Garmin or other fitness tracker

[Ottakee]

My Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is NOT working well anymore.  It isn't counting activity/intensity minutes and I can't get the GPS to lock on signal anymore.  I have tried a factory reset, updating software, resets, etc.  It just isn't working.

So....that means I am looking for a new one.   Here is what I want:

Waterproof

Heart rate monitor

Smart notifications.....texts, email, phone calls, fb messages, etc show up on the device....I don't need to be able to respond, just see them....important at work

Accurate, FAST GPS signal lock....I don't want to wait 5 minutes to get a GPS signal.     I want to know the distance I have walked/hiked and my pace (miles per hour)

Intensity minutes....gives me number of minutes of exercise for the week.

Stairs....I have never found this to be accurate but if it is there I would look at it

Works with Android phone.....don't have the money to get an iPhone and a apple watch or Fitbit, etc.

Not too clunky as I would wear it all waking hours.  

*********** 

Any good ideas for me?  I would love a chart where I could highlight the features I want and go from there.

What do you have....and love or hate about it.

[katilac]

My new Samsung phone has a ton of those features, so maybe look directly at phones? idk how the cost of a fitness tracker with those features would compare, but this is what my Galaxy S10 can do: 

• always tracks steps
• gives pace when walking or hiking 
• tracks 'active minutes' for the day, however you achieve them, which I think should be your intensity minutes 
• it's considered water resistant, IP68 rating, can be submerged in fresh water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes (they say fresh water bc chemicals in pool/spa could potentially damage it); you should be able to compare IP ratings across devices 
• heart rate and oxygen levels, but not automatic, you have to put your finger on the sensor for a few seconds 
• obviously all my notifications show up on it, lol 
• you can input other info like water and caffeine intake, blood pressure, menstrual cycle, food, weight
• you can select other exercises, like swimming or elliptical, and hit start when you begin and finish when you end, and it will track that for you; I haven't used this, but I think the idea is that it doesn't mess up your step count and also can do when you don't want your phone right on you - my dh did this with an app for a long time, and you can see how much weight training per week, etc 
• sleep tracker, I don't really use so don't know effectiveness - I can say that it's fairly accurate at guessing when I'm asleep, even though it's not in bed with me and there are plenty of times during the day when my phone is just sitting there, apparently it's witchcraft 

I don't see anything about tracking stairs automatically, but stair stepper can be entered manually (so if you're going up stairs everyday at work, you could get in the habit of start/stop to track it).

I don't really want a separate device because I have enough devices already, and I generally always have my phone anyway. 

 

[Ottakee]

26 minutes ago, katilac said:

My new Samsung phone has a ton of those features, so maybe look directly at phones? idk how the cost of a fitness tracker with those features would compare, but this is what my Galaxy S10 can do: 

• always tracks steps
• gives pace when walking or hiking 
• tracks 'active minutes' for the day, however you achieve them, which I think should be your intensity minutes 
• it's considered water resistant, IP68 rating, can be submerged in fresh water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes (they say fresh water bc chemicals in pool/spa could potentially damage it); you should be able to compare IP ratings across devices 
• heart rate and oxygen levels, but not automatic, you have to put your finger on the sensor for a few seconds 
• obviously all my notifications show up on it, lol 
• you can input other info like water and caffeine intake, blood pressure, menstrual cycle, food, weight
• you can select other exercises, like swimming or elliptical, and hit start when you begin and finish when you end, and it will track that for you; I haven't used this, but I think the idea is that it doesn't mess up your step count and also can do when you don't want your phone right on you - my dh did this with an app for a long time, and you can see how much weight training per week, etc 
• sleep tracker, I don't really use so don't know effectiveness - I can say that it's fairly accurate at guessing when I'm asleep, even though it's not in bed with me and there are plenty of times during the day when my phone is just sitting there, apparently it's witchcraft 

I don't see anything about tracking stairs automatically, but stair stepper can be entered manually (so if you're going up stairs everyday at work, you could get in the habit of start/stop to track it).

I don't really want a separate device because I have enough devices already, and I generally always have my phone anyway. 

