I can vouch for Suunto.

Owned an Ambit 2 for six years and it didn't skip a beat in all that time.

I upgraded to the Suunto 5 just over 12 months ago and its been similarly bombproof. Never crashes or has any issues (unlime Garmin). I think Suunto are very underrated and the 5 is a great value for money multisport watch. Only downside is its bluetooth only, no Ant+

I got the original Coros Pace, and it's been everything I've needed. Pace 2 is out. The battery is AMAZING - In a 6 hour training day it was maybe 15% battery use, good solid GPS and features.

I wouldn't hesitate to get another Coros product at all.

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

Coros Apex user. Coros are amazing aren't they?

I like the Apex because it has routes and trail running, etc.... but at the price the Pace 2 can't be beat.

Just ordered an Apex Pro. Looking forward to something besides Garmin!

Not a direct answer, but I am curious if others will chime in... Is the barometric altimeter failure a general multisport watch problem, or is it specific to Garmin? It has been a Garmin thing for as long as I can remember (dating back to my Forerunner 910XT). My 735XT never had an altimeter glitch, because it did not have an altimeter.

Many of the Suunto watches do not have barometric altimeters, so that could be a strength by omission. On the other hand, the Coros watches do have them.

Do you mean 735XT? I have this watch, and the altitude is often off by quite a bit, especially off road, because of no altimeter.

I'm seriously considering the Pace 2, but it doesn't have a trail feature. I like trail running a bit, but not really sure if that's much of an issue. Is this related to GPS accuracy when under tree cover?

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With my Apple Watch (altimeter), the Strava upload consistently reports about 30% more climbing than the workout on the watch. I assume Strava is more accurate because it's referencing some geospatial database. The interesting thing is this doesn't happen on runs, watch and Strava agree very closely.

I think what's happening on rides are that the altimeter doesn't sample very often and at riding speeds it's missing a lot of quick changes in elevation, but running is slow enough that it gets pretty close. I guess I could test this by doing a very slow ride and seeing if the agreement is better.

You are probably right about the AW & accuracy. It samples position data infrequently to conserve battery. That is what causes the overly smoothed GPS courses, and it would affect altitude as well. And as you suspect, this is compounded the faster you are traveling.Doh-typo. Yes, I meant the 735XT. Mine was generally good on runs, but I always ran on roads with very good GPS coverage. The worse your GPS (trails & trees) the worse altitude would be.

I tried them all and came back to Garmin. Not the answer you want. And other brands have plenty of happy users. I honestly don’t recall my specific dislikes of all other brands. They were minor, of course as they are all pretty amazing pieces of technology. But, in my experience, Garmin is the best.

And if you use music, 945 is a game changer. Connection to BT is nearly flawless (and I was very critical of connection of the 645). Not having to bring yet another piece of equipment on a run (Ie mp3/iPod) and figure out wheee to put it/how to mount it to body, pocket etc. is so nice.

Try a Suunto, however, the Fenix series is an incredible watch (caveat: the best watch in the Garmin series and I am not a Garmin fanboy).

My watch before the Coros was a Garmin. The Garmin was absolute garbage in comparison.

The Coros mobile app is so good and firmware updates are the easiest of any electronic device I've ever owned.

Good to hear!

Garmin Fenix 5 or 6

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I'm with you. Another Garmin HR monitor dead today. Only a couple weeks of use. It's about the 5th one for me. I'm over it. Garmin GPS always shows me running way off the road, shorts me distance when I run with friends and elevation gain is always lower then friends. I've dealt with it because it's not a real big deal, but would love something else.

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I have owned a number of Polar watches over the years and couldn't be happier with the quality, reliability and durability of the product. If needed, the service is also fantastic. I would highly recommend the ownership experience.

Garmin HR monitors are terrible!

Yeah, this is a good Q... My 935XT crapped the barometer and the warranty replacement has been hit-or-miss on altitude. Seems to work, mostly, but sometimes weird. My FR305 has a barometric altimeter and it is (1) ancient and (2) perfect - so is it cost cutting or other factors that compromise altimeter durability in modern Garmin devices?

WRT the positive Coros responses...yup, this is my plan when the 935XT draws its last breath. I have a Amazfit Bip S and it opened my eyes to what was possible at the price point. Not a multisport device but it has everything else I need...for $60 USD. GPS is fine and optical HR is OK. For $60 USD! Garmin is now a Ferrari, but I'm looking for the Acura equivalent...

