Apple Watch to Garmin – Why I Switched…
Just under a month ago I made a decision that I didn’t think will last. I switched back from my beloved Apple Watch Series 9 to the Garmin Forerunner 255.
The main reason for the switch was and still is, that I primarily use smartwatches for fitness tracking. On top of that, I recently got back into running so considering the model’s name of the Garmin, it seems to be a perfect match.
Or is it?
In this blog post I will be discussing my experience of switching to the Garmin, the things I like more and the things I miss from the Apple Watch, particularly as a tech enthusiast and productivity nerd.
What made me switch?
Before we get any further in this article, I wanted to discuss the reasons that made me want to switch, and it wasn’t an overnight thing, I was thinking about switching back to Garmin for a long time.
Around a month before switching back to the Forerunner 255, I tried the Garmin Venu 2, which I managed to pick up second hand at a reasonable price. Although the Venu 2 was a decent watch, for some reason I didn’t get on with it and I ended up going back to my Apple Watch.
After discussing this with a few of my friends and seeing what everyone else was using on Strava, I made the decision to go back to my Garmin Forerunner 255, and so far, I’m happy with the decision.
Secondly, although I thought the fitness tracking was great on the Apple Watch, there are a few things that I find useful on the Forerunner 255. Starting with Sleep Score and Body Battery, which is not something that you get by default from the Fitness app or Apple Health by default. You have to download third party apps which often cost. I’m also a big fan of the morning report. But I’ll get into more detail to why later in this article.
Thirdly, I prefer the level of detail that the Garmin Connect app provides, but at the same time, I miss the Rings in Apple Fitness. But once again, I will discuss that in more detail later in this article.
Sleep tracking, Sleep Score, Morning Report and Body Battery
As someone who lives a busy lifestyle, I find the ability to track sleep important to me as it allows me to gain an idea of how well I slept so that I can go to sleep earlier if I need to. This helps me ensure that I’m not over-tired.
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers decent sleep tracking features, but there are a few things that I prefer on the Garmin Forerunner 255, starting with my Sleep Score which evaluates the quality of my sleep, then gives me a score between 0 and a 100 to help me understand how well I slept. It would be great to see Apple Introduce this feature to the Apple Watch.
The Garmin Morning Report feature gives you a quick summary of your key health and fitness metrics when you wake up. It helps you start your day with insights into your sleep, recovery, weather and more. I know it’s only a small thing, but it makes a difference to me as I find the information it provides me with useful at that time.
But in terms of sleep tracking, I think that both watches perform really well and provide me with sleep stages, which is great to have.
Running
The thing I like about the Apple Watch Series 9 is that it allows me to choose more than one app for tracking runs. For example, I can use apps like Strava, Nike Run Club or Runna. But on the Garmin, I’m stuck with the default Garmin tracking app, which is actually pretty good.
The app allows me to pre-plan my runs, which is perfect for beginners like me. I also like that you can sync workouts from other apps such as Runna.
Based on personal preference, I actually prefer the experience provided by the Forerunner 255 as it gives me enough detail during the run and it vibrates and beeps during plans.
Workouts
Moving on to workouts, I tend to workout at home regularly and I’m a big fan of the Apple Fitness+ subscription, which integrates perfectly with the Apple Watch Series 9.
For those of you who haven’t heard of Apple Fitness+ before, it’s basically a subscription service that gives you access to a large library of video workouts.
I haven’t really been looking for other fitness apps as I enjoy the Apple Fitness+. I can still use the Forerunner but, I miss the Apple Watch functionality, specifically being able to see stats from my watch on the TV.
But I have learned to live without it.
I find that the Forerunner 255 copes really well with workouts and allows me to edit the number of reps and weight throughout the workout which is handy.
Smartwatch Functionality
Although you can download some apps to the Forerunner 255, I wouldn’t call this a smartwatch, especially when compared to the Apple Watch or other WearOS alternatives.
You can’t respond to messages, answer calls or even set reminders using a voice assistant. These are some of the features I used a lot on my Apple Watch and there are times when I still wish to have access to those features on my watch.
However, there is a smart feature that I’m happy to have, and that is the ability to make payments using the watch with the help of Garmin Pay. However, I have noticed that not many banks support it in the UK, which may be an issue for some. Luckily, I’m able to use it.
The watch also provides you with notifications from my phone, which can be useful.
In terms of battery life, we have a clear winner and that is the Garmin. I tend to charge the Apple Watch daily, but Garmin approximately once a week.
Productivity
Speaking about smartwatch features, I wanted to talk about productivity in more detail.
Considering the fact that I just mentioned I can’t use some of the productivity features I used on the Apple Watch, you may be surprised with what I’m about to say.
While there are many fantastic productivity apps and features on the Apple Watch, not wearing my Apple Watch has also made me productive as I don’t have easy access to respond to messages while I should be doing other things. This allows to fully focus on the tasks I’m doing.
Accuracy
In terms of accuracy, I haven’t tested them side by side when out running or doing a workout, but it’s something I’m planning to do.
In the meantime, I compared the stats from workouts and my usual running route and there aren’t any big differences between the data recorded on these two devices. The same can be said for my sleep data.
Who’s the Garmin Forerunner 255 for?
As you can probably tell, the Garmin Forerunner 255 isn’t your typical smartwatch. In fact, I’m not sure if I can even call it a smartwatch. But it’s a fantastic fitness and running watch!
That is why if fitness and running are priorities for you, it’s a great option. But if smart features such as apps and being able to take calls and answer messages are priorities and you have an iPhone, then I would recommend an Apple Watch.
Final Thoughts
Based on my experience so far, I think that the Garmin Forerunner 255 is a fantastic watch, and I plan to be using it for a long period of time. But if truth be told, I’m not sure I can give up my Apple Watch.
Having used many smartwatches over the years, I still think that in terms of functionality, Apple Watches are my favourite smartwatches.
On top of that, I think that the Apple Watch really does add value if you’re in the Apple ecosystem.
However, as a sporty person, I’m also in the Garmin ecosystem and the Forerunner 255 isn’t the only Garmin device I regularly use. As someone who enjoys cycling and mountain biking, I also own a Garmin Edge 530 cycle GPS which also connects to the Connect app and keeps all the data together in one place, which works incredibly well.
My only complaint about Garmin is that they have introduced the Garmin Connect+ subscription which locks some features behind a pay wall. While I am currently trying it out, I’m not a big fan of the subscription model.
Lastly, I’m not a fitness expert, these are my views and opinions as an everyday user.