The 5 best sailing watches with GPS are listed below.
- Best Overall: Garmin Instinct
- Best For Features: Garmin Fēnix 5
- Best For Price: Suunto Traverse Alpha
- Best For Underwater: Garmin Descent MK1
- Best For Battery Life: Garmin Quatix 5x Sapphire
A great sailing watch with GPS tells the time, fits comfortably, looks stylish, offers the latest tech, is suitable in all marine environments, is waterproof and customizable, and provides GPS data to the person wearing the watch.
In recent years, the evolution of wearable technology has significantly enhanced the functionality of sailing watches with GPS, making them indispensable tools for sailors seeking precision and convenience on the water.
1. Garmin Instinct
The best overall sailing watch with GPS is the Unisex Garmin Instinct manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
It comes in 5 editions including standard edition, eSports edition, surf edition, tactical edition, and camo edition. There is a solar-powered version available too. It comes in quartz movement.
We recommend the standard edition as this edition is more than enough to cater to all sailing activities. Buying this watch gives buyers access to the Garmin Connect app too.
it is priced between $170 and $320 making it the most affordable option compared to the other sailing watches. It comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
The battery life lasts 14 days in smart mode, 16 hours in GPS mode and 40 hours in Ultratrac battery mode. It is chargeable through a USB cable that plugs into the back.
It has a bright display with a display resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. It has a memory of 16MB.
The comprehensive features of this watch are listed below.
- Heart Rate Monitor
- 3 Axis Compass With Barometric Altimeter
- Digital Time Display
- Pre-Programmed GPS (Multi-GNSS Satellite Support)
- Elevation Tracker
- Audible Smart Notification Alerts
- Garmin App Connectivity
The dimensions are 45 x 45 x 15.3 mm. The screen size is 1.27 inches. It fits wrists with a circumference of 132-224 mm. It weighs 52 grams so it is lightweight on the wrist.
It is shaped round/circular with a sleek design and comfortable fitting. It comes with 5 total buttons on either side of the watch display. These buttons control the light display, the GPS, a back button, an up button and a down button.
It comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
It is compatible with smartphones including Android and Apple devices. This enables alerts and notifications to be received on the smartwatch itself.
It is not compatible with Windows 95, 98, Me, Windows NT, and Mac OS 10.3 or earlier.
It can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 140ºF which means it can work in most sailing weather conditions.
It comes in 13 different colors from black to red.
The material in this watch includes U.S. Military standard 810G for thermal, shock and water resistance, a fully vented silicone wristband strap with 2 removable keeper loops, a monochrome & sunlight-visible memory-in-pixel (MIP) display and a fiber-reinforced polymer case
The new package includes 1 smartwatch, 1 battery, 1 USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency/protocol of this watch is 2.4 GHz @ 2.4 dBm nominal.
The 5 benefits are listed below.
- It's water resistant up to 100 meters depth: It has a 10 ATM water rating which means it is resistant in water depths of 100 meters/10 bars. This means it is the perfect watch for any sailing trip
- There are many color options: It comes with 13 color options which means buyers have plenty of choices to choose from to suit their own preferences and style
- The display screen is scratch resistant: The watch display is chemically strengthened to create a scratch-resistant display which is great for harsh and rough marine environments when sailing
- People can easily see all their statistics and data in the Garmin Connect app: This watch automatically logs data to the Garmin Connect app which means people can easily check their stats inside the app
- It has multiple great features: It can monitor heart rate, track elevation data, provide GPS data, automatically update Garmin Connect app, track activity etc. which means it is a great multi-function smart watch for sailing
One disadvantage is the battery can drain fast in the GPS mode with a battery life of just 16 hours in GPS mode.
2. Garmin Fēnix 5
The best sailing watch with GPS for its features is the Unisex Garmin Fēnix 5 manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
It comes in 2 editions which are the sapphire edition or the standard edition with no sapphire. It comes in 3 different case sizes which are 42mm, 47mm and 51mm.
We recommend the Garmin Fēnix 5 sapphire edition 47mm case as this edition features a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, speedy Wi-Fi connectivity and the 47mm case is a great size for sailing. The 42mm watch is one of the thinner watches on the list.
