Help me pick a watch

[nancipants]

Now that I'm getting more serious about running and hoping to do a half next year, I want to get a new fitness tracker. I'd love to hear what everyone else uses!

I currently have a Fitbit Inspire 2 which is fine for tracking steps but that's it. Another complaint I have about it is it's so difficult to see while I'm outside. If it's sunny, I can't see the display, and there's no way to change the brightness, which defeats the purpose of a watch/fitness tracker.

I've been using Nike Run Club to track my runs and like it so far. I'd like to keep using it just for historical purposes, so hoping for something that syncs with it.

I don't need anything that stores music as I always have my phone with me. But if I can control Spotify from the watch, even better.

I do run/walk intervals, so I want to be able to set my intervals on the watch. Basically set it to whatever interval I'm doing at the time and repeat until the workout is done.

I know a lot of people use Garmin so I'm leaning toward that direction. But I'm willing to consider other brands. I have an iPhone but I'm generally anti-Apple Watch because 1. it's more expensive than I want to pay, 2. I want to use my watch as a fitness tracker only (no phone notifications except for maybe texts), and 3. I don't like the square screen.

Which minimal searching that I've done, it seems like the Garmin Forerunner 55 might be the best for me as a beginning runner. But then I wonder, should I get a more advanced option for later down the line? Or worry about that later?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Herding_Cats]

If you want to use intervals with your watch, make sure that the model you are looking for has your preferred method of notification; some of them will only buzz/vibrate while others will have options for buzz/vibrate and/or a beep.


I use an app on my phone for my intervals that just plays over my music or podcast. One reason is that my vivoactive 4s will only vibrate and I prefer to have auditory notifications, and the other is that I hate setting up interval workouts on my watch, probably because it's tedious for me to do it with only the scroll and select buttons on the watch, but also because I'm much more familiar with the phone app.

There are a lot of options out there for watches, and it can be tempting to get one with ALL of the features, but I know that for myself, I don't need them. My $179 amazon-returns 4S will do what I need just as well as a $500 fenix. If you do triathlons, then the extended features become more of a factor.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Mine is a Garman 945. Is it more than I *need*? Yes, but only because I wanted a built-in MP3 player. But absent that it has all the features that I like for tracking steps and pace and heartbeat and other data logging.
Take a look at the 945 and it’s feature list and see what you think. There is probably something with a comparable feature set at a better price in the Garmin line.

 

[GollyGadget]

you need to figure out your budget and what is important to you and then decide. I used to love Fitbit because I was in weekly step challenges with friends and that motivated me to move. However, after a few bad Fitbits, I switched to garmin and have never looked back. Right now I have the vivioactive 4s which I chose for the music. My biggest complaint is that the lap pace rounds to the 5 seconds. If I’m aiming for xx:12 I have to just hope that xx:15 is close enough. This isn’t a huge deal but is annoying.

 

[FFigawi]

How about one of the new Garmins?

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/03/garmin-forerunner-265-265s-review-amoled.html

 

[pluto377]

I have a Garmin 55. I bought this one after my 235 died. It does intervals, you can send it custom workouts. It does not do music so I carry my phone too. My only complaint compared to the 235 is that you can't change things mid-workout. On the 235 I used to be able to adjust to run/walk interval in the middle if I wasn't feeling whatever I was doing that day. This one you have to back out and start a new workout. Not something I need often, but every now and again I miss it.

 

[nancipants]

I have a Garmin 55. I bought this one after my 235 died. It does intervals, you can send it custom workouts. It does not do music so I carry my phone too. My only complaint compared to the 235 is that you can't change things mid-workout. On the 235 I used to be able to adjust to run/walk interval in the middle if I wasn't feeling whatever I was doing that day. This one you have to back out and start a new workout. Not something I need often, but every now and again I miss it.

Oooh, this is good info. I often change my intervals.

 

[pluto377]

Oooh, this is good info. I often change my intervals.

If you set up a custom workout before starting, then you can easily have steps with different interval lengths. You just can't do it on the fly. Wanted to clarify just in case.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I made a watch/running tracker switch last year before starting Dopey training. I was a loyal Apple Watch and Strava user for years but my training involved a lot of intervals (was coming off an injury) and maybe it was just me but I couldn’t really find a good way to program the intervals without a lot of extra steps or programs. In my case I also needed better connectivity to Training Peaks (program my coach uses to load workouts), something that was challenging with the Apple Watch.

After a lot of stressing about it I went with the Garmin 955. I was hesitant to change as I always thought Garmins were for the ‘serious athletes’ (and it probably is way more watch than I really need) but I’m ultimately glad I made the switch. Couple of comments:

- The number of Garmin options is mind-numbing… frankly one of the reasons I was stressing about making the switch is I just wasn’t sure which one to go with. So confusing!
- Battery life is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
- I hated giving up all my historical data but I ultimately had to get over that part (smarter people than me may know how to export/import info, but I never looked into it that far)
- I found the learning curve steep. I was ready to throw it in the drawer after the first few days, the interface was just so primitive compared to the Apple Watch, felt like going back 20 years, etc. That feeling faded with time/use, but it did take a bit.
- I have surprisingly enjoyed the sleep tracking and various other things tracked, something I never did before.

