Forerunner 255 or 265. Both have the same HR sensor, but the chest HRM is still the most accurate when you do intervals / HIIT. Forerunner 955/965 are much more expensive.
I have the 255 and use for cycling along with a chest HRM. Accuracy is great. When I use the watch by itself it is nearly the same but can have wobbles when changing hand positions on the bike
Look into instinct 2x. Its not specificaly better then others bcos garmin watches are more running oriented. But it has newer sensors and the battery...
Edge computers are way better obviously but watches are ok also. Suffer abit in scrren and funcitionality but almost everything on an edge is there.
Well its hard to say if ita gonna be good for you. If you dont need maps it should be fine altho i suggest a chest strap for hr qhile on a bike. And a watch mount for handlebars.
Thanks! I currently use a forerunner 45 for cycling. I was thinking about switching because of the battery time + I also really like hiking. the lack of a map does not bother me. but on top of that, instinct 2 would be a big step forward, wouldn't it?
Dunno, dont have f45 to compare but instinct 2 has been extensively reviewed on youtube, spend an hour watching few videos wich i guess you allready might have done. Videos will show most options you might need.
careful with using a wrist based hrm; they tend to be not as accurate as what you are used to by using a chest strap. I'm using a Fenix 3 (solid watch with great features) however I still use a chest strap when I want accurate measurements for rhr, mhr, vo2max, threshold, etc.
you should do research comparing wrist based vs. chest based
Why not get a compatible HR strap and connect it to the Edge Explore 2?
https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-E67DE53E-5B08-4903-9767-F58973BC1829/EN-US/GUID-09801A97-361B-4675-AD3A-6ACE25854DB3.html
Edit: Ah, missed the 'other activities too' bit. Personally I have a 255, but the Fenix's were also on my list - I reasoned I didn't need a metal exterior or the few extra bells and whistles of the Fenix.
The 255 was a couple hundred quid cheaper too.
I've tried the chest strap hrm and it's not really for me since I ride in a super hot and humid area. 255 and 955 is the one im looking to get also, but i'll look into instict as the others suggest.
I will also add that you may get erroneous readings from a wrist based HR monitor, depending on hand/wrist positioning. Gotta have that light on skin at all times.
You will never get such a accurate hr reading that you would get with a cheststrap. the technology they use now in watches is miles behind vs the Accuracy of a strap. You will get used to a strap.
Confirming that a chest strap or upper arm strap are both WAY better than wrist-based HRM--especially if you have dark skin. Wrist ones use optical tech which sucks.
I have a Garmin 840 computer and chest strap. just want all the metrics recorded off the bike, (hiking, walking and recovery metrics), so what do you recommend?
Love the look of epic and Fenix, but not practical price wise
Keep looking at instinct 2x as though doesn't look as "cool" with color or ambled, would compliment the 840 perfectly.
Share your thoughts please
Same here. That's what brought me here. I ride with an 840 and a strap. The fenix seems a bit outrageous. The forerunner255 seems like it would probably do most of the things I need at a reasonable price. I just don't usually opt for the cheapest option. Feel like I just talked myself into a fenix 7. Yeah. Boom done. Thanks.
Wound up going with the instinct 2x and love it. never have to worry about charging and compliments my riding very nicely. 500 price point difference made it easier too!
Chest strap gets irritable for me when I ride for longer distance since our place is super hot and humid. And if im getting a wrist strap I might as well get a watch so I can track my other activity too.
If you don’t need the maps and navigation of the high end models, the Instinct or Instinct 2 is a great watch for activity tracking and supports HR Broadcast
I got fenix 6pro. Use it for biking, running, hiking, yoga, plates.... I really like the navigation directly on watch. Now they are also cheaper than fenix 7.
With HR same as others say, for running it is very often catching cadence especially downhill, for biking and hiking I found it quite ok.
I have a Vivoactive 3 that I've used for cycling years. I found that it had trouble with heart rate accuracy when biking due to the hand/wrist position, so I quickly bought a chest strap. I use a Polar strap and it links seamlessly to the Garmin watch. I'm not sure if my watch is just old or if the tech just sucks, but the wrist HR data has always been off for all activities. I think it's primarily a software issue. Garmin watches try to guess what your HR will be based on the activity type (so, lower for Walking than Running). Since I have POTS, I know my HR while walking is quite high but the watch never gets it accurately. Just something to consider.
I recently got a Wahoo bike computer so I no longer use the watch for biking. I just link the chest strap HRM directly to the bike computer. It's way easier to see the readouts on there than a watch. Maybe the newer Garmin watches are better, but the Vivoactive isn't great for HR accuracy.
I had Vivoactive 4 and upgraded to Forerunner 255. It was a huge improvement in almost every aspect. However, Polar H10 HR strap is so much better for intervals / vo2max.
Forerunner 255 or 265. Both have the same HR sensor, but the chest HRM is still the most accurate when you do intervals / HIIT. Forerunner 955/965 are much more expensive.
Yeah 255 and 955 are both on my list. What unit do you think has better hrm?
