My wife has been badgering me for a running watch for sometime now, and true to form, I’ve left it to the last minute. Been reading the reviews but it can be difficult to work out which watches offer the features she wants;

GPS so she can send her runs to Strava without taking her phone running (preferably upload via wifi/wifi direct to the phone app/laptop)

Standard USB charging (rather than yet another proprietary cable)

Heart-rate monitoring

Smallish and discreet rather than big and garish

Any personal recommendations? The Spark 3 looked promising but having a special lead to charge it, and having to fire up the laptop to ‘dock’ it to the PC with a cable to upload each GPX file to Strava makes me think it will quickly fall out of use, she has no patience for faffing!

Ultimately I’m looking for budget end of the scale but I know these things are pricey….

Standard USB charging (rather than yet another proprietary cable)

That’ll be the stumbling block.

Maybe try one of the Samsung Gear Fit offerings? They’ve been giving them out like candy with Samsung phone contracts, so you should manage to find one for less than £150 on eBay.

Garmin here

But it’ll come with an Evil Cable of Charging. AFAIK they all do.

There’s been a load of TomTom Spark deals posted at http://www.hotukdeals.com/ over the last few months, for the older generation models.

For example, use Topcashback for 10.5% off and get https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/sports/fitness-watches/gps-watch-music-spark/black-large/?awc=2966_1501224010_44191cda019698441a721a2e620d436d&nsctrid=v01MTQyMTExMTExMTExMTExMTEwMTQyMDAwMDAwMDAwNTE1MDEyMjQwMTBjZml3MXVrNDc4Njg for ~£60 +p&p

TomTom seem to do at least three models for each type, basic tracking; + cardio; + music and cardio.

Another option is to look out for Sony Smartwatch 3 deals, one slight downer is they did not get the Android Wear 2.0 update, but functionality for the price isn’t bad at all.

I would leave out the HRM unless you absolutely need it and it may slim down the watch a bit. IME the strap will just end up in the sock drawer.

Put the strava app on her phone, use an armband?

Something newer generation, Garmin Vivosmart HR for £140

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5397299?cmpid=COJUN&utm_campaign=10830324&cjsurferid=139103982863626842%3AC.PBExrQB3dX&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=Pepper+Deals+LTD&utm_source=CJ&catalogId=10001&storeId=10151&_%24ja=tsid%3A11674%7Cprd%3A1546795&utm_term=1453124&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fproduct%2F5397299&referrer=COJUN

Get her a Polar M400. Does all that and is reasonably cheap now the M430 is is out which has an optical HRM sensor rather than the more conventional strap.

The only real downside is if you want to do stuff over 8hrs as, seems to be norm for these things, that’s the battery limit when all else and whistles are ‘on’.

Something newer generation, Garmin Vivosmart HR for £140

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5397299?cmpid=COJUN&utm_campaign=10830324&cjsurferid=139103982863626842%3AC.PBExrQB3dX&utm_medi

I know we’ve gone off topic now, as the Garmins have propriety connectors and this one is chunky. But if it was me, I’d go to GoOutdoors and get the Vivoactive HR, but get them to price match either John Lewis or Halfords, and you then get it for £153 (price match + 10%).

I am aware the above is nowhere near meeting the brief.

So in summary, a Fenix 5S.

🙂

Aaah, if we’re going off piste, how about something that doesn’t have GPS, HRM, WIFI or STRAVA connectivity and has both a proprietary connecter and is the same size as a grandfather clock? Oh… 😉

Garmin Forerunner 35 fits all of the requirements bar the standard USB charge. Well, it charges via USB but has a propriety clip to charge with.

GPS is fine, uploads to a phone via Bluetooth.
Small and discrete.
HRM that doesn’t need a chest strap.

Does the job.

2 things that are hateful about Garmin, one is the charging connector, and the other one is the charging connector

2 things that are hateful about Garmin, one is the charging connector, and the other one is the charging connector

Which one, they have several 8)

If Garmin’s running kit is anything like their cycling kit, I’d use all my training to run the other way – very fast. With the Edge’s, there’s not really a great deal of choice though it’s improving. With running watches, the world is your lobster and there’s loads of choice. Use it wisely 😉

HRM that doesn’t need a chest strap

That has been one of my issue with HRM over the years, an uncomfortable strap (well that and I dont value HRM as a training tool) I wonder how accurate the non strap ones are.

I find the wrist based HRM, when compared to a chest strap, is pretty accurate but doesn’t deal well with spikes and quick changes of rate. Does the job as a rough guide though.

The Garmin Forerunner 10 is hard to beat unless you absolutely do need more data than you know what to do with. AFAIK it will talk to your phone so you can get a preview of texts when you’re running (sometimes handy to know if you need to interrupt your run). If it has bluetooth you only need the cable for charging.

I believe the proprietary cables are needed is because its difficult to make a USB port waterproof.

well that and I dont value HRM as a training tool

agreed, too many variables sleep, what you’ve eaten, even the weather, stress, accuracy.

I bought myself a garmin vivoactive last week and I’m really happy with it so far, I was torn between the garmin and a Fitbit surge but went for the garmin because of the higher quality screen and the garmin is waterproof. So far it’s really comfortable to wear, easy to use, the gps tracking seems spot on and the smart watch features are handier than I expected.

