Recommend a Watch for running and a music player
Discussion
I am a casual runner, now trying to get back into some regular weekly runs and build up my fitness. I've done a couple of 5k's previously but have never taken it that seriously e.g: never tracked distance or times.
Interested in recommendations for a suitable watch for running and something compact to play music as my ancient 8gb iPod has developed an issue and the sound quality is terrible now to the extent it's not really music anymore but painful noise. my phone is a huge slab so wld rather not use that either
I was initially thinking an Apple watch as I have iTunes but can you actually play music using a Apple watch? Apple is quite pricey too..is it really worth it?
I essentially need a watch that will track my distance and times in addition to allowing data to be transferred to a running app such as Strava.
The music player just needs to be compact and minimum 8GB capacity.
Thanks
Interested in recommendations for a suitable watch for running and something compact to play music as my ancient 8gb iPod has developed an issue and the sound quality is terrible now to the extent it's not really music anymore but painful noise. my phone is a huge slab so wld rather not use that either
I was initially thinking an Apple watch as I have iTunes but can you actually play music using a Apple watch? Apple is quite pricey too..is it really worth it?
I essentially need a watch that will track my distance and times in addition to allowing data to be transferred to a running app such as Strava.
The music player just needs to be compact and minimum 8GB capacity.
Thanks
Jimboka said:
Regarding Apple watch, you need Apple Music, at cost. Some free trials..
Can’t download from eg Spotify yet, rumoured to be around the corner for months & months
Can download podcasts & books though!
Thanks...knew that would be too good to be true!Can’t download from eg Spotify yet, rumoured to be around the corner for months & months
Can download podcasts & books though!
Maybe I should consider the other brands .e.g: Fitbit, Garmin etc
Not sure you need Apple Music, can’t you just download from iTunes to the watch. Probably via an iPhone I guess. I could check but my iPhone is downstairs and I’m a lazy so and so 
Otherwise, the Apple Watch makes for a pretty good generic sports recording device. I’ve owned and used various Suunto and Garmin devices in the past and whilst they have more sports functionality as such, the Apple Watch is perfect for my level of fitness - 3 or so 10-15k runs a week and the odd race when not in lockdown.
Otherwise, the Apple Watch makes for a pretty good generic sports recording device. I’ve owned and used various Suunto and Garmin devices in the past and whilst they have more sports functionality as such, the Apple Watch is perfect for my level of fitness - 3 or so 10-15k runs a week and the odd race when not in lockdown.
Jimboka said:
Regarding Apple watch, you need Apple Music, at cost. Some free trials..
If you have the music in your iTunes library already (MP3s etc), you can simply send it to your Apple Watch as albums or playlists. I do not have Apple Music but have several albums loaded to mine.You only need Apple Music if you plan to stream from the watch, which only the cellular models can do anyway, or if you don't have the music in your offline library.
There are a couple of different ways to load podcasts to the Apple Watch for offline listening - Apple's official podcast app and Overcast being two examples.
Lots of the garmins do music now 245 music maybe the cheapest - around £200. You can load music files onto them - or download via streaming services (you can’t use them to stream yet)
Depends how much you want to run - apple watch is a good all rounder but the battery wont last beyond a couple of hours on gps.
Check out dcrainmaker.com for more detail than anyone would ever need.
Depends how much you want to run - apple watch is a good all rounder but the battery wont last beyond a couple of hours on gps.
Check out dcrainmaker.com for more detail than anyone would ever need.
My advice (from a stranger on the internet) is if you want an accurate running watch, with long battery life and some music capabilities then get the best Garmin you can afford. £200 to £300 mark for one of the forerunner models with music connectivity via Bluetooth and the ability to download from Spoitify (so you don't need to carry your phone).
I have just upgraded to the Fenix 6 Sapphire and it's a great watch but probably overkill for what you need.
I have just upgraded to the Fenix 6 Sapphire and it's a great watch but probably overkill for what you need.
Cybertronian said:
Jimboka said:
Regarding Apple watch, you need Apple Music, at cost. Some free trials..
If you have the music in your iTunes library already (MP3s etc), you can simply send it to your Apple Watch as albums or playlists.The main reason I am considering the Apple models is I have iTunes already. But open to Garmin too for example.
young_bairn said:
My advice (from a stranger on the internet) is if you want an accurate running watch, with long battery life and some music capabilities then get the best Garmin you can afford. £200 to £300 mark for one of the forerunner models with music connectivity via Bluetooth and the ability to download from Spoitify (so you don't need to carry your phone).
I have just upgraded to the Fenix 6 Sapphire and it's a great watch but probably overkill for what you need.
If you do want a Garmin then have a look here https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/garmin-venu-smart...I have just upgraded to the Fenix 6 Sapphire and it's a great watch but probably overkill for what you need.
