With non-stop technological advancement, the smartwatch has transitioned from a simple timepiece device to catering to everyday life’s activities. Whether you need to listen to music, answer a call, or check an email, a rugged smartwatch will help you out.
Rugged smartwatches are highly durable and integrate all the features you can find in a regular smartwatch. Though the regular ones might not be durable enough. Rugged smartwatches are available in various styles, designs, and price ranges.
So all you will need is a good purchase from the emerging and phenomenal options in the market. And to make things easier for you, we have gathered some best rugged smartwatches for every budget. Let’s have a look at our product recommendations.
#1. Garmin Instinct 2 – Editor’s Choice
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Garmin instinct 2 is a holy grail watch for everyone looking for a rugged daily driver on a rough adventure day. The watch has a sporty and rugged design, resembling the Casio G-shock series.
Garmin instinct 2 features a high-quality monochrome screen with power glass. The power glass technology covers the whole front panel and provides solar power to the watch, promising excellent battery life. It has physical buttons to control the watch through different modes. Buttons also have a rugged coating and aren’t too hard to use.
Gramin solar power watch has advanced GPS tracking and basic health fitness features. You can connect the watch to smartphones via Garmin’s dedicated connect app for Android and IOS. It supports complete notification sync, reply, and fitness data without any syncing issue.
Besides being a solar-powered watch, this watch also has terrific battery life indoors. You can get almost 15 days of battery life for indoor or winter use. And on sunny days, just forget about plugging it in. What else do you need in the best rugged smartwatch!
#2. Timex Ironman 30 Rugged Watch – Budget Pick
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Timex Ironman 30 is a popular option among athletes. Its dedicated, rugged design may not please your aesthetics, but its functionality makes it a standout. It features a 100-hour chronograph with lap and split times and can count up to 99 laps. The watch has a classic rugged design sealed with 100 meters of water resistance.
Timex Ironman 30 also has a classic monochrome digital screen like all rugged watches. The watch has an occasion mode, which works flawlessly to remind you of different chores and events. You can set daily, weekday and weekend schedule options with an additional alarm feature. It reminds you exactly 15 minutes before the set reminder and supports up to three time zones.
Timex Ironman 30 is made from strong, lightweight resin and feels very comfortable to wear this watch anywhere and everywhere. Due to its water-resistant capability, you can comfortably wear this watch while running or swimming. Your sweat or water won’t do any harm. But make sure you don’t use it for diving.
Timex ironman 30 is a perfect rugged watch you can find at this low price. And if you are a fan of casual-looking lightweight watches, you must get your hands on this one.
#3. Amazfit T-Rex 2 – Premium Pick
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Amazfit T-rex 2 is a fantastic rugged smartwatch with beautiful design and excellent performance. You might all need this to replace your daily driver. It is made of polycarbonate, which adds the right amount of ruggedness and doesn’t weigh it down. The watch has a bezel around the dial with a smooth finish on top and stainless steel buttons on the side.
Amazfit T-rex 2 features full-fledged smartwatch functionalities with a top-notch AMOLED display. And to ensure its durability, Amazfit has claimed it to have passed the MIL-STD 810 military test. The AMOLED screen is undoubtedly the outstanding feature of T-rex 2. Display quality is excellent, with sharp colors and adequate outdoor brightness levels.
Talking about smart features, you can connect it with both IOS and Android. It has all well-known Amazfit fitness tracker modes with the new BioTracker version 3.0 that supports blood-oxygen measurements and stress tracking. GPS performance on Amazfit T-Rex 2 is highly accurate and supports offline maps.
Amazfit has tested this watch in extreme weather conditions as low as -30°C and high as +70°C. Amazfit provides a remarkable battery life of up to 45 days, making it a steal. And with the highly accurate GPS performance, you are all set to explore unfamiliar routes.
#4. Casio G-Shock GBD800UC-8 – Best Design
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Casio G-shock series is like a star of rugged watches, and we can safely say that you will be interested in G-shock if you were hunting for a rugged smartwatch. G-Shock GBD800UC-8 is the model we found to fit in the best rugged smartwatches. It’s a versatile model that will serve as the basic Bluetooth smart fitness tracker designed in an attractive rugged case.
