of other fitness gadgets. You can find power meters, heart rate monitors and the list can easily go on. With all these, nothing is more convenient than a watch.
Choosing the best cycling watch will ensure you get details about your fitness in real time at a glance. Such gadgets have evolved over the past years. A while ago, they could have been described as some extensions to smartphones. Today, they can track anything themselves – plus, most of them feature standalone GPS tracking too.
Of course, simple gadgets are mostly aimed at those who like to count their steps. But the cycling industry is quickly catching up. Sooner or later, chances are you will ditch everything about your smartphone when it comes to cycling. You can find anything you can think of in a watch – simply look down at your wrist and get all the information you require within a couple of seconds.
Now, what are the best cycling watches on the market and what kind of features do they come with?
Top 5 Best Cycling Watches Available in 2021
Garmin Instinct
- For your urban lifestyle: This watch is to match your style. It comes in many trendy colours and fits any look. Whether on the beach, biking with friends or at the barbecue party. The instinct always fits your watch, your lifestyle
- Always up to date: Now you won't miss any news, mails or calls. The Instinct informs you with Smart Notifications about everything that happens on your smartphone. Enjoy your after work with colleagues and without looking on the phone
- Sporty on the go: snowboarding, stand up paddling, climbing, yoga or strength training in the gym, from now on, you can experience all this with your instinct. Thanks to GPS, GLON and Galileo, you always know where you are on the go
- Stay fit: This is easy with step counter, pulse measurement on the wrist and calorie consumption measurement. When it gets stressful, you can keep a cool head thanks to stress level measurement. The sleep ysis shows you how restful your sleep was
- Garmin Connect App: This powerful app for Android/iOS provides you with individual information about your activity. Compare yourself with friends. yse and celebrate your achievements. An app clear, personal, motivating
Measuring 1.8 inches in diameter and boosting a silicone construction in gray, Garmin’s cycling watch is rough and ready to withstand all kinds of environments – 810G standards for water resistance up to 100 meters, shock and thermal resistance.
It features a three axis compass and barometric altimeter – you can also rely on GPS, Galileo and Glonass. The Tracback feature provides guidance to navigate back on the exact same route. The battery will last for up to 14 days – depending on the mode you use.
The watch can also monitor your stress, activity levels and heart rate. You have a bunch of activity profiles to train with. It has its own app for smartphone notifications and provides access to the Garmin online fitness community.
- Rugged design
- Water resistance
- Superior navigation system
- Access to an online fitness community
- Good battery life
- Compass could have been better, but it gets the job done
Yamay Smartwatch
- 【TOUCH SCREEN & WATER RESISTANT】1.3inch TFT colorful display and smooth touch screen. Built swimproof and water resistant. It totally meets your needs when washing hands, taking bath, swimming, Sweating,Raining.
- 【GOAL-BASED EXERCISE MODES】Choose from 14+ exercise modes like walking,running, bike, Hiking, Mountaineering,yoga, badminton,basketball football and more, set a goal, and get real-time stats during your workouts to see how you can keep getting better.
- 【SLEEP MONITOR】Tracks light, deep and sleep stages.Get a better understanding of your sleep quality, get helpful insights about each night and set a sleep schedule with bedtime reminders to actively work toward a consistent routine.
- 【24/7 HEART RATE】Use 24/7 heart rate to better track calorie burn, optimise workouts and uncover health trends that inspire you to make moves on your health and fitness goals.
- 【NOTIFICATIONS & APPS &GPS】Connected GPS via your phone, for real time run stats Connect fitness tracker with your phone,you will never miss a call and a message. It will vibrate to alert you if your phone receives a phone call, SMS text and SNS messages. SNS alert: Facebook, Twitter,Whatsapp,Instagram,Linked in,Skype and so on.
Featuring a super lightweight profile and coming in a few different colors, Yamay’s best cycling watch will not disappoint you with its features. It can track calories, distance, heart rate, steps and so on – not to mention the seven sports modes.
