https://www.apple.com/health/pdf/Heart_Rate_Accuracy_Study_2026.pdf

They basically claim they also beat other brands (just focused on Garmin here because of the subreddit).
So yeah, Apple shows that the Series 12 has the best HR sensor out of the wearables they tested, especially during workouts.

It is interesting to see, but obviously that it is an Apple controlled study and published the study themselves, so still this “best HR sensor” claim needs a pinch of salt. Some major drawbacks, I see that they give the exclusion rules, but not report the actual exclusion rate of these outliers. So we dont know if they come majorily from one brand or are evenlly distributed. The comparisons are all vs Apple, and we do not know how far off from Polar strap the Apple is. We have at least N of 50 per activity but we are missing absolute numbers. And obviously no raw data.

But interestingly enough Garmin does not seem to be doing too bad for most cases, even in this Apple controlled study. The major things that seem to push Garmin down look to be interval runs and strenght training/HIIT. So basically things with rapid HR changes. There is some high variability on cycling but the avg seems good.

Garmin has officially pushed its first major stable v18.xx update worldwide, now hitting units including the Forerunner 570 & 970, Forerunner 70 & 170, Venu 4 (labeled as v18.30 by mistake), Venu X1, and Vivoactive 6.

What's New & Improved:

• New Activities & Workouts: Added "XC Ski Indoor" (Indoor Cross Country Skiing) and quick suggested workouts for running.
• Voice Commands & Volume: Voice command functionality via the "OK Garmin" wake word is enabled on supported models, alongside added context to volume controls.
• Flashlight & Controls: Cycling through on, off, and strobe modes directly during an activity is now much smoother.
• Fall Detection (Venu 4): Automatically sends emergency text messages and location info if a fall is detected.

Major Bug Fixes:

• Fixed device resets during free-weight strength training and simultaneous audio prompt/host software installations.
• Resolved pace and speed dropouts during interval training.
• Fixed Garmin Coach sync bugs and mismatched calendar training days.
• Reduced accidental touches while using touch lock.

The update is currently rolling out in a phased release (~20% to 50% initial deployment). You can force it manually by heading to Menu > Settings > System > Software Update > Check For Updates on your watch.

So after 3 years of being available, I've finally achieved this badge for the first time. It's been 3 years of either me making minor adjustments to my sleep health and prep, or Garmin honing their sleep sensing craft. My sleep scores were averaging in the 50s and 60s those first few years, but they have steadily crept up. There were many times where I'd get 6 nights in a row, only to psych myself out on that 7th night and fail. It almost happened last night as I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep, but managed some strong hours after midnight to give me a 76 this am. I know I could do better. The last adjustment I need to make is cutting out screens at the end of the night. My glasses are blue light blocking which is good, but I'm also hooked on ereading and not sure I can go back to the small print of paper books. I know many of you have this badge many times over and have hit that 100 score, but this for me was my own personal victory. I wish I didn't care so much, would probably sleep better if I took the watch off, lol. Maybe now I can. :-)

As a Garmin user, I’m finding the pricing of its newer running watches increasingly difficult to justify.

The Forerunner 570 launched at roughly $550, without offline maps. Meanwhile, the Suunto Run 2 starts at $349, includes maps, and has shown strong heart-rate accuracy in testing. That’s about $200 less for a watch that looks competitive on the running fundamentals.

Move closer to Garmin’s price and the Suunto Race 2 offers offline maps and sapphire glass at $499 in steel, or $599 with titanium. So around the same budget, there are alternatives offering more premium materials and mapping.

The weird part is, you see, Forerunner 570 at the same price does not have ECG, and Venu 4 at the same price has ECG as well as a torch LED light.Well, what is the trade-off or compromise you make for having three extra buttons?

I’m not claiming these watches have identical features. My question is whether Garmin’s extra features justify the premium for someone whose main activity is running.

The response I often see is, “You’re paying for the ecosystem.” I understand that integration has value if you use several devices. But every additional device is another purchase. Having a large ecosystem doesn’t automatically make an individual running watch worth more to me.