 

My phone does a lot of this features too.  I really do need a separate device though.   For one, at work, my phone is at my desk on my charger but it is nice to see notifications, etc in a watch.  That also means that my steps wouldn't be counted at work much of the time.   I also have a heart condition (very well controlled) where it is nice to have some heart rate data all day to see patterns.

Finally, I live in an area where cell service (and therefore many apps) is spotty.

I wish I could just go with one device.

[Matryoshka]

37 minutes ago, katilac said:

My new Samsung phone has a ton of those features, so maybe look directly at phones? idk how the cost of a fitness tracker with those features would compare, but this is what my Galaxy S10 can do: 

• always tracks steps
• gives pace when walking or hiking 
• tracks 'active minutes' for the day, however you achieve them, which I think should be your intensity minutes 
• it's considered water resistant, IP68 rating, can be submerged in fresh water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes (they say fresh water bc chemicals in pool/spa could potentially damage it); you should be able to compare IP ratings across devices 
• heart rate and oxygen levels, but not automatic, you have to put your finger on the sensor for a few seconds 
• obviously all my notifications show up on it, lol 
• you can input other info like water and caffeine intake, blood pressure, menstrual cycle, food, weight
• you can select other exercises, like swimming or elliptical, and hit start when you begin and finish when you end, and it will track that for you; I haven't used this, but I think the idea is that it doesn't mess up your step count and also can do when you don't want your phone right on you - my dh did this with an app for a long time, and you can see how much weight training per week, etc 
• sleep tracker, I don't really use so don't know effectiveness - I can say that it's fairly accurate at guessing when I'm asleep, even though it's not in bed with me and there are plenty of times during the day when my phone is just sitting there, apparently it's witchcraft 

I don't see anything about tracking stairs automatically, but stair stepper can be entered manually (so if you're going up stairs everyday at work, you could get in the habit of start/stop to track it).

I don't really want a separate device because I have enough devices already, and I generally always have my phone anyway. 

 

I have Samsung Health on my phone, and a Fitbit.  I've recently turned the Samsung app on because I was having trouble figuring out how to GPS track a walk/run in my Fitbit (figured it out, it was easy, duh me).  But I can compare what they do.  While on a run, I think the Samsung might track distance better (well, it says I went farther, so I like that 😉 ), but it can't track steps or active minutes most of the day when my phone is lying around somewhere - does yours have some witchy way of doing that??  Also, as you say, the HR monitor is only if I put my finger on it, not continuous.  The continuous HR monitor is my favorite part of my Fitbit.  Well, that and having a wristwatch again.  I don't think of it as an extra device more than a watch with extra handy features.  Is the Garmin not a wristwatch too?  I wouldn't want something I have to carry around or hang on me somewhere.  

My Fitbit does all the things OP is asking for, and it's even an older model - an Alta HR.  I do need to use the app for GPS -  I have to bring my phone on a walk/run and tell the App to track - but apparently most of the newer models (Versa, Inspire) have GPS built into the wrist portion. 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Matryoshka

[katilac]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

  but it can't track steps or active minutes most of the day when my phone is lying around somewhere - does yours have some witchy way of doing that??  Also, as you say, the HR monitor is only if I put my finger on it, not continuous.  The continuous HR monitor is my favorite part of my Fitbit.  Well, that and having a wristwatch again.  I don't think of it as an extra device more than a watch with extra handy features.  Is the Garmin not a wristwatch too?  I wouldn't want something I have to carry around or hang on me somewhere.  

No, I just try to have my phone on me. I use a case with a swivel ring built in so that I can use a carbiner to attach it to a belt loop at home, if I don't have good pockets. Or I wear a hip pack - sometimes I prefer the hip pack even if I have belt loops, because I can throw vitamins in it to take throughout the day (I don't like taking several at once) or a chapstick I can use real quick if my lips are dry. Those are things I won't stop to do unless the needed item is  right with me. 

I wouldn't mind continuous HR monitor, but I don't want a wristwatch or anything else to wear. I don't wear watches or any kind of jewelry except earrings sometimes. And my HR is pretty consistent except when I'm exercising, and I remember to check it then! If you're going to wear a watch anyway, yeah, that's the way to go.