Training for a triathlon isn’t exactly a stroll—whether that’s in the park, the pool, or the bike lane. Between swimming, biking, and running, our bodies (and our watches) have to hustle to keep up. That’s where fitness trackers come in, collecting the stats we need to prove we didn’t just nap in our gym clothes.
Fitness trackers for triathletes aren’t just glorified step-counters. They track multiple sports, handle getting dunked underwater, and survive surprise rainstorms. We want features like multisport modes, solid GPS, heart rate tracking, and a battery that doesn’t quit before we do. Comfort matters too—nobody wants a tracker gnawing at their wrist for hours.
With so many choices out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. It helps to know what actually matters before you dive in. Picking the right tracker comes down to durability, battery life, and solid tracking features—plus an app that doesn’t require an advanced degree to figure out. We spent hours reading specs, comparing features, and actually wearing these trackers through our own training.
Best Fitness Trackers for Triathletes
Running, biking, and swimming aren’t just hobbies for us—they’re our social life, our therapy, and sometimes our excuse for a second breakfast. To keep up, we need fitness trackers that can survive sweat and still tell us how awesome (or tired) we are. Let’s check out the best trackers that stick with us through it all.
If you want a triathlon-ready watch that keeps up with stubborn ambitions (and actually looks good), this one’s worth a look.
Pros
Colorful AMOLED touchscreen makes old LCDs look ancient
Super straightforward training plans—even we can’t mess it up
Battery life that outlasts our last marathon training attempt
Cons
Heart rate readings sometimes think we’ve swapped hearts with a cheetah
No built-in triathlon mode—so we have to fiddle with multisport settings
GarminPay is cool, but bank support is still pretty limited
The display really pops. This bright, punchy screen had us glancing at our wrists just for fun. We could easily read our pace, heart rate, and distance, even in blinding sunlight or the doom of a pre-dawn swim.
Sweaty fingers didn’t slow us down, since both the touchscreen and classic buttons work well. Garmin’s adaptive training plans guided us without being overbearing. Our workouts felt tailored, and the watch cheered us on after hills, then nudged us to take a real rest day (which, let’s be honest, we rarely do).
Waking up to a morning report with recovery, training outlook, and sleep data made us feel like high-tech athletes—even if our performance told a different story. Battery life was a relief. We didn’t need to hunt for chargers after every session, and the watch coasted through even our laziest week.
The heart rate reader sometimes got a little dramatic, deciding we were in beast mode when we were just waiting for coffee. If you want to glide smoothly through swim, bike, and run, the triathlon support feels a bit awkward to set up.
Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 165 made us feel like we’re one stylish race away from the podium—just please, don’t ask our knees.
If you want to track triathlon workouts without looking like a robot, this watch checks most boxes.
Pros
Chic design fits in at the office or on the bike
Big, sharp screen that’s readable in direct sunlight
Insanely long battery life—charging every night is so last decade
Cons
GPS accuracy isn’t always Olympic level
The Zepp app’s learning curve is a little more “tour de force” than we’d hope
Not really built for brutal impacts
It’s refreshing when a fitness tracker lets us go from a sweaty swim straight to brunch without looking like we’re prepping for a moon landing. The Amazfit Active 2 actually passes as a normal, stylish watch, hiding all the health wizardry in a sleek shell.
We kept checking the screen under the noon sun, and—shocker—it’s readable without playing shadow puppet with our arms. Switching between running, biking, and swimming is a breeze with the 160+ sports modes. We even discovered a weirdly addictive “HYROX Race” setting—don’t google it while eating.
The battery surprised us most. We tracked several days’ worth of training (and a couple of naps) without even thinking about a charger. We spent less time worrying about battery life and more time pretending to be pro athletes (emphasis on pretending).
Of course, not everything’s perfect. The GPS sometimes gets creative, planting us on mystery trails, and the Zepp app could use a bit more hand-holding. For rough sports, we winced—this watch likes adventure, but not outright abuse from aggressive falls.
Still, we think it’s a great choice if you want triathlon features wrapped up in something you won’t mind showing off to your non-triathlete friends.
This Garmin Forerunner 55 is a no-nonsense triathlon buddy for folks who want reliable tracking without feeling like they’re wearing a computer on their wrist.
Pros
Battery lasts so long we almost forgot where we put the charger
Personalized training suggestions make us feel like we have a coach who never yells
Simple and light, so we don’t feel weighed down during our run-swim-bike marathons
Cons
Display is a bit on the small side—our aging eyes had to squint
No swim tracking for open water, just pool laps (sorry, lake swimmers)
Advanced data nerds might miss deeper performance metrics
As runners, swimmers, and eternal snackers, we don’t have to fight through endless menus just to start a workout. The Forerunner 55 just gets to business and tracks our activities with minimal fuss.
The daily suggested workouts are super handy, especially for those of us who tend to stare blankly at our shoes before a run. Battery life here feels almost magical. We can do a full week of workouts and still not see that low-battery panic.
It’s liberating not having to hunt down charging cables every night. The comfort level is high, too—you can barely feel this thing, which is ideal for beating your personal bests (or just stumbling through a brick workout).
There are some limitations. If you want to study open water swim stats or geek out over advanced analytics, this may leave you longing for fancier models. The small face isn’t for everyone, especially if you want bold displays or have forearms the size of tree trunks.
But for those who just want a straightforward, dependable tracker, the Forerunner 55 is definitely up for the challenge—just like we wish we were on race day.
