Extreme in the blood: TOP 5 smartwatches for travel and tourism

Protected smartwatches of the Honor brand are designed for lovers of extreme recreation, hiking and travel, especially to "wild" places. And they look appropriate: a massive and weighty wear-resistant case, a metal bezel, which depicts not the usual signs of time, but degrees of direction, and a camouflage color of the fabric strap to complement the brutal look. True, there are also more classic colors with a regular silicone strap. According to the manufacturer, the gadget complies with the US military standard MIL-STD-810G and passed 14 different endurance tests, including tests for resistance to high and low temperatures, humidity and altitude changes, sand tests, salt fog, etc. . All in all, the watch is durable enough to survive heavy use in challenging environments. Perhaps the only caveat is the lack of full-fledged water protection (only IP67), that is, you cannot swim and engage in water sports without removing the device.

In addition, a compass, barometer and altimeter will be useful for tourists, as well as a GPS module, which accurately determines the location and helps to plot a return route even in unfamiliar terrain. The watch also displays information about sunrise and sunset, moon phases and tides and warns of bad weather. But perhaps the most useful will be the ability to make calls using a microphone and speaker. There is no slot for a SIM card, so communication to a smartphone is necessary in any case. But you can talk without taking your phone out of your backpack or pocket.

Autonomy has become the real superpower of the gadget. A single charge of a capacious 790 mAh battery will last up to 25 days. With intensive use, this period is reduced to 14 days, which is also a very good indicator. With GPS turned on, the watch will last up to 40 hours, but if you add a power saving mode, up to 100 hours.

Otherwise, it's a complete smart gadget with a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, HiSilicon Kirin A1 chip and 4 GB of internal memory, thanks to which you can download up to 500 songs and listen to them through wireless headphones. 100 sports modes are supported, including 18 professional ones, and the watch also monitors your daily activity, continuously monitors your heart rate, monitors the quality and duration of sleep, and measures blood oxygen levels.

The Finnish company Suunto, which is known for its professional sports watches and compasses, positions the model as a gadget that can keep up with the pace of your active life. And this is true, but still the main feature of the device was the operating system - Wear OS from Google. This is the manufacturer's first watch with this OS, which makes it really smart. You can not only view incoming messages, notifications and calls, but also download various applications from Google Play, give voice commands to the Google Assistant virtual assistant and make contactless payments via Google Wallet. Thus, Google Fit or Android Wear applications can track activity, although the branded Suunto App will still be the most detailed and convenient.

The watch is ready to accompany you anywhere, anytime and in any weather. Although they do not look too large and massive, in fact, this is still a tough nut to crack. There is shock, water and dust resistance, a stainless steel bezel and durable Gorilla Glass protect the 1.39-inch AMOLED display from damage, and physical buttons can be pressed while wearing gloves. Suunto Seven comes with built-in GPS so you don't even need a smartphone when you train or hike. In addition, the watch offers free offline terrain cards that provide information about the terrain, routes and isolines. In addition to local ones, heat cards are available showing the most popular routes. For example, with the help of them you will see the "trodden" paths to find a company for a joint workout, the way back, or, conversely, an unknown route away from people. Maps are loaded automatically while charging when connected to a Wi-Fi network.

The watch also supports 70 sports modes for more effective training, measures heart rate around the clock, monitors daily activity and monitors the quality of sleep at night. And the presence of built-in memory allows you to download your favorite tracks and listen to them directly from the watch through wireless headphones.

Perhaps the only drawback of the device is autonomy. With not too active use, one charge will last a maximum of a couple of days, but if you use the functions of the watch to the fullest, they will have to be charged daily. Moreover, with the included GPS and listening to music, the charge will not last until the evening.

But a nice bonus when buying will be an additional silicone strap included in the package.

The model represents the Instinct series, created by Garmin for travelers and fans of extreme pastime, and the prefix Solar in the title indicates the presence of a solar battery. It will save you from cases of a dead battery at the wrong time and the need to constantly charge the device. Although even without this, the autonomy of the watch is at the highest level: up to 24 days with all smart functions turned on, up to 56 days in power saving mode, or 70 hours with GPS turned on. The solar battery extends the service life up to 54 days, and in economy mode it does not require recharging at all - the gadget will work as a regular watch without being discharged. Moreover, for this there is no need to "roast" in the sun all day - 3 hours a day is enough. By the way, for tech who do not need the solar power function, there is a Garmin Instinct model.

Like most specialized Garmin watches, this model focuses on reliability, sacrificing design and external aesthetics. This is a massive device with a monochrome transflective non-touch screen (thanks to him for the long autonomy), five familiar buttons for control and a plastic case with full water protection, which allows you to swim without removing the watch from your wrist. The screen is protected by reinforced glass, and a tight ring around the display enhances protection against damage. In addition to water resistance, it claims to meet US military standard MIL-STD-810 for thermal and shock resistance.

