The rugged smartwatch has developed from the old wearable (which might have been mechanical or with a battery, as well as waterproof/water-resistant) to become a gadget more appropriate for this century, much like the standard smartwatch.
While I won’t dispute the value of all the integrated technologies (such as heart rate monitors, fitness trackers, IoT integration, smartphone pairing, and more), there are some issues that persist with all smart wearable technology.
For example, battery life has decreased from years (or indefinitely for mechanical watches) to days and even hours.
Although the TicWatch may be on to something and the Amazfit T-Rex has violated certain rules, we must recognize that there is currently no answer in sight.
The idea of a smartwatch is not really new; engineers have been attempting to attach a mini-computer to your wrist for a long time.
However, the Pebble series marked the first cautious foray into the consumer market, and the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear, and Motorola 360 signified the mainstream entrance.
Since there are so many devices on the market already in 2023, smartwatches don’t really need an introduction.
However, the focus of this article will be on the most rugged smartwatches, which can withstand harsher environments and all the punishments associated with participating in outdoor sports and activities.
10 Best Rugged Smartwatches 20223
Without further ado, let’s check out the top waterproof smartwatches (that can take the punishment) currently available.
- Garmin Fenix 6
- Casio WSD-F30 Rugged Smartwatch
- TicWatch Pro 2020
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- Meoonley Military Rugged Smartwatch
- Kospet Tank T1 Rugged Smartwatch
- Garmin Instinct
- Amazfit T-Rex 2
- Casio G-Shock Move GBD-H2000
- Apple Watch Ultra
Let’s discuss this in detail;
1. Garmin Fenix 6
The Garmin smartwatches have long been regarded as some of the best sports-tracking rugged devices available.
The Fenix smartwatches do come with a premium build, good tracking capabilities, and lots of sensors, and if you choose the Sapphire variant, you get an all-around rugged device that you won’t be afraid to take on your outdoor adventures.
It’s true that Garmin products have always been intimidatingly expensive.
The most recent Fenix 6 maintains all of the features that made the Fenix 5 Plus a fantastic smartwatch from the previous year, such as a plethora of sensors (sleep and stress tracking, and contactless payment).
The ability to track a wide range of sports, and a rugged body, but it has added more lens options (including solar Power Glass) and a wider range of case materials.
The Fenix 6 and the 5 Plus both have rather large main bodies composed of fiber-reinforced polymer with metal covers.
The bezels are made of stainless steel (or titanium, and the Fenix 6 also provides a diamond-like carbon-coated titanium alternative).
However, when compared to its predecessor, you will see that the inner (black) bezel is significantly thinner, allowing for more screen real estate (the bezel gradations are also gone).
The front screws are also better integrated with the look of the rugged smartwatch, and the overall design of the device feels more appealing.
If not, you would have to rely on the screen’s protection, which can be made of glass (Garmin has opted to use Gorilla Glass 3 rather than the domed chemically strengthened glass), sapphire (which resists scratches much better but increases the cost of the device), or Power Glass solar lens (which also doubles as the rug’s battery charger).
In the event that the watch is dropped onto a flat surface, the outer metallic bezel, which is raised above the display, will act as a solid barrier.
We note that only the Garmin 6 Pro and Sapphire models offer WiFi, Music, and Maps; the 6 and 6S models are restricted to Bluetooth connection only and are WiFi-incapable.
The Fenix 6, while still quite large, will look better on the wrist because it is slightly smaller (the 47mm variant measures 1.85 x 1.85 x 0.57 inches, but the 51mm 6X is only slightly larger, measuring 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.58 inches).
I recently looked at the Casio WSD-F30 and it was a behemoth even when compared to the beefier Fenix 3 (which measured 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches).
If you don’t like the silicone strap that comes with the Fenix 6 by default—which is strong and comfortable.
You can instantly switch to a different strap made of silicone, leather, titanium, or nylon using the simple-to-use attaching mechanism.
Three buttons have been added by Garmin on the left side:
- Light – used to switch on/off the device, display the controls menu, and regulate the lighting.
- Up-Menu: Press or hold to navigate the widget loop and menus up.
- Press down to navigate through the options and the widget.
Additionally, there are two buttons on the right side.
- The Activity/Enter button (upper arrow icon) allows you to choose an option from a menu, begin or stop an activity, and view a list of activities.
- The Back/Lap button allows you to record a lap, take a break or transition during an activity, or view the watch face from any screen.
The Garmin Fenix 6 has all the necessary sensors, including a compass, accelerometer, thermometer (which can be a little inaccurate due to body temperature), gyroscope, barometric altimeter, built-in Elevate optical heart-rate sensor, GPS / GLONASS and Galileo Satellite Navigation (GNSS), and pulse oximeter with acclimation, which has the ability to measure blood oxygen levels over time.
