Best GPS / Sport Watch Ecosystem? Garmin vs Suunto vs Coros vs Polar!

[@Ronaldinho10101]

you even turned on the light in my house, thanks mate i appreciate it

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Any time!

[@ChlorophilG]

Same

[@maxpecas2]

Me too lol

[@boombeef]

Yeah freaked me out too. Unexpected but funny when it happened.

[@remakshi]

That’s True 😃

[@greennorth7451]

Would love an update video on the ecosystems!

[@edutoro11]

The ecosystem is definitely one of my main considerations before buying a watch

[@ChaseTheSummit]

As it should be! It’s easy to over look when you’re browsing the spec sheets.

[@florianmuellers]

a wrong decision forced me to jump from polar to garmin, at the beginning it was a real pain

[@ep1kte7]

@@florianmuellers I also had problems with the Garmin eco system after switching from Fitbit. It ended up with a polar device now. What I don't like, everyone collects data but doesn't give you a quick and easy way to sync the data between the different platforms. As mentioned in the video it's nice to see your progress over the last few years. But only if you stay with the choosen brand forever... that's sad to know 😔

[@rafpadilha]

I'm completely agree about the ecosystem orders. I loved the video...

[@ep1kte7]

@@AndreasHofhansl that's exactly the problem... I know this app. But at the end you can't sync everything. There is always something missing.

[@talktosri]

People have diff needs. Everyone is not a triathlete or a runner. Some want the watch for health or gym based workouts. Then it becomes more about the ecosystem than the watch. This is THE BEST review out there to help make that decision. Not just for what you get but also for what you are willing to compromise on. As you say, there is not watch/company that does it all. Brilliant!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thank you! For sure, it's really hard to say "what is the best" It's really what's the best for YOU!

[@greertops]

I would love an update video on this for 2024!! Given all the updates in the various ecosystems.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

@@greertops a lot has changed!

[@douglasshouganai2516]

only video out there that goes into this. much appreciated!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks!

[@garymellinger9517]

What a in-depth review of platforms. I’m 72, and have my first Garmin watch, Epix 2. I use the connect app. and love it. You introduced new statistics that I didn’t know existed…Insights. The Garmin Scale and BP monitor will be my next purchase. Thank you 🙏🏻 and I love your channel.

[@piiak6848]

I agree with the stuff regarding Polar. I've had other watches for 6 months now and I seriously started considering digging up my Vantage M from the drawer again. Ive liked a lot of things about Vivoactive 4 (such as genuinely differentiated sport profiles, eg. barometer for skiing) and even Galaxy Watch Active 2 because it enabled be leaving my phone home. But as a sports watch Vantage M has been really good for running.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

They have the back end software nailed down! I only wish the "on watch" firmware was a bit more user friendly, responsive, and customizable. Thanks for watching!

[@addisonscott6170]

Had my garmin almost five years and I can't wait to upgrade. It's so awesome.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice! Sounds like you got your money’s worth!

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

Which one do you have?

[@addisonscott6170]

@@petrescuework-difficultcas6581 the vivoactive hr.

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

@@addisonscott6170 Thank you

[@alexpilon4972]

@@addisonscott6170 Mine just died yesterday. Not sure where to go now (Apex, Grit X, FR935)

[@karolinaczeska3222]

About 2 months ago I was considering buying a new watch, for both running and sports tracking (mainly crossfit) and everyday wear. I've had the Suunto Ambit3 Peak for the last four years, previously Polar M400. One of the main reasons I've decided to buy Polar Vantage V2 was one of your videos, where you talked about the Polar ecosystem and how great it is. It made me really miss it, since I've been using movescount with my Suunto and it really sucked :P So I'm back to Polar now and lovin' it. The only thing that's disappointing is that it keeps disconecting from my phone, so I don't get any notifications on my watch, but that's a small glitch. The watch itself is awesome. So thank you for giving me the final tip to go for it! Love your channel by the way ;) greetings from Poland!

