Imagine paying a whole load of money for a smartwatch only to find it stops working the first time you get caught out in the rain. Or worse yet, imagine the screen got scratched the first day you wear it, leaving the screen completely unreadable.
The solution of course is to get a good, tough, rugged smartwatch that’s built to the best standards for durability. And these are military standards.
In this article, we’re going to review the 10 best military standard certified smartwatches. Our reviews are unbiased and contain both pros and cons.
But we totally get that choosing a quality smartwatch can be tricky, which is why we’ve also put together a handy buying guide that will walk you through the key things to think about before you buy.
Then we’re going to top that off with a section where we answer some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
Let’s get straight to it.
In a hurry? Check out our top pick!
But we totally get that choosing a quality smartwatch can be tricky, which is why we’ve also put together a handy buying guide that will walk you through the key things to think about before you buy.
Then we’re going to top that off with a section where we answer some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
Let’s get straight to it.
In a hurry? Check out our top pick!
The Best Military Smartwatches 2023
OUR TOP PICK
Now, coming from Samsung, you would be forgiven for thinking that this smartwatch will only work with Samsung phones, but, we were pleased to find out, it will work with a range of Android phones, and will also work with iOS phones (though not quite as well).
And where most smartwatches will merely alert you to calls and texts, this watch enables you to actually respond right from the watch itself.
It will also give you all your smart notifications, do music streaming, and allow you to pay for goods.
It offers military grade performance and can easily handle extreme temperatures, the occasional drop, and has dust and water resistance to boot.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker, thanks to its heart rate monitoring and activity tracking.
It features GPS tracking, so you will always know exactly where you are, and track the mileage of your activities.
You can buy it either with a leather band or with a silicone one.
Pros
- Military grade performance
- Android & iOS Compatibility
- Also features GPS tracking
- Doubles as a fitness tracker
- You can make and take calls
Cons
- The link will take you to a renewed pre-owned version, and not a brand new one (but we would argue that it’s almost as good as new, and is significantly more affordable)
EDITORS CHOICE
This smartwatch is very reasonably priced, and comes with excellent customer ratings.
And it has some great features, such as a whopping 100 plus sport modes, and a very impressive battery life, coming in at a staggering 18 days! (Depending on how intensively you use it.)
The durability specs are very impressive - it’s 10 ATM waterproof, has heat resistance up to 70 degrees centigrade, cold resistance to -40 degrees centigrade, ice and freezing rain resistance, and humidity and salt spray resistance to boot.
You could even take it swimming in the sea, through humid rainforests, to polar glaciers, or through hot deserts, and the watch will not fail you. It has passed a whopping 15 military-grade tests.
It offers superior health and fitness tracking, since it not only monitors your heart rate for calories burned, but also measures your blood-oxygen saturation.
And its GPS tracking is also superior to regular GPS watches, since it works with not one but four global navigation satellite systems, so you’ll always be able to see where you are.
And it also features traditional navigational tools as well, including a 3-axis compass and a barometric altimeter.
It’s compatible with Android smartphones using Android 5.0 or above and iPhone with iOS 10.0 or higher, for all your most important notifications.
It’s available in three color options, namely traditional black, grey, or steel blue.
Pros
- Incomparable ruggedness
- Use 100 plus sport modes
- Android & iOS compatibility
- Superior health tracking
- Superior GPS tracking
- 18 day battery life!
Cons
- You can’t use it to make or answer phone calls
BEST VALUE
This smartwatch is a prominent bestseller with the leading online retailers and has been met with excellent customer ratings and reviews.
This rugged GPS smartwatch is constructed to military standard 810G to confirm its high levels of shock, thermal and water resistance, so it’s a very durable watch.
It’s compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, and you can use it to alert you to texts and calls to your phone and also to provide you with a range of smart app notifications as well.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker, and it will monitor your heart rate, stress levels, and a range of activity stats through its various preloaded activity profiles.
