Posted: 12/22/2015 11:05:47 PM EDT
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I do a lot of running and preparing for 1/2 marathon. Would like a watch that measures heart rate, distance, pace, gps, etc and marries up with Nike running app. Would be cool if I can sync with phone to see whos calling and if I decide to get a Bluetooth headphones. I ride a mtn bike a little in the summer, and if it tracked distance and speed, that would be nice.
Whats good? I was told that TomTom was decent. |
| I have the Garmin forerunner 15. Got my wife the new vivoactive for Christmas. Don't know if they talk with Nike. But they are cool. Garmin has their on fitness tracking website/app Garmin connect. You can track workouts gear and more. I am getting the smart index scale for Christmas. I also am getting a edge 500 cycle computer for my road bike. I am apparently invested in the Garmin world. |
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Inexpensive? Garmin Vivoactive. It's fucking awesome. seriously. For triathlon, sleep monitoring, running, biking swimming, etc. It checks 95% of the parameters that the $400 equivalents do... and pairs with my phone so I can see texts and phone calls... Apparently it can change songs as well. Only downside is the data-fields are stuck at a 3 row display... Expensive? Garmin D2 pilot... Or wait for spring when they release the optic HR higher-end watches. Running only? the Garmin forerunner 225 - Optical HR measurements... It seems to perform better than the alternative brands with similar features, though the Suunto high-er end watches are good too... |
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I studied this topic for a long time. I went with the Garmin Vivoactive for $150 and got the Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor that connects with the Vivoactive and my phone at the same time. At the time the vivoactive and Rhythm+ got me the battery life and features I was looking for. The vivoactive is a reasonable size so you can wear it all the time. Some of the GPS watches can be huge.
If you want to read in depth reviews of all things GPS watch related check out http://www.dcrainmaker.com/. He is the Arfcom of gps watches. If I was buying a new one right now I would get the Garmin 230 or 235. 235 has the built in optical HR monitor. Personally I like the separate HR monitor on the forearm. Some of the wrist mounted ones have to be tightened just right to get correct readings. Seems like the forearm location is a little more reliable. |
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Quoted:
I studied this topic for a long time. I went with the Garmin Vivoactive for $150 and got the Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor that connects with the Vivoactive and my phone at the same time. At the time the vivoactive and Rhythm+ got me the battery life and features I was looking for. The vivoactive is a reasonable size so you can wear it all the time. Some of the GPS watches can be huge. If you want to read in depth reviews of all things GPS watch related check out http://www.dcrainmaker.com/. He is the Arfcom of gps watches. If I was buying a new one right now I would get the Garmin 230 or 235. 235 has the built in optical HR monitor. Personally I like the separate HR monitor on the forearm. Some of the wrist mounted ones have to be tightened just right to get correct readings. Seems like the forearm location is a little more reliable. That 235 looks nice. More screen that the 225, plus notifications, and few other cool features. |
| My fitbit surge developed a defect where it would fog inside the screen. If you search on the internet, you'll find it's fairly common. You also have to wear it too tight for the heart rate monitoring to work. Even though I washed it everyday it ended up giving me a bad rash. Bought my son a Garmin Forerunner 220 for christmas which seems pretty nice. |
| I ended up with the TomTom Multi Sport Cardio. So far I have used it on a few outdoor runs and 2 times on the treadmill. The heart rate matched up nearly identical to the treadmill HR monitor. It also was within .05 of the the "measured" trail I run. Picks up the satellite quickly. transfers data quickly from the watch to the iPhone app, and then seamlessly to the Nike+ running app. Longest run has been around 5 miles and I have charged in between daily runs so I cant say much about battery life. Came with a mount for the bike handlebars and a charger. It lacks the ability to see text, email, of phone notifications, or control music. All in all it it works well. |
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I got a Garmin FR 235 last week. Really happy with it so far. Only issue I have is that the syncing to the app can be quirky with mine. I plan on adding a chest monitor to it this summer. Rizknows on YouTube has really good reviews and comparisons and as already mentioned DC Rainmaker's site is awesome. Extremely in depth reviews and that was the clincher for the Garmin for me. If the FR 235 wasn't at the upper end of my budget I would have been all over the Garmin Fenix 3 Saphirre. ETA - My mistake. I see you got the Tom Tom. That was my other choice the Spark/Cardio/Music as I liked it a lot also. |