Running watch

[dipdab]

Right now I have a Garmin Vivofit 2 as an activity tracker, I got it as my work provides health insurance through Vitality and I get points for reaching certain step targets each day. However, now im running, its not really giving me the information I need. If I wear a chest strap, the watch will show my heart rate but it doesnt record it so I cant review how im doing. Im currently using my phone to track my GPS so I think come my birthday / Christmas a new tracker more geared to running is in order, but which one?

I know there are other posts on this, Im sure Ive seen one but the search function is bringing up posts that are at least a year old so looking for some recommendations. I can get discounts on Garmin and Polar, so maybe they are the best brands for me to look at

[Hidden]

I have a Garmin forerunner 10 which is simple to use and gives GPS of my run, speed, time and distance. It was about £70. I think at my stage it is a great little watch. My husband had the Garmin 235 which also provides wrist heart rate and cadence. It is a lovely bit of kit but it was expensive compared to mine. I can see the advantages of heart rate a cadence but it depends on what you want to use it for?

[davelinks Graduate]

Phones are OK but don't have the room for a good gps sensor like a dedicated sports watch has, so not quite as accurate. My wife has the Garmin fr10 which she likes, as a lot do on here, just basic gps, time, distance, pace, no hrm. I have a hrm on my Garmin which I only sometimes use to see how hard I'm working out, which records on a graph on Garmin connect. You need to be able to use these properly and set them in the correct zone for your fitness..but usually I run and get just out of breath and see if I can talk if I am just able to talk then that's good enough for me, so not really vital to have a hrm unless that's what you really want, as you'll be able to tell how well your improving by time and pace (speed) recorded...😊

[Hidden]

I have the Vivosmart HR and love it - has GPS so tracks runs and provides loads of stats. You can't use it with a heart rate monitor strap but it records heart rate from pulse on wrist. Certainly accurate enough for me!!

[dipdab]

The GPS sensor is something im really keen on, and I want to keep my ability to step count. The heart rate monitoring is a bit of a bonus to see how well I recover, another measure of fitness im looking at so it would be good to review how it fairs during a run. My brother in law is studying to be a personal trainer so he is giving me lots of things to looks for, just need the tools to get me the information

[misswobble Graduate]

I have the F10 but as far as I know it doesn't count steps.

[DiveMonkey]

The Garmin forerunner 15 is great I have one myself and it tracks my runs and came with a heart rate monitor chest strap so when I sync it to my pc and log on to Garmin connect it shows me exactly where I have run, my average heart rate and elevation. It also provides 3 graphs of your stats throughout the run - pace, heart rate and elevation.

It also counts steps so you can log those through vitality for points I think? If you walk more than 10,000 per day.

If you are to keen to plug your watch in to your pc everytime you want to sync your watch then you will pay abit more by adding the bluetooth function which can sync to your phone.

Hope this helps on the Garmin front? I know here in SA the Polar watches are more expensive and they focus more ob heart rate than their GPS functionality.

[dipdab in reply to DiveMonkey]

Yeah, I get vitality points that start at 7000 steps. I like getting my free starbucks and cinema tickets each week so Id like to continue earning those.

Id prefer to be able to continue syncing to my phone although im at my PC a lot so it wouldnt be a terrible strain to plug it in