Fitness Trackers

Finished my run today, decide to check the race predictor after because Garmin says I've been productive lately. Apparently I can go crush any world record of my choosing right now. Update: Unfortunately I must have missed my WR window, woke up today and Garmin now says I'm only capable of a 17:40 5k or a 2:57:49 marathon. Very upsetting that I lost so much fitness overnight, my professional running dreams are now crushed. Update again: Came back from my run today and its back to nearly these same crazy predictions, so guess my WR dreams are back on! Also all the data on this one looks normal, HR is what is almost always is, I have not messed with the zones or any settings like that. None of the runs triggering this have been crazy, just easy pace 7 and 8 mile runs. Something definitely messed up on Garmin's end and glad I'm not the only one with this issue based on some of the comments here.

I never really looked into any charging stuff for the Garmin because I charge it for an hour about every two weeks.

You soldered the port onto a wireless charger? Looks nice! Can’t understand why Garmin doesn’t have wireless charging for their 1200 dollar watches even 😅

I started training for a half marathon in November, and was gifted a garmin watch in January to track my progress. I love this thing, and love tracking long term changes/ patterns. Only 6 months in, so I know I need more data, but the dip in H R V before start of period is super interesting to me. Also notably, H R V dips after short sleeps, to be expected, but still cool to see it! I've always known I'm more susceptible to stress before my period and the dip is a cool indicator! Would love to see other cyclical patterns people have observed and charted with their garmin.

Summer last year I was swimming at the lake next to our summer cottage in Finland. I wear my Apple Watch 7 everywhere, not bothering to take it off even while swimming, sauna or pretty much every activity. Imagine the pictoresque lake on a hot summer night under the midnight sun. And then noticing your watch has come off. The water is murky and you've no idea where or when it had decided to part ways with you. After crying about it for a day, I bought another similar watch 2nd hand and life went on. This autumn I visit the summer cottage for one last time to prep it for the upcoming winter. I go to the shore and what do I find? My old watch, looking like it had spent a rough winter under the ice and another summer beneath the surface as well. Who or rather what surfaced it remains a mystery since we pretty much have the whole lake to ourselves. I get home and clean the thing up. Not a dent on it. Charging works, and the soon the Apple logo shows up. Touch works, the speaker and mic work. I check the battery stats after a few charge cycles: 88%, the same number it had before I lost it. I got to say, I am blown away by how durable the Apple Watch is, and how it holds up underwater for even extended periods of time. The only thing it didn't keep was the time, ironically. The clock was way off 😆 Happy for the reunion, and having a second identical watch solves the battery life issue for me. When I run out of juice, I always have a spare fully charged watch ready to go.

I originally bought my Apple Watch for swim tracking. I needed something to count laps because alternating freestyle and breaststroke made it impossible to keep track myself. Then I started wearing it to bed out of curiosity to see the sleep data. But the real unexpected benefit? The alarm. I keep my watch on silent all the time, vibration only. The alarm works the same way, just a tap on your wrist. Two things I didn't expect: First, there is zero chance you sleep through it. It's on your body, buzzing your wrist. That alone killed my alarm anxiety. No more waking up at 4am paranoid that I forgot to set it. It's going to wake you up, period. Second, you don't wake up anyone else. If I need to be up at 5:30 for an early flight, my wife sleeps right through it. The kids don't stir. Nobody knows but me. Well, until I step on a toy in the dark hallway and wake up the entire neighborhood. But that's a hardware problem Apple hasn't solved yet. Anyone else discover this by accident?

You have me beat. I had an apple watch lost to the Pacific ocean in Costa Rica while surfing (I trusted a Surfline reccomended surfing watch band that failed me). It was at the bottom of the ocean under the breaking waves for at least a few days, eventually washed up and sat on the shore a while, was recovered by an honest local who was determined to contact the local surf camps and get it back to its owner, it was shipped back to me, and upon charging it up it 100% worked, even the speaker on it. I could not beleive it. Now you had 1.5 years at the bottom of a lake, and while you at least had freshwater, that is still amazing. This is why I laugh when I overhear people being super careful not to try to submerge their watch or take it in saltwater at all given our experiences.

This feature was spot on for me. I always blamed my slightly high systolic blood pressure as “white coat syndrome”. I decided to get a blood pressure cuff a couple weeks ago after my latest wellness exam and realized my systolic blood pressure was consistently high (in the mid-130s). My diastolic BP has always been normal. The Apple Watch recognized the hypertension pattern in my data and I got the notification later this week. Just got prescribed treatment for Grade 1 Hypertension, which I started this week (my PCP’s decision was based on my home measurements, but I also told him about the AW notification). I know this new Apple Watch feature has a relatively low sensitivity, but it was spot on for me. As a fitness and technology nerd, I’m so happy to see these new features working, as I think this will help a lot of people out there.

I never really looked into any charging stuff for the Garmin because I charge it for an hour about every two weeks.

**TL;DR:** Paying attention to sleep, stress, Body Battery, and SpO₂ on my Garmin Epix (Gen 2) led me to uncover a real sleep-breathing issue. Treating it significantly improved my sleep, energy, and daily functioning. Without the data, I likely would have kept blaming myself. \-------------- I wanted to share an experience where Garmin data meaningfully changed my health. I bought a Garmin Epix (Gen 2) in September 2023. For a long time, I used it in a very basic way: steps and exercise tracking. I ignored most other metrics and didn’t see much value in them. That gradually changed. I started reading more about the platform and began using Garmin Coach to plan my training days. Around the same time, I started paying closer attention to sleep and stress data. Initially, I didn’t understand Body Battery. It felt abstract and hard to act on. Over time, however, a clear pattern emerged: good sleep and lower stress correlated strongly with better recovery. Poor sleep nights consistently led to low Body Battery the next day. That pushed me to look deeper into the sleep data. One metric stood out: SpO₂. On some nights, my oxygen saturation dropped as low as 75%. When I compared those nights with how I felt the next day—extreme fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and elevated stress—the correlation was hard to ignore. I first tried common interventions: supplements, routine optimisation, and lifestyle adjustments. None made a meaningful difference. Eventually, I decided to do a sleep study. The results showed hypopnoea, primarily when sleeping on my back. It wasn’t classified as severe, but the recommendation was to try positional therapy and consider CPAP. I chose to go straight to CPAP, as it is the gold standard. The impact has been significant. My sleep quality is better than it has ever been. My Body Battery now regularly recovers to 60–89%. Previously, 60% was a best-case day, and some mornings I would wake up at 30% and simply push through. What stands out most to me is this: without these data points, I think I would have continued struggling without understanding why. I blamed myself for feeling tired, foggy, and anxious, assuming it was just my personality or stress tolerance rather than a physical issue. For me, Garmin became more than a fitness tracker. It functioned as an early warning system. If you are ignoring sleep, stress, Body Battery, or SpO₂, this is a reminder that these metrics can matter far more than they initially appear.