It is priced between $370 and $680. The large price range is because the different case sizes vary in price.
It comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
The battery life is 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 24 hours in GPS mode and 60 hours in Ultratrac battery saver mode. It is chargeable through a USB cable that plugs into the back of the watch.
It has a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It has a memory of 64MB.
The major features of this watch are listed below.
- Easy Reset Ultra Cleaer Digital Colored Screen Time Display
- Heart Rate Monitor
- GPS With Full Colored TOPO U.S. Mapping
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- Smart Audio Notifications
- Step Counter Tracking
- Built-in Altimeter, Barometer, 3-Axis Compass
- Sleep Tracking
- 3D Speedometer
- Accelerometer
- Thermometer
- Garmin App Connectivity
The dimensions are 47mm x 47mm x 15.5 mm. The screen size is 1.20 inches. The weight is 85 grams so it is one of the heavier watches on the market.
It is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons with 3 buttons on the left side of the customisable watch display and 2 buttons on the right side of the watch display. These buttons control the light display, selecting an activity, a back button, an up button and a down button.
It comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
It is smartphone compatible and it can work with Apple and Android devices. This watch can pair with a smartphone device that is within 10 meters (33ft) of the watch's range.
It can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 122ºF which means it can work in most marine weather conditions.
It comes in 13 colors from grey to black.
The material includes a polymer case with stainless steel rear cover, a PVD-coated stainless steel bezel and buttons, a chemically strengthened robost sapphire crystal lens and a silicone or steel strap.
The new package includes 1 smartwatch, 1 battery, 1 USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency/protocol of this watch is 2.4 GHz @ 8.16 dBm nominal.
The benefits are listed below.
- It comes with a great high resolution full color display: It comes with an incredible high quality fully colored display screen
- The sapphire edition is scratch-resistant: The sapphire edition is scratch resistant and durable so it can withstand harsh marine environments
- It is wi-fi enabled: This watch can connect to any wi-fi network which is an added benefit
- It comes with a great 1-year warranty: This watch comes with a 1-year warranty which gives added peace of mind
- It is water & shock-resistant: This watch can withstand up to 100 meters underwater and it is made of durable and shock-resistant material which is great for rough seawater when sailing
One disadvantage is it is more expensive than other sailing watches with GPS with a price tag ranging from $370 to $680.
3. Suunto Traverse Alpha
The best sailing watch with GPS for its price is the unisex Suunto Traverse Alpha manufactured by the watch brand Suunto in Finland and sold worldwide.
It is priced between $230 and $260.
It comes with a two-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
The battery life is 14 days in time mode and 15 hours in training mode with GPS. It is chargeable through a USB cable that plugs into the back of the watch.
It has a display resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. It comes with 5 customizable modes which are running mode, cycling mode, hunting mode, fishing mode and sports mode.
The features are listed below.
- Programmable Digital Compass
- GPS & GLONASS for route and POI navigation
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Training Analysis Logger
- Barometric Altimeter
- Speed, Distance & Altitude Tracker
- Temperature Display
- Moon Phase Calendar
- Alarm Clock
- Vibration Alerts
- Step Counter
- Real-Time Route Recording
- Mobile Notifications (Calls, Texts & Push Notifications)
- Access To Movescount App
- 3D Map Route Creation
- Weather & Storm Alerts
- Night Vision Goggle Compatible
The dimensions are 1.97" x 1.97" x 0.59". The weight is 75 grams.
It is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons with 2 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 3 buttons on the right side of the watch display. These buttons are the back button, view button, start button, next button and the light button.
It comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
It is smartphone compatible and it works with iOS and Android devices.
It can operate in a temperature range from -5ºF to 140ºF which means it can work in most marine weather conditions.
It comes in 2 colors which are black and graphite.
The material includes stainless steel bezel material, sapphire crystal glass material, textile strap material and a battery.
The package includes 1 smartwatch, 1 charging/data USB cable, 1 quick guide and 1 warranty leaflet.
The 4 benefits are listed below.
