9 Best Rugged Smartwatches in 2021 [Sturdy Build Quality + Feature Rich]

Purchasing a rugged smartwatch ensures high durability, strong build quality, and high resistance to drops & accidental damages. However, with so many options being available, choosing the right can be a arduous task.

You shouldn’t just purchase a smartwatch for its rugged build, because what’s the point in getting a device that comes with a strong build quality, but doesn’t have the sensors you needed, hardware you wanted, or isn’t compatible with your phone, etc. Is there any point?

The good thing is, I’ve done the research for you and have listed out the 9 best options. Not only have I listed out, but I’ve also added in-depth reviews of each watch which covers the following: Compatibility, apps availability, hardware, sensor availability, build quality, and other important things.

To consider a device as a good rugged smartwatch, it needs to be rugged and durable while also being a good smartwatch. It means, alongside having the rough & tough nature it also needs to have all the necessary features like basic health and fitness monitoring, while also having access to a bunch of useful apps. Also, the timepiece should not lag while using.

Now, there are a lot of devices in the market that are advertised as rugged and in most cases they are, but, not all of them are also good at being a smartwatch. If you end up making the wrong choice, you shall end up with an experience that is in no way, ideal.

9 Best Rugged Smartwatches of 2021

The idea of a good smartwatch is different for people with different needs. The same goes for rugged smartwatches and as mentioned, the best options, need to have the best of both worlds. This does make the selection process more complicated and this is something I’ve tried to address while finalizing the devices in the list.

So, I’ve evaluated a ton of devices and came up with the top options that I found to be fitting the basic criteria. These devices are indeed great smartwatches as far as features go and they also fit the rugged status in one way or another. Hopefully, there is something for you too.

1. Best Overall: Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire

The Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire is the best and most premium option we have for this list. It has the best that Garmin has to offer in their smartwatch line right now and it has a super rugged & premium build. If you want the top of the line features found in the premium category, this might be a great option for you.

Garmin provides support for iOS and Android. So, regardless of what phone you might be using, the Fenix 6X should be compatible. Now, on the connectivity side, we get Bluetooth 5.0 & 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi for wireless communications, alongside GPS, GLONASS & Galileo for maps and navigation.

There is also ANT+ which isn’t found a lot in smartwatches. The only thing that is missing here is cellular connectivity and unless you must have that, the Fenix 6X has top of the line connectivity options.

Design and Build

Garmin has used a circular case with a matte black finish and you can pick from either a silicone or a leather watch band. The build quality is great too. The case is made out of strong Fiber-reinforced Polymer with a DLC coated Steel bezel and a metal backplate.

The top is made out of sapphire The case also has a 10 ATM water resistance which means that it can survive under up to 100 meters of water. That’s double compared to what the Apple Watches offer.

The company uses Transflective Memory-in-pixel technology for most of their smartwatch panels and the Fenix 6X is no exception.

The 1.4-inch panel is bright and vibrant and it has a resolution of 280×280 which isn’t super high-res but it is still enough for a good viewing experience. It is still not as good as OLED though but, it’s still a pretty good display.

Hardware & Operating system

Garmin hasn’t confirmed what SOC or how much RAM they are using in the Fenix 6X Sapphire but, the device hasn’t shown any significant lag or stutter during day to day use. So, it seems like that the hardware is pretty capable and although the performance doesn’t compare to Apple Watch Series 6, it is still capable enough.

Garmin OS might be another reason behind this as it seems to be optimized really well. The 32GB storage is more than enough to store apps and music. And yes, you can even download third-party apps from Garmin’s app store.

Health & fitness

Garmin has industry-leading tracking and monitoring mechanisms in place. On the health side, the Fenix 6X can measure Blood Oxygen (SpO2), Heart Rate alongside tracking your Sleep, Stress Levels, Hydration, and more.

It also has a lot of fitness measures in place. In case you’re working out in a gym or home, it can track your workouts, or if you’re riding and MTB, it can also track metrics for that. Garmin provides useful features for running and golfing, as well as, various other sports as well.

