Hi everyone,

I’m considering purchasing my first Apple Watch this year. I’ve worn a garmin for years and while it isn’t the most versatile when it comes to tech features, it is the top fitness tracking company out there.

Question is has anyone made the switch from Garmin to Apple? How did the AW compare to the Garmin on heart monitoring, sleep monitoring, stress monitoring? Was it easier to track workouts?

With the new series 9 out now is it worth getting the series 9 or the cheaper series 8?

My main draw to the AW is actually the loud noise detection. I have chronic tinnitus from loud noise exposure so have that notification would be helpful, but I actually want buttons on my watch lol.

Anyways any insights would be greatly appreciated.

  • rbrussell82@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I came from a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro last year to an Ultra. I had the Fenix since launch. I also did triathlons which was seamless on the Garmin. Now I mainly just do running.

    I have cellular on my Ultra so I can go on runs without my phone. I have Apple Music and offline playlists for music.

    GPS on my Fenix wasn’t accurate for running pace, but it was an older model now that didn’t have the newer multi GPS chip. The Ultra has multi GPS, I’m not sure if the S9 does. Older models relied more on your phones GPS than the GPS on the watch.

    I ran the Chicago Marathon with the Ultra last year and it was accurate even in the tall buildings.

    Battery life is a long way away from Garmin, but it also depends on the features you use. I have to charge my Ultra every 2 days where my Garmin could go almost 2 weeks depending on workouts.

    I miss Garmin’s Body Battery and I know there are 3rd party apps that have similar features but I haven’t bought them. I did buy WorkOutdoors and HealthFit.

    Overall I’m happy with the Ultra. I’ve thought about buying another Garmin but I haven’t found much that Garmin does better for my usage. Your usage might vary though.