It also features not one but three global navigation satellite systems built-in, namely GPS, Glonass and Galileo which serve to find your location more effectively than with just one system alone.
This GPS functionality can aid your fitness tracking by supplying the mileage covered.
The battery life is pretty good, 14 days in smartwatch mode, 16 hours in GPS mode, and there’s also a battery saver mode besides.
It’s available in a whopping 18 different color options. (We won’t list them all here.)
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular smartwatch, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now. (When this article was written, you could save over $100.)
Pros
- Very rugged and durable
- Android & iOS compatibility
- Doubles as a fitness tracker
- Multiple navigation systems
- Pretty good 14 day battery life
- Available in a range of colors
Cons
- You can’t use it to make or answer phone calls
RUNNER UP
Now, this is basically a more affordable version of the Amazfit T-Rex Pro Smartwatch with GPS we showed you earlier. And at under $150, it’s very competitively priced.
It's a robust and durable watch, and has passed a whopping 12 military certifications. It’s highly water-resistant, and can even be worn while swimming.
It’s compatible with smartphones that run on Android 5.0 or higher, and iOS 10.0 or higher, and is poised to give you all your smart notifications.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker, thanks to its PPG Bio-tracking optical sensor, which offers 24/7 high-precision monitoring.
And it features 14 built-in sports modes to track all your health and fitness stats.
It also has built-in GPS, and also has GLONASS, an additional global satellite navigation system.
It’s a more accurate GPS signal than you get with most other watches because it uses a high-end Sony GPS chip for faster and more precise finding.
You can use this GPS tracking in conjunction with the sports and fitness tracking for a truly accurate measure of distance covered.
We were also very impressed with battery life, which comes in at a staggering 20 days!
It’s available in 4 color options, army green, camo green, a pale khaki, and rock black.
Pros
- It’s very competitively priced
- 12 military grade certifications
- Very high level of water resistance
- Has Android and iOS compatibility
- It also doubles as a fitness tracker
- Superior GPS & GLONASS tracking
- Impressive 20 day long battery life
Cons
- You can’t use it to make or answer phone calls
RUNNER UP
This watch has had phenomenal customer ratings and reviews, coming in at a full 5 start on Amazon, even after well over 200 individual customer ratings.
It’s ruggedly designed to meet military standards, (MIL-STD-810) and it has tactical-specific features such as night vision compatibility and a stealth mode.
As a smartwatch, it’s compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones. And not only can you use it for text and call alerts, but you also get other smart notifications, and even use Garmin Pay to pay contactless for goods.
It can also be used to play music, either by streaming, or via music that you can download straight to the watch.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker, thanks to its heart rate monitoring and such, and it will provide you with all your activity stats.
It features multiple global satellite navigation systems, namely GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, so you need never worry about getting lost. Moreover, it also features more traditional navigational tools, such as an altimeter, barometer and 3-axis compass.
It has a very impressive battery life, coming in at a whopping 21 days on a full charge (in smartwatch mode).
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular smartwatch, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal now.
Pros
- Phenomenal customer ratings
- Android and iOS compatibility
- Multiple navigation systems
- Traditional navigation tools
- Can be used to pay for goods
- Can be used to play music
- Impressive 21 day battery life
Cons
- Only available in black
- Premium product at a premium price
- You can’t use it to make or answer phone calls
RUNNER UP
This smartwatch has a lot in common with the Garmin tactix Delta, Premium GPS Smartwatch we showed you earlier. But there are several important differences.
One of the more useful differences is that this smartwatch features solar-powered charging.
Some customers have found that the battery can last up to 3 weeks, depending on how intensively you use it.
And not only is it built to military standards, but it’s also equipped with dedicated tactical functions such as ballistics for shooting, a night vision mode, a stealth mode, and a kill switch.
It features multiple global satellite navigation systems, namely GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, so you need never worry about getting lost, and has advanced sensors.
Moreover, it also features many preloaded TOPO maps which can be displayed in color.
As a smartwatch, it’s compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones.