So a friend lent me his Fenix 7 Pro SS for a close family member to help monitor her health. Knew basically nothing about Garmin at that point - the watch just became available to test before we decided what to actually buy. Long story short, she ended up preferring Apple Watch 3. I fell completely in love with the Fenix. Turns out MIP display is exactly what I wanted from a smartwatch without knowing it. Before this I only wore classic automatics - never liked the concept of a computer on my wrist, so AMOLED and notifications are genuinely worthless to me personally. But MIP just clicks. And the activity gamification side - following stats, tracking progress - turned out to be a surprisingly effective motivator to actually get back into shape. Browsed the full Garmin lineup after that, found that Fenix 7 Pro SS was exactly what I wanted, pulled the trigger. Since then: down from two packs a day to just a few, back on the MTB, started running. First real activity in 10 years, not gonna lie. This morning caught myself browsing r/Garmin while finishing a cigarette. Felt the urge to put it out and write this instead. So - keep me accountable. Today is my last day smoking. Every time I get the urge I’m coming back to this post and browsing your fitness progress threads to stay motivated. That’s the plan.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I have a similar story that began in late 2024, with my Fenix 7. My normal HRV range was 100ms to 120ms, which is not bad for a 58 year old guy. My HRV averages dropped suddenly in mid-November 2024 into the mid-60ms which at the time I attributed to allergies. I had the normal allergy symptoms such as post nasal drainage and a bit of congestion. The symptoms continued on for a month before I decided to get them checked out by my doctor's office. I had a swollen tonsil for which the PA prescribed antibiotics, but the antibiotics did not help the tonsil or the post-nasal drainage. I was not in any sort of pain and would have otherwise ignored the other symptoms, but my low HRV indicated to me that I was fighting something which prompted me to get it checked out by an ENT. It was at the ENT appointment that I found out I had tonsil cancer. I finished my cancer treatments on 5/21/25, and my mouth/throat is pretty much healed from the treatments. My HRV has stabilized and slowly recovering back into the pre-cancer range, as well as my stamina. Anyway, I blame Garmin for my cancer; or at least prompting me to get it checked out.

So I have finally joined the Garmin family! I was used a fitbit Versa 2 for a few years and then switched to a sense 2 but was very disappointed with the sense 2 being buggy and not have any other app support even through the Fitbit store and after an year of using it I was really fedup and when I saw the Garmin store in my city I knew it was time. So I researched alot about Garmin watches and finally landed on the Venu 4 41mm! It was a bit too expensive but i think it will be worth it! Any tips for a first timer Garmin user will be really helpful and appreciated!

Got my Venu 4 about a week ago after upgrading from the original Venu. So far so good. Things I like: - Size is great. It fits my wrist so much better than the OG Venu without adding any more bulk. I was really torn between this and the FR965, and I'm glad I got this size. - Screen is beautiful. I did turn the brightness all the way down and it's still much brighter than the last Venu. - Flashlight is cool and not a gimmick. - FINALLY better sleep tracking! Still not perfect, but leagues better than what I'm used to. - Battery life seems fine, no issues with fast drain yet. It's telling me 12 days at 97% after its first full discharge/recharge cycle. - GPS is super quick to pick up activities. - The 22mm bands look so much better than 18mm. I picked up a full grain leather and it's looks so good with the silver case Things I don't like: - The screen is super sensitive, and I can't figure out a way to turn it down. It gets triggered by the shower, my sleeve, etc. Not a huge deal all the time, but it's annoying sometimes. - The phone functionality seems like a gimmick. I wanted to feel like a power ranger, but it's not great. Yeah, I can answer a phone call in a pinch, but the speaker is super quiet, and phone assistant is really unusable. Nothing like the phone functionality on my wife's apple watch. - Bummer that out doesn't have Backcountry snowboarding as an activity. I have to clone XC Ski and change the data fields, then change the activity in Connect or Strava afterwards. It works, but it's annoying. - The buttons are a bit odd now. Swiping left does the same thing that clicking the top button does, and I don't think there's a way to change either of those things. Why the repetition? I haven't needed 5 buttons in the past, but I wouldn't mind a third on the lower left where my thumb naturally lands.

I've got the same setup. If you are on android, you can uninstall Google heath and install a fitbit apk from apk mirror and disable auto update. I picked one from mid April. Then you can uninstall the Google health update on the pixel watch by long pressing it and tapping "remove upgrades". This is working fine for me and it's just like it was. I had a Garmin Venu SQ that bit the dust finally and I went full smart watch. I can fully recommend the venu line, but their pricing has gone wild. Mine was $150.

Here is what I care about. \- Good battery life. (2ish weeks) \- Good health tracking. (Sleep, gym workouts, swimming.) \- Stylish or at least, very customizable. \- Works well with an Android (Samsung A56) \- Not exceeding 500USD \- Good/fun quality of life features. From what I read, Garmin Venu 3 VS Huawei Watch GT 4 are both good. I really love the GT4 style but still not sure if there is a better third option. Thank you!

I love this! I just randomly built myself a charging adapter for my Garmin watch. Now I can throw away the annoying cable and play the attach-and-detach game all day long. It features a 3D printed case and a Qi receiver that works with my wireless charger. My Forerunner 255 can be fully charged in about an hour and a half. What do you think? Materials needed to build this: 1. A shell (I designed mine and used 3D printing); 2. A wireless charging receiver circuit (available from online shopping sites); 3. A connector that fits the Garmin watch (I salvaged one from a ready-made cable). 4. A iron metal ring that is compatible with MagSafe technology ========== Update ================ I came up with this idea one day when I needed to charge my watch but had forgotten the cable at home. Since I had a wireless charger sitting on my desk, I thought—why not make use of it? That’s how this little project started. I admit it might look a bit silly in some ways, but I love it—and it solved my problem. A couple of reasons: 1. I hate dealing with cables everywhere, especially since I own a lot of electronic devices; 2. I can still easily check the watch screen when it's placed face-up or facing forward while charging; 3. In my experience, the watch barely gets warm while charging — the heat is almost unnoticeable.

I never really looked into any charging stuff for the Garmin because I charge it for an hour about every two weeks.

\*This is the second or so post that I’ve made about this, but still cannot understand what is happening\* Preface: 3.5 years with Garmin… Wear HRM Pro Plus for every single workout… Run about 80-100 mi/month… I’ll start by saying that for about the last two years I turned off VO2Max Estimate reading for my slow/Zone 2 runs, which took up about 70% of my volume… Since I’ve turned it back on, my VO2Max has plummeted from 63 to 53 in as little as 6 weeks or so… My volume hasn’t changed at all, and I feel as good as ever… Was I getting inaccurate readings since I had it off for my slow runs, and only used the VO2Max Estimate for all my other (speed) runs?? Even if so, that seems like an enormous drop… My 5k Estimate dropped 2 minutes over this span as well Thanks in advance for the help/info!

Got this beaut delivered last night! Finally jumped the gun and switched from FR165 to 970! This watch feels more premium and classy! Really hoping this watch will last long. The durability is the main reason I bought this. I had an Apple Watch that lasted 7 years and the sapphire screen really held on well so chose the 970 instead of the 570. However, I noticed some gripes upon using it: 1. Down button feels weird. Feels mushy and not as tactile unlike the other buttons. 2. For some reason, 'raise wrist to wake' feels a second or two slower than my FR165. 3. Changing the straps is a bit of a process. Was so devastated when the third party straps I bought from Amazon were too long for my wrist! After all that hardwork! I've read reviews about others experiencing 1 and 2 but NGL, it kind of annoys me that the FR970 has these issues at this price point. Lastly, can anyone recommend me a nylon strap that fits smaller wrists? My skin doesn't like Garmin's generic silicone strap. Thank you!

I keep forgetting this thing is even on my wrist, it’s so light. I don’t notice it when I’m laying down either. Comfort is a 10/10 (performance loop band) I LOVE not charging a smart watch every night/other night, the week long battery with the Fitbit Air is insane & accurate. Since I subscribe to the Google Pro plan for $20 a month, Fitbit Premium is included which I am so happy about! Being able to talk to the AI Coach about my stats + log my meals through text is just awesome. (Also Gemini AI, YT lite, & more storage are included in that $20 bundle Google Pro bundle, so props to Google for that!) I’ve had some really good 1h 30min weight lifting sessions with the Fitbit Air, and I feel like it’s taken everything to the next level. I am super excited to have more data as I get more workouts in. iPhone compatibility is fantastic, no connection issues at all. Thats my take on it, hope you are all enjoying yours too!

