Seeking recommendations on wearables

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NeilnCharles

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#268334 12-Mar-2020 21:59

Good evening, hoping to get some recommendations, advice, reviews etc on wearable (or wearables), I have a cheap Fitbit (like $40 on TradeMe) at the moment that I use when running or hiking, but it's not very accurate for tracking heart rate. It also records sleep stats which does seem to be reasonably accurate, but I'm looking for more.

This is for an Android phone.

Re fitness I'm mainly just looking for something accurate with heart rate (Moreso when exercising) and ideally gives times spent in different heart rate zones.

Been able to track distance run would be nice.

On the sleep side of it,

First is to measure sleep stats, like deep sleep, REM, light sleep.

Second is an alarm feature that wakes you up within a set window of time when you at your lightest sleep state.

Seems to be that the last one is hard to find, I know devices do or have existed but haven't found one that sounds good.

Hoping someone has some recommendations,

Cheers

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#2437244 13-Mar-2020 05:00

Anything by Garmin. Most have heart rate and onboard GPS. Personally I have the Fenix 6 Pro but my fitness tracking requirements are fairly high. It has 10 days battery life and does heart rate, GPS and onboard music. There are cheaper models available so just match your personal requirements to the feature sets.

E3xtc

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#2437272 13-Mar-2020 07:58

+1 for Garmin. Not sure about the alarm aspect to wake you specifically in relation to your sleep zones, but Garmin devices just work and are robust and reliable. Support is amazing too.

davidcole

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#2437285 13-Mar-2020 08:30

Another +1 for garmin. But I use the GPS....notifications for me a kinda useful, you can't do anything with them (reply etc, it's not an apple watch or google wear), So if that's an issue it might not be suitable. Also battery life on a garmin is about a week (less with more gps tracking). I bought my first one when the apple watch lastest less than a day, and didn't have it's own GPS, and never looked back.

Unsure how good the sleep tracking is, I think fitbit seems better for that, but again, gps is more important for me than anything else. I'm on a Garmin Forerunner 645.

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alasta

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#2437299 13-Mar-2020 08:48

There are really two types of wearables - "computer on your wrist" vs "utilitarian fitness device". I had the former, an Apple watch, for three years and didn't like it because it was too temperamental.

So, I replaced it with a Garmin which is a reliable fitness device that I'm really happy with, and it would suit your all of needs except for your last point about being woken in your lightest sleep state. Like geekiegeek I am an enthusiast runner and swimmer so went for the Fenix, but there are also much cheaper options in the Garmin range that look great and would still cover all of your requirements.

Grunta47

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#2437421 13-Mar-2020 10:41

A Garmin Vivoactive3 owner here. Have had it since Nov 2017 and the first Smartwatch Ive owned. Does everything that I want it to, but as I havent had any other devices cant really say whether it is top knotch, but....

Battery life was 7-8 days but now lasts around 3-4 days, depending on how much exercise I do. To be expected and doesnt concern me yet.

GPS is good, though I always seem to walk in a slightly different line when returning down the hill/track.

Elevation is a bit out, as constantly below sea level and/or start from home at 80m and then finish my bike ride at home at 10m.

Heart rate tracking doesn't work well when out for walks (dodgy knee, so no running) but accurate when biking

Swim tracking is great. Only use it in the pool

No longer use sleep tracker as wearing a watch to bed would wake me up

Alarm just vibrates on the wrist and have missed this a few times.

Garmin app works well and easy to use

Using Garmin Golf tracker is also interesting. For half the holes it looks like Im drunk, wondering around lost.....

sidefx

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#2437430 13-Mar-2020 10:55

Yeah, another vote for Garmin. Have a Fenix 5 that's still going strong; was not cheap but well worth it IMO. I've had Fitbits and Withings in the past but this just blows them out of the water (though very much a different class of device) Know quite a few people with Forerunners and they're also very happy with them.

Just be aware that a wrist based HRM is never going to match a chest strap. But overall mine seems to do really well, especially when doing cardio.

