The Absolute Best Hiking Watches for Small Wrists

When people with small wrists wear a much bigger watch, it makes their wrists appear more petite and weaker. And nobody would want to look that way. Also, when we talk about camping and hiking watches, they are so much more than just timekeepers.

But people with small wrists have to go through some problems with the ongoing trend of oversized and heavy watches. Such watches have been in fashion for the past few years. Thus, it’s difficult to get smaller watches when you go to the mall or decide to buy watches online.

Moreover, there are a few additional features that one has to keep in mind when buying a hiking watch. Some of these features hold GPS, altimeters, barometers, digital compass and heart rate monitors, etc. This makes it furthermore challenging to select the right one. 

A perfect hiking watch not only gives you the correct time and date, but it also shows you important information related to your outdoor trip like altitude levels, location, map, etc. Some of them can even provide you with details about navigation, planning, and weather prediction. Watches with such features are becoming very popular day by day.

The primary aim of this article is to provide you with the best medium to small-sized watches that people with small wrists can wear. 

Our favorite and best hiking watches for small wrists

Garmin 010-01769-01 Vivoactive 3, GPS Smartwatch

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Whether you are playing or hiking, the Vívoactive 3 is the best watch for all adventure lovers. This watch is loaded with all the features that you would look for in a watch. This is an excellent option for all sports lovers as it comes with 15 preloaded sports.

Now, you can make hassle-free contactless payments right from wherever you are. There is built-in GPS which allows you to track the distance, speed, location, and a lot about your outdoor activities.

This Garmin watch is water-resistant to carry even during rainy days. Even if your display gets wet or even in extreme sunlight, you can still easily read the Garmin Chroma Display. 

The phone also holds the Side Swipe interface, which makes scrolling easy and quick. You can smoothly navigate the menus and widgets. 

This watch is convenient for every hiking fanatic. It is comfortable to wear and very easy to use. You can download apps and create workouts with this watch. Maintaining your workout routine is more manageable than before with this product. 

You can plan your personalized custom running, cycling, cardio, or strength workouts so that you can download them whenever you want. In this way, your smartwatch will maintain records of the exercises, reps, sets, etc., for you.

Specifications

  • Colour- Black with stainless
  • Are Batteries Included- Yes
  • Screen Size- 1.2 Inches
  • Interface- Touchscreen
  • Display Type- 240 x 240 pixels
  • Item Dimensions- 1.7 x 1.7 x 0.46 inches
  • Connectivity Technology- Bluetooth, GPS

Pros

  • It is very comfortable to wear
  • It comes with long battery life
  • It comes with advanced features
  • It is not expensive

Cons

  • It doesn’t have sufficient Solar technology
  • Heart -rate tracking is not very accurate

Suunto Traverse Alpha GPS Watch

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The Suunto Traverse Alpha is a very convenient product for hiking lovers as it comes with GPS technology. It also allows you to track back quickly with the help of the mapping system. Even if you go outdoors during the dark, this watch comes with a flashlight to help you to navigate. This watch with a barometer and altimeter will never disappoint you. 

Whether you wish to go hiking, camping, or any other adventure sport, this product by Suunto can be your best company. If you love to go for outdoor activities, make sure to get this product home. Originally made in Finland, this watch can work in places with temperatures going from 5°F to 140°F. 

You also get a smart Bluetooth connectivity option in this watch. You don’t have to worry about your night trips as this watch can be used even on late-night trips. 

Specifications

  • Watch Movement: Automatic
  • Display Type: Digital
  • Water Resistance Depth: 330 Feet
  • Band Material Type: Textile material

Pros

  • It has a good battery life7
  • It shows accurate readings
  • It comes with multisport capabilities
  • It is easy to use
  • It has scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. 

Cons

  • Sometimes there might be difficulty in adding routes to the app
  • It isn’t as comfortable as its competitors in the market. 

