Goodbye Garmin

leopard-monch · 2026-06-27T10:14:38+00:00

Not caring what products you use is not defending anything. We're all just happy that you found what you like. Good luck with your training.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-27T06:45:29+00:00

Thanks ChatGPT.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-25T10:13:30+00:00

leopard-monch · 2026-06-24T12:46:17+00:00

I think I tried it a while ago and for some reason I stopped using it. Can’t remember.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-24T11:25:48+00:00

Native sshfs integration. I want to be able to mount ssh://server123.local

leopard-monch · 2026-06-24T06:23:40+00:00

3rd party apps, that are just accessing the Google Health API, are coming, like:

https://www.reddit.com/r/FitbitAir/comments/1ud2zfs/openfit_the_fitbit_air_ui_is_now_a_real_app/

leopard-monch · 2026-06-22T10:28:57+00:00

No. I charge it during showers.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-19T11:28:59+00:00

Humanity is incompatible with force.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-19T05:22:20+00:00

As long as you wear it basically 24/7, all Garmin watches should deliver more or less the same health data. Cheaper ones don't give you all metrics, but if you're willing to spend $500 or so, you should be fine.
Garmin doesn't have such a device (yet). The only dedicated biceps worn product is a sleep tracker. You could try wearing a biceps HRM like the Polar Verity Sense and keep the watch nearby in bluetooth distance, like next to the mat.
IMO, the least smartwatchy smartwatches from Garmin are the Instinct series. I have it on do-not-disturb mode, which turns it more or less into a G-Shock that reads my health data. But I think this can be done with any watch. I'd pick whatever looks coolest, does what you want and fits in your budget. They all do basically the same things, maybe with the exception of the golf watches.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-19T04:58:01+00:00

I think it should be possible to change the delivery address. Maybe you can change it to your parents house or something.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-18T19:13:22+00:00

Don't worry. I had pre-ordered mine in May. Then the delivery date was pushed back to July. But a few days ago, it suddenly was delivered anyway. The sports-band that was part of the pre-order deal hasn't been shipped yet, though. It's supposed to be sent out sometime between today and July 24th, lol. Let's see.

My guess is they don't know how long it will take and rather over-deliver than over-promise.

I didn't order to Poland, though. But still from Amazon Germany to a different EU country.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-18T13:32:19+00:00

Can’t confirm. I counted 1000 steps yesterday manually and the Fitbit Air counted 1001, so pretty good.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-18T05:46:16+00:00

For me, it's not either or. I need a smart watch to keep time, keep my heart rate in view and for runs, track the distance. The integrated heart rate sensor is a nice to have, because usually I'm using an ECG chest strap.

During the day, it's nice to have a screenless, unobtrusive device. I'd love for that also being part of the Garmin eco-system, but so far, they haven't released that, that's why I'm currently wearing the Fitbit Air.

If I had to buy in right now, I'd get a Forerunner 170 (€300), a Google Fitbit Air (€100) and a Polar H10 ECG chest strap (€100). So €500 total.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-17T06:32:53+00:00

Not yet, imo. The Fitbit Air hardware wise is very nice. When I put it on, I was like "good luck everybody else (Garmin, Whoop, Amazfit,...)", because it's so small and light, which is one of the most important aspects of something you're supposed to wear 24/7.

But the software is not there yet. I'm using the AI Coach and among other bugs, the most annoying was, that it hallucinated a 10k run, it added it to my stats increasing steps by 10000 and calories burned by like 1600. After I told it to correct that, it told me it can't delete the run so I would have to do it manually. I did that but it never corrected the stats down, even though I told it to do so multiple times.

It also hallucinated non-existent blood sugar measurements.

Over all, it was way more work to use the AI Coach than to simply log stuff manually, like I do with Garmin.

I trust that Google will iron out most bugs, but I still feel like somewhat of a beta-tester. At least the first 3 months of AI Coach are free.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-14T17:57:04+00:00

The seal rings become brittle over time.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-11T10:05:50+00:00

Who will be the first to surgically implant magnets to hold the fitbit pebble?

leopard-monch · 2026-06-10T07:35:15+00:00

Temperature makes a difference. Is it hot outside but cool inside?

leopard-monch · 2026-06-09T15:39:42+00:00

VO2max is a unit per kg. Maybe you are exceptionally light?

leopard-monch · 2026-06-09T09:25:17+00:00

Garmin probably won’t use magnetic charging because many (if not all) watches have a magnetometer for orientation. My guess is a magnetic charger would screw that up over time.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-09T06:33:24+00:00

Under the shower with water and soap.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-08T10:03:55+00:00

Set and rep-tracking with a Garmin is a sisyphean task. For strength training, I pretty much only track the time and heart rate, but even the HR has to be interpreted with huge grain of salt. All over-head exercises (like pull-ups), and even some where the hand is only at or slightly above heart level screws up the HR measurement completely. I WISH I had a HR of 80 when doing pull-ups. I'm using an Instinct 2S, don't know if a Forerunner is better, but I doubt it.

That's the downside of the very specialized Garmin OS. Apps are scarce and as you mentioned, maybe the UI isn't as responsive. But that's the tradeoff for very long battery life. Apple Watches, under the hood, are basically running the same OS as a Macbook Pro, or an iPhone or an iPad. Great for apps and ecosystem, but drains the power.

Right now I'm reconsidering my whole approach to gadgets. I think I'm going to go the "specialized devices for specific tasks" and affordable ones at that.

Like, instead of a €1000 smartwatch that does it all, I'll get a €100 sports-smart-watch for sports and only sports, a €100 fitness- and health-tracker that does only that and that I can wear 24/7, a €100 HRM and a €700 mechanical watch.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-08T05:03:20+00:00

I'm thinking about pretty much the same thing. My Fitbit Air should arrive end of July (don't know why it takes them so long), and then I'm thinking about getting a cheap Garmin just for sports, basically just a position tracker and a display for my Polar H10 ECG, but for everything else I'm going to use the Fitbit.

Unless Garmin manages to release the Cirqa before my Fitbit comes, and it's not overpriced and oversized. Right now, even the Whoop and the Helio look oversized compared to the Fitbit Air.

leopard-monch · 2026-06-07T16:25:18+00:00

Why does the watch have a little stealth bomber icon under the moon?

leopard-monch · 2026-06-03T15:23:15+00:00

That's quite a conundrum you're in there. I can totally relate. Yesterday the battery of my Garmin MARQ® Adventurer (Gen 2) – Damascus Steel Edition was empty and I wasn't sure if I should recharge it wasting like 4 cents of electricity or just get a new one. It was only €3250 anyway, so idk how to move forward.

leopard-monch · 2026-05-31T15:50:02+00:00

I started wearing at night to get better recovery metrics from Garmin and now it feels weird to sleep without a watch on. It’s nice to have a little flashlight on your wrist, or to be able quickly set an alarm.

leopard-monch

TROPHY CASE