GPS watch selection in 2016 Fall ~ Built-in heart rate sensor and battery capacity

Built-in heart rate sensor on vivosmart HR

   I will go over some points to select a GPS watch in 2016 fall.


 For hiking

   It is obvious that there are many different GPS watch from many manufacturers, for running and etc.   Each manufacture has a target customer for each model.  Therefore, the selection can be so many.
   I will focus on using it to manage walking pace based on the heart rate in hiking based on some posts in this blog. 


Benefit for built-in heart rate sensor!

   I tested the built-in wrist based heart rate sensor recently.  As a result, I would think it is good enough for hiking.   I think it is a big benefit not to wear the chest strap sensor during hiking.
   There were a couple experience in the past:

• It was easy to move when I shoulder / unshoulder backpack.
• I got some scratch due to the sensor was rubbed during hiking for a long time
• I forgot to bring the chest strap sensor to hiking

   With the built-in sensor we could eliminate them and it is a big benefit in my opinion.
   The other pulse is we can monitor the heart rate 24/7 for most of devices with built-in sensor.  I do not have a good example to have such data.  But there are some interesting data such as heart rate data during sleeping in high altitude something more than 4,000m elevation.  I want to see if there is any indication related the altitude.  

   With those reasons, I prefer to get one with built-in heart rate sensor if I buy a new GPS watch for hiking.

Manufacture selection

   If you already have a GPS watch, I would think you have some tracking data already.  In this case, I guess you want to get one from the same manufacture as your first choice.   However, if you buy it for the first time, you might not have any preference for your selection and you have so many choices from various manufactures.
   In my case, I have been using Gamin GPS products and I do not have much experience to use other manufacture's devices.   Since basic function is almost the same and I do not have any plan to switch the manufacture.   Therefore, I will pick one from Gamin products.   Thus, the selection is very limited. 

Candidates?

   Based on the condition, I will list possible devices from Gamin as of October 2016:

•  vivosmart HR+
• Forerunner 35
• vivoactive HR
• Forerunner 235
• Forerunner 735 XT
• Fenix 3HR

They are the one which has built-in heart rate sensor.

How can we pick one?

   As a next step, how we can narrow down the selection.  First of all, I would think the battery capacity how long we can use the device with GPS mode.  It really depends on how long people typically hike.
   For example, if people usually go hiking up to a few hours in local area.  It might not have much limitation.  People can pick almost any devices since most of them can support the time for cut-off time for full marathon which is usually around 6 hours.
   On the other hand, if people do hiking full day, they need to be careful.   For example, vivosmart HR+ in the list above, it is up to 8 hours with the GPS mode.   This is the time fully charged condition.  Based on my past experience, the time is usually getting short by time being.  If people do a full day hiking, I would think it is better to have more than 10 hours in its specification.  If people consider really long day trip such as a day trip to Mt. Whitney trail.  I think most of people need to take more than 12 hours.  So that it is better to pick a bit longer than 12 hours.  Then, the possible selection would be very limited.

   I my case, I do not think I will do very long day hiking.  Probably the longest is around 10 hours, something like going back to the trail head after summit attempt to Mt. Whitney in Mt. Whitney trail.  For this purpose, I would think more than 12 hours would be good.
    Then, I can eliminate vivosmart HR because it is up to 8 hours in GPS mode.   Forerunner 235 is a border line, it is up to 11 hours.   The rest, Forerunner 35 and vivoactive HR are up to 13 hours, Forerunner 735XT is up to 14 hours and Fenix 3 HR is up to 16 hours.  Forerunner 735XT and Fenix 3 HR can support "ultra-track" mode, which can use up to 24 hours and 40 hours each.

   Just battery capacitor, if people want to have a low cost solution, Forerunner 35 or vivoactive HR would be good.  If people do not have limitation of the price, Forerunner 75XT and Fenix 3 HR could be a good selection.

(To be continue)