13 Best GPS Watches with Long Battery Life

Time for a thrilling outdoor adventure? You should get prepared then. One of the most important gears to get yourself prepared with is a watch with a GPS feature to know where you’re now and where to head. And since it’ll be a long adventure, look for a GPS watch with long battery life. Thus, it will never fail you, even on the longest trips. A GPS watch with a long battery life shouldn’t be very expensive. You can find many of these watches at different prices according to the watch’s features. So, you need to know more about those features before buying any watch. Accordingly, you can make your decision based on what you exactly need.

In this review, we compiled a list of the 13 best GPS watches with long battery life, but we have also looked at their other features so we can help you make a better decision. Check out the options below to find a good GPS watch with all that you need for your journey. Let’s get started.

Motorola Moto Watch

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Motorola Moto Watch is designed to be worn all day without fail, no matter what features you use. It’s made for active men and women who need a GPS watch to track their location and also measure their overall health status while working out or even sleeping. A one-hour recharge time will result in two weeks of continuous working.
Buying this Moto watch will cost you less than 100 bucks! Considering the features and the decent battery life, this is the best bargain you can ever make for a GPS running watch. What’s better, the watch leverages a sporty look, and it’s lightweight. So, don’t hesitate to consider this as one of your options.

Coros Vertix

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Coros Vertix can deliver a lot in terms of battery life and considering all the features runners, hikers, and adventurers are looking for. Even if you’re none of those and want a smartwatch with GPS, this watch will amaze you. The first thing we’ll talk about here is the battery life, of course. This watch works for up to 150 hours which may decrease to 60 hours in case of the continuous use of the GPS.
One innovative thing you can do with this watch is to share GPS files among linked smartphones. If you want to head to a certain destination, send the GPS file from your phone to the watch so you can have a precise destination. Also, many users believe the watch has enough metrics to work for hiking, climbing, swimming, running, and all kinds of outdoor activities you might think of. Take a look at those GPS watches for hiking here, as you might find something equally interesting.

Polar Vantage V2

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Go for the basics and enjoy a simple yet, professional GPS watch with long battery life from Polar. It’s Polar Vantage V2. You can choose between two sizes of the display besides various colors for the strap. Speaking of the strap, it’s made of silicone. This is the most preferred material for runners and athletes in general, as it doesn’t cause sweat. The features of the watch include traditional exercise and training metrics and some other recovery features to help you regain your power for the next exercise. To make the most out of the recovery features, use the pro-recovery option, but you need to get the Polar H10 HR sensor so the watch can measure important metrics with regard to your body and recommend the necessary recovery steps.

Garmin Instinct Solar

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Best for recharging method. Garmin Instinct Solar offers one of the best ways to recharge a GPS watch. Hence, you can save the battery and have your watch working for hours and days. It’s a solar watch, which means it charges using solar energy. Leave the watch exposed to direct sunlight in the morning, and then you can use it without stopping in the middle of the trip to recharge the watch. It’s a perfect option for off-road trips where it’s difficult to find an electric port, or you don’t have a power bank.

Aside from being a power-saving GPS watch, it’s one of the best Garmin GPS watches for running and various exercises in general. The watch uses multiple global navigation satellite systems for accurate determination of locations. Also, being a Garmin product means you’re after quality. If you want to know more about the watch, we recommend this YouTube video review that tells a lot about the watch.

Suunto Ambit 3

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Want a GPS watch with long battery life for above-the-water and under-the-water activities? Suunto Ambit 3 is a reliable watch to get. Besides, you can get it at a very competitive price when it’s on sale. Made of the most suitable materials, this watch can go up to 100m underwater. With the GPS turned on, enjoy 30 hours of full operation before you need to recharge the watch. Further, the watch gives some alerts that might not be very important but are good to have. For example, sunrise and sunset alerts. You’ll also have an on-time temperature record, pace monitoring, and some recovery features. When paired with your smartphone, you can get access to all of these features and many more, but you need to get used to them first.

Polar Pacer

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Best for fast connection. Polar Pacer looks very sleek and slim so that you can wear the watch as part of your sports outfit or even for other casual occasions. It can be considered as a GPS watch for running in a cool design for both men and women. Also, the colors are very attractive, with some unique options such as maroon and teal green. However, it isn’t only the design and colors that made us recommend this watch; it has much more.
To summarize, the watch is the best for connecting to GPS and loading maps in seconds. It supports different satellite systems and connects automatically to the most suitable one. Moreover, the features are very intuitive and easy to operate. You’ll find what you’re looking for in seconds. Yet, if you want to know more before making a decision, read this Techradar review about the Polar Pacer, and you’ll get more convinced.

Amazfit GTS 4

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Although the Amazfit GTS 4 looks small, it has the same features you might be looking for in a GPS watch with long battery life. Plus, it’s cheap and suitable for those looking forward to saving money without losing too much quality. It’s one of the few watches you can get at such a price with such a long battery life. The Amazfit GTS 4 has many sports modes for different exercises. The GPS is also very proficient here and very accurate. You can rely on it to track your location or load maps for tracks you intend to run or do outdoor exercise. Also, it has built-in Alexa AI technology to ease using the watch. On top of all, plenty of health and wellness features exist, so it’s a complete package in a small device.

Suunto 9

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Another option from Suunto with a long battery life, it’s Suunto 9. This watch is named Suunto 9 multisport watch for a reason. You can use it for multiple sports and outdoor exercises. This can be the one if you’re looking for the best GPS watch for running, hiking, kayaking, or any other activities. It’s a tough watch that withstands the extreme and wild conditions of the outdoors with no quality problems. So, don’t worry about wearing this watch all day.

