I wanted to love this watch but sadly it is back in the box ready for me to return later this week.
I'm in my mid 50's and pretty active, I workout 6 days a week, mixing P90x and Insanity, plus I walk 7 days a week. Normally after a very early morning workout, I walk on a treadmill at 10 degrees incline for 30 minutes at 3.8 mph. I then walk outside at night for at least another 4 miles sometimes 6. I have bicycle which I don't ride as much as I should. I have a Fitbit charge HR since 2014 and recently upgraded to the charge hr 2, the only time this is not on my wrist is when I'm in the shower or it's charging. The miles are off on the Fitbit, using map my walk or map my ride, the fitbit states 3.2 miles when I have done 4 miles. But it's small and easy forgotten on the wrist. The HRM is off slightly, compared to my chest strap set up, when that reads 176, my Fitbit reads 169, at 156 my Fitbit reads 148. If off constantly but it's a good relative reading for intensity. I'm looking for close repeatability, if I'm at 144 then I know I need to push myself, if i'm around 165+ I know I'm good.
The Fenix 5x, the HRM is off, really off, today was the final straw, I used the strength and treadmill app, only during my warm up did my heart rate climb to 156, after that it never ever went above 100, I wore my Fitbit and chest strap to compare. At odd times checking my chest would read 156, my Fitbit 148 the Fenix 5x 84. It was really off, really off. On the watch face, just sitting here, it's reading 141 at the moment and my Fitbit is 85. It was great for outdoor walking yesterday, it got my miles down perfectly in tune with map my walk. However I got this for the fitness data and if it off by so much then the data is worthless. After an hour of strength training where apart from the warm up it did not go above 100 bpm, the watch told me I needed to rest for 4 days?. Wow it's going to freak if it stayed with me for the entire week.
This is nice looking watch, at full MRSP it needs to be perfect, the screen is not very bright, very washed out and looks 8bit, it's too large to wear 24/7 and the HRM is a deal breaker for me. I will return it, maybe when it goes on sale for 299 and they have fixed the HRM with firmware updates I would look at it again as a part time watch, but at full price it as too many issues for me to keep.
harry
