Garmin Fenix 3 HR ~ It seems to be the best GPS watch for hiking ...

Garmin Fenix3 HR (from Gamin web site)

vivoSmart

Recently, my vivoSmart has a problem again.   Some of pixels on the display started missing.   I checked this with the customer service of Garmin and they will replace it.  It is still under warranty.   This is actually third time since I bought it last September.  A good thing is Garmin always gave me a replacement right away.  So I am going to return for RMA and get the replacement soon.

For actual running, I usually use a GPS watch, Garmin Forerunner 910XT to track my workout.   I also have a foot pod to get running cadence.  However it does not work very well indoor activity except treadmill running.   For the other equipment in a gym, such as elliptical, stair climbing and walking on a treadmill, the impact is not probably strong enough to get a correct steps.   So I usually use vivoSmart to track such workout with the gym equipment.

It is not very convenient for me and I start looking for something new one which can cover everything with just one watch.  After some research on the internet, it seems Garmin Fenix 3 HR would be the best choice for me.   It covers daily activity tracking like vivoSmart.  And then, it has embedded heart rate sensor.  Therefore, it can monitor the heart rate without chest hear rate sensor.  It allow it to monitor the heart rate 24/7.  The rest, there are some nice features, but the embedded heart rate monitoring feature is the most interesting feature for me.   Based on some review, the accuracy of the chest sensor is better than the embedded one.  However, 24/7 monitoring is really attractive and possibly get a good data for hiking in higher elevation.   This data will help my current investigation for the heart rate base hiking method.

So I plan to get one some time in the future.  However the price is a big problem for me.  It is about USD $600 without a chest heart rate sensor.  So it is not really low cost.  My 910XT is still working well.   So I might not get one any time this year.  But before hiking to Mt. Whitney next year, I expect to get it and collect some new data for Mt. Whitney hiking.