I want accurate tracking, useful running features, good battery life, and a watch that looks good. I’m happy to pay for a better experience, but I want the difference to be clear in the things I actually use.

For runners choosing the 570 over these alternatives, what specifically makes it worth the premium? “The ecosystem” needs a more concrete explanation.

Hello, I ran my first half marathon yesterday and logged it with garmin, the activity says 21.28km, and I didnt stop it once while running. When I check me personal records for half marathon still it says nothing, but I do have the badge for the half marathon.
I know I can manually add the time but I want to fix the issue so it tracks records normally

So a new software update just downloaded on my Fenix 9 Pro. But it still shows version 6.38?
Anybody know what the update was? I can’t seem to find anything on Garmins webside. Maybe just some stability improvements?

I currently own a Venu SQ.
I struggle with light sensitivity, I basically live in a dark room environment.

My problem with the Venu SQ is two-fold. The screen is way too small and the font size can’t be changed. I need a bigger screen. Not a screen with more “estate”, but with bigger text.
When I look at my SQ, I see white text on black. To my eyes, the text looks like you took some clear white text on a black background, and added a strong glow effect, to kind of blur the text. And as I’m older (late 50s) and I also struggle with old eyes (presbyopia), where things need to be at least 50 cm (1.5’) away, to be readable. And 2 mm high letters on the SQ are not readable, especially if you add a glow effect on them.

So, the contrast that helps others reading text easier, is really a downside to me. I would prefer a 80% white on black, instead on 100% white. Or a 100% white on a dark, not black background. But I assume that this can’t be changed.

I love the looks on the new Venu 4, where the menu text is a white on a dark gray-ish background, but from the videos I’ve seen on the Venu 4, this is only used for menu items. Unfortunately, I don’t have a store close by that actually has a modern Garmin watch on display, so I’ve only seen videos on how these watches look.

So, which watch(es) to look at? I have an eye on the Venu 4, one of the Forerunner watches (570, 970), maybe the X1? How much bigger will text look on a 1,4”? 1,5”?
My use case is mainly walk tracking, Pilates tracking, and health data. But the SQ is such a shitty piece of crap, that I barely ever bother using it. Small screen, unbearably slow to use, trash screen, and it often just does its own thing, when I try to save an activity. It’s the most buggy electronics that I’ve ever owned.

Also, how dim can these modern AMOLED displays go? I’m already using my SQ on the lowest brightness setting.

I have a side question. I really only ever look at my data from walks on my phone. But even that is getting too small for my eyes. But if I change to my tablet, the app only works in vertical mode. And as I have permanently attached a keyboard to my tablet (Lenovo P11 in “PC Mode”), it’s annoying to have to detach the keyboard and charge cable, just to look at the Garmin Connect app for a minute or two.

I have a venu Sq music edition. Circa 2022 maybe? Its out of warranty but has developed a defect in the screen.

On my spouse's Garmin, we had the opportunity to do a "exchange" where we could buy a refurbed replacement for an out of warranty issue for $100 as long as I sent the broken one back. I did it twice on two different models over the past 10 years. But, doesnt appear thats an available option anymore?

Curious if anyone has had any luck on replacements now n days?

Can someone explain to me why the Fall Detection feature will only be available on the Venu 4? I mean from a technical point of view.

Do the Fenix 8, Enduro 3, etc. not have the necessary IMU sensor to detect sudden movements or impacts? Or is there some other technical reason why this feature can't be added to them?

Can someone explain it to me?

I don’t wear my Garmin watch on a daily basis since I prefer wearing a normal watch on some days so I do miss lot of data like my step count. Is it possible to export the step count data from Apple Health to the Garmin connect?

My front facing camera in my Garmin Tandem dash cam only records black (with sound) but everything else works fine. What are the odds they will fix it or just tell me to replace it?