Battery Life

The Fenix 6X Sapphire can provide up to 21 days of mixed usage. Now, in case you’re using GPS all the time, you’ll get a maximum of 60 hours and around 15 hours if you’re streaming music on your Bluetooth headset, at the same time. If you’re using the Battery saving mode though, you’ll get up to 80 days but, that is not something you’d want to do on a regular basis.

Our Verdict

Overall, the Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire is the most premium smartwatch that comes with a rugged build and high-end health & fitness features. Yes, it is expensive but, if you can afford it & take advantage of its features, this is going to be a great smartwatch for you.

2. Best Military Standard: Amazfit T-Rex

If you want to go for a more traditional rugged smartwatch, the Amazfit T-Rex is a worthy option to consider. It has great build quality, great battery life, and has all the basic health and fitness features. For a lot of you, this is going to fit right in.

On the compatibility front, there are no restrictions. The T-Rex supports both Android and iOS ecosystems and you can monitor all the health data through the Zepp companion app. On the connectivity section, we have Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi for wireless communications and GPS+GLONASS for navigation.

Build quality is where the Amazfit T-Rex makes use of that rugged status quo. The circular case is made out of robust polymer materials and has received a total of 12 military certifications for toughness. The top is made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 which provides great protection against day to day scratches. The device can also survive under up to 50 meters of water which is great compared to options that just come with a regular IP68 rating.

On the display front, the company has gone with a 1.3-inch OLED panel. So, it does have an infinite contrast ratio and it’s bright enough for outdoor viewing. The resolution is 360×360 which means the pixel density is pretty good as well. So, the texts and other visuals appear sharp. Now, although it has similar specifications it doesn’t really scream super-high quality as some of the more standard options like the new Galaxy Watch line-up but, it’s okay for the price.

For internals, there is no official confirmation on the SOC, RAM & Storage. But, from the user experience, it seems like there should be about 512MB of RAM and for the internal storage,  it should be a total of 4GB or less. Anyway, the performance is fine. It isn’t super fast but it also isn’t sluggish. Even without knowing the exact measures, I can still say that the hardware can surely use an upgrade. Amazfit OS is pretty good but you do not get third party app support.

The health and fitness options are pretty basic. You get things like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking alongside, Step Counting, Running & Distance tracking, etc. There are also a bunch of sports modes built-in. As mentioned earlier, all of the health and fitness data will be accessible through the Zepp companion app.

As far as battery life goes, the T-Rex does an excellent job. You can get around 20 hours of mixed-use on a single charge which is pretty substantial. Now, if you can get along with the limited features on the Basic mode, it can last up to 66 days but, that won’t really be necessary most of the time and honestly, 20 days is a lot in itself.

Now, as far as the warranty goes, Garmin provides a 1-year warranty with no accidental damage protection. So, although you’re getting a rugged smartwatch you may not want to drop it.

So, overall the Amazfit T-Rex is kind of a mixed bag. It has a rugged case with military-grade toughness and it does all the basic health & fitness monitoring stuff. However, it doesn’t have great performance or third-party app support, so you do miss up on some things that may or may not be essential to you. If these things won’t bother you, then you can indeed pick up the Amazfit T-Rex.

3. Best For Sports: Huawei Watch 2 Sport

Huawei makes some excellent smartwatches and when it comes to the rugged nature and premium looks, I have to go with the Huawei Watch 2 Sport. Now, do keep in mind that this is an old model and it runs old software as well. So, if you care about those things, look at the other options. If not, maybe have a look.

So, compatibility hasn’t really been an issue for Huawei and the Watch 2 Sport does support both Android phones and iPhones. On the connectivity front, we have Bluetooth 4.1 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with GPS and GLONASS. So, the Bluetooth version is a bit old at this point but the rest seem pretty solid.

Now build quality is something that is kind of different yet it is pretty good while also having that rugged nature. The circular frame is made out of hard plastic and the bezel is actually ceramic. So, it is quite durable and can take your daily abuse. The Gorilla Glass on top also provides protection from accidental water splashes or rain for that matter but it won’t survive swimming sessions.