Saw this the other day and looks legit - some really good discounts on all the Garmin range.
VR99 said:
Do all the Apple watches have this functionality or only certain models? Do the watches require a certain amount of space to hold the songs? I'm prbly quite behind with this stuff hence the basic questions!
The main reason I am considering the Apple models is I have iTunes already. But open to Garmin too for example.
They should all have this functionality - at the very least their current line-up of Series 3 and Series 5 (and Series 4) definitely can support music loaded from an iTunes library. It's not too dissimilar to how the iPod worked once upon a time.The main reason I am considering the Apple models is I have iTunes already. But open to Garmin too for example.
I think the Series 3 watch has 8GB of onboard storage, with newer watches featuring 16GB.
Cybertronian said:
VR99 said:
Do all the Apple watches have this functionality or only certain models? Do the watches require a certain amount of space to hold the songs? I'm prbly quite behind with this stuff hence the basic questions!
The main reason I am considering the Apple models is I have iTunes already. But open to Garmin too for example.
They should all have this functionality - at the very least their current line-up of Series 3 and Series 5 (and Series 4) definitely can support music loaded from an iTunes library. It's not too dissimilar to how the iPod worked once upon a time.The main reason I am considering the Apple models is I have iTunes already. But open to Garmin too for example.
I think the Series 3 watch has 8GB of onboard storage, with newer watches featuring 16GB.
Fwiw I am not an Apple fanboy lol but do have iTunes and the old skool silver case iPod for example was a present. Garmin Fenix looks the dogs danglies but given the ouay and as I am more of a casual plodder rather than serious runner think the Apple watch should suffice.
Thanks all for your input though!
I've got one of these: https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/sports/running-watche...
It has built in GPS, bluetooth etc and is Strava compatible which means you don't need to carry your phone with you for a run. The music player plays MP3s, podcasts etc and it does need loading up (so no spotify) which can be fiddly but it does the job and is much cheaper than the apple watch and others.
It has built in GPS, bluetooth etc and is Strava compatible which means you don't need to carry your phone with you for a run. The music player plays MP3s, podcasts etc and it does need loading up (so no spotify) which can be fiddly but it does the job and is much cheaper than the apple watch and others.
Have an Apple Watch series 2 I use for running, biking etc. Pretty happy with it, there are a number of apps you can download to help with your chosen sport, Nike run coach, Strava etc etc.
You need an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch, they are useless without one. You can copy 8gb of music across to the watch and go out without your phone.
You need the watch with cell reception to go totally phone free, as you can’t call or send messages from the WiFi watch without your iPhone. I like to be able to reach home, in case I trip and break an ankle.
The data straight out of the watch is good and can be reviewed on your iPhone, it will track split times, heart rate all the usual stuff. It also tracks vo2 max, calculates Mets and can count steps, elevation, cadence etc as well. The nice thing is you can access the data with a number of apps, there is a heart rate zones app which is good if you want to train that way.
There’s a monthly challenge to give you encouragement to get up and do something, it almost guilt trips you into exercise, which I need.
Had the watch for 3ish years now, it used to go two days on a charge now it’s 1.5 which is less useful but it will track exercise for hours without any problems. It has picked up a few scratches and I might go for a 6 later this year for no reason other than I want one where the screen is always on and my wife wants mine for netball and the gym.
There are loads of strap choices to personalise it, I like the nylon ones. There’s a good seller on eBay who sells good cheap bands for £6 rather than the £50 Apple want for theirs, happy to recommend if you want.
You need an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch, they are useless without one. You can copy 8gb of music across to the watch and go out without your phone.
You need the watch with cell reception to go totally phone free, as you can’t call or send messages from the WiFi watch without your iPhone. I like to be able to reach home, in case I trip and break an ankle.
The data straight out of the watch is good and can be reviewed on your iPhone, it will track split times, heart rate all the usual stuff. It also tracks vo2 max, calculates Mets and can count steps, elevation, cadence etc as well. The nice thing is you can access the data with a number of apps, there is a heart rate zones app which is good if you want to train that way.
There’s a monthly challenge to give you encouragement to get up and do something, it almost guilt trips you into exercise, which I need.
Had the watch for 3ish years now, it used to go two days on a charge now it’s 1.5 which is less useful but it will track exercise for hours without any problems. It has picked up a few scratches and I might go for a 6 later this year for no reason other than I want one where the screen is always on and my wife wants mine for netball and the gym.
There are loads of strap choices to personalise it, I like the nylon ones. There’s a good seller on eBay who sells good cheap bands for £6 rather than the £50 Apple want for theirs, happy to recommend if you want.