Even though my monthly sleep animal is always whichever animal has the most fucked up sleep schedule (it’s hedgehogs, right?) I’m still mad they’re getting rid of it. Give me my stupid little cute woodland creature graphic! Also kind of a bummer to lose the benchmarking data… one of the main reasons I use a fitbit is to track my sleep quality and it’s helpful to understand what’s normal.

Price/use case advantages are obvious and getting all the headlines. One thing I believe isn’t being widely talked about is data access and ownership. Fitbit Air with Google Health gives users easy full exports, granular intraday data, and no subscription lock in for core tracking. Oh and also iOS and Android support which is fantastic. WHOOP limits you to aggregated only CSV exports and a gated API with no intraday heart rate or raw data, keeping everything tied to the subscription. As WHOOP eyes an IPO after its March 2026 $575m raise at a $10.1 billion valuation but will this backfire as Google looks to strong arm their way into the market. What's y'alls thoughts on this move out of Google? I pulled all the information I could find on the new Fitbit Air and made it into a free comparison page that goes into specs, cost, and software differences if interested: [https://www.kygo.app/tools/fitbit-air-vs-whoop-comparison](https://www.kygo.app/tools/fitbit-air-vs-whoop-comparison)

I never really looked into any charging stuff for the Garmin because I charge it for an hour about every two weeks.

\*This is the second or so post that I’ve made about this, but still cannot understand what is happening\* Preface: 3.5 years with Garmin… Wear HRM Pro Plus for every single workout… Run about 80-100 mi/month… I’ll start by saying that for about the last two years I turned off VO2Max Estimate reading for my slow/Zone 2 runs, which took up about 70% of my volume… Since I’ve turned it back on, my VO2Max has plummeted from 63 to 53 in as little as 6 weeks or so… My volume hasn’t changed at all, and I feel as good as ever… Was I getting inaccurate readings since I had it off for my slow runs, and only used the VO2Max Estimate for all my other (speed) runs?? Even if so, that seems like an enormous drop… My 5k Estimate dropped 2 minutes over this span as well Thanks in advance for the help/info!

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

Hello everyone. I’m having a hard time deciding which watch to commit to using. I have an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and a Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, and I’ve been alternating between the two, which makes it difficult to stay committed and keep all my training data in a single app. First, I’m a 35-year-old man and I started training a bit more seriously about 3 months ago. My workouts are mainly focused on health, since I have a full-time job that I can’t step away from, as I’m the primary provider for my family. However, I’ve been venturing a bit more into triathlon training with a dream—still distant—of completing an Ironman 70.3. I finished my first half marathon two weeks ago. I really like the battery life of the Forerunner 255 as well as the way Garmin presents health and training data. For example, in swimming, the rest intervals show up every time I get out of the water. During runs, there’s an upper graph displaying my heart rate zone or pace so I can check it with just a quick glance. I also really liked the Daily Suggested Workouts and the adaptive coaches that adjust based on my sleep and recent training. But the biggest issue with the watch is that it doesn’t have LTE, nor does it have a microphone or an assistant for timer requests, alarms, Apple reminders, or voice notes. With the Apple Watch, the screen is amazing and vibrant, but it’s not always-on like an MIP display. My workout data ends up split across two different apps (Health and Fitness), and it’s not presented very clearly. I end up using Bevel and WorkOutDoors to improve the layout and presentation, but this data doesn’t influence the training suggestions. My sleep doesn’t influence my workouts, nor do my recent exercises. Everything feels a bit disconnected. But I love going out for a run with just my watch, without carrying my smartphone, and using LTE to receive notifications and calls, as well as Apple Pay for payments. Also, the convenience of voice reminders, timers, alarms, answering calls without having to run around looking for my phone—these things make life so much easier. So, I’d like to know if anyone has gone through this and how you ended up solving it. I believe that if the LTE issue were resolved, I would switch to Garmin for good. I hate running with a smartphone. Do you keep it in your pocket? Do you use a specific Lycra band or something like that? What did you decide in the end?

Hello! I need a bit of advice. I just got this Amazfit T-Rex 3 48mm and I really can't decide if it's the one for my wrist size (16,5 cm), or should I switch for the 44mm T-Rex 3 Pro.. I like it but It feels just a tiny bit oversized. I would love some honest opinions 😊

Hey guys, trying to pick my first smartwatch and I'm totally torn between the T-Rex 3 Ultra and the Pixel Watch 4. I mostly need it for checking messages, tracking my steps for my weight-loss goals, and keeping an eye on my daily health stats. But here's the catch: I work in an auto shop, so whatever I buy needs to be seriously sturdy and waterproof. I can't be babying a fragile screen around tools all day. I'm also really hoping for a long battery life because charging another device every single night sounds annoying, and I definitely want to be able to swap out the bands easily (lmao 😂). The T-Rex looks basically indestructible with a killer battery, but the Pixel Watch has that smooth Google integration and sleek look. For those who own either, is the Pixel Watch too fragile for a rough, hands-on work environment? And is the battery difference really a dealbreaker? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Hey everyone, I'm in Mumbai and considering buying the Pebble Qore (the screenless one with 45-day battery claim) as a simple, no-distraction fitness tracker. It's around ₹2,899 on Amazon/Flipkart, has HR, SpO2, stress, sleep tracking, 100+ sports modes, one-key measurement, and notifications via app. I've seen some mixed feedback online (e.g., amazing battery life but questions on step/HR accuracy during runs or workouts), and there's already a short thread in r/indianrunners about the Qore 2 where someone mentioned inaccurate steps. Looking for real-user experiences, especially in 2025-2026: How's the actual battery life in daily use (e.g., with continuous HR on)? Accuracy of steps, sleep, heart rate, SpO2, or stress monitoring? (Comparisons to Amazfit, Fitbit, or phone apps welcome) Any issues with the app (Android/iOS), connectivity, or build quality in humid Mumbai weather? Is the screenless design a pro (less distractions) or con for you? Worth it over other budget bands like Mi Band, Noise, or Amazfit Bip series? Long-term durability? Any regrets or would you buy again? If you've used it for running, gym, daily tracking, or just wellness – share your pros/cons, photos if possible, or what made you pick it. Thanks in advance! Any help appreciated before I pull the trigger. 😊

Do you use emojies ? If yes, stick with Amazfit, Garmin, Samsung Google. Other brands don’t manage it well. Do you want a long battery life ? If yes, avoid Google and Samsung. If both questions are significant to you your choice narrows to Amazfit and Garmin. Given how outdated Garmin software is and how expensive are their watches … Amazfit are the best options.

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

Right so I have been working on my health for a while, and I'm looking for a better way to help track primary my workout and sleep and I think the best way to track those things is with a smartwatch. My budget is around 150-200USD or 1500-2000 SEK one of the recommendations I found was the Huawei Watch Fit 4, but I really don't like the look of square smartwatches. So I want it to be round within my budget good at sleep and exercise tracker.