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meesham

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#2437431 13-Mar-2020 11:00

I previously had a Fitbit Versa and I now use the Garmin Vivoactive 3. The Fitbit has slightly better sleep tracking but the Garmin is better at everything else. The heartrate monitor is fine but if I'm running I tend to use a chest strap, the watch uses and optical sensor whereas the chest strap uses an electrical pulse, but it's not really practical to wear it all day.

geekiegeek

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#2437446 13-Mar-2020 11:04

meesham:

I previously had a Fitbit Versa and I now use the Garmin Vivoactive 3. The Fitbit has slightly better sleep tracking but the Garmin is better at everything else. The heartrate monitor is fine but if I'm running I tend to use a chest strap, the watch uses and optical sensor whereas the chest strap uses an electrical pulse, but it's not really practical to wear it all day.

I also use a chest strap for cycling and running but the optical is fine for all day activity, resting HR and Pulse Oxidation readings at night. Depends how serious you are about HR training as to whether using a chest strap is worthwhile or not.

NeilnCharles

10 posts

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#2437451 13-Mar-2020 11:10

Wow overwhelming support for Garmin, any thoughts on the FitBit Versa 2?

I actually have been looking for about a year, last good search was just before Christmas but I did a good Google again last night in case something new had come out. Found the Versa 2 released an update over Christmas which added a sleep cycle alarm feature, but apparently the data it shows on sleep stats is not very useful, just a score out of 100 no graph or chart etc.

NeilnCharles

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#2437453 13-Mar-2020 11:13

geekiegeek:

I also use a chest strap for cycling and running but the optical is fine for all day activity, resting HR and Pulse Oxidation readings at night. Depends how serious you are about HR training as to whether using a chest strap is worthwhile or not.

I was unaware of a chest strap option... this sync's with the Fitbit?

geekiegeek

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#2437456 13-Mar-2020 11:15

NeilnCharles:

geekiegeek:

I also use a chest strap for cycling and running but the optical is fine for all day activity, resting HR and Pulse Oxidation readings at night. Depends how serious you are about HR training as to whether using a chest strap is worthwhile or not.

I was unaware of a chest strap option... this sync's with the Fitbit?

Fitbit doesn't support external devices as far as I'm aware. I use a cycling power meter, cadence sensor and HR strap all at the same time hooked to my Garmin though. It can use both ANT+ and Bluetooth for connection and can even broadcast wrist HR data to other devices.

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geekiegeek

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#2437459 13-Mar-2020 11:21

NeilnCharles:

Wow overwhelming support for Garmin, any thoughts on the FitBit Versa 2?

I actually have been looking for about a year, last good search was just before Christmas but I did a good Google again last night in case something new had come out. Found the Versa 2 released an update over Christmas which added a sleep cycle alarm feature, but apparently the data it shows on sleep stats is not very useful, just a score out of 100 no graph or chart etc.

All of the Fibits also require a phone for GPS. Garmin provides sleep cycle data (REM, Deep, Light and awake). Many of the Garmins can also store music so for a run or walk all you need is the watch and some bluetooth headphones.

I've been through pretty much every device including using every series of Apple Watch, Polar, Jawbone (doesn't exist anymore), Fitbit, Samsung and Garmin. Nothing is perfect but the Garmin devices come pretty close. If you just want basic sleep and activity, go Fitbit. If you want a mini computer go Apple Watch (but you'll need to change to IOS). For proper sports tracking, Polar, Suunto or Garmin. For me Garmin has the best mix of daily activity with pro level sports tracking.

maoriboy

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#2437470 13-Mar-2020 11:50

Another vote for the Garmin range. I've got a Fenix 5 and hasn't missed a beat in the 2 years I've had it. The Fenix line is probably a bit overkill for what you want but for me (and many others here) it suits our active lifestyles...big plus that it also looks good enough to wear all day.

Second is an alarm feature that wakes you up within a set window of time when you at your lightest sleep state

This is not a feature currently available in the Garmin range. They do an apps store for the watches so you may be able to find something there that will suit your needs

NeilnCharles

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#2437472 13-Mar-2020 11:51

geekiegeek:

you'll need to change to IOS

That'll never happen, not to apple at least lol.

Ok well thanks everyone, this has helped heaps, without a doubt the Garmin devices sound like the way to go for sports tracking and does give good sleep data. The wake-up feature continues to allude me unless I brought the Versa 2 for that feature only, which I don't plan on doing lol.

geekiegeek

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#2437494 13-Mar-2020 12:22

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/86f765e4-0bf3-4401-a503-058ddcfb56d2#0

from a quick search of the Garmin App Store. There may be others also

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