10 Best Triathlon Watches 2025 in the United States

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a strong contender for triathletes thanks to its rugged design and comprehensive features. Its titanium case and sapphire crystal display make it highly durable and able to withstand tough conditions, including water resistance up to 100 meters—ideal for swimming and water sports. Battery life is solid, offering up to 42 hours of regular use and up to 72 hours in a low power mode, which is beneficial for long training sessions or races. GPS accuracy is top-notch with dual-frequency support, helping athletes track routes precisely across running, cycling, swimming, and other multisport activities.

The watch also excels in heart rate monitoring, using advanced sensors to provide detailed insights and alerts for unusual heart rhythms or high blood pressure, which can be valuable for health-conscious triathletes. Its multisport mode covers a wide range of exercises, making it versatile for triathlon training and other workouts. Connectivity is excellent, with cellular capabilities allowing calls, music streaming, and emergency satellite messaging even without a phone nearby—great for safety during outdoor adventures.

The watch’s large 49mm size might feel bulky on smaller wrists, and its tight integration with the Apple ecosystem means it works best with an iPhone, which may limit usability for non-Apple users. While the battery life is good, it may still require daily charging for heavy users. This is a premium multisport watch offering robust features and durability, especially suited for athletes who want deep health tracking and reliable connectivity in demanding environments.

The Apple Watch SE 3 (44mm GPS) is a solid choice for those interested in a versatile multisport smartwatch, including triathletes who want a reliable fitness partner. It offers good battery life with about 18 hours of use and fast charging, which is convenient for daily tracking and quick turnarounds between workouts. Its GPS capabilities include support for multiple satellite systems (L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS), which helps with accurate location tracking during swims, bikes, and runs. The heart rate sensor is advanced, providing high and low heart rate alerts and irregular rhythm notifications, contributing to safety during intense training. While it tracks a variety of workouts and offers an always-on display for easy data viewing, it does not have a specialized multisport mode that automatically switches between activities, which some dedicated triathlon watches provide.

Water resistance is suitable for swimming, but it’s not designed for deep-water or prolonged submersion activities. Durability is enhanced with crack-resistant Ion-X glass and an aluminum case, making it fairly sturdy for everyday use. Its connectivity options (Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi) keep you connected with your iPhone for calls, messages, and music, but cellular connectivity requires a higher-tier model.

The Apple Watch SE 3 effectively combines fitness tracking with smart features, though triathletes seeking more specialized, rugged devices with longer battery life might find it somewhat limited.

The Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS 46mm) offers a sleek and lightweight design that’s comfortable for all-day wear, including during exercise and sleep tracking. With water resistance up to 50 meters and dust resistance rated IP6X, it can handle swimming and outdoor workouts well, making it suitable for triathletes. The built-in GPS supports multiple satellite systems, ensuring reliable and accurate tracking of your routes and pace, which is crucial for training and race-day performance. Heart rate monitoring is advanced, with both optical and electrical sensors providing real-time data, plus alerts for irregular rhythms and high or low heart rates. This helps you keep your training in safe and effective zones.

The watch supports multiple workout types and offers additional fitness insights, but it doesn’t have a dedicated multisport triathlon mode that automatically switches between swim, bike, and run segments like some specialized triathlon watches do. Battery life lasts about 24 hours with normal use, which covers a long training day but might require careful management during ultra-long events. Fast charging helps a bit there. Connectivity options, including Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, and 5G/LTE (on cellular models), keep you linked to your iPhone and apps for notifications, music, and emergency features like crash detection and SOS.

Its durability is improved with a scratch-resistant glass face and robust build, though it remains primarily a smartwatch rather than a rugged sports watch. For those wanting a device that combines everyday smart features with solid fitness tracking and health monitoring, the Apple Watch Series 11 is an excellent choice. Triathletes seeking more specialized multisport functionality and longer battery life might want to consider watches designed specifically for endurance sports.