Apple Vs. Garmin: Why I made the switch
Whatup Team?!
For years now, I’ve been doing research and watching a ton of videos on the latest activity trackers and watches on the market because my Apple Watch ran out of battery life without making it through the day. It still works but I just wanted more metrics and less notifications.
One of the resources that helps me is Consumer Advocate. They have a ton of new fitness trackers for all ages reviewed here if you don’t find what you’re looking for on my blog. Leave it to the review experts!
With 100s of reviews and articles reviewing the best products and services in every industry, they’re easily a great resource so you don’t have to post to Facebook ‘ISO…best running shoes, etc.’
They’ve written a great post about different trackers for all ages.
You can view it here!
For example- Fitbit products! Such a great price-point, and love their social sharing. I loved my Fitbit while I used it and know lots of friends who share the same. Budget friendly too!
Moving on to the watch I personally made the switch to.
#1 reason I made the switch to Garmin: I’m sick of planned obsolescence.
I want MORE life out of my products. I want to GROW with my products for years to come.
As someone who went to school for product design and then spent 7 years in manufacturing consumer goods, I can appreciate the value and life-span of a product. I get it, different businesses need to make different choices and Apple just chooses to screw over their customers without any ounce of emotion. Kind of brilliant actually, because their products are marketed to give you emotional fulfillment.
At the end of the day, I always HIGHLY encourage you to watch Youtube videos of the products you’re interested in or have questions on. What a wealth of knowledge there is out there!
Fenix 6S Plus:
For Athletes and Outdoor Adventurers
Best for someone who wants to use their phone LESS AND FOCUS MORE
*highly recommend buying around BFCYM or Christmas holidays sales for a really good deal on this watch!
-Best battery life: If I ran outside every day, this watch typically lasts for 5-7 days! (if you have GPS running all the time its less, easy to turn off in your settings)
-Disconnect: Personally, I need less phone time to stay focused and less anxious in my life, so I decided to make the switch to have more focused training sessions, and less interruptions in my regular life. Time is precious, especially as a business owner. I respond to most messages after my work day, and from my computer so I can type instead of text.
-More metrics: Check this out when you do your research on this wattch! (click the link above to go to the Garmin website) in depth stride length and cadence analysis and you can attach a running pod or foot pod for monitoring your vertical and horizontal oscillation (movement back and forth at a reg. speed) as well as RPMs on the bike, etc. The Running Power App
-Incredible Dashboard: Literally all the training info you could ever want
-Strava- If it’s community and metrics challenges you’re looking for, Garmin connects to Strava (so does Peloton which is awesome). You can find friends and athletes alike here.
Gear tracking: It literally tracks all my shoe and gear mileage so I know when to replace them!
-I default my On-Clouds to walks because I typically use them for walking and coaching (I’ve started using them for running and I’m enjoying them!)
I have the CloudStratus
-I default my Brooks to ‘run’ activities on my watch because I only wear them to run.
-I like the Levitate 2s but have been running on the Ricochet’s this year (don’t love them they’re too narrow and I already have narrow feet). Really trying to downsize my running shoe.
-Music Feature: You can store music on the watch using Spotify or Amazon music, so you can take your EarPods and leave your phone AT HOME! Which I love….but the music feature is not very user friendly, so I honestly never use it, and always carry my phone with me. I have to dive a little deeper and fix the settings to get my Spotify playlists to work again because this is a huge disappointment for me.
-Garmin Pay: you can still use your watch to pay on the go if you use this feature often!
-Add various Apps- theres an app called HIIT tracker that connects to my OTBeat Heart Rate monitor which I like so I can record those workouts together, but you can add many different apps from the Garmin Connect store for whatever you need!
This watch: Best for Anyone who has many sports in mind: Running, Rowing, Bike, Golf (GPS maps included) and lots more activities
-If you are specifically looking for a Garmin golf watch though, there are better options for Golf!
*Other Garmin’s:
Runners specifically-the Forerunners and the 645 Music are also amazing choices. The Vivoactive is great for anyone who is avid into fitness but doesn’t need something super fancy-still amazing features.
Balance your endurance training with this quick weight training plan. 2 Supersets and a core blast is all you need.
Apple Watch: No specific Series
Best for iphone users who need the notifications and music controls to connect to their phone
You want constant communication? This watch is for you.
-This watch is Connected to your phone ALL the time (this is why the battery doesn’t last very long)
-Battery life: The thing about battery life, is you have to run it ALL THE WAY DOWN when you first get a product: this sets the battery life. After that, most Apple products will give you about 2 good years until they turn into Karens….begging you for attention halfway through the day.
-Water- Resistant : Yes you can use your apple watch in the water but do your research on which model. And they do not claim waterproof but The latest Apple watch versions are Water resistant to 50 meters, The Apple Watch Series 5 is designed with swimmers in mind. The Pool Swim workout automatically records splits and sets and can actually recognize your stroke. You’ll have to do some research on the longevity of this feature.
-Best for OTF Coaches-Control your music from your watch, this is a HUGE plus and makes a big difference in your classes. I know many coaches who use their watch to time their classes and with the OTLink coming out soon, you’ll be able to connect your HR to the OTBeat and possibly coaching apps in the future, but I have no solid date of that launch.
-Notifications help you spend less time on your phone: decide if its important to respond right then
-Respond right on your watch to texts and calls
-Activity Tracking- yes, you can easily use it for runs, and it will also measure your SPM (stride per min) but if you want high accuracy and more metrics, Garmin is always the way to go.
-If you buy one of the less expensive versions: you will get all the activity tracking you need, without the waterproof features
If you love to stay connected, have a big variety of exercise and fitness in your life, and don’t care about replacing your watch every 2 years or so, go with the Apple watch.
Different priorities call for different technology! Choose yours and you’ll have the best choice for your lifestyle!
With Gratitude,
Coach Ari
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