[@romansteinbrenner]

Nice Experience Bro! Which reasons are spoke against the Garmin Watches ? I bought yesterday the Garmin 245 and Iam unsure if this was the right decision and against the V2

[@karolinaczeska3222]

@@romansteinbrenner Honestly, I don't know. I was just never drawn to Garmin, no specific reason. Oh, but if there's anything particular, it's sleep tracking. I heard it's much better in Polar. I dig that.

[@romansteinbrenner]

@@karolinaczeska3222 thanks for your time to response. I ordered now the V2 and give back the Garmin although this is a really nice watch. So let’s run and strive forward!

[@karolinaczeska3222]

@@romansteinbrenner Wow! Awesome. I'm sure you won't regret it. One of the details I really love about it is that it's very light. Perfect for everyday use. Don't feel it on my wrist :) Let's rock this thing! :)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Sometimes it helps to unpair/re-pair your phone when having connection issues. Glad you're enjoying the watch!

[@ankushkaul5092]

Thanks for turning on all my lights and waking everyone up :\

[@ChaseTheSummit]

😂

[@lunat3ch]

Yep. Same thing just happened here... "Turning on 98 lights"...... Family wondering what is going on late at night

[@manfromanotherland]

Almost blinded the wife with this one 😂

[@DevinLittlefield]

The Polar Flow platform drives me bonkers sometimes! It has some great features, but you can't do simple things like import structured workouts or automatically sync with TrainingPeaks. I love that you can easily do both of those things with Garmin Connect! Honestly, that's one of the big reasons why I'm switching from Polar to Garmin.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Good point! Thanks for watching.

[@DevinLittlefield]

@Jodi Well I will say Polar does have a pretty comprehensive workout builder, so that's a plus! If you use TrainingPeaks though, you will have to re-build workouts in Polar Flow manually... It seems like Polar is trying to keep everyone contained in their ecosystem - it can definitely feel elitist!

[@nphare]

Love the Polar environment. You can tell they’ve been doing this for a long time and are very focused on fitness. They’re hard to beat for multi sport events in my opinion. Feel like Garmin is too unfocused trying to do absolutely everything.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I tend to agree. Polar is laser focused on wellness tracking and training. While Garmin can do that stuff but there's more button presses to get there. Thanks for watching!

[@Lasombra08]

If only their watches weren't so outdated.

[@aleskalan1891]

@@Lasombra08 what is outdated about grit x pro or pacer pro?

[@LucaBrato]

@@aleskalan1891 no music play without phone

[@petrasmatlikova]

​@@LucaBrato actually I find this as an advantage. Because I would never ever use wireless earbuds. So regular wired headphones can only by connected to the phone.

[@TimNguyen825]

One small thing that I wish Garmin would add to their app is in the Calendar tab. If they could make it so that you can pick a specific month or year instead of having to click the back button a bunch of times to get to a certain month

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes! A date range tool or simply monthly/yearly totals would be amazing. Coros does that well. Thanks for watching.

[@guest00791]

Ditto and maybe a search

[@swaggytoast2747]

And if you can export to Google cal instead of windows like who tf uses windows cal

[@adamdavis7038]

I agree, I'd like to see something similar to the calendar tab in the web version. You can get something in the ballpark by selecting Activities | ... such as "Running" | Select 1Y, then you can scroll selectable summaries by month

[@ciaofabiociao]

suunto has a good calendar (and ui design overall)

[@jonnydonner5894]

I use the polar flow and I especially like that you can track your training from a specific time frame and not just weekly, monthly and yearly. I do not know if you can do this on the other ecosystems but I do think it is just polar, maybe garmin also. However you can only do this from a computer.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes! I love that feature. Garmin makes this really difficult to the point where you need to export an excel worksheet to add it up.

[@guanglier]

Yes and compute between rullers the average speed, pace and so on, very good analysos portal from polar !

