Forerunner 101

I've been using Garmin since their Forerunner 101 (which still works BTW), Forerunner 305, Forerunner 910XT, VivoActive HR (one of their first forays into touch screens), and now their Forerunner 935 (which I bought new in 2020, but it was released in 2017). All of these still work, except for the VivoActive HR. I used to use Fitbit and started with some of the earliest releases - EVERY SINGLE Fitbit has died on me. I had a graveyard of dead fitbits. it was ridiculous. I've been using the Apple Watch since series 7 (which just died recently) and switched to the Ultra 2 to give Apple one more chance. My perspective is that Apple puts in too powerful of a processor for a smartwatch, hence the shorter battery life. The Garmin processors are generally barebones by comparison. They also must use some better charging algorithm on the newer Forerunners because my 935 ends the day at almost the same exact SOC for the past 5 years. I'm at 88% at the end of a full day, that includes 1 hour of GPS workouts. I'm getting an estimated 5-6 days from the Ultra 2. My Series 7 really dropped battery health after WatchOS 10.2, something caused the battery health to go from 100% rapidly down to 86% ever since 10.2 as it used to consume 1.7%/hr and then to 3%/hr before it died. But the Apple watches are much better as smart watches. The Garmin are much better as fitness watches. The Precision Start on Ultra at least fixed the issue I had with regular Apple Watch where it'd start the activity but without GPS or HR data for the first 30 seconds - which is idiotic. Precision Start tells me when GPS and HR data are good to go, just like on a Garmin. I have not used the newer Garmins like Forerunner 970 or Fenix/Epix 8 or whatever but Garmin does have their own slew of issues. They often switch GPS chipsets and some generations are extremely problematic in urban environments.

I’ve been with Garmin forerunner 101–virtually a brick on your wrist that only connected to your pc via serial port. I’ve had just about every edition, or every other forerunner or fenix, since then. https://preview.redd.it/9y3djmlqs2wf1.jpeg?width=447&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8970e4e3b30a7ac16290c35ee5912fd8935f3b7f Garmin does excellent running/hiking/exploring watches but it’s only nominally in that other smartwatch or lifestyle market segment since other brands do that much better. Though there is a lot of competition with Coros & even Apple Watch Ultra in some cases, most people I know like Garmin for their ecosystem and I don’t think for that specific athlete market it’s even close. So I think one ought to think of it like that rather than Garmin as a smartwatch brand So affordable is a subjective term. For me, I wouldn’t part with my Garmin because there’s always a compromise with “lifestyle” type watches passing for a training device. Plus I have Garmin edge for cycling and Garmin power meter pedals as well.

i second that. wrist HR with F8 is also faulty for me like 30% of the times, could be because of a wrist or a strap. But i did not see any with F8 improvement compared to F6 or older forerunners

I use a Garmin Forerunner watch, and it displays heart rate while tracking activity. The reading is pretty visible to me even with slightly foggy goggles but ymmv. They have a lot of models with this capability, so maybe you can find one with a bigger screen. The default heart rate screen also has a colored Zone indicator, if that's easier to see & you're not looking for exact numbers https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=kbOXNev7NS4DQcc3IjAV49

I use Garmin forerunner watch, sync Strava with Garmin Connect and sync Komoot with Strava. It works like a charm.

I got a Garmin forerunner watch and on the mats I use the Garmin hrm pro. Had no complaints while rolling. Just makes it feel like you have a hard sternum

I have a Garmin Edge bike computer and chest based heart rate because I like to see my speed on the handlebars rather than having to look at my watch. It also navigates for me on more adventurous rides and race courses I'm unfamiliar with. For local social rides I just track on my Garmin Forerunner watch.

A Garmin head unit. You could buy used to reduce the cost. I do ride wearing my forerunner watch, however it is purely for heartrate (linkeded to display on headunit) In reality you could buy the headunit and an inexpensive chest heartrate monitor such as magene. I do however like that my watch provides lots of other daily data such as resting heartrate, steps and so forth. There is benefit to headunit + basic level sports watch.

Congratulations!  I use Garmin forerunner watch. 

Runs are the same concept as rides. Personally, I use purpose-built devices to record: Garmin Edge bike computer, Garmin Forerunner watch (they also both do navigation, connect to heart rate sensors, watch does music, etc.). When I stop an activity and hit save, it's uploaded to Strava before I can even get the garage door open. I don't want to carry my phone on a run, and I don't want to run down the battery on all-day rides.