The 1.2-inch OLED panel has a resolution of 390×390. That means that you get all the benefits of OLED like an infinite contrast ratio and better battery efficiency with a high pixel density count for sharp visuals. The size might be a bit too small for some users so, do take that into consideration.

Hardware-wise the device is rocking a Snapdragon Wear 2100 with 768MB RAM and 4GB of Internal Storage. The performance is fine with no major stutters but, you can see minor hiccups from time to time.

The device is running Android Wear which is the predecessor to Wear OS so, that’s a bit backdated at this point but, you still get access to the Google Play Store so, third-party apps aren’t gonna be an issue. Well, unless they don’t support Android Wear anymore.

For health and fitness, the device does do most of the basic stuff like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Distance Tracking, Step Counting, and more. Because of the regular IP68 rating, the device cannot track Swimming and things like Stress Tracking and Blood Oxygen Monitoring aren’t available. It does however do VO2 Max in case you need that.

Battery life is good with up to 2 days of mixed usage on a single charge. In case you’re using GPS all the time, that comes down to 7 hours and in Watch Mode, it can last up to 3 weeks. So, you should be fine if you’re not pushing the device too hard or otherwise, you may need to charge it every day. The device is covered by a 1-year warranty period.

Overall, the Huawei Watch 2 is a pretty good smartwatch with rugged nature and a decent number of health and fitness tracking features. However, if the old software is going to be an issue for you, you can look elsewhere. Otherwise, if this is something you can see fitting well in your daily routine, then sure, get Huawei Watch 2 Sport.

4. Best Tizen OS: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Coming back to the flagships, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is kinda the perfect option if you don’t want to invest in the Garmin ecosystem and still want exceptional build quality with a better emphasis on health. This is the best smartwatch Samsung currently makes and it is an absolute stunner.

When it comes to compatibility, Samsung’s Tizen supports both Android and iOS ecosystems so, in case you’re using an iPhone or a non-Samsung Android phone, you’ll still be able to use it with the Watch 3.

However, if you do have the cellular model, you’ll need a Samsung Smartphone to unlock that cellular connectivity. Speaking about connectivity though, the cellular model does support LTE & UMTS networks and all the models have support for Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi alongside, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo & Beidou for maps and navigation.

Samsung also nailed the design & build quality on the Galaxy Watch 3. The circular frame comes in two sizes, two finishes, and three colors. The Mystic Bronze variant has a more subtle & plain look to it while the Black and the Silver variants have the textured bezel design and more robust look.

For the build, you can choose from either a variety of stainless steel options or a 45mm Titanium option. In both cases, there is a 5ATM+IP68 (Water+Water & Dust) rating, so Swimming & Surfing aren’t gonna be an issue.

Displays are a strong-suit for Samsung’s smartphones and wearables as they make some beautiful AMOLED panels. Of course, that’s also true for the Watch 3. The 1.4-inch display uses Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology and has a resolution of 360×360.

This combination results in sharp visuals, vivid colors, and of course, crispy deep blacks. The display on this device is undoubtedly one of the best ones available in any wearable, right now.

The internals are pretty solid with Samsung’s own Exynos 9110 and 1GB of RAM, powering the device. Samsung has managed to optimize the hardware and software really well, which makes sense ‘cause, they make both of those things. The device feels fast with no stutters in the UI and quick app opening times. Samsung’s Tizen is quite capable and stands right alongside the best.

The third-party app availability is also a delight as Samsung’s app store has plenty of apps and you can also get a nice collection of watch faces. You get around 4.3GB free out of that 8GB of Internal Storage which is enough to store a handful of apps and some local music.

Samsung has put in a lot of effort to make the health and fitness features on the Galaxy Watch 3. It has ECG, Blood Oxygen Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, Stress Tracking, and more in the health department while also having a bunch of fitness tracking options including various Sports & Workouts like Swim Tracking, Step Counting, Distance Tracking, Exercises, and more. Now, do remember that the ECG feature only works in the US so, if you’re not living there, it won’t work for you.

