Running tracker

[JoolieB1]

It's my birthday soon and wondering if there are any experiences here with tracker watches. My have an App on my phone but want to know if there is anything better out there? Don't want to spend money on something that I won't use 😊

[Hidden]

I would love a garmin, having read positive reviews. Bit out of my price range though.

[rmnsuk Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I love my garmin fr15, but they are a luxury if you aren't sure you'll take to running. I wouldn't spend money on a non-gps gadget though.

[MarkyD Graduate]

Hiya Joolie, the question really is... do you want to know your pace/distance etc whilst you are running. If you do, then a GPS-equipped running watch is what you need. If you are happy to track your runs with your phone and an app, then you don't need a running watch.

Garmin forerunner series of watches are most popular on this forum, and available in a range of functionality and price ranges.

Personally I have found parkrun much easier with a running watch: it is too easy to go off too quickly. With a watch displaying my pace, I can make sure that I run at my own speed, not the speed of everyone else.

[Zev1963 Graduate]

I have a Garmin ForeRunner 15 which I am very happy with. I've been using it for a year now.

[AdamB Graduate]

Joolie, there are several advantages from having a GPS watch:

1) You can upload the track to your pc afterwards and pour over the stats (sharing with friends or keeping it private as you wish). This becomes amazingly addictive. Whilst all major watch manufacturers have their own websites to upload the data to, the Garmin site seems to have more users. There's a little community of us from here on Garmin Connect where we share our runs.

2) They are a great help for pacing yourself. I can just glance down at my wrist and get an immediate feel for my pace - don't have to wait for the km markers to get feedback from my phone. If you start entering races you will find this particularly useful (headphones banned in many so you can't get audio feedback and you wouldn't want to carry your phone in your hand in a race). I know I can get the same feedback in a race without using my phone by using the my watch - noting the time I pass the km markers and then doing the math in my head, but I really don't want to be messing with that. A watch gives me instantaneous feedback as and when I want it.

3) It means you don't have to lug your phone around with you and you still get a record of your run. This record is usually more accurate (most use a better quality GPS chip) than your phone trace.

4) You don't have to faff round starting and stopping the phone whilst it's in your bum bag - and the consequent risk of dropping and breaking the phone.

5) GPS watches are waterproof (up to a limit - don't go deep sea diving). There's no risk of water damage to your phone in the rain

If none of the above is important to you - you don't need a GPS. If it is, you should consider one. Look for the bargains online (particularly the older models). I picked up a Garmin 610 for the same price I could buy a new Garmin FR15 for locally. The 610 offers a lot more in the way of functions (there's nothing wrong with the 15 - it's just it's an entry level watch rather than an older mid/upper range watch).

[groovyforster]

I have been able to find cheap Garmins on ebay. I found one that I like and continue to look for the same model when each one wears out because I like it so much.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

One thing too that no one tells you, the great support you get from other forum users - if you add them that is. I have around 20 people from here as my "connections" on Garmin, runners of all abilities, and I love to see where they run and their times etc. That's probably been the best thing for me.Oh, and I've found Garmin to be much more accurate and reliable that RK, I was always fiddling with my phone before.