Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on June 30, 2018, 09:58:05 AM
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Anybody here (Jamis?) using fitness watches? I'd like to hear what you think of them.
I've been running a lot more lately and am getting tired of running with my phone in my hand. I know I could wear an armband, but I like to check the Samsung Health app as I run, since it gives me pace and other info, which means running with the phone in my hand. Also when I'm doing other exercises like punching the heavy bag, I just start the exercise tracker but put the phone down, so I miss it recording my body movements.
I'm thinking of going to a fitness watch. I see Samsung makes them and it looks like it integrates the Health app (I really like the Samsung Health app, but am not married to it) with my other devices, so I could still see my history, etc. on my phone. Plus have the added benefit of recording my heart rate without putting a dang chest band on.
Anyway, input appreciated.
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I've owned two, an Up and a Garmin Vivosmart HR.
The Up was just a simple band with no display, but the app was great. GPS route mapping and and it seemed to do a good job of estimating calories burned. No HR feature though, and the band itself was garbage. I replaced it with:
The Garmin Vivosmart HR has (shockingly) heart rate monitoring, but it seems to be wildly inaccurate. Since it ties HR into calories burned, I've noticed huge disparities in calories burned from one day to the next despite similar levels of activity each day. The inaccuracy of the HR monitor is easily confirmed by taking my own pulse with a clock nearby. It often tells me my HR is between 90-100 bps when I can easily verify that it's ~60 bps with a clock. Because of this, I only use the darn thing as a step counter and as an actual wristwatch. Oh, and no GPS route mapping on this model, and the app kind of sucks.
So really, I can't recommend either of them. I'm interested to see other responses here.
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I have the vivoactive hr. As long as I have it adjusted and not too loose, the HR seems to be close enough for what I need it for.
GPS tracking tied to the app, no gps mapping. However, it runs independently of the app, so you can have your phone off and it'll update whenever they sync.
Wet HR is way off, it'll show 140 while I'm in the shower.
Very long battery life, I get 5-6 days including several vigorous bike rides or workouts on it.
I like it. I won't say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread but I'm happy with all the things it does.
IDLife is partnered with Garmin and I'm an authorized dealer. It, however, is not an actual part of the network marketing business so I don't bother advertising it other than as a credibility link. I think my discount is 15% and I'm happy to pass that price along if you see something you want. https://jasondunaway.idlife.com/shop/t/categories/garmin
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I have an old Fitbit One, and its battery is about shot. Been thinking about getting a watch-type. (posting this mainly to subscribe to the thread)
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I originally had a FitBit Charge 2 but got an Apple Watch to use a specific cardiology app. I now wear both — but I wear the FitBit only because Apple Watch won’t sync with FitBit and I have FitBit “friends” I want to maintain.
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Another thing I was just thinking is that I have to consider how easy the screen is to read. I'm needing to lean on reading glasses more and more these days and it won't help me if I can't read anything on the watch face.
So it sounds like with many of them, HR can be a bit twitchy. I suppose if they have an option to bluetooth a chest band, if I'm really concerned about that I can just keep using my chest band monitor.
Jamis- thanks for that info. I was looking at the Samsungs mostly for the software compatibility since I have a long history built up in Samsung Health. However, software aside and/or if Samsungs are poorly reviewed or lacking features I want, Garmin would be around the top of my list on hardware. If I do decide to give one of these a go and choose Garmin, I'll certainly give you a shout.
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I was just looking at the Garmins. I'd not seen the Fenix line before. Holy crap - that 5X is the bomb. A little pricey though. :laugh:
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^^^If I won the lottery, I would buy a Fenix 5 or Chronos.
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^^^If I won the lottery, I would buy a Fenix 5 or Chronos.
No worse than a decent pistol, why wait for the lottery to strike?
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No worse than a decent pistol, why wait for the lottery to strike?
This.
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No worse than a decent pistol, why wait for the lottery to strike?
Because I ponder the box in my closet of old Palm Pilots, Blackberrys, smartphones, tablets and other electronic gizmos that became outdated and useless in a relatively short time. I think about spending hundreds of dollars on a smart watch that will likely be in the box within a couple of years. Whereas if I spend that money on a M&P Shield or something, I will still be using it 20 years from now. Spending a couple of hundred on a smart watch may be one thing, but $ 500 plus gives me pause.
