Best watch for biking, swimming, and sleep tracking? Suggestions?

Seeking Advice
1

Hi everyone, I’m searching for a watch that does a bit of everything.

Here’s what I need (in order of importance):

  • Good GPS for biking, on-road and off-road, with navigation and the ability to sync with Strava if possible.
  • Accurate sleep tracking.
  • Reliable for watersports like swimming (laps), and safe for the sea (surfing, light diving up to 25m).
  • Cardiac monitoring that’s actually accurate.
  • General fitness tracking for activities like running and maybe tennis.
  • Offline music support (I use Tidal but could switch if needed).

Extras that’d be nice:

  • 4G/5G for connectivity but with the option to turn it off for better battery life.
  • Sleep apnea detection.
  • Payment functionality.
  • Fitness app integration for guided lessons.

I’ve looked into some options, but I’m stuck:

  1. Apple Watch Ultra (or Series 10)

    • Seems to have everything, but how’s the bike GPS? The battery isn’t great, but I could live with it since I’m not into ultra-endurance stuff.
    • It looks a bit bulky though.

  2. Galaxy Watch Ultra

    • Seems solid, but I heard some features need a Samsung phone? I don’t have one, so that could be a dealbreaker.

  3. Garmin or Suunto

    • Any specific models? I know they don’t have 4G or payment options, but if the GPS and sleep tracking are significantly better, I’d consider it.

What do you all think? Any other options I’m missing?

2

For water sports, make sure the watch has a 10 ATM rating, not just IP68. IP ratings aren’t good for high-pressure activities, and soap can damage seals over time. Seals also wear out with age, so keep that in mind. Hope this helps!

3

@Ash
Good advice, thanks for pointing that out!

4

If you’re surfing or doing high-speed water sports, you’ll need a 10 ATM rating (brands won’t guarantee performance without it). Here’s a breakdown of your options:

  1. Apple Watch Ultra

    • Fully waterproof and dive-rated. Has good 3rd-party apps for biking and surfing, but they’re not built-in. GPS is decent but not as detailed as Garmin. You’ll need an iPhone to use it.
    • Battery: 2-3 days of general use, or up to 12 hours of GPS tracking. You can extend it to 35 hours with low-power mode, but some features are reduced.
    • Includes LTE, Apple Pay, and sleep apnea tracking.

  2. Galaxy Watch Ultra

    • Also 10 ATM and works well with Strava. Limited 3rd-party apps for surfing, but might improve. Some features are tied to Samsung phones, but you can sideload apps on Android if needed.
    • Battery: 2-3 days with normal use, about 20 hours of GPS tracking.
    • Includes LTE and Google Pay. Not as polished as Apple.

  3. Garmin Fenix/Epix or Instinct 2

    • Excellent GPS for biking, offline maps, and turn-by-turn navigation. Good for surfing with 3rd-party apps like Surf Tracker 2. Can sync with Strava and other fitness apps.
    • Battery life: Varies by model. The Fenix 7 (mid-size) gets up to 16 days with basic use or 80 hours of GPS tracking. Larger models last even longer.
    • No LTE, but Garmin Pay works in many countries. Check if your bank supports it or use a digital wallet.

For offline music, Garmin supports Spotify, Amazon, Deezer, and YouTube Music, but not Tidal. Apple and Galaxy watches might be better if you need Tidal.

Sleep apnea: Only Apple and Samsung offer this feature, and it’s not super detailed. If you suspect apnea, you’ll likely need a proper sleep study anyway.

5

@Wren
One more thing: Garmin lacks native support for Tidal, but their offline music options are solid if you use a different service. For tennis, Garmin doesn’t offer detailed metrics, but you can get 3rd-party apps for stroke tracking. Hope that helps!