- Garmin Fenix 5 watch (Fenix 7 is the latest version with the key fitness enhancement being an improved optical heart rate monitor that enables the provision of better training analysis information. Personally I see no reason to upgrade although I would buy it if I didn't already have the Fenix 5). The Garmin Epix is equivalent to the Fenix 7 with an improved screen (at the expense of battery life) and in addition has a touch screen, as well as buttons, which for example makes the use of map functionality much better.
- I chose this wearable for the following reasons:
- Always on and highly configurable, including the watch display.
- Rechargeable with good battery life between charges.
- Waterproof and robust.
- Integrated GPS, altitude and barometer sensors.
- Constant built in heart rate with activity monitoring including type and intensity and estimated calories burnt.
- ANT+ and Bluetooth.
- Connects to heart rate chest straps (best for accuracy when exercising at Vigorous Intensity and to give more reliable readings for some sports (e.g. mountain biking). Also required to give a more accurate VO2 max estimate and to provide a specific point in time stress measurement score) as well as other devices e.g. bike cadence and power meters, etc (a power meter is required to give a cycling VO2 max estimate).
- Supports extensive range of metrics such as; Resting Heart Rate, estimated VO2Max, estimated FTP (when a power meter output is available via ANT+ or Bluetooth) and estimated Lactate Threshold.
- Provides Training Effect, Training Status and Training Load analyses.
- These measures provide an indication of the impact of your exercise, or lack it, on the state of your fitness per session for the former and on an ongoing basis for the latter two. In essence this provides you with a digital personal trainer.
- Highly configurable and also extendable by third party developers.
- Additional Garmin Connect app Connect IQ addins that I use
- MET
- Pavlinux - Data Field - (free)
- JMmG-APP Wind-Kite Surfing
- Surfy66 - Device App - (free to try)
- For information about how to improve the Garmin charging experience see the following link:
- For an in depth review of the Garmin Fenix 5 see the following link:
- For a comparison of the Garmin Fenix 6 and the Apple Series 6 watch see the following link:
- For a comparison of the Garmin Epix and the Apple Ultra watch see the following link:
- For a long but comprehensive video overview of the key attributes of all the major sports watches available at the end of 2020 see the following link:
- Garmin Forerunner 55. This is a considerably cheaper watch than the Garmin Fenix with a lot of the same functionality. For a review video see the following link:
- Garmin Venu watch. If you prefer a lighter, less "chunky" watch with more styles, improved overall screen clarity and an improved optical heart rate monitor which enables a number of additional health and wellbeing metrics such as blood oxygen level, respiration rate, body battery level and breathing exercises. However it does not provide, estimated FTP, estimated Lactate Threshold., Training Effect, Training Status or Training Load analyses.
- For an in depth review of the Garmin Venu see the following link:
- For an article that explains Garmin metrics and which Garmin wearables support them see the following link:
- Garmin (as is the case for a number of other wearable suppliers) partner with Firstbeat to provide fitness analytic software. See the following link to see a list of the analytic features available. There is a link on this page (towards the top on the left) that links to the different suppliers wearable devices supported. Firstbeat were acquired by Garmin in July 2020.
- Chest heart rate monitors
- For a video that compares 3 well known chest heart rate monitors see the following link:
- https://youtu.be/4w6cb8vuU8s
- For a scientific review of a close relative one of these chest heart rate monitors see the following link:
- For a video that compares a wide range of heart rate monitors see the following link:
- Great value (make = Geonaute / Kalenji) chest heart rate monitor (simultaneous dual Ant+ and Bluetooth output). I have found Ant+ to be the more reliable than Bluetooth for connecting the chest strap to Garmin watches. However when initially setting up the sensor connection the Bluetooth connection appears to be the default and you seem to need to specifically search for a heart rate monitor rather than just doing a general sensor search to be able to select the Ant+ connection to it.
- Chest heart rate monitor (make = Powertap, model = Powercal dual) with power metrics output (simultaneous dual Ant+ and Bluetooth output). Garmin will produce an estimated cycling VO2 max from the power metrics output from this. Read the review below to understand how this this differs from a standard bike power meter though. I have found Ant+ to be the more reliable than Bluetooth for connecting the chest strap to Garmin watches. However when initially setting up the sensor connection the Bluetooth connection appears to be the default and you seem to need to specifically search for a heart rate monitor rather than just doing a general sensor search to be able to select the Ant+ connection to it.
- https://www.powertap.com/product/powertap-powercal-dual
- For a review search for "powercal" in the page in the following link:
- Great free heart rate monitoring Android app (name = Sport Gear Tracker)
- This app clearly displays heart rate from chest heart rate monitors and clearly shows this in real-time as well as providing a clear session record.
- It is best to set up custom heart rate zones.
- Great free (although various maps are chargeable) navigation Android and iOS app to plan and direct you along pre-planned routes and record exercise routes in real time:
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