Fenix 3HR for Triathlon?

Tacklewasher

Costco has the Fenix 3 HR titanium with sapphire glass on for $440 Cdn. MEC is $650 for the same.

I was thinking of picking up a Forerunner 935 in the spring (April), but am wondering if the 3 HR is worth it for the price. The 935 is $680 but I'm worried that you can't get the Sapphire glass with it.

Looks like the 3 will do what I want for a try-a-tri and works with the HRM swim (my VAHR doesn't), but what would I miss out on with the 3 vs waiting and getting the 935 (or a Fenix 5)?

Hate seeing things like this at Costco.

trochanter

Comparison table near bottom of page 935 vs 5

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/03/garmin-forerunner-935-depth-review.html
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/03/garmin-fenix5-5s-5x-review.html

fyi I have a Fenix 5X and love it

NorthCascades

I had an F3HR for a year. It's a capable watch. It will do everything you need in a triathlon. The newer watches are fancier but the F3 has the same core competency. Probably the most annoying thing about it is the HR sensor bulges out of the back of the watch more than you'd expect.

CarlosHarch

Fenix3 Sapphire hasn’t let me down in the last two years I’ve had it. I just use the heart rate monitor and go. Cycling. Swimming. Running. Hiking. You name it. It’s there with me.

Tacklewasher

NorthCascades wrote: »

I had an F3HR for a year. It's a capable watch. It will do everything you need in a triathlon. The newer watches are fancier but the F3 has the same core competency. Probably the most annoying thing about it is the HR sensor bulges out of the back of the watch more than you'd expect.

I think I've hemmed and hawed with you before on a new tracker. I've got the VAHR now, so I think the HR bump is the same and it doesn't bother me. I looked pretty closely at the 935, but it doesn't look durable enough for me (I cracked the screen on one VAHR already) as you can't get it with Sapphire.

The biggest thing I'm missing on the VAHR is open swims. And the ability to transition if I do manage to do a triathlon.

I'm kinda worried the Fenix 3 is being discontinued and may not be supported in the future? Any thoughts on that?

Thanks.

Tacklewasher

K. Bit the bullet and bought one. Just charging it now.

NorthCascades

I had my F3 (sapphire) on when I got hit by a car. No detectable damage to the watch. There's no reason to worry about longevity.

I don't think Garmin has updated the software in a while, although I guess I wouldn't know if they had. You should consider support to already have ended. Hopefully you have a warranty, also replacements out of warranty are cheap. And it will still get your data on the server.

This is for things like snowshoeing and has little relevance for triathlon, but waypoints are going to be your friend. Load the watch up with the locations of things that are important to you, and the "map" will actually be useful. I can send you an example if you want.

daveredvette

I have 935 for 2 TRI seasons and love it. I have the HR strap for running. HR for swim does not give you instant readings, have to wait until done swimming.

Tacklewasher

NorthCascades wrote: »

I had my F3 (sapphire) on when I got hit by a car. No detectable damage to the watch. There's no reason to worry about longevity.

I don't think Garmin has updated the software in a while, although I guess I wouldn't know if they had. You should consider support to already have ended. Hopefully you have a warranty, also replacements out of warranty are cheap. And it will still get your data on the server.

This is for things like snowshoeing and has little relevance for triathlon, but waypoints are going to be your friend. Load the watch up with the locations of things that are important to you, and the "map" will actually be useful. I can send you an example if you want.

Going to use it cross country skiing in the next day or two, depending on weather. But the trails are well marked so it will be just playing with it for mapping. Going to wear my VAHR for comparison.

NorthCascades

@Tacklewasher

Mine"froze" (halted) every time I took it skiing. I'd look down and see I was going really fast up a hill, then that the timer had stopped. A few other people on the Garmin forum reported the same thing. I tried deleting the XC Ski profile and making a new one, the same thing happened. So I'd record them insert a different sport (mountaineering worked every time) and the watch would never freeze, then I'd change it back to skiing on the web site. If yours freezes too, that's the workaround.

Recording skiing as mountaineering also recorded running dynamics when I wore that strap. The stride length was really interesting, better numbers mean you're getting more glide, you can see it correlated with different things.

Tacklewasher

Good to know.

Thanks.

Tacklewasher

Well, it worked fine for me for XC Ski. Tracked everything as expected.

So far I'm liking the watch, but it is bigger than I'm used to.