10 Best Garmin Watch for Mountain Biking Review

It can be a nightmare to complete any mountain biking trail without a GPS watch on your hand. Are you thinking, what is it useful for when you have a cycling computer pre-installed on your bike?

I used to think the same, but after my accident during thrilling adventure at the Ridgeline trail in North Carolina, I surely prefer smartwatches over bike computer with heart rate monitor.

After a sudden fall on the ridge line, my mountain bike’s computer fell off and left me completely blank about where to go next as it was my first time on the trail. Garmin watches that are designed specifically for mountain biking have some mind-blowing features.

Is Garmin Watch Worth it for Mountain Biking?

Yes, Garmin watches are truly worth it as they are proven to be the best in the market. The materials used in making these watches make them durable and tough. The software keenly observes and keeps the record of the one wearing it. No matter if you are sleeping, walking, running, surfing, swimming, mountain biking, skiing, or hiking, the Garmin watch analyzes and helps you improve.

Smartwatches can make your experience more enjoyable than ever before. Garmin has been one of the most renowned brands when it comes to smartwatches for biking. Bikers blindly rely on the Garmin watches because the makers focus on the user’s safety, health improvement, and enjoyment.

You can keep track of your growth as Garmin watch will show you the distance traveled, speed, time, heart rate, track ahead, your location, make a call, and listen to your favorite songs.

Best Garmin Watch for Mountain Biking Overview

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
Best Overall	Best Overall	Garmin Fenix 6 Pro MTB Watch	Screen Size: 1.3 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi	Check Latest Price
Premium Pick	Premium Pick	Garmin Venu 2 GPS Smartwatch	Screen Size: 1.3 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS	Check Latest Price
Top Pick	Top Pick	Garmin Instinct 2S Watch	Screen Size: 1.3 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth	Check Latest Price
Editor’s Choice	Editor’s Choice	Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Watch	Screen Size: 1.3 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi	Check Latest Price
Heavy Duty	Heavy Duty	Garmin Venu SQ GPS Smartwatch	Screen Size: 1.3 Inches Connectivity Technology: GPS	Check Latest Price
		Garmin Forerunner 745 MTB Watch	Screen Size: 1.2 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi	Check Latest Price
Budget Friendly	Budget Friendly	Garmin Forerunner 245 Watch	Screen Size: 1.2 Inches Connectivity Technology: GPS	Check Latest Price
Best Seller	Best Seller	Garmin Forerunner 945 Smartwatch	Screen Size: 1.2 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth	Check Latest Price
Most Durable	Most Durable	Garmin Fenix 7 MTB Watch	Screen Size: 1.4 Inches Connectivity Technology: GPS	Check Latest Price
		Garmin Enduro Watch for MTB	Screen Size: 1.4 Inches Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth	Check Latest Price

Top 10 Best Garmin Watches for Mountain Biking Review

Below I have researched, tested and brought to you the review of best Garmin watches for mountain biking including GPS smartwatches too.

1. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro MTB Watch

It can be really devastating to choose among the wide range of smartwatches that Garmin has to offer because each one seems to be better than the other. Garmin Fenix 6 pro is truly the best one for mountain biking as it is tried and tested by many professional mountain bikers.

Garmin Fenix 6 pro is durable, offers the best features, and have long battery life than any other Garmin watch has to offer. This watch has one of the most advanced technologies by Garmin. This little watch on your hand has the capability to show you a wide range of maps on the widescreen.

Moreover, the dimension of the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is 1.3 inches which helps in easy visibility for riders while mountain biking on bumpy trails. This watch is available in two options: you can opt for either solar batteries or lithium batteries.

The battery life of Garmin watch has impressed me the most as you can go for about 60 hours of non-stop journey while using all of its features. In addition to amazing battery performance, this smartwatch also has two special modes which I have explained below!

One is the smartwatch mode and the other is battery saver mode. Smartwatch mode can help MTB riders use the watch for about 14 days consecutively while in the battery saver mode, battery last for more than 45 days.

Why I Recommended Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

The Garmin Fenix Pro 6 truly deserves to be the best as it has a diamond-like-carbon coating that gives it shock and water resistance. This affordable watch can help you navigate through MTB trails, use Bluetooth, text, connect to Wi-Fi, and keep an eye on your health, speed, distance, and height. It has the capability to detect accidents and send your location.

2. Garmin Venu 2 GPS Smartwatch for MTB

Garmin Venu 2 watch is my favorite among the Venu watch series by Garmin because it has a stylish built, affordable price range, multiple health tracking features, and a nice vibrant touch screen.

Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch has amazing connectivity and a wide range of helpful applications installed in it. It is not only suitable for outdoor mountain biking but you can also enjoy indoor cycling. Garmin Venu 2 has a wristband made up of silicone material. It makes the smartwatch resistant to tough environmental conditions, moisture, and harsh UV light.