And not only can you use it for text and call alerts, but you also get other smart notifications, and even use Garmin Pay to pay contactless for goods.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker, thanks to its enhanced heart rate monitoring and such, and it will provide you with all your activity stats.
And, we’re going to level with you here, this is quite an expensive watch, it’s the most expensive one on our shortlist.
But, it has had quite a lot of positive customer ratings and reviews, so many people clearly feel it’s worth the money.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular smartwatch, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now.
(When this article was written, you could save over $100.)
Pros
- Allows solar power charging
- Dedicated tactical functions
- Multiple navigational systems
- Preloaded with color TOPO maps
- Android and iOS compatibility
- Doubles as a fitness tracker
- Excellent customer ratings
Cons
- Premium product at a premium price
RUNNER UP
If you’re particularly budget conscious, this could very well be the bargain for you. When this article was written, this smartwatch was available for under $50.
But despite its bargain price, it’s remarkably rugged and durable, having passed a whopping 10 military grade certifications.
It can take temperatures as low as -40 degrees centigrade and as high as 70 degrees centigrade. It also features 96 hours resistance to salt spray and 120 hours resistance to humidity.
But where it lets itself down is its water resistance. It does have some water resistance, you can still go ahead and wash your hands while you’re wearing it, but it can’t withstand being submerged in water.
It’s compatible with Android smartphones with Android 4.4 and above, and Apple smartphones with iOS 9.0 or higher, for all your main notifications.
But where this smartwatch excels is that it not only alerts you to incoming calls, but it also enables you to answer them, thanks to the built-in microphone.
And you can make outgoing calls, too. And it will play music.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker. It will monitor your heart rate, your sleep cycle, your blood pressure, and the level of oxygen in your blood.
Its battery life is really good. It can last between 7 and 10 days on a full charge.
It’s available in army green, black, or gray. And you can also buy it with spare bands, such as a leather or a stainless-steel band.
We were also pleased to learn that the watch comes backed by a 12-month warranty.
Pros
- Impressively rugged & durable
- Compatible with Android & iOS
- Comprehensive fitness tracking
- You can make and take calls
- Really good 7 day battery life
- Backed by a 12-month warranty
Cons
- Not 100% waterproof
- No built-in GPS
RUNNER UP
Here’s another great bargain smartwatch - available for well under $100, AND it’s so water-resistant you can wear it swimming. (The water resistance rating is IP67.)
It’s compatible with a wide range of smartphones, including several iPhones and several Samsung ones and many more.
(For the full list, please refer to the product page, which you can get to by clicking on “Check price”.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker - It will monitor your heart rate, your sleep cycle, your blood pressure, and the level of oxygen in your blood.
And it supports 9 different sports and activity modes.
Although it doesn’t feature built-in GPS, you can hook it up to the GPS on your smartphone to track your mileage, or distance covered, in your various fitness activities.
Despite its bargain price, it’s remarkably rugged and durable, having passed a whopping 10 military grade certifications.
It can take temperatures as low as -40 degrees centigrade and as high as 70 degrees centigrade.
It also features 96 hours resistance to salt spray and 120 hours resistance to humidity.
But where it lets itself down is its water resistance. It does have some water resistance, you can still go ahead and wash your hands while you’re wearing it, but it can’t withstand being submerged in water.
We also like how it has the Young Bird game installed. Perfect for passing time when you’re in a queue.
Its battery life is really good. It can last between 7 and 10 days on a full charge.
It’s available in 3 color options, army green, black, or gray. And you can also buy it with a spare black leather band.
And, we were pleased to learn, it comes backed by full years’ warranty.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular smartwatch, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now.
Pros
- Impressively rugged & durable
- Compatible with Android & iOS
- Comprehensive fitness tracking
- Water resistance rating of IP67
- Really good 7 day battery life
- Backed by a 12-month warranty
Cons
- No built-in GPS (but you can pair it with your phones GPS)
- You can’t use it to send text messages or to make or answer calls
RUNNER UP
Here’s another great bargain smartwatch - available for well under $100, AND it’s so water-resistant you can wear it swimming. (The water resistance rating is IP67.)