[@patrickwebb5333]

Enjoyed your video, obviously you are far more familiar with the Garmin system than the others. I find the sleep and recovery data and reporting far more usable on Polar than Garmin. I moved to the Polar system almost a year ago for better accuracy of heartrate measurement and other system features such as the sleep measurement. However I agree that each of ecosystems has its positives. Well done!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Polar's Flow is excellent. I do like how they lay out the wellness data in a very digestable way.

[@d.av.s2798]

I enjoy the Garmin Ecosystem but I also recently joined the Apple Ecosystem. That’s the reason why now I am the dude always running with two watches. I like the fact I can double track my efforts during my workouts. Great video! Cheers!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice! No judgement from me. I typically run with three or four 😂

[@callmemarc]

Why is Polar the only one that overlays your heart rate zones onto the heart rate graph? It seems like a really obvious thing to do.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah, kind of weird eh? I suppose we're all kind of used to the "standard" heart rate zone graphs.

[@michaelhardie9193]

Garmin for me. I like how much detail it provides (former financial analyst). The one thing I wish they worked on is "Training Load" and telling you what to do instead of just spitting out a number. Your comments on Polar doing this really highlighted how much this would help.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure! It’s great to have numbers but knowing how to use them is key! Thanks for watching!

[@michaelhardie9193]

@@ChaseTheSummit do you have a Strava group or club?

[@richardmoro3160]

@@michaelhardie9193 @Chase the Summit - A CTS Strava club is a good idea.

[@stewthebassman]

After ten years on Garmin I got a Coros Pace 2 and was so frustrated by the lack of customization on the watch and the bare bones ecosystem I returned it and went back to Garmin. One thing where Garmin really shines is the LiveTrack. So many other features of course, but I'm happily back with Garmin.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

thanks for sharing! It's surprising not many other manufacturers have offered live tracking except for Wahoo.

[@mgorn55]

The new studio checks all the boxes. Nice job. Looks great.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Hey thanks! I have so much more work to do but I’m happy with it so far!

[@ryantipps5082]

Good vid and I appreciate the overview of everything! I recently switched from an older Garmin multisport watch to the Suunto 9 Baro, partly because I wanted something more durable and a bigger screen to see while trail running. I was VERY nervous to leave the familiarity (and prestige) of the Garmin ecosystem. However, after a few weeks with Suunto, I have zero complaints. I never experienced past Suunto platforms, so I don't carry any ill feelings about how all that played out. Suunto is now easy and clean to use, plus it syncs much faster than Garmin did to third-party apps. The only two features I miss from Garmin are the LiveTracking and the Gear Tracker. Super convenient to have both of those things in the ecosystem rather than having to use third-party solutions. I don't feel like I'm missing anything else relevant to my training or health using Suunto's app!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure, I think Suunto is trying and just recently added features to the Suunto 7. I'm hopeful that they'll continue to develop the app further.

[@bernhardpepetomatokarsten3320]

Any updates on this concerning suunto 9 peak pro? Seriously looking into this watch rn and would be interested in suunto caring about their platform. Ty :)

[@ryantipps5082]

@@bernhardpepetomatokarsten3320 The app experience has gotten even better in the past year, with the addition of activity tagging, POIs on routes, the ability to create structured workouts from the app, and the really nice Suunto Coach section.

[@leandertaelman9252]

I'm sticking to the Polar Flow eco system. I several times tried to switch to Garmin. (I have a Polar Vantage V and a Garmin Phenix 3 HR), but in the end, I'm always returning to Polar. I think it's giving me the information I want, it's user friendly and very graphical. I used to be very happy with the repair center of Polar, when it still was in Belgium, but recently, Polar took it away from Belgium and now it is way more complicated.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I like how polar breaks down the numbers into actual useful information instead of relying on you to figure it out. Glad you're enjoying Polar! Thanks for watching.