Hey everyone! I'm looking to buy a budget smartwatch under ₹12000 that covers all the necessary features - just want something reliable for daily activity tracking and health monitoring. Here's what I'm hoping for: Accurate step count Heart rate + Sp02 tracking Sleep tracking Good battery life Strength Training Accuracy Comfortable design for all-day wear I have seen videos from multiple sources , mainly Quantified Scientist and stuck with 3 Options: 1. Amazfit Bip 6 ( It's a pretty good value for money smart watch ). Just a bit sceptical about the screen size it's kinda too large 2. Amazfit Active 2 ( Again a solid option but as per reviews due to stainless steel it attracts sweat quite easily and become inaccurate ) 3. Huawei Watch Fit 4 ( Covers all my necessary points , but Huawei Service Centre Availability is the issue, am not sure if they provide any services in India ) Would love to hear back from you guys Thanks

Huawei watch fit 4 pro

I bought an Amazfit Bip 5 for around $60 and it worked great (although it was my first smartwatch so I don't have much expectations) until the main feature I bought it for stopped working (i took it into the ocean and didn't realize that the water grading is DIFFERENT for salt water :/ ). The warranty process has been a mess and I’m close to giving up on getting it replaced. All I really need a smartwatch for is fitness tracking: heart rate monitoring, steps, and good running tools (my mile pace, cadence, distance, tracking my route etc). Nothing really fancy. Does anyone have recommendations for inexpensive smartwatches that handle the basics well? I’m just looking for something reliable for everyday fitness and running without spending a ton. Budget: $60\~

Amazfit Bip 6

Hello everyone, With Black Friday deals just around the corner I've been thinking of buying my first fitness watch. My main activities are cycling, hiking and running. I've been looking for fitness watches that can help me track my progress plus maybe offer some convenience features. Since this will be my first smartwatch I'm not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to the different hardware they come with, so I thought I'd make this post so people can look for/give their opinions on watches they own or maybe were thinking on buying. For example, right now I'm split between either buying the Amazfit Active 2 or the Amazfit Bip 6: from what I've seen the Active 2 has more fitness features, but the Bip 6 is better at tracking your heart rate during high intensity exercise sessions. Both seem to be more or less equal when it comes to GPS accuracy, plus the Active 2 is actually ~$10 cheaper than the Bip 6 for me right now. In the other hand, there are Chinese watches that seem to have glowing reviews for less than half the price of these watches, like the Zeblaze Stratos 2 Ultra, Zeblaze Stratos 4, the Ciberer FT66, the Mibro GS, the Xiaomi Mi Band 10... TL;DR: in your opinion, can cheaper ~~Chinese~~ watches compare to more popular budget options or are they not worth buying?

Amazfit Bip 6

Hey guys, I was just curious if anyone could help or give me some advice on how to fix the map. I ran the Comrades Marathon this past weekend and my watch (Instinct 3 Solar 50mm) unfortunately failed me. I clicked save after crossing the finish line and the little saving circle just spun for about 30mins. When I realised it was done I went to look at my run (on the watch) and it wasn't there. I then checked Garmin Connect on my phone and it wasn't there. About 2 hours later I received a notification on my phone that I'd earned some Garmin badges. I checked Garmin Connect and my run was there. I was super relieved, but that relief was short lived after seeing the map. The run still didn't appear as the last activity on the watch itself though. I'm by no means tech savvy so if the following doesn't make sense, I apologise. Things I've tried: 1. Downloading the .FIT file from Garmin connect and trying to fix the record that's an outlier with coordinates in the ocean. 2. Downloading the .FIT file from the watch and trying to fix the record that's an outlier with coordinates in the ocean. 3. Using an online .FIT file editor with the .FIT file and .GPX file of the course to fix it. There is a record in the .FIT file for each second of the run and there's only 20100 records (i.e. 5hrs 35mins). It seems the watch stopped recording data around 5h35m into the race. The total distance and time in the picture are still correct though. The last few records had GPS coordinates that were way off and dates that were years off the activity date. With numbers 1 and 2 above, I fixed the GPS coordinates and the dates of the last two records. This yielded in a +-43km run when uploading again. Number 3 above "worked". However, when the run pulled through from Garmin to Strava, Strava said moving time was 5h35m and I got a load of PBs (from 400m all the way to 50km). I've come to terms with the fact that the data just simply isn't there, but I would like it if it appeared (with the correct map) on Garmin and Strava, without giving me awards and PBs. Some research I've done has mentioned looking at temporary files on the watch itself, but there doesn't appear to be any. I know it's probably not a big deal for some but I'd like to look back one day and have the YTD mileage correct and the mileage added to the correct gear etc. If anyone knows a way to "fix" this I'd really appreciate some help or any advice. Thanks in advance.

It’s not exclusively a fitness tracker but those concerns were why I switched from an Apple Watch to a Garmin. I have a Garmin Instinct and it does everything I need it to while being effectively bomb proof. I’ve worn it swimming in the sea, swimming in the pool, gardening, working with sheet metal and ferric chloride. The only times I take it off are to shower and when I charge it once a month or so (depending on how much I use the gps).

I think that VO2 max calculations are the same for the Fenix 7. Garmin requires more info than just your heart rate to calculate VO2 max, because it’s comparing how hard your heart is beating v. the goal (running, walking, cycling). You can’t really do this with HIIT/ CrossFit because workouts vary so much. Your watch is really just tracking your heart rate when you do HIIT and has no idea whether you’re doing the workout more efficiently (=higher VO2 max) or not. BUT your HIIT WILL increase your VO2 max! So when you test it with an interval run (which is basically a HIIT workout!) your number should go up, even if you only test yourself once a month / few months/ etc. So you WILL get credit, just not until you measure yourself with a run/cycle/walk. I have found, however, that it’s really hard to increase VO2 max too much with only HIIT workouts. Mixing some endurance training in will definitely improve VO2 max more. But if you want sleep tracking for less money, there’s the Instinct 2.

I would agree with the other post, if you want to get into tris, garmin is your best bet. The cool thing is, while the top of the line models are expensive, a couple of generations older are still awesome. My recommendation would be for a Fenix 7. Running about $450 on amazon new. [https://amzn.to/49DghWh](https://amzn.to/49DghWh) If that is a bit too pricy, you might try the Instinct 2 or 3. I have (and use) an instinct 2, that is very rugged and currently only $215 on amazon: [https://amzn.to/489fVUD](https://amzn.to/489fVUD)

Whoop is a sensational fitness/health tracking device/system. Arguably the best IMO. But damn, this golden cage ecosystem is too good. Would 100% recommend Whoop for high performing/professional athletes. For regular Joes, Apple Watch does just fine. In the pic: series 10 46mm, generic amazon band + my two astronauts (doggies in post op recovery)

Hello all, I was hoping that the Fitbit air could really be the Whoop killer and I could just shove the 99$ one time purchase in my friend’s faces. Starting with the hardware itself. Absolutely no complaints I do love how small the band is I honestly forget I’m even wearing it most of the time. That’s coming from someone who has never worn anything on my wrists for long periods of time before. The issue I have is with the software. I really tried to give it a chance and I’m quite disappointed. Once I read someone describe it as vibe-coded that’s exactly what I feel it is. There are many cases of data display just being either completely wrong or missing. For example the Ai summary will say a sleep score of 85 for example, then in the sleep score tab it will say no data for the last few days. I have tried refreshing etc etc. The Ai coach is a smart idea and I think would be quite valuable down the line once a lot of these little kinks have been worked out. Otherwise I’m really considering just going to the whoop if it causes so many less headaches and little annoyances. Thoughts?