The heart-rate sensor is fairly accurate, although it is recommended to link it with a chest strap for more precise measures (you may need to wait for a few minutes before you obtain correct readings, however).
This sort of sensor is not really the best for high-intensity exercise.
The Fenix 6 has been waterproofed by Garmin to a depth of 10 ATM, meaning that it can be submerged in water for more than 300 feet.
Unfortunately, it lacks ratings for shock, temperature, or humidity resistance, though it will still be able to withstand shortfalls and the occasional bumps and scratches that can occur while engaging in outdoor activities.
The Fenix 6’s front-facing display is a 1.3-inch LCD Chroma screen (the Pro and Sapphire versions have a bigger 1.4-inch screen), with a resolution of 260 × 260 pixels and a pixel density of 283 ppi (better than the 5X Plus’s).
It’s important to note that no wristwatch from the Fenix 6 series includes a touch-screen display, and your Garmin smartwatch can only be used by pressing the buttons.
I had hoped Garmin would adopt a strategy similar to Apple’s, in which a genuine, meaningful improvement occurs every two years.
But it doesn’t seem like Garmin has any plans to use a touchscreen display any time soon.
Even yet, others would counter that a touch-screen would reduce battery life more quickly and that an athlete might find it irritating to use a touch-enabled display.
However, given that this is a high-end gadget, its absence may be a deal-breaker for some. The screen is constantly on, but to make it easier on the battery, it features a transflective layer.
When used outdoors, this layer brightens the display, but when used inside, it may seem fairly dull (the backlight can be turned on manually).
While Garmin has improved the display for the Fenix 6 rugged smartwatch, it still has room for improvement, especially in light of the excellent screens from Apple and Samsung (though that’s the price to pay for longer battery life, similar to how Pebble handled things).
One of the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus’s biggest flaws was its poor resolution.
The Garmin Fenix 6 employs its own proprietary software, much as the Fenix 5 Plus, and eschews the Android Wear platform.
The UI allows you to track almost any outdoor activity, including Trail Runs, Runs, Triathlons, Cycling, and Swimming (the smartwatch can’t record your heart rate while swimming.
But it can Skiing (full data of your skiing route, including the time and speed it took you to finish it) and Kayaking (automatically record kayak intervals and lengths).
The Garmin Connect app allows you to access all of the sensor data and provides an easy way to view summaries or detailed information about your activities (the data is collected via WiFi for Pro models or via the Garmin Connect Mobile app when you are connected to your phone and is compatible with both iOS and Android OS).
To make following a plan easier, you may also make training programs that are as rigid as you want.
Other novelty features include the redesigned widgets (which make it easier to track activities), new map display themes, and the switch from the inferior MediaTek GPS chip to the superior Sony GPS chip.
The availability of more storage (32 or 64GB), so you can store a lot more songs and listen to them using Bluetooth headphones, and the manufacturer has significantly improved battery life.
The rugged smartwatch’s battery life was one of its best features because if the GPS and heart-rate monitor were turned off and the device was only used as a watch.
You could get up to 2 weeks’ worth of use from a single charge (with the GPS on, you could get up to 24 hours, and when using UltraTrac mode, which connects to the satellite once every minute, the battery would run out in about 60 hours).
The Garmin Fenix 6’s battery life is significantly greater, with up to 36 hours of GPS usage, 72 hours of GPS use on Max Battery, and up to 2 weeks of use in smartwatch mode (without GPS).
In addition, there is the Expedition GPS Activity mode, which has a battery life of up to 28 days, and the Battery Save Watch Mode, which has a battery life of up to 48 days.
2. Casio WSD-F30 Rugged Smartwatch
The Casio WSD-F30, as its name implies, is the company’s third effort to design a smartwatch that strikes the ideal balance between durability and usefulness, making it appropriate for outdoor activities while still providing an excellent user experience (mostly in terms of software).
The Casio WSD-F20, the direct predecessor of the WDS-F30, didn’t bring that much to the table, although some significant improvements have been made to render it a better device (such as a more attractive appearance, the use of a GPS, and more).
The original WSD-F10 was a pretty distinctive smartwatch that combined new smart technology with the timeless design and durability of the digital G-Shock series.
At first sight, the Casio WSD-F30 doesn’t seem to have undergone any substantial improvements, but upon closer inspection.
You can notice that the Rugged smartwatch’s body has become thinner and smaller, its display has been upgraded, and it is equipped with all of the most recent Wear OS’s new features.
