The Best GPS Watch for Running and Training. In the burgeoning market for fitness- tracking, GPS enabled watches, which is the best product for you? Over the course of multiple years, thousands of miles, and in ten different sports, our team has examined dozens of available devices. We have evaluated, and summarized here, five of the best. Further, we have sorted this subset by which is likely the best for you. Each GPS watch we reviewed is excellent. ![]() Some are very specific in their function, while others excel across a wider range. In order to help you decide, we have fully described the function of each one and scored each GPS watch on ease of use, features, accuracy, ease of set- up, durability, and portability. In the course of this review, we have actually evaluated four Ambit models. We started out by examining the original Ambit, and then upgraded to the Ambit 2 and 2. S models. Our most recent field examination has been with the Suunto Ambit 3 Sport. All of these are excellent products. Suunto has hit a home run with this line. However, the 3 Sport seems to hit the sweet spot for the vast majority of consumers. By omitting the arguably unnecessary barometric altimeter sensor and using a smaller battery, the 3 Sport slims down considerably as compared to the 3 Peak. With plenty of battery for full days of action, and given the fact that only the most dedicated mountaineers will require the barometric pressure sensor, the slimmer profile of the 3 Sport is well worth the compromise. Just like with our Editors' Choice award, the pedigree of the manufacturer stands behind our Best Buy pick. Garmin is the biggest player in this market and the company has been doing this for a long time. Garmin offers a whole range of GPS devices, of which their wrist- mounted, athletic selection is just a small part. Therefore, if anyone is going to hit the ball out of the park with a compact, price- point fitness- tracking watch, Garmin will. And they do exactly that. With virtually no reservations we can recommend the Garmin Forerunner 2. You will have access to the important data fields while on the go, and be able to sort through the data post- event with one of Garmin's proprietary services or any of a whole host of data management services. The price isn't the lowest in our review, but the value is high. This is a proven product from a proven manufacturer. The Nike+ Sportwatch GPS, at its most basic, is little different from the Garmin Forerunner. It is a simple, clean product that tracks distance, speed, and time and the data can be viewed post- event. It is even a little less expensive than the Garmin. Shop the largest selection of Swimming Watches at the web’s most popular swim shop. Free Shipping on $49+. 24/7 Customer Service.However, the proprietary Nike+ community is the biggest difference. Nike makes it very easy to integrate and compare your data with all other Nike users. Whether you use just the Sportwatch for your runs, or also use a Nike+ Fuel Band SE for monitoring day- to- day action, Nike will combine all the information and network it with the entire Nike community. ![]() The catch is, it is difficult if not impossible to organize data generated by the Nike product with a program other than the Nike+ website. The Garmin gets the overall nod for our Best Buy award, because its more open- sourced data generation will appeal to far more people. Overall, the interface is slick and engaging and has a loyal following. If you fall into this niche, the Sportwatch is for you. And that is the essence of our Top Pick award. Analysis and Test Results.
