GPS Smartwatches - anyone got one

[Threevok]

Mrs Vok has being extremely generous, and has promised to buy me a GPS Watch for my upcomming 50th

I was looking at the Garmin Vivoactive HR

Anyone have any experience with these or similar?

 

[Milkfloat]

I had a Garmin Vivoactive HR and did not really get on with it. As a fitness tracker it was ok, but not as a smart watch. I now have an iWatch which works well enough for me.

 

[ColinJ]

@Sea of vapours was getting ride information on his watch on our recent Settle forum ride. I'm not sure if IT was doing the work, or whether it was just displaying information from a dedicated GPS or smartphone. I'm sure that he will miraculously appear shortly and tell you himself!

 

[DRHysted]

Depends what you're going to use it for. I use the fenix 3 hr because it gives loads of running data. As a smart watch is is lacking I get text measgages and alerts but nothing else.
Previously I had the vivoactive (pre hr) which was a pretty good watch it paired to my iPhone well and transferred most data, but I found the touch screen temperamental.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Mine's a Suunto Ambit. It's the equivalent of the Garmin Fenix really, in functionality terms (though the software is very solid, unlike most Garmin consumer products). There are a few versions, mine being the mountaineering one, which means it's the most comprehensive of several versions and you get a barometric altimeter and software biased towards navigation. I find it perfect for cycling and use it for tracking rides, connecting to cadence and HR monitors and navigating. Routing is pre-planned. i.e there are no maps in it. When I was telling Colin "it's 3.5km to the summit", or whatever, that's because I'd planned the route and put a waypoint at the summit, for example. You can display grid refs if you like. Basically it does everything bike computers do other than those things which require a map in the device. Just to be clear - it's a standalone gps/barometer device, though you can connect it to a 'phone if you think having messages from your 'phone come up on your wrist is a useful thing to do ...

 

[ufkacbln]

I have an Apple Watch, but when I want to be things like geotag photos, or record a journalist new, the independence of the watch from the phone, and far better battery life as well

I also use the Suunto Ambit

 

[Threevok]

Depends what you're going to use it for. I use the fenix 3 hr because it gives loads of running data. As a smart watch is is lacking I get text measgages and alerts but nothing else.
Previously I had the vivoactive (pre hr) which was a pretty good watch it paired to my iPhone well and transferred most data, but I found the touch screen temperamental.

I didn't really want it as a smartwatch as such. Considering I work in IT, I am not really interested in using gadgets in such a way.

I really fancy a fitness tracker and heart monitor, but also require a better GPS tracking device (at least battery-wise) than my I-Phone.

I was going to buy a GPS Cycle computer and separate "fit-bit" type of tracker, but if this does everything I want......

 

[John the Monkey]

A pal of mine has, I think, the same watch, and likes it a lot. As others have pointed out, it's worth looking at the featureset and making sure that it has everything *you* want.

DC Rainmaker has done an indepth review;
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/04/garmin-vivoactive-in-depth-review.html

EDIT - I guess this would be the model you're interested in though;
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/05/garmin-vivoactivehr-review.html

What you'll miss from a dedicated bike GPS is the mapping/turn by turn navigation - not a problem if you don't intend on using it, but it's a feature of my Garmin Edge 800 that I love when I ride in an unfamiliar place, or fancy trying a route I don't know that well locally, as well as bike specific sensors like cadence &c

 

[Threevok]

Thanks for all your replies. That review was really useful

I think I will go for one, rather than get a separate watch and (lower number) Edge - with the mind of getting a higher number Edge at Xmas

 

[Drago]

Vivoactive HR. Fantastic bit of kit.

 

[DRM]

I have a TomTom spark with GPS, it works really well, it's suitable for multisports with a dedicated outdoor gps, & indoor turbo trainer cycling mode, and you can also link it to a bluetooth cadence sensor too.

 

[dfthe1]

I've had a Vivoactive HR for just over a year. I love it. I use it to record all of my rides, runs and weights sessions along with daily steps etc. Garmin Connect pairs seamlessly with Strava, and also with MyFitnessPal. Battery life is great, and a few firmware upgrades over the last 12 months have sorted out some niggles and added some nice feature.

I tend to wear it on my wrist all the time. I do have a simple mount to put it on the handlebars, and then I wear a chest strap for HR, but I don't bother very often.

I bought it on the strength of the Rainmaker review -- not sure if its been updated but some of the things mentioned have been sorted by firmware (eg it now features the 1sec GPS recording). If you get it, I recommend the ActiFace watch face.

 

[huwsparky]

I've had a Vivoactive HR for just over a year. I love it. I use it to record all of my rides, runs and weights sessions along with daily steps etc. Garmin Connect pairs seamlessly with Strava, and also with MyFitnessPal. Battery life is great, and a few firmware upgrades over the last 12 months have sorted out some niggles and added some nice feature.

I tend to wear it on my wrist all the time. I do have a simple mount to put it on the handlebars, and then I wear a chest strap for HR, but I don't bother very often.

I bought it on the strength of the Rainmaker review -- not sure if its been updated but some of the things mentioned have been sorted by firmware (eg it now features the 1sec GPS recording). If you get it, I recommend the ActiFace watch face.

My mussus users hers pretty much like you and likes it. In addition she uses it for swimming also and works fine in the pool.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

I've got two,
recently upgraded to Polar M600,
Sony Smartwatch3 also,
don't ask why two

Downsides,
I tend to disappear for hours at a time,
Sony is better battery wise using Strava, 9 maybe 10 at a push.
Sony wasn't upgrading to Android Wear 2..

 

[Arsen Gere]

I've been using a Garmin 920 xt for a few years, I know there are newer models around but I find the Garmin stuff useful with it's wifi and bluetooth upload facilities.
Mine connects to my garmin sensors on my bike, a 'garmin type' hr monitor and soft chest band from ebay. My BePro power pedals work with it and the watt bikes in the gym too.
I swam in the sea with mine last night and regularly in the pool too. It has its occasional wobble and puts me at 20,000 m. The 910xt was a lot worse for the altitude failing. It's irritating.
The garmin android app is useful too as my watch connects to the phone and I get notifications of texts and calls when I'm riding.
The garmin site is connect to strava and training peaks too so I can track what I'm doing and people can see what I'm up to. Battery life is canny too. There's a cradle with a usb end you can charge it anywhere with a usb connection, our wall sockets have them, my pc and the car has an adaptor.
I gave away my 910xt it was a nuisance.
This is the only watch I wear now.