Runners: Favorite smartwatch
fitoverfortymom
Posts: 3,452 Member
My Gear Fit 2 died and I'm in the market for another smartwatch. Not an Apple watch and not another Samsung. Primarily use it for steps tracking and monitoring my runs. What do you have, do you love it and why?
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Replies
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Garmin Fenix 5X. I'd tell you why I love it but I'm sure there's a limit to post length.2
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Depends on how you want to use it. For me, the one drawback of my 735XT is that it only has 12 hours of GPS tracking so it has some limitations for long distance running.
The benefit is that it also tracks swimming, dreadmill and it'll connect to the Wattbike at the gym.
It was half the price of the Fenix.1 -
If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.1 -
I read this as "smartwich" and got excited to see the sandwiches that people run with.
Also: following for future points of reference because this is definitely better than virtual sandwiches.5 -
Garmin Fenix 5S for me. It lacks the map feature of the 5X and has a slightly shorter battery life than the 5 or 5X but has exactly the same functionality otherwise. The 5s' form factor more than makes up for the differences.
Since I'm not an action movie star nor an outdoor survivalist, the Fenix 5 and 5X (and most other running watches) are way too chunky for my tastes. The 5S is a very manageable 42MM and is very light and compact. It actually looks more like a real watch than a dedicated fitness tool.0 -
Does it have to be a smartwatch? Are you wanting something that tells you about test messages, etc...0
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Garmin 935. I'm iffy on garmin products, but this has been a great watch for me - both as an everyday wearer and as a training/exercise tool.0
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I got the Garmin Forerunner 235. I almost went with the VivoActive as it's cheaper by $100, but since I primarily run I ended up choosing the Forerunner, plus I preferred the round face over the square.
I've had it now since July and I really like it. It is quite large (compared to my Fitbit), but like anything you can get used to it and it feels normal to me now.1 -
I love my Garmin Forerunner. It's huge on my wrist, but it's great for running, swimming, cycling, and you can download apps for other activities like hiking and walking.0
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Depends on budget but anything from Garmin won't see you wrong. I've pre-ordered the Vivoactive 3, was about to buy the Forerunner 235 literally the day after they released the new models. So those are your entry level "proper" fitness watches with the Vivoactive having more smart capabilities IIRC.
Then you get to the Fenix 5 at the top of the chain and that is a nice watch.
I started with a Vivofit and now have the first gen Vivoactive. Never a problem with either of them, their number have also always been great for me and there's an update to the app coming soon which I hear is rather good.0 -
I have a lenovo because I'm a tight *kitten*. It is meant to link with other apps but so far I have had no luck. The app it comes with tracks runs etc linking GPS on phone. It monitors your heart rate every 15min and tracks sleep and steps.
It was only $35nzd including shipping.
Only thing I have against it, you can't tell it to track heart rate more regularly I.e. when doing a muay thai class so I can't get an accurate measure on calories burnt.0 -
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melissaulmen wrote: »Does it have to be a smartwatch? Are you wanting something that tells you about test messages, etc...
My most minimum requirements are the ability to track my exercise (primarily walking and running, occasional biking and hiking). The ability to text, call, social media is completely unimportant. Being able to connect it to MFP automatically for calories purposes is a necessity also.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.
The VAHR is probably more of what is in my budget. I feel like I'd need at least a year of serious dedication to running (and other exercises) to feel like a bigger purchase would be worth it. Somehow, even after losing 90+ lbs, my inner critic isn't convinced it will stick. But, when I set benchmarks like, "If I do it for x months then I get x" has worked very successfully this past year. My Gear Fit 2 crapping out was unexpected and I am SUPER grumpy about it. It has been my constant companion since October. I feel naked and lost without it and relying on my phone apps during my runs just feels weird and unintuitive. My first race is this Saturday, and I won't have a new watch in time and I am incredibly bummed about it.
Sorry to rant. I have a lot of pent up frustration about this stupid watch issue.
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Watches that track exercise record great detail, and send it to other software. That usually happens over Bluetooth, because it's more convenient than having to plug your watch into your computer to see your data. Once you have a watch exchanging data with a phone, you might as well go whole hog and throw in stuff like text messages, you've already built the infrastructure for it, and they add a lot of value for very little additional cost.0
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Garmin 235 sounds right up your alley. It's about $300 USD but has GPS for tracking distances/pace/time, HR monitoring, cadence monitoring, calories burned, training/fitness status, and the rest of the Garmin data suite.
You can also buy it at most chain stores (Dick's, REI, etc.) so you actually get it before Saturday if you want to.
Edited to add - the Garmin data suite gives you 'trophies' for certain achievements (fastest 5K/10K/Half/Marathon, longest run, etc.) It would be really nice to have your first race recorded in the database as a personal record (until you beat that time, at least).3 -
fitoverfortymom wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.
