Best Tactical Smartwatch – Top 5 Picks & Reviews

What defines a smartwatch as “tactical”? Does it necessarily require specific tactical features or stealth capabilities?

In truth, there isn’t a singular, definitive definition that categorizes a smartwatch as tactical. Many timepieces are utilized by professionals in tactical fields, and these watches tend to be rugged, dependable, and feature highly legible displays with the right set of functionalities.

If you’re seeking the finest tactical smartwatch available, you’ve arrived at the right destination. Today, we present a compilation of some top-tier tactical smartwatches that offer excellent value for your investment.

Best Tactical Smartwatch Reviews

1. Garmin fenix 7

The Garmin Fenix 7 stands as a highly acclaimed tactical smartwatch renowned for its exceptional durability. With a stainless steel bezel, it is built to withstand rugged use, making it an ideal choice for outdoor enthusiasts. The Fenix 7 includes all essential features required to track outdoor adventures and monitor fitness activities.

Garmin has subjected the Fenix 7 to rigorous testing to meet the stringent standards set by the US Military, making it a reliable choice for military personnel.

One of the standout features of the Fenix 7 is its impressive battery performance, providing an impressive 18 days of long-lasting battery life in smartwatch mode and approximately 57 hours when using GPS.

Sports enthusiasts will find a plethora of premium features in the Garmin Fenix 7. Unlike the Apple Watch Ultra, it offers a range of recovery features that provide valuable insights into overall health and well-being.

For outdoor runners and hikers, the Fenix 7 is an excellent choice. It includes running dynamics that provide comprehensive data about runs or hikes, helping analyze and improve performance.

Strength training enthusiasts will find robust support in the Fenix 7, offering performance metrics, real-time stamina monitoring, HRV status, and respiration performance tracking.

Regarding navigational features, the Fenix 7 stands out with Multi-GNSS and GPS functionality that works seamlessly even in challenging terrains. Moreover, it comes with golf maps, ski maps, and topographic maps. The Nextfork map guide helps identify the next stop, shows distances to the next trail, and offers other valuable information. Additionally, the navigation feature allows users to lock certain areas, particularly useful for hunters.

The Garmin Fenix 7 lacks certain smart features, such as answering phone calls and texts, but it does provide smartphone notifications that can be conveniently viewed on the wrist.

Another noteworthy feature of the Fenix 7 is its ability to stream Spotify. With built-in storage, users can store favorite tracks for offline listening, adding to the watch’s versatility.

2. Amazfit T-Rex 2

For budget-conscious users, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 is the ideal tactical smartwatch. This affordable option offers a wide array of advanced features for outdoor activities, strength training, and health tracking without breaking the bank.

As the successor to the T-Rex, the T-Rex 2 is constructed with polymer, enhancing its ruggedness and durability. Weighing only 66.5g, it provides a comfortable fit during outdoor adventures and various operations.

The Amazfit T-Rex 2’s water resistance capabilities are comparable to the Apple Watch Ultra and Fenix 7, with a 10ATM water-resistant rating.

Focusing on outdoor usage, the T-Rex 2 incorporates numerous sports tracking features. With over 158 sports modes, including running, swimming, hiking, trekking, and more, it caters to a wide range of outdoor activities.

In the health tracking department, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 offers heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation tracking, and stress tracking. The PAI health assessment feature provides an overall score based on daily health data, offering valuable insights.

Distinguishing itself from the Apple Watch Ultra, the T-Rex 2 includes various training and recovery features, such as Vo2 max performance, recovery time, training load, and training effect. These features enable users to maximize performance and achieve fitness goals effectively.

With impressive battery performance, the 500 mAh battery lasts approximately 24 hours with typical usage and offers an impressive 45 days of battery life in power-saving mode.

The watch supports a wide range of third-party apps, and users can even connect it to a GoPro camera to record adventures, adding an extra level of convenience and versatility.

With its dual-band and five-satellite positioning system, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 provides precise navigation for runners, hikers, and climbers, ensuring confident navigation.

Overall, the T-Rex 2 is an excellent choice for those seeking a mid-range tactical smartwatch, encompassing all essential features to make outdoor adventures memorable while offering exceptional value for money.

3. Apple Watch Ultra

For those who enjoy outdoor activities and seek a tactical smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra stands out as a top choice. This exceptional timepiece boasts a titanium casing and a Sapphire crystal front, making it one of the most durable watches on our list.