If you want a serious triathlon partner that somehow knows your sleep habits better than your own parents, the Forerunner 955 is an impressively useful choice.
Pros
Battery life lasts longer than most of our motivation
Touch and buttons give us ultimate sweaty finger versatility
Accurate GPS and full-color maps make getting lost just plain lazy
Cons
So much data, we sometimes feel like lab rats
Not the cheapest gadget on the block
Can be bulky for those of us with daintier wrists
Once we strapped on the Forerunner 955, we felt like we’d appointed a very chipper coach who never takes a day off. The training readiness feature gives us a gentle nudge—sometimes more like a shove—about when to suck it up or just take a nap.
We especially liked checking the morning report with sleepy eyes, finding out instantly if we should go run, ride, swim, or just roll back in bed. The touchscreen stays responsive even after our hands turn into pruney raisins during long swims.
We appreciated still having buttons when our fingers were too cold and clumsy to swipe. The multiband GPS might just be our favorite part—it tracked us through city streets, trails, and random detours to coffee shops.
What impressed us most was how it stitches all our training, sleep, and recovery into a single dashboard. Some of us get overwhelmed by the mountain of stats, but we can always count on the race widget to provide a dose of realism (and a laugh about our fantasy finishing times).
For those deep in the multisport world—well, Garmin delivers almost everything we need, though we do wish the price didn’t hurt our wallets quite so much.
If you want to survive a triathlon with your dignity (and gadgets) intact, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is the trusty sidekick you need.
Pros
Accurate GPS shows just how much we zig and zag during races.
Insanely long battery life means less charging, more bragging.
Easy to read in bright sunlight, so no more squinting at tiny stats mid-race.
Cons
No music storage for powering through that third transition.
Some features need extra (pricey) accessories.
Menus can feel like an obstacle course at first.
Let’s be honest, our inner coach loves nagging us, and this watch does too—with daily workout suggestions that actually adapt when we slack or overdo it.
We get a gentle nudge every morning with a report card for our sleep and heart rates, which is probably more honest feedback than our friends give us.
The “Race Widget” acts like a coach crammed into our wrist, always reminding us to show up and not embarrass ourselves on race day.
We tested this watch through fake sprints in the park (for science, obviously), and the GPS tracked our wobbles and routes without complaint.
Switching between swimming, biking, and running is straightforward—something we really appreciate when our brains go fuzzy halfway through.
The battery just keeps going, often for nearly two weeks, so we forget about the charger almost as successfully as we ignore stretching routines.
A few things do make us grumble, like not being able to play our power song from the watch.
Some of the fancier stats tease us but require extra gear, which honestly feels like being sold popcorn at a theater—tempting, but pricey.
It took us a few tries to stop getting lost in the menus, but hey, if we can figure out transition times, we can handle this.
If you don’t mind juggling your phone for music and can survive a little watch-menu maze, the Forerunner 255 will keep triathletes like us sharp, motivated, and painfully aware of how little we sleep.
If you want a fitness tracker that really keeps up when you’re gasping for breath on lap three of the swim, the Forerunner 965 pulls its weight and doesn’t quit before you do.
Pros
Battery lasts so long, we could forget where we left the charger.
Full-color maps save us when we take wrong turns—again.
Bright AMOLED display makes stats easy to see, even when we’re too sweaty to care.
Cons
The price reminds us we might need to skip a few post-race lattes.
Sometimes we tap the wrong thing with wet fingers in transition.
A little bulkier than other watches, especially on smaller wrists.
From the moment we strapped this thing on, we felt like real athletes—at least until we tripped over our own feet.
The touchscreen is buttery smooth, and switching between run, bike, and swim modes with a single button press makes transitions less stressful.
The battery impressed us right away.
Seriously, this watch outlasts our motivation.
Charge it once and you’ll get through several training sessions, a race, and maybe even an afternoon nap before needing a power cord.
Training suggestions based on our own performance, a race planner, and a full morning report make us feel more prepared than we probably are.
The only real downside is the chunkiness—after all, we don’t have Michael Phelps’ wrists—but all those features have to fit somewhere.
If accuracy, mapping, and triathlon readiness top your list, this one’s tough to beat.
Buying Guide
Let’s be honest, we’re not just counting steps on the way to the fridge. As triathletes, we need gadgets that can handle swimming, biking, and running—not just tracking naps.
Key Features To Look For
Water Resistance: No one wants a fitness tracker that freaks out after a splash. If it quits in the pool, it’s just not going to cut it.
Battery Life: The longer, the better. Charging mid-ride? Not ideal, unless you’re into living dangerously.
GPS Accuracy: Getting lost on a run is only funny once. Solid GPS helps us actually get home for dinner.
Multi-Sport Modes: If your tracker thinks “triathlon” is just a buzzword, you’re in trouble. It really needs true multi-sport support.
Comparison Table
Feature
Why It Matters
Water Resistance
Survives swims and sweaty workouts
Battery Life
Less charging, more racing
GPS Accuracy
Keeps us on track
Multi-Sport Modes
Handles all three sports
Comfort & Fit
Nobody wants wrist blisters
Comfort and adjustability matter, too. We want a tracker that sits so well on our wrist, we forget it’s even there—until it buzzes and nags us to move.
Syncing with our phones or apps should feel simple. If pairing takes longer than a sprint, something’s wrong.
Hi, my name is Garrett Jones, and I am a tech enthusiast. I enjoy researching the new tech that has been released, and have a vast knowledge of the best tech to purchase.
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.
