"Sell" me on your outdoors smart watch

[cfdjay]

I've been eyeing up the Fenix Solar but I'm curious to know what's out there. What do you have? Pros/Cons etc. Thanks!

 

[nobody]

I’ve had two garmins and a fat-bit. I found myself fiddling with them way too much in every facet of my life, checking that it was tracking everything and sending the data to my phone and making sure that the sweat and gunk wasn’t blocking the heart rate sensors. They would count steps and flights of stairs on washboard roads but wouldn’t always track while hiking. I found them more of a distraction and annoyance than a true help to my life, in field or otherwise. Plus it drove me nuts that I was paying over $500 for a watch that I had to replace every 18 months due to obsolescence. I already had a cell phone that did that, I didn’t need another device with the same weaknesses.

I’ve been wearing a G Shock for the last 3 years and I’ve never looked back. I have a couple different ones depending on the time of year or what I’m doing, but they all accomplish the same goal: telling the time so I can leave my phone in my pocket. They’re far more rugged than a smart watch, many of them are solar powered, they have models with heart rate monitors and altimeters and compasses, they’re 200m water resistant, and they’re cheaper to replace and don’t have the issue of obsolescence.

Sorry, not exactly what you asked for, but as a younger guy, even I got over the smart watch thing pretty fast. YMMV.

 

[realunlucky]

Have this garmin instinct for a few years. Has great battery life and more features than I can remember how to use. If it broke I'd buy another garmin immediately

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[Backyard]

Got a Garmin Instinct about 5 years ago. Does what it claims, it’s a watch, lets be real. I don’t need to fiddle with it at all. Once I set it up to my liking, I just leave it alone. Couples with their app well. No problems whatsoever the entire time I’ve owned it.


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[ResearchinStuff]

I did the opposite, switched from G shocks to my instinct in 2020. At first I used the special features a bunch, now it really only does 3 things, tell time, give me a discrete but detectable buzz when I get a text or call (phone always on silent), and track my heart rate during Cardio. I'd be annoyed if I spent 500 every year and a half for these features, but 250 every 3 years or more isn't too bad, I'll get another if/ when this one dies.

 

[kpk]

I have a Garmin Instinct also and have been very happy with it. It has the few features that I actually want to use and they work well.

I only take mine off to charge it and it sill looks basically new. Every other watch I've had has been beat to hell and scratched to the point it was embarrassing to wear in short order.

 

[displacedtexan]

I have a Fenix 6, I like it.

I got it for running the bird dogs and hiking. Pan was to keep wearing my Sekio Automatic.

The Sekio is dusty now.

I definitely don't use all the features, but I find it useful and unintrusive.

 

[hunt1up]

I’ve had two garmins and a fat-bit. I found myself fiddling with them way too much in every facet of my life, checking that it was tracking everything and sending the data to my phone and making sure that the sweat and gunk wasn’t blocking the heart rate sensors. They would count steps and flights of stairs on washboard roads but wouldn’t always track while hiking. I found them more of a distraction and annoyance than a true help to my life, in field or otherwise. Plus it drove me nuts that I was paying over $500 for a watch that I had to replace every 18 months due to obsolescence. I already had a cell phone that did that, I didn’t need another device with the same weaknesses.

I’ve been wearing a G Shock for the last 3 years and I’ve never looked back. I have a couple different ones depending on the time of year or what I’m doing, but they all accomplish the same goal: telling the time so I can leave my phone in my pocket. They’re far more rugged than a smart watch, many of them are solar powered, they have models with heart rate monitors and altimeters and compasses, they’re 200m water resistant, and they’re cheaper to replace and don’t have the issue of obsolescence.

Sorry, not exactly what you asked for, but as a younger guy, even I got over the smart watch thing pretty fast. YMMV.

I recently tried two different Garmins and came to the same conclusions. I returned the first Fenix(I think a 6 series) and then tried a Vivoactive 4. I returned that one too. I too found myself constantly fiddling with it, waiting to unlock these great benefits people tout about them. I just couldn't get into it. On the flip side I know people love them so maybe I'm the weirdo.

 

[Dos Perros]

I have a Garmin Fenix 3HR. It's now really old but keeps on ticking. When it dies I'll get something comparable. Aside from time, I use it to monitor my activity, heart rate, and sleep.

 

[CHSD]

Another vote for the Garmin Instinct here. I don't use many features. It tells time, vibrates when I get a text, tells heart rate, and is my alarm in the morning so I don't wake my wife with a loud alarm.

 

[Ross]

For the money the garmin instinct provides what most of us want, simplicity, some feedback, ease of us and durability.

 

[Miflatlander91]

Sounding like a broken record but my Garmin instinct has been great. I wear it everyday welding on job sites and it's a trooper. I don't need all the extra stuff the more expensive options have. Tells time I can read a text is my alarm and the GPS functions are why I bought it as a backup in the field

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[doc holiday13]

Suunto Core.. Its a basic Altimeter, Barometer, Compass watch. Battery last at just about 1 year +/- a month depending on how often you use it. The thermometer only works on it if you hang it off your bag, otherwise your body heat throws off the reading.

I don't really need much more than that because I do have gps. I would consider a garmin watch but I haven't looked at them in awhile to see if it would replace my Suunto.

 

[jlw0142]

Have this garmin instinct for a few years. Has great battery life and more features than I can remember how to use. If it broke I'd buy another garmin immediately

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Couldn't agree more! Love my Garmin Instinct, and it pretty much fully functions as a GPS if you get the Garmin Explore app on your phone. Pretty awesome watch with lots of functions, but no extra bulk or nonsense.

 

[nobody]

I recently tried two different Garmins and came to the same conclusions. I returned the first Fenix(I think a 6 series) and then tried a Vivoactive 4. I returned that one too. I too found myself constantly fiddling with it, waiting to unlock these great benefits people tout about them. I just couldn't get into it. On the flip side I know people love them so maybe I'm the weirdo.

That makes two weirdos

 

[WI in the west]

I have a Garmin Instinct also. I probably dont really need it for hunting but its a good plan C navigator woth the gps and compass. I turn off the phone notifications. But i use it a ton tracking my runs and its also my alarm clock in a tent so i can turn my phone off and put in my sleeping bag at night to save battery.
The watch battery last 10-12 days not using the gps i think. So it lasts a whole hunt.ive had it five years i think. Id get another one if mine broke

 

[JStol5]

Another for the Garmin instinct here. Had it 3 years now, only issue is the band wearing out slightly. It has been otherwise bombproof and extremely reliable, great battery life and does what I need it to (time, clocking miles for runs/training hikes, and getting a general sense of my activity levels).

I will buy another one, a solar one, when this craps out.

 

[Marbles]

I got a Fenix 7x a year ago. I have really liked it. I can access weather data in one button push. I can log my workouts more easily. And, the heart rate data is invaluable for keeping me from pushing too hard.

Sleep tracking is a wast (consistently puts my wake time an hour or so after I get to work). But, I just ignore that data. I never clean it and wear it 24/7 unless it is on the charger (about 2 hours every 2 weeks).

If you primary do strength training style workouts, the watch is mediocre for tracking them. But, for hiking, running, swimming, etc it is pretty good. Not perfect, but good enough. I think it miss counts poil swims by +/- 10%. But, I start messing up the count in my head at 10 laps, so doing 30 laps it is probably as accurate as I am.

 

[Clarktar]

I'm a fan of the Suunto ambit3. Older model but I've been using this one for 7 years now I think. Zero issues.

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[cmahoney]

Do you guys know if the Phoenix has any advantage over the instinct when it comes to pairing with the alpha 200i?


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