The battery life on the Galaxy Watch 3 is pretty impressive considering how much the device is actually doing. With typical, mixed usage, the device can go up to 2.5 (two and a half) days or about 56 hours. Now, in case you’re only using super basic features, it can potentially last up to 151 hours. But, that’d be a highly rare use case scenario.

For the after-sales part the company is providing a -1-year warranty which is pretty standard these days and considering how good Samsung’s after-sales support is, you shouldn’t have any issues as far as repairs go.

To sum it up, if you want a great smartwatch at a great price with all those premium features you may want, it can’t get any better than the Galaxy Watch 3. In case you use an iPhone, you can also have a look at the Apple Watch Series 6 as it’ll integrate with the ecosystem, way better. But, otherwise, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is a no brainer.

5. Best Battery Life: Garmin Instinct

In case you want to have those exclusive Garmin features but, spending almost a grand on the Fenix 6X Sapphire isn’t really possible for you, maybe the Garmin Instinct will be just right for you. It is only about one-third of the cost, it has a rugged build, and it still provides most of those health and fitness features you care about.

Just like its more expensive sibling, the Garmin Instinct supports both iOS and Android ecosystems, so compatibility is not an issue. For connectivity, the device is running Bluetooth 4.2 with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi for wireless communications and GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo for navigation.

There is also ANT+ support which isn’t common at this price point. So, the only negative point here would be the older Bluetooth version but, the rest seems pretty solid.

Speaking of solid, the Instinct also has a solid build quality. The circular case uses the same fiber-reinforced polymer as Garmin’s flagships. However, you do not get the stainless steel bezel or the metal backplate in this case. That doesn’t mean the build quality is compromised though. It’s still extremely sturdy but it’s not as premium as the flagships.

The 10 ATM water resistance is still there which is also something you can’t find around this price point. The rugged nature is also pretty pronounced by the design and it also has MIL-STD-810G certification.

The display is one of the weak areas for the Garmin Instinct. It has a 0.9-inch Transflective MIP panel with a two-layer design. Also, it is a monochrome display, so if you like colors, you’re definitely not going to like this one. It has a pixel density of 128×128 which is okay for a black and white display but, let’s just say that it’s not great. The secondary small circular display can be useful sometimes but, that’s kinda it.

On the hardware side, the SOC and the amount of RAM haven’t been revealed by the company but they did mention 16MB internal storage. This makes sense here cause, you’ll not be able to listen to music or download apps to this device, anyway. However, you do get Garmin OS and even without the multimedia and productivity access, you still have Garmin’s health and fitness monitoring features to work with.

Talking about health and fitness, the Instinct has all the basic health and fitness features you need alongside the Garmin exclusive sports and workout modes. The device can monitor your heart rate, sleep, stress, hydration, and also track your workouts like cardio, yoga, and more. And of course, all the tracking for various sports like running, hiking, biking, swimming. etc. are available. The Golf features on the other hand are not available though, so do keep that in mind.

Thankfully, having to handle a low power display means not stressing the battery much. So, in smartwatch mode, you can get up to 14 days with mixed usage. Now, if you have all the tracking parameters on, the device will last you up to 40 hours and in case the GPS is on, all the time, that comes down to 16 hours. It’s pretty good considering the smaller battery.

In case something goes wrong, you do have a 1-year warranty but do remember that similar to the Fenix 6X Sapphire, there is no accidental damage coverage.

Anyway, understand that the Garmin Instinct is not for everyone. If you don’t like a monochrome display, you’ll hate this device or in case you want the golfing features, you’ll also not be getting that. But, if it’s those fitness features you’re after and you don’t care about the display much, then maybe this is a good fit for you.

6. Best for Durability: POLAR Grit X

Coming back to the premium side of things for a moment, the Polar Grit X is one of the most well built, rugged entries on the list. It is a great fitness tool and something that can handle a lot of abuse. However, it isn’t similarly great at being a smartwatch. So, there is a very specific type of user who can use and appreciate this device.

Thankfully, the Grit X does support iPhones and Android phones, so it should work with the smartphone you currently have. Now, connectivity is fairly limited with no Wi-Fi or Cellular Connectivity at this price. But, you do get Bluetooth and GPS. Now, there is no map integration, so you can’t really use the GPS for navigation but the rest of the stuff does work.