The 1.3 inch screen is more than enough for smart uses. The smartwatch is compatible with modern Android and iOS devices, so you can get calls, read emails or texts directly on the screen. A single charge will keep you going for up to 10 days.
You can wear the watch without worrying about rain or sweat. It has a solid IP68 waterproof standard, so it can take some good splashes. Apart from the smartwatch connectivity and the fitness features, it also has a music controller and an alarm clock, among others.
- Loads of features
- Compatible with most smartphones
- Decently sized screen
- IP68 waterproof standard
- Available in more colors
- Manual of instructions lacks lots of information
Suunto 9
- A great training and competition companion for over 80 sports, Waterproof up to 100 m, Extra-long-lasting battery that lasts up to 120 hours, Regular software updates via the Suunto website
- Colour display with three buttons, Graphic real heart rate display on the wrist, Step/calorie display and sleep recordings, Interval guidance, Location-based lap recognition and mountain training
- GPS tracking and route planning with current location information using heat maps based on millions of GPS tracks, barometric altimeter (FusedAlti) and route tracking (FusedTrack)
- Compatible with Strava, Endomondo, Under Armour, Adidas Running and Training Peaks plus benefit packs, Smartphone compatibility for sharing workouts on social media
- Contents: 1x Suunto 9 unisex multisport GPS watch, USB cable, strap length: 24 mm, black, SS050142000
Suunto’s cycling watch is built for serious athletes. It has more than 80 sports modes, as well as a barometer to identify the altitude. You can get it in a different model without the barometer though. Other than that, it monitors the heart rate too.
Whether you are only into cycling or you like other adventures like hiking and running too, you will love the GPS accuracy. You can track your exercises for up to 120 hours, while the water resistance to 100 meters makes it suitable for bad weather and splashes.
Furthermore, you can use Suunto’s proprietary application and get statistics and programs from your watch. You can upload data, share with others and compete against them – detailed analyses will only push you further.
- Built to last
- Comes in more colors
- Numerous features
- Can upload and share data online
- Plenty of sports modes
- Cannot store music
Willful Smart Watch
- 【New Upgraded Visual Experience 】- 1.3 inch TFT-LCD clear display, full touch screen smooth experience. Strong and durable 2.5D LCD display. 3 level brightness adjustable.
- 【All Day Activity Health Data】- Record daily data such as steps, distance and calorie consumption. Protect your sleep quality, recording deep sleep, light sleep, sleep and awake time. 9 exercise modes, provide reference data for your daily health analysis and improvement. (Running, Walking, Bicycle, Hiking, Climbing, Treadmill, Spinning, Yoga, Workout)
- 【Stay Connected to Your Day】- Connect fitness tracker with your phone, you will never miss a call and a message. It will vibrate to alert you if your phone receives a phone call, SMS text and SNS messages. SNS alert: Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram, Linked in, Skype and so on.
- 【24 Hours Real Time Heart Rate Monitor】- Automatically recognizes the heart rate zone. Using advance sensor technology, combined with self-developed algorithms, low power consumption, high precision. Use 24/7 heart rate to better track calorie burn, optimize workouts and uncover health trends that inspire you to make moves on your health and fitness goals.
- 【Regular Use 7days Battery Life】- Low power bluetooth chip, compatible with bluetooth 5.0, strong scalability. Charging for 2.5 hours, regular use 7days, standby for 35 days.
Boosting IP68 waterproof standards and battery saving modes, Willful’s best cycling watch is ideal for extreme adventures in rough conditions – including rain. It has a good battery life and can last up to seven days when in use – or 35 days when in standby.
The watch monitors your sleep, as well as your heart rate. Such data is provided in real time, so you can always keep an eye on your physical condition. It has an automatic sleep tracking function too – deep sleep, light sleep, awakening times and so on.