The WSD-F20 chose to maintain the same proportions as the Casio G-Shock watches, which surprised prospective customers when they saw the 2.42 x 2.22 x 0.61 inches smartwatch in person.
Casio G-Shock watches are typically bigger and thicker than ordinary watches.
Fortunately, the WDS-F30 has shrunk a little; it is now 2.38 x 2.11 x 0.58. This may not seem like much, but you’ll clearly notice the difference on your wrist (the weight has also decreased a little; it is now 2.93 ounces as opposed to 3.24 ounces for the WSD-F20).
The size of the Casio WSD-F03 is justified by the fact that it offers a higher level of protection, particularly when engaging in outdoor sports or other similar activities.
I can see that Casio stuck with the design of the previous generation, maintaining the two sets of large plastic bezels.
The outer one serves as a reminder that it is a ProTrek series device and reveals the location of each button and sensor.
The bezels are elevated and serve as protection for the screen in the event that it is accidentally hit on a flat surface; otherwise, you must rely on the scratch-resistant screen glass.
The WDS-F30 has no protruding bezels, so the wristwatch appears a little more elegant and less industrial than the WDS-F20 (don’t worry, you’ll still get the impression that you’re dealing with a strong, sturdy smartwatch).
However, the WDS-F20 had some exposed screws that held everything together. The Tool, Power, and App buttons are easily located on the right side.
- While the Charging Terminal (the cable is backward compatible with the previous two Casio smartwatches) and the Pressure sensor are located on the left side.
- A tiny Charge LED light is located on the front’s inner bezel, and a water-resistant microphone (up to five atmospheres) is located towards the bottom.
These features are helpful for using Google Assistant.
- The entire smartwatch is waterproof, so it can be submerged underwater down to 164 feet (obviously, the touchscreen will not function while submerged, and I would suggest against wearing it in high humidity / high-temperature environments).
Similar to the WDS-F20, it is MIL-STD-810G certified and has passed testing for general vibration, transit drop, and resistance to mild dampness as well as solar radiation, and should also be resistant to multi-cycle shocks.
- In addition, the smartwatch’s back is a simple brushed metal piece that is fastened with transparent screws.
While I had no issues with the plastic strap’s longevity, I did have some concerns regarding the smartwatch’s rear.
A difficult time removing it (making it difficult to switch between straps; aside from adding more holes to the strap, the rigidity is a feature that hasn’t really improved from the previous model).
The Casio WSD-F30 has several sensors built into it, including;
- Magnetic sensor for direction
- Pressure sensor
- Accelerometer
- Gyro meter, and a
- Low-powered GPS (it also works with GLONASS and Michibiki).
Unfortunately, Casio skipped adding a heart rate sensor, which is surprising considering that you can find one on less expensive smartwatches.
The aforementioned Tool button allows you to switch between the information provided by each sensor, including a tide graph (useful for fishing, but not advised for navigational purposes; use the official charts for that).
- The compass readings, sunrise and sunset, the altitude, a colored map of your location, an activity graph, and more.
- Although it is smaller than the WSD-F20’s display, the 1.2-inch OLED screen on the front is the major feature. It has a pixel density of 459 ppi and a resolution of 390 × 390 pixels.
In addition, there are actually two displays, with the OLED display sitting on top of a low-power, semi-transparent monochrome LCD display that comes to life when in Multi Timepiece mode (which, in addition to showing the time, also provides additional sensor data, a useful feature for people who don’t like having the display off most of the time but at the expense of battery life – in this mode, the rugged smartwatch can last up to a month on a single charge).
Overall, the WSD-F30’s display is much better, but it’s still not the greatest I’ve seen on a smartwatch.
It was somewhat dim (which is really unpleasant when traveling), but it was also pretty brilliant and colorful.
The WSD-F30 runs on the Android Wear 2.10 OS. Among its key applications are the Activity app (useful for monitoring the current status of your regular activities, such as fishing, trekking, cycling, paddling, or snow activities).
The Casio Watch Faces (pick from Location, Traveller, (updated) 2 Layers, Authentic, World Time, Place, Journey, Multi or Frontier), the ViewRanger App (great for mountain-climbing or trekking), BikeMap, Equilab
A whole new set of functionality (including accepting calls, receiving alerts, listening to locally stored music, and more) become available when the wristwatch and Android phone are paired.
The WSD-F30 will connect to an iPhone, but the functionality is much more constrained.
- In addition to WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and low-energy Bluetooth V4.1 technology, the wristwatch has a Snapdragon 2100 engine, 512 MB of LPDDR3 SDRAM, and 4 GB of internal storage.
The Casio WSD-F10’s battery life was its one big flaw, as it would only just last a day with extremely no usage.