- The glass case is scratch-resistant: The sapphire glass display is a robust, scratch resistant which means this watch can withstand tough environments without getting scratched or scuffed
- It comes with a great 2-year warranty: This watch comes with a 2-year warranty which gives added peace of mind
- It's a great price: This watch is one of the cheaper options on the market at a price range of $230 to $260 which means people will not have to spend a lot of money to get one
- It is water-resistant: This watch is water resistant up to 100 meters underwater which means it can function perfectly when out sailing on the water
Two disadvantages are it has a low battery life in training mode with a battery life of just 15 hours and it only comes in two color options so there are not many color choices to choose from.
4. Garmin Descent MK1
The best sailing watch with GPS for its underwater abilities is the unisex Garmin Descent Mk1 manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
It is priced between $1,050 and $1,350.
It comes with a one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
There are 3 styles of this watch to choose from including a steel case with a silicone band style, a titanium case with a silicone band style and a titanium case with a titanium band style.
We recommend the sturdy titanium case with a silicone band version as it is the lightest weight of the three versions.
The battery life is 19 days in watch mode, 10 days in smartwatch mode, 30 hours in UltraTrac mode, 40 hours in dive mode, and 20 hours in GPS/HR Activity mode so there is a great battery life for sailing trips.
It has a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It has a memory of 16GB.
The features are listed below.
- Digital Colored Screen Time Display
- GPS Speed & Distance Tracker
- Surface GPS With TOPO Mapping
- Wrist-Based Heart Rate Monitor
- Garmin App Connectivity
- Tidal Depth Sensor
- Full LED Faced Display
- Thermometer
- Accelerometer
- Compass
- Steps Track
- Calorie Burn Tracker
- Barometric Altimeter
- Bluetooth, ANT+& Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Impressive Dive Log Tracks Up To 200 Dives
The dimensions are 51mm x 51mm x 17.8 mm. The display size is 1.20-inch in diameter.
The weight is 101 grams for the steel case and silicone band version, 94 grams for the titanium case with silicone band version and 145 grams for the titanium case with titanium band version.
It is shaped round/circular. It comes with 6 total buttons with 3 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 2 buttons on the right side of the watch display and 1 button on the display screen. These buttons control the light display, up and down buttons, select buttons, back button and confirm button.
It comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters. It also comes with a dive EN 13319 water rating which means it can be used to dive in depths up to 100 meters.
It is smartphone compatible and it can work with Apple iOS and Android devices.
It can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 122ºF which means it can work in most marine weather conditions.
The underwater operating temperature range is 32º to 104ºF.
It comes in 3 colors which are grey sapphire with black band, silver sapphire with black band and grey sapphire with DLC titanium band.
The material includes a polymer case, a stainless steel or titanium bezel and buttons, a sapphire glass lens and a elastic silicone or titanium strap.
The package includes 1 smartwatch, 1 rechargeable battery, 1 extra long adjustable strap, 1 USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency/protocol is ANT+ 2.4 GHz @ -1 dBm maximum, Bluetooth 2.4 GHz @ 0 dBm maximum and Wi‑Fi 2.4 GHz @ 12 dBm maximum.
The 4 benefits are listed below.
- It is waterproof: This watch is waterproof and can be used diving up to 100 meters underwater which means it is great for withstanding harsh marine
- It is durable and shock resistant: The great fiber-reinforced polymer case with sapphire glass helps protect the watch and ensures it is durable and can withstand any force that may be experienced while out sailing or swimming
- Multiple style options: There are 3 different style options to choose from which is great as it gives people plenty of choices to choose their preferred style of comfort, sturdiness, and durability.
- Large memory: This watch comes with a great 16GB memory which is large for a watch
Two disadvantages are it is not air integrated and it is expensive with a price tag of between $1,050 and $1,350.
5. Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire
The best sailing watch with GPS for its battery life is the unisex Garmin Quatix 5 Sapphire manufactured by the US/Swiss brand Garmin at their manufacturing hub in Taiwan and sold worldwide.
It is priced between $800 and $900.
It comes with a simple one-year warranty to protect against defects or errors in workmanship.
There are two editions of the Garmin Quatix 5 to choose from which are the sapphire edition and the standard edition.
We recommend the sapphire edition as this protects the glass case against scratches much better compared to the other edition.
It is suitable for adults. It is not suitable for children.
