Good, economic watch to follow tracks?
I run quite a lot and, from time to time, I enjoy going through unknown trails.
I also like running without stopping a lot, so following a track with my mobile is quite uncomfortable: you need to stop, unlock, check the app (wikiloc or others), etc.
For this, I am thinking on buying a watch that allows following tracks and gives indications on what turns to take.
I have seen some super watches that even have a little map in it, but they are beyond what I would pay. I would be in approx. 200€, while those are in 600€.
Some people talk very well about Garmin Forerunner 735XT: it gives indications, it has integrated pulse in the wrist, and apparently the battery lasts over 10 h.
However, they also mention that it is a bit old and that others may be better.
So, taking these factors into consideration, what would be good models to consider?
- not more expensive than 250€
- enough battery for long trails: +10h
- wrist heartrate
- ability to follow tracks
1 answer
I finally opted for a Garmin Forerunner 245. It works well, it is not very expensive and the UX to follow tracks is quite good.
Some insights on my experience after over a year using it:
-
Wrist heart rate.
It is not as accurate as the chest band. It has to be very tight and, even in that case, has some hiccups. I learned that the direct sunlight and wind causes those, so I tend to put a clothe over the wrist to minimize them. Still, it is accurate enough to have an overall idea of your heart rate during an activity. -
Not more expensive than 250€.
I got it for around that price. Since new products are coming, this will get cheaper over time. -
Enough battery for long trails: +10h
I have not used for such a long session, but I do feel it would make it. For example, It can be used for a full week, including several trainings, with the heart rate tracking setting active. If you deactivate that, it will last for almost a month. -
Ability to follow tracks.
This works very well once you learn how to do it. The basic idea is that you need to upload the tracks into the Garmin Connect app and then sync them into the watch.- to get the tracks, I am using either Strava or Trail Router.
- to follow them I am learning as I go. It tends to be very accurate, since it beeps in advance whenever you need to do a turn. It also notifies you if/when you are off/in course, which is very useful. In general, I do use it only after checking the track. So, do not follow it blindly if you want to run in a normal pace (otherwise, you will end up stopping at every little confusion).
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