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Because I ponder the box in my closet of old Palm Pilots, Blackberrys, smartphones, tablets and other electronic gizmos that became outdated and useless in a relatively short time. I think about spending hundreds of dollars on a smart watch that will likely be in the box within a couple of years. Whereas if I spend that money on a M&P Shield or something, I will still be using it 20 years from now. Spending a couple of hundred on a smart watch may be one thing, but $ 500 plus gives me pause.
I can understand that logic, and it's kinda how I feel about smart phones these days. I will say that if that Fenix 5X Plus was $500, I'd actually seriously consider it this minute, but $900 is a bit rich for my blood for that particular device. Same thing that's currently keeping me from getting a Samsung S9.
I've spent $500 on a Citizen Ecodrive in the past, and the 5X Plus does a lot more stuff than the Ecodrive does. Reading some reviews, apparently Garmin somewhat plays the "Apple game" with their watches - selling their latest, greatest flagship versions for a "name premium" price. It seems to be the #1 complaint about the Fenix line.
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Fiddle. I have $200 dive watch that not only looks sexy, it has an ultra-accurate second hand. Case is solid stainless steel, and impervious to 660 feet of water. Big numbers I can read easily. I can figure my heart rate easily with no squinting.
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Good analog dive watch with an accurate second hand will give you equally accurate results. And can be used on other persons, easily. A good one, you can even hear the ticks. Like mine.
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One should strive to use the right tool for the job. Just because you can use something for a task doesn't mean it's optimized.
I'd put money that my watch's second hand is more accurate than your dive watches, as I use it for navigation. But my Garmin Forerunner tracks changes in heart rate and stores them on a graph better than either of our analog watches.
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One should strive to use the right tool for the job. Just because you can use something for a task doesn't mean it's optimized.
I'd put money that my watch's second hand is more accurate than your dive watches, as I use it for navigation. But my Garmin Forerunner tracks changes in heart rate and stores them on a graph better than either of our analog watches.
Same reason dive watches worn by scuba divers are worn mostly as an "I'm a diver" symbol. Most divers get the time off their dive computer. :)
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One thing I love about the watch I use is that it does so much more than just a heartrate.
One of the best things is that no matter what bike I'm on I can get all the things like speed and distance. I didn't even bother putting a cyclometer on my gravel bike.
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I'm not knocking tech-watches. If they work for you, great!
Pointing out that they are not the only alternative.
(And yes, I am a certified Open Water diver by SSI)
Along those lines...who cares? Wear whatever you want, work with whatever tool works for you.
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I'm not knocking tech-watches. If they work for you, great!
Pointing out that they are not the only alternative.
(And yes, I am a certified Open Water diver by SSI)
Along those lines...who cares? Wear whatever you want, work with whatever tool works for you.
Really hard to take my pulse at the wrist or cortorid on a sustained climb on the bike ;)
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I've been using a Fitbit Ionic since last January. Pulse reading is within one or two beats per minute of that given by my %SpO2 meter and BP cuff. Their App is available for iOS (which I use) and Android, and the GPS lets me log my walking distance for later review as well as letting my see my route without the laborious point to point marking on Bing maps as I was doing prior to getting the device. As a bonus it will also store and replay music through Bluetooth headphones or earbuds.
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Dammit. The more I read about the Fenix 5X Plus, and the more Youtube reviews I watch, the more I dig it. It has some features I would likely never use, like Garmin Pay. However it has some really cool features. While it's more of a "want" than a "need", that new O2 sensor is pretty cool, especially since I've been doing the higher altitude rucks these last few years. Apparently Garmin is getting into the medical device game, so it's supposed to be a pretty accurate sensor.
But that darn price. Plus since it's a new release, I'm guessing it won't come down much in the next year. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be an Amazon Prime Day special. :laugh: Otherwise, I have a ton of Amex points, and while I wouldn't use them for the full watch price, a few times a year Amex does a 25% discount on point purchases. That could bring the price into acceptable territory.
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Dammit. The more I read about the Fenix 5X Plus, and the more Youtube reviews I watch, the more I dig it. It has some features I would likely never use, like Garmin Pay. However it has some really cool features. While it's more of a "want" than a "need", that new O2 sensor is pretty cool, especially since I've been doing the higher altitude rucks these last few years. Apparently Garmin is getting into the medical device game, so it's supposed to be a pretty accurate sensor.
