The Best Compass Watch of 2022
Choosing the best compass watch for your needs shouldn’t be a big deal in the era of the internet. However when you have such a large variety of compass watches to choose from you might feel overwhelmed and not figure out which is the best for you. That is why we put together this guide of the best compass watches available on the market.
For your convenience, we included a short title for every watch, like the “best buy” or “best quality” so that you can choose based on your interests. Do you want the best quality for the least amount of money? Then our best buy should be your pick. Do you want the one that offers the most reliable readings? Then you should go for the corresponding category. While you can find a good selection of compass watches here, we do not want to overwhelm you so that you finish this article and still ask yourself which one you should pick.
Without further ado, let’s proceed to help you find the best compass watch itself.
-The 5 Best Compass Watches-
1. Casio ProTrek PAG-240
-Best Buy-
While you can definitely find better watches in terms of features, you will hardly find a better one in terms of value for the money. The PAG-240 ProTrek is such a great compass watch for the price that you will love it at first sight.
The compass of this watch comes incorporated in the now famous triple sensor from Casio which includes the altimeter, barometer, and compass. With these, you can make all sorts of predictions, like weather forecasts or altitude specific phenomenon. While the altimeter and barometer have been improved over time, it is still hard to say that you can make precise readings of the environment with them. Just take the values as estimative.
Of course, this is not the case with the compass which is pretty precise because it doesn’t work on the same principles as the altimeter and barometer do.
The case and strap are made from a tough kind of plastic and the mineral crystal window is great at resisting to all sorts of shocks and scratches.
Overall I would say that the PAG-240 from Casio gets the title of the best compass watch for the money.
There are more to tell about this great watch that we covered in our in-depth review here: ProTrek PAG-240
-Best Compass Watch for the Money-
2. G-Shock G9300-1 “Mudman”
If you want a tough G-Shock with plenty of features, good ergonomics and a lot more but at the same time not spend a fortune on your next compass watch then the G-Shock G9300 Mudman is one of the best choices you can make.
The thermometer is in general not a good idea in watches because the temperature of your wrist greatly influences the readings. So you won’t get an accurate estimate unless you take it off of your wrist for a while.
However, the compass is digital and works like a charm if you need it to be fast and easy to deploy. At the push of a button, you can enter in compass mode and guide yourself from there.
The design is simple and the materials are resistant although not top of the line quality. The mineral crystal window is especially resistant to scratches and shocks. The case and strap are made from resin, a type of plastic that Casio uses on a lot of G-Shocks. The feel on the wrist is great and after a while, you will even forget wearing it.
In conclusion, if you need a G-Shock with a compass that is not too fancy and it is reliable for your everyday experiences and doesn’t cost a lot of money then you might want to consider the Mudman. A good category for the Mudman could be the best compass watch in terms of affordability.
Read more on the G-Shock G9300 Mudman.
-Best Quality Compass Watch-
3. Citizen Eco-Drive Altichron Titanium
The colorful Citizen Altichron series comes with a new approach for high-quality compass watches. It comes with a dial full of bright colors which makes quite an impression at first sight. While the looks are definitely special, the specifications are not there to impress but to deliver the best results, although some might consider them remarkable.
Here are some of its most important features:
- The Eco-Drive solar charging
- Accurate Digital Compass
- 660 feet water resistance
- Japanese Quartz Movement
- Atmospheric pressure sensor
If you want a truly resistant watch with a titanium case and a mineral crystal window that looks good, feels good and it offers some of the best features, then the Citizen Altichron is one of the best compass watches you can buy. It’s true that you will have to pay a higher price but in the long term this watch pays off. I consider it the best compass watch from Citizen.
More on the Citizen Altichron in our in-depth review.
-Best Compass Watch from Suunto-
4. Suunto Core
Suunto watches are reliable, good looking, ergonomic and affordable. The Suunto Core is one of the most popular Suunto watches ever created and for a good reason.
The Suunto Core doesn’t only come with a compass but with a system similar to Casio’s triple sensor with an altimeter, barometer, and compass. With these you can, at least in theory, make weather predictions and readings of the current altitude, although these sensors are not professional dedicated tools so the values should be treated as estimative at their best. This is not to say that Suunto didn’t develop them good enough. This is a general problem for all watches which come with altimeters and barometers. Mainly because of the limited space in a watch the sensors cannot offer accurate estimates.
The compass, however, doesn’t work on the same principles as the previous two, so here the accuracy is much better, making it a pretty reliable tool for guidance.
Some of the most important features are these:
- Countdown timer and stopwatch
- Sunrise and sunset data
- Storm Alarm
- Altimeter, Barometer, Compass
- Backlight
- Automatic altimeter/barometer switch
The all black finish and negative display give the watch a stealthy look. I am not a fan of negative displays but they prove to be very useful for some, so I guess it comes down to your needs. Anyways the Core has a lot of different versions, with positive display and other colors. Overall the design is great. I recommend the Suunto Core if you want a relatively simple compass watch that works well and doesn’t cost a fortune.
-Best Compass Watch (Overall)-
5. G-Shock GW-9400 Rangeman
The Rangeman is one of the most well-developed G-Shocks in terms of reliability, ease of use and overall user experience. You can’t go wrong with this G-Shock if you want a tough, good looking, feature packed compass watch to guide you through unknown environments.
The compass is part of Casio’s triple sensor which includes an altimeter, a barometer, and the compass. While I find the sensors in the Suunto Core more accurate, these will also do fine.
Here are some of Rangeman’s top features:
- 660 feet water resistance
- Triple Sensor
- Solar charging
- Multiband atomic timekeeping for accurate time
- All the basic G-Shock features like the stopwatch, countdown timer, auto calendar, etc.
The weight of the watch is well distributed across the surface making for a great everyday wear.
Overall this is one of the best compass watches in this price line when speaking of extra tough watches. If you want a G-Shock with a compass that can make your life a lot easier then the Rangeman is a great choice.
Read the full review on the G-Shock GW-9400 Rangeman.
Also check out our articles on other topics you might be interested in: best altimeter watch, best ABC watch, best atomic watch, best tactical watch, best solar watches.