Love my Fenix5, but it's been replaced twice by Garmin due to the altimeter dying. The problem is that when it dies, the Garmin still uses it for runs/rides (so they all read 0m of climbing) vs. just defaulting to the GPS values. There is no elegant way to get the Garmin to ignore its own busted sensor.

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You are exactly right.

Polar Vantage M. Found it open box for $150. Couldn’t be happier with it. I like the polar app more than garmin as well.

I bought an suunto ambit 2 baro in summer 2014 and had some problems with battery life and the baro sensor in 2015. I send it back to the retailer and I received a (at this time) brandnew ambit 3 peak (also with baro) for free. Since then I didn't have any issues with the sensor or anything else. This summer a friend and I crossed the watzmann in the german alps. He had a 2 month old fenix 6 and he was always 50m below the correct altitude. My ambit had less then 5m difference.
The biggest challenge now is the shutdown of movescount and the app only use. But thanks to some great software developers you can use quantified-self.io for desktop analyses.

I've heard a few replies for coros now, whats the swimming performance like though for the pool? Coros seem to market as a trail running watch mainly and cant find much on how well they work for recording pool workouts.

how does it perform for swimming ? i know polar sponsor a number of triathletes so it must be geared pretty well for it. i really only use the watch for swim/run workouts so just want a watch that doesnt break and records those workouts well.

Polar Vantage M. Found it open box for $150. Couldn’t be happier with it. I like the polar app more than garmin as well.


If you are just looking for the basics being covered - Heart-Rate*, GPS and Power, you really can't go wrong with the Polar Vantage M. I think Ray Maker called it one of the best values at the mid-price-point for wrist units.

*Make sure to get the chest strap - it makes HR tracking way more accurate. The Vantage M has been my Tech Piece since it came out. I only track HR, and of course use the GPS as well for cycling and Strava.

The app be it mobile or on a notebook is easy to understand and intuitive.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I haven’t swam much with it due to covid, but it’s certainly as good as my garmin based on my small sample size. The GPS definitely tracks me better it seems. Doesn’t haven’t me out of the water during my open water swims as much as my garmin.

I'm another happpy Vantage M user after getting fhecked off with multiple Garmin failures (Barometer, battery, buttons, etc all failed). Garmin service / support in UK is shiiite too (different to what folks say in US). Mrs' watch also problematic and Garmin support just woeful.

And to get the battery life I want the Garmins are getting more and more £££ - the new 745 still doesn't have a good enough battery life really.
I don't want all the extra shiiite for another £300 more on a 945 like pay and music. I just want a watch that really works for multi sport.

M doesn't have Barometric - it uses the GPS altitude. Its not as good as baro for lots of little ups and downs but OK. (Say on a 11,000 ft climbing ride over 100 or so miles it may read circa 10k ft vs the Garmin reading 11k. But we have lots of 100ft here, 100 ft there sort of climbs, with the largest around 600-800 ft. Will prob be better on big passes. BUT it doesn't keep failing unlike the Garmin baro.

If you want Baro, get the Vantage V or the new GritX.

I'm v happy with my Vantage M. Had it about 20 months now.
There's a couple of bits I preferred on the Garmin... can't get a permanent 'last lap' display page on the Polar watch (gives it briefly when you lap tho) . And on pool lap swims it only gives distance and not a 'lengths' figure (if that matters to you). Also lap counter doesn't work if you have the watch on the inside of your wrist (has to be on the outside of the wrist as 'normally' worn - I did like turning the garmin to the inside of my wrist to be easier to read mid-swim)
But some other features better on the Polar, esp some swim metrics.

Polar Flow is waay better than Connect.

If I was to get something different to Polar, I'd be onto a Suunto 9.

thanks for the detail sounds interesting, will have a look at the other additional metrics that polar use in the pool, do they have a drills screen too like garmin allows as i use that often? i too have heard that polar have much better system that garmin connect.

It's been a couple months, how are you liking (or not liking) your Apex Pro?

