GPS tracking devices are to be wary of

[Daiwalker]

I wanted to post so as to open up the topic of GPS tracking.

I've settled on a Fitbit charge3 which marries to my android phone to track pace/distance/splits etc. For runs that are up to half marathon distance (I'm guessing I'll use it up to half marathon as I haven't covered that distance using the equipment but I can't see why I wouldn't be able to use it).

For longer runs I use a Garmin (910xt) but it's been a number of years, due to injury, since running far enough to require this kit.

What do you consider your 'go to' equipment and why?

Also a word of caution. Not all GPS devices are equal. I used to use endomondo to track my runs via my android phone. I've found it to be 10% out (would register 1.1 miles for ever mile done). Which now makes me wonder if it was the phone or the software on the phone.

[SlowLoris]

The Fitbit has no GPS so can only be as good as the phone. Mobile phones are great but are basically lots of different devices made as tiny as possible and connected to one battery. I would use the Garmin all the time for the better accuracy. If you want heart rate data pair it to a chest strap. CEX will sell the one for your 910 for £10 with a 2 year warranty. You won't get much better when you pair them up.

[Daiwalker Marathon in reply to SlowLoris]

I have all the attachments. The biggest drawback for Garmin (at least the 910xt) is its inability to move the data to my android easily. The fact the charge3 is always there is a massive plus. That said, I do switch to the Garmin for long events. I understand the charge4 is GPS enabled but the battery life (with GPS enabled) doesn't look great.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

I tend to go by my garmin watch - forerunner 235. I don't have any other apps running when I run as I got fed up if conflicting data. It's different when I cycle though - I use Komoot for navigation (which is a phone app so uses GPS from the phone), but I use my watch data to feed strava, so the garmin record and the strava record both use watch gps. They differ in distance between komoot and the other two, but today I noticed I got three different elevation figures. Go figure! 🙄😀

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Phone apps I assume, are only as good as the GPS on your phone. Another vote for Garmin here.👍

[Buddy34 Half Marathon]

I've had a garmin since july 2019. What I did notice what happens on all runs is for instance. Last sunday I ran 16.42km according to garmin and the samsung health app that runs in the background said 18.7km. Safe to say I trust the garmin 😊👍

[MrsRDj Half Marathon in reply to Buddy34]

I had 3km difference between my Samsung phone and garmin yesterday! As tempting as it was to give myself a 10miler I had to stick with the garmin! 😄

[Tasha99 Marathon]

Garmin. Fitbit seems to be way out.

[Sqkr Half Marathon]

I use my Garmin (just a basicish one, 235 forerunner) but although it is the most accurate of my devices I find it can still be waaaay off if I'm under tree cover or up on the hills. But I'm not really running for accurate numbers, just keeping an eye on general trends, so I don't worry too much.

Regarding differences, I think a lot of it is related to how software algorithms interpret the raw data. Strava does something a bit odd with Garmin data I find, if it uploads a run automatically from the watch it is often quite a lot shorter than if I upload the same run manually using the gpx file from the watch. Sometimes it can be several kilometres out! If it's a really long run I occasionally manually upload it to make myself feel more capable, so the longer distance is recorded 😂 I often think I should do some tests to see which is actually most accurate, but I can't be bothered. That's the truth of it.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

I also use a Garmin Forerunner 235 and it’s accurate - or maybe I should say it’s consistent. It’s only given me one dodgy reading, which is when it “lost” a whole km of a route I knew well. But 99.9% of the time it’s fine for my needs. I used to use it alongside MapMyRun, but they were way out, and I found MMR inconsistent.

So another vote for Garmin from me. 👍

[Fran6500 Half Marathon]

I have a FitBit Ionic and my husband an Apple Watch. When we walk together we set the items going at the same time but mine always says we have reached the first km before his. At the end we are usually upto .5 km out.

Also, most annoyingly, whilst the Fitbit says I have done, for instance, 10k, when I sync to Strava, it says 9.85 k. Strava always under-eggs what I think I have done so I have to run a bit more to ensure I get the full distance in my Strava records.

I also have a Garmin 220 - quite old I think - but like Daiwalker, found the Garmin site had issues a lot fo the time and i didnt know how to sync with my phone!

[Kiwipie Half Marathon]

I have a Garmin 735xt which is connected directly to Strava and everything links to my android phone. Much prefer buttons to scroll through data, touch screen too much of a fiddle to use whilst running. Recently I have been running within set heart rate zones and, although heart rate data from the wrist isn’t always accurate, I can get instant feedback on my Garmin which I find very useful. Also some Garmin watches allow you to change GPS to GPS + GLONASS it’s supposed to improve tracking.

[Run46 Half Marathon]

I go with my Garmin.

When I 1st got it I tried my Samsung phones Samsung Health app, my Fitbit flex 2 and my Garmin on the same route.

I had an idea of the mileage and the Garmin was closest...much as I'd have like to use one of the others as they made my runs seem more impressive but I knew it was around a 5K and they both said closer to 6!

I've since ran a 10K race, due to the mass of us running I took a fair few of the routes bends on the longer outside edge of the roads and the Garmin said I'd run 10.15K at the finish so it seems pretty accurate.