There’s nothing worse than adding tons of extra miles to your adventure because you get lost in the wilderness. You might take a wrong turn, or end up on a side quest unknowingly. Then the clouds turn purple, and you find yourself looking for flashes in the sky while you skitter down the side of the mountain.
This is just one of many reasons why hikers and mountaineers often wear an altimeter watch. But what is an altimeter watch, and why are they the best watches for hiking?
Altimeter watches bring multiple functions to your wrist, including readouts for atmospheric pressure and altitude. This type of information can then be used to tell you where you are, how high you are, and whether or not a storm could be coming to greet you. This style of watch provides real-time information to keep you in-the-know even when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
Most altimeter watches also incorporate GPS tracking, digital compasses, heart rate monitors, and even forecasting. These features can then be leveraged to not only keep you safe while hiking but also to support your growth as an athlete. Here’s what else you need to know to fully understand the function of an altimeter watch and why hikers love them so much.
How Do Barometric Altimeter Watches Work
Altimeter watches have one main job to do: to measure the distance between sea level and the watch. This better allows you to orient yourself to the mountains and features around you while you hike.
Both the altimeter and the barometer are prominent features in mountain watches and they’re both used to determine if changes in air pressure are due to shifting weather patterns or to changing elevations. Depending on the watch, it usually toggles between the two readings to determine whether or not a storm is brewing.
Altimeter Reading
A watch’s altimeter usually functions by utilizing a pre-programmed formula that allows the watch to determine how high it is from sea level by converting air pressure. As you climb higher in elevation, air pressure decreases (or as you descend, it increases). The altimeter sensor monitors these changes and converts them into a figure.
This sensor often requires periodic calibrations at a known elevation to ensure accuracy. The purpose of the altimeter is to tell you the elevation.
Barometric Pressure Sensor
The purpose of a barometric pressure sensor is usually to monitor shifts in the weather pressure. Rising figures usually suggest the weather is improving, while falling numbers could indicate a looming storm and a potentially rainy walk.
There’s quite a bit of science behind air pressure and meteorology – minor changes in one could mean drastic changes in the other in a given situation. Some hikers are natural meteorologists and can understand these subtle patterns, but not everyone wants or needs to be like this. For a quick reference of how shifting barometric readings could alter the weather, check out the end of this useful resource from NOAA.
Common Altimeter Watch Features
In addition to the altimeter and barometer, most altimeter watches include other helpful features. This helps to provide the athlete with a well-rounded watch that not only provides elevation and weather readings but also your specific location, and health tracking data.
- GPS Integration – Many modern watches pair the altimeter and barometer sensors with GPS data to ensure that you always know where you are. This combination of information allows the watch to cross-reference pressure data with satellite data for better accuracy.
- Digital Compass and Health Tracking Sensors -Some watches still provide the user with a digital compass in order to keep you oriented while you’re in the wilderness. Other common sensors include accelerometers (to detect speed) and heart rate monitors. This type of information can be used to monitor exertion and overall wellness throughout the course of a day.
While altimeter data can be overwhelming when you’re first learning how to read it, this type of information can help you to make informed decisions on the trail even while the weather conditions change.
Why Altimeter Watches are Great for Hiking and Climbing
Mountains can be really temperamental. While you should always do your due diligence before hitting the trail, and take a look at weather readings, they’re always subject to change. Here are a few additional reasons why a quality altimeter watch is great for hiking and climbing.
Accurate Elevation Data
Navigation: Altitude measurements can be used in real time to help you determine where you are on a route. This is especially helpful in alpine environments where the trails are difficult to follow or nonexistent.
Route Planning: Many alpine watches use this type of data in conjunction with a map to help you set the best route for your endeavor. This is ideal in environments with cliffs and particularly challenging terrain.
Enhanced Safety and Weather Monitoring
Hikers use all kinds of different gadgets to keep themselves safe while on the trail. One reason why the altimeter watch comes in handy is because it can provide you with early weather warnings. Sudden drops in pressure could indicate that a storm is coming, which allows you to drop to a lower elevation or find somewhere to wait it out.
Another reason why an altimeter watch can be invaluable is that it can help you to monitor your rate of ascent, and heart rate to watch out for altitude sickness. This is one great strategy to ensure that you’re spending enough time acclimating during a challenging climb.
Multi-Functional Versatility
In a world where traveling light and fast is a priority, having a single device that can track all of your essential data points can be a lifesaver. Most altimeter watches integrate a GPS, compass, and heart rate monitor in addition to altitude and barometer readings.
Another reason why an altitude watch can come in handy is that it provides overall performance tracking, which is vital when you’re looking to optimize your training schedule.
Durability in Extreme Conditions
Finally, hikers and mountain athletes need their gear to stand up to pretty rugged usage. Without quality glass and a durable wristband, your watch will die an early death. Fortunately, most barometric altimeter watches are designed to withstand shock, water submersion, and extreme temperatures. In turn, this allows the watch to maintain its reliability even in challenging environments.