Find the best diving watch to take on your next underwater adventure. Shop diver watches & swimming watches from top brands like Cascio, Timex & more. See 38 reviews of Garmin Swim Training Waterproof Watch. Accurate and easy to use even for novice swimmer. After testing more than a dozen waterproof fitness trackers, we recommend the Garmin Swim watch as the best overall wearable device for swimmers. At Outdoor. Gear. Lab we are detail oriented athletes and adventurers. We use our equipment to enhance the experiences we seek. We seek experiences first, and use our equipment to facilitate. In that light, our perspective, testing, and opinions are application based. You will find opinions and reviews on the web from other equipment fanatics that focus more closely on the technology, but you will find no reviews better targeted to actual application in the great outdoors. In the case of outdoor digital technology, we are outdoor experts fastidiously examining complicated devices for our peers. All technology, and GPS watches are no exception, is rapidly changing and almost always thoroughly confusing. Allow us to walk you through the field, step by step, in order to help you reach a conclusion about what is the absolute best product for you. Do you wish to monitor this activity and record your progress? If so, a dedicated GPS watch can really step up your game. Keeping track of time, distance, and speed while working out can gauge your improvement, motivate further activity, and allow objective comparison to others. A dedicated training device collects relevant information and displays it handily and clearly. These devices are all well thought- out, superbly designed, and there is something here for everyone. For further information on choosing the proper watch for you, consult our Buying Advice article. If you know you are looking for something; something currently non- specific in your mind, something to enhance your outdoor endeavors (or, commonly, as a gift for your outdoor- loving friend or family member) and it just doesn't seem like a GPS watch is exactly it, please consult our overview of outdoor tech article. In this article we have sorted all the electronics one may choose and use for various sports. The entire article, in a reflection of our general style here at OGL, is activity focused. For each type of outdoor athlete and adventurer, in that linked article, we spell out the types of electronics you are apt to consider. Specific Activities for a GPS Watch. Some of these devices are very multi- purpose, while others are more specific and narrow in their application. Among all those that may end up using a GPS watch, different demographics will have different needs and preferences, and therefore at least slightly different final product choices. Running. Runners have been the first to adopt this type of device. The data they seek, especially as compared to other sports, is relatively simple. Runners wish to track speed, distance, and time. They may also be interested in exertion information as collected by a heart rate band. Special mention must be made of the increasing popularity of ultra- distance running events. Ultra runners require more battery life than most devices provide. The market is responding, albeit slowly, to this demand for more than eight hours or so of GPS recording. Cycling, On Road or Off. Dedicated cyclists are usually best served with a proper, purpose built, GPS equipped bicycle computer. We have conducted a full review of these products elsewhere on Outdoor. Gear. Lab. The top of the line wrist- mounted devices, however, are fast approaching the functionality of top of the line dedicated bike computers. If you bicycle and participate in any other outdoor endurance activity and you wish to use one device across the board, you could use one of these multi- purpose, wrist- mounted devices. Swimming and Triathlon. Those passionate about swimming or who compete in triathlons now have GPS equipped devices for their pursuit. We did not test these products while swimming, but we have worked with those who have. Top- of- the line tools like our Editors' Choice Suunto Ambit 3 Sport are excellent swim trackers. Climbing, Mountaineering, and Backcountry Skiing. Backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and other sorts of wilderness travel in steep terrain can benefit from wrist- mounted, GPS equipped instrumentation. In addition to tracking your efforts similar to those practicing the above sports, wilderness fiends will benefit from navigation features tapping into the GPS technology. For those wishing to use their GPS watch for navigation and tracking in steep environments it is worth pointing out one limitation of GPS location services. In mellow terrain GPS technology can pretty accurately deduce the user's altitude. Where the terrain gets steep, however, the elevation as gathered from satellite information is basically useless. In that case, barometric (air pressure) sensors and appropriate information processing is best. Only certain devices, notably the Garmin Fenix and the Suunto Ambit 3 Peak pack in a barometer. Hiking and Backpacking. The needs of hikers and backpackers are similar to those of mountaineers. Hikers can benefit from the trip and activity tracking technology inherent in every product we reviewed, but they also can use the navigational tracking features of some of the more advanced products we tested. Because hiking and backpacking takes place, generally, away from the cliffs and mountain faces that climbers frequent, GPS only altitude data is often sufficient. Super aggressive off- trail backpackers, approaching the technicality of endeavors that mountaineers seek, may benefit from barometric altimeter sensing. In short, GPS is a network of satellites in space and individual devices on the ground. Each satellite on the network is continuously emitting a signal for any appropriately designed device to receive and utilize. A device that receives this signal, whether it is in your watch, hand- held navigation tool, or smartphone, processes the strength and meta- data in the signal from multiple satellites to deduce the device's location at that moment. The location fix is a three dimensional value, but the x and y axis information is the most accurate. In other words, altitude data from a GPS triangulation is not as accurate as the latitude and longitude information from the same signals in the same device. Therefore, at any given moment, with a big and clear enough view of the sky (GPS location information suffers or completely fails indoors, in dense tree cover, and in narrow valley topography), a GPS equipped device knows exactly where the device is on the earth's surface. If the device moves, it can calculate the direction and distance it has moved. Comparing this movement to time, the device can deduce rate of travel. All of the products in our test collect, display, and record distance and rate of travel information.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
September 2017
Categories |