The VAHR is probably more of what is in my budget. I feel like I'd need at least a year of serious dedication to running (and other exercises) to feel like a bigger purchase would be worth it. Somehow, even after losing 90+ lbs, my inner critic isn't convinced it will stick. But, when I set benchmarks like, "If I do it for x months then I get x" has worked very successfully this past year. My Gear Fit 2 crapping out was unexpected and I am SUPER grumpy about it. It has been my constant companion since October. I feel naked and lost without it and relying on my phone apps during my runs just feels weird and unintuitive. My first race is this Saturday, and I won't have a new watch in time and I am incredibly bummed about it.
Sorry to rant. I have a lot of pent up frustration about this stupid watch issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does the Fit 2 also play music? I seem to remember glancing at it and discarding it as not being waterproof (matters a lot to me). But if you use it to play music, not many of them do. I think there is a Tom Tom that does.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.
The VAHR is probably more of what is in my budget. I feel like I'd need at least a year of serious dedication to running (and other exercises) to feel like a bigger purchase would be worth it. Somehow, even after losing 90+ lbs, my inner critic isn't convinced it will stick. But, when I set benchmarks like, "If I do it for x months then I get x" has worked very successfully this past year. My Gear Fit 2 crapping out was unexpected and I am SUPER grumpy about it. It has been my constant companion since October. I feel naked and lost without it and relying on my phone apps during my runs just feels weird and unintuitive. My first race is this Saturday, and I won't have a new watch in time and I am incredibly bummed about it.
Sorry to rant. I have a lot of pent up frustration about this stupid watch issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does the Fit 2 also play music? I seem to remember glancing at it and discarding it as not being waterproof (matters a lot to me). But if you use it to play music, not many of them do. I think there is a Tom Tom that does.
The problem I've found with a lot of watches that also hold music is that their Bluetooth connections are horrible since they're way down on your wrist with a lot of bone and muscle between the watch and the headphone BT antennae.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.
The VAHR is probably more of what is in my budget. I feel like I'd need at least a year of serious dedication to running (and other exercises) to feel like a bigger purchase would be worth it. Somehow, even after losing 90+ lbs, my inner critic isn't convinced it will stick. But, when I set benchmarks like, "If I do it for x months then I get x" has worked very successfully this past year. My Gear Fit 2 crapping out was unexpected and I am SUPER grumpy about it. It has been my constant companion since October. I feel naked and lost without it and relying on my phone apps during my runs just feels weird and unintuitive. My first race is this Saturday, and I won't have a new watch in time and I am incredibly bummed about it.
Sorry to rant. I have a lot of pent up frustration about this stupid watch issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does the Fit 2 also play music? I seem to remember glancing at it and discarding it as not being waterproof (matters a lot to me). But if you use it to play music, not many of them do. I think there is a Tom Tom that does.
I think the new Fitbit is going to but I wouldn't touch Fitbit because of the ongoing and prolific quality issues.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.
The VAHR is probably more of what is in my budget. I feel like I'd need at least a year of serious dedication to running (and other exercises) to feel like a bigger purchase would be worth it. Somehow, even after losing 90+ lbs, my inner critic isn't convinced it will stick. But, when I set benchmarks like, "If I do it for x months then I get x" has worked very successfully this past year. My Gear Fit 2 crapping out was unexpected and I am SUPER grumpy about it. It has been my constant companion since October. I feel naked and lost without it and relying on my phone apps during my runs just feels weird and unintuitive. My first race is this Saturday, and I won't have a new watch in time and I am incredibly bummed about it.
Sorry to rant. I have a lot of pent up frustration about this stupid watch issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does the Fit 2 also play music? I seem to remember glancing at it and discarding it as not being waterproof (matters a lot to me). But if you use it to play music, not many of them do. I think there is a Tom Tom that does.
The problem I've found with a lot of watches that also hold music is that their Bluetooth connections are horrible since they're way down on your wrist with a lot of bone and muscle between the watch and the headphone BT antennae.
I have this issue with my phone. I can't wear it on my right side as my earphones electronics are on the left side. The pouch I bought works better on the right side so I need it and a fitbelt.1 -
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Tacklewasher wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »If you want one for running, I don't think you can beat the pricey Garmins. Too much for me so I've got a Garmin Vivoactive HR. More of a general tracker then a running specific one. They have a new version coming out in a couple of months that has a few new features.
With the VAHR I can track all kinds of activities as well as my daily steps.
In Cdn dollars, the 5X is ~$950 and the VAHR is $300.
