Apple Watch vs Garmin (Don't Waste Your Money)

Summary

In this video, a professional triathlete shares insights on using the Apple Watch and Garmin for fitness tracking. They discuss ease of workout tracking, data visibility, and daily use, highlighting the physical buttons and intuitive interface of Garmin, and the versatility and app connectivity of Apple Watch. The video also covers battery life, heart rate monitoring, and syncing with training platforms, ultimately advising serious athletes to opt for Garmin and recreational athletes to consider the Apple Watch for its smart features.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ The speaker has been using both Apple Watch and Garmin for training and activity tracking, highlighting the pros and cons of each.
• 🕰️ Starting a workout is easier on the Garmin due to its immediate GPS search and clear start signal, while the Apple Watch requires a countdown which can be imprecise.
• 📱 The Apple Watch has a more versatile design, suitable for both sporty and casual wear, unlike the Garmin which is more specialized for athletes.
• 🔘 The speaker prefers the physical buttons on the Garmin, but likes the square, edge-to-edge screen of the Apple Watch.
• 🛠 Both watches offer customization during workouts, but the Apple Watch's use of 'segments' instead of 'laps' is a point of contention.
• 🔄 Garmin and Apple Watches can sync with training platforms like TrainingPeaks, but the Apple Watch offers more third-party app integrations.
• 💪 The Apple Watch is better for strength training due to its ability to connect with external apps for real-time tracking.
• 🔋 Garmin watches generally have better battery life, suitable for long training sessions and not requiring daily charging.
• ❤️ The speaker feels that Garmin watches give off a 'special vibe' associated with serious athletes, which the Apple Watch lacks.
• 📊 Both watches provide in-depth analysis of training status, sleep, and recovery, but the Apple Watch allows for more specific app usage.
• 💓 Heart rate monitoring is not considered accurate on either watch by the speaker, who prefers to use an external heart rate monitor.

Q & A

What are the main criteria the speaker considers when evaluating the Apple Watch and Garmin for running and training?

The speaker prioritizes ease of starting a workout, lapping the workout, viewing necessary data during a workout, reviewing data post-workout, and daily usability.

How does the speaker describe the process of starting a workout on the Garmin watch?

The speaker presses the start button, selects the desired workout from favorites, and waits for the GPS to find a signal before starting the workout, accompanied by a sound and vibration.

What is the speaker's main complaint about starting a workout on the Apple Watch?

The speaker dislikes the countdown feature on the Apple Watch, which prevents precise timing and can affect the accuracy of intervals during workouts.

How does the speaker feel about the physical buttons on the Garmin watch compared to the Apple Watch?

The speaker prefers the physical buttons on the Garmin watch, stating that they feel better to use.

What customization options are available during workouts on both the Apple Watch and Garmin?

Both watches offer the ability to set up custom screens with multiple data points and are highly customizable once the workout has started.

What is the speaker's opinion on the Apple Watch's term for 'laps' during workouts?

The speaker dislikes the term 'segments' used by the Apple Watch for what they believe should be called 'lap times'.

How does the speaker utilize external apps on the Apple Watch for strength training?

The speaker uses an app called 'Strong' to sync strength training data from the watch to the phone in real time without needing to carry the phone.

What is the speaker's preference regarding the review of workout data after a session on both watches?

The speaker prefers reviewing data directly on the Garmin watch due to its ease and immediate accessibility, rather than through the Apple Watch or phone.

How does the speaker compare the battery life of the Garmin watch to the Apple Watch Series 9?

The speaker finds the Garmin watch to have a significantly longer battery life, lasting about a week with daily use and training, compared to the Apple Watch Series 9, which lasts about 24 hours.

What does the speaker suggest for heart rate monitoring when using these watches?

The speaker suggests using an external heart rate monitor, such as the Polar OH1, for more accurate readings, as they find neither watch to be accurate on the wrist.

What final recommendation does the speaker give regarding the choice between the Garmin and Apple Watch for athletes?

The speaker recommends the Garmin for serious athletes focused on fitness goals due to its intuitive design and data presentation. For recreational athletes who want an extension of their phone with workout capabilities, the speaker suggests the Apple Watch.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Comparison of Apple Watch and Garmin for Athletes

The speaker, a professional triathlete, shares their experience using both the Apple Watch and Garmin for various activities like running, strength training, and daily tracking. They highlight the importance of ease of use, workout initiation, data visibility during workouts, and post-workout data review. The speaker prefers the Garmin for its straightforward workout tracking and the sense of community it represents among athletes, while appreciating the Apple Watch's versatility and screen design. They also discuss the customization options and the integration of external apps on the Apple Watch, which is a key advantage over Garmin.

