My Garmin fenix 6 Pro, which is about 3.5 years old, seems to be dying. It got hot during the last charge and hasn’t charged at all since then. I replaced the battery, then the cable and the power adapter, but nothing happened. To be honest, I’m very disappointed about this, but otherwise I was very happy with the watch.

I am now looking for a replacement from Europe, although it doesn’t have to be a 1:1 replacement for the fenix.

What is important to me…

  • It should be robust
  • Accurate measurements for indoor sports (heart rate, oxygen saturation, etc.)
  • Accurate sleep analysis
  • I don’t want to have to charge the battery every day or even every three days; it should last a little longer.
  • Water drinking tracker
  • A pedometer that is as accurate as possible

GPS and map functions would be important to me if they are responsive and intuitive and easy to use. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this to be the case with my Garmin fenix 6 Pro.

I have looked at watches from Suunto (Switzerland) and Polar (Finland). If there are other good European manufacturers, I am open to suggestions. I would be very grateful for specific model recommendations.

  • bob@feddit.uk
    3·
    5 days ago

    I’ve had a Polar Pace Pro for 2 years now, pretty happy with it in general though it does have a few minor flaws. In relation to what you’re after:

    • It’s fairly robust, I’ve managed to scratch the screen a little recently, but I have whacked it a fair few times.
    • Heart rate is pretty accurate, though sometimes it doesn’t detect properly during a workout and shows 80odd when I know that’s not true. Needs a twist or tightening then shows correctly, but can be annoying.
    • Sleep analysis is good. It’s helped me realise how much even 1 drink hinders sleep. HRV, heart rate, breathing rate etc.
    • I charge about once a week with 3/4 workouts.
    • No drinking tracker that I’m aware of, but you could set alarms up.
    • Pedometer seems good, though doesn’t cancel during a workout, so after a cycle it tells me I’ve done 20k steps.

    I had a Garmin before too and I’m happy with the switch.

    • Classy Hatter@sopuli.xyz
      2·
      4 days ago

      If you have a lot of hair on your wrist, it can mess with the heart rate sensor. Try to shave it down a bit to improve accuracy.

    • funkyB@feddit.orgOP
      2·
      5 days ago

      Thank you very much.

      I sometimes had the same problem with my heart rate on my Fenix 6, although not often. I replaced the silicone strap with a nylon one. When I was sweating heavily – which I can do quickly and very well – and the strap wasn’t tight enough, the heart rate measurement was also inaccurate.