Fitness watches?

[rfra]

What are you all liking for fitness watches? I’ve had a variety of Garmin and Polar devices but that was back 5+ years ago when I was into triathlon. I do like tracking my workouts and just use my phone currently. I do runs, rucks, barbell training, and some core/dumbbell/kettlebell work. I like GPS tracks and fairly accurate heart rate. I like Bluetooth audio but having that on my watch is optional. Battery life is important. I don’t care about SMS/phone integration. I want to be able to wear it all the time.

 

[steelheadmike]

I have been using a Garmin Vivoactive HR for a little over 2 years and it has worked great for me. That being said, I have an Instinct arriving today that will replace my Vivoactve. I can stomach shelling out over $500 for a Fenix.

 

[Ashy Larry]

Fenix 3HR. I got it slightly used after the 5’s came out. Does great.

 

[Ross]

My $150 polar offers a free online data history that is vey encompassing including topomaps for your treks been wearing it for two years and very diverse weather and too date zero issues..I’ve compared the heart rate at the gym and they are the same.only downside to it I see is the heart rate monitor will quit at about four hours. I give it a 10

 

[T28w]

I’ve been doing 70.3s for several years and went thru this a few years ago. I ended up with a Suunto abmit3 vertical for around $250. I’ve been please with it.
But that is a tough question since there are so many options and features and price range. From my researching the garmins are still tough to beat as they will have something for everyone. I had my selection down to the suunto and a garmin920xt. I wear mine everyday now that my other watch broke and I like the suunto better than the 920xt but Garmin has some that are better if u wanted an everyday watch also.
If u did tri’s I’m sure u have seen dcrainmaker’s reviews. That is where I’d look if u wanted a very in depth review of a watch but it will be geared toward Tri.
There are a lot of good options and just depends on what features u want and how much u want to spend. I think the biggest change in recent years though is moving toward optical hr vs a strap and integrated altimeter. Also online platforms for viewing and sharing workouts.

 

[Doug Hershberger]

I've had the Garmin 920XT for over a year and like it a lot. However, I haven't run a tri in over a year as well, so I believe it may be overkill for what I use it for: tracking sleep; timing workouts; periodic heart rate monitoring.

 

[tim tarras]

I got a refurbished Fenix 3HR off of Amazon for @ $225 2 years ago. It has been very reliable and the battery last from 7-9 days depending on use. The only time I take it of is to shower and recharge.

 

[notchfir3]

I for myself couldn't get much usable information from wearing a Microsoft Band 2 for the past 1.5 years. In my opinion those basic wearables might be useful for someone who doesn't do any or only very little sport and just wants some motivation to move a bit more (walk to the shops instead of driving etc.). If a wearable is effective or not, depends on setting the right aims and also have a healthy progression in those aims, i.e. more steps, more active minutes each week... However, if you are half way serious about sports and already train a couple of times a week, basic wearable are rather useless.

Currently I use a Fenix 5 which is a proper workout tool as it connects to may bike sensors and HR straps (they are still much more accurate compared to the inbuilt optical sensors), has up to 20h GPS for multi day hikes etc. and helps me to effectively plan my training. Having the wearable features as sleep-tracking, step counting, all-day heart rate, training status etc. is a nice thing to have, and was useful in a couple of incidences e.g. as a reminder to get more recovery between exhausting training sessions, or get up and walk around after sitting on the desk for hours, but is not really necessary for me. For me the biggest advantage of using the Fenix is having all my data (running, biking, hiking, weight lifting etc. together with all-day data) in one place allowing me to easily check how well I met my fitness goals and how the training improves my performance. In case I progress not as planed I can look at possible reasons e.g. did I get enough sleep/recovery, did I skip some training sessions or is my resting heart rate higher than normal and I might get sick or need to dial back the training.

Concluding, wearables can potentially help to get motivated and move more but their usefulness highly depends on your aims and setting the right aims. Just recording data and not changing anything doesn't help or if the device doesn't record the things you want to change makes the device pretty much useless for your use.

 

[Sportsman]

I used a Polar V800 for a couple years and now Garmin 935. Polar died from water intrusion after warranty expired. Garmin is smaller and more wearable and it syncs automatically. I have not found a mode I like to track weight training with the Garmin. You can enter exercises, sets and reps but that's way more button punching than I want to do in the gym. Haven't found a simple multi exercise mode for HR and motion.

 

[ChrisS]

I have been using a Garmin Vivoactive HR for a little over 2 years and it has worked great for me. That being said, I have an Instinct arriving today that will replace my Vivoactve. I can stomach shelling out over $500 for a Fenix.

same deal. I had a vivoactive HR+ that I really liked for what it was. Then it was stolen out of my checked luggage and I replaced it with an Instinct. The Instinct provides a nice blend of outdoor functions and fitness functions and doesn't cost $500+ Plus the battery on the instinct is a lot better than the vivoactive.

 

[deepnsteep]

I have the Forerunner 235 and really like it over the Samsung S3 I had. The battery life is great for a 'smart watch'. I wish I could sync it with my headphones for music on a run though so I can leave the phone behind.


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[Liv2boutdoors]

I use a Fitbit charge 3. I've considered some of the ones that others have suggested but friends and family have Fitbit watches as week and we challenge each other in step workouts each week. It's a smaller watch and for me less obtrusive especially when it's under my hunting clothes.

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[Redandwhite_72]

I have a fitbit charge 2. This is my second fitbit. It will most likely be my last. Sometimes during my workouts it doesn't record my heart rate for half the time I'm working out. My sister has one also and she has more trouble with hers than I do. 75% of the time hers doesn't sync to her phone. She is always having to reset it.

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[renagde]

I got a Garmin Fenix 5x for my birthday. Prior to this i had been using a Suunto Core. I didn't realize how much I would use the smart notifications functions. It's also great because it tracks my heart rate during workouts and runs. It allows me to leave my phone behind and stay hands free. The tracking function for hikes and the maps feature works really well. So far, I feel like it's worth it.

 

[JungleJoe]

Got a Garmin Fenix 5 and love it. Highly recommend.

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[*zap*]

I use a Timex Ironman.....

 

[CLibka]

I'm loving the garmin instinct. I find my self continuously choosing it over my other swiss mechanicals. It really is that good. There is a big review and thread about it in the gear section of this forum. Well worth the $270

 

[cdowell]

I have the Fenix 5. I love it because it will track everything you need HR, GPS, ect. And unless you are constantly using the GPS on it you only have to charge it every couple of weeks.

 

[Rhino8541]

I have a Fenix 5 as well. I love it, I've hardly taken it off since the day I bought it! I've recently began pairing it with a Rhythm 24 Heart Rate arm band and it seems to be working very well so far. My only gripe with the armband is it doesn't give me a reading when I pass my heart rate upper limit. For me, it's far superior to the chest strap versions as it's much more convenient to put on and take off. Therefore, I will wear it much more frequently than I would a chest strap.