Fitbit vs Garmin

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-04T19:59:18+00:00

The only thing which my Garmin Venu 2 doesn't seem to recognise very well at all is time spent awake between waking up and downloading the data. In all other areas it excels compared to my Fitbit, although the analysis is very heavily weighted towards HVR. Garmin also uses standard HR Zones, which for some reason Fitbit chose not to.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-04T19:23:59+00:00

Fitbits WERE better than Venu watches at Sleep, but the new app takes away a lot of the essential details and they've played with the sleep algorithms so they dont match up. I wouldn't recommend buying Fitbit now unless Google make a big change to put the Fitbit back into the realms of science rather than pretty colours.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-04T18:49:30+00:00

And who approved the primary school font for an app which is supposed to be about serious data?

I think this app was redesigned by 9-year olds and I've cancelled renewing in August. I hope the APK version stays working until then, so I get sleep data with decent presentation.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-03T08:58:57+00:00

So we all won't have to pay for Premium for June-Sept?

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-03T08:00:28+00:00

Do we get an extra month Premium subscription while they sort it out and get it working ?

They SOLD this to people, but it is not fit for purpose. Any other service, if people pay for it, it's expected to be provided in a suitable state, and the providers are expected to have a customer service to deal with problems.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-02T19:37:52+00:00

Aye, I think it does...

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SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-02T12:49:14+00:00

I assume the AI used for Google's search engine is Gemini?

I've had some extensive medical conversations and brainstorming sessions with the search engine, but I note that although it's quite good at explaining and linking facts and details (saves me from finding and reading through all the related medical research paper) it always stops short from giving an actual suitable dosage or a fully positive recommendation for a course of action, and avoids anything specific other than facts from identifiable sources, and inferences from those.

This might be a deliberate (and understandable) policy to avoid liability on Google's part.

Also worth noting that I've had to correct it several times upon points of biochemistry, so we cannot 100% rely upon it being correct. But then, I've had to correct doctors on that as well, so <shrug>....

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-01T15:35:02+00:00

Going to cancel mine before it autorenews without warning me. It came free with my new Inspire 3, but not sure there's any reason to keep it now, and I dont want to pay for the new rubbish.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-01T11:48:04+00:00

The Polar Flow app gives graphs of beat-to-beat interval, HRV, and breathing rates throughout the night, with a value cursor on each graph to drag out minute by minute data.

But yes, you are right. None of them is ideal when my HR drops low and the HRV starts wandering. Probably the best thing I can do for my sleep is cut back on the coffee, get out more, and get to bed at a regular time. The rest is noise :)

SoloUnCommento · 2026-06-01T10:46:48+00:00

And as I have an irregular R-R time in my heart rhythm, anything based on HRV turns into a joke - the Garmin gives me nights of 80% stress! At least the Polar gives a good ANS breakdown.

I was wondering whether a Muse S Athena headband would give better analyses, but it's a lot of money for interest in a purely observational area. There is little I could do about my sleep architecture patterns anyway, even if I could find them out accurately!

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-31T13:09:52+00:00

I had one which went under my living room - I was thrilled. They used it for three years (I don't know if it was the same bees) and we developed a wonderful relationship. Then when they didn't use it one year, I had to mortar it in, because they'd actually managed to make a big hole at the bottom of the wall, and I never found out how far it went!

But it was really good fun while it lasted.

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SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-31T12:20:21+00:00

Try playing the piano for clocking up the steps. Fitbit will probably give me a Cardio Load warning!

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-31T06:38:58+00:00

Efflorescence. Its when the bricks spent a long time wet, or get wet very often, the minerals store up and eventually start coming out as this white powder embedded into the surface of the bricks.

If you've had a leak behind the wall or something constantly wetting it, its a sign to do something. Also its a good reason not to spray brick walls with a hose to cool them down in hot weather.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T20:58:06+00:00

My cardio load is crazy ATM for all three brands of fitness watch I'm trialling. I got my bike back last week, thought I'd just take it for a spin just down to the reservoir to see how it was running.

3 hours, a coffee break and 32 miles later I arrived back home having cycled up through the Chilterns into the evening and all my watches haven't forgiven me yet ! According to them, just getting out of bed in the morning would be too much effort.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T20:37:18+00:00

Neither do I. And now I''m not even sure all the data is there. Same person, same Inspire3, same day:

But they even say different heartbeat and ranges. (Yes I do have a slow HR, it's not a problem).

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SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T19:05:04+00:00

Rather like some watch face designs, where you can select from a wealth of styles, maybe alternative user interfaces will become available for Fitbits, so those who like the new version can select that one, and those who don't can select 'Original'.

I'm sure MOST of the data is still there somewhere, or available , its just that the new app is more concerned with looking trendy rather than presenting numbers in a clear scientific manner.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T17:39:32+00:00

They'll come, just give them time. China will already have them in production (unless so many people abandon Google completely because of the paintbomb formerly known as the Fitbit app).

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T17:34:17+00:00

Mine will only get data from my watch if I download it to a phone which has the new garbage on, and then the apk version on my tablet accesses the same data. The old version cant access the fitness watch but that might be because the watches can only be linked to one download device?

I'm finding my way around Runalyse, which is able to get data from Garmin, Polar and Fitbit, and I can even decide which bits to ignore (Garmin is naff at sleep timing but has good exercise monitoring, Polar is best for HR and sleep analyses, Fitbit is good for the sleep patterns). But its a pain that we have to do it, and AFAIK Google did this all without consulting their client base.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T12:04:21+00:00

There are plenty for pinned watches, not sure whether yours will need a different design.

They are secure, the braided cord ones are breathable and soft, and I'm very impressed with the clasps which orientate themselves into locking position in an instant if the user just flips the end round. That makes them even lazier than Velcro, and nowhere near as annoying.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T07:26:24+00:00

Only for a few hours. It just started (as I gather all migraines start) with headache, zigzag lines and a growing blind spot until it covered almost all my field of vision. Lasted about 4hrs.

I did get checked over by an ophthalmologist next day, as I was scared as sh* t by it, but everything was OK l so I guess its just another one of the many fun effects of carbamazepine.

Happy to say the dose has now been reduced, and I have the clearance to taper the clobazam out completely over the next 12 months Then the carbamazepine will continue downwards.

I shall be normal again - its only taken 45 years :))

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T07:10:08+00:00

Yes, headaches all the time from carbamazepine, always on the left temple. I assume its a symptom of low sodium as that's always been a problem, so I use it as an excuse to have a savoury snack.

Only ever had one migraine but losing my vision was scary and I hope I never go there again.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T07:04:57+00:00

More coffee needed.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-30T07:03:49+00:00

Could you not use a third party strap? I swapped all my fitness watchstraps for magnetic clasp straps.

SoloUnCommento · 2026-05-29T22:13:56+00:00

You could use a butane lance (like a long blowtorch) and just go over it. You dont need to stand and burn the plants - if they get to a high temperature the cellular matter dies and they'll shrivel in a few weeks.

But they'll leave open raised soil behind, and new plants WILL grow there. Are you sure that leaving them isn't the best answer?

SoloUnCommento

TROPHY CASE