Wanted to drop my 1-month review of the Whoop 5.0 Peak. When I was pulling the trigger on this, the new Fitbit was just about to launch, but honestly, that didn’t bother me at all. I’m just not at a place where I trust Google with a fitness wearable until they can consistently prove themselves over the long term. Beyond that, I will always prefer supporting independent brands like Whoop(Hope they drop the subscription price atleast for India). Monopoly is going to kill all innovation in this space, so keeping companies like this alive matters. To be completely fair, I was actually incredibly eager to get a Garmin wearable instead. I kept holding out for the upcoming Garmin Cirqa—their screenless tracker. If that had been out, I probably would have ditched Whoop for it in a heartbeat, simply because Garmin is a brand I thoroughly trust. But since it wasn't here yet, I went with the Peak. Here is how the first 30 days have treated me: # Tracking, Naps, and Travel 1. **Calibration & Auto-Detection:** In the first couple of weeks, I made sure to do several GPS-enabled tracked walks. That definitely paid off, because now the device is smart enough to accurately pick up and log all my casual walks without me doing a thing. 2. **Sleep & Naps:** The auto sleep detection has been flawless. It catches my regular night sleep perfectly and, surprisingly, has been incredibly accurate with picking up random naps too. 3. **Travel Test:** I recently took a 9-hour flight with the band on and absolutely no Wi-Fi. I was a bit skeptical, but at the end of the flight, absolutely all the data synced up perfectly with the app. It even tracked my crappy airplane sleep without a hitch. 4. **Comfort & Aesthetics:** This thing is unbelievably comfortable—I genuinely forget I'm wearing it most of the time. Plus, the battery is keeping well, easily lasting 10–12 days. Visually, it looks classy on the wrist (way better than Fitbit air, IMO). When I head outside and want to wear a traditional watch, I just switch the Whoop over to my right wrist. # The Annoying Part: Workouts & The App 1. **The Screenless Tax:** The only time I genuinely miss having a screen is mid-workout. Because there's no display, I have to constantly use my phone just to start and stop a set, which gets pretty annoying when you're in the zone. If Whoop could come up with some sort of specialized attachment to help manage workouts on the fly, that would be a game-changer. 2. **AI Feature Hiccups:** I’ve noticed some bugs with the AI-assisted workout creation. Specifically, the option completely breaks and doesn't work when you click "Review." It’s not a major issue since you aren't creating brand-new workout routines every day, but it's definitely something they need to patch. Overall, I don't see value in the AI features adding any value. Happy to answer any questions if you guys are on the fence!

I've been having some random 3-5am periods of being awake but I do fall asleep for an extra hour. The other night, Whoop didn't catch my extra hour and last night my Fitbit air didn't catch it. I've sworn off each device multiple times this week. I'll miss a daily strain metric, and I'll miss the healthspan but ultimately whoop is just overpriced compared to Google. I hope Google continues to iterate and quickly.

This is probably a "cool story bro" post, but these kinds of reviews help me when making purchasing decisions (and it's a privilege to use both new devices) so I wanted to share my perspective. For context, I'm a 6'4" man and I use my watch for fitness tracking and sleep tracking - I prefer Apple Health over Garmin and Google ruined Fitbit, so I don't go to other brands. First AW was a Series 3, it's amazing how far they've come. Loved my Apple Watch Ultra 3. It was heavy at first, but I got used to it. LOVE the flat screen. I got the natural titanium in anticipation of getting it scratched up. Didn't have an issue sleeping with it on, and my old sport loop bands fit just fine. It's a very nice piece of technology and I loved it very much. BUT - I couldn't keep it. The issue for me was the bulk. I wear long sleeve shirts and coats frequently, and the AWU3 was a pain in the ass. Just always felt like I had a thing on my wrist, even after getting used to the weight. I returned it, because I realized the only benefit I noticed was longer battery life - otherwise it's just another apple watch for me. Back to a more standard Apple Watch with my 46mm Series 11. I think it looks better on the wrist - but that's a personal preference issue. It's easy to forget I'm wearing it, it slips under sleeves very easily and I don't have to mess with it ever. While I love the idea of having a larger battery - I find the Series 9 I had previously was excellent when I charged it during my morning shower - that's all I needed each day to keep going. The S11 feels the same, but I appreciate the shape and size more now. The AWU3 is a beautiful piece and I totally get the well deserved hype - just didn't work for me day-to-day. I got the S11 46mm in black and I plan to keep it for several years - no screen protector because I have apple care.

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

Hi everyone, I will be picking up my series 11 42mm in rose gold today and I am so excited. I am completely new to smart watches and spent the last few months trying to decide between and AW and a garmin and ultimately choose the series 11. I just want to share my excitement. I have been on a weightloss journey the past 8 months and at the very start set myself the milestone that when I have lost 30kg, I will buy myself a fitness watch! Well - I hit that milestone last week. Since I started, I have completely changed my life around and being active and going to the gym has become a huge part of my life. I have another 10kg roughly to lose and I am hoping the AW will become a great tool to keep me going! Cannot wait to buy cute straps and check out all the features - I imagine I will have a bit of a learning curve with how to use it. Anyways, not asking for advice or anything, just wanted to share :)

Alright. So this is the exact problem that I have been facing. Series 10. Got it replaced recently due to the black paint chipping issue. Have had the Series 10 for over a year now. The ECG has worked consistently through the months (no heart issues). Once I got the new watch, tried the ECG after a few days, and it was squiggly everywhere. It would consistently get reset back to 30 seconds (generally at around the 10 seconds remaining mark) or I would get a "Poor Recording". Went to the apple store, and gave it another try before the technician was about to check my watch. So that I can have some data. And it worked. Tried it a few more times including in front of the technician, worked everytime. Came back home, tried it. Didn't work. First assumption was that there's something going on around my house that's leaking into the ECG monitor in the watch. To rule it out, I went about a KM away from my home, tried to run the ECG. It worked. Definitely something with my home. A bit tough to believe since the previous watch was working just fine. A counter point to this was that the ECG didn't work at my workplace either. Saw (perhaps on your last post) a redditor recommending using the middle finger for the recording. Tried it, it worked. Tried my index again, it worked. But as of writing, it's not working.

In the past few years I have realised that even though my phone can do 99% things needed to work, play and even click..having dedicated devices always take the limitations out of what my phone can do - that 1%. Laptop - MacBook Pro 14” M3 Pro 24GB 1 TB - Workstation/HQ - I do all my work on here while managing a Consulting business, a budding YouTube channel and entertainment. Gaming Device - ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X 4TB - my only tech purchase in Japan, got it for half of what it costs here in India and it has been a treat playing Indies on it and the occasional Destiny 2 - current rotation is Hades 2 and Realm of Ink (I am a rogue-lite fanboy). Camera - Sony A6300 with Kit Lens on a SmallRig Cage - Photo & Video Setup - I have other lenses but this is the one (the worst of the lot really) that forces me to frame my shots better and I still don’t do pictures justice (skill issue you can say) Phone - iPhone 17 Pro - Jack of all trades/Communication Device Listening Apparatus - AirPods Pro 2 & TruthEars x Crinkle - Zero:Blue2 IEM - one drives work; one is driven by my DAP. Audio Player - Shanling M0 Pro 512GB - I love listening to instrumentals when I work and pop/rock when I work out and this is small enough to stay concealed and out of the way for both. Fitness Trackers - Oura Ring Gen2 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 - One is a dedicated sleep tracker and the other one is a do all time piece that believe it or not did warn me of signs before my stroke last Feb, never trusting another device over this. Something a bit different from the usual knife/saks/wallet post. I love tech as much as I love other EDC so feel free to share your Tech EDC I enjoy seeing new things to add to make my life easier. Take it Easy, Kev From OneTakeEDC

Got fed up with waking up tired and not knowing why, so I went full psycho and wore/used multiple trackers at once to see which ones actually match up. TL;DR at bottom. **The setup:** \- Oura Ring 4 \- Samsung Galaxy Ring \- Fitbit Charge 6 \- Garmin Venu 3 \- Withings mat under my mattress \- Cheap Amazfit as control **What I found:** Oura was consistently the most accurate for sleep stages. Like, within 5-10 min of when I actually remember falling asleep/waking up. The HRV data correlates scary well with how I actually feel. BUT and this is the kicker—the Fitbit Charge 6 at $179 was maybe 85-90% as accurate as the $399 Oura. For most people that's probably good enough. Samsung Galaxy Ring surprised me. No subscription, solid accuracy, but you NEED a Samsung phone or it's basically useless. The Withings mat was weird. Some nights dead accurate, other nights it logged me as asleep when I was literally reading in bed. Partner movement throws it off. **Biggest surprise:** The cheap Amazfit ($89) wasn't terrible?? Sleep duration was accurate, stages were hit or miss. If you just want basic data it works. **What actually improved my sleep:** Honestly tracking alone did nothing. What helped was: \- Seeing my HRV tank after drinking (even 1-2 beers) \- Realizing my "good" sleep nights correlated with room temp under 68°F \- Noticing deep sleep crashed when I ate late **TL;DR:** \- Got money? Oura Ring 4 \- Budget king? Fitbit Charge 6 \- Hate wearing stuff? Withings mat (if you sleep alone) \- Samsung user? Galaxy Ring is solid \- Broke? Amazfit Balance does the basics Happy to answer questions. Been down this rabbit hole way too deep. wrote up a longer comparison with prices and specs if anyone wants it: [https://sleepupgradehub.com/the-best-sleep-trackers-of-2025-reddit-s-top-picks-373007](https://sleepupgradehub.com/the-best-sleep-trackers-of-2025-reddit-s-top-picks-373007)

