There are so many GPS watches available these days
from brands like Polar, Garmin, Suunto, and COROS
it can make it really difficult to choose.
I personally started out as a Garmin user years ago
before becoming a Suunto loyalist
and only recently switching to using a COROS watch
namely the COROS Vertex 2 here.
But this watch is definitely not cheap and it's likely to be overkill for many.
So I thought i'd run through all of the different
features and specifications that you'll want to consider
when comparing the various brands and models of watches out there
to help you find the perfect fit for you and your budget.
The first step is to put some thought into your primary use case
but also any secondary sports that you might want to use your watch for as well.
Most watches offer a variety of what are typically called 'sport modes'
from running to windsurfing
and many also allow for tracking of multi-sport activities like triathlons.
In most cases, these specific sport modes come with unique metrics as well.
For example, a watch may be able to use its gyroscopic measurements
to track swim strokes and to warn you by vibrating as you approach the end of the pool.
So start by making a list of your primary activities
but consider as well how many of these you really need to track.
You may be better off focusing on one or two of the main ones.
Because there will be trade-offs as we'll discuss later on in this video
when it comes to size, weight, and price.
Battery life is your next big consideration and there are two ways that this is measured.
The first is what is typically referred to as 'standby mode'
which basically just means day-to-day use as a regular watch.
The second and most important for serious athletes
is how long it will last when recording an activity in GPS mode.
My first GPS watch struggled to even last through a marathon
but many watches now last well over 25 hours and much longer
just with diminished GPS accuracy.
For example, COROS has made a name for themselves by offering ridiculously long lasting batteries
up to 140 hours in GPS mode and 60 days in standby mode
in the case of the Vertex 2 here.
For someone like me who does multi-day events
I really do need the top-of-the-line model
but for many, more than 25 hours might just be overkill
because again here, there are trade-offs.
Battery technology itself hasn't actually evolved much over the years.
It's the rest of the components that have been getting smaller and more efficient
in turn allowing manufacturers to increase the size and the capacity of the battery.
It's for this reason that the longest lasting models from a
given manufacturer also tend to be their largest.
I'm willing to bet that if you were to take apart one of these watches here
it would be mostly just a big battery with a little bit of electronics tucked in around it.
So if you're not doing ultra distance or multi-day activities
you may want to choose a smaller and lighter weight unit.
Having said that, it sure can be nice having to only charge your watch every month or so
even when using it only for shorter activities
as opposed to having to remember to charge it every few days.
And this brings me to the next major consideration which is size and weight.
This is why even if your budget is of no concern at all
say, if you happen to have access to a killer pro deal
you may still not want to get that highest end model with the incredibly long lasting battery.
This is especially important for those with smaller wrists.
GPS accuracy is another important consideration.
I had great results for years from my Suunto 9 Baro
which provides 25 hours on full GPS mode.
This can be extended to about 40 hours by turning on battery saving modes
and disabling things like heart rate
but any further increase requires a pretty major sacrifice in GPS accuracy.
That's because it does this by taking fewer samples
going from say every second to every 10 seconds
meaning that you're likely to miss out on any smaller deviations in a track
especially on switchbacks.
So I personally just ignore all of these ultra modes
and focus on whatever a watch is rated at in full GPS mode only.
My new chorus Vertex 2 here offers 140 hours in full GPS mode
and similarly has a mode that provides up to 240 hours in what's called Ultra Max mode
which again here I just ignore.
But the Vertex 2 has another trick up its sleeve when it comes to GPS accuracy.
It can now connect to all 5 major satellite networks using what's called Dual Frequency GPS
which apparently can improve GPS accuracy by up to 10 times.
But that comes at a cost because in All Systems Mode as it's called with Dual Frequency enabled
the Vertex 2 will only provide up to 50 hours of battery life
a huge decrease from the 140 in full GPS without the Dual Frequency enabled.