Build quality is one of the most important elements of this device. The case is made out of Stainless Steel with DLC coating if you get the Black version and the back is made out of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer.

This setup both looks and feels premium. As mentioned it can take a lot of abuse and the case is also rated for up to 100 meters underwater survival, so that’s pretty impressive as well.

The display is a 1.2-inch unit with a resolution of 240×240. It is not an OLED display but a LED-backlit one instead. The display looks good with good outdoor visibility and nice picture quality. You do miss out on all those OLED benefits but, I think the type of user this thing is targeted towards, they won’t really care.

The hardware is also pretty good as the performance seems to be on par with what Garmin offers. However, there is no support for third-party apps or music, so alongside there not being a huge amount of Internal Storage available, you also are stuck with the built-in functionality.

Polar OS is pretty great when it comes to fitness tracking but, that’s kinda all of what you’ll be getting. In fact, the only other thing you get is phone notifications displayed on your device through Bluetooth.

Speaking of health & fitness though, this is where the POLAR Grit X shines. It has a boatload of fitness stuff built into it. There are more than 130 dedicated sports modes including ones for running, biking, swimming, hiking, and more.

The device can do excellent fitness tracking and a lot of health stuff too like Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking but, it still won’t do ECG or Blood Oxygen Monitoring which might be a bummer for some users.

Battery life is around 40 hours if you’re on the Training Mode but, in case you just want to use the device in the regular Watch Mode, it can last you up to 7 days. This isn’t great considering how less the device actually does from a smartwatch perspective. So, I have to label this one as a sub-par battery contender. Like all the other options on this list, you do get a 1-year warranty, so that’s nice too.

Overall, if you’re looking for a great fitness tracker, the Polar Grit X is a good option. It has a lot of fitness features including a boatload of sports modes and workout metrics in place. It also has a great build quality and that’s kinda why it made it to the list in the first place. Other than that, you may want to avoid this and get a Garmin or even an Apple Watch in case you won’t mind a non-rugged option.

7. Best For Comfort: Moto 360 3rd Gen

Coming to something totally different now, we have the Moto 360 3rd Gen from Motorola. It runs on Google’s Wear OS ecosystem and has a top-notch build quality. Motorola has gone with premium materials while keeping the price comparatively lower. However, that does mean, it’s not the most feature-rich device out there.

On the compatibility front, Google has no issues working with iOS and of course, the device also works with Android. For connectivity though, you get Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi but, there isn’t a cellular option available. For navigation, there is your good old GPS with GLONASS and Galileo. So, the Moto 360 doesn’t compromise much in this department.

Coming to the design and build, this is where the Moto 360 shines. They have put in a lot of effort designing the Stainless Steel chassis. It looks shiny &  premium and the build material holds up pretty well while using it on a daily basis.

Motorola has used Titanium screws to add some extra rigidity to the device and it works like a charm. The combination of Stainless Steel and Titanium makes the Moto 360 one of the best-built smartwatches in its price range. That’s why this device did make it to the list.

The display is actually a 1.2-inch AMOLED panel. That means, it has deep blacks, an infinite contrast ratio, and in this case, the display is also plenty bright and visible under sunlight. As far as the actual picture quality goes, the 390×390 resolution handles visuals really well, and thanks to OLED technology, the overall picture quality is amazing.

The hardware is pretty powerful. Motorola has gone with a Snapdragon 3100 which is a significant step-up over the older Snapdragon 2100. That coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of Internal Storage, makes the Moto 360 feel fast and there is enough storage to install all the third-party apps you need. The overall performance is good and the gigabyte worth of RAM is just as important as the SOC in this case.

On the health and fitness side, Motorola does all the basic tracking & monitoring. There is Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Tracking, and more alongside Step Counting, Distance Tracking, Swim Tracking, etc. All of your health data can be viewed from the Google Fit app and the instant results like your current heart rate, for example, can be viewed directly on the watch.

