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I’m after a new watch. I’ve currently got a Vivoactive 3, which is perfect for my needs, but the battery life is dire. I know I can send it off for a new battery, but it’s the best part of £50, and to be frank, I dont trust any of the budget sellers online who can change the battery.
So a new watch could be the better option.I’ve tried a Polar, but cant get on with it as the screen doesnt stay on, and seems to take an age to turn back on (actually, 2 or 3 seconds!) All I want from it is the screen on all the time showing the time, a step counter, a heart beat monitor and a round display. Other add ons are nice, but not essential. The current Vivoactive 5 seems to be the answer, but they do an awful lot of different models, so are they worth looking at?
Thanks.
I've had a Vivactive 3 and 4 and are fine as a general purpose watch. I think it looks good as a watch, and does all the sports things I needed. I've recently change to a Forerunner 165 as I've been doing more running recently so make use of the extra features.
It really depends on what you need, a smar****ch with occasional sports, or a more specific sports focused watch. If I was you I'd go with another Vivactive.
I went from the VA3 to the VA5. For £250 or whatever it's not really much of an upgrade - the screen is a lot snazzier but also less easy to read in bright sunlight, and they've removed the altimeter, if that's a concern. Part of me wished I'd just got a second hand VA4 off Ebay.
But it sits slightly nicer on the wrist and is slightly lower profile, which i like. Battery life is about 10-11 days.
There's many on here with seriously fancy Garmin devices but if you don't need all the shenanigans the VA5 is absolutely fine IMO.
I went from a VA3 (which died) to a used Fenix 5 off eBay for £100 - the sapphire glass and metal case means it’s a lot more robust. I wear it all the time, it gets knocked about (I work in a hardware shop) plus I go sea kayaking, climbing and scrambling. 18 month on, it’s still working well, needs charging weekly even with a few GPS tracked sessions. I also prefer the larger face as I have a better chance of reading it at arm’s length - couldn’t really read the VA3 in use without glasses.
decide on your budget, do a search, decide on what features you want, look at dcrainmaker, buy a fr255 or instinct 2
Garmin Instinct is the way forward.
It does all the metrics/tracking/GPS/heart rate stuff, BUT it looks like a watch (a G-shock!), not a little computer, the screen is very legible in all light without using tonnes of power, it's tough as boots and the battery lasts aaaaages (regularly three to four weeks).
My partner had a vivoactive, quite an old one, and recently bought whatever the new version is, and she is always charging it, way more than me and I use my GPS loads more too.
Xiaomi watch 5 lite is great for ~£35, including excellent GPS lock and superb battery.
Well I just lost my trusty fenix 3 sapphire - was a brilliant watch, but I just can't stomach the price of the fenix 8. I've gone for an epix2pro, they are on sale at H-Samuels, with work vouchers I paid about £300. Fingers crossed I won't keep wishing I'd stumped up more for the fenix!
Well I just lost my trusty fenix 3 sapphire - was a brilliant watch, but I just can't stomach the price of the fenix 8. I've gone for an epix2pro, they are on sale at H-Samuels, with work vouchers I paid about £300. Fingers crossed I won't keep wishing I'd stumped up more for the fenix!
I'll get a Fenix at some point, but they are too nice to wear biking. Have the Epix 2 (non pro) at the moment and it does a fine job
they're not that precious. I wear my fenix 7 solar sapphire pro for everything. case is robust and the glass hasn’t scratched yet, only bits that have are the metal bezel surround, that just adds character! However, as has been said above - Garmins have some smart functionality, but nowhere near the same as an apple or google watch, but then the batteries on them last 5 mins!
I had a VA3 (actually my missus just didn’t want it) decided that I didn’t like touchscreen watches, particularly need a colour display or anything much else but did like having a GPS/HR thing on my wrist.
So I ended up getting an instinct (don’t worry I’m not going to tell you to buy yet another watch). Of course that instinct started developing battery issues earlier this year, Garmin wanted a small fortune to replace it as it was out of warranty.
Instead I got the battery replaced by someone who knew what they were doing for £35 (see thread here).
long story short, if you like the watch and a battery change might salvage it Vs spending even more on a replacement, then it’s well worth £35 (IMO of course)…
I'll get a Fenix at some point, but they are too nice to wear biking.
My six has a few scratches but all of them are from my incompetent climbing. I wear it without thinking when mountain biking or white water paddling as anything which manages to damage it is likely to do far more damage to the surrounding flesh.
If anything with the size of it I think it protects against brambles to some degree (time to test that theory by wearing it on the other wrist and counting the cuts).
I went from a Forerunner, to Vivoactive, to Epix when they were cheap at H Samuel’s. Each one has been better than the last so if you can find an Epix for £250/300 I’d go for that.
Another H. Samuel cheap(ish) Epix user here. Its a lot bigger and heavier than the Forerunner 45 it replaced but it is so much better for almost everything I want it to do. (fitness tracking, ride recording, basic smart watch functions)
H.Samuel currently have the Epix pro down from £740 to £370
I went from a VA3 (which died) to a used Fenix 5 off eBay for £100 - the sapphire glass and metal case means it’s a lot more robust. I wear it all the time, it gets knocked about (I work in a hardware shop) plus I go sea kayaking, climbing and scrambling. 18 month on, it’s still working well, needs charging weekly even with a few GPS tracked sessions. I also prefer the larger face as I have a better chance of reading it at arm’s length - couldn’t really read the VA3 in use without glasses.
Ditto
My VA3 battery life is shocking, and so I bought a Fenix 5 eBay for £100. It's done most of what I like to do, except for some of the F6 /F7 features like body battery (my riding friends are regularly comparing, and I feel left out).
Bezel is scratched. Don't really care.
Doesn't do maps. I think the 5+ version does.
BUT my start/stop button has died. So now I have to use the VA3 for running, and the F5 for wearing. Not ideal.
I'm looking for something like a solar 6 or 7 I guess...
had a Forerunner 55 for 18 months, as an entry level device. Got on with it very well, so picked up a 255 on offer in Currys last week.
Its very nice. Nice MIPS screen (E-ink, rather than light up OLED), Very wide range of metrics (compared to the 55, at least) and sports. Good level of Smartphone notifications and music control without having lots of mini apps to clutter it up.
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/garmin-forerunner-255-sports-watch-slate-grey-46-mm-10248926.html
2 week battery life
will pair to a generic bluetooth wheel and cadence sensor for using the turbo as a static bike ride.
The 250 quid version can store music on board, but thats not clear on the currys description.
might be handy for swimming, but not something i need or want
I have a venu. Does everything other than maps but does to worm trails with the right app.
Just looks like a watch. Not even a gshock monstrosity. A relatively plain black watch.
Oh it also have proper standalone Spotify listening
Went from a Vivoactive 4 to an Instinct. The Instinct display was awful (probably partly my eyesight) so went for an Expix with the H Samuel offer - awesome watch and TBH feels a lot better than my son's Fenix 7
mods delete this if inappropriate, but if of interest I’m selling my Epix gen 2 on the STW classifieds