The watch supports nine different modes and three brightness levels. When connected to your smartphone, it will display notifications and alerts. As for the design, the 1.3 inch touchscreen is ideal for both men and women.
- Aluminum alloy frame
- Touchscreen display
- Can track vital signs
- Good battery life
- Good water resistance
- Heavier than other watches in this range
Garmin Vivoactive 3
- Sporty smartwatch with built-in GPS, sports apps and wrist-based heart rate. Physical size:4.34 x 4.34 x 1.17 cm. Fits wrists with a circumference of 12.7-20.4 cm
- High-resolution colour touchscreen display for enhanced readability in all light and side swipe interface to scroll through widgets and menus
- Sports apps include yoga, cardio, strength training, running, swimming and many more; download pre-set workouts or create custom ones
- Includes fitness monitoring, such as VO2 max and fitness age estimate, plus all-day stress tracking and relaxation-based breathing timer
- Smart notifications including the ability to send prewritten responses to text messages, LiveTrack, Connect IQ watch faces and apps and more
When used as a smartwatch, Garmin’s gadget will last for up to a week on a single charge. When used in cycling with the GPS mode on, it will work for about 13 hours. It features a decently sized 1.2 inch display – more than enough for plenty of information.
There are lots of free watch faces and applications to personalize the watch over the Connect IQ store. As for cycling, it has one mode. You also have over 15 other sports modes for yoga, running, swimming and so on.
You can monitor your fitness levels, but also connect the unit to your smartphone and get notifications and updates whenever available. The watch is available in a few different colors and it feels solid and well put together.
- Built to last
- Easy to customize with apps and faces
- Connects to your smartphone
- Works as a contactless payment method
- Good battery life
- Not too many banks for the contactless payment option
Frequently Asked Questions
Still not sure about the best cycling watch?
Is the GPS function important in a cycling watch?
Lots of people might feel put off by the fact that the GPS mode in cycling watches will drain the battery faster. It is perfectly normal though – the same rule applies to your smartphone. However, the GPS mode ensures you will not get lost. You will also be able to monitor your tracks, distance and keep an eye on your progress overtime. Being able to analyze your cycling data will help you improve your rides.
Should I connect my cycling watch to my smartphone?
Many cycling watches allow smartphone connectivity, which is great on the go. You can see emails or texts on the screen. You can get notifications and alerts. You may not necessarily be able to do it while you ride, as you may have to take the smartphone out of your pocket. Practically, you have everything at a glance. Moreover, smartphone connectivity will allow easy updates for the software.
Should I get a cycling watch with water resistance?
Water resistance is all about convenience. You will cycle in all kinds of weather conditions, meaning you will need a watch that can take bad weather. Even if the weather looks alright at the moment, you could end up caught in a storm within an hour. Having a waterproof or water resistant unit is important or you may ruin your watch on the first ride. Other than that, outdoor people tend to enjoy other sports too – such as swimming or perhaps fishing. As long as there is a risk to get your watch splashes, water resistance is a must.
What kind of a strap do I need?
The strap in a cycling watch is all about comfort. This is the main reason wherefore you will not find too many watches with metallic straps. Instead, they are based on comfy materials, such as fabrics or perhaps silicone. You will wear this watch for hours on your adventures, so you need something that fits your wrist. Apart from being easy to wear, the strap should be adjustable as well.
Conclusion
As a short final conclusion, many cycling watches share similar characteristics. Choosing the best cycling watch is all about deciding on the best features for your adventures. It makes no difference if you are a professional cyclist or a beginner – if you are keen about it and you enjoy riding on two wheels, a cycling watch could be the ideal gadget for you.
Integrated GPS is almost a must in such watches if you want to track routes in a more effective manner. While they do not have too much to do with cycling, features like heart rate monitors and other fitness functions will ensure you keep on top of your physical level.
Other than that, there are loads of stylish models on the market – another aspect to take in consideration. Chances are you will want to wear this watch on casual outings as well.
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