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

I’ve been wearing an Oura ring alongside my wrist-watches for about 18 months now. It gives me the health insights that I’m looking for without overwhelming me with unnecessary information. If you’re going down this journey I’d urge you to consider what wearable information you find useful (I.e gives you actionable insights) versus just consuming data from sensors because they can serve it to you. When I’m doing actual sports I switch out for a G Shock and either use my Garmin head unit connected to a proper HRM if I’m on the bike (which syncs my activities Strava) or run Strava on my phone when I’m running, because let’s face it… my phone’s battery is outlasting mine and I’m taking it with me anyway to play Spotify through my Bluetooth earbuds. Smart watches are the dumbest invention of the 21st century. No, I do not want to read my emails or receive Teams notifications on a device strapped to my wrist that constantly buzzes and steals my attention away from whatever it was that I was doing before I was staring at a 1 x 1” screen when I’ve got a perfectly good phone in my pocket. Oura gives me the sensors and insights I need without the unnecessary stats or interruptions.

\*This is the second or so post that I’ve made about this, but still cannot understand what is happening\* Preface: 3.5 years with Garmin… Wear HRM Pro Plus for every single workout… Run about 80-100 mi/month… I’ll start by saying that for about the last two years I turned off VO2Max Estimate reading for my slow/Zone 2 runs, which took up about 70% of my volume… Since I’ve turned it back on, my VO2Max has plummeted from 63 to 53 in as little as 6 weeks or so… My volume hasn’t changed at all, and I feel as good as ever… Was I getting inaccurate readings since I had it off for my slow runs, and only used the VO2Max Estimate for all my other (speed) runs?? Even if so, that seems like an enormous drop… My 5k Estimate dropped 2 minutes over this span as well Thanks in advance for the help/info!

My budget is 10-11k, and its so hard to buy a good fitness tracker in India now- So I wanted something like whoop, no nonsense strap but fitbit air and helio strap have no signs here. Hence bands would work too, if I am going for a watch it should be a proper watch not some ODM from China. So these are my options rn- 1. Pebble Qore 2 2. Galaxy band 3 3. Huawei band 6 4. Xiaomi band 6 5. Xiaomi band 9/10 but import 6. Samsung watch 6 Lte you can suggest anything else as I am open to take recommendations- my goal is accurate step tracking and calories burt tracking. (in that order) PS- I love to wear my casio watch hence I am reluctant to shift in amaze fit bip6 etc as they are not adding any extra functionality as samsung watch.

I switched to the fitbit because it captured steps better. Even when pushing a cart or whatever where my hands were relatively steady, it was still counting steps. Now it doesn't. I've turned off autologging for cycling and now it apparently thinks I'm just doing nothing for an hour while I do the shopping. This change happened with the change to the new software. Supposedly fitbit was the best for steps and now it's no better than the Xiaomi band that I started with. I haven't been sleeping well (3 out of the past 5 nights, I haven't slept at all) so I haven't paid attention to the sleep portion of it recently but.. I think I need a different tracker. I just really don't want to research which ones will meet my needs and I live on a budget that definitely can't afford a new tracker right now. I'd put the thing on my ankle but I use it for a couple necessary alarms as well since it's always with me and my phone isn't.

mi band 10? I bought that. Good tracking for the price.

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

What are you trying to measure?? If it is calories burnt, every tracker is terrible. If you're trying to track sleep, all trackers are terrible for reporting, but will give you a time period when you slept. If it is heart rate tracking, check out reviews on Thequantifiedscientist like the other redditor mentioned. Pick a good watch that you like. The best watches track HR well until 150-160bpm after which they start under counting. If you can get a watch that pairs with a polar H10, That'd be perfect for tracking HR even upto 200bpm. ------------ I use a Huawei Watch GT5. Got it off Amazon for 24K I think. HR is great and sleep is reasonably okay, and pairs with the H10 for my conditioning and cardio sessions

Hi I am thinking of getting a Garmin. But there is only one service centre and that too in Delhi. I talked there and the guy said I would have to bring the watch in person to get it repaired or for warranty and not courier. Any views about the feedback of after sales service? I have heard some cases on reddit where people have gone through a lot of hassle for the service. Thanks.

i do have the gt 3 pro, but since I've swapped phones from Huawei, I've found it less costumizable. don't know if it was already there and just happened to notice it now. also i am working in the kitchen if this helps. also thanks for your time

I am considering buying a smartwatch, and am confused between these two. I am inclined towards oneplus because of the battery since I don't want to charge my watch daily. A bit bias towards samsung since I already use a samsung device. Also was scrolling the sub and read some posts saying oneplus watch 2 battery life has dropped to 1 day after the latest software update. I'd be really grateful for any advice/suggestions. My budget: 15k INR My main uses: Fitness (running swimming etc) Sleep tracking And a secondary addon device so I don't have to keep looking at my phone for every other thing. Please let me know if you think there's any other watch that might suit my needs better! Thank you!

OnePlus watch 3 is so good. Battery can last up to a week. And charges to full in less than an hour It really depends on your device and what you like. Most smartwatches need to be charged almost everyday but you can get used to that. I honestly like the OnePlus watch 3 and pixel watch 4 cause they charge so fast

I am looking for a god WearOS watch with a great battery life. For now I have found the OnePlus watch 3/4 and the Xiaomi watch 5 as the best in the market. Are there any other options consider to add in this list? What I am looking for is a watch where the Google services are a must (For Gemini) and thats pretty light and not that chunky to wear for sleeping. And the difference between the OnePlus 3 and 4 watch are very small. Is it worth to get the OnePlus 4 watch? I have a Mi band 10 at the moment that I use as a alarm, sleeptracker and general health/fitness tracking. So the battery life is a must. EDIT: I also consider the Amazfit Balance 2. It doesnt have the WearOS, but it has Ai voice assistant + offline maps and NFC pay.

If you want a solid budget fitness band, go for something like Mi Band or Realme Band. Cheap, reliable, does the basics like steps, HR, sleep tracking without drama. Tbh, don’t overthink the band tho. What actually matters is how you use the data. I’ve seen people pair a basic band with apps like Fittr and get way better results than those buying expensive wearables and doing nothing. So yeah, simple band + consistency >>> fancy band collecting dust 👍

Hi all, I'm looking for a slim fitness tracker under €50. I have a Samsung phone and don't want a bulky smartwatch. My main priorities are: 1. Sports tracking 2. Sleep tracking 3. Notifications I'm torn between: * Samsung Galaxy Fit3: love the ecosystem integration, but worried about battery life compared to the others * Huawei Band 9/10: heard the sleep tracking/sensors are superior, but is the app annoying to manage on a Samsung phone? * Xiaomi Smart Band 10: my girlfriend has one, she likes it... other than that I don't know! Thanks in advance!

