[Closed] STRAVA compatible Smartwatch recommendations please

http://www.lezyne.com/product-gps-microgpswatch.php

Do you want to carry the phone in a pocket/back pack or want the watch to be headless?

Garmion Vivoactive HR - auto uploads to Strava but doesn;t run strava 'on the watch' - advantage you don;t need to carry the phone round with you as the watch has a built in GPS. It'll only play music etc when synced with a phone via bluetooth.

Apple Watch does all that. Not sure what phone you use, though?

Rachel

Sony Smar****ch 3 has various GPS apps including Strava that can use the watch's GPS unit, but Android Wear 2.0 smar****ches apparently have the tech to give audio feedback which the older watches like the Sony lack.

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/tomtom-spark-music-5108-with-code-stack-tomtom-2757209 is ~£51 with code stacks, plus check if TOm Tom store does Topcashback/Quidco.

so, just so im clear, these STRAVA app'd watches will allow basic functionality, such as start/stop/pause - but will/won't show current location and course etc? (apart from the one mentioned that just logs data)

The Sony Smar****ch3 was the first on my radar to get me interested, so I guess im looking to see if their are any other competitors that have nailed it, betterer?
I wasn't sure it was compatible with STRAVA though, cheers.

I use a Lenovo P2 smart phone. Don't ask me which Android im running. Probably banana or sasquatch or somesuch.

the smart watches tend to support recording/trackign rather than navigation on the device.

are there any exceptions wwaswas?

its not a deal breaker, I just like the idea of on screen navigation - if I bought one without only to find another that has it.. well.. i'd be a trifle sad.

Having said that, I never bloody look at the map feature unless im really lost.

If you want 'I'm lost can you plot me qa route home' you'll need more power and memory than smart watches are designed to deliver.

The key thing is 'will you be carrying a phone'? If you will then use that for the odd times you need to navigate, if not then you need a navigation device, not a smar****ch.

I can't comment on the whole market but the 'wrist watch' style devices will offer similar functionality.

Another vote for a garmin watch, I've also got a vivoactive HR, means I don't have to worry about my phone or HR strap when I go out on my MTB. Just activate the watch and go.

Only needs charging once a week too. And I get my texts and stuff on it. And it's telling me my resting HR today is 48, low for a thursday.

Great, thanks for the feedback.

Truth be told, a mixture of rides with phone in backpack, or GPS logger on watch would probably suffice.

Some good recommendations for me to check out. Not sure im man enough to take on the Lezyne, but its robocoptastic.

Vivoactive hr here too , I had the original vivoactive but I managed to stop it mid ride. The newer HR version it's virtually impossible to mess up, definately recommended

Ive got the original vivoactive (bought secondhand off here). Wear it all the time and log all my activities on it (cycle, run, swim, walk etc). I have my phone with me if I am doing anything that isn't just a short local loop anyway. Bearing in mind, do you really want to have to do navigation on a screen the size of a watch, which also has to be wearable all the rest of time without looking like you've got an 810 strapped to your arm!? It does do a breadcrumb thing if you for example can't find you way back to your hotel in a foreign city if you download one of the apps to the watch, but it always seems that my beer goggles find me back anyway...

Also, MUCH longer battery life than an Apple Watch, doesnt need a phone to be useful and works well with other ANT+ sensors.

Apple Watch doesn't need the phone to be useful either. Can play music from it via blue tooth headphones, run strava and google maps so navigation possible but I've never tried it so can't comment on how good it is - can't imagine it'll be particularly good though. If within blue tooth range of phone will enable you to pick up texts/WhatsApps/phone calls etc. Not sure how much more useful stuff you can pack into a watch and for it to be useable.

I think my biggest concerns are battery life, and ability to seamlessly sync to Strava - in which case the Garmin vivi GPS HR seems to be in the right ball park.
Am I right in thinking that you log data via a Garmin app on the watch, which is linked to your Strava account for syncing later?
Or do you have the ability to 'open' Strava on the watch itself?

Yep, on the series 2 you open strava and work it from the watch, doesn't need the phone, completely stand alone. Obviously post ride/run it syncs with your phone which then uploads to strava. There doesn't seem to be a garmin app for the watch yet so not sure how you get rides recorded in strava into garmin connect

On the Garmin you just record the ride and it syncs to Strava in the background. You might need to open the garmin app just to force an update, but you find yourself doing that a couple of times a day anyway normally.

Yep, on the series 2 you open strava and work it from the watch, doesn't need the phone, completely stand alone

Yea, the 1st get doesn't have on-board GPS so needs the phone. The biggest improvement on the Series 2 I think as well as improved battery life.

Battery life is good on Apple Watch 2. Certainly happy to record my half marathon and still manage two days between charges. That was the smaller 38mm model.

Rachel (recognising a half marathon takes her a good while, 2:16, so that’s a good test ??)

Another vote for vivoactive hr

Great device for cycling and fitness tracking

It does have rudimentary navigation , you can save a location and ask it to take you there. Basic and I have never actually used this feature

One point to consider , the new one might be out soon

https://www.slashgear.com/garmin-vivoactive-3-leak-shows-a-more-familiar-round-face-10494649/

Ohhhhh that looks nice. I haven't got the HR, in part because of the looks. I 'upgraded' my first gen one with just buying a chest HR strap. The possible new one looks good.

Ooh, like that. I wasn't planning on swapping the VAHR because I'm skint, but if that's about the same price I'd be very tempted

Well perhaps I'll hold out for the influx off older model hitting the classifieds..

Ghostracer Pro costs £3 and has a map screen you can show on your Lenovo P2, or use in standalone mode on the Sony Smar****ch3.

On your P2, you could get audio feedback for selected segments, saying how you are doing compared to ghost (which can be a previous time of yours or someone else on leaderboard).
No audio feedback on watch, but visual comparison with ghost.

EZ PZ to transfer ride data to Strava.

Oooh, that new Vivoactive could tempt me away from getting an Apple Watch later in the year.

The older square vivoactive has been doing absolutely fine for me though, battery lasts a couple of weeks just as a watch & stepcounter. Then it's a perfectly good GPS activity tracker for runs and cycles (and things like golf if that's your thing too). Garmin Connect (which it pairs to on your phone) can push activities straight to Strava and other services. I get a notiifcation from Strava that the activity is ready to view within seconds of finishing.

Pick up a cheap Edge Touring or similar for navigation on the bike, it's much better at it and in your line of sight.