POLAR, GARMIN, OR IWATCH???

harmonyashlyn5
harmonyashlyn5 Posts: 26 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I absolutely love my polar m400, the only thing I dont like is the battery. I trust polar and know the chest HRM is super accurate, one of the reasons I stick with polar... What are your thoughts on these devices compared to one another?

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited July 2017
    Depends on what you are using it for.
    Most HRMs can accurately record heart rate, optical pickups have improved.

    Not been impressed with Polar's longevity but I might have been unlucky twice of course. FT7 was OK but basic functionality, really liked my FT60 but it died prematurely like the FT7. Polar chest straps also seem a bit temperamental, but they are compatible with most gym equipment.

    Garmin Edge on my bike is fine, chest strap has been 100%. Mine's old enough (Edge 800) that I fancy an upgrade to Edge 1000 as the interface/display is so much more up to date.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I can't offer opinion on two of those but that's because I started as team Garmin and like the product quality, accuracy and range of affordability and devices that I don't want to move away. I'll be moving onto my third device by them soon, I have little reason to leave aside from some questionable aesthetics but that's rapidly improving with each new device.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    If you don't like the battery on the m400, you're going to be extremely disappointed moving to anything else. The battery in the m400 outlives any of my other devices (including multiple Garmin) by about 10 fold. The m400 battery life is outstanding.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I can't offer opinion on two of those but that's because I started as team Garmin and like the product quality, accuracy and range of affordability and devices that I don't want to move away. I'll be moving onto my third device by them soon, I have little reason to leave aside from some questionable aesthetics but that's rapidly improving with each new device.

    We need to get T-Shirts made
  • ozgurvh
    ozgurvh Posts: 182 Member
    I am using garmin Vivo smart hr, it's good
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I can't offer opinion on two of those but that's because I started as team Garmin and like the product quality, accuracy and range of affordability and devices that I don't want to move away. I'll be moving onto my third device by them soon, I have little reason to leave aside from some questionable aesthetics but that's rapidly improving with each new device.

    We need to get T-Shirts made

    T-Shirts? I want sponsorship or commission. The amount of raving I do about them!
  • Sarc_Warrior
    Sarc_Warrior Posts: 430 Member
    Garmin
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've been on team Garmin for awhile with my bike computer...I'll likely always be a Garmin guy unless they really screw something up.
  • bignorthernmonkey
    bignorthernmonkey Posts: 1 Member
    I run a Polar v800 and to be honest, it rocks. Battery lasts 5 days with 1 hour work outs per day, HR, cadence and speed (wahoo) sensors on my bikes are spot on.
    Text and email alerts, google home control. Etc etc,
    I have friends who use Garmin, same deal.
    It's horses for courses.
    Iwatch, can't comment, but I would guess as a sports tracker, the other two would be better suited.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    I like all the data I get from my Garmin devices. I've had a vivofit, a vivoactive, and currently a Fenix 3. My personal observation is that Garmin greatly underestimates my calorie burns. It was as bad as me losing a pound a week more than I had MFP set to at my higher weights. It seems to have gotten a bit more accurate as I've lost. So, in that regard great if you are trying to lose quickly, but I'm not sure how happy I will be once I get to maintenance. I usually let Garmin estimate my burn off steps or GPS. I've never had a wrist HR device. I used to use a chest strap regularly, but since I moved to the high desert it doesn't work. It will work in most climates, but if you come home from aerobic activity salty rather than sweaty the HR straps won't read your heart rate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I like all the data I get from my Garmin devices. I've had a vivofit, a vivoactive, and currently a Fenix 3. My personal observation is that Garmin greatly underestimates my calorie burns. It was as bad as me losing a pound a week more than I had MFP set to at my higher weights. It seems to have gotten a bit more accurate as I've lost. So, in that regard great if you are trying to lose quickly, but I'm not sure how happy I will be once I get to maintenance. I usually let Garmin estimate my burn off steps or GPS. I've never had a wrist HR device. I used to use a chest strap regularly, but since I moved to the high desert it doesn't work. It will work in most climates, but if you come home from aerobic activity salty rather than sweaty the HR straps won't read your heart rate.

