Hi, can anybody recommend a (reasonably inexpensive) watch for tracking my runs, please?
My 5yo fitbit has finally failed and I need a replacement, to avoid relying totally on my phone apps.
I have a Samsung phone, if that helps at all.
Thank you.
Rob
I’m not going to be much help here personally, as I use an ancient Apple Watch.
But having said that, I have been window shopping for a replacement as I think my watch might be about to go the way of your Fitbit. The Garmin watches have excellent reviews, even for the entry level Forerunner 55. It’s definitely pushing it to be defined as reasonably inexpensive, at least in my book. Cheaper than an Apple Watch though.
Really wouldn't know best for value, it's quite a minefield of watches or smart bands available. You need to consider which features you really want then narrow the list of which ones tick your boxes. My wife uses a smart band, think was about £25 and does what she needs but she always brings her phone so it's probably only heart rate that her band provides extra that the phone doesn't but makes it easy for her to check other stats as she goes along. I prefer to leave my phone at home when I'm out so the main watch features I look for are GPS and option to download music and podcasts. I went for Huawei GT2 which was on offer at the time but since Huawei are out of favour particularly in the US they lost a lot of cross-application ability so pretty much stuck to their own app.
I'd avoid FitBits - they are general lifestyle watches and not purpose-made for running.
Look at Garmin, Polar and Coros.
The Garmin 45 is around the £100 mark.
But also look on the likes of eBay for 2nd hand, re-conditioned refurbished Garmins - plenty about and all very good.
I would recommend a Garmin. Personally I would avoid the "band" type. Other than that it is down to your budget and what features you want.
Sorry to hear your Fitbit will soon be no more. Mine gave up the ghost a long time ago so I replaced it with a Garmin 245. I do miss my Fitbit though. While the Garmin is excellent, it’s very sensible. I think my Fitbit was just more fun! But for running specific a Fitbit is a bit too general really. Good luck with your hunt. 😊
Another vote for Garmin. Lower spec with reasonable prices, or eBay, or Facebook marketplace. Make sure it does what you want before buying- massive spread of prices
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a Which? best buy. I had its predecessor for a while and the best feature for me was the BIG numbers. If your eyes are anything like mine you might value that too!
Another vote for Garmin YouCanDoItMan . I have the Forerunner 45s, which already does more than I need it to! It uses gps tracking, as does Strava, the free version of which I use on my Android phone.
I've no experience of Fitbits, though from what I've read they calculate distance by multiplying the number of steps taken by your running stride, so they're liable to be inaccurate.
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a good entry level running watch, and a certain big South American river place is selling them for a little under £140 at the moment. amazon.co.uk/dp/B0953X73TP/
Older models will be cheaper and perfectly adequate for the job.
One thing to note with all these watches is that the display is a bit more pixellated than the computer generated "photos" on the website would have you believe.
For running, a watch with a touch screen can be an inconvenience, especially if it's wet out or sweat drips onto it. The Forerunner series doesn't have touch screens.
Thank you all for your suggestions and advice, which helps me direct my research. It does look like the Garmins generally are popular and get a good write-up.
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