The VAHR is probably more of what is in my budget. I feel like I'd need at least a year of serious dedication to running (and other exercises) to feel like a bigger purchase would be worth it. Somehow, even after losing 90+ lbs, my inner critic isn't convinced it will stick. But, when I set benchmarks like, "If I do it for x months then I get x" has worked very successfully this past year. My Gear Fit 2 crapping out was unexpected and I am SUPER grumpy about it. It has been my constant companion since October. I feel naked and lost without it and relying on my phone apps during my runs just feels weird and unintuitive. My first race is this Saturday, and I won't have a new watch in time and I am incredibly bummed about it.
Sorry to rant. I have a lot of pent up frustration about this stupid watch issue.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but does the Fit 2 also play music? I seem to remember glancing at it and discarding it as not being waterproof (matters a lot to me). But if you use it to play music, not many of them do. I think there is a Tom Tom that does.
I think it is supposed to be waterproof, but the sensor on the back becomes easily unglued, and then you get sweat in it and void the warranty with "water damage." It does play music, although I never successfully got it to work. I always had to send audio from my phone to my headphones. Music would be nice, but not a requirement. I have a belt for my phone that works quite nicely.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Watches that track exercise record great detail, and send it to other software. That usually happens over Bluetooth, because it's more convenient than having to plug your watch into your computer to see your data. Once you have a watch exchanging data with a phone, you might as well go whole hog and throw in stuff like text messages, you've already built the infrastructure for it, and they add a lot of value for very little additional cost.
I wouldn't mind having that stuff, its just not necessary. I did like that my watch would vibrate with phone calls.0 -
I just got the Fitbit charge 2. I know it's not nearly as fancy as some of the ones listed here but it has a screen so I can read my texts, and it tells me who's calling. The app tells me distance, mph, splits, etc. It also displays HR. Probably not the most accurate at all but I use it as a guide more that anything. I currently only run short distances but hoping to work up to a 10k over the next year.
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Garmins:
Forerunner 230. A separate HR strap is better than a wrist based optical. But it also sounds like you aren't going to train by hr anyway, so why buy a feature you don't want.
Forerunner 35. Simplier and cheaper than the FR230.
Vivoactive 3. Preorder, but 95% of the FR23x but with extra stuff. 23x will only do bike, run, or other. VA3 will do stuff like kayaking.0 -
scorpio516 wrote: »Garmins:
Forerunner 230. A separate HR strap is better than a wrist based optical. But it also sounds like you aren't going to train by hr anyway, so why buy a feature you don't want.
Forerunner 35. Simplier and cheaper than the FR230.
Vivoactive 3. Preorder, but 95% of the FR23x but with extra stuff. 23x will only do bike, run, or other. VA3 will do stuff like kayaking.
Wouldn't you go Forerunner 235 over 230?
No research by me on the 35 but a good entry level running watch.
VA3 can also pair with a variety of chest straps if so desired. I'm going to do some experimenting to test accuracy, I'd love to ditch the chest for the most part.0 -
garmin vivosmart hr+ does what you want it to do. good for running and walking. gps. syncs with mfp and strava and mapmyrun. buzzes each mile/km telling you your pace. buzzes when u reach daily step goal. buzzes for phonecalls and texts0
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Looks like everyone loves Garmin here. Never tried them. I love my Polar Loop for steps. The Polar Loop 2 has an option of a chest strap HRM. I was looking at those recently. You can also just get the HRM and the app to track from your phone.
My Polar Loops Syncs with MFP.
I will be interested to see what you pick!0 -
fitoverfortymom wrote: »melissaulmen wrote: »Does it have to be a smartwatch? Are you wanting something that tells you about test messages, etc...
My most minimum requirements are the ability to track my exercise (primarily walking and running, occasional biking and hiking). The ability to text, call, social media is completely unimportant. Being able to connect it to MFP automatically for calories purposes is a necessity also.
Might be more than you "need" and you may not like the square style, but the Garmin920xt does all the things you've outlined (and more) at a price point of about $200 online, $250 with optional chest strap HRM. It is aimed at the multisport audience, so it is waterproof and provides swim data as well. All my garmin data is synced to MFP automatically.0 -
fitoverfortymom wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Watches that track exercise record great detail, and send it to other software. That usually happens over Bluetooth, because it's more convenient than having to plug your watch into your computer to see your data. Once you have a watch exchanging data with a phone, you might as well go whole hog and throw in stuff like text messages, you've already built the infrastructure for it, and they add a lot of value for very little additional cost.
I wouldn't mind having that stuff, its just not necessary. I did like that my watch would vibrate with phone calls.
I'm not really a phone person and didn't expect to get much use out of those features. I kind of thought they were a gimmick. Turns out they mean I can set my phone down and forget about it, still getting my texts, and seeing that they don't need an immediate response. I also like the "find my phone" feature.
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