Polar V650 & Polar M600/Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire HR

[Pieterlab1]

Guys, I need some help.

I currently have a Polar V650 for my mountain biking and I use a Polar M400 for spinning and gym.

The HR strap is really irritating me while spinning, it doesn't bother me when on the mountain bike, so I decided to get myself a nice Christmas gift, something with wrist based HR.

According to DC Rainmaker, wrist based HR tracking isn't without problems when using it for cycling but for other workouts it's fine.

I was going to buy the M600, but then my eye caught the Fenix 3! What a nice watch!

So now I'm considering the Fenix 3 Sapphire HR. They are priced at R7895 at Autostyle, and the Polar M600 is about R5500.

I'll be wearing the watch as a casual watch as well as spinning and for gym.

I have no intention of changing the V650 as I am very happy with it and I think it's a great piece of tech and much better looking than the Garmins (IMHO).

(Why is it possible for Garmin to make a watch like the Fenix 3, but their cycling computers looks like it's straight out of the '90's?)

My question is this, will the two different platforms (Polar Flow and whatever Garmin uses) irritate me when I use the V650 for cycling and the Fenix 3 for other workouts?

Should I stick with Polar, go with the M600 or will the extra R2400 spent on the Garmin be worth it?

The Garmin does look very very nice...

 

[Dexter-morgan]

I always rave about the support I get from Garmin, I am so used to my Garmins, I will not change, I do not like the wrist base heart rate, after a program on it during the week.

[shaper]

Polar is bluetooth, Garmin is Ant+

 

If you are not considering using the fenix for MTB'ing then and only use your polar then you will not need any additional sensors like cadence etc.

 

As to the 2 web based platforms, if you don't mind having your data in 2 different places then it is ok, else both can be synced to Strava or Trainingpeaks or whatever you use.

 

just something to consider

[AlanD]

I just got the Fenix 3 Hr Sapphire and it's a realty beautiful looking piece of equipment. I had no other computer prior to this.

 

As far as irritation goes, I had the same woes. I am not a watch wearer and get irritated with jeweler but I thought it would be better than having this HR strapped to me and always having to adjust it while riding and the fact that I could use it for other exercises/sport if/when I do them. Now for the Fenix, it does take some time to get used it as a watch as it is rather large and I have smallish wrists. It does annoy me a little bit on  my arm but I'm slowly getting used to it. It also looks the business as an everyday watch. I have it fairly loose on the wrist as I like it to move a little bit and so that I can just push it down or up the wrist if it annoys me. I am however fully aware the HR monitoring will be inconsistent as you need to have it rather firm on the wrist but that does not bother me as I really want to measure while I'm riding.

 

When I ride, I have it fairly firm so it doesn't move and after a while I get used to it. It does move a little while bombing down some bumpy sections but not a lot. I also find that when its hot, I tend to sweat somewhat and the watch almost sticks to me but now I am nit picking.

 

As far as functionality goes, its just amazing and amazes me everyday. I have nothing to compare it to but it sure has so many functions that you wont use them all but it's nice that they there. For instance, I have it tell me when the sun sets and rises, cool. It tells me to move when I have been sitting too long, cool. Its has temp, barometer, altimeter VO2, lactic threshold , heart rate zones, power zones...etc. You can download app, widgets, watch faces and to customize it as you like.

 

I just found a cool feature for me to use: You set you slowest and fastest speed (Cycling) and it alert you when you reach them. For me this is really cool as I want to get a little faster and now it will tell me when I am slow and then I get cracking and cycle my little legs out. The weekend I was going so slow that the watch auto paused while I was cycling....eish. 

 

To sum it up: It's big, its bold, it's beautiful and it has everything you need and don't need.

 

More than welcome to come check mine out if you like, try it one and scroll through the features. Can't give you a test ride with it though...lol

[Pieterlab1]

I just got the Fenix 3 Hr Sapphire and it's a realty beautiful looking piece of equipment. I had no other computer prior to this.

 

As far as irritation goes, I had the same woes. I am not a watch wearer and get irritated with jeweler but I thought it would be better than having this HR strapped to me and always having to adjust it while riding and the fact that I could use it for other exercises/sport if/when I do them. Now for the Fenix, it does take some time to get used it as a watch as it is rather large and I have smallish wrists. It does annoy me a little bit on  my arm but I'm slowly getting used to it. It also looks the business as an everyday watch. I have it fairly loose on the wrist as I like it to move a little bit and so that I can just push it down or up the wrist if it annoys me. I am however fully aware the HR monitoring will be inconsistent as you need to have it rather firm on the wrist but that does not bother me as I really want to measure while I'm riding.

