Basic watch for running

[madeinmanc]

I wanted a Garmin but I just can't afford it when my running shoes are literally falling apart, my bike needs a service etc.

What's a basic watch for running that someone could recommend that is as low cost as possible? What are the most basic, useful functions that I should look for?

I cycle, too, but the maps function was what I would have used on a Garmin and obviously that won't be on a basic watch. Also swim. I would have wanted fall detection as a safety feature but that will also have to be forgotten! 😬

For background, I run 10k two or three times a week and 5k once a week, but looking to run further than 10k to improve my 10k time. I've only been running for a couple of years so not "serious".

Thanks for any tips/recs.

Well, short of a £10 Casio to tell the time with a backlight button, not sure what you need? Or what your budget looks like?

I was hoping someone would say what the most truly useful features are, because I have no idea. I just time myself with my phone atm and use a pulse oximeter for heart rate when I get home!

What sort of budget do you have?

Do you need anything other than strata on your phone? Especially if you look at routes ahead of time.

I do have a garmin but the only thing I every use it for really is the odd look at my wrist to see my distance so far if I'm just heading off in a direction without much of a plan.

What is your budget? Features wise one of the coaches at our club said the 45 is all you need and while they have had the newer ones with more features, they kept going back to the 45. You can get them pretty easily on market place or ebay.

Fitbits aren't too pricey! Obviously the more expensive ones have more features but the cheapest ones are still good! I think the inspire 3 has swimming tracking too (which is the cheapest one I think)

You could look at getting one second hand too.

I haven't used a Fitbit in a few years, but I loved the ones I had (I had the Alta and then the Versa). The app was great and I never had any issues with tracking. I have an Apple Watch now and I still think my Fitbit was better at tracking and the Fitbit app was better to use (Apple Watches only track sleep if you manually put it in sleep mode or buy an app that does it automatically which cost £5)

Your best bet is to get on ebay/FB marketplace/Vinted and keep an eye out for second hand ones. Lots of people trade up when there is still plenty of life left in their watches so it's easy to pick up a bargain.

Or join a couple of running groups on FB and post to see if anyone is selling one. There's bound to be someone.

Garmins with maps etc are super-expensive, but the entry level Garmins are still good for the basic running watch functionality. I like to have the ability to see different fields on the same screen/face (eg distance, pace, total time), but I don't use many of the more advanced features which mine has. If it had maps, I would use that for sure, but it wasn't worth the additional £££, so I just use my phone for that, and check it as I go.

Thanks for the replies. I suppose pace and distance would be useful as I'm upping my distance? Aren't you all using the heart rate function too?

Is anyone able to make a call from their watch? I was thinking that would be useful if you were attacked while running (I've had some dodgy situations so far, I'm sure I'm not alone in that).

I use the HR function after a fashion, but wrist-based heartrate isn't anywhere near as accurate as a chest strap, and not many people do 'proper' HR based training. Lots of coaches advocate 'run to feel' rather than using a wrist based HR reading.

Unless you're embarking on a HR based training regime (where someone who knows what they're talking about has properly worked out your thresholds) then it's more of a nice/interesting to know than anything you can usefully do something about.

Something like this?

www.currys.co.uk/products/fitbit-luxe-fitness-tracker-lunar-white-and-soft-gold-universal-10223666.html

Oh thanks. I only became interested in my heart rate after I had covid, really. It went up (resting) and now I've brought it down again over a long time. These days I wonder if I could be working harder and I guess I imagined my heart rate would be informative.

You'd need your phone with you for that and possibly getting away from cheap an ld basic

You're in full-on Smart watch territory for that one. My Garmin has 'smart' functionality in that I can get messages etc, but you can't call from it. You can from an Apple watch, and I assume from a Samsung watch too, but they're not as good as Garmins for the functionality around running.

I would suggest that if your running trainers are falling apart, you'd be much better off sorting that out first and then seeing what you've got left for a watch.

Thanks everyone, you've given me a better idea of what's possible and what to look for. I appreciate it 😊

I got my DS a second hand basic garmin 18 months ago when he was doing a daily running challenge for a month.
He's never taken it off since and it's going strong. It shows pace, distance etc.
It's the garmin forerunner 35 and cost me £20, and was all he needed. You could probably get a second hand but more advanced Garmin than this one for not too much money

I have an amazing, does run swim horseriding, swimming. Fairly basic but can track heart rate etc too.

*amazefit

A second hand Garmin Forerunner on ebay might be worth a punt? Decent watches. Some of the older models are still perfectly suitable and will be cheap as chips now - think Forerunner 10/15/25/30
I used to have a Forerunner 15 - sometimes a bit slow to find satellites for the gps was the main issue I had.

GPS running watches are one of those things that lots of people buy a really fancy version of (maybe a gift, or a new year's fitness resolution), use a handful of times, then sell online.

Because of this, I always buy mine secondhand on ebay or FB marketplace - there are usually lots of bargains to be found on good quality watches that haven't been used much.

I used to run a lot took it rather seriously. I ran with a Casio F-91W. It had a stop watch and that was all I needed.

If you want to get a bit fancy you could look something with a lap alarm for interval training.

GPS and pulse rate monitoring are not even close to being necessary.

i got a barely used Fitbit Charge 3 for £15 on Facebook marketplace. It has heart rate function and with that info can calc my energy expenditure.

I use my phone (Strava) for distance totals, and could use it for avg pace if I wanted.

Off hand I think... A fitbit Charge2+ can track your route when paired with your phone if you bring phone with you; Charge 4 can track routes by itself (don't have to carry phone).

I don't know anything about wrist devices that make calls, though.

@TarantinoIsAMisogynist
My garmin forerunner is coming to the end of its life and I have been considering FB marketplace for the reasons you describe, but I am wary of being sent something which is faulty or with an other issue. Is it just a case of checking profiles or any other advice on picking up something decent?

I've never had an issue with anything being faulty - I just check the seller's profile to make sure they look genuine.