For travel, the watch is equipped with an altimeter to provide altitude data, a barometer to monitor the weather, a three-axis electronic compass and a thermometer to measure ambient temperature. In addition, the device uses a trio of global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) that accurately determine the location, supports ANT + wireless data transmission technology, and the TracBack function builds a return route to the starting point. For athletes, there are various exercise profiles, as well as health monitoring: the watch can measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels, determine stress levels, track sleep duration and analyze body energy (Body Battery function) so that you better understand how effective you were training and when it is better to relax or, conversely, go in for sports.

Finally, the model performs standard tasks for conventional smartwatches, such as displaying incoming calls and messages, remotely controlling music on a smartphone, and finding a lost phone.

Smartwatches belong to the Garmin Instinct line, so there is no doubt that they are suitable for tourism and hiking - these devices are designed specifically for travelers. First of all, the manufacturer worked on the design, because the gadget must withstand extreme use without any problems. To do this, the body is made of fiber-reinforced polymer (in other words, durable plastic), and the screen is covered with a scratch-resistant protective glass. The watch can withstand pressure under water at a depth of up to 100 meters and easily endure temperature drops and shocks. They look quite brutal and massive, but at the same time they are quite comfortable to wear and do not feel strongly on the hand.

In addition to the appearance, Garmin paid no less attention to the functions of the model. Perhaps, there is almost everything that can be useful while traveling: access to several global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo), an ambient temperature sensor, a 3-axis electronic compass, an altimeter and a barometer for observing the weather. And the TracBack option will create a return route and help you return to the starting point from where you started your journey. In emergency situations, your current location can be sent to selected contacts manually or automatically. There are no pre-loaded cards, like the Garmin Fenix 7, but at the same time the cost is almost half.

Unlike most modern smartwatches and fitness trackers, the Garmin Instinct 2 doesn't have a bright, colorful touchscreen - it has a 0.9-inch monochrome transflective non-touch display with an additional window for even more information. That is, it does not display different colors and does not respond to touch, and the usual buttons on the case are provided for control. Therefore, if earlier you used only gadgets with touch displays, at first you will have to get used to it. However, text is readable on the screen, images and data are clearly visible even in bright sunlight. When connected to a smartphone, the watch will duplicate incoming calls, notifications and messages, but you will not be able to answer them.

In terms of activity and health monitoring, the watch also gets a solid "five": they can measure heart rate (using the Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor), blood oxygen levels, monitor sleep, stress and even women's health, as well as track sports activities. , calculate recovery time, body battery energy level and fitness age, give useful tips and recommendations for training. In addition, there are many sports modes available, from standard running and swimming to golf, triathlon and climbing. In general, the device gives a comprehensive picture of the general state of health, stress and rest.

Of course, in addition to the possibilities, for any traveler and lover of extreme recreation, the autonomy of the gadget is important. For modern smartwatches, 10-15 days is a fairly good indicator, but the Garmin model on average lasts up to 28 days of use on a single charge. Although this directly depends on the operation and the included functions: for example, in power saving mode, the watch will work up to 65 days without recharging, with always-on GPS - only 30 hours, in hiking mode with GPS - up to 32 days. Please note that there are also other watch versions to choose from. Probably the most interesting among them is the Solar model with a solar battery, which does not require recharging at all, provided it is worn daily for 3 hours outdoors or indoors at 50,000 lux illumination. Additionally, the Garmin Instinct 2S offers the same features but in a smaller 40mm case instead of 45mm.

Watches from the Finnish company Polar are a successful tandem of a rugged device for use in harsh environments and a gadget with smart functions. The manufacturer positions them as a device for outdoor sports, in other words, they will become a reliable companion for lovers of uncharted trails and hard trials, and not even a trimmed stadium lawn. The model is more suitable for men, as the female half is unlikely to appreciate the brutal design and massiveness. All this for the sake of durability: the watch has passed several tests for compliance with the military standard MIL-STD-810G and can withstand shock, extreme temperatures, drops and humidity, and full water protection allows you to swim and swim without worrying about the safety of the gadget. At the same time, it weighs a little - 64 g, is comfortable and almost not felt on the wrist. At the same time, there are two sizes of the bracelet to choose from depending on the circumference of the hand, and compatibility with standard bracelets with a 22 mm quick-release fastener is also declared.

Polar Grit X is always ready to conquer new heights and find a way out of difficult situations with you. The equipment includes a compass, a barometer, a GPS module that will help you prepare for the vagaries of nature, make routes, study the area and return to the starting point. In addition, the watch supports more than 130 sports modes and analyzes how effective your workouts were. To do this, the system provides detailed information about the passage of ascents and descents, the intensity of running training, determines the energy intake from fats, proteins and carbohydrates and gives motivating feedback. At the same time, the device monitors various health indicators: the maximum oxygen consumption during running, the number of calories burned, data on the work of the heart, the phases and quality of sleep. And there is nothing to say about the accuracy of the heart rate monitor - Polar is a pioneer in the development of wireless heart rate monitors for professional athletes. Moreover, it uses a more advanced measurement using a combination of Precision Prime sensors.

Autonomy rests on the shoulders of a 346 mAh battery, one charge of which will last up to 7 days with continuous heart rate tracking or 40 hours of training using GPS. Given the functionality and the presence of a 1.2-inch touch screen that duplicates incoming notifications from the phone, this is a pretty decent indicator.