Apple Watch Series 6

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Although this Apple watch is not particularly built for hiking purposes, it still turns out to be a great watch for outdoor activities. You can wear this watch for your casual adventure plans out in the town. If you are looking out for a watch that can be worn as a hiking watch and in day-to-day life, this is the best choice. It comes with all the functionalities that one would look for. 

The Apple Watch Series 6 is can be paired with various hiking and sports apps such as AllTrails, Strava, and Google Maps. The best part is that you will be able to watch the number of steps you have taken and activities done through Apple’s GPS. Moreover, this watch also offers Bluetooth, music, messaging, and many other features. It can be directly connected to an iPhone and any other device by using your Apple ID.

However, this watch isn’t very convenient for any kind of technical hiking. If your place has well-built trails, then you can go for this watch. 

Specification

  • Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
  • Navigation: GPS
  • Display Size: 1.6″
  • Colour- Red

Pros

  • It can be used for hiking as well as daily activities
  • It has stylish looks that fit well for small wrists
  • It comes with exciting features
  • It alerts you in case of high or low heartbeats.
  • Constant updates keeps the UI fresh

Cons

  • Expensive with rare price decreases

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

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If you want to have a watch that fulfills all your wants, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is the one you should opt for. It is comparatively smaller in size, which makes it suitable for people with small wrists. Built as a multisport smartwatch, this item comes in a full-color screen, GPS navigation. It has all the primary hiking features essential for a safe hike, such as a compass, barometric altimeter, and gyroscope. It is beneficial for those who like to take part in various sports such as skiing, surfing, biking, running, etc.

One of the best thing about this product from Garmin is that it is designed to function as a smartwatch as well as a rugged hiking watch. People can even choose a scratch-resistant Sapphire screen to keep the watch away from any kind of damage. There is also the option to charge it by using solar energy. 

Specification

  • Battery Life- Up to 21 days
  • Navigation- GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
  • Display Size- 1.4″
  • Screen- Scratch-Resistant

Pros

  • It is a great fitness tracker
  • It is easy to use
  • It comes with long battery life

Cons

  • It is expensive

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch

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If you are a fitness enthusiast and also an adventure lover, achieve your goals with this watch by Samsung. It will provide you with the correct body readings on the wrists.

Keep a count of all your steps while hiking with the help of this Samsung watch. In this way, you can track all your outdoor activities, including swimming, running, etc. 

While going on your hike, you don’t have to worry about maps. Wearing this watch is like having Google on your wrist. 

This watch comes with many additional features that allow you to keep a check on your health too. If you go to bed wearing this watch, the sleep tracker will begin to monitor your sleep and SpO2 levels constantly. 

Today, everyone is conscious about their health. You can also be one of them by using this watch. Take care of your heart with this product by Samsung showing precise ECG monitoring. It helps to keep track of irregular heartbeats. 

Talking about the look of the watch, it has a classic and luxurious design. You can even use this watch on other occasions too.  

Specification

  • Package Dimensions- 11.26 x 2.4 x 1.06 inches
  • Wireless communication technologies- Bluetooth
  • Colour   ‎- Pink Gold

Pros:

  • The design of the watch is very smart. 
  • It is made of high-quality
  • It comes with a very responsive screen
  • The display of the watch appears to be top-notch.
  • Samsung wearable apps have an easy interface and are easy to set up too.
  • It is not very costly as compared to its competitors.

Cons:

  • The ECG function doesn’t support any devices other than Samsung phones.

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Active 2

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 is made to be your best partner in all your outdoor activities. It is much more than just tracking steps. Easily connect it with the help of Bluetooth to any apps on your phone. You can choose to wear it anywhere from hiking, camping, gym, pool, and even to your bed. 

The design of the watch is sleek and light, which makes it convenient for people with small wrists. It is very comfortable to wear anywhere. The watch is made of aluminum or stainless steel and comes in different faces and bands. 

It comes with a big and bright OLED screen which can be easily read even outdoors. This makes the watch suitable for hiking and all other outdoor activities.