But that darn price. Plus since it's a new release, I'm guessing it won't come down much in the next year. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be an Amazon Prime Day special. :laugh: Otherwise, I have a ton of Amex points, and while I wouldn't use them for the full watch price, a few times a year Amex does a 25% discount on point purchases. That could bring the price into acceptable territory.
Even if you use my 15% it's still over 7 hunnit. :laugh:
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Even if you use my 15% it's still over 7 hunnit. :laugh:
I know. I was calculating that first and still couldn't get out of "don't think I could justify it" territory. Even if I can do the Amex 25% thing, that's still into "barely tolerable" territory.
As a few of the replies alluded to above, if this were a gun or something similar, I'd have no problem justifying it, even as a "luxury whim". It's just that this, like a $900 Samsung phone, is hard for me to open my pockets for when it's going to be obsolete in 2-3 years. A $1000 gun will still be of service 30 years from now. :)
We'll see. I might still do something stupid. :laugh:
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What about the ones at the other end of the spectrum? Not necessarily this one in particular, but how about this: https://smile.amazon.com/LETSCOM-Fitness-Activity-Waterproof-Pedometer/dp/B0779W3JZK (https://smile.amazon.com/LETSCOM-Fitness-Activity-Waterproof-Pedometer/dp/B0779W3JZK)?
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What about the ones at the other end of the spectrum? Not necessarily this one in particular, but how about this: https://smile.amazon.com/LETSCOM-Fitness-Activity-Waterproof-Pedometer/dp/B0779W3JZK (https://smile.amazon.com/LETSCOM-Fitness-Activity-Waterproof-Pedometer/dp/B0779W3JZK)?
The problem would be that I'd still have to carry my phone for the GPS functionality. As much as it's annoying sometimes, The Samsung Health "trainer" telling me my pace and to speed up or slow down is something I like. Also having mapping capability and trail history for hikes and stuff.
I know I didn't mention hiking in the OP, but the specs on the stupid Fenix got me to thinking how nice it would be to have everything integrated.
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https://www.rei.com/blog/news/new-garmin-fenix-5-plus-introduces-music-topo-maps-and-contactless-payments?cm_mmc=sm_fb-_-news_journal-_-fenix5_plus-_-blog
An interesting article about the Fenix 5 plus series.
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https://www.rei.com/blog/news/new-garmin-fenix-5-plus-introduces-music-topo-maps-and-contactless-payments?cm_mmc=sm_fb-_-news_journal-_-fenix5_plus-_-blog
An interesting article about the Fenix 5 plus series.
As I'd been reading more reviews I came to the conclusion that I could do without the Fenix 5X plus and could look for the regular Fenix 5X at a discounted price. If I really cared about the O2 monitoring, I could just carry my little fingertip sensor with me in my ruck, as I'd mostly just use it for high altitude hikes anyway.
Except that... NO FREAKIN' MUSIC! I can't believe Garmin has gone this long not having music capability on their flagship line. I think even a lot of the el cheapos have some music capability. Were it not for the lack of music, the older 5X would likely be a good deal pretty soon (it appears they are releasing a Fenix 6 in early 2019).
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As I'd been reading more reviews I came to the conclusion that I could do without the Fenix 5X plus and could look for the regular Fenix 5X at a discounted price. If I really cared about the O2 monitoring, I could just carry my little fingertip sensor with me in my ruck, as I'd mostly just use it for high altitude hikes anyway.
Except that... NO FREAKIN' MUSIC! I can't believe Garmin has gone this long not having music capability on their flagship line. I think even a lot of the el cheapos have some music capability. Were it not for the lack of music, the older 5X would likely be a good deal pretty soon (it appears they are releasing a Fenix 6 in early 2019).
Yup mine has controls for music so my phone doesn't have to be out if I want to pause/forward songs but no storage.
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Well, I decided to do something stupid. :laugh:
I still had Amex points leftover after getting the new phone, and they were still doing 25% off points, so I used my last remaining points plus $300 and got the Fenix 5X Plus.
I've had it for a little over a week, and I gotta say, this thing is awesome. I've been wearing it pretty much 24/7 with all the sensors active, and the physiological data is off the hook.
