"Sell" me on your outdoors smart watch

[stdeb11]

I have the Garmin forerunner 935. I got it for tracking workouts and training for races. I wish the heart rate sensor was better for CrossFit style workouts but thats a limitation of any wrist monitor. It's ok for tracking miles hiking/hunting but it eats the battery so I don't use that all the time....Day to day I like the phone alerts popping up on the watch if I'm in meetings.

 

[Dwight2180]

I've had an original instinct for at least 3 years. It's more watch than smart device. I track hikes & fitness activity with the gps. Heart rate is not always accurate but can pair to a chest strap when accuracy is important. Txt & email notifications without digging out a phone. If you're super into smart tech, it's probably not for you.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

I have a coros apex and its been a great watch its a little smaller then the instinct which i liked because i didnt want it getting caught on long sleeves and what not. First watch i have bought and didnt want to spend a ton on it. Can do way more then i need or want to do with it. Tracks steps, theres a tracking feature about 40 different work outs it can track, lets me know altitutde, heart rate, lets me read texts all the stuff that the other watches do. Think it was $300. Seems like there was a big jump in battery life in the last year but when i bought mine it had one of the best battery lifes for a smart watch (about 14 days) on regular use without gps tracking.

 

[MuleyFever]

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.

Why would you have to replace the watch every 18 months? Most people I know with a smart watch have had the same one for years.

I'm also on the Instinct train. Simple watch with a few of the extras.

 

[Theringworm]

Why would you have to replace the watch every 18 months? Most people I know with a smart watch have had the same one for years.

I'm also on the Instinct train. Simple watch with a few of the extras.

You don’t. I have had my Garmin Fenix 5 for going on 6 years now. Zero issues. Have only replaced the band once Still holds a charge as it did on day 1 of purchase. I had a Suunto prior. Liked it a lot for a “non-smart watch” but the bands and battery life were constantly needing replacement,

 

[taskswap]

I've got a Garmin Instinct Tactical that, if you want what it does, does what you want. But I never wear it any more. As I've aged and gotten more farsighted I can't read the faces on these new watches, with 12 different things shown in 6-pt font. If I have to put my glasses on to read my watch that's a barrier. So I just don't wear a watch any more. My phone does everything I want - time of day, GPS/tracking, camera, etc. I'm done with watches.

 

[CCooper]

My progression was I started with a Citizen, then Apple, then Suunto, then Garmin Fenix, then back to Apple. The Garmin was cool because I could run the autopilot on my boat with it but would much rather use the wireless remote. I did not find functions on the Suunto or Garmin intuitive to use whatsoever. However, I still hunt with the Garmin purely for its battery life and being a redundant means of GPS if needed.

 

[RSather528]

Another garmin instinct user here. Battery life is great, decent price and on sale every once in a while. Text/phone alerts are nice. Does the normal activity/sleep tracking etc. You can use it to control music functions when played through your phone. I’d get another one in a heartbeat when this one goes out.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I remain off the clock in the backcountry...complete disconnect from my normal life.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

I remain off the clock in the backcountry...complete disconnect from my normal life.

hard to tell what time it is in alaska when the sun just circles above you.

 

[kodyshriver]

Check out Coros. You’re getting the same features as high $ Garmin, at a significantly lower price.

 

[displacedtexan]

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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We all run Astros because of field trials, but my friends and I have a pretty even mix of Fenix and Instinct. No functional differences in connecting.

Don't even have to pair, just have them close.

 

[insanelupus]

I have a coros apex and its been a great watch its a little smaller then the instinct which i liked because i didnt want it getting caught on long sleeves and what not. First watch i have bought and didnt want to spend a ton on it. Can do way more then i need or want to do with it. Tracks steps, theres a tracking feature about 40 different work outs it can track, lets me know altitutde, heart rate, lets me read texts all the stuff that the other watches do. Think it was $300. Seems like there was a big jump in battery life in the last year but when i bought mine it had one of the best battery lifes for a smart watch (about 14 days) on regular use without gps tracking.

X2.

 

[cmahoney]

We all run Astros because of field trials, but my friends and I have a pretty even mix of Fenix and Instinct. No functional differences in connecting.

Don't even have to pair, just have them close.

Great info, thanks.


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[nobody]

Why would you have to replace the watch every 18 months? Most people I know with a smart watch have had the same one for years.

I'm also on the Instinct train. Simple watch with a few of the extras.

I just mean it's obsolete after a couple years. My Garmin (can't remember the flavor) watches both went about 18-24 months before they crapped the bed and wouldn't hold a charge longer than a day or interface with the app without it crashing. My Fat-Bit was about a year. Dad gets about 2 years from an Apple Watch, Mom's the same, and she used to get about a year from a Fitbit. The ownership cost per day on them just doesn't pencil out personally from what I've seen, and they were more of a headache than a help.

 

[Marbles]

I just mean it's obsolete after a couple years. My Garmin (can't remember the flavor) watches both went about 18-24 months before they crapped the bed and wouldn't hold a charge longer than a day or interface with the app without it crashing. My Fat-Bit was about a year. Dad gets about 2 years from an Apple Watch, Mom's the same, and she used to get about a year from a Fitbit. The ownership cost per day on them just doesn't pencil out personally from what I've seen, and they were more of a headache than a help.

Interesting. My mom is still using a first gen Apple watch. Of course, most of use use the same phone for 3 to 5 years and have 10 year old computers.

 

[rob86jeep]

Depends on what capabilities you want/need from a watch. I use them for tracking fitness (runs/cycling) but really like the added benefit of a backup navigation device. It's quick to drop a pin at your truck/wherever just in case you get lost. It works as a backup GPS and backup compass in addition to telling time.

Counting your steps is a nice bonus just to get a gut check when you've been sitting at your desk/computer too much during the day as well...

 

[tony]

Bought a Suunto maybe 3 years ago.
No idea how it works, I can tell you the date and time and that's it. Just seems like a huge PITA to use as I have my phone with me and it does everything the watch does.
I do like those new i watches though

 

[mxgust]

Can any of these Bluetooth music without having to have your phone with you? I feel like one reason I’d want one is so I wouldn’t have to carry my phone around running or working out and I usually listen to music

 

[snowymtnwolf]

My Garmin stores music from Spotify or other music apps that I can then listen too in the middle of no where via my Bluetooth AirPods

I have hundreds of songs stored on my watch

Makes convenient on runs / hikes where I don’t take my phone


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