Regarding battery life, there are three different battery modes. You can choose whatever mode you want based on the features you use. When the battery starts to drain, use the battery-saving mode to maintain it as long as possible. These modes will keep the watch working from 25 to 120 hours. So, it’s more than a day of continuous work even when using all the features.

Garmin Fenix 5

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Best for durability. The Fenix series from Garmin has many fantastic options, and Garmin Fenix 5 is one of the best. Its amazing features make it a top running and exercise watch with GPS, but the battery life is the most notable thing here. Further, the quality and rugged body makes it a desirable option for extreme adventures that needs reliable gear, even the watch around your wrist. When you want to detect locations and use maps, the watch switches between GLONASS and GPS systems in addition to the traditional three-axis compass to accurately determine locations. Also, there are multiple sports modes to use for different exercises. And we shouldn’t forget to mention how clear and bright the display is.

Polar Grit X

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Another lightweight option from Polar is Polar Grit X. That isn’t the newest model, but it’s still one of the best. The watch offers a battery with a life that extends up to 40 hours, even if you’re using the GPS. Even though it’s a lightweight watch, it’s still a rugged and durable watch. It isn’t a flimsy smartwatch, as some people thought at first. This watch isn’t only for running; you can also use it for hiking and climbing. It has a hill tracking feature and Hillsplitter unique feature. This feature lets you determine the shortest route without spending time and effort on useless hills.

Garmin Enduro

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Considering the battery life, we believe the Garmin Enduro watch is one of the best ever. A long battery life generally characterizes Garmin watches, yet, this one recharges quickly and uses solar power. So, it’s epic in terms of the battery and its quality. Further, you can use the battery-saver mode if it’s night and you have no access to a power bank. We guarantee the watch will keep working all night. Moreover, you can rely on the watch when it comes to running uphills or downhills. The ClimbPro feature gives details on the slopes using the GPS navigation system. Finally, the watch record all your data to help you recover after an intensive outdoor workout.

Garmin Vivoactive 3

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Best for lightweight. You might find a lot of lightweight GPS watches, but sometimes lightweight comes with a decrease in quality. Luckily, this isn’t the case in Garmin Vivoactive 3. The watch is one of the lightest weight options, but it’s still a rigorous outdoor Garmin GPS watch that never compensates for quality and durability. And, of course, you have the long battery life you’re after in these kinds of GPS watches. One feature you should make use of if you decide to pick this watch is the automatic syncing to the Garmin App. When synced to the Garmin App, the watch will automatically upload all your data there. Thus, you can keep up with your performance and know whether you’re upgrading. Also, check the notification feature and what it has to offer. There are plenty of options in this watch.

Garmin Fenix 6

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Now with the best GPS watch with long battery life and full options, it’s Garmin Fenix 6. We know it isn’t the cheapest option or an affordable option at all for many people. However, it’s worth every penny because you get what you pay for. The first thing to mention is the multiple satellite system it supports. As you might know, the more navigation systems, the better connection. Further, there are a lot of performance metrics and health features. You might choose from different series, including the Fenix 6 Pro or the Fenix 6S. Each model has some upgrades, so you need to check those options before making a decision. Also, there are options that recharge with solar energy to save electricity.

Our Verdict!

After reading and reviewing thoroughly, you might be still confused. Here is a smaller version of the list to sum up the best options based on certain qualities. Check it down below.

• Best for recharging method: Garmin Instinct Solar
• Best for a fast connection: Polar Pacer
• Best for durability: Garmin Fenix 5
• Best for lightweight: Garmin Vivoactive 3

How To Choose The Best GPS watch with long battery life?

As we mentioned before, battery life is extremely important, but it shouldn’t be the only thing to look for when buying a new GPS watch. There are other features to check as well. All of the above watches have long battery life, yet, they vary in other features. So, here is a breakdown of the criteria to look for in your watch to know if it suits you.

Size and external body

The size of the watch is important because you do different things with a GPS watch. You might go running, kayaking, hiking, and many other activities with the watch around your wrist. Do you prefer large watches with large displays to read the GPS and other data clearly? Or do you want something slim that does the job but feels light and comfy? Also, if you want to go in the wild with this watch, you need something very durable and maybe water-resistant in case it rains.

Internal memory

Watches have internal memories to store different things on the watch. The GPS needs an APP or maybe more to work, so your watch should have enough memory to operate well. Further, if you want the watch for running or other sports, you might need to download different sports modes, save your data on the watch, and watch coaching sessions. Some watches also allow for downloading music to listen offline. All of these features need internal memory, so the larger, the better.

GPS

We know you’re already looking for a GPS watch. However, the GPS effectiveness isn’t the same in all watches. Some watches support multiple satellite navigation systems such as GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. These are more accurate and can detect your location wherever you are. Also, some watches have preloaded GPS maps to work offline without the need to connect to any WiFi network or cellular data. They’re also good for off-road and out-of-the-country trips.

Why do I need a GPS watch?

The simple answer is to know your way and not to get lost wherever you’re. Even if you have a GPS feature on your mobile, you still need this feature because the GPS on these watches is more accurate.

What is a good battery life?

It depends on how many features you’re using at the same time. The GPS feature is usually what drains the battery fast. If the battery can last for more than 12 hours while using the GPS, it’s considered a good GPS watch with long battery life.

How do I maintain the battery life?

Try to turn off the features you aren’t using at the moment. Also, if the battery has a power saver mode, use it when the battery starts to drain.