UKH

Sorta following on from this post I supose that was back in 2017...

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/gear/best_smart_watches_for_mountaineerin...

Things have moved on a lot in the smart watch world in 5 years and there are masses of new features on all smart watches and new players in town now such as Coros.

What watches are ppl using now, what features rock or suck on which watches?

In reply to doughobbs:

I got a Fenix 6 Pro used from cex a couple years ago, and can't fault it. Maybe the software for things like programming custom hangboard routines on it could be a bit better, but the main functionality, long battery life, location tracking, maps on the wrist. Smart watch functionality, notifications etc are really handy, more than I expected. Screen is perfectly readable in any conditions.

The newer 7 and Epic don't add anything useful to the 6, just cost an arm and a leg.

In reply to doughobbs:

I agree 7 only adds touch screen but nothing else of relevance

In reply to doughobbs:

casio w-800h, 10 year battery life, 100m waterproof, lightweight, very robust and shockproof, about £25 quid.

In reply to doughobbs:

Ive just been looking at Garmin instinct solar, anyone recommend it?

In reply to doughobbs:

I'd be insterested to see if anyone has a Coros or a Polar watch and what they think of those.

Interesting about the Fenix 6-7 difference, wasn't aware of that!

In reply to doughobbs:

I have a Coros Vertix 2. I say have, it's died. I also have an oldish Garmin Fenix 5 that is going strong. I've had a Sunnto equivalent a few years ago.

I wouldn't go anywhere other than Garmin personally.

Battery life on the Coros was great until it died. It doesn't do OS grid refs and that annoyed me, and the mapping is pretty awful. It feels a bit toy like. It was ok but I wouldn't buy one.

In reply to jezb1:

Now that IS intersting as I've been on the cusp of settling on one of those - I thought they did OS grid, good to know they don't before I make the plunge financially!

Which Suunto watch do/did you have? I'm rocking an old Ambit 3 (and is the reason for this thread) which still works but activity uploads are a bit hit n miss and its just ancient by todays standards and capabilities!

In reply to doughobbs:

worth double checking that as I know they were hoping to add it at some point.

I had an old Ambit too I think.

In reply to doughobbs:

Just got a new suunto instinct solar having had an old ambit 3 peak for about 5 years which did well but gave up due to moisture ingress and in the end some satellite issues which made it annoying to use

I did have a Garmin fenix for a short while but never got on with the interface, too many features for me and I struggled to scroll around in the watch to do anything

The new instinct seems leagues ahead but it should be really, even more crazy battery life, the app is easy to use and easy to tailor all the exercise screens to the metrics you want, touch screen is much better than the old Garmin thing I had before the ambit peak as well which put me off them

The colour mapping on the screen is surprisingly good and more useable/ useful than I expected

I'm not good with gadgets really so having got the hang of many of the features in this new watch and app package in under a week I have to give it a thumbs up

Bloody expensive tho!!!

In reply to doughobbs:

I'd second getting the Fenix 6x pro (whatever the big one is with the maps). I upgraded from an old Garmin 720 (with basic mapping) to the Fenix a few years ago (got a good deal and cashback etc.). It's still going strong, never have any issues with it, the 7 series does have the flash light which is cool but I wouldn't pay £100s+ extra for it, I also think a touch screen might be a disadvantage in a lot of scenarios if you could accidentally activate it, or if it's funny in the rain like phone screens can be. The longer battery life of these Fenix models compared to the lower spec garmins is brilliant, only having to charge it up once every few weeks even when running several times a week is nice.

In reply to elliot.baker:

If you can manage without maps then the Garmin Enduro gives even better battery life with the same features and firmware as the Fenix 6.

I'm getting 18 to 21 days between charges whilst recording running and walking at least twice a day.

In reply to timjones:

I think I'd be lost on some moor or frozen mountain somewhere if I didn't have the maps ... don't judge me! 🤣

In reply to Timy2:

I have the Instinct 2 (Non Solar) and the battery lasts ~15-20 days with using GPS tracking for commuting and a bit of running.

Have friends with the Instinct 1 and a 2 solar. The general consensus is to meet in the middle for the 2 and forget the solar as we're not outside enough to benefit from the solar. 

In reply to elliot.baker:

Don't worry I won't judge, I like to use GPS alogside maps to maximum advantage but Ireally can't get on with maps ona tiny watch screen so I carry a handheld GPS for easy access to the techy side of navigation

In reply to Timy2:

Recommend it? Yes, for Instinct Solar 1. A lot depends on what you want to use it for. I use mine mainly for running (where ascent measurement was a decisive factor over other Garmin running watches) and a bit of navigation, occasionally. Maps may be a deciding factor for some but for me it's enough that it gives me an OS grid reference when I ask it. Solar is great when away without charging facilities, so long as the sun shines a bit. A lot cheaper than Fenix, last time I looked, and I've had mine, trouble-free, since the model first came out.

In reply to elliot.baker:

^ This.