Apple has taken significant steps to enhance the Apple Watch Ultra’s durability, obtaining IP6X certification and subjecting it to MIL-STD 810 testing for thermal and heat resistance, ensuring it thrives in demanding environments.

Compared to other Apple Watches, the Apple Watch Ultra offers an impressive water resistance of up to 100m, making it suitable for extreme water activities.

One major improvement in the Apple Watch Ultra is its 2X bright display, with a peak brightness of 2000 nits. This ensures easy readability even in direct sunlight or when submerged in water.

Beyond its durability, the Apple Watch Ultra boasts premium fitness features that allow comprehensive tracking of performance during hikes and outdoor adventures. Monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep stages, breath rate, body temperature, and more, it covers a wide range of health data.

The ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) directly on the Apple Watch Ultra is an impressive feature. However, it is worth noting that the watch lacks a recovery feature, which may be considered crucial for athletes.

In terms of GPS performance, the Apple Watch Ultra surpasses the Apple Watch 7 with its dual-frequency GPS, providing faster and more accurate tracking. Yet, it falls slightly short of Garmin’s GPS capabilities.

Another advantage of the Apple Watch Ultra is its LTE connectivity, allowing users to make calls and respond to texts without the need for a smartphone connection.

The battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra has also seen improvements, providing up to 36 hours of battery life under normal use and lasting up to 60 hours on a multi-day adventure.

4. SUUNTO 9 Baro

For those seeking an exceptional tactical smartwatch, Suunto’s latest offering, the Suunto 9 Baro, lives up to the brand’s renowned reputation. This highly sophisticated timepiece offers a multitude of outdoor features, catering to adventurous spirits.

The Suunto 9 Baro boasts a rugged design that instills confidence, with its Sapphire glass crystal providing protection against wear and tear, ensuring durability in demanding conditions.

Designed to meet the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, the Suunto 9 Baro undergoes rigorous testing against the US military standard 810H. It’s worth noting that due to its slightly bulkier size, it is recommended primarily for females and those with smaller wrists.

The GPS and navigation features of the Suunto 9 Baro are exceptionally powerful. The GPS functionality is complemented by GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, and BEIDOU, providing precise and reliable data. Real-time breadcrumb trail tracking, route planning, point of interest marking, and global heatmaps for 20 sports are among the many navigational capabilities offered.

As the name suggests, the Suunto 9 Baro excels in barometric functionalities. Measuring barometric pressure, altitudes, heights, vertical speed, and more, it becomes an ideal choice for professional hikers and outdoor enthusiasts seeking accurate altitude tracking.

In addition to its outdoor features, the Suunto 9 Baro incorporates various training functions to help users train effectively. With over 80+ sports modes to choose from, it caters to a wide range of athletic activities.

Overall, the Suunto 9 Baro is the perfect choice for athletes as it provides comprehensive data for runs, hikes, cycling, and other sports, ensuring users have access to valuable insights to enhance their performance.

5. Polar Grit X

The Polar Grit X is a compelling mid-range tactical smartwatch packed with numerous premium features for tactical and sports applications. It excels in navigation and sports tracking capabilities, making it an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Grit X boasts a sporty and rugged design, featuring a stainless steel bezel with Gorilla Glass protection, ensuring durability even in harsh environments and underwater conditions.

Similar to the Fenix 7 and Tactix Delta, the Polar Grit X has undergone several MIL-STD-810G tests, certifying its suitability for military use.

With a 1.2″ display and a resolution of 240×240, the Grit X offers a bright and vibrant color display, distinguishing it from Garmin watches.

The navigational features of the Polar Grit X are exceptional, providing GPS support with Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS systems. The barometric sensor enables measuring weather conditions and altitudes.

The Grit X offers global navigation, turn-by-turn guidance, and route guidance, ensuring users stay on the right path during outdoor adventures.

Regarding training and health features, the Polar Grit X performs on par with high-end tactical watches. It provides various recovery features, training load pro, energy sources monitoring, running power measurement, and more.

One standout feature is the advanced FitSpark, acting as a training guide and offering daily workout suggestions tailored to meet fitness goals.

Final word

In the dynamic world of modern technology, tactical smartwatches stand as a symbol of resilience and precision. Our comprehensive reviews showcase the very best in this genre, where rugged durability meets cutting-edge functionality.

From outdoor adventurers to urban tacticians, these smartwatches are more than just accessories – they are reliable companions that excel in the face of challenges. Embrace the fusion of tactical prowess and smart innovation as we unveil the ultimate choices for those who demand nothing but the best from their wristwear.