So it's still great at 50 hours and
a worthwhile sacrifice in my opinion for this huge increase in accuracy
but it's always worth paying attention to how these different features
affect battery performance when making comparisons.
Durability and build quality are other important considerations
and some watches actually provide options to upgrade these features.
For example, for an extra 100 bucks or so
you might be able to choose a titanium bezel instead of a stainless steel one.
Some watches come with a sapphire face which is practically impossible to scratch.
This is really important if you plan on doing a lot of scrambling on rocks or maybe bushwhacking.
It'll not only keep your watch looking nice and ensure that it remains legible
but may also help with resale value should you choose to sell it
which i'll talk more about later.
Last but not least you'll want to consider your budget.
This may limit your options right off the bat
but I'd recommend keeping your options
open until you've run through this list of primary considerations.
The reason is that you may be able to find something used
or could buy a slightly older model on sale which ticks most if not all of your boxes
as soon as a newer one is released.
For example, the Suunto 9 Baro that I mentioned is still a solid watch
and you can find these for pretty cheap on the used market.
So let's talk about some of the features you might also want to
prioritize depending on your specific use case
starting with wrist-based optical heart rate monitors.
It used to be that your only option for monitoring heart rate
was with the use of a chest strap
which connected to a watch over either bluetooth or Ant+
but most GPS watches now have a heart rate monitor built right in.
Having said that, the accuracy of these wrist-based heart rate monitors
can vary tremendously between manufacturers
and will likely never be as accurate as a chest strap.
A barometric altimeter will measure both temperature and barometric pressure.
The main benefit here is actually that the data from the barometer
will be combined with the GPS data
to give you much more accurate elevation readings.
This is sort of table stakes at this point
at least when it comes to the higher end watches
and is really more important for those of us who spend a lot of time
in the mountains in more complex terrain
compared to those who run mostly on the flats.
Less common are offline maps and navigation.
Most of the higher end watches have had the ability for years
to upload routes that you can then follow along on the watch
as well as the ability to track back to where you started in case you get lost.
But offline topographic maps are something which are fairly new.
Garmin seem to be the leader in this area with the Fenix series
but COROS recently introduced offline maps as well.
Most models from Suunto offer some type of navigation
but only the Suunto 7 to my knowledge has provided offline topographic maps
and without anywhere near the battery life of the other brands.
I would highly recommend learning to use at least the basic route
finding features on your watch if you have it
because it can really help you get out of a bind
But if, like me, you find yourself doing a lot of off-route navigation
then definitely consider one with offline topographic maps.
There are a bunch of other features that are nice to haves
but that in my opinion shouldn't actually affect too much your choice of a watch
as much as everything else we've covered.
But these may be things to consider when comparing two very similar models.
The first is sleep and recovery tracking.
For some people, all of this extra data and analytics might be amazing
while others probably just find it to be
a distraction from the key features they actually use.
You can get most of this data from using other devices
like, say, an Apple watch that maybe you don't want to use for training
since it won't last as long or be as durable
but there may be some benefit in having a single ecosystem measuring it all
since it can combine the data from your activities and your sleep
into a more comprehensive overview of your recovery.
I've started seeing additional capabilities like an ECG to measure heart rate variability
built-in to some watches like the COROS Vertex 2
which is said to be an important metric when it comes to tracking recovery
as well as a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen saturation levels when at altitude.
So again, all really cool features but probably a luxury for most.
There's also screen size and resolution to consider.
We already talked about the potential drawbacks to a larger watch for those with smaller wrists
but there are some benefits to a larger watch as well.
The Vertex 2 here has a larger screen size than its predecessor
which makes the watch slightly larger and heavier than the Vertex 1 which I'd been using before
something which I noticed right away
and which felt, initially at least, like a drawback.
But as I mentioned in my review of the Vertex 2
the increase in screen size and resolution
was actually really beneficial when using the topographic maps
so for some, a larger watch and screen might actually be a selling feature.
I should note as well that most modern watches tend to be colour
but up until a few years ago
this was marketed as a selling feature compared to monochromatic displays.