 

When I ride, I have it fairly firm so it doesn't move and after a while I get used to it. It does move a little while bombing down some bumpy sections but not a lot. I also find that when its hot, I tend to sweat somewhat and the watch almost sticks to me but now I am nit picking.

 

As far as functionality goes, its just amazing and amazes me everyday. I have nothing to compare it to but it sure has so many functions that you wont use them all but it's nice that they there. For instance, I have it tell me when the sun sets and rises, cool. It tells me to move when I have been sitting too long, cool. Its has temp, barometer, altimeter VO2, lactic threshold , heart rate zones, power zones...etc. You can download app, widgets, watch faces and to customize it as you like.

 

I just found a cool feature for me to use: You set you slowest and fastest speed (Cycling) and it alert you when you reach them. For me this is really cool as I want to get a little faster and now it will tell me when I am slow and then I get cracking and cycle my little legs out. The weekend I was going so slow that the watch auto paused while I was cycling....eish. 

 

To sum it up: It's big, its bold, it's beautiful and it has everything you need and don't need.

 

More than welcome to come check mine out if you like, try it one and scroll through the features. Can't give you a test ride with it though...lol

Ha ha! Thanks! I'm already leaning towards the Garmin!

[AlanD]

Ha ha! Thanks! I'm already leaning towards the Garmin!

Oh yes, you can also wash dishes with it one, bath the kids with it one and even shower with it. You can also sleep with it on and it will track your sleep but I would not be able to sleep with it on.

[Pieterlab1]

Polar is bluetooth, Garmin is Ant+

 

If you are not considering using the fenix for MTB'ing then and only use your polar then you will not need any additional sensors like cadence etc.

 

As to the 2 web based platforms, if you don't mind having your data in 2 different places then it is ok, else both can be synced to Strava or Trainingpeaks or whatever you use.

 

just something to consider

Thanks, I do use Strava so that should sort out the platform problem.

[Procrates]

If you are on Momentum Multiply you will be able to get some decent discounts on Garmin products. 30% atm hopefully getting to 35% before end Dec.

[Dexter-morgan]

My 6 year old Garmin FR410 strap broke a week ago, being discontinued, you can only buy the fabric strap that looks crap, I went to navworld and they gave me a strap FREE from a donor watch that they had - now that is service.(keep that in mind)

[Pieterlab1]

My 6 year old Garmin FR410 strap broke a week ago, being discontinued, you can only buy the fabric strap that looks crap, I went to navworld and they gave me a strap FREE from a donor watch that they had - now that is service.(keep that in mind)

Now that is service! Credit where it's due.

[arendoog]

I have both the Fenix 3 and polar v650 and polar v800 .They all work with a HRM .I don,t think the integrated HRM on the watch will ever work as well as the strap type .I like both software platforms .Sometimes my polar will not link to strava or i lose Bluetooth connectivity randomly .This has happened with Garmin to ,but not as often as polar .As far service goes .Polar replaces my v650 when it,s battery died with a brand new one .A friend swimmer has had a few water leaking problems with his polar v800

 

 

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[BMXER]

RESULTING FROM THE POOR SUPPORTFROM POLAR WITH WINDOWS 10, I WILL NEVER BUY NOR RECOMMEND POLAR.

 

After more than 10 years of loyalty to polar, I now ride a a garmin 820. The difference is day and night. Garmin all the way.

[WIPEOUT 1000]

RESULTING FROM THE POOR SUPPORTFROM POLAR WITH WINDOWS 10, I WILL NEVER BUY NOR RECOMMEND POLAR.

After more than 10 years of loyalty to polar, I now ride a a garmin 820. The difference is day and night. Garmin all the way.

I have to concur, I owned numerous Polar's through the years, but eventually their after sales support and closed system (i.e. only polar works with polar) drove me insane.

 

I have now been on Garmin for 6 years and although I have destroyed a fair number of their devices (some by accident and some due to adverse riding conditions) their support has always been exceptional. This is the one device you really need to buy from an authorised local agent.

 

Furthermore my current Edge 810 works with my powertap, heart strap, cadence sensor and phone and it seamlessly syncs with Garmin Connect (and Strava in the background) whenever it gets the opportunity.

 

I have been looking at the Fenix 3 for a while and although very appealing, I think the Edge with larger touch screen works better for me for cycling. If I was a runner or triathlete I would have bought one already.