It is the performance of the watch that makes it stand out in the market. In fact, this product gives tough competition to other smartwatches present today.  

Talking about the battery capacity, it will remain active for more than two days even with the screen on all the time. 

The Active 2 gets charged up in just two hours. You can connect your watch to your phone through Bluetooth as well as handle it remotely via Wi-Fi when the connection goes far from the range. 

Listening to music is also possible by using Bluetooth headphones directly. You can even receive calls straight away from the watch during your hiking trips. 

Specification

  • Product Dimensions- ‎1.73 x 1.73 x 0.43 inches
  • Wireless communication technologies- ‎Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Connectivity technologies- ‎Bluetooth
  • GPS- ‎Yes
  • Colour- ‎Silver

Pros

  • The performance is very satisfactory as it functions super fast, snappy, and lag-free.
  • The design is perfect for small wrists
  • It is easy to use
  • It is budget-friendly

Cons

  • The readings might not be accurate at times.

Important Points to Have in Mind While Buying the Best Camping or Hiking Watch For Small Wrist

Battery Life

The most significant thing that you need to check before buying your smartwatch is the battery backup. Your watch should be capable of staying awake till you complete your hike.

Thus, it should have long battery life. You will come across a few watches which have batteries that last up to months. At the same time, there are a few that couldn’t remain active even for some hours. In such a case, you have to recharge the later ones again and again.

Another point to remember is that the batteries of smartwatches that come with advanced technology like GPS get drained more quickly. Hence, you can choose to carry a portable charger with you.

Weather-Resistant

When you go for outdoor trips, you might have to undergo different weather conditions, from rain to extreme sunlight. Thus, make sure to get a smartwatch that is not only small in size but can face harsh weather conditions. It will be a bonus if your watch is water-resistant as well. 

Comfort and Convenience

The band of the watch should not be too big for a small wrist. The material of the band should be comfortable too. When you go hiking, you will have to wear a watch for a long period. Hence, comfort is important so that you don’t end up having rashes on your skin. 

Interface

The interface of the watch shouldn’t be very complicated. It should come in a simple and easy interface. Both touch screen watches or the ones that have buttons come with their pros and cons. Using touch screen watches is much easier as compared to buttons. However, the only disadvantage you face is when there is rain, and the watch becomes wet.

Many people prefer to use button watches as they fight them easier to use. The disadvantage of using such watches is that they can be very uncomfortable to operate if you are wearing gloves. 

Size

The struggle of people who have small wrists is that When people with small wrists, they need to wear something smaller in size. If they wear something which comes in a considerable size, it makes their wrists look smaller. Thus, while purchasing your watch, ensure that it is smaller in size. It might be challenging for you to find out since most outdoor watches come in bigger dials. You can see the list mentioned above to find yours. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best watch for hiking?

You will come across a variety of watches in the market designed for camping, hiking, or any outdoor activities. However, go for the one that comes with additional features like GPS technology, long battery life, etc.

Do I Have a Small Wrist?

A small wrist has nothing to do with the overall stature of the person. There are some people who are tall but have small wrists and short people with bigger wrists. A wrist under 6.5 inches or 17 cm in size can be called a small one.

Should I purchase hiking and camping watches?

Buying a smart hiking watch will provide people with the most accurate readings. Such kinds of watches can be worn for all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking and camping.

If you’re looking to buy a hiking watch but not spend significantly, you can find plenty of options for a hiking watch under $100.

What are the pointers to look for while purchasing a watch for a small wrist?

The primary goal of purchasing a watch for a small wrist is to attain the style goals and also appear proportional.

Conclusion 

Select a watch from the above list and make your whole hiking experience even better. You don’t even have to worry about your small wrist as all of these models come in moderate sizes. Hopefully, this article lets you figure out the best hiking watch for a smaller wrist. Feel free to share your comments regarding which watch you would like to purchase and why.

FROM THE AUTHORS AT TECHIE CAMPER

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