I run with a Mighty player that allows you to sync Spotify playlists to it and then run with the music on the device locally. I don't have 'saved' MP3s and didn't want to run with my phone so this was a good compromise. I'd probably use a Garmin but my Forerunner 235 is probably three years old so doesn't do music.
I use a set of wireless bone conduction headphones (Aftershox) to allow me to hear cars and talk etc. I can't recommend them enough.
I use a set of wireless bone conduction headphones (Aftershox) to allow me to hear cars and talk etc. I can't recommend them enough.
Ok guys I'm back...got a bit too carried away till I kept reading and it's mentioned that you need a iphone for this to work 
I do have an iPhone but that's my work line/phone and not too keen to be using it for transferring music...just to play safe with employee rules around personal use etc.
Maybe a combo of Garmin and Spotify make more sense....will look into this.
I do have an iPhone but that's my work line/phone and not too keen to be using it for transferring music...just to play safe with employee rules around personal use etc.
Maybe a combo of Garmin and Spotify make more sense....will look into this.
Quhet said:
I've got one of these: https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/sports/running-watche...
It has built in GPS, bluetooth etc and is Strava compatible which means you don't need to carry your phone with you for a run. The music player plays MP3s, podcasts etc and it does need loading up (so no spotify) which can be fiddly but it does the job and is much cheaper than the apple watch and others.
Cheers looks decent but no longer available..IL check if they have it at other places apart from TomTom.It has built in GPS, bluetooth etc and is Strava compatible which means you don't need to carry your phone with you for a run. The music player plays MP3s, podcasts etc and it does need loading up (so no spotify) which can be fiddly but it does the job and is much cheaper than the apple watch and others.
I use a fitbit Ionic, they are quite old now but it has built in GPS and you can put I think 2 gig of music onto it and pair with BT headphones.
I purchased just the pebble (watch part) from ebay for 60quid brand new in a packet from Fitbit and then a strap from Amazon.
The Fitbit app links and auto uploads your runs to Strava.
Don't get me wrong overall a garmin is better but I am no professional athlete and just run 4 to 6 miles 3 or 4 times a week so it works very well for me.
Also waterproof so can log swimming and has some basic smart watch functionalities, notifications payments etc.
I still have an ancient Garmin with a chest strap hr monitor but for £70 the Fitbit works perfectly for me.
Battery life is minimum 4 days even with 2, 1 hour GPS runs in that time.
Garmin still better but this is cheap and works perfectly.
I purchased just the pebble (watch part) from ebay for 60quid brand new in a packet from Fitbit and then a strap from Amazon.
The Fitbit app links and auto uploads your runs to Strava.
Don't get me wrong overall a garmin is better but I am no professional athlete and just run 4 to 6 miles 3 or 4 times a week so it works very well for me.
Also waterproof so can log swimming and has some basic smart watch functionalities, notifications payments etc.
I still have an ancient Garmin with a chest strap hr monitor but for £70 the Fitbit works perfectly for me.
Battery life is minimum 4 days even with 2, 1 hour GPS runs in that time.
Garmin still better but this is cheap and works perfectly.
Cpl nobby nobbs said:
I use a fitbit Ionic, they are quite old now but it has built in GPS and you can put I think 2 gig of music onto it and pair with BT headphones.
I purchased just the pebble (watch part) from ebay for 60quid brand new in a packet from Fitbit and then a strap from Amazon.
The Fitbit app links and auto uploads your runs to Strava.
Don't get me wrong overall a garmin is better but I am no professional athlete and just run 4 to 6 miles 3 or 4 times a week so it works very well for me.
Also waterproof so can log swimming and has some basic smart watch functionalities, notifications payments etc.
I still have an ancient Garmin with a chest strap hr monitor but for £70 the Fitbit works perfectly for me.
Battery life is minimum 4 days even with 2, 1 hour GPS runs in that time.
Garmin still better but this is cheap and works perfectly.
Thanks IL look into this and other Fitbit option's. Similar to you I am a casual runner doing it mainly for fitness and enjoyment rather than competing. I tend to prefer resistance training and don't really need a watch for that so this is purely for running hence maybe not worthwhile going for anything too high end esp if I won't utilise the functions.I purchased just the pebble (watch part) from ebay for 60quid brand new in a packet from Fitbit and then a strap from Amazon.
The Fitbit app links and auto uploads your runs to Strava.
Don't get me wrong overall a garmin is better but I am no professional athlete and just run 4 to 6 miles 3 or 4 times a week so it works very well for me.
Also waterproof so can log swimming and has some basic smart watch functionalities, notifications payments etc.
I still have an ancient Garmin with a chest strap hr monitor but for £70 the Fitbit works perfectly for me.
Battery life is minimum 4 days even with 2, 1 hour GPS runs in that time.
Garmin still better but this is cheap and works perfectly.
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