05:02

🔋 Battery Life and Usability Insights for Fitness Trackers

This paragraph delves into the practical aspects of using the Apple Watch and Garmin from a software and hardware perspective. The speaker mentions the ease of pausing, lapping, and segmenting workouts on both devices, expressing a preference for Garmin's one-button approach over the Apple Watch's double-tap method. The review of workout data post-exercise is also discussed, with a preference for Garmin's direct watch access. The paragraph also covers the in-depth analysis provided by both devices' apps, the importance of battery life for long-duration athletes, and the speaker's personal choice for external heart rate monitors over wrist-based readings.

10:03

📱 Final Recommendations for Choosing a Fitness Watch

The speaker concludes by offering advice on choosing between the Apple Watch and Garmin based on the user's needs. They suggest Garmin for serious athletes seeking a dedicated fitness watch, and Apple Watch for recreational athletes who desire a device that also functions as a phone extension. The speaker emphasizes the importance of knowing how to structure training to maximize the benefits of either watch and hints at providing further guidance in a separate video.

Keywords

💡Apple Watch

Apple Watch is a line of smartwatches designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a key part of the video's comparison between fitness tracking devices. In the script, the Apple Watch is discussed in terms of its ease of use for starting workouts, its customizable workout screens, and its integration with external apps for activities like strength training.

💡Garmin

Garmin is a brand known for its GPS technology and wearable tech, particularly for sports and fitness tracking. The video contrasts the Garmin watch with the Apple Watch, highlighting its ease of use in starting and pausing workouts, its intuitive interface for athletes, and its long battery life, which is crucial for endurance events.

💡Workout Tracking

Workout tracking refers to the ability of a device to monitor and record physical activity during exercise. The script emphasizes the importance of easy workout tracking, mentioning how both the Apple Watch and Garmin facilitate this through buttons and screens, with a focus on the immediacy and precision of starting and stopping workouts.

💡Daily Driver

In the context of the video, a 'daily driver' refers to the primary device someone uses on a regular basis for a specific purpose, such as fitness tracking. The term is borrowed from the automotive world where it refers to a car used for everyday driving. The script discusses the speaker's personal experience switching between the Apple Watch and Garmin for daily activity tracking.

💡Custom Routes

Custom routes are personalized workout paths or plans that a user can set up on their fitness device. The script mentions that both the Apple Watch and Garmin allow users to set up custom routes, indicating a level of flexibility and personalization in how one can use these devices for training.

💡GPS

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a technology used for precise location tracking. In the script, the mention of GPS is in the context of starting a workout on both devices, where the Garmin immediately begins searching for GPS, while the Apple Watch with the Series model starts a countdown without GPS, which is a point of contention for the speaker.

💡Battery Life

Battery life is a critical factor for wearable devices, especially for athletes who train for long periods. The video discusses the battery life of both the Apple Watch and Garmin, noting that Garmin generally offers longer battery life, which is an advantage for those participating in ultra-marathons or long training sessions.

💡Heart Rate Monitoring

Heart rate monitoring is a feature of fitness trackers that measures the user's heart rate during exercise. The script mentions that neither the Apple Watch nor the Garmin are considered accurate for wrist-based heart rate monitoring by the speaker, who prefers to use an external heart rate monitor for more precise data.

💡Smartwatch

A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a wristwatch that functions as a companion to a smartphone. The Apple Watch is referred to as a smartwatch in the script, highlighting its capabilities beyond fitness tracking, such as its integration with phone functions and third-party apps, which makes it a versatile device.

💡Strength Training

Strength training is a form of physical exercise that focuses on increasing muscle strength and size. The script discusses how the Apple Watch has an advantage for strength training enthusiasts due to its ability to connect with external apps for real-time tracking, which is a feature the speaker appreciates.

💡User Interface

User interface (UI) refers to the way a device's controls and displays are designed to interact with the user. The script contrasts the UI of the Apple Watch, which uses a crown and touch screen, with the Garmin, which uses physical buttons, and discusses the implications of these designs on the user experience during workouts.

Highlights

Switching between Apple Watch and Garmin for running, strength training, and daily activity tracking.

Apple and Garmin are two major players in the smartwatch market.

Ease of starting a workout and reviewing data are key factors for the user.

Garmin's straightforward workout start with GPS search and clear sound/vibration feedback.

Apple Watch's countdown before workout start is a source of frustration for precise timing.

Custom training plans and import options available on both watches.

Preferability of Apple Watch's screen design and versatility.