It’s compatible with a wide range of smartphones, including several iPhones and several Samsung ones and many more.
(For the full list, please refer to the product page, which you can get to by clicking on “Check price”.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker - It will monitor your heart rate, your sleep cycle, your blood pressure, and the level of oxygen in your blood. And it supports 9 different sports and activity modes.
Although it doesn’t feature built-in GPS, you can hook it up to the GPS on your smartphone to track your mileage, or distance covered, in your various fitness activities.
Despite its bargain price, it’s remarkably rugged and durable, having passed a whopping 10 military grade certifications.
It can take temperatures as low as -40 degrees centigrade and as high as 70 degrees centigrade. It also features 96 hours resistance to salt spray and 120 hours resistance to humidity.
But where it lets itself down is its water resistance. It does have some water resistance, you can still go ahead and wash your hands while you’re wearing it, but it can’t withstand being submerged in water.
We also like how it has the Young Bird game installed. Perfect for passing time when you’re in a queue.
Its battery life is really good. It can last between 7 and 10 days on a full charge.
It’s available in 3 color options, army green, black, or gray. And you can also buy it with a spare black leather band.
And, we were pleased to learn, it comes backed by full years’ warranty.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular smartwatch, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now.
Pros
- Impressively rugged & durable
- Compatible with Android & iOS
- Comprehensive fitness tracking
- Water resistance rating of IP67
- Really good 7 day battery life
- Backed by a 12-month warranty
Cons
- No built-in GPS (but you can pair it with your phone's GPS)
- You can’t use it to send text messages or to make or answer calls
RUNNER UP
This is hands down the most affordable military grade smartwatch on our shortlist, but unfortunately it’s also the one with the most negative customer reviews.
But it does have some great features. It’s a very tough and rugged watch, made with ABS hard plastic and with a mineral crystal screen to protect it from scratches.
And it’s water-resistant to 50 meters, which means you could even take it swimming.
It’s compatible with a wide range of smartphones, including those with Android 4.3 or higher, and those with iOS 7.0 or higher.
It will give you a range of smartphone notifications, including those for calls and texts, and those for Facebook, Whatsapp, Skype and more.
It also doubles as a fitness tracker, functioning as a pedometer, and estimating calories burned.
This is not particularly accurate, however, because it doesn’t base the calories burned on your heart rate, because it doesn’t monitor your heart rate.
The star feature of this watch is just how easy it is to read in low light conditions, since it features a luminous dial that you can read in the dark.
The usual battery life of the watch is not made clear on the product description. However, it does say that the watch will last up to a whopping 33 days on standby.
Pros
- Bargain, affordable price tag
- Protection from scratches
- High level of water resistance
- Android and iOS compatibility
- Doubles as a fitness tracker
- Features a luminous dial
- Lasts 33 days on standby
Cons
- No built-in GPS
- No heart-rate monitoring
- Large proportion of negative customer reviews
- You can’t make or answer calls through it
Military Watch Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. Here are the key points to consider when buying a military standard certified smartwatch. (They’re not listed in any particular order.)
Ruggedness and Durability
All the watches that made our shortlist are military standard certified. And to achieve such a high standard of durability, they are tested to see how well they perform against a number of measures.
For example, a military standard certified smartwatch will have such a high level of water resistance, that it can not only withstand a downpour of rain, but can even withstand being submerged in water.
You can expect similar standards for their impact resistance and scratch resistance.
Tactical Features
If you also require your smartwatch to have tactical features, we recommend the Garmin tactix Delta, or the Garmin tactix Delta Solar.
Aesthetic
Several of the watches in our shortlist feature army green bands that go great with camouflage style clothing.
Several of the watches in our shortlist feature a classic analogue clock face typical of the sports watches of old, filled with detail.