Coming to the battery, just like any other Wear OS powered smartwatch, the battery life on the Moto 360 3rd Gen, isn’t great. It can do up to 24 hours on a single charge. If you’re pushing the device too hard, you may need to charge it every night. It’s not a terrible battery life but, in case you were expecting to charge it once a week, that’s not going to happen. There is a 1-year warranty so, unless you have damaged the product somehow, you should be covered.

So, the Moto 360 3rd Gen has one of the best build qualities in its price segment, does most of the important health & fitness tracking stuff, has good performance, and has access to a lot of third-party apps. If you think this is enough for what you need on a daily basis, then the Moto 360 is a great choice.

8. Best For Hunting: Suunto Core

If you’re after that straight on rugged nature with a design that just blends in, and you need an outdoor watch at an overall decent price point, the Suunto Core might be the right one for your ally. It has been designed to look minimalist and compared to something like the Polar Grit X, it only has a few things that it can do.

Unlike all of the other devices on the list, the Suunto Core does not support Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android so, your smartphone will not work if you get this device. It’s not technically a smartwatch, so it won’t connect to a smartphone. For the same reasons, there are no connectivity options as there is nothing to connect to. There is also no GPS, so you can’t really use it for navigation either.

Build quality is definitely why you might be looking for an outdoor smartwatch and this is an area where the Suunto Core doesn’t disappoint. The case is made out of composite materials and based on which variant you choose, you’ll either get a rugged style bezel or a plain Aluminum one. It can easily survive swimming and surfing sessions and it’ll survive under up to 30 meters of water.

The display is a pretty basic monochrome type display and it does show all the stats right on it. It is fairly visible outdoors and even under bright sunlight, you shouldn’t have any issue. It’ll work pretty well for what it does but, it’s nothing special.

The performance feels fine while changing the stats. You are not expecting it to be super fast but it performs operations without any issues. It has a bunch of sensors including an Altimeter, Barometer, Thermometer, and a Compass as the highlighting ones. It can check altitude, temperature, snorkeling depth, and it can also give storm alarms, show sunrise/sunset times, and more.

The device uses a CR2032 type battery and as you might have guessed, it is the same round & tiny battery that we see in so many regular watches around the world. Thanks to the low-tech display and limited functionality, you can get up to 1 year of battery life.

After the battery has run out you can just pop the battery out and replace it with a new one. You also get a 1-year warranty and unless something goes really wrong, it doesn’t seem that you’ll need to use it.

If you do want a smartwatch that has all the connectivity options and still has that rugged nature, the Suunto 7 is a better choice for you. It is running on Google’s Wear OS so it has all the smartwatch features you need and it supports GPS for navigation and Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity.

In the end, if you’d like to have an outdoor smartwatch that is not a connected device and yet shows you all the stats like Altitude, Directions, Temperature, etc. while also giving you things like storm alerts and more, the Suunto Core is a great option. In case you’re a regular smartwatch kind of a person, maybe look at the other options on the list.

9. Cheap Watch: TicWatch Pro

Something else that is pretty great on the build and runs Wear OS, is the TicWatch Pro from Mobvoi. It has been refreshed for 2021 and this time the company has polished small areas to make the device more suited for the competition.

On the compatibility front, the device supports both Android and iOS ecosystems. So, regardless of what smartphone you’re using, you’ll be able to use the TicWatch Pro.

Now, the connectivity section is where Mobvoi for some reason decided no to do any upgrades. Bluetooth 4.2 is no prize while 802.11 b/g/n is actually what you get in every other smartwatch right now. For navigation you get GPS+GLONASS and that’s about okay.

For the design, Mobvoi has gone for their trusted rounded case and it is built out of polyamide with glass fiber which gives it the rugged feel and it has a stainless steel bezel with an aluminum back panel.

The build quality is solid & sturdy, so it does slide into that rugged category pretty nicely. There is IP68 water resistance and unlike the 4G LTE version, this one won’t survive in a pool.

For the display, the company has used a 1.39-inch OLED panel that has a resolution of 400×400. So, you get all the advantages of OLED including an infinite contrast ratio, better battery efficiency, and the display is also bright enough to be easily visible under sunlight.