Garmin's physical buttons provide a better user experience.

Customizability of workout screens on both Apple Watch and Garmin.

Apple Watch's use of 'segments' instead of 'laps' is disliked.

Apple Watch's strength in external app connectivity for real-time tracking.

Garmin's intuitive software for workout pausing and lapping.

Reviewing workout data is more convenient on Garmin directly from the watch.

Apple Watch offers more specific apps for various purposes.

Battery life comparison, favoring Garmin for ultra marathons and extended use.

Heart rate monitoring accuracy is not reliable on either watch; external monitors recommended.

Both watches sync easily with training platforms like Strava.

Final recommendation based on user's training intensity and app preferences.

Transcripts

for the past year I've been switching

between my Apple watch and my gin as my

daily driver for running strength

training and daily activity tracking and

there are a lot of things that I like

and some things that I absolutely hate

about both of them so I made this video

because I want you to avoid the

expensive mistake that I made I've

trained around 30 hours per week for

more than 15 years as a pro triathlete

and I've been through more watches than

I can count and apple and gin are two of

the biggest players in the game though

these watches have a ton of gimmicks the

most important things in my opinion is

how easy it is to start the workout to

lap the workout to see the data you

actually need to see during a workout

and then of course how easy is it to

actually review your data once you're

done with your workout and then of

course how does it fair in daily use now

I'm not going to compare specific

watches but more the overall experience

so first of all can you easily track

your workouts on the Garment you just

press on the start button and then you

get straight to your workout in the top

I have my favorites and then I just

press the start button at the thing I

want to track and it will start

searching for GPS When the GPS has been

found I can start the workout and it

gives off this nice sound and vibration

that I can clearly feel and hear even

when I'm running with headphones on the

Apple watch I press the crown button

then navigate to the workouts app and

then choose my workout if you have the

ultra it will start to search for GPS

but with the series it will just start a

countdown now I really hate hate this

because the fact that when I'm at the

start line and I want to track my time I

have to wait 3 2 1 so I can't time it

precisely it just annoys the freak out

of me I know it might only be a couple

of seconds but it makes my time less

precise and my intervals less precise

which really messes with my head also on

the Apple watch there are no sound or

vibrations so you have to check the

watch to see if you actually started the

workout on both watches you can set up

custom routes custom training plans and

even import training from something like

training Peaks now from a hardware

perspective I really like the screen on

the Apple watch I like that it's square

and it goes from edge to edge and I feel

like I can use it in any situation

wearing a Garin on the other hand gets

you into the special Club of people when

I was a proor athlete everyone would

wear a garment in training in

competition at work and when you saw

someone with a high-end garment you just

knew they are going training later and

to be honest I just think they give off

a special Vibe like yeah I'm training

the Apple watch does not do that in the

same way I feel like it's more versatile

if I want to I can make it look sporty

but if I want to go out and get all my

activity tracking without displaying to

the world that yeah I'm Into Fitness

then I can do that as well maybe it's

just me I do prefer the physical buttons

on the gum though they just feel better

now during your workouts both of these

are very customizable once you've

started your workout on both the Apple

watch and the Garmin you can pretty much

set it up how you want you have multiple

different different screens you can flip

through on the Fly and there are ton of

different data points you could put in

each one thing I hate about the Apple

watch though is that they call laps for

segments I mean what is that all about

come on Apple it's called a lap time not

a segment time so the way I like to set

my screens is that I have my current lap

time my current lap distance my current

pace and my current heart rate unless

I'm working on something specific like

Cadence then I don't look at any other

data until I get home this allows me to

just stay focused on the workout and the

work that needs to be done so in Daily

training I don't really use multiple

screen setups both watches can sync with

training Peaks so you can just import

your training straight from there now if

you also like to do strength training

one of the advantages of the Apple watch

in my opinion is the fact that you can

have external apps connected straight to

your watch that means that you can sync

your strength training from an app to

your phone in real time now I like to

use an app called strong and I think

it's really nice that I can just open

the app on the Apple watch I don't need

to carry my phone with me and then I can

track everything the workout is already

there and when I go home I can see

exactly what I did on my phone actually

I think that external apps are one of

the key points of the Apple watch over

the Garment I use mine for my meditation

app and as a daily caffeine tracker

daily you can also track reps and

strength training on the G Watch but it

just doesn't have all the external apps

that the Apple watch has you have to go

into the gam Connect app and then set it

up from there but I just think it's so

much easier to have an app you really

love and then just have that on the

watch but yeah personal preference now

from a software perspective I prefer

doing anything else than strength