The round screen is placed inside a slate bezel which is a tough material and can bear temperature. The screen has an AMOLED display which makes the watch really easy to use along with touchscreen features.

You don’t have to get Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch only for your mountain biking adventures because it has health features that keep a track of your body energy, sleep time, and stress level throughout the day even off trails.

Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch can accompany you along your walks and workouts. You can now step out without any cash as the Garmin pay feature allows you to simply pay with your watch.

Why I Recommended Garmin Venu 2 MTB Watch

Garmin Venu 2 MTB Watch has impressive connectivity that allows you to connect it with any other device. It has Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi connectivity technology. You can stay updated on your ride through a forest or mountain range with the help of it. It allows riders to monitor their heart rate and stress level which helps them to decide when to take a break along their journey.

3. Garmin Instinct 2S MTB Watch

The Instinct series by Garmin is truly ideal for all type of outdoor adventures. You can push yourself to do better and better with these watches by Gramin. The Garmin instinct 2S deserves to be listed as the best Garmin watch for mountain biking as it helps mountain bikers have clarity about their performance on technical MTB trails. Want to know more about Garmin instinct 2S? Keep reading to find out!

The Garmin instinct 2S is tested to be a watch that fulfills military standards. It is best for mountain bikers who want to test their limits and level up their skill game.

It has a tougher build that can withstand harsh trail conditions. You can use the health matrix to analyze your performance and plan on how to improve it. The round screen has a gorilla glass that makes it resistant to scratches.

The best feature of this watch is that it has a large number of modes that you can select on what kind of adventure or trail you are planning to cover. It is the best watch for those riders who are not a massive fan of large and bulky smartwatches.

Moreover, you can wear Garmin Instinct 2S MTB Watch on rainy days as it is waterproof and can help you navigate too during rainfall. Also have a look at best cycling rain cape poncho.

Why I Recommended Garmin Instinct 2S Smartwatch

Although Garmin Instinct 2S Smartwatch has a long battery life of about more than 20 days but you can also have a stress-free ride with its 2200 mAh portable power bank. Garmin have provided a small USB cable to connect the wearable4U E-bank to the smartwatch.

Moreover, the screen of Garmin Instinct 2s Smartwatch has a monochromatic display and have a size of 0.79 x 0.79 inches. You can control the watch with the help of a small button on the side of the screen.

4. Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Watch for Mountain Biking

Still haven’t found the best Garmin watch for mountain biking? Then, here I have one that might be the one that you have ever wished for. The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a smartwatch designed for runners because of its mesmerizing features.

However, it has become one of the favorite watch of many mountain bike riders including me. You will surely not think of any other watch once you have used Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Watch.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is really affordable and luckily have all the features that you can find in any other high-end smartwatch. Whether it is the built quality, design, affordability, performance, or connectivity, it doesn’t fail to impress the users in any feature.

Garmin Forerunner 55 watch has a stylish yet minimalistic design and have a colored silicone band that makes it really comfortable to wear. The Forerunner 55 watch is really lightweight and weighs around 0.8 lbs.

You can utilize health features of Garmin Forerunner 55 to become a better MTB rider. It will help you boost your stamina by properly keeping a track of your health and on-trail performance.

Moreover, Garmin Forerunner 55 notes the respiration level, heart rate, stress level, body energy, distance traveled, and speed of the mountain biker that is all displayed on the 1.04 inch screen. You can also read about effects of cycling on body shape.

Why I Recommended Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Watch

The Garmin Forerunner 55 has GPS features that will help you if you are exploring a new MTB trail. You can receive your text and emails on your watch when connected to your mobile. This watch is available in three different colors: black, white, and Aqua. It tells the user their intensity minutes during the day by checking their heartbeat and movement during intense cardio sessions.

5. Garmin Venu SQ GPS Smartwatch

Not a fan of the typical round smartwatches, then the Garmin Venu SQ can be the one for you. It is one of those models that doesn’t seem like a mountain biking watch at first look.

You can wear Garmin Venu SQ in daily life, during workout sessions, during friend gatherings, and also for professional meetings easily because of its sophisticated look. It has a wide touchscreen with a size of about 1.3 inches.

The Gramin Venu SQ is not only useful while cycling, but also helps you keep in check and balance your overall physical activity. You can see how much time during the day you have stayed active. It shows your running time, biking time, total footsteps, and calories burnt too.

This watch is a unisex model, so you can freely choose any color among the 17 different options. Many buyers are attracted to this model because of its low price, but after use, they become a fan of its performance.

Like many other smartwatches, it not only shows heart rate, body energy, stress level, and respiration rate but also tells you about the level of oxygen in your blood with the help of a pulse oximeter. You can explore other exercise options with this watch.