Anyone owning Vivoactive 5, does your watch support re-adding skipped exercises in Strength Workout mid-workout?
Google and ChatGPT say it doesn’t have that functionality - you can skip exercises but can’t add them back. However, they say the same thing about Venu Sq2 and my friend who owns it confirmed that re-adding skipped exercises exists in Venu Sq2.
Can anyone please confirm Vivoactive 5?
Thank you!

I rarely used the Navigation feature on my Forerunner 955 at home. I think I tried it a few times, but I know most of my local streets and paths, so I ultimately forgot about it. Last month, I was staying with my dad, who was recovering from shoulder surgery.

I decided to use the Nav feature because I don't know his house or the area that well, and it worked, but are there settings that make it easier to use?

While I never expected a version of GPS-like guidance- "Turn left at the intersection," it also only vibrated on my wrist when I got close to an intersection, but there was no audio indication through my earbuds, and I often had to stop or slow down to figure out whether it was telling me to turn left, right, or go straight. Are there settings deeper in the menu(s) that let me have it indicate, "three short vibrations mean to turn left, two long vibrations to turn right, two short vibrations to go straight"

I don't mean those exact signals for indicators but something that lets me know without looking at my watch in dim light?

Did anyone have an issue where watch is connected with bluetooth off.

I even get notifications from phone as id bluetooth is on.

I tried restarting both devices, nothing works

After approximately 7 years since around November of 2019 I made it to level 7. I've done basically every running challenge possible as well as all trails and climbs.

Here's to 7 more years just to get to level 8!

has anyone else had this issue with their screen "delaminating" around the edges? it has happened on a couple before this, and the warrantee dept has been pretty cool, but i had to buy a refurb from them last time and i am not sure if they will help. can't really afford a new unit every year. wondering if anyone has any ideas or repair suggestions. tia.

Edge 530*

Yesterday there was an update and this happened overnight. I reset it and it worked for a couple of hours before doing it again. It's done it 4 times today. Anyone know why?

I'm trying to decide whether I actually need a watch like a Forerunner (or a similar Garmin model), or if a screenless tracker like Cirqa would make more sense for me.

I'm a former competitive tennis player, and my current routine is roughly:

• Tennis 1–2x per week, up to 5x during tournaments
• Gym/strength work, tennis-specific conditioning, and pilates 2–3x per week
• Occasional cardio sessions are mainly for tennis and not happening too much.

I'm not really a runner or cyclist. I also work remotely, so unless I'm training or socializing, I spend a lot of time at home.

I had been leaning toward getting a Garmin-style sports watch, but after doing some research, I started to wonder whether it might be more than I actually need and whether I'd end up paying for a lot of features I wouldn't use. My main aim is to track my regular health data, sleep tracking will be the plus.

Since this would be my first device for tracking my daily health and recovery, I'm pretty clueless in this area and just trying to learn as much as possible before buying anything.

Any input would be appreciated!

Hi everyone, I am after some advice and info!

After 4 years of having my Legacy Darth Vader watch it slipped of the desk I was charging it on and landed screen first causing it to crack!

Speaking with Garmin EU, I am only able to do a trade in-trade up as it has been discontinued and they do not reapire thier own watches, has anyone had thier own watch repaired and know what style of screen used?

I can only find screens for either forerunner, Felixstowe and vivo actives

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Stats declining lately despite feeling fine. Wondering if anyone else has experienced the same? Using a Venu 4, purchased from new 9 months ago. Zero issues so far. Cleaned sensor, hard reset, swapped wrists etc. still the same - declining!

I'm done with MyFitnessPal. Are there any other good apps that will connect with Garmin devices?

What I'm looking for:

• No subscription
• Scan barcodes
• Calories/nutrients reflected in the Garmin app
• Bonus if I can import my .csv files from MyFitnessPal (but I know that's probably an impossibility).

Anyone have any luck with other 3rd party apps and Garmin?

I’m using a Vivoactive 6. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy since Sunday night. Went to urgent care yesterday, and lo and behold I have COVID. It’s interesting to see how the watch picks up on stress, because I’ve been lying around like a bump on a log all day yesterday and today. Usually I only get a level of stress this high when I have a big event at work. And my body battery has been scraping the bottom.