The superior battery life is 20 days in smartwatch mode, 24 Hours in GPS/HR mode and 60 hours in UltraTrac mode.
It has a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It has a memory of 64MB.
The features are listed below.
- Digital Colored Screen Time Display
- Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Boat Autopilot Control
- Tidal & Depth Information
- Boat Stereo Control
- Garmin Marine SailAssist Capabilities (Create 2 Waypoints Visual Sail Racing Start Line And Finish Line)
- Collects Water Sports Data
- High-Sensitivity GPS Navigation & Tracking Functions
- Wrist Based Heart Rate Monitor
- Altimeter
- Barometer
- Compass
- Internal Gyroscope Helps Improve Position Accuracy
- Smart Notifications (Receive Emails, Texts & Alerts On Watch Screen)
- Garmin's Fusion-Link Lite App Access
The dimensions are 47mm x 47mm x 15.5 mm. The display size is 1.20-inch in diameter.
The weight is 85 grams with the flexible silicone band and 156 grams with the thick metal band.
It is shaped round/circular. It comes with 5 total buttons with 3 buttons on the left side of the watch display and 2 buttons on the right side of the watch display.
It comes with a water rating of 10 ATM which means it can withstand 10 bars of pressure which is approximately a water depth of 100 meters.
It is smartphone compatible and it can work with Apple iOS and Android devices.
It can operate in a temperature range from -4ºF to 122ºF which means it can work in most boating weather conditions.
It comes in 2 colors which are stainless steel with blue band and stainless steel grey sapphire with silver metal band
The material includes a secure fiber-reinforced polymer case, a stainless steel bezel, buttons and rear case, a sapphire glass lens and a conventional silicone or stainless steel metal band.
The package includes 1 smartwatch, 1 rechargeable battery, 1 watch band, 1 USB cable and 1 piece of documentation with device and warranty information.
The wireless frequency is 2.4 GHz @ 4 dBm nominal.
The 3 benefits are listed below.
- It can connect to sailboat autopilot or boat entertainment system: This watch offers the ability to connect to a boat's autopilot system or entertainment system through Garmin's Fusion-Link Lite App
- The glass display is scratch-resistant: The sapphire case means the glass display is scratch resistant which is great for protecting the watch from getting scratched
- It has a great long battery life: This watch can last up to 20 days in smartwatch mode before needing to be charged again
One disadvantage is it is heavy on the wrist when a person chooses the metal band option as the weight of the watch with the metal band option is 156 grams.
Top Sailing Watches With GPS Comparison Table
What To Consider When Buying A Sailing Watch With GPS
The factors to consider when buying a sailing watch with GPS are:
- Price: The price of a sailing watch with GPS is an important factor to consider when buying a sailing watch. People have different budgets so some people can only afford cheaper sailing watches whereas others can afford more expensive ones
- Material: The material of the sailing watch with GPS is a factor to consider when looking to buy one. Different materials can change how well the sailing watch operates and functions so choosing the ideal materials is important
- Waterproof Compatibility: Is the sailing watch with GPS waterproof? This is an important factor as most people prefer waterproof watches with sailing out on the seawater. A waterproof sailing watch will ensure no damage when sailing or swimming
- Design & Style: The style of the sailing watch is a factor to consider when buying a sailing watch with GPS. Buyers prefer a fashionable and stylish-looking sailing watch and every person has their own unique taste
- Size: The size options are another factor to consider when buying a sailing watch with GPS. Buyers can only purchase a watch if the watch fits around their wrist
Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Sailing Watches With GPS
Below are the most commonly asked questions about the top sailing watches with GPS.
What Are The Top Sailing Watches With GPS Brands?
The 2 top sailing watches with GPS brands are listed below.
- Garmin
- Suunto
How Much Do Top Sailing Watches With GPS Cost?
The best sailing watches with GPS cost between $230 and $1,350.
How Much Does The Cheapest Top Sailing Watch With GPS Cost?
The cheapest top sailing watch with GPS is the Garmin Instinct watch which costs approximately $170 to $320.
How Much Does The Most Expensive Top Sailing Watch With GPS Cost?
The most expensive top sailing watch with GPS is the Garmin Descent Mk1 watch which costs between $1,050 to $1,350.