With so many sports watches on the market these days from manufacturers such as Suunto and the like, making a choice isn’t easy. Of course, in the first instance, it depends on exactly which sport you need a watch for.

If you’re training and looking to achieve peak fitness in sports such as athletics, running and road cycling then you need to know exactly how fast you are going and how effectively your body is performing. If you prefer more adventurous or extreme outdoor sports, you need a watch that will give you exact information on your geographical position and the state of play regarding the outside elements..

But more specifically, what are the features you should look out for?

Well, starting with athletes looking for a watch for training purposes, the first feature you’ll need (other than reliable timekeeping, of course), is a quality stopwatch with a multitude of different functions. Equally important is a heart rate monitor (HRM). The best ones, from the likes of Suunto, have ‘training zones’, which allow athletes to train within the optimum heart rate zones). This kind of analysis helps the athlete to achieve peak fitness.

A watch that is computer-compatible can be worth its weight in gold to the athlete in training looking to measure their performance effectively. Some watches allow you to download training information onto a PC or link up with other devices to display details of distance, speed, etc, on the watch itself. Some go even further than that: take the Suunto T4 model, for instance, which boasts the ‘Suunto Coach’ feature, taking data from previous performance in order to tailor a training schedule.

Features such as a heart rate monitors cross over for activities like trekking or mountain biking so they are also found on outdoor watches. But there are many other specifications available for watches suitable for sports like hill walking, mountaineering, MTBing, skiing and snowboarding.

To remember the main features to look out for, think A, B, C: Altimeter, Barometer, Compass.

An altimeter is essential for activities involving height like mountaineering, hill walking and advanced skiing and snowboarding. The outdoor adventurer must always stay one step ahead of the weather, as well – so a barometer is a vital tool along with a good compass or, even better a GPS system.

But let’s not forget another essential requirement for any watch, whether it be for training or outdoor pursuits – it has to look cool! Come on, admit it – you want to feel proud of your watch, even when you’re in the wilderness or on a lonely training schedule where no one else can see it. Thankfully, companies like Suunto have a plethora of options for strap and case designs, as well as a whole host of colour combinations to choose from.

So it really doesn’t matter what your style or sport is: you are sure to find a watch that you’re looking for in an outdoor or training watch. Why not start looking on the internet? You can buy Suunto watches and similar from websites such as www.facewest.co.uk or www.everestgear.com.

So you don’t even have to work hard or brave the great outdoors to get your watch!