I think I might still be using only 25% of the features as I keep digging in and finding more stuff. :laugh:
I'm doing my annual tactical trout assault in the Eastern Sierra next week, which always includes one of those gnarly day hikes I post here, so I'll be able to checkout the pulse Ox sensor as I should be doing a good bit of >12K' hiking.
Otherwise the battery life is awesome. I've only charged it once so far, and that's after constantly playing with the features plus running with GPS active. Also I was at first afraid that it would be some ginormous stupid looking thing on my wrist based on the pictures I've seen on reviewers' wrists, but they must all be noodle armed NYC boys or something. I only have average sized wrists and it looks no different than my dive watch on my wrist. Doesn't stand out at all.
Also the generic smart watch features are neat - getting texts and other notifications on the watch. I find them quite legible, even for my aging eyes. About the only negative so far is that the display is a little dark when indoors. I can read the time and other larger text fine, but if I want to see some of the smaller text on the watch face I chose (which to be fair, is kinda on data overload), I need to do the backlight. Surprisingly, in direct sunlight the watchface is incredibly bright and easy to read - no washing out from the bright sun or anything.
I've been tending to be anti-tech Luddite since I retired, not really following new tech trends, but this watch definitely has me back into full nerd mode. :laugh:
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I have a Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire arriving tomorrow. Amazon ordinarily has it for $600, now a limited deal at $ 450, and I cashed in my Amazon points bringing it down to $ 350. The things that sealed the deal for me are the onboard topo maps and the cycling functionality.
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I have a Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire arriving tomorrow. Amazon ordinarily has it for $600, now a limited deal at $ 450, and I cashed in my Amazon points bringing it down to $ 350. The things that sealed the deal for me are the onboard topo maps and the cycling functionality.
I'm still loving my 5X Plus. Though I guess gadgets shouldn't, it really upped my game on workouts after I got it, and I wear it pretty much 24/7 to monitor my pulse, sleep, and O2. It really pushed me to change up my running to increase my VO2 Max.
Although with my recent move and all the crap that went with it, I'm for the first time since I got the watch, in its "detraining" mode for lack of running. I'm hoping to be able to start back up in the next couple of weeks once I get my "workout area" set up in my shop.
Be sure to check out the apps and widgets on Garmin Connect. I have several that I find very useful for my stuff. Also the watchfaces. There are a bunch that are MUCH more useful (tough a bit hard to read for us old guys) than the watchfaces that come with the watch.
For running and cycling, to get the best data from the watch, I (and I guess Garmin and everybody) highly recommend you get an HRM chest strap. It is much more accurate for recording the kind of data you want from running and cycling than the wrist monitor. I have this one and it works great:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012H8IPQS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I found the solution to a problem I was having with the Fenix 5X. It seems to be the size of a pie plate on my wrist, such that my dress shirt cuffs would not button freely over the watch. The watch gets hung up on the tight shirt cuff and I have to physically pull back the cuff in order to see the watch. I found 'dress shirt button extenders' on Amazon, and they have solved the problem. It is a button with an elastic loop that fits over an existing button, and gives you about 0.5 inches of stretch. Although they seem intended to use on shirt collars, they work just fine on the shirt cuff. The watch no longer hangs up on the tight cuff.
Although this strikes me as one of those First World problems, it was nonetheless an annoyance for me wearing long-sleeve dress shirts five days a week.
PS: I have also settled on the 'Hands Five' as my favorite analog watch face. It shows altitude, steps, distance, calories, battery, day and date, heart rate and time on a single dial. I looked long and hard for this, since this was exactly the information I wanted to have. I found this on some digital watch faces, but my aging eyes prefer analog these days.
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What's a dress shirt? =D
Though I am wearing long sleeve fishing shirts when working outside now that the weather is heating up, so do run into the same problem on some. Although most of them seem to have "oversize" cuffs (at least using the further of the two cuff buttons) compared to regular long sleeve shirts.
I also have the eye problem for seeing everything. I'll have to check out your watch face. I haven't looked for a while, but last time I did I couldn't find any analog faces that had all the info I wanted, so settled on GearMin, a digital face. It actually works pretty good for me. I can see most all the information when outside in the sun with no readers necessary. I do have problems with about half the info if I go inside though.