Triathlon is a sport that involves different muscle groups and body. A multi-sport race consisting of swimming, cycling and running. The bottom line is to go through all the stages one by one. Recently, it has been gaining popularity among men and women. Proper training requires sports equipment and clothing. Swimming trunks or a wetsuit are required for swimming (which is selected depending on the temperature of the water. Bicycle, bicycle helmet, bicycle goggles are used by athletes together with clipless pedals for the best result. Sportswear for running and triathlon shoes. For running in hot weather, it is recommended to use a headgear Athletes often turn to triathlon watches during training to help prevent heat stroke.
1. Garmin Forerunner 935 is the best watch of 2018
This is the ultimate triathlon watch. It is this device that is today considered the top-end from Garmin. The watch is equipped with the mostfunctions in this device class. Slim design, light weight, excellent long-lasting battery, allows you to use your Garmin triathlon watch for 24 hours using GPS.
Forerunner 935 can keep track of swimming statistics. Count the number of hand strokes, speed and distance. For running, tracking of speed, distance and cadence (the number of feet touching the ground during a run) is provided. Manufacturers have not forgotten about golf, skiing, rowing and cyclists. The watch accurately measures altitude, using a barometer, heart rate and can automatically upload training results using Wi-Fi.
The watch can count steps and help with routes thanks to navigation, and can also become an indispensable assistant in the fitness room. The cost is from $ 500 on the manufacturer's website. The body is made of polymer reinforced with fibers. The display with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels is protected by strong glass, with increased resistance to damage. Weight is 49 g. Built-in memory of 64 MB.
Customer reviews have the highest percentage of satisfaction with watches.
2. Garmin Fenix 5
It is worth paying attention to this model from a well-known manufacturer, known for its quality products for athletes. The Fenix 5 ranks in triathlon watch rankings as a more expensive replacement for the Forerunner 935. With nearly identical features, the Fenix 5 range model starts at $650. The high price is explained by a more durable case, however, in our rating, thesetriathlon watches with a heart rate monitor came in second place due to their greater weight and thickness, which is a disadvantage for triathletes.
Outwardly, the watch is almost indistinguishable from the Forerunner 935, but there is a difference - 935 is made of polymer, which made the device thinner and lighter. Fenix 5 is made of stainless steel. The display with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels is protected by a sapphire crystal. The weight is twice that of its predecessor and is 98 g. Memory - 16 GB.
3. Garmin Forerunner 735XT
In third place is another triathlon watch from Garmin. This model can be compared with the 935, but with some simplifications. The watch does not have a golf mode and an altimeter (altitude measurement). But they're light, thin, and have all the key features a triathlete needs, including multisport mode, open water tracking, and pool tracking. The watch also supports power meter and bike cadence accessories.
The cost of this model starts from $350. The display with a resolution of 215 x 180 pixels is protected by scratch-resistant glass. The body is made of silicone. Weight is 40.2g.
The battery is pretty decent and allows the watch to work in GPS mode for up to 14 hours. With this model, you can create custom gym workout modes that measure cadence, running, and stride length. Swimming measurement includes distance, speed, pool lap count, and hand wave tracking. All modes canturn on the competition function and try to surpass your own achievements.
4. Suunto Spartan Sport
The next watch is in the middle of the list. The new range of Suunto triathlon watches supports multi-sport mode. Like the previous watch, this model is equipped with a heart rate monitor, tracking swimming in pools and open water, waving hands. The Spartan Sport comes preloaded with over 80 cross-training activity modes (circular, high-intensity workouts with little to no rest and minimal rest). Each of the sports that a person plays can be programmed for intervals between workouts and modes for speed.
The cost of watches varies from stores around the world, but the price tag starts at $550. Weight of Spartan Sport is 70 g, stainless steel frame, polyamide body (plastics based on foundry macromolecular compounds used in aviation, mechanical engineering, medicine and automotive industry), protective screen glass (320 x 300 resolution) made of mineral crystal, silicone straps.
The battery is not as durable as we would like, the life time with GPS on is about 10 hours. Not suitable for marathon training, but great for basic triathlon training.
5. TomTom Spark 3
This model has basic triathlon sports functions including swimming, cycling and running functions. Pricethe basic set starts from $130.
The advantages of the watch include a lightweight custom design, light and thin body. The downsides include the lack of a multisport mode, which means you have to scroll down the menu and start a new activity when doing triathlon. The disadvantages include incompatibility with bicycle strength meters, therefore, you can forget about cadence.
But Spark 3 can track swimming in pools (but not in open water) and measure distance, count hand waves and count laps. In cycling mode, you can follow the results both in the hall and in the open air. For running, an accelerometer for indoors and GPS for running in nature are provided. The light weight of 50g is also a plus.
6. Polar V800
This model is not the newest, it is already a couple of years old, but during its existence, the watch has established itself as a reliable device with accurate heart rate measurement for training analysis.
The Polar V800 comes with standard triathlon features including multisport mode, pool and open water swim tracking, support for cycling accessories and a slim design.
Like other triathlon watch brethren, this model supports activity tracking and smart notifications when paired with a smartphone, but what makes it stand out from the rest is its reputation for accurate heart rate measurement. This watch can monitor your heart rate in real time even duringswimming, a feature only available on Polar watches. With the data from this watch, using the software from the company, you can track the load on the heart in each individual workout. The price of the device at one time was $500, but has since fallen and is at the level of $380 due to the experience in the market.
7. Timex Ironman Sleek 150
Ironman triathlon watches do not have GPS, which is undoubtedly a minus, but this model made it to the list of the best due to the company's reputation for quality and affordability (their price on the manufacturer's website is $ 82). Timex was hugely popular with triathletes for 30 years, until it began dominating the GPS watch market. If you make a separate rating for watches without GPS, then this model will take first place.
The watch case is assembled from a polymer material. The device has a slim design, light weight (59 g). Like all watches in the rating, the Ironman Sleek 150 allows you to dive to a depth of 100 meters. The device has enough memory to memorize 150 laps, as the name of the model itself hints at. There is a touch screen display that allows you to touch the screen to start the timer for a new lap.
The watch can be programmed to track intensity during a run or workout, for example, you run one lap in 5 minutes and when you set it up, the watch will notify you with a sound notification that the time for one lap has already passed. They can also be programmed to turn ontimer for meals, water, sports nutrition to comply with the intake regimen. You can change the audio alert intervals to suit your preference or the intensity of your workouts.
If you decide to buy a non-GPS watch, don't miss out on the Ironman Sleek 150 as it's the best choice in its category today.
8. Garmin Forerunner 735 XT
Another model from a renowned manufacturer is the best choice for beginners in triathlon. The watch has almost all functions and modes. You can buy them for $350 if you choose only the watch, or the triathlete kit for $500 (includes a chest strap and swim heart rate monitoring kit). The straps are chemical resistant and comfortable to swim in pools.
The model features high speed GPS, excellent battery that allows you to work up to 14 hours in GPS mode. Screen resolution 215 x 180 pixels. The display is protected by reinforced glass. The pluses of the model include fine tuning for running, support for accessories and a beautiful, lightweight design. On the downside - not the best battery and not the most accurate time for calculating swim laps in the pool.
How to choose?
Each model of watch has a standard set of functions and not every one of them is necessary for your training. But the more there are, the more you can "squeeze" out of the clock. However, you should not chase the most expensive sports watch for triathlon,should be based on the sports that you intend to play or already do.
