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After returning my Garmin Instinct Solar I'm looking for a new fitness tracker/smartwatch. It has to be a wristwatch, not a bike computer, as it will be used for riding bikes, hiking, cross country skiing and skiing AND as a smartwatch to display notifications from my phone (mid activity too, apparently Polars don't support that).
The Instinct was more or less perfect, it had great battery life, was rugged, had a black and white screen and no touchscreen, so buttons were used to use it. It also supported all the sports I needed. The issue is the non-working altimeter (wide-spread issue, any user I talked to had similar issues). Coupled with the horrible local support for Garmin, all Garmin products are off the table.
Any suggestions?
The Instinct was more or less perfect, it had great battery life, was rugged, had a black and white screen and no touchscreen, so buttons were used to use it. It also supported all the sports I needed. The issue is the non-working altimeter (wide-spread issue, any user I talked to had similar issues). Coupled with the horrible local support for Garmin, all Garmin products are off the table.
Any suggestions?
The Suunto 9 "baro" has a barometer that apparently helps get more accurate altitude readings...
It's really silly how big it is though. I haven't worn a watch for 20 years so maybe that's it but it bruised my tender forearm after the first big ride with it...I think i can recommend it as a fitness / sleep tracker watch, though. Sure, why not?
It does display notifications and can control your music. It doesn't have maps in it. Have I mentioned it's big? HANDSOME, but large.
Apparently the Instinct issue is, at least partly (not wholly, as we tested over the weekend with a friends example - he was running it on his frame and it still wasn't OK) related to the barometer hole positioned on the bottom of the watch, not the side. With that you can cover it, sweat can get in, etc.
So even if it's not a faulty sensor, it's a faulty design. The Fenix apparently has the hole positioned on the side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd0AY_nJfUE
Just how broken the altimeter was on the watch is shown by the watch randomly issuing storm alerts in completely clear weather with no storms coming. Because the altimeter started reading a completely different pressure without moving and thus had to issue the storm warning.
I've not ridden in super gloomy conditions yet but the GPS tracking has been great, even without the Baro model...I'll mess around with the navigation features more when the snow hits, where it'll be a bit more consequential. I want touchscreen maps on my wrist!
These looked good at first glance and comparing them, the Suunto 9 Peak and some of the Coros offerings do look good. Polars are apparently amazing, but do not support notifications mid activity (something something their policy on keeping you focused during training...), which is a deal breaker for me, as noted in the original post
Do you wear your non-smart watches after you bought a smart watch? I have several watches and still wear them, but not when doing sports.
I know you said Garmin is off the table...but I must say that the Epix is pretty...epic :-) I've got a review in the works, really loving it so far. Getting very consistent climb/altitude readings on all my rides. Notifications, music...the only thing I'm missing is the ability to answer a phone call (tethered to the phone, I don't mean by connecting to the phone network), as it lacks the mic/speaker to provide that function. Really happy with battery life and a very stable connection to the phone. The amoled screen is REALLY nice too. Garmin Connect works well for tracking rides/workouts...but you knew that part already I guess. Anyhoo...
I used a Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL for a while (reviewed in a Gear Show episode), that provides much more basic overall functionality but the GPS tracking/altitude readings were largely consistent with products from Samsung, Apple, and Garmin. No real smartwatch functions though, no music, no navigational software (it can track breadcrumbs in "map" view but that's about it). The strong point of that watch is the hand-off capability for multisport activities (triathlon), and it does provide the data needed for tracking your training.
FWIW.
Oeuf, this is a blast from the past. I've been runing a Coros Apex 46 mm for almost two years now and am very happy with it. The form factor of the Instinct was awesome, but as an everyday carry, the Coros looks much sleeker and still gives most of the functionality. The connectivity to other platforms and the app is not on Garmin's level, but is manageable.
Instinct 2 also fixed the barometer port issue of Instinct 1, hopefully it works better. And I think this elevation issue is very much limited to Instinct 1, a friend of mine cut a notch around the barometer ports and greatly improved the functionality.
Didn't before, don't now...
Altimeter works great on my Fenix 7, no issues with the Fenix 5 it replaced either. For a do it all fitness / smart watch Garmin is hard to beat. Fenix / Epic at the top end with sapphire screens are great and tough as nails.
Yes. Though I use a smartwatch for exercise, tracking health, riding, etc., and find them useful, I still wear my Vacheron Constantin Quai De L’Ile watches (I was lucky to get them at the Mio shop last year). It's like a classic for me. And I'd never wear a smartwatch with a suit. Maybe I'm old-fashioned haha
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