So put me on team Garmin. Just my two cents!

 

[LSUlakes]

If you havent picked one yet, go with a Garmin... any Garmin. I currently have a apple watch and I did a few runs with it and I very much dislike the data that comes from it. I dislike it so much that I will wear my Garmin during my runs and just have the apple watch on checking for medical stuff and emergency phone call.

 

[eminemilie]

If you havent picked one yet, go with a Garmin... any Garmin. I currently have an apple watch and I did a few runs with it and I very much dislike the data that comes from it. I dislike it so much that I will wear my Garmin during my runs and just have the apple watch on checking for medical stuff and emergency phone call.

This is sort of how I feel with the Apple Watch too. I use it with my Peloton and it’s…fine. It does what I need but sometimes I really just want more. I’m not sure more of what, but I also haven’t tried it with any runs outside of Peloton

 

[JAMIESMITH]

I love Garmin. I started simple with a Forerunner 15, then upgraded to the Forerunner 235, and finally the Fenix 5S Pro. Each upgrade brought a few new features, definitely a bit more now that what I truly need. Each watch has also been used for multiple years before upgrading.

I bought all of these watches refurbished through Factory Outlet Store. None of them were the latest model available when I purchased them so I did get a good deal on all of them.

My daughter runs with a Forerunner 35. This is her second one of that sam model. The first one shut off during a swim and never would turn back on. Since it was purchased used on Mercari, it has no warranty. The replacement is over a year old now.

We do find that the silicone straps occasionally break and need to be replaced.

 

[striker1064]

We do find that the silicone straps occasionally break and need to be replaced.

I second this, and also don't buy Garmin's crazy overpriced silicone straps when the time comes. You can buy an off-brand multi-pack with different colors on Amazon for less than Garmin charges for one silicone band.

 

[Jillfo]

My daughter runs with a Forerunner 35. This is her second one of that sam model. The first one shut off during a swim and never would turn back on. Since it was purchased used on Mercari, it has no warranty. The replacement is over a year old now.

My Forerunner 35 turned six on March 18th. It's still going strong.

 

[azrivest]

Any recommendations for watches in regards to HR monitoring?

Long story, I have a Garmin Legacy (a souped up VA4). I'm looking to work on Base bulding in the next few weeks and was aiming to mostly run in Z2. Problem is, I'm tired of feeling I can't rely on the measured heart rate.

This was my HR during my run today. When I started, it seemed way too high to how I was feeling, so I stopped it for a few minutes and restarted it, and it seemed to measure a more "normal" HR for me.


Are there any watches that have better HR monitoring? I was looking at maybe the FR200 series, which is in the range of what I would need as running features. But maybe those little green lights are pretty much the same on any running watch.

Or should I bite the bullet and buy a hr strap?

 

[FFigawi]

Any recommendations for watches in regards to HR monitoring?

Long story, I have a Garmin Legacy (a souped up VA4). I'm looking to work on Base bulding in the next few weeks and was aiming to mostly run in Z2. Problem is, I'm tired of feeling I can't rely on the measured heart rate.

This was my HR during my run today. When I started, it seemed way too high to how I was feeling, so I stopped it for a few minutes and restarted it, and it seemed to measure a more "normal" HR for me.
View attachment 748860

Are there any watches that have better HR monitoring? I was looking at maybe the FR200 series, which is in the range of what I would need as running features. But maybe those little green lights are pretty much the same on any running watch.

Or should I bite the bullet and buy a hr strap?

A chest HR strap will always give you better data than a watch on your wrist. Can’t go wrong with a strap from Garmin or Wahoo or Polar.

 

[DLFun]

I have an Apple Watch that I use Strava on for my runs. I found that the Apple Watch battery draining and also my phone battery on longer distances. I just got a Garmin Forerunner 45 to use for my workouts. I also felt like it was a bit dated compared to the Apple Watch, but I really like how it operates independently of my phone for my workouts. My biggest issue is the way my notifications (text messages) appear on the Garmin and the fact that I can't go back and review them after they appear. I do like that I can do intervals on my Garmin and it will vibrate (I was using a Gym Boss for this). I am thinking of wearing my Apple Watch so that I can check my notifications, emergency calls and also wearing my Garmin when working out to record the workout. The battery life on the Garmin has been great!

 

[nancipants]

Thank you all for your input! My husband gave me my early Mother’s Day present tonight: a Garmin Forerunner 45s. I decided to go with a less expensive watch to start to see how I like it. The fit is great, tomorrow I’m gonna try it out!