The higher pixel density ensures clear & sharp visuals. So, overall the display is pretty great. There is also a secondary low-res LCD screen that activates during the essential mode.

Coming to the hardware side of things Mobvoi has gone with a Snapdragon 2100 with 1GB RAM and 4GB of Internal Storage. The gigabyte worth of RAM is appreciated. Although the SOC isn’t the latest one, the extra RAM makes the device run pretty smoothly. I’m also not a fan of the 4GB of Internal Storage as you get just slightly more than a gigabyte free. That is not a lot of storage to store a lot of apps or offline music.

For health and fitness, the Ticwatch Pro is a lot like the Moto 360. It has all the basic stuff you may need like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking but, it won’t do swim tracking as the device isn’t meant to survive in a pool.

Other than that you got all your fitness stuff like step counting, distance tracking, and more. Sadly there is no blood oxygen monitoring which has become more common at this price point and in some cases even lower ones.

Mobvoi does claim a 2-day battery life with a mixed-use case scenario. That’s the best it can get in real life. Most likely you’re gonna get slightly less if you push the device hard. So, maybe a day of proper use.

There is indeed an essential mode that is rated for thirty days and activates the secondary LCD display but that’s mostly just using the clock so it defeats the main purpose of having a smartwatch. Anyway, the device has a 1-year limited warranty in case you need it.

If the Ticwatch Pro seems a bit too over budget for you, you can also check out the Ticwatch S2. It has a lot of the same features as the Ticwatch Pro but, it costs less, has a rugged nature and military-grade toughness, and it is also running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear tech. So, as an alternative, this is the one you can count on.

Overall, the Ticwatch Pro 2021 is a slightly polished version of its predecessor. If you liked what it offers and found it to be a worthy enough option to fit in your daily needs, sure, go for it. If you’d like to stick with Wear OS but, this isn’t the best fit for you, maybe look at the Moto 360 3rd Gen that I talked about earlier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

All right, it’s finally time to wrap this thing up. As you have already seen, rugged smartwatches come in different types of approaches. From basic smartwatch stuff to tough outdoor watches and more.

When you’re in the market for a rugged smartwatch, you have to make an informed decision based on your own requirements and also decide on what exactly you’ll be willing to wear on your wrist every day. You may be a thin-and-light kind of person and if you end up with a thick rugged smartwatch, you’ll find it uncomforting.

So, it is important to choose exactly the right smartwatch for yourself and if you made it this far, I hope you already found what you were looking for. In case you still haven’t then check out the list below:

• In case you’re looking for something more mainstream at a good price, get the Moto 360 3rd Gen.
• If you want the best of the best in a rugged body, get the Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire.
• In case you want an outdoor smartwatch that isn’t a connected device, get the Suunto Core.
• If you want a mainstream flagship smartwatch and maybe cellular connectivity with it, get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3.
• If you want something based on the Wear OS ecosystem, choose from either the Moto 360 or the TicWatch Pro.
• If you want something with a more defining, rugged design the Amazfit T-Rex and the Garmin Instinct will be better choices for you.
• If you don’t care about Wi-Fi connectivity and just want a good fitness watch, the POLAR Grit X is the way to go.
• If you live in the Apple Ecosystem, it’s better to skip the rugged stuff entirely and get an Apple Watch Series 6 or an Apple Watch SE instead.

So now, as the selection process has been settled, let’s talk a bit about the pricing. You can pay a lot or pay a lot less for a rugged smartwatch. It generally depends on the choice of build materials and available features.

If the cost of the materials is high or there are premium features available in the device, automatically the price goes up. So, in case you don’t have a high budget, you can choose a certain area to compromise and still get a great smartwatch.

That’d be all for this article. I hope you found the best smartwatch for yourself. Even if you had doubts, hopefully, they did get resolved. If you had a change of mind and you want something different than a rugged smartwatch, we have a ton of other articles covering multiple types of smartwatches, on our website, so maybe check those out. We’ll have links to a few, right below.