I've experienced some frustration with Garmin and how difficult it can be to select the right model when making a purchase. About 18 months ago, I bought one with a specific functionality in mind: I wanted to measure my VO2 max. I remember scouring the internet to find out which Garmin watches supported this feature. Even now, I can't seem to find a comprehensive overview on Garmin's website of which watches do. While some internet pages attempt to provide this information, such as this article: marathonhandbook.com/.../, I still struggled to find clarity.
In the end, I settled on the Forerunner 245 after confirming its VO2 max measurement capability in the Garmin manual: www8.garmin.com/.../GUID-F5BF67CE-C94E-4842-AE96-A7A05C85B732.html. Initially, I was thrilled with my new watch. However, my enthusiasm waned when spring arrived, and I started cycling to work, only to find that my watch stopped showing my training status. After some investigation, I learned that I needed a power meter to access the training status, as explained here: support.garmin.com/.../. What wasn't immediately clear from that page is that the Forerunner 245 doesn't support power meters. I discovered this when attempting to connect it to an ICG 7 bike at a training center. Since my watch didn't support power meters, I couldn't connect to that sensor.
That's when I came across this article: www.dcrainmaker.com/.../how-to-use-a-cycling-power-meter-with-a-vivoactive-or-venu-watch.html, detailing how to use a cycling power meter with my Garmin watch. I eagerly installed the app on my watch and looked forward to my next training session. While I managed to connect to the power meter and see it appear in Garmin Connect, it ultimately didn't affect the training status calculation. It actually mentions this limitation in the DCRainmaker article, but I must have missed it in my excitement.
I guess t's not the end of the world not to have Garmin tell me how well I'm doing in terms of training status while cycling, and I understand that the VO2 max provided by the watch is just an estimate and not as accurate as professional lab measurements. Nonetheless, I've had plenty of fun discussing it with colleagues and friends, especially when it tells me that my fitness age is much younger than my actual age!
However, my enthusiasm for Garmin watches has waned a bit. I recognize that product diversification is a business strategy, but I believe Garmin has taken it too far. They don't even provide a good way to compare their products. The closest I come to finding the right watch for me on their website is this page: www.garmin.com/.../, but that guide doesn't even mention VO2 max as a functionality, let alone support for power meters.
From what I've read in the forums, I'm not the only one feeling frustrated: forums.garmin.com/.../using-power-meter-recorded-data-on-the-forerunner-on-garmin-connect. At the very least, Garmin should offer a way to compare all the functionalities in their watches. It's too complicated to have to download all the user manuals for each model and figure it out that way.
Ideally, Garmin would stop artificially limiting functionalities in their watches, as suggested in the post above. It would be sufficient to diversify products based on hardware limitations and physical shapes.