Although the WSD-F30 did not significantly improve upon the WSD-F20 in any meaningful way, it does include certain power-saving modes that might extend the battery life from 3 days (the Extended Mode) to 1 month.
One issue I found with the WSD-F30 was the charging magnet, which was weak and difficult to maintain connected to the wristwatch.
To fix this, you may add a clip to the Casio WSD-F30 to make things more secure.
3. TicWatch Pro 2020
The original TicWatch Pro was created to give the Wear OS ecosystem a second chance.
It had a robust exterior while maintaining a premium look, and the dual-layer display was an innovative way to increase battery life.
All the essentials were covered and then some, but it lacked a little in terms of performance.
- The typical amount of RAM for a mid-range wristwatch was 512MB, but two years later, you’ll notice its somewhat slow UI much more.
It now has twice the RAM and has been certified to MIL-STD-8190G standards, making it a far more durable smartwatch than its predecessor.
The TicWatch Pro 2020’s design is similar to that of the 2018 version, so anticipate the same graphite body with a metallic plate where it contacts the hand and a top bezel that is still entirely covered with numbers.
- There are two buttons on the right side, and there is a microphone aperture (for calls) in-between them.
The Nixon Mission SS-like Pro 2020 is a little on the large side (1.77 x 0.49 inches), but it is still much lighter than its more expensive rivals, which some of you may find appealing (many people don’t like heavy watches on their wrists.
Especially when their wrists are thin since the watch will move downwards most of the time).
- The straps of the smartwatch I tried are a mix of leather and silicone, with the former sitting on top and the latter on the bottom. It comes in a silver variant as well.
Because the manufacturer included a GPS antenna in certain TicWatch smartwatches, those devices came with unique straps.
However, much like the original Pro, the 2020 model is more accommodating, allowing you to use any standard 22mm strap.
The TicWatch Pro decided to use two buttons and the touchscreen, allowing the user to;
- Power on or off the smartwatch using the top button (requires a long press)
- Activate the Google Assistant (a long press while the smartwatch is active), or
- Enter the app menu (requires a single quick click on the button).
In contrast to other smartwatches, which rely on a combination of the crown and touchscreen display, the Galaxy Watch has a rotating bezel. The Mobvoi fitness suite will open by default, however, the other button may be customized.
- The dynamic optical heart rate sensor, which is rather precise, is located on the back of the smartwatch.
- A little to the left, there are four contact points for the charging cable, which magnetically connects to the gadget.
The circular bezel that encircles the display on the front of the smartwatch is elevated slightly to provide some amount of protection in case you drop it.
There is also Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which should help prevent scratches.
- The TicWatch Pro 2020 has additional protection as well since it is MIL-STD-810G certified and has reportedly withstood tests that included exposure to sand, dust, shocks, humidity, severe temperatures, and pressure.
- The TicWatch Pro 2020 is also dust and waterproof, earning an IP68 rating, so you should be able to submerge it up to five feet under the surface of fresh water without it being harmed.
The TicWatch Pro 2020 has a variety of sensors, including;
- Accelerometer
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Gyroscope
- Geomagnetic Sensor
- Ambient Light Sensor
- GPS
- GLONASS
- Galileo
- Beidou, and
- NFC for watch-only payments.
If you’re curious about connectivity, the TicWatch Pro 2020 supports Bluetooth 4.2 LE and the 802.11 b/g/n WiFi standard.
The 1.39-inch AMOLED display on the front has the same 400 x 400-pixel resolution as the original TicWatch Pro, and it’s actually more than adequate (on par with other more expensive solutions).
Vibrant colors and good brightness levels make sure the smartwatch’s display will remain visible in all circumstances.
A crucial component is the secondary monochrome LCD display, which is placed on top of the AMOLED layer and turns on when the wristwatch is not in use.
This allows for an always-on display with nearly little battery life loss. You may still use the conventional always-on option with a lesser brightness to make the gadget still resemble a watch, but it will significantly reduce battery life.
When you tilt your wrist, the TicWatch Pro 2020 will wake, and I did notice that the procedure was a little quicker than on the TicWatch S and S2.
The Wear OS, which the TicWatch Pro 2020 runs on (and which is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones), is not particularly well-liked by the community due to its slower rate of development than Tizen OS or watchOS, as well as the fact that the smartwatches’ internal chipsets are not particularly powerful (the TicWatch Pro 2020 is powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100; the more recent Wear 3100 is almost identical to its predecessor).
Even so, Mobvoi does a respectable job of providing a well-rounded experience. In addition to the stock Android interface, the company has also included several in-house applications like TicHealth, TicPulse, and TicExercise.
