Garmin watch

[Agelesslass]

Don’t like to advertise but love my watch, it inspires me to run further, gives me results on time, distance, steps, calories, heart rate, etc, marvellous coach for me to keep going, ran for nearly an hour yesterday, not fast but I’m not in it for speed but for health and fitness.

[orangeguy Graduate10]

Totally agree, had my Forerunner 25 a few months now and love it, its the cheapest Garmin I think but it does all I need and more.

[SlowLoris in reply to orangeguy]

I think my FR10 outcheaps you, though I'm not sure you can still buy them. I've decided to upgrade it so I can do some HR training when I start running again.

[sallenson Graduate10 in reply to SlowLoris]

Be careful with the wrist HR Garmins. The internet's awash with people having problems with HR being very very wrong. Works fine with a chest strap but not with the wrist technology. Not an issue if you're not concerned with HR measurements but very defo a problem if you are....

[Sqkr in reply to sallenson]

I think the general consensus is with all wrist HR monitors rather than just Garmin, as physiology is very different between users. Pulse points, sensor contact, sweat interference etc all seem more variable on the wrist than the chest. I have no bother with mine, I can't vouch for accuracy but it's certainly consistent, and that's all I'm really after as I like looking at the shape of graphs over time rather than numbers—and it's perfectly good for reading training zones on the fly. I think wrist monitoring technology is fairly hit and miss all round, but it's only ever really recommended as a guide and not for anything more precise.

[sallenson Graduate10 in reply to Sqkr]

The specific problem that seems to affect Garmin's is that the HR locks on to cadence rather than real heart rate. Not sure if that's the same across all wrist HRMs, but again it's an issue that Garmin have failed even to acknowledge let alone resolve.... I guess something may happen at some point, but I've been burned bt Garmin before and wouldn't go back there in a hurry....

[Sqkr in reply to sallenson]

It's still more an optical monitoring thing rather than a Garmin thing though, I'd not heard of it so did a Google and you can read the same occasional threads for all the brands 🤷‍♂️ It seems the OHR is affected by movement more easily on the arm than the chest. Which I guess makes sense as some people do some pretty powerful arm thrusts! It's not something I've ever experienced, nor anyone else here by all accounts, but I guess technology is improving all the time and OHRs will be no exception. Regardless, I'm happy to use one instead of a stinky chest strap! 😫

[SlowLoris in reply to Sqkr]

The chest straps use electrical sensors not optical which makes them more accurate. The wrist based sensors seem to be getting better but don't seem to good at picking up the changes in rate as quickly. More of a problem if your doing HIIT etc.

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

I so agree, I love looking at my stats, I just find it amazing how many there are on Strava!!

[sallenson Graduate10 in reply to ju-ju-]

We all love the numbers xxx

[ju-ju- Graduate10 in reply to sallenson]

And the pretty graphs, and the fly bys ( stalking )

[Sqkr in reply to ju-ju-]

Haha I'm so glad you do this too! If someone is pushy (hey high viz lycra men, I deserve to be on the pavement too) I make a mental note to look them up on Strava Fly-by later, and then frown at their profile. Often they are not that great despite their pushiness and I feel quietly smug.