Garmin V's Fitbit fitness watch

[Stephenite]

@bozmandb9 did you get a FR225 then?

 

[Piemaster]

Garmins new watches are on their website, 225 has been replaced with 230/235. Lot more features and one has a built in HRM.

 

[RussellZero]

Seen this? http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2...based-heart-rate-and-smart-notifications.html

 

[Stephenite]

I wonder how accurate these new HRMs are?

I have a Vivosmart and a Forerunner 910xt. Obviously, both use a HRM belt.

 

[Piemaster]

The wrist based HRM from what I've read seem a bit picky on skin tone - the darker the less accurate, but this is being overcome by some companies using 2 different colour LED in the device to increase accuracy.
Personally I'm not too fussed about them at the moment. Don't really need to know my HR whilst shopping with my wife. Or maybe I do when she starts getting the credit card out . If I'm out for a cycle/run it's no hardship to put on a chest monitor, it lives in the cupboard with the sports clothing anyway. The chest strap works with both the FR15 and the Edge cycle computer. Think that for cycling the chest strap with the Edge on the bars is a good combination anyway - I can't see Garmin having a wrist based device communicating HR to and Edge series anyway.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Well my second Viviosmart screen is stuffing up now. I quite like concept of the device but it has some serious shortcomings. 80% of the notifications are the device telling me it has disconnected or connected to Bluetooth. The Bluetooth range is, well, cack.

The only feature I really like is the inactivity reminder, although quite often it will tell me to MOVE when I already walking, or worse it will tell me to move when I'm on the crapper. Bad idea.

I like stats geek out getting daily movement data into Garmin Connect but if I were to find out the Apple Watch did the same I'd seriously consider jumping ship.

 

[Piemaster]

Doesn't sound good at all. My FR15 has been very good and importantly for my use - tough - as my daily use tends to kill watches. Though the battery life with gps on is down to a couple of hours now. I'm tempted with the new FR25 as it does notifications now, DC Rainmaker put the apple thing through some testing and whilst it survived past its rating it's hardly a £1 shop watch if you do kill it.
The Apple health kit looks interesting though.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Doesn't sound good at all. My FR15 has been very good and importantly for my use - tough - as my daily use tends to kill watches. Though the battery life with gps on is down to a couple of hours now. I'm tempted with the new FR25 as it does notifications now, DC Rainmaker put the apple thing through some testing and whilst it survived past its rating it's hardly a £1 shop watch if you do kill it.
The Apple health kit looks interesting though.

I just watched the apple fitness app video and it looks better than the garmin.

 

[ufkacbln]

My first Vivosmart had a cracked inner part of the strap which "pinched" when worn so was returned
THe second was about four weeks old and worked perfectly... except the screen died, so you could download data, but neither see or interact on the Vivosmart... now returned

I now have an apple watch so many of the features are duplicated so will try the FitBit Charge next

 

[Andrew_Culture]

My first Vivosmart had a cracked inner part of the strap which "pinched" when worn so was returned
THe second was about four weeks old and worked perfectly... except the screen died, so you could download data, but neither see or interact on the Vivosmart... now returned

I now have an apple watch so many of the features are duplicated so will try the FitBit Charge next

Glad I'm not the only one having a problem! Why will you try the Fitbit if the Apple Watch does the same thing? I'm just wondering if I've missed something

 

[Stephenite]

I've had the Vivosmart a year now. It's actually the second Vivosmart as the the display went funny after several trips saltwater bathing. I can't fault it though. It's a rugged little blighter. I'm not sure there's anything else out there that could take the beating this has had - and have a screen. I turned the 'move' function off. I don't want to be reminded to move. With two small children I would rather be reminded to relax and calm down. Also, i don't bother with the notifications. I only get the bluetooth connection lost/found buzz. It doesn't bother me tbh.

 

[ufkacbln]

Glad I'm not the only one having a problem! Why will you try the Fitbit if the Apple Watch does the same thing? I'm just wondering if I've missed something

Measurement issues and technology

I work in the medical field and as a result phones are out as is anything like a wrist watch (naked below the elbow)

So wearing the "technology" on your waist is the option.

Apple measures "brisk activity" so with no raised heart rate (not being measured) the activity is not recorded. The FitBit however will record steps independently

I have also found the measurement os steps by the Apple devices unreliable. On a recent canal trip some 4 miles of walking and operation of some 16 locks recorded over 10,000 on the Vivosmart, but failed to record 30 minutes of activity on the Apple Watch

Bought the Charge at lunchtime - 5084 steps since then and only 2,000 for the day on the Phone / Watch

I know it is all about comparing day to day, but the Apple Watch records so little that it is not really an incentive.

 

[Piemaster]

It is a little odd that we use a wrist mounted device to record steps. Moov should surely be better for it as it can be worn on the ankle. Not sure I could live with the electronic criminal tag look though.

 

[ufkacbln]

It is a little odd that we use a wrist mounted device to record steps. Moov should surely be better for it as it can be worn on the ankle. Not sure I could live with the electronic criminal tag look though.

Cheating?

I did nick my wife's FitBit One and attach it to the leg of my shorts

With a cycle commute, the Vivosmart and Apple Watch count no steps (the Vivosmart used to remind me to move) yet I would record som 7-8,000 steps on the One

 

[Piemaster]

Makes sense, fitbit on the shorts records your legs doing something, Vivosmart/Apple watch are just resting on the bars so not doing much at all. I find hitting things with a hammer at work is recorded as steps on the FR15, while I'm actually standing still.