    Are you wetting your strap before you put it on? I live in NM and have no problem with my chest strap HRM
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    edited July 2017
    I'm on team Garmin too. Started with a Vivosmart HR, really like it. Battery is about 4-5 days. I upgraded to a Fenix 3HR and a Garmin chest strap. The watch is big, bit I love it. Battery life is an issue though, it only lasts about TWO WEEKS!! :) I understand iwatch has to be charged every.single.day. :(

    Chest straps are going to be accurate, so I wouldn't bother making a decision based on that. When I was comparing watches I did not seriously consider the Iwatch, I don't think it's really a fitness product I want to get down in the trenches with. It's more of a fancy gadget too me. I did seriously consider Polar products though I just didn't think they had the number of features that the Garmin product line had. I was dead set on wrist heart rate.

  • blakeym
    blakeym Posts: 97 Member
    Love using my polar HRM strap and Polar Beat app on the spin bike. You can monitor you heart rate and calories burned in real time on your phone and know how hard you are working. Totally motivating.

    yx6vjk2pzpg2.png
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I can monitor my heart rate right there on my watch when I'm working out. I can also see distance if I'm walking or running. I assume it's the same for swimming (thought not heart rate) and cycling.

    I find it lowballs steps calories though, that's my only issue but I don't do a lot of steps outside of hikes and I just manually enter that in here instead. Burns for workouts have always been spot on.
  • dudasd1973
    dudasd1973 Posts: 275 Member
    Team Garmin here as well. Forerunner 235 for running. I do wear a Moto360v2 Android Wear watch when not running though.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Garmin vs Polar is basically personal preference. They are pretty equal, except that Polar doesn't have a 935 equal.

    TomTom makes nice comparible watches too.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I like all the data I get from my Garmin devices. I've had a vivofit, a vivoactive, and currently a Fenix 3. My personal observation is that Garmin greatly underestimates my calorie burns. It was as bad as me losing a pound a week more than I had MFP set to at my higher weights. It seems to have gotten a bit more accurate as I've lost. So, in that regard great if you are trying to lose quickly, but I'm not sure how happy I will be once I get to maintenance. I usually let Garmin estimate my burn off steps or GPS. I've never had a wrist HR device. I used to use a chest strap regularly, but since I moved to the high desert it doesn't work. It will work in most climates, but if you come home from aerobic activity salty rather than sweaty the HR straps won't read your heart rate.

    Are you wetting your strap before you put it on? I live in NM and have no problem with my chest strap HRM

    Yep. Bought the gel. Washed the strap. Tried static spray. Bought a new strap. Nope. I've tried everything but wearing a cotton shirt. I'm in the North Valleys of Reno at 5000'. Dry and windy is my problem. It worked great in Vegas.
  • abijones75
    abijones75 Posts: 116 Member
    Can't comment on Polar but Garmin is way superior to Apple Watch, there isn't a single Apple app that comes close to Garmin connect.
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
    I had a Garmin vovosmart hr plus for a few days before I returned it. Maybe I got a defective one, but that move bar was super annoying. It would buzz my wrist and say Move! while i was actually climbing stairs or actually walking.... Huh??? I was grocery shopping and got 3 lazy move bars while walking at the store lol
    I have a Fitbit and I usually average 13k steps a day but that watch was super mean with the move bar lol
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I like all the data I get from my Garmin devices. I've had a vivofit, a vivoactive, and currently a Fenix 3. My personal observation is that Garmin greatly underestimates my calorie burns. It was as bad as me losing a pound a week more than I had MFP set to at my higher weights. It seems to have gotten a bit more accurate as I've lost. So, in that regard great if you are trying to lose quickly, but I'm not sure how happy I will be once I get to maintenance. I usually let Garmin estimate my burn off steps or GPS. I've never had a wrist HR device. I used to use a chest strap regularly, but since I moved to the high desert it doesn't work. It will work in most climates, but if you come home from aerobic activity salty rather than sweaty the HR straps won't read your heart rate.

    Are you wetting your strap before you put it on? I live in NM and have no problem with my chest strap HRM

    I spent 2 years in Afghanistan and had no problems with my chest strap HRM
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    gerla_k wrote: »
    I had a Garmin vovosmart hr plus for a few days before I returned it. Maybe I got a defective one, but that move bar was super annoying. It would buzz my wrist and say Move! while i was actually climbing stairs or actually walking.... Huh??? I was grocery shopping and got 3 lazy move bars while walking at the store lol
    I have a Fitbit and I usually average 13k steps a day but that watch was super mean with the move bar lol

    *Shrug* I just ignore the buzz, it's not like it's violently shaking your wrist for ages. It's a small short buzz.
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