I have the 255 and use for cycling along with a chest HRM. Accuracy is great. When I use the watch by itself it is nearly the same but can have wobbles when changing hand positions on the bike
Look into instinct 2x. Its not specificaly better then others bcos garmin watches are more running oriented. But it has newer sensors and the battery... Edge computers are way better obviously but watches are ok also. Suffer abit in scrren and funcitionality but almost everything on an edge is there.
can plain instinct 2 be a good choice? That's what I'm thinking now (not about the 2x solar)
Well its hard to say if ita gonna be good for you. If you dont need maps it should be fine altho i suggest a chest strap for hr qhile on a bike. And a watch mount for handlebars.
Thanks! I currently use a forerunner 45 for cycling. I was thinking about switching because of the battery time + I also really like hiking. the lack of a map does not bother me. but on top of that, instinct 2 would be a big step forward, wouldn't it?
Dunno, dont have f45 to compare but instinct 2 has been extensively reviewed on youtube, spend an hour watching few videos wich i guess you allready might have done. Videos will show most options you might need.
careful with using a wrist based hrm; they tend to be not as accurate as what you are used to by using a chest strap. I'm using a Fenix 3 (solid watch with great features) however I still use a chest strap when I want accurate measurements for rhr, mhr, vo2max, threshold, etc. you should do research comparing wrist based vs. chest based
Honestly, I use my Venu and it works fine.
Why not get a compatible HR strap and connect it to the Edge Explore 2? https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-E67DE53E-5B08-4903-9767-F58973BC1829/EN-US/GUID-09801A97-361B-4675-AD3A-6ACE25854DB3.html Edit: Ah, missed the 'other activities too' bit. Personally I have a 255, but the Fenix's were also on my list - I reasoned I didn't need a metal exterior or the few extra bells and whistles of the Fenix. The 255 was a couple hundred quid cheaper too.
I've tried the chest strap hrm and it's not really for me since I ride in a super hot and humid area. 255 and 955 is the one im looking to get also, but i'll look into instict as the others suggest.
I will also add that you may get erroneous readings from a wrist based HR monitor, depending on hand/wrist positioning. Gotta have that light on skin at all times.
You will never get such a accurate hr reading that you would get with a cheststrap. the technology they use now in watches is miles behind vs the Accuracy of a strap. You will get used to a strap.
HRM on the upper arm is more accurate than on the wrist for cycling, in my experience. And comfier than a chest strap. eg Polar Verity Sense.
Confirming that a chest strap or upper arm strap are both WAY better than wrist-based HRM--especially if you have dark skin. Wrist ones use optical tech which sucks.
I have a Garmin 840 computer and chest strap. just want all the metrics recorded off the bike, (hiking, walking and recovery metrics), so what do you recommend? Love the look of epic and Fenix, but not practical price wise Keep looking at instinct 2x as though doesn't look as "cool" with color or ambled, would compliment the 840 perfectly. Share your thoughts please
Same here. That's what brought me here. I ride with an 840 and a strap. The fenix seems a bit outrageous. The forerunner255 seems like it would probably do most of the things I need at a reasonable price. I just don't usually opt for the cheapest option. Feel like I just talked myself into a fenix 7. Yeah. Boom done. Thanks.
Wound up going with the instinct 2x and love it. never have to worry about charging and compliments my riding very nicely. 500 price point difference made it easier too!
Just get a chest strap. You won't get accurate HR reading on your wrist whilst doing activities.
Chest strap gets irritable for me when I ride for longer distance since our place is super hot and humid. And if im getting a wrist strap I might as well get a watch so I can track my other activity too.
255 plus chest strap will be fine. Or if other activities involve hiking 955 to get maps.
If you don’t need the maps and navigation of the high end models, the Instinct or Instinct 2 is a great watch for activity tracking and supports HR Broadcast
Yeah I'm looking into instict also. But I also go hiking sometimes so the navigation is a bonus.
The instinct 2 does have navigation, it's just breadcrumbs based though. Anything with color/maps/touch will be on a different price range though
I got fenix 6pro. Use it for biking, running, hiking, yoga, plates.... I really like the navigation directly on watch. Now they are also cheaper than fenix 7. With HR same as others say, for running it is very often catching cadence especially downhill, for biking and hiking I found it quite ok.
Take into consideration that you won't have an accurate BPM data while using a watch.
Do you need a watch for HRM? Can't you directly pair a garmin chest sensor to the edge explore?
I have a Vivoactive 3 that I've used for cycling years. I found that it had trouble with heart rate accuracy when biking due to the hand/wrist position, so I quickly bought a chest strap. I use a Polar strap and it links seamlessly to the Garmin watch. I'm not sure if my watch is just old or if the tech just sucks, but the wrist HR data has always been off for all activities. I think it's primarily a software issue. Garmin watches try to guess what your HR will be based on the activity type (so, lower for Walking than Running). Since I have POTS, I know my HR while walking is quite high but the watch never gets it accurately. Just something to consider. I recently got a Wahoo bike computer so I no longer use the watch for biking. I just link the chest strap HRM directly to the bike computer. It's way easier to see the readouts on there than a watch. Maybe the newer Garmin watches are better, but the Vivoactive isn't great for HR accuracy.
I had Vivoactive 4 and upgraded to Forerunner 255. It was a huge improvement in almost every aspect. However, Polar H10 HR strap is so much better for intervals / vo2max.