There are tons of great watches around, many of them have lots of features, so it is just a matter to pick up the main 1 or 2 features and make your search in according to these. If you don’t make a clear choice, you may get lost in the endless offers. Whatever features you get on top of the main ones will just be a bonus.
For an easy orientation I made a quick list of the main sports watch features.
Resistance to Water
The water resistance is, I would say, the most important feature of any sports watch. No matter what sport you are dedicated to, you will still need a water proof watch. Even just rain could cause serious damage. Just choose a suitable level of water resistance in according to what you do. The water resistance choice is huge and goes from about 10 meters up to 500 meters suitable for diving. These are often also resistant against salt.
GPS
Everyone who goes hiking or tracking to remote places should seriously consider a watch with GPS. GPS will facilitate you getting on the right path. But if you feel that GPS is too much of a luxury for you then definitely get a watch with at least a built-in digital compass.
Weather Features
Handy features that are related to the weather are mainly sunrise and sunset data, thermometer, barometer, altimeter or a altitude memory. These features will make your trips under extreme conditions or when hiking in the mountains even more exciting.
G Shock
G shock watches are very popular these days and no wonder. G shock watches are super resistant to all kind of knocks and shocks and makes the watch super durable.
Features Perfect For Running
Running is a very special sport when it comes to watch features. For running you will need mainly heart rate monitor and a good quality stopwatch and timer.
Watch Band
The choice of watch band will likely affect how you feeling about your new sports watch. It probably is wiser to first make your choice based on features and then get the ideal band later. A permeable watch band would be my choice, as I don’t like a sweaty wrist. A good material for sports bands is titanium – super solid, very durable and very light.
Brand Name
When choosing a sports watch you don’t want to overlook the brand name. It might seem cliche but still – the brand can be an assurance of high quality and durability. At the top of the range of sports watches there are brands like Casio, Timex, Invicta and Garmin.