A touchscreen on a watch would put me right off. (Even if I do sometimes try to scroll a map on my 945…)

In reply to Ridge:

it looks like you can turn off the touch screen on the Fenix 7, not sure about the others.

....The Coros Vertix 2 looks like an interesting watch with its roller wheel thing

In reply: what's missing from budget smartwatches? eg https://www.techradar.com/reviews/amazfit-bip-u-pro

In reply to magma:

I suspect, that the integration of app / web and watch software and hardware is where the big names have the advantage. I would want more than a tech radar review to be convinced.

In reply to magma:

Battery life is dire compared to a Fenix, for a start.

But on a more fundamental level, I trust Garmin more with my personal data than el random Chinese cheap tat manufacturer.

In reply to doughobbs:

I’ve been wearing my garmin fenix 6 pro pretty much 24/7 now for 2 years and can’t fault it. The only reason I’d upgrade is to try and get one which would last 100 mile run but I’ve been told this one can if I’m a bit more careful with how I use it during the run. 

In reply to Levy_danny:

Not want to teach you to such eggs, but have you turned SPO2 off? It makes such a difference. I also have this watch. Today expected battery life off = 20 days & on = 9 days. It is a pretty useless metric. Unless you are super slow I think a 100 miler should be fine.

In reply to doughobbs:

Sorry to steal your thread a bit, but as you've asked almost exactly the same question that I want to...

...does anyone have any opinions on the Garmin Instinct 2 versus Suunto 9 (Peak/Peak Pro)? I need a barometer and some sort of GPS nav functionality that allows uploading a route in GPX form, don't necessarily need actual topo maps.

In reply to doughobbs:

I’ve had the Garmin Fenix 7 x sapphire solar mega super duper (I lose track of how many adjectives it has) for a while now and am mostly happy. I last a Fenix somewhere around 3.

My main wish was battery for tracking duration, so I could do a 2-3 day 8-10hrs/day tramp and gps track without recharge. Prior to the recent models step up I would have had to go to COROS for this and didn’t really like their UI or reports of lack reliability.

The battery capacity is great, I can track my usual rides, walks, runs for a month or so between recharges. The touch screen is really useful; I found mapping on the old Fenix a pain and essentially useless without this, it now works well. It’s easier navigating through the huge amount of menus and options.  For those worried about it, you can turn it off easily.

The flashlight option is actually very useful.

But it’s big! I’ve a reasonably small wrist, and it’s actually painful when eg downhill MTBing. This would influence which model I’d buy in the future, I don’t need any greater battery capacity so for future models I’d get the smallest model that had comparable tracking duration.

In reply to doughobbs:

I can echo the thoughts of other Fenix users. I have the 7s sapphire solar and it's fab. I wear it all day. the battery life is great and the tracking is spot on.

For hiking, I use it in normal GPS mode and it is good for up to 4 days of 8 hour per-day before the battery goes. 

For running I use the multi-band for greater accuracy but it does knock the battery life a bit.

The maps are ok but the 7s screen is small so you need to practice using it (I added talky toaster maps) 

The other sport stuff for bouldering, climbing, swimming etc is fab. 

As others have said, the integration to the app and the Garmin website is great, very mature and functional (and onto strata and fetch everyone if you like that)

No complaints.

I tried the Apple Watch and the battery life and tracking accuracy were not good enough.

In reply to doughobbs:

I’ve had my Suunto Traverse for many years and it’s served me well. However it is frustrating that it takes a long time to synch over bluetooth after a trip, and not always successfully. Do modern Suunto and Garmin watches synch a lot quicker? If replacing it then I would need something ultra water proof (main use is sea kayaking), good battery life, buttons rather than touch screen, (although touch screen alongside buttons ok if it can be turned off ), a simple one or two button press to show current lat and long or OS grid ref, barometric pressure, ability to interface with HR chest strap (don’t want/need optical wrist sensor). Any suggestions or recommendations for the above? Thanks

In reply to kevin stephens:

re: syncing
If you have a smart phone this becomes automatic with blue Garmin and you rarely have to force the issue. 

I have Fenix 7 and it sync almost immediately after the activity. Mine is synced with Strava and Training Peaks. I really like the watch as it is really complex so if you do more than one sport , you can get the most out of this watch. I am now training for marathon and it is really great I can easily set my fartleks and interval trainings in the watch and then going outside and simply push the button and I follow the instructions the watch gives me. It is a no-brainer with plenty of features which you will definitely find helpful if you do more sports. Its battery lasts very long though I bought 47 mm version so with all runs every other day , it lasts around 2 weeks. Recently I have climbed Mont Blanc and I didn't have to charge the watch for the entire period of the trip. You can also buy a 51 mm version (Fenix 7x) which has larger battery so it can last even longer. I didn't buy this one as it is too big and on my wrist it looked like an alarm clock. The only negative I must mention is its transflective display, it is too dark to me but they are working on it. Recently they have released newer Fenix 7 Pro which also uses transflective display but it's a bit brighter.     

In reply to kevin stephens: The new Suunto Vertical looks very good, reviews found much faster synching than older models