Yes if you want solid reliability. Outside of that, I’d prefer the newer OLED. Really depends on your use case. I am looking forward to the Garmin Band

I went to Amazfit a couple months ago, and I love it !! I bought the Amazfit Band 7 for $45 from Amazon. It's their smallest, lowest price tracker. It was a third the price of my Fitbit Luxe, and it does a lot more. Customizable faces, weather, Spotify control and more.

I would go for Amazfit Band, I started with that, basic functions: HR, GPS. They have a dedicated app, but I used it with Strava and it also connects to Apple Health I guess. I liked that it have activity auto recognition. For the beginning I think it will be good fit.

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

Hi all, appreciate any input. Ive used a samsung galaxy fit 1 for about 7 years now. I love this thing to death and even revived it once by combining mine and another broken one when the screen stopped working. Sadly the samsung health app REALLY doesnt want me using this thing anymore. You cant start workouts from the watch any longer - wont track in app. If its disconnected for more than a few hours it becomes a pain to try and get it paired again. And the battery life has degraded. My only criticism is that I wish it could change my workouts from when i do long walks that transition into my runs. I have to manually end the workout and start a run. I LOVE this tracker as it is tiny. I dont want large screen watches and the new galaxy Fit bands all have comparatively massive screens. I require a small or no screen, no base features behind subscriptions, and most importantly receive notifications for calls and text, even if vibrations only. I have a 24/7 on call job so i need to always be notified. The Polar loop seemed to have fit my needs, However if you manually start a workout the app still creates a second workout due to the auto-tracking. Seems like its Polar ecosystem issue. The fitbit air also seemed to fit my needs but it doesnt support notifications. Tragic. The fitbit inspire 3 seems like it may fit the bill as basically a direct replacement but i want to know what others are using or think about the inspire 3 Thank you again

Check out the Samsung Galaxy Fit. They're about $60

The VO2 Max calculator on a Garmin is just a sort of chart of pace vs heart rate and nothing else. It’s not a real measure of your VO2 Max. Clearly since it dropped since you added back your easy runs that is the reason it has changed. You increased the volume of running at slower paces your watch is using to estimate so it’s lowering it (at least that is my guess) My VO2 max went up to 54 two months ago and has slid back down to 51 despite me being more fit. I run 150 miles a month and have made significant gains in my threshold pace. When my V02 was “54” My watch estimated my threshold at 8:05/mile Now that it’s “51” it estimates a 7:20 threshold. If I’ve maintained my same volume but improved my threshold pace how can my VO2 have dropped? It’s just an estimate and I don’t really pay attention to it other than to see what it says. I don’t base anything off of it or consider either of those to be my threshold or my VO2 Back to you: Are you seeing a change in performance? Do you feel slower at the 5k distance? Trust your body and use the watch as a guide

**EDIT:** After going through all the comments and doing a bit more research I decided to go with the [**Google Pixel Watch 4**](https://share.google/7Dc9gq9IyGsYu8V4k). From what I found it seems to hit the sweet spot in terms of performance for the price and it also happens to have a discount rn which made the decision easier. i finally snapped today at work when i spilled coffee on my wrist trying to check a meeting ping and the plastic strap on my ancient fitness band just completely snapped off. everyone keeps saying to get [**Google Pixel Watch 4**](https://share.google/SH2Zya0LzcK3zqVbq) or [**Apple Watch Ultra 3**](https://share.google/Li1UoJnxjUs1AajWC) or [**Garmin Fenix 8**](https://share.google/yZDJeLAdpoGydzAQ9) but honestly im kinda leaning toward [**Samsung Galaxy Watch 8**](https://share.google/ysHVkZNsFsAaSxfTx) just because the target down the street has it in stock right now and i recognize the brand. im basically upgrading from a super scratched up three year old fitness band because i mostly need my work notifications to actually show up and some basic health tracking while im sitting at my desk at the iffice. i have enough saved up to buy the crazy expensive flagship stuff if its actually worth it but i really dont want to blow extra cash on useless features if a normal mid range one does the exact same thing so im just trying to find the best value overall. the only thing i absolutely refuse to do is deal with a battery that forces me to stick it on some weird custom magnetic charging puck every single night. im so confused trying to pick between the ones that have really pretty smooth screens but die in one day versus the clunky workout ones that apparently last for weeks on a single charge. im ready to pull the trigger today so what exact model should i just blindly buy so i can stop stressing about this?

Agree that the new app is great. Been using it with my Pixel Watch 4 as well. Why do you need the Fit though if you have the 4?

Hey guys, trying to pick my first smartwatch and I'm totally torn between the T-Rex 3 Ultra and the Pixel Watch 4. ​I mostly need it for checking messages, tracking my steps for my weight-loss goals, and keeping an eye on my daily health stats. But here's the catch: I work in an auto shop, so whatever I buy needs to be seriously sturdy and waterproof. I can't be babying a fragile screen around tools all day. I'm also really hoping for a long battery life because charging another device every single night sounds annoying, and I definitely want to be able to swap out the bands easily (lmao 😂). ​The T-Rex looks basically indestructible with a killer battery, but the Pixel Watch has that smooth Google integration and sleek look. For those who own either, is the Pixel Watch too fragile for a rough, hands-on work environment? And is the battery difference really a dealbreaker? Would love to hear your thoughts!

\*This is the second or so post that I’ve made about this, but still cannot understand what is happening\* Preface: 3.5 years with Garmin… Wear HRM Pro Plus for every single workout… Run about 80-100 mi/month… I’ll start by saying that for about the last two years I turned off VO2Max Estimate reading for my slow/Zone 2 runs, which took up about 70% of my volume… Since I’ve turned it back on, my VO2Max has plummeted from 63 to 53 in as little as 6 weeks or so… My volume hasn’t changed at all, and I feel as good as ever… Was I getting inaccurate readings since I had it off for my slow runs, and only used the VO2Max Estimate for all my other (speed) runs?? Even if so, that seems like an enormous drop… My 5k Estimate dropped 2 minutes over this span as well Thanks in advance for the help/info!

I started tracking my sleep two years ago using a Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro, which cost only €58. It was my first sleep tracker, and I was pleasantly surprised that it even detected my wake-ups. However, I soon realized that not everything was being recorded properly. For example, when I couldn’t sleep and moved from my bed to the couch, it still didn’t recognize that I had been awake. That made me wonder what else it might be missing. So I started researching alternatives and eventually found the Fitbit Charge 6 for 99€. After the first night, I was hooked. It detected every time I woke up, including 24 micromovements throughout the night, making me feel that it was finally capturing what was really happening while I slept. You can see the result in the first picture. Then Google completely changed the app and migrated everything to Google Health, and I’m literally back where I started with the Xiaomi Smart Band. Last night, I woke up twice and went to the bathroom. As usual, it took me some time to fall asleep again afterward. To compare the results and verify what I already suspected, I wore both the Xiaomi Smart Band and the Fitbit Charge 6 at the same time. As you can see in the second picture (Xiaomi) and the third picture (Charge 6), neither device recorded the time I spent awake. And I’m not talking about lying awake in bed without moving. I literally got up, walked around, and wasn’t sleeping at all. Now some people say, “Yeah, but if it’s under five minutes, it doesn’t count as being awake.” Well, F.U.! First, the Charge 6 did count those periods for more than a year. In fact, it used to record even more wake-ups than it does now. Second, if a sleep tracker—or its software—decides that being awake and walking around doesn’t count as being awake, then it simply isn’t suitable as a sleep tracker. Google ruined its device and turned it into something that performs no better than an entry-level tracker bought on a budget out of curiosity. I did the comparison, and the results were clear: for sleep tracking, the Charge 6 now performs just as poorly as a cheap entry-level device.

