Smart Watch Recommendations

Triathlon Forum
1

It’s time to replace my much used and very durable Garmin 920xt and I can see there are a lot more options out there than last time I shopped for a watch. Be most appreciative for recommendations on a watch that meets the following marks:

-durable and will last me a few years
-good gps for running
-can swim with it (swim gps would be nice but not essential, waterproof is essential)
-can stream music (from Amazon ideally)
-measures heart rate, sleep and daily steps

-ideally not top end expensive
-bonus points if you could reasonably wear it to work
-extra bonus points if it can receive texts, emails, etc

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

2

Do you need multisport mode?

If yes, then you’re looking at a Fenix watch or 945.

If no, then you can get by with 245, Vivo4 or Venu.

Personally, I’m, not running very much or seriously anymore and my main workouts are bike ride (Wahoo Element) so I switched to an Apple Watch Series 5 a couple of months ago and have been very happy with it.

3

I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3, and the newer models of the Vivoactive 3 and the Vivoactive 4 meet all of your criteria. I particularly like that it isn’t as bulky as most of the higher end watches, looks sleeker for work, and that it is not an Apple watch.

4

**-durable and will last me a few years **
-can stream music (from Amazon ideally)

**-ideally not top end expensive **These two are generally mutually exclusive with not expensive. The key to lasting a few years is technical durability much more so than physical durability.

If you need multisport, and I assume you do since you are coming from a 920XT, then the 945 or Fenix 6 are the only choices for all your requirements. You could argue that the 945* is not* top-end expensive.

All of the rest of your marks are commodity and common to pretty much every GPS product on the market.

5

The Vivoactive3 Music is probably the lowest cost option. You can pick up a used one on eBay for <$100, or a new one ~$150.

6

I bought an apple watch couple of months ago and love it. I do my running and swimming workouts with it. I kept my 920XT to be used on HIM and IM races.

7

The Vivoactive3 Music is probably the lowest cost option. You can pick up a used one on eBay for <$100, or a new one ~$150.

Garmin 645 w/ Music is another good option, but a step up in price.

8

Garmin Fenix 5+ series. These are on sale all the time now (thanks to the 6) and hit all your requirements.

9

I’ve lately been getting the thing with my Apple Watch (S5) where it will pick up the cadence as heart rate. Does anyone know of any watches that are better about that sort of thing?

10

I’ve lately been getting the thing with my Apple Watch (S5) where it will pick up the cadence as heart rate. Does anyone know of any watches that are better about that sort of thing?All wrist-based optical HRM sensors are vulnerable to cadence lock. It depends on the user. The new sensor in the Garmin 945 is supposedly very good, but I have never used it during a run. (I have both an AWS5 and 945, and I have never used either wrist HRM running.)

The tighter you can wear the watch, the better it is likely to be for HR sensor performance.

11

I would second the Fenix 5 series.

12

I would second the Fenix 5 series.Ditto. I forgot they added Music to the Fenix 5 + line. So, your options are 945, Fenix 5+, and Fenix 6 for a multisport watch that does music.