While the TicPulse monitors your heart rate for 24 hours and the TicExrecise tries to identify the type of physical activity you’re engaging in so you don’t have to manually switch between activity types, the TicHealth replaces the Google Fit and counts your steps and tracks your exercise.
Overall, the interface is responsive and rather swift, which is impressive given that the wristwatch is powered by a dual-core Snapdragon 2100.
It is evident that the 1GB of RAM has a big impact on the wearable’s performance.
Similar to the TicWatch S2, the TicWatch S2 has a 415 mAh battery that may last up to 5 days if you switch between the Essential mode (which just uses the LCD screen) and standard mode, and up to 30 days if you want to leave it in the Essential mode for a longer amount of time.
Additionally, it will charge the battery from 0% to 100% with the charging cord in a little over an hour and a half.
Is the TicWatches Pro 2020 the next Pebble, then? In this sense, Mobvoi hasn’t really filled the Pebble-shaped hole in our hearts.
But it has managed to design a decent rugged smartwatch that offers some sport-focused elements (similar to the other waterproof rugged smartwatches), all of which are at a lower price tag than some of its competitors.
What I loved about the Pebble smartwatch was the battery life, but it was also that it could deliver some smartwatch functions at the same time.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
It’s true that Samsung has reinstated the rotating bezel that was removed with the Galaxy Watch 2, and it’s important to note that the mechanism is even smoother than on the first wristwatch and will provide a nice experience when turning.
- But that’s not all; in order to feel better on your wrist, the robust smartwatch’s stainless steel 316L casing has been made slimmer and lighter.
As previously, the spinning bezel is slightly higher off the display, giving the watch extra protection from unintentional bumps.
The screen is not sapphire, but it is covered by Gorilla Glass DX, the same as on the previous two generations, so I would still be cautious not to bump the smartphone against sharp things.
In addition to the spinning bezel, the Galaxy Watch also contains a Back key and a Home/Power button on the right side of the wristwatch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is offered in two variants;
- For persons with smaller wrists (41mm) and the other
- For those with bigger wrists (45mm), much like its forerunners and other smartwatch manufacturers.
- Due to its ‘bigger’ color palette, which includes Rose Gold, the 42mm Galaxy Watch seems to be designed with women in mind.
Remember that the Galaxy Watch is an outdoor-type rugged smartwatch, and when compared to products like the Garmin Fenix 6 or Casio WSD-F30, this rugged smartwatch is really rather ordinary.
The 45mm edition may first look a little too huge or hefty when compared to the Apple Watch.
A-GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo, an Ambient Light sensor (to properly adjust the display brightness and contrast), an Electrical Heart Sensor (ECG), a Heart Rate sensor (located on the back of the smartwatch, where the device touches your wrist), an Accelerometer, a Barometer, a Gyroscope, and a Heart Rate sensor are all included in the Galaxy Watch 3.
- Samsung has not yet included a magnetometer, thus there is no compass and no thermometer.
The heart rate monitor did not initially seem to be very accurate when I was running, but I observed that as I adjusted the strap around my wrist, the numbers were much more accurate.
Samsung made some advancements in the waterproofing area when it switched to the Galaxy Watch series, thus the Galaxy Watch 3 can be submerged down to 165 feet (5 ATM) much like the original model.
- The Galaxy Watch is also dust-proof (IP68 certified), MIL-STD-810G rated, and waterproof.
It has withstood 10 specified circumstances, including low pressure, high altitude, fall from 4.9 feet, vibration and shock, and severe temperatures.
The Galaxy Watch, like its forerunners, is available with a 20mm or 22mm strap that seems to be constructed of real leather.
The straps may be changed on both models (42 and 45mm), and doing so is simple and fast thanks to the user-friendly mechanism.
The Galaxy Watch sports a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch-screen display on the front, although the smaller model has a 1.2-inch screen.
Both displays have a color gamut of 16 million, a 360 × 360-pixel resolution, and a 364 ppi pixel density.
The display is still very much up to 2021 standards, despite no upgrades from the previous generation: it is colorful, has high contrast levels, is bright enough for sunny days, and has extremely deep blacks (as one would anticipate from an AMOLED display).
In addition to the spinning bezel, the touchscreen has a suitably responsive and quick feel.
The Galaxy Watch 3 provides a greater variety of customization options and lets you configure the display to be always on while also dimming somewhat when you’re not looking at it.
If battery life is really essential to you, you may configure the display to turn on only when you lift your wrist (the procedure is very quick, and you won’t realize that the display is off).
This function had a significant influence on the battery life.
Naturally, Samsung chose not to use Android Wear and instead stuck with its own Tizen OS, which is now at version 5.5 and serves as a counter to both Google and Apple.
