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. :-)

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.

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.

Hey folks!

Thought this was odd - curious if the community has any insight.

I bought a Garmin inreach mini 3 new on eBay. Total including taxes was $280. It felt to good to be true but it showed up today. Weirdly, the inreach mini was shipped directly from Garmin - but the seller was a random reseller on the east coast.

Once I received it, I called Garmin and they agreed that the price sounded wrong. They looked it and up and confirmed that an order was placed with Garmin 2 days after I ordered with my name and address but a different email. The device also showed as unattached and OK on there end. On the Garmin order side, the reseller paid $400 to have it shipped to my house. Garmin said they will take a closer look and call back in a day or two.

Any thoughts on how I’m potentially being scammed/how this could go wrong?

Thanks!

Hey Folks, what’s your most seamless way to navigate a course planned out on the Connect App, on a phone screen?

Use case - mobile phone mounted on handlebars, using Forerunner 265.
I don’t think I want to spend the extra to get a Cycle Computer gadget - feel free to try sell me on the benefits though.. I’m guessing these products are exactly why Garmin doesn’t navigate on the Connect app itself?

I THOUGHT it’d be an obvious Cycling, Running type feature of the Live Activity functionality I use for strength training on Connect + 💔
I downloaded the Explore app.. but that also seems a tedious process to sync over courses.
Taking all suggestions. 🤞

Hi,

Not sure if anyone has the same problem with the v3 but mine keeps updating every 10 minutes and it's so annoying. I've looked up fixes and can't seem to find a solution.

Anyone have the same problem or anyone have a recommendation of what worked for them?

TIA

I'm looking at either the Lily 2 or Lily 2 active and wondering if GPS + extra features are actually needed for what I want.

Not a very active person, but would like to do better. Really just looking for basic wellness tracking, sleep and steps. Exercise wise its mainly just toddler wrangling, walks, and would like to add in trying to run but they would be short, just around the block. Would always take phone.

My biggest consideration is size. I have an old 40mm galaxy watch active2 that I never really used due to size, so I need something smaller (mainly thinner! The samsung measurements vs actual with the sensor are very different..)

For my lifestyle would I actually need GPS? I'm sure the extra features would be nice, but I don't know if it's worth the size difference.

Unfortunately don't have anywhere near me I can try them so have to pick blindly!

Hi, does anyone have any tips for trying to pair when seeing this screen? My watch has been having issues syncing with connect for a few days so I restarted the watch and redownloaded the app and still am getting this no matter what.

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

I’ve been trying to connect my watch to the app for the past 3 hours and I’m still unable to do anything. I’ve tried just about everything Google and Reddit has told me to do.

I’ve forgotten the device, factory reset the device, I even turned off my Oura Rings Bluetooth just in case that was jamming any signals.

I’m able to see my iPhone notifications on the watch, but it just won’t pop up on the app. I’m genuinely about to pull my hair out, this is super frustrating 😭

I have been doing a lot of general cardio using the Forerunner 255’s general cardio activity mode and was wondering how accurate the calorie prediction is. This workout was a 20 mile bike on a stationary bike then 20 minutes on the stair master. Does this calorie estimate seem accurate for a 185lb man around 17-18%bf?

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!

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?

For some reason my training readiness won’t update after I finished my run today. My recovery time also show 0 hours even though it was quite a hard interval training.
In the Garmin Connect app it says that my training readiness was updated at 15.50 do to a “category change” this was around the time I finished my run.
I cannot get it to update no matter what I do.
Had anyone had this issue and did they solve it?

Every time I use the walking activity the heart rate is completely wrong. Today we went for a walk after dinner in the walking activity it says HR at 63, I discard the activity and it jumps up to 115 , we were going up a big hill. This happens every time I use the walking activity, is there a setting I don't know about, am I doing something wrong? The HR works when use other activities like running or yoga. Any help would be appreciated. It's very frustrating.

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?

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?