Runners - which Garmin watch do you have and what do you like about it?

How do you have issues getting Bluetooth headphones to work in the pool?

Between my last post 5min ago and now I'm reading bluetooth isn't great in water.

I have the 255s and really like it

I've been dithering about a watch upgrade. Music while swimming...mmm not that not something any of the reviews have pointed out.
I wouldn't run without my phone but I would swim without it...

Now then do I go with an older model or 170 music.

I was going to recommend this one too, my husband has it.

I have the 265 and I love all the features but I cannot wear it all the time as the band irritates and leaves my arm red raw. I have yet to find a decent replacement for it.

I have the Venu 2 S which I think is pretty and does all the tracking I need too !

I've got a 255S music. It seems accurate apart from open water swimming where it's useless. The map function for trail running isn't great, but i don't like the map on DH's Fenix either. The screen is just too small for map reading. The skiing speed matched the speed check last time I went. The battery is still good after 5 years, it's robust and I like that it's small. The full size ones are way too big for me and i catch themon things. It's not very elegant though.

I got the Garmin Venu because I thought it looked nice 😊 I run 5 or 6 days / 35-40k a week and have found it to be fine. Allegedly it’s more a “lifestyle” watch whatever that is, but is fine for running…you can create and upload workouts, link to Garmin Connect etc. I’ve programmed intervals annd tempo runs into it and Mine is linked to Strava. accuracy seems comparable with my previous forerunner.

I’ve had the garmin forerunner 245 for 3.5 years. still going strong I love it and the coaching programmes have really improved my running. Also it make me run more as it gets very passive aggressive if I have a break

I've got the venu 3 as I can read WhatsApp / text messages on it, answer calls. Connects with my ring doorbell so I can see who is at the door, read emails etc. It's also a great watch for running, cycling and cardio, I've had it for a couple of years now with no issues. Battery life is decent too for a smart watch.

I've got a Forerunner 265S, and I love it, it's a bit of an upgrade from my last Forerunner. My favourite feature is the navigation, especially when I am trying out new road routes, I don't have to keep stopping to check where I'm supposed to go next. It also has all the activities I want, like yoga and Pilates and gives me running workout suggestions and will do race pacing too.

Absolutely absolutely love my Garmin. It’s a proper sports watch in a way that an Apple Watch or similar just isn’t (and in fairness isn’t trying to be). I have the Forerunner 965 which is beyond what you are after but I use it for pool swimming and open water swimming as well as running. It’s the most expensive thing to wear that I own other than my wedding ring, but it’s amazing.

Do look carefully at the different features of the different models and think about what you will and won’t use. My DH has a Garmin and loves the feature on his where you can load music from Spotify onto the watch and connect your earbuds to it, which means he doesn’t take his phone with him when he goes running because he says there is nowhere comfortable to carry a phone. Whereas I’ve never even set that feature up on my Garmin because I always take my phone with me in the phone pocket of my leggings.

Sorry this doesn’t really answer your question but just saying that your instinct to get a Garmin is a good one!

Yes had a huge brick one was well. Used to take ages to locate satellites and find a GPS signal.
Also if I remember rightly didn't even tell the time? I can't remember for certain 😆
A bit sad I've never kept them over the years now to make my own running museum 🤣

Yep. I have one and it's fantastic, battery lasts forever and no silly features.

The standard strap gave me a skin reaction but they are easily changed.

Edit: the phone finder function is worth the money alone.

Oh, interesting. I didn't know that was a thing. I've been using Garmin watches for nearly 20 years, when you had a brick strapped to your wrist. I thought their whole reason for being was GPS!

The garmin forerunner 55 is the current entry level forerunner I think and sounds perfect for what you need

I have a Coros, absolutely love it.

Garmin isn't the default choice by any means.

All modern watches will have accurate GPS. If you want to track HR buy an arm strap, the sensors on watches are notorious for inaccuracies.

Just pick something in your budget. Lots of buyers guides out there.

I have a 245 but would not recommend. The charging cables are insanely irritating. You need to position the watch so carefully in order that it charges. It sounds like such a small thing but it is so annoying when you think you be charged if but haven’t. We’re all swapping to Coros watches when our garmin stop working. They are meant to be much better watches.

Which one do you have? They should all be accurate, it could be that something needs changing in your settings. Maybe auto pause or the GPS settings?

I have the Forerunner 235, which is obsolete now, but does everything I need. Basically, pace, distance and heart rate, and talks to the Garmin Connect App so you can review and store data.

All the research I've done suggests the 165 would be a like for like replacement, although DP enjoys his 245 because he can play music without taking his phone, and also use it for swimming.

It’s Strava that shouts out how far you’ve run .

I just have a forerunner 255 which does everything I want . DH and I - our distance is never the same if we go together but as his watch is much older I’m thinking his is the inaccurate watch

Does it have to be a Garmin watch? My regular Android smartwatch connects to Google Fit on my phone and I track runs with that; it has a setting that announces each kilometre and the minutes/seconds as you go (and you can look at a map of where you've been afterwards)

Strava does that, but that’s on the app on your phone.
my watch doesn’t have a speaker, so it wouldn’t be able to do that. It will buzz when I hit a mile and I can read the pace for that mile on the screen.