Along the same lines, long-lasting battery life is essential for mountain athletes since they’re often away from electricity for days at a time. Fortunately, most altimeter watches come with power-saving modes to support varying levels of usage.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Watch When Hiking
Hiking watches are great, but if you don’t know how to optimize the tools at your disposal, a lot of cool features can be wasted.
Calibration and maintenance are likely the single most important factors that go into ensuring you have accurate, optimized information at your disposal. Factors like display settings, power-saving features, and phone synchronizations can also help to simplify your hike.
Here are a few things you can do to get the most out of your watch when hiking:
- Calibrate Before You Hike – Calibration involves syncing your watch to a known altitude before you begin your adventure. This process usually just takes a few minutes, but it’ll significantly improve accuracy while you hike and climb. Keep in mind that it can be helpful to recalibrate amidst significant weather shifts as well.
- Firmware Updates -Your watch will generally prompt you when there’s new firmware available for download. Keeping it up-to-date helps to improve the watch’s overall performance.
- Hiking Watch Customization – Most watches can be customized to change the location of the information. This means that you can often put altitude, heart rate, and battery life data in a specific place to ensure that you have quick access to the information you use the most.
- Activate Power-Saving Modes – Unless you’re headed out for a multi-day adventure, you probably won’t need to shift your watch to a power-saving mode. If, however, you use multiple sensor tracking or you spend lots of time outside, it can be helpful to shift your watch to a different power mode to optimize the battery life.
- Sync with Your Phone – Most altimeter watches sync with your smartphone, enabling you to track your data over the course of a long time. This is a great tool for those who analyze performance and overall health throughout the year.
- Take Advantage of the GPS -In addition to tracking altitude and barometric pressure, most watches come with a GPS that allows you to track your route, mark waypoints, and get back on track when you get lost.
- Leverage the Digital Compass -The truth is that in some environments, a compass is not as useful. But it can be extremely helpful in low-visibility conditions since it can be challenging to see the landmarks that would usually guide you.
- Monitor Elevation Changes -Monitoring elevation changes can help you better manage your energy and pace while you hike and climb. Keeping yourself up-to-date with these changes is a great way to track your performance.
What to Look for in Altimeter and Hiking Watches
Selecting the right altimeter watch can feel really daunting given the number of watches that are available today. Here are a few features you should consider before making your selection.
- High-Resolution Sensors: Look for watches with advanced barometric altimeters and the option for GPS calibration. This ensures that your altitude readings are precise, even when atmospheric conditions change rapidly.
- Ease of Calibration: The device should offer both manual and automatic calibration options to accommodate varying environments.
- GPS and Health Tracking: Make sure to take a look at the watch’s GPS and health tracking as well, since these features can help bring your performance to the next level.
- Rugged Build: Alpine watches should be designed to withstand rough environments. Take a look at the ASTMs to determine whether or not you can submerge it, and how shockproof it might be.
- Display Readability: A clear, backlit display is crucial for readability in bright sunlight or low-light conditions.
- Cost vs. Features: Premium altimeter watches will offer advanced features, but there are also plenty of mid-range altimeter watches that provide users with all of the data and health information they could want. Make sure to evaluate the altimeter watch cost and weigh it against the features you’ll need for your upcoming hikes.
The Best Hiking Watches with an Altimeter
There are a few different watch brands that provide consistent, high-quality products. The best hiking watches should be reliable, consistent, and equip you with all of the information you need to stay safe and effective while on the trail. These are some of our favorite trekking watches with an altimeter.
Garmin Fenix 8
Garmin’s newest multisport GPS watch, the Fenix 8 was released in August of 2024. The Fenix series is already a standout in the world of hiking and mountaineering because of its comprehensive functionality. The Garmin Fenix 8 continues to uphold this reputation while also providing highly accurate barometric and altimeter readings.
Key Features of the Garmin Fenix 8:
- Multi-Sensor Integration: Combines GPS, barometric altimeter, and a digital compass e for complete tracking and navigation.
- Advanced Navigation: Detailed mapping, waypoint marking, and route tracking make it one of the best hiking watches with GPS available.
- Durable and Rugged: Built for harsh environments with superior water and shock resistance.
- Extended Battery Life: Offers power-saving modes that ensure longevity during multi-day treks.
- Speaker and Microphone: This is the first Fenix series watch that comes with a built-in speaker and microphone, as well. So, if you like phone/watch connectivity, this watch will do the job.
Suunto Core
A popular watch amongst both climbers and trekkers, the Suunto Core watch comes with a barometric altimeter that measures in 3-foot increments, a digital compass, weather indicators, and a simple structure for a fraction of the cost of many competitive watches.
Key Features of the Suunto Core:
- Accurate Altitude Readings: This watch measures up to 29,500 feet in three-foot intervals.
- Weather Forecasting: The barometer tracks atmospheric pressure changes to predict shifting weather conditions. It seamlessly switches between altimeter and barometer readings depending on the environment. And it alerts you to big pressure drops to indicate a storm is coming.
- Simplicity and Durability: Offers an intuitive interface with a rugged build suited for extreme outdoor conditions. It’s also water-resistant up to 100 feet and scratch-resistant.