You can use swipe gestures to move around the interface
- Swipe left to see the notifications
- Swipe right to open the app menu with its circularly arranged icons, and so forth.
- Swipe up to open the status bar
- Swipe down to adjust the brightness and volume; and so forth.
When you touch and hold the top right button, Samsung Pay will open, enabling you to use your wristwatch as a credit card.
Samsung Pay supports both NFC and MST, so practically all checkout terminals are compatible with it.
Except for iPhones, several non-Samsung smartphones will support the Samsung Pay functionality, and the Galaxy Watch may be used without a smartphone if you don’t have one with you.
There are already much more applications accessible than with the first Galaxy Watch thanks to Samsung’s tireless efforts to advance the Tizen OS and attract the required attention from software developers, but it seems that the next Galaxy Watch will run the new Google operating system.
Regardless, Tizen OS offers Samsung Health (which offers fitness tracking, new exercise modes for both indoor and outdoor workouts, and can accurately enough detect when the user switches the exercise; it can also track your sleeping time decently well).
Bixby (a voice assistant – useful for making calls or sending emails), or the SOS function (which requires you to press the Home key three times to send an emergency message to your contacts or make an SOS call).
Both Android smartphones (which give complete control, but need installation of the Galaxy Wearable software) and iPhones (which also offer a broad range of control, but are primarily constrained by iOS) are compatible with the rugged Galaxy Watch 3 wristwatch.
- The Galaxy Watch uses the same dual-core Exynos 9110 processor running at 1.15 GHz, 8GB of internal storage, and reportedly just 1 GB of RAM as the original Galaxy Watch.
Even while it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect on the performance of the device so far, it is odd that Samsung would reduce the amount of RAM on the Galaxy Watch 3.
- The rugged smartwatch features WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.0 compatibility. Additionally, like its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch has a non-removable 340-mAh battery.
The most battery life you’ll obtain with an LTE connection and an off always-on screen will be roughly 2 to 3 days (with moderate usage), which is obviously insufficient to have an outstanding battery life.
5. Meoonley Military Rugged Smartwatch
When you see the Meeonley smartwatch, the word “rugged” immediately comes to mind. It features a metallic, square-edged exterior.
To emphasize the rustic appearance, the chassis’ screws are left exposed. Due to the Meeonly watch’s IP68 classification, you may even wear it to the swimming pool.
The watch can count steps, distance, and calories burned and has more than 100 different sports modes.
You can answer calls on the wristwatch itself since it uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone. The Meeonley Rugged smartwatch performed better than expected, according to several users.
The gadget should outlive a generic, fashion-focused wearable even if the shiny shell can readily pick up scuffs.
6. Kospet Tank T1 Rugged Smartwatch
I had been putting off adding a Kospet rugged smartwatch to this list, but after using the Tank T1, I feel like it’s now time to evaluate how well the less costly gadgets stand up versus the more expensive ones available on the market.
The Kospet Tank T1 seems to be in the same category as the Amazfit T-Rex, which provides excellent value for the money and which I have already added.
While the Kospet Tank M1 was a good alternative for the price when I reviewed it a few months ago, the design severely limited it (seemed a little cheap), but the maker fixed that with the Tank T1.
In fact, the rugged wristwatch has two metallic buttons on the right side and a metallic ring around its circular display. The remainder of the gadget is composed of plastic, but given the price tag, this is to be expected.
However, as the Kospet Tank T1 is a waterproof smartwatch, you should be able to wear it in both casual and more formal attire and bring it with you while exercising or swimming.
However, despite the device’s size (49mm), as I stated in the whole review, it looked well on my slender wrist. They could release a smaller version in the future as Apple does.
What I didn’t like as much was the silicone strap, which doesn’t really match the Kospet Tank T1’s aesthetic (you also get a camouflage strap).
- The straps may be changed to whatever style you desire since they utilize a common closing mechanism.
- The Power button is located on the side of the robust wristwatch, and the Return button, which also enables the Apple Watch-like menu, serves a straightforward function.
- The Kospet Tank T1’s back panel has a pedometer, an oxygen level sensor, a blood pressure monitor, and an HR sensor to measure heartbeats per minute.
The blood pressure monitor isn’t very precise, but that’s to be anticipated.
The Tilt-to-Wake feature is poor and requires large motions, therefore the gyroscope is not that amazing. And I saw that with each Kospet wristwatch (the Tank M1 and the Optimus 2) that I have so far examined.
It’s crucial to understand that the gadget is constructed to be (at least seem to be) shockproof because I claimed that it is a robust smartwatch.
