When choosing between the Garmin Instinct 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 for outdoor adventures, hikers face a tight race between two similarly priced devices featuring dedicated hiking modes and advanced tracking tech. To find out which wearable performs best on the trail, tech reviewer Dan Bracaglia of Tom’s Guide wore both smartwatches simultaneously during a ~1,700-foot climb up Snow Lake, using the Strava app on an iPhone 16 as a control.
Garmin Instinct 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Trail Metrics Compared
On the 7-mile trek to Snow Lake, according to data from Tom’s Guide, the Garmin Instinct 3 proved more accurate across core hiking metrics than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. While AllTrails lists the official trail length at 6.7 miles—a figure matched exactly by the Strava control app—the Garmin Instinct 3 logged 6.55 miles, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 undercounted the distance at 6.49 miles.
Elevation tracking showed an even starker contrast between the two wearables. AllTrails logs a total elevation gain of 1,686 feet for the route. Strava came within 12 feet by recording 1,674 feet, and the Garmin Instinct 3 recorded 1,693 feet. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, however, overcounted the uphill climb by 180 feet, finishing with a total of 1,866 feet according to Tom’s Guide data.
Step Counting and Pace Tracking Differences
Beyond distance and elevation, functionality diverged significantly during mid-hike testing. The Garmin Instinct 3 successfully logged 16,096 steps—closely aligning with Strava’s 15,048 step count—while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 failed to record step data entirely during the workout session, despite tracking steps accurately during standard walking workouts, according to Tom’s Guide.
Pace tracking also favored the Garmin device. During a rest stop at the lake, all three tracking sessions were left running. Most contemporary outdoor smartwatches automatically pause workouts during stationary breaks and offer dual pace metrics distinguishing moving pace from elapsed pace. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 provided only a single average pace metric of 34 mins 20 secs per mile without specifying whether rest time was included. By comparison, Garmin logged an average pace of 24 mins 15 secs per mile, while Strava recorded 25 mins 23 secs per mile.
Heart Rate Accuracy and Calorie Burn
Despite discrepancies in distance and elevation, data from Tom’s Guide shows that health metrics between the two watches aligned closely. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 produced heart rate measurements that nearly matched the Garmin Instinct 3. The Samsung watch recorded an average heart rate of 133 bpm and a maximum of 174 bpm, while the Garmin recorded an average of 130 bpm and a maximum of 173 bpm. Total calorie calculations for the 3.5-hour excursion were similarly close, with Samsung registering 1,442 calories and Garmin registering 1,332 calories.
Did You Know?
Frequently Asked Questions
Which smartwatch won the head-to-head hiking test?
According to Tom’s Guide, the Garmin Instinct 3 won the comparison due to its reliability, ridiculously good battery performance, bright screen, and rugged design.
Did the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 track elevation accurately?
No. According to Tom’s Guide data, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 overcounted elevation gain by 180 feet on a trail rated for 1,686 feet of climb by AllTrails.
How do the two watches compare in price?
Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Garmin Instinct 3 cost about the same, according to Tom’s Guide reporting.
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