[@mcs2733]

Hi Dave, can you do a update for the eco systems?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It’s on my to-do list!

[@Thopen]

Thanks! I actually bought my Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire due to your channel. I was "in dubio" between it and the Coros Vertix (I'm starting with running, but I'm a hiker/soon-to-be alpinist). In the end I choose for Garmin based upon your videos + the maturity of the current ecosystem! Still keeping an eye on COROS though. I like the simplicity, yet at the moment it is too "simple" to have the price-point that the Vertix has. Long battery is nice, but the F6X is way more than most people need anyway! Thanks for another great video!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Coros is certainly making progress faster than the other companies did in the early days. Super excited to see what they have coming in the future! Thanks for watching.

[@wanbaclone]

Was looking for an ecosystem video. Not surprised Chase the Summit had one. Good work.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@aaro7306]

Hahahaha I have got a garmin (forerunner 945) since two months and use that ecosystem since then but haven‘t found the route builder function yet. Thanks for this video. Always nice to learn something new:))

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It’s weird that it’s buried under “training”!

[@albertogarcia-in4xj]

Connect on a pc browser is much more better for courses/routes

[@aaro7306]

I use a different app to load routes onto my garmin so i am fine with the routes. and I never really searched for it because of that.

[@holger.gruenhagen]

@@aaro7306 Which App do you use?

[@neletg]

As absolute beginner in sports watches, I really appreciate your review Thanks a lot.

[@SuperAdobeFlash]

Thumbs up "Always" before starting to watch the video. Thank You Dave for everything you do.Has helped me immensely

[@ChaseTheSummit]

🙏 🙏 🙏

[@rnodeprot]

I tried Suunto for a while and the lack of features and software bugs had me back to Garmin. I like their watches though. Garmin is by no means perfect, but especially for those who are cyclists as well, just seems easier to integrate across platforms.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes. For triathletes it’s hard to beat the multi sport aspect.

[@pitchmeupscotty]

Informative, thanks! I use Suunto because of the route builder. Been a Garmin user for years, but got annoyed by the maps of Garmin: many trails are not to be found on Garmin maps. I travel constantly for work and the Suunto maps are top notch, they are much more detailed. I do have another Suunto coming my way and I’ll continue to use both so I am a bit bummed you can’t pair 2 watches (1 ’light duty’ for run workouts, 1 heavy duty for long days out on the trails). I hope it works on separate devices though (1 connected to smartphone, 1 connected to tablet).

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Oh interesting . I’ve had good luck with Garmin’s open street maps with trails but Suunto are really nice too. I wish they’d brush up the rest of the features of the app to match the competition. Thanks for watching!

[@haraldhovdebuberg3782]

The fact that suunto kills movescount and forces you to the app bothered me so much I swapped to polar. Making routes are so much better on a PC imo

[@pitchmeupscotty]

@@haraldhovdebuberg3782 Well, that's exactly the power of the app. You don't need the PC. I travel for work and spend half of my time in cities I know a little but not enough to not get lost. The idea you can create a route with all trails available and get it on the watch in 5' is fantastic (I use a 200$ Spartan Trainer abroad). Garmin gets close with the Instinct, but still a lot of trails lack on their maps...

[@haraldhovdebuberg3782]

@@pitchmeupscotty i dislike the fact that i can't have both funcionalities, and if i could only have one i prefer pc. But different people, different taste i guess :)

[@bgruber]

@@haraldhovdebuberg3782 same here. its a shame i have to throw away a perfectly good watch cause some dimwit decided that using a 500€ watch with an PC is too oldscool....

[@JuanRamos-wg5ol]

You should do a whole video on how to take advantage of Garmin's livetrack, how to create a course, etc. I feel like I'm always overwhelmed with all the cool features that I"m not using.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Great suggestion! I'll put it on the list!