The smartwatch was dropped from a great height during the MIL-STD tests that the manufacturer conducted, and the raised bezels may be useful if you accidentally knock the gadget against objects.
The Kospet Tank T1 is as near to being waterproof as possible and has an IP69K classification, which implies it is dustproof.
To be more precise, the rugged wristwatch can survive 5ATM of pressure, which equates to 164 feet of submersion.
Additionally, it seems that the wristwatch passed tests with corrosive fluids (5% NaCl), indicating that it would hold up in industrial settings and construction sites.
- The display is 1.32 inches and has a TFT screen with a resolution of 360 by 360 pixels. It has a reasonable depiction of colors and is a display that is somewhat bright.
Although there is little glare, the dark depths are surprisingly deep.
Additionally, the whites are not yellow or green, which is a positive. Even though the touchscreen display has the ability to wake up with a double tap, the Tilt-to-Wake feature is not all that fantastic, thus I really miss this feature.
Nothing specifically designed for the Kospet smartwatches, the software is just a basic collection of tools that you can get on most low-cost devices.
And given that every other company I listed on this list gives a lot more in terms of fitness tracking — Garmin is really great at this — this is perhaps the most important drawback that both the Tank T1 and the Amazfit T-Rex share.
- There are still approximately 20 different fitness tracking options available to you, and you can even monitor your heart rate, which is rather accurate when you aren’t exercising (beyond which point it simply quits up).
However, this robust wristwatch offers an edge over its more costly rivals in one particular area. Battery life is the issue.
A gadget like the Kospet Tank T1 may last for roughly 2 weeks, but the Apple Watch only lasts for a day. Yes, it lacks certain bells and whistles, but many folks don’t need them.
- The Kospet Tank T1 connects to the smartphone for the specific app via Bluetooth 5.0.
7. Garmin Instinct
Smartwatches made by Garmin are renowned for their exceptional accuracy and precision. So, if measurements and collecting accurate data are important to you, the Garmin Instinct will satisfy you.
Additionally, the tracker’s integrated GPS, compass, and altimeter should be useful while you’re out hiking.
The Trackback function on the wearable is also quite helpful for your outdoor trips. The Garmin Instinct monitors your route in order to make it simpler for you to go back to the beginning place.
- The Garmin Instinct is one of the top-rated rugged smartwatches available, with over 20,000 customer reviews on Amazon.
Long-time wearers of the smartwatch have reported being satisfied with its performance and having few significant concerns.
You shouldn’t anticipate the same amount of users as, say, an Apple Watch since the software is a little rudimentary and the app library is small.
8. Amazfit T-Rex 2
The T-Rex Pro, a well-respected genuinely Rugged wristwatch that continues to function well even after years of abuse, is replaced by the Amazfit T-Rex 2.
Since Amazfit has managed to create two Rugged smartwatches that are more than capable of withstanding hard situations, this is really the reason why both rugged smartwatches are included in our list.
Being a newer gadget, there are undoubtedly some improvements in a few crucial areas, such as the appearance, the screen, and the software.
The good news is that you won’t really be able to tell that the T-Rex 2 is constructed of plastic when compared to the T-Rex Pro.
The Rugged smartwatch is not a tiny gadget by any means, measuring 1.85 by 1.85 by 0.51 inches, but it is also not a hefty device, weighing just 2.3 oz (thanks to the plastic design).
There are several design decisions that I don’t like, including the option to slap logos all over the casing. I’m also very certain that this smartwatch won’t look great with formal attire.
However, the construction and industrial workers won’t be as concerned with aesthetics and will instead want to know whether this wristwatch can withstand challenging circumstances.
The MIL-STD-810G certification of the Amazfit T-Rex 2 indicates that the smartwatch has passed several tests and is thus reasonably shockproof.
But if it’s constructed similarly to the T-Rex Pro, the casing should be able to withstand most challenges.
_How does the display look?
Amazfit did make it somewhat larger, but not much, and regrettably chose not to use Gorilla Glass or Sapphire, leaving the raised lip inside the bezel as the primary form of protection.
- The utilization of a touchscreen display while yet enabling complete control using just the side buttons is an intriguing feature that many producers of Rugged smartwatches should take notice of.
- The UP and Down and Select and Back buttons are located on the left and right, respectively. You can use the smartwatch while wearing gloves thanks to all of these factors taken together.
Let’s now speak a little bit about the watch’s water resistance.
- Given that the smartwatch has a 10 ATM water-protection rating, which makes it quite waterproof, you should be able to immerse the T-Rex 2 underwater up to 300 feet.
I still wouldn’t exchange it for a reliable professional gadget that can sustain long dives, however. There is no IP68 certification that I could find, but given that the rugged smartwatch is water and dust resistant, I believe that it is.