Tip: For elbows protection, make sure to wear mountain bike elbow pads

Why I Recommended Garmin Venu SQ Smartwatch

The Garmin Venu SQ has a maximum battery life of more than 6 days. The square screen is made up of gorilla glass which helps it stay scratch free even after an impactful fall. You can connect it with your mobile phone to stay in touch with your family and friends while you are on a mountain biking adventure. The band can have a maximum circumference of 7 inches.

If you’re are night rider, you can also read my review about best glasses for night mountain biking.

6. Garmin Forerunner 745 MTB Watch

Garmin Forerunner 745 MTB Watch has a sleek design along with all of the health features that you will need in a smartwatch. It is the best option for individuals who love sports.

If you love to experiment and try new exercise methods then it is ideal for you as you don’t have to buy separate one for each game. It has a waterproof and minimal design. You can use this smartwatch while running, playing football, basketball, or tennis practice. Also, you can even wear it while skiing, ice skating, surfing, and swimming too.

This MTB watch has a stopwatch, timer, and alarm too. The software in this sports watch helps you calculate your fitness age by keeping a close track of your activity throughout the day and how well you have performed.

Moreover, Garmin Forerunner 745 mountain biking watch can help users to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The alarm sound will go off if your heartbeat is going into the abnormal range, so you can stop right away.

This will prevent you from doing any activity which can hinder your heart’s health because it shows your breathing pattern throughout the whole day.

Why I Recommended Garmin Forerunner 745 Watch

The Garmin Forerunner 745 is surely worth the investment. You can reply the texts with the help of your smartwatch when it is connected to your phone. It will not only analyze your performance but can also set a standard that you will have to achieve in the specific time period. It can also show cycling power with the help of the power meter. Apart from Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, it has ANT+ connectivity option too.

If you own overweight woman and want to start cycling as an exercise, try to use one of the best bike for overweight female for a comfortable and safe ride.

7. Garmin Forerunner 245 MTB Watch

The Garmin Forerunner 245 might not have the same long battery life as the Forerunner 745, but apart from that, it has some of the best features that you can find in many highly expensive smartwatches.

Similarly, Garmin Forerunner 245 does not have the ultra-trace battery saving mode like the forerunner 275, but with the help of the smartwatch mode, it can run up to a week or more.

This smartwatch has a quick release band which makes it convenient to use. The strong screen is tried and tested to bear water of around 5 atmospheric pressure.

The activity storage capacity of this watch is quite surprising as it can store information for more than 9 days easily. It can tell you your weekly statistics and performance too with the help of training status.

The training effect feature will display how your cycling or running has helped you boost your stamina. On the other hand, it also has a recovery time feature that analyzes how much physical activity you have done and when you can start another physical activity.

Why I Recommended Garmin Forerunner 245 Watch

The Garmin Forerunner 245 comes in five different and appealing colors that are white, black, aqua, slate gray, and berry. You can listen to your Spotify playlist once you have connected the watch to your mobile phone. You can also get access to free coaches to help you train with the help of the Garmin coach feature. All these features can be a dream come true for anyone. For MTB rides in summer, make sure to wear summer mountain bike gloves.

8. Garmin Forerunner 945 Smartwatch for Cycling

Garmin Forerunner 945 Smartwatch is slightly towards the higher end in terms of price, but it truly deserves to be listed among the best Garmin watches for mountain biking.

This model of the Forerunner series is an essential accessory for professional mountain bikers. It can act as a full-time physical trainer. It will give your training a direction, so you can uplift your performance.

You don’t have to worry, whether it is about the software, technology, structure, or comfort of the watch. This watch has a water rating of 5 ATMs which makes it suitable for swimming too.

The screen of Garmin Forerunner 945 Smartwatch has MIP display with a 240 x 240 display resolution. With the help of a long battery life of two weeks, you can work freely. Even if you use it in GPS mode it can last for more than 36 hours.

The Garmin Forerunner 945 has the ability to monitor all-day stress levels, sleep duration, hydration level, breathing rate, oxygen saturation, resting heart rate, abnormal heart rate, and body battery level.

First with the help of the GPS compass, barometer, gyroscope, pulse oximeter, and accelerometer it analyzes the environment and then tells how well you performed.

Why I Recommended Garmin Forerunner 945 Smartwatch

The Garmin forerunner 945 has an accident detection feature that identifies with the help of the sensors in it that the user has met any kind of accident and if so, then it will send a signal for help to the emergency number that has been selected by you while setting the smartwatch. The live GPS will allow your family to keep a check on you with the help of their mobile phones. If you are an entry level mountain biker, you should inflate MTB tire with appropriate mountain bike tire pressure.

9. Garmin Fenix 7 Unisex Sports Watch

Garmin has really surprised its users with the features of the Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar model. It has a nice blend of style, modern technology, comfort, and convenience.