Finally got my hands on the Mi Band 10! A friend picked it up for me in the UK. I just switched the Mi Fitness app region to UK from India and it paired up instantly. Everything is working smooth. I’m mainly aiming to use this as a strict health tracker to fix my sleep habits and keep an eye on my step count. I need some help with suggestions: **Watch Faces**: I’m looking for something super simple and minimal. * Must haven Step count, Sleep data(optional) and a clear Time & Date. * I hate those faces where the time is distorted, diagonal, or unreadable. * I just want a decent-sized, readable font for the time/date with those two health stats clearly visible. *If you guys have any favorite WFs that fit this, let me know. **Tips & Tricks:** Since I’m new to this model, are there any hidden settings or specific tweaks I should turn on to get the best accuracy for sleep tracking or batter health ? **Strap availability**: Is there any good strap availability in india? The one i am looking for is mentioned in the image. Appreciate the help.

Hey everyone, I'm in Mumbai and considering buying the Pebble Qore (the screenless one with 45-day battery claim) as a simple, no-distraction fitness tracker. It's around ₹2,899 on Amazon/Flipkart, has HR, SpO2, stress, sleep tracking, 100+ sports modes, one-key measurement, and notifications via app. I've seen some mixed feedback online (e.g., amazing battery life but questions on step/HR accuracy during runs or workouts), and there's already a short thread in r/indianrunners about the Qore 2 where someone mentioned inaccurate steps. Looking for real-user experiences, especially in 2025-2026: How's the actual battery life in daily use (e.g., with continuous HR on)? Accuracy of steps, sleep, heart rate, SpO2, or stress monitoring? (Comparisons to Amazfit, Fitbit, or phone apps welcome) Any issues with the app (Android/iOS), connectivity, or build quality in humid Mumbai weather? Is the screenless design a pro (less distractions) or con for you? Worth it over other budget bands like Mi Band, Noise, or Amazfit Bip series? Long-term durability? Any regrets or would you buy again? If you've used it for running, gym, daily tracking, or just wellness – share your pros/cons, photos if possible, or what made you pick it. Thanks in advance! Any help appreciated before I pull the trigger. 😊

Hi all, I’m looking for a fitness tracker for a parent around 65–70. They’re not super tech-savvy, but want something to track steps, heart rate, sleep, and maybe activity reminders. Important things: 1. Simple to use and set up 2. Comfortable and easy to wear 3. Good battery life 4. Accurate tracking Budget is around $100–$200, but open to recommendations if it’s worth it. Anyone here using one they’d actually recommend? Thanks in advance! 🙏 **EDIT:** Thanks for all the suggestions! Here are some fitness trackers that seniors actually use and like: [Apple Watch SE](https://share.google/5ZOfziJOX5MatKIef) – $239 – fall detection, heart rate, sleep, activity reminders [Fitbit Charge 6](https://share.google/KBCCiFSebWJfspCXx) – $147 – easy battery management, heart rate and sleep tracking, activity reminders [Garmin Vivosmart 5](https://share.google/gzbHpWWb6JWkSdYqh–) $147.90 – lightweight, simple interface, tracks steps and sleep [Xiaomi Smart Band 9](https://share.google/udpCkkHlqoLwdnuCT) – $29.99 – affordable, basic tracking, easy to wear and charge

My budget is 10-11k, and its so hard to buy a good fitness tracker in India now- So I wanted something like whoop, no nonsense strap but fitbit air and helio strap have no signs here. Hence bands would work too, if I am going for a watch it should be a proper watch not some ODM from China. So these are my options rn- 1. Pebble Qore 2 2. Galaxy band 3 3. Huawei band 6 4. Xiaomi band 6 5. Xiaomi band 9/10 but import 6. Samsung watch 6 Lte you can suggest anything else as I am open to take recommendations- my goal is accurate step tracking and calories burt tracking. (in that order) PS- I love to wear my casio watch hence I am reluctant to shift in amaze fit bip6 etc as they are not adding any extra functionality as samsung watch.

Hi all, I'm looking for a slim fitness tracker under €50. I have a Samsung phone and don't want a bulky smartwatch. My main priorities are: 1. Sports tracking 2. Sleep tracking 3. Notifications I'm torn between: * Samsung Galaxy Fit3: love the ecosystem integration, but worried about battery life compared to the others * Huawei Band 9/10: heard the sleep tracking/sensors are superior, but is the app annoying to manage on a Samsung phone? * Xiaomi Smart Band 10: my girlfriend has one, she likes it... other than that I don't know! Thanks in advance!

Xiaomi Band 10 (or 9, or 8 or 7) (Global version-if you're outside China) It's about $48.60 I wear the 7; hope Santa bring me a 10! Great battery life. See them on AZ for more info.

My budget is 10-11k, and its so hard to buy a good fitness tracker in India now- So I wanted something like whoop, no nonsense strap but fitbit air and helio strap have no signs here. Hence bands would work too, if I am going for a watch it should be a proper watch not some ODM from China. So these are my options rn- 1. Pebble Qore 2 2. Galaxy band 3 3. Huawei band 6 4. Xiaomi band 6 5. Xiaomi band 9/10 but import 6. Samsung watch 6 Lte you can suggest anything else as I am open to take recommendations- my goal is accurate step tracking and calories burt tracking. (in that order) PS- I love to wear my casio watch hence I am reluctant to shift in amaze fit bip6 etc as they are not adding any extra functionality as samsung watch.

Hi everyone, I’m planning to gift a smartwatch/fitness band to my uncle. He is a regular gym-goer (does a mix of weights and cardio), so I am looking for something that actually tracks heart rate and workouts accurately, rather than just looking good. I’ve shortlisted a few options available on Amazon, but I’m confused by the mixed reviews. Here is my list: 1. **Samsung Galaxy Fit3** (Love the display, but worried about battery life?) 2. **Huawei Band 9** (Heard the tracking is god-tier, but is the app setup a hassle in India?) 3. **Amazfit Active Edge** (Seems rugged, but is the screen good?) 4. **Noise/Redmi Options** (ColorFit Ultra 3, etc. - Are these actually good for gym tracking or just "lifestyle" watches?) **My main questions:** * For someone doing gym workouts, is the **Huawei Band 9** significantly better in accuracy than the **Samsung Fit3**? * Are the **Noise** watches reliable for health data? I've read some comments saying the heart rate sensors are inconsistent during heavy lifting. * Since he isn't super tech-savvy, is the Huawei app easy to manage given it's not on the Play Store? Budget is around these price points (<₹4k). Would appreciate any real-world user reviews! Thanks in advance.

Just for running? You can get Huawei band 9 10 etc. pretty accurate. No other below 5k comes even close to it.

Huawei series! Band 10/11 have hrv monitoring and so does watch fit 4

I have the Pixel 3 and I think it’s a great watch, but when it comes to health features, I lean more toward Amazfit. I own the Balance 2, and I previously had the GTR 4 and the GTS 2. All of them performed really well. Of course, the Pixel has some of the best sensors available, but during workouts — for example running — in the case of Amazfit watches it’s worth getting at least an inexpensive HR strap.

I’ve had an Amazfit GTR mini for a few years now. I like this watch. I’m not all that into fitness tracking, but I like counting my steps and heart rate, and O2 comes in handy. The only other feature I really use is the alarm and timer. I have several alarms, and I use the timer several times a week. (I don’t use any of the other features regularly, tbh) I want a watch that has these features, but ways to add descriptions to the alarms and timers, even if just a few words. I’m really busy, and I have ADHD and other brain fog issues. If an alarm goes off I don’t always remember why. Don’t roast me, folks. 😅 Obvs I also need the watch to tell me what day of the week and date it is, same reason. I also don’t want or need AI. Prefer not. But not sure I can get around it these days, as long as I could disable it. Recommendations welcome! I suppose I’m considering newer Amazfit models, older Apple Watches. Open to others.