training on my Garin watch I just feel

like it's more intuitive and it shows

you exactly what you want when you want

it for example if you want to pause your

training on the Apple Watch series you

have to use two fingers like this now

that is just extremely annoying when

you're out there pushing yourself and

you need to take a Precision thatat Time

then you need two fingers and I've had

multiple times where I just missed it by

a couple of seconds on the G you just

push one button you get the nice

vibration and sound and you know that

you just pause to stop your watch and

the same thing goes for lapping or

segmenting on the Garment watch you just

push the lap button and boom vibration

sound all is good now on the Apple watch

you have to do a double tap on the

screen and it's just really annoying

when it's raining or when you're

sweating sometimes it just does not pick

it up and I don't know why they have to

charge so much for the Ultra to get the

lap button when you could just assign

one of the buttons that is already there

as a dedicated lap button once you are

in your workout yeah I really hate that

now when it comes to reviewing your data

after your workout on the Gin you can

just press up find your latest workout

and then you can review all the

essential data like hard rate lap times

pace and so on on the Apple watch you

need to either review it just as the

workout ends or you need to open the

fitness app on your phone find your

workout and then review the data because

I prefer to check out my data on the

watch often when I'm in the shower after

my training it's just so much easier to

do on the Garment now of course gin also

allows you to check out everything you

want on the Gin Connect app or online

but being able to do it straight from

the watch is just one of my favorite

features which brings us to the app

experience both the Apple watch and the

g will give you in-depth analysis of

your training status your sleep your V2

Max score and your stress score but on

the Apple watch you have more options

because you can get specific apps for

specific purposes so for example I have

an app called Auto sleep for tracking my

sleep and an app called athletic for

tracking my recovery both watches will

give you all the data you need and a

bunch of data you didn't even know you

needed so you are pretty much covered

either way so let's talk battery life if

you are doing Ultra marathons I will not

recommend the Apple Watch series you

should at least get an Apple Watch Ultra

but with Gan you can choose pretty much

every watch and you will have no issues

generally speaking I can get about a

week's worth of battery out of my gin

with daily use and about 1 to 3 hours of

training every day and with the Apple

Watch series 9 I can only get about 24

hours of battery and doing workouts

drain the battery a lot more than on the

Garment however both watches will do

more than fine for most people if you

train and compete in less than 5 hours

then you are going to have no issues

even with the Apple Watch series but if

you need it for anything more then I

would go with the Garment it's also nice

that with the Garment you can just go

about your day you don't have to worry

about charging all the time with the

Apple watch you have to have some sort

of routine where you get it charged up

every single day and some of the newer

garments could last for up to 21 days

which is just insane now let's talk

about heart rate monitoring now I don't

find any of these watches to be accurate

on my wrist so I pair them up with an

external heart rate monitor now I used

to wear a chest monitor called The Polar

h10 which is like the gold standard but

I just feel like I get some rashes on my

chest so I switched it up to a polar oh1

which is a biceps wrap and I feel like I

get the same data and it's just so much

nicer to wear and let's be honest you

also look kind of cool reparing an

external heart rate monitor even though

it's not the same brand is no issues

whatsoever over Bluetooth on both the

Garment and the Apple watch soon as I

start my workout it's paired up and I'm

good to go now if you're looking for

data on heart rate accuracy I would

recommend that you check out the

Quantified scientist here on YouTube he

does some very cool experiments he even

found that the Apple watch is actually

one of the best heart rate monitors on

the wrist but it's just still lacking

behind external heart rate monitors at

least the best ones out there now both

of these watches easily sync to the

social training platform sta so if

you're going segment hunting then you

are fine either way now on the Apple

watch you can actually download the SAA

app and start the workout straight from

there if that's more your thing so here

are my final thoughts when my friends

ask me what to get this is what I say to

them if you are a serious athlete and

want a fitness watch to help track your

training then get the Garment if you are

more of a recreational athlete and want

something that's an extension of your

phone but also can help you with your

workouts then get the Apple watch gmen

is just specifically designed to help

people with fitness goals and it shows

it gives you all the data that you want

when you want it and it's just designed

in a way that you can feel that it's an

athlete who has designed this watch if

you mostly use it for strength training

and want to have access to all the

external apps and use it as sort of an

extension of your phone then get the

Apple watch it's an amazing watch this

is where I made a huge mistake even

though now that I bought the Apple watch

I use it daily because I think it's an

amazing Smartwatch it's just not ready

to replace my gin as my training partner

and maybe it's not supposed to but none

of these watches will work for you

unless you know how to structure your

training to get the most out of your

time and I'll teach you exactly how to

do that in this video right here

[Music]