Even though Garmin Fenix 7 MTB Watch is really expensive when it comes to buying a Garmin watch for mountain biking but the unmatched specifications of this watch make it quite difficult to not have one in your collection.

The Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar is not only suitable for cyclists but it also works for runners, surfers, hikers, swimmers, and many other sportsmen too.

The first thing that impresses the most users is its build quality. The lens made up of power sapphire turns sunlight into chemical energy that will power the lithium-ion batteries of this amazing watch.

Around the lens, there is a bezel made up of titanium which holds the lens tightly in its place. The screen is 1.3 inches in diameter and really big and has a vibrant display. You can control the whole working with the help of the touchscreen feature or with the buttons present on this watch. With solar energy, you can use this watch for more than 74 days on expedition GPS mode.

Why I Recommended Garmin Fenix 7 Watch

The Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire solar have 32 GB of storage capacity. With the help of Garmin Fenix 7 watch, you don’t have to carry a map, MP3 player, wallet, or mobile phone on mountain biking trips as it is equipped with all of them. The ABC sensor will help you identify the pressure, direction, and height. Apart from all these features, you can also select any song from a list of more than 2000 songs.

You may also want to know how long does it take to cycle 5 miles

10. Garmin Enduro Watch for Running and Cycling

Garmin Enduro Watch is one of the widest smartwatch by Garmin. By means of style, it is a little different from the previous models reviewed above. The Garmin Enduro is a really tough sports watch especially for enduro mountain biking as it has a power glass lens that is placed inside a DLC coated titanium along with a reinforced case making it a real beast among the other sports watches by Garmin.

The strap is made up of nylon material which reduces further increase in the weight of this model. It has a display of around 1.4 inches in diameter. The 280 x 280 megapixel display and colored resolution increase the visibility of this watch.

Garmin Enduro Watch has an unbelievable battery life of 95 days with solar power. Moreover, it has a large storage capacity of 64 GB and a water rating of 10 ATM. The MTB’s dynamic features have forced me to place it on the list of the best Garmin watches for mountain biking.

It can assess how difficult your mountain biking trail was and your performance on the trail too. So, you can always have a genuine analysis of your performance. The ultra climb pro feature will show the height, distance, and time you have taken to climb any uphill track.

Why I Recommended Garmin Enduro Watch

The Garmin Enduro is available in carbon gray and steel colors. Instead of relying on one navigation system, the Garmin enduro watch has three different satellite systems, so no matter what the conditions are you are always on the safer side. You can not only see the duration of your sleep time but can also assess the breathing rate, oxygen level, and stages of your sleep too.

You may also have a question in mind Can I ride a mountain bike on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cadence show up on my Garmin watch?

Yes, most Garmin watches have the ability to display cadence. Cadence refers to the number of steps per minute, and it’s a useful metric for runners and walkers to monitor their stride and improve their efficiency. Garmin watches typically include a variety of fitness metrics, including cadence, as part of their features to provide valuable insights and help users track their performance during workouts.

Does Garmin have a mountain bike app?

Yes, Garmin offers a dedicated mountain bike app called “Trailforks” for selected Garmin devices. The Trailforks app provides mountain bikers with detailed trail maps, route planning, and trail condition information to enhance their mountain biking experience. It allows users to explore new trails, find popular routes, and access valuable data such as difficulty levels, elevation profiles, and more. Please note that app availability may vary depending on the specific Garmin device you own.

What is the best Garmin watch app for cycling?

One of the best Garmin watch apps for cycling is “Strava.” Strava is a popular fitness app that offers excellent features for cyclists, including GPS tracking, route planning, real-time performance metrics, and the ability to compete with other cyclists on segments. It seamlessly integrates with Garmin devices, providing comprehensive data analysis and performance tracking for cycling enthusiasts.

If you have pain in testicles after MTB ride, read my detailed guide about testicular pain after bike ride

Concluding Garmin Mountain Biking Watches Review

I hope that now you know why Garmin is one of the leading brands when it comes to sports watches for mountain biking. These watches can help you train for bike races by evaluating your health matrix, performance, and location. You can have a weekly performance review to see how much you have improved.

From monitoring, showing upcoming trails, playing music, and tracking location to sending help signals these watches have it all. Here are some of my top picks for the best Garmin watches for mountain biking including GPS watches.

• The Garmin Fenix 6 pro is my personal favorite too far because of wifi, BlueTooth, and ANT+ connectivity. It has tough DLC coating, shows a detailed performance matrix, and has ABC sensors.
• The Garmin Venu 2 has a long-lasting battery, stylish built, AMOLED display, health tracking features, Garmin pay feature, and more than 24 preinstalled sports apps.
• The Garmin instinct 2 is a full-on biking watch as it has numerous biking modes to choose from. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor biking. The resistant build is ideal for mountain biking.