Your recommendation of best, most intuitive easy to use running watch

I’ve tested it (by checking) and mine seems to be broadly accurate, and fairly steady. But it said that a run I would class as ‘easy’ was strenuous due to my heart rate and that I’d need lots of rest after. So I don’t worry about it too much.

The cadence measurement thing though- I like that!

Don't talk to me about upgrades!!!

I was titting about on Garmin Connect yesterday, and it looks awfully tempting....l

I heard that wrist heart monitors aren't terribly accurate - do they tend to run high, low or hop around at random?

Sounds like a good choice!

I’ve just upgraded my slightly more than basic Garmin, which I’ve had for 3 or 4 years to a all bells and whistles one. The 1st one was definitely a lot easier to use, although I am in love with my new one and all the functions/data!

I think my decision is made, and I'm going for a basic Garmin 35.

If (when?) I become addicted and want to play with more features, then I'll upgrade to whatever is 'best' when (if?) that moment comes.

Yes head phones & sunglasses can be an issue if you use wireless ones, I don’t like wearing sunglasses running I prefer to use a cheap golfing visar head thing so it shades my eyes & face but any heat goes out the top of my head ok. In winter I use a baseball hat.

If you join the run mummy run face book page they have a second hand selling page people selling on older model watches reasonable prices to try out different makes.

Thanks for the tips auntiestella. If you’ve got goals I’d definitely recommend getting a watch...useful for training as you can see how you are progressing, and useful on the day as running to ‘feel’ might not tie in with your goal pace. Eg it’s easy to set off too fast with adrenaline, then slow down too much whereas a quick look at your wrist can mean you can adjust your pace. I don’t think I would have achieved my (pretty lame) PB’s without my watch!

I love my Garmin Forerunner 235

I think my Aftershokz are great. If possible, visit a running shop and try a pair on, to see if you like how they feel on your head. If you have long hair, you can adjust the angle they 'sit' at by resting them on a ponytail.

I like to listen to music when I run, but also like to be able to hear what's going on around me, and they are perfect for that. Apart from first time to get them going, they're quick to charge. And they don't 'spill' so good for other use in places where you don't want to piss people off with a bit of tinniness emanating from you.

I haven't found any sunglasses comfy with them. That doesn't bother me, but if it bothers you it might be a problem. In which case you could try using a single wireless AirPod (something I didn't fancy as I was convinced I'd lose it and they're even more expensive than Aftershokz)

The Forerunner 235 sounds promising - I don't want activity monitor, just something to strap on when I go out for a run, so I can see how fast I'm going. I usually run by how it feels IYSWIM, but I have personal goals for new 5k and 10k PBs this year, and so I think I need to pay a little more attention to speed.

I've got a forerunner 235 and it's very wizzy for running - you can set a distance and it will predict your finish time at your current pace, or clearly displays your pace so you can self monitor. Battery lasts ages. It gives you little medals for PBs and links very well with Strava etc.

BUT bear in mind it's not an activity monitor, it won't record aerobic workouts etc. and flatly reguses to accept any walks with a buggy.

I wish I'd bought a Fitbit smartwatch personally.

Ps what are aftershokz like? I run on single track roads so hardly ever use headphones due to worrying about not hearing stuff.

I know some of the older cheapest forerunners (not that old- 2 years?) did up to 4 hours (a friend had to borrow my bit better than basic one for a marathon) but I think the newest ones do much better. If you look at the specs on Garmin website they say how long they last between charges- just check how long they last in GPS mode.

I am quite an expert idiot, but this all sounds quite encouraging.

I hadn't even given a thought to battery life. My Aftershokz say they do 4+ hours, do Forerunners or Vivosport do similar/more?

Love my Garmin Vivosport. It's small as it's an activity tracker, eg counts steps, calories, etc so I wear it all the time, but it has GPS and heart rate monitor for Running, walking, cycling, etc. Garmin Connect is easy to set up and gives you a good dashboard on which to track your improvement.

Garmin forerunner is idiot proof, the basic one will do what you want. My Garmin is linked to strava...so every time I plug it in and it links to the Garmin connect site, it also updates Strava. Strava is over generous with the time though- it makes me look faster than I am, the Garmin is more honest. As to which Garmin you get, if you just want basic stuff, I’d look more at what battery life you want, and check the specs for that.

Hi, I'm thinking about getting a running watch, and really don't know which to get.

All I want it to do is show me (in miles per minute) on a nice clear display, how fast I'm going. I really don't need/want music, as I'll still have my iPhone with me for Spotify. And that means I'll probably still log with Strava and/or Runkeeper as well. Not bothered either way about HR monitor, as I keep my running pretty easy. But as a gadget up, perhaps that'll be something I'll come to want in the future.

Which is the simplest and most idiot proof that's likely to do what I want? Or shouid I just chat up the bloke in the running shop again ?

Ismoothrun app can do that over headphones. You can set the pace required to run 10k in 55 mins and a voice tells you slower/steady/faster depending on whether you're keeping to the pace .

I've got a garmin 210 that I got off ebay for £50 from someone who had to give up due to injury, and it is still going strong 3 years later. You can set up intervals on it, which is really, really handy for training. I'd recommend a newer version of it heartily.

Also - if you need a training programme try the C210k app. It does 3 runs a week building up slowly. I am also a returning runner and doing this but doing 4 or 5 runs a week to build up more quickly.

Do you want to measure heart rate? If it's just distance and speed you want to measure you could use an app like Strava. I lose gps in the forest where I run with strava. I was also looking for a recommendation for a watch or another app.

I use a TomTom that you can load music onto. Cardio spark, I think. But you actually have to buy music to load on, it doesn’t work with streaming sites. I very rarely go out without my phone, so didn’t need that feature.

The recording runs, uploading and syncing to strava works perfectly and is incredibly easy to use.

I've got a TomTom runners watch which is easy to use.

I sometimes run with my iPhone and use an app called ismoothrun which I find really easy to create workouts. You can do run/walk, intervals with a set pace or distance and with headphones it will tell you when to walk and run or go faster or slower.