The garmin connect phone app takes a little getting used to but I’ve got the hang of it now, downloading new watch faces was a bit fiddly but sorted now.

Garmin user here. Had a Forerunner 220 (with chest strap), 235 with the optical heart rate, and now have a 935 (also with optical heart rate). Whilst the 935 is an amazing piece of kit, it’s a triathlon watch and overkill for running. The optical HRM seems better on the 935 than the 235.

For running only, I’d get a Forerunner 35; if any other activities are needed, I’d get a 235 or a Vivoactive HR (you can use the 35 for cycling, and change the activity type on Strava afterwards).

Note that I haven’t used TomTom or Polar watches, and they could be amazing. However in our group, 90% of people use Garmin. USB cable is still proprietary though (and the 220, 235 and 935 all have different versions).

Edit: 220 and 235 sync via Garmin Connect app on phone using Bluetooth. 925 also has wifi, so syncs as I walk into the house 🙂

DCRainmaker has this topic sewn up…….

Garmin 235 is good: finally they’ve sorted the charging connection.

Ive got a tomtom spark 3 it comes with a cradle/lead to charge which is not that much of a faff to do,long as you have the tomtom sports app on your phone it pairs and syncs straight away to strava or whichever fitness app you prefer, you can also up load trails to it which appear on the screen to follow.

I think Tom Tom pulling out of the market, so future support may dwindle.
https://www.wareable.com/tomtom/tomtoms-rumoured-wearable-exit-0035

I like my TomTom something (Runner 2?)

GPS and HRM all built into the watch (no chest strap). It even tells the time! other than when it’s being used as a GPS, which is annoying.

Coupla negatives on the Polar M400: The SMS linkup only works when you’re not in a training session so you won’t preview messages once the stopwatch is going and apparently the micro USB interface can be a pain long term though I haven’t had this (yet). Oh and a pet hate of mine, you can only download the session data via their app so you’re a bit locked in. Think that’s pretty common though looking at the Garmin Connect comments up there ^

Garmin Connect just kind of sits there though. The sync route is Device > Connect > Strava > Relive however once its set up it normally just runs straight in to Strava.

higher quality screen and the garmin is waterproof.

Just don’t press the buttons underwater. That’s in the actual manual.

Mate of mine really likes his Forerunner 235. Good enough GPS, looks decent as a watch and lasts 10 days or so without GPS on. One thing he likes more than most is the optical heartrate thing giving him a clue of when he should be resting.

He runs a lot and it helps him train better apparently

+1 for the Polar M400. I went from a Microsoft Band with a HR monitor to the Polar without. Less faff and more battery life. But then i couldn’t interpret my HR data if i wanted to.

I am using a Garmin Forerunner 235. Gets your pulse from your wrist. Have been using this 5 times a week for the last year. Not cheap but works superbly. Use it for both running and cycling.

I use a Sony SmartWatch 3 with a Polar BT chest strap and Ghostracer. It’s great; if a bit awkward to set up at first. No need to carry my phone and Ghostracer syncs with strava as soon as I’m home again; no manual uploading required.

Why does she want heart rate for running ?

I don’t know anyone who trains using it (not saying she shouldn’t)

I’ve got a cheap TomTom, cost me £50 and does the same stuff as Garmins cost £150 more + everyone with Garmins appears to have occasions where they just crash or loose part of a workout

Wow, lots of runners! Thanks for all the responses, plenty of suggestions to go through (and also to re-consider the need for heart rate etc etc).

Samsung gear fit 2 as mentioned above. Small, battery lasts at least 2 days, has heart rate, can do auto activity tracking, smartphone alerts, milliom different watch faces to choose from and as also said above, loads of new ones on ebay as they were included with s7 phones in June. £95 should get you one.

I have just replaced my Somy SW3 with one. Lasts 9 hours when recording with gps and hrm. Can post straight into strava and the samsung health app is great for sleep/steps/etc logging.

FunkyDunc – Member
Why does she want heart rate for running ?

I don’t know anyone who trains using it

I do, quite successfully.

This guy does, very successfully.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Way

FWIW I use a Garmin Fenix 5, but any Garmin watch would be my go-to for running.

Bloody cheapskate! Buy her something bling! Mrs M has just read your post and will be speaking to Mrs Spooky_b329!

I use hr a lot for running, especially races where I want to pace my effort sensibly. It’s true that my training is more usually done to pace but even then learning how the pulse relates to speed is useful for me.

I’ve just finished my first week with a Fitbit Surge – picked it up second hand on the bay for £65

Been very pleased with it so far – used the app on my phone and the windows app for the PC – it auto syncs via Bluetooth – I don’t use Strava so I have no idea how easily you can get it to work with that – battery life seems to be about 2 days (I am tracking some exercise every day) – it was straight forward to get up and running

Does have a proprietary USB cable – only negatives so far are its a little chunky and a couple of times I have managed to accidentally pause the tracking while riding

Also considered the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ and Vivoactive HR before getting the Fitbit

I would serious re-consider on the standard USB cable requirement. My last 2 Polar watches both had standard USB connectors and in both cases it was the USB socket in the watch which led to their demise. Water/sweat gets trapped inside the socket and they corrode.

And another HR user here – mainly for easy runs where I have an upper limit, but also useful for tempo runs off-road in the mud or when it’s hilly so pace is hard to judge.