When looking through the product reviews above, only one color option is presented for each review, so please bear in mind that there may be other color options available for that watch that are not being presented here.
Please click on “Check price” for the product page to open on another tab, where you will find more style options.
Compatibility With Your Smartphone
Now, this is super important. There’s no point investing money in a smartwatch only to find that it’s not compatible with your smartphone.
In the product reviews above, we have made a point of stating whether each watch is compatible with Apple or Android smartphone operating systems (or Windows, where applicable).
Ability To Answer Calls
Would you believe that some smartwatches only alert you when you have a call coming through, and don’t always allow you to answer the call from your phone? So, if this is important to you, be sure to check your watch has this feature before you buy.
GPS Functionality
If you intend to take your watch into the wilderness/countryside/great outdoors, then you’re going to want your smartwatch to have GPS where possible. Especially if you like to explore new areas and travel to unfamiliar territory.
Sport And Fitness Tracking
These days, most smartwatches also double as fitness trackers. They can monitor your sporting activities, your heart rate, your sleep cycle, and so on.
This is great not only for fitness enthusiasts who want to hit a new personal best, but also for those who want to keep an eye on their weight or their stress levels.
Battery Life
No-one ever wants to run out of battery in an emergency. Smartwatches have varying degrees of battery life, and of recharge time. You want as long a battery life as possible, and as short a recharge time as possible.
How intensively you use your smartwatch will impact how long the battery lasts. Using GPS can really drain your battery.
Value For Money
In our shortlist, we were careful to provide options for every level of budget, ranging from as little as $40 all the way up to over $1000 for really high-end models. (Yes, that’s how much they can vary in price.)
We haven’t included prices in our reviews in case the prices change, so to gauge how much each of these watches cost, we recommend that you click on “Check price” as you go along.
What is a tactical smartwatch?
A tactical smartwatch is a watch designed for military use or outdoor activities and features such as GPS, rugged design, long battery life, and useful features for tactical situations.
What are the best military watches?
Some of the best military watches are the Garmin Tactix Delta, Suunto Traverse Alpha, and G-Shock watches.
What are the 11 best tactical smartwatches?
The 11 best tactical smartwatches are the Garmin Tactix Delta, Garmin Instinct Tactical, Suunto Core, Suunto Traverse Alpha, Garmin Tactix 7, G-Shock Rangeman, Casio Pro-Trek, Galaxy Watch Active 2, Amazfit T-Rex, Apple Watch Series 6, and Polar Grit X.
What should I look for in a tactical watch?
When looking for a tactical watch, you should look for a rugged design, water resistance, long battery life, GPS, compass, altimeter, and a useful feature for your intended use.
Why is Garmin Tactix Delta considered one of the best tactical smartwatches?
Garmin Tactix Delta is considered one of the best tactical smartwatches due to its rugged design, long battery life, GPS, and feature-packed Garmin Connect app.
What is the battery life of Garmin Instinct 2 Solar?
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar can last up to 54 days in smartwatch mode and up to 30 days with solar charging.
What is Suunto Traverse Alpha designed for?
Suunto Traverse Alpha is designed specifically for outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, and fishing and features such as GPS, GLONASS navigation, and sunrise/sunset times.
Are Garmin watches good for military use?
Yes, Garmin watches are increasingly being used by the military due to their rugged design, long battery life, and useful features for tactical situations.
Can I use a dive watch as a tactical watch?
While dive watches can be rugged and water-resistant, they may not have the necessary features for tactical situations. It's best to look for a watch specifically designed for tactical use.
What is the difference between a smartwatch and a tactical smartwatch?
A smartwatch is designed for everyday use and features such as health tracking and notifications. A tactical smartwatch is designed specifically for outdoor and military use and features such as GPS, rugged design, and long battery life.
From a young age, I have always had a big interest in technology, and this blog is an extension of that interest. Through this blog, I hope to provide others with all of the information they need regarding tech options to consider, and things such as compatibility. Some of the different items I will be discussing include headphones, smartwatches, and how to fix common issues.
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