The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has a variety of sensors, including;
- Barometer
- Gyroscope
- Geometric Sensor
- Accelerometer
- Light Sensor
One of the most intriguing additions is a dual-frequency band and six satellite positioning, which should ensure that your outdoor activities are properly tracked.
- The Amazfit T-Rex 2 also has a heart rate monitor, which is utilized to get rather accurate PAI readings.
The AMOLED display on the face of the rugged wristwatch has been increased in size by the manufacturer to 1.39 inches, with a resolution increase of 454 x 454 pixels (with a pixel density of 326ppi).
When used inside, the adaptive brightness setting on the display, which is the default setting, is more than sufficient and will be less strenuous on the battery.
Even in strong sunlight, you will be able to view the information on the display when it is at its highest brightness.
As was to be anticipated, there is no always-on display setting, and as of this writing, only TicWatch seems to have come close to achieving the perfect AoD.
The T-Rex 2 uses Zepp OS as its own operating system rather than Android Wear OS.
You’ll recognize the design if you’ve ever had one of those cheap smartwatches, and yes, sadly, there are no third-party applications.
Even while the hardware is not naturally particularly powerful, you do get a highly snappy OS with seamless window transitions.
You do get the aforementioned PAI sleep monitoring software, which in my view is far better than the step-counting method.
The suite of fitness monitoring applications, which includes almost all sports, is another option.
Regarding accuracy, I largely concentrated on strength training and found that it was respectable, much better than many other smartwatches in the same price range and lower.
However, it did sometimes have problems with rapidly increasing and decreasing heart rates, which are typical with weight lifting.
- In addition, you may alter your watch face, get alerts, utilize the music player, and more.
- When it comes to connection, the Mission SS only supports Bluetooth 5.0 technology (Bluetooth Low Energy), and WiFi is not supported. It only supports Bluetooth 5.0 technology.
The inability to take calls on the wristwatch without using the phone is also eliminated by the absence of a speaker and a microphone.
- Due to the 500mAh internal battery, the battery life is excellent and may last up to two weeks when used normally, which includes three to four training sessions each week.
You must use the magnetic charger, which has a powerful magnet and sticks securely to the rear of the smartwatch, to charge the Amazfit T-Rex 2.
It’s proprietary, which is great (yeah for e-waste! ), and it doesn’t appear to work with the T-Rex Pro.
9. Apple Watch Ultra
Undoubtedly the most adaptable and practical robust wristwatch on our list is the Apple Watch Ultra.
You get everything from an app to log your workouts to entertaining games while you’re trapped in a dry conference thanks to the support of Apple’s app ecosystem.
There are also present and properly accounted for standard features like GPS, a compass, and a barometer.
It’s crucial to remember, though, that while the Apple Watch Ultra is undoubtedly tougher and more robust than prior models, it is still not indestructible like the G-Shock.
Therefore, to extend the life of the Apple Watch Ultra, we suggest purchasing a case. The Apple Watch Ultra is the ultimate rugged wristwatch in terms of features if you have the money for it.
10. Casio G-Shock Move GBD-H2000
The G-Shock Move GBD-H2000 will also wow you if you like the way a G-Shock looks. The strengthened chassis should deflect the majority of hits, keeping the display in pristine condition.
- Additionally, the Move GBD-H2000’s capabilities will astound you.
- For example, the wearable may be used without a charger for two months since it is solar-chargeable and water-resistant up to 200 meters.
- The watch connects to your phone to show alerts and has an integrated GPS module for activity monitoring.
The watch’s sole drawback, according to user evaluations, is that the user interface (UI) requires some getting accustomed to.
There aren’t many features in the Casio app for your phone either. We advise choosing anything different from this list if you want a smarter watch.
But if a rugged watch that can monitor your health parameters is your top priority, the G-Shock GBD-H2000 will be a good choice.
Last Words
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FAQs
The following are the most common FAQs, let’s discuss:
The Apple Watch Is Waterproof, Right?
The current lineup of Apple Watches does not include any waterproof models. Only the Apple Watch Ultra and the regular Apple Watch are waterproof beyond 40 meters.
Is There A Rugged Smartwatch From Samsung?
Samsung doesn’t manufacture a robust smartwatch particularly.
We advise getting the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with a rugged casing if you really want a Samsung wristwatch for outdoor activities.
Is A Rugged Fitness Tracker Superior To A Rugged Smartwatch?
Comparing a rugged wristwatch to a fitness tracker, more functionalities are available.
In certain circumstances, features like a bigger screen, GPS, the capacity to accept calls, etc., may be quite useful.