You can easily connect the watch to Android or IOS via Bluetooth. It will sync all activities, including your step counts, reminders, stopwatch data log, calories data, etc. Casio G-shock GBD800 is true to its fitness tracker claims and provides accurate data. The watch also supports multiple timezones, including 300 cities around the world.
G-shock connection app is the ultimate delight here, and you can send custom training routines and targets to your watch. Watch display is inherent to a typical G-shock line. You have time and a current workout plan on the dial. You can always customize the watch dial through the application to adjust preferred data on a dual display.
The Casio G-shock series is one of the benchmarks in rugged watches. The watch is sealed in lightweight resin with mineral glass on top and an extra-rugged coating making the watch shock-resistant and waterproof up to 200m. We can categorize this rugged smartwatch as a premium fitness trainer made to survive anything you push at it.
#5. Casio Men’s AQ-S810W-1A4VCF – Great Budget Choice
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Casio AQ-S810W is a cheap rugged watch that doesn’t feel cheap at all! With some great features. This budget-friendly rugged watch from Casio is one of the ultimate picks if you are on a small budget. It has a sporty, rugged design with resin build and Casio signature sports dial.
You can mistake it for a bulky watch but take our words; it’s extremely comfortable and lightweight. You won’t feel it on your wrist once you wear it. Besides, with various color options available, you can buy the right one to match your personality
The main highlight here is solar power. Yes, it can amp itself in direct sunlight, providing a reliable experience. We absolutely love the minimal design of the dial. However, it doesn’t have second-hand movement, which can feel odd if you are used to a regular ticking watch.
The watch has a small digital display for day and date, adding a nice touch to the watch’s utility and design. Casio AQ-S810W comes with a silicone strap adding more to the watch’s comfort. Watch’s lume works well in dark environments, but the illumination only works on the screen rather than the whole dial. It’s good enough to read the digits, but not the hands.
How To Find The Best Rugged Smartwatch
When you talk about the best rugged smartwatch, several factors come into consideration. Knowing these factors will make things easier for you if you find yourself confused among several options. You will be able to find a rugged smartwatch that fits your needs easily. The factors are as follows.
Watch Case
Rugged watches are meant to survive in extreme weather and environmental conditions. That’s what makes them different from the rest of the watch genres. A good quality rugged watch should have following case materials
- Polycarbonate or Resin body
- Mineral or Sapphire crystal
- Additional bezel over the dial
Water Resistance
A rugged smartwatch can never fit into the rugged category if it’s not water-resistant. We highly recommend purchasing a watch with a minimum water resistance of 100 meters or 10 ATMs. The higher it is, the better it will be!
Battery Life
Battery life is a crucial factor when buying a rugged smartwatch. Smartwatches usually have an average battery life of 7-10 hours due to high power consumption features. But when purchasing a rugged smartwatch, you already have some plans in mind, right? It could be a few days or a week-long trip. Hence, your rugged smartwatch choice must have excellent battery life. That’s why we only chose watches with reliable battery backup.
Suppose you are a person who travels a lot, a cop, or something in between facing harsh environments for a prolonged time. Solar-powered rugged watches will be your ultimate choice. You can check our pick of solar-powered rugged smartwatches mentioned above.
GPS Integration
The GPS plays a fundamental role in step counting, map projectiles, and other tracking features. However, not all smartwatches come with GPS integration. It depends on your personal preferences if you need GPS tracking or not. If you are buying a watch with GPS integration then ensure that it has good accuracy ratings especially if you travel, run, or walk. Otherwise, you will be wasting your money.
Conclusion
We have shared the best rugged smartwatches for all daring souls. Whether an athlete or an adventure traveler, these watches will endure everything with you. We surely recommend watch collectors to add a few of these sophisticated gadgets to their collection! Lastly, we hope the reviews were helpful and you liked our product recommendations.