Touch screen is another nice to have feature
although I find I typically only use it when configuring my watch or
analyzing data after the fact.
In the field, I almost always prefer the tactile response of a button or a dial
and it's difficult to use a touch screen when it's wet or when wearing gloves.
Connectivity with Ant+ devices or Wi-Fi may be something to consider as well.
I think it's safe to say that all watches these days do have Bluetooth connectivity
but some no longer support Ant+
which you may need if you have older bike cadence sensors or chest based heart rate monitors
or when trying to connect multiple accessories at the same time.
But some newer watches like the Vertex 2 now also offer Wi-Fi connectivity
allowing you to download updates directly to the watch over a Wi-Fi network.
Some watches allow you to play music
to control action cameras like a GoPro and Insta360
and all sorts of other features.
You'll have to decide for yourself which of these you're really going to use though.
Personally, I don't really use many of them
but it certainly doesn't hurt that they're there in case I change my mind.
Then there's the colours and the materials of the strap.
You may prefer a neutral colour so you can wear your watch to work without it standing out.
Or the opposite.
You may prefer to make a statement with a bold colour.
Most watches come with an app that's used for creating routes
for updating the firmware on a watch
and for downloading your activities
but increasingly these also include things like training programs
along with a bunch of detailed analytics and other features.
This stuff is really cool and I love seeing
manufacturers attempting to innovate in other areas
rather than just the hardware
but keep in mind that you can get a lot of this kind of thing elsewhere
by importing your data into a site like Strava or Training Peaks.
So we've talked about the most common features that
you'll want to consider when evaluating a watch
along with some nice-to-haves.
Now I want to go over a few additional tips and considerations
both when purchasing a GPS watch and when using it
to make sure you get the most from your investment.
The first tip is to consider the resale value of any watch when making a purchase.
More popular brands and models tend to have better resale value
and watches in my experience do tend to hold their resale value quite well.
This could mean that it would be a better investment to go with a
more popular and slightly more expensive model
knowing that you'll be able to sell it for half or a third of what you paid for it down the road
compared to a cheaper model that you might never be able to unload.
I alluded to this earlier as well when it comes to durability
that sometimes investing in a more durable model with a scratch-proof screen and bezel
can make it easier to sell it down the road
since the watch is likely to still look as good as new
but don't wait too long to upgrade and sell your watch
as it may be difficult at that point to find a buyer.
If you are planning on selling your watch one day
then try to keep all of the original packaging and the instructions
as well as any cables and accessories.
Keep your watch up to date with the latest firmware at all times and sync your watch often.
In fact, most manufacturers recommend that you sync your watch
right before you leave the house to go for your run
to make sure that you have the most recent satellite data.
This ensures that your watch will connect more quickly once you're outside.
Even the biggest brands don't always nail it with every release.
There have been some really good examples of watches from
brands like Garmin and Suunto over the years
that were maybe released before they were ready for prime time
causing all sorts of issues for users like poor GPS accuracy.
These problems are usually fixed with future firmware updates
but if you want something that just works dependably right out of the box
it probably wouldn't hurt to wait until the watch has been out on the market for a while
so that the company can get the kinks sorted out
instead of buying the latest and most cutting-edge model as soon as it's released.
I think around six months is probably a good rule of thumb.
Last but not least, spend time to really learn how to use your watch
by reading the manual and watching any available online tutorials.
I've seen so many people buy an expensive watch but never
learn how to use the majority of its features
and it's just such a missed opportunity to get the full value from your watch
because even an entry-level watch these days can do quite a lot.
So I hope that was helpful for anyone considering the purchase of a new GPS watch.
You definitely don't need to go top the line
and as I've hopefully illustrated, there can actually be drawbacks in doing so.
I'd be curious to hear from you what your
experience has been with GPS watches over the years
and if there's anything that you would add to this list of considerations.
So tell me in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for more videos like this.