I've been a Suunto person for a while, first a Core then Ambit and currently Spartan Sport. I'm looking for something with better battery life, barometric altitude (Ambit had it, my Spartan doesn't), and optical heart rate that's ideally thinner and lighter than the Suunto. I don't care about music. I picked up a Polar Vantage V2 but wasn't very impressed. Apex Pro looks like a great option.

Would you recommend the Apex? Any pros/cons? Thanks!

Any thoughts on the new Wahoo Rival? It seems slim on specs now but does have some interesting features and Wahoo always seems to release a GPS product and then constantly add tons of new features to it. I think that I would miss the music feature of my Fenix 5 Plus but won’t miss how the music/podcast stops playing as soon as I run away from my phone on every other run.

as a big wahoo fan, i was really disappointed in the rival i purchased on release day. so much so that i sent it back for a refund.

GPS where i live is nowhere near as responsive and accurate as my garmin 945.
no structured workouts (as of release, i expect it will be an added feature down the line).
the treadmill feature is total garbage. over several runs it is inconsistent and even at a steady pace over an hour run drifts wildly.
no support for a couple of the external devices i use.
its bulkier than the garmin 945.
this is minor, and will probably be "fixed" down the road, but the watch faces flat out suck.

i think that given a year or two this device may mature to something really great, but as of now its a total pass.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

And that is my apprehension. I am a Wahoo fanboy as well and I have confidence that the product will eventually be awesome but I also completely disagree with paying a premium to basically be a beta tester. That being said, I also get incredibly frustrated with the bugs associated with Garmin and hate how quickly they stop updating older devices in order to get you to buy the latest and greatest.

Not replying to anyone in particular...
Are any of the watches head and shoulders above the rest in terms of how easy it is to see the display?
I've been using a Garmin 920XT for several years now, and it has worked flawless the entire time, through several IM's, etc. But I am having a much harder time seeing the screen as my eyes get weaker..... :(

I don’t think there is. Head-and-shoulders watch display for viewability except for the Apple Watch. But the Apple Watch sucks for sport and especially for multisport.

The 945 and Rival are both pretty good. The key is high resolution and auto lighting.

I am very happy with the Polar Vantage M screen. It is easy to read while running and displays the important metrics HR, pace, distance and time. I have had mine for about a year now and it has worked flawlessly. The accuracy, durability and reliability make it a great option. Consistency of training is of the utmost importance and the Vantage M will be right there with you, along with consistent results.

I am very happy with the Polar Vantage M screen. It is easy to read while running and displays the important metrics HR, pace, distance and time. I have had mine for about a year now and it has worked flawlessly. The accuracy, durability and reliability make it a great option. Consistency of training is of the utmost importance and the Vantage M will be right there with you, along with consistent results.


Agreed.

I think there is a tendency to get WAY too much into all these data and info options. For the vast majority of athletes even those training for higher level performance - tracking the basics, is really all you need. If that helps you as a motivator - so much the better.

Remember, Polar has been around since the actual dawn of wearable sports technology - before they even called it "wearable"!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Does your 920XT have issues with battery life, and the occasional issue with a sticking "start/stop" button? I've had mine for 4.5 years (which I'm 98% sure is the overlying problem) and I'm debating if I should just bite the bullet and send it to Garmin for a battery replacement, or replace it. I mainly use it for swimming and as a head unit for biking..and then during triathlons. It barely lasted 6ish hours for the spontaneous DIY 70.3 my friend and I did in October (with a pool swim not using GPS at that)...after I finished the activity it said 2% battery left. Hopefully the next 70.3 I do will be a legitimate race, and much faster due to better circumstances and training, but I'd like to ensure that it survives a 70.3, and maybe 140.6 if I make that jump.

So far no issues with battery life, has gotten me through at least three full ironman races with no issues. Now that said, I really only use it for running and swimming during my training, as all my biking is indoors.
And yes, I do notice the buttons getting a little sticky. I'm tempted to buy something new, but at the same time, figure I likely won't be racing much in 2021 due to covid, so might just hold off. Maybe Garmin will have yet another forerunner model next year and the 945 drop in price a bit.
Though I am going to look into the Polar models mentioned here.
I have a couple friends who tried Suunto just for something different from Garmin, both regret it and plan to go back to Garmin, though I didn't get around to asking them what specifically they didn't like about Suunto.

This was my first HR monitor, which I used for biking back around 1990 I think.. :)