The Best Smartwatch for A Triathlon (2002)

If you are a triathlon athlete, you are constantly trying to set goals for yourself and your performance. Building your endurance during training is vital to raising your performance during your triathlons. 

Having a smartwatch that can accurately track your heart rate, training, and performance will allow you to set goals for yourself so you can train to the best of your ability.

We have tried a handful of smartwatches that are best for tracking swimming, cycling, and running. 

The best out of the bunch was the Garmin Forerunner 945. The high-end sports watch has a triathlon mode that can accurately track your performance along with health tracking for your heart rate, sleep, and temperature. 

The Polar Vantage V2 has a lower price and accurately tracks the same as the Garmin Forerunner 945. When it comes to a bargain buy, the Coros Pace 2 is an excellent buy for its price. It tracks all sports modes, such as running, cycling, and swimming. 

Each watch has its own pros and cons when it comes to everyday use. Some have better health tracking and a better price point. Continue reading for the details on each watch. 

The Best Overall: Garmin Forerunner 945

The Garmin Forerunner 945 is a multisport smartwatch that is rounded and slim. It can conveniently hold 200 hours of data, so you can accurately track numerous of your previous training and workouts. 

The watch has sensors that measure your heart rate and temperature, along with safety features for swimming like barometric pressure. The watch also includes a gyroscope and a compass. 

When it comes to tracking your triathlon training, the watch can track your progress in cycling, swimming, and running. It also does include a triathlon mode.

It can also track golf, skiing, and elevation. It can also track your sleep along with VO2 max tracking. 

You can also store music on the watch to pair with Bluetooth headphones, or even play music straight from your smartphone. It lasts all day on a single charge and has the same functionality as an Apple watch. 

While the Garmin Forerunner 945 may have everything you need, it does run for around 400 to 500 dollars. For the price, you will have a watch that lasts a long time and will accurately track a triathlon and your health. 

Best for Health Tracking: Polar Vantage V2

The Polar Vantage V is a round and sleek smartwatch and is great for triathletes. The watch has all three modes for a triathlon and can accurately track your workouts. 

The Vantage has all types of fitness modes, including a triathlon mode, running, swimming, cycling, as well as yoga and skiing. It includes a heart rate monitor along with a running power meter. 

It is also unique in its ability to track your heart rate and whether or not you are ready for any sort of cardio. This mode is called “recovery mode.” The watch will actively track your heart rate and tell you how to build up your strength to move along in your cardio workouts. 

The vantage also has up to 5 days of battery life from a single charge. If you are using the GPS the entire day, that rolls down to one day of battery life. 

It is at a similar price point to the Garmin Forerunner 945. However, while they are similar, they do have some differences. 

The Vantage V2 uses a native app that is not as user-friendly as Garmin. There are third-party apps that users download to combat this.

There is also no music storage, but it does include Bluetooth and the ability to sync to your phone. 

The Polar Vantage V2 is slightly more affordable than the Forerunner 945. The watch normally runs from 300 to 400 dollars. 

Best for The Price: Coros Pace 2 

Unlike the Polar Vantage V2 and the Garmin Forerunner 945, the Coros Pace 2 is a watch that you can find for $200 or just under. For the price, it has a notably long battery life with 30 hours of GPS time. If you are not using the GPS, the battery can last up to 10 to 12 days with a single charge. 

This sports watch is lightweight with a circular, thin design. It can accurately track your running, cycling, and swimming for triathlons. 

You can set targets and goals on the watch and it will let you know what goal is possible based on your heart rate.

There are also many training sets for strength training. The watch also includes a heatmap of your body. The watch also includes tracking for sleep and heart rate.

The Pace 2 can also connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It can play music through your phone along with showing any notifications from it.  

For the price, the Pace 2 can accurately track your workouts for a triathlon. However, in comparison to the Garmin Forerunner 945 and the Polar Vantage 2, there is no strict triathlon mode to follow your entire performance in a triathlon. 

If you are looking for a simple watch at a lower price, the Pace 2 can give you what you need. If you need to track your entire triathlon rather than each activity, you may want to spend some more on a higher-end watch. 

Buying Guide

When you are on the market for a new smartwatch for a triathlon, there are a few things you should look out for. This may be the price, health and sports tracking, and the watch’s durability over time. 

GPS Accuracy

If you are using this watch for a GPS as you are running and swimming in new places, you will want a watch that can accurately take you to your destination.

You will want to make sure your watch will not send you in the wrong direction or not accurately find your location. 

Ease of Use

If you are using the watch daily, you will want it to be easy to use, set up, and use in your day-to-day life. 

Sports Functions

You will want the watch to be able to track cycling, swimming, and running. While not all watches will have a triathlon mode, many of them will be able to accurately track all three sports. 

Health Tracking

If you are training every day and some days training harder than others, you will want a watch that can accurately track your heart rate and other health functions.

This allows you to know how healthy your body is, and if you need to skip a couple of workouts until your body is ready. 

Understanding how healthy your body is during training is vital. It will allow you to build up your body’s strength and endurance while also not overworking yourself, resulting in injury. 

Durability

If you are paying top dollar for your smartwatch, you want it to last along with having a long battery life. If a watch is built with plastic and not built in a way to last a long time, it is best to find another watch to buy. 

Conclusion

While the price is high, the Garmin Forerunner 945 will meet your everyday needs along with accurately tracking your training and your health. 

The Polar Vantage V2 is slightly more affordable with similar features. However, it is not as user-friendly. If you are looking for something more affordable, the Coros Pace 2 is a great bargain buy if you are willing to forfeit the triathlon mode. 

When it comes to triathlon training, you will need a watch to accurately track your performance and heart rate. This will allow you to train to the best of your ability. To purchase the Garmin Forerunner 945, you can find it on Amazon.