[@WillyTheWang]

Considering switching to coros after my Apple Watch. Seems like garmin may take a lot of time navigating screens and changing settings. I also think the coros approach to strength training is the best. Thanks for this review!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The new Strength stuff on Coros is really cool! They're definitely making waves in the space. Thanks for watching!

[@mooseprisbe1834]

Garmin here as well. I went from a 305 to the 245M lol, I loved that big ol 305 but dang the 245M was awesome with the app. Now I have a day left to wait for the fenix6 solar thanks to your review. Oh, they are marked down from 850 to 700 now for christmas if anyone was wondering. Thanks for the videos!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Great price! Enjoy the new watch!

[@JuanRamos-wg5ol]

I bought mine from Best Buy earlier in December and just priced match the new discount. Score! I think I'm definitely using the Fenix as my main training watch.

[@mischugo]

Thanks for this video!!! And, (at 19:25) connect the watch with Garmin connect - it works! My V800, connecting to polar flow is a pain!!! Every day.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Bummer! Has the firmware on your V800 updated recently?

[@mischugo]

@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks, I can't remember about any update the last 6 month... And there was no hint for it In flow sync

[@AfendiOthman]

I prefer Garmin because it pack with ton of features. I also test Coros, the best part of it is you can sync the run data to phone without internet connection.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes! I really like how strong the connection is between the watch and the phone. Seems like the other brands should be handling it a similar way.

[@devbratsrivastava9987]

"I'm not jacked" Proceeds to show jacked biceps.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Ha! Genetics!

[@semejiaturcios]

Great video. This is helpful for someone who is thinking about what device they should buy but are not sure yet. The app is an important piece of the puzzle and adds a lot of value to the user experience. Having this review is good to have an idea of what the apps look like and what to expect and is a good guideline to make an educated decision. Thank you!!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for watching!

[@arrieyati2012]

Good video and I learnt a lot about different watch ecosystem. Never thought it can be that elaborate. Anyway looking forward for next informative input. 😊😊

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It can be as elaborate as you want it to be. Or you can just pick which one looks the best 😂

[@shinzman87]

Always used Garmin but I had been thinking of making a switch. I pretty much decided I was going to move to Coros but at the 11th hour I decided to go Polar. I’m really enjoying the watch and the ecosystem. The only real complaint I have is Polar’s algorithm for tracking steps it really funky. It’s more in like with tracking BMR rather than just steps. But as far as tracking runs and walks it is stellar. The Garmin system was just way more than I needed.

[@lukasztoczyski6503]

I bought Garmin thx to you ;) also for me the app is really good. As you said maybe overwhelming at the beginning but after couple weeks super easy and very powerful. Thx

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Excellent! Glad you're enjoying it!

[@guille____]

Great video, i was looking for this! it's the only video i've seen comparing software. Too bad it's a little outdated now, but useful nonetheless. Would love an updated video!

[@benjaminmuradyan3185]

I use the garmin ecosystem and I love love love it. I don’t use it to keep in touch or stalk my friends...I use Strava for that. But I do really like the course builder. One thing though I wish they did was add a “freehand” option to it. It is currently only available on your desktop version. Without it, it is hard, but not impossible, to connect some trails together when there is a road that cuts thru that one might want to jay walk across. One of my biggest complaints. To make it work I have to zoom in a lot and put in multiple little connections. Otherwise, love it.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Agreed. I love the course builder and it's made a lot of race planning much easier. Yeah the Freehand option would be nice on the App! Suunto has it!

[@dougmoore7424]

“I don’t get too jacked” coming from the bicep king of ultra runners. Haha!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

😂 it’s genetics!

[@bojantrivic6852]

Bravo for this video. Many times have been looking for exactly this comparison but nobody has done it so far. In my opinion the somebody should add long-term reliability of devices/watches because they can last years but support and additional development is dropped by the companies. For example I have a Garmnin FR935 that sucks at Openwater Swimming distance (read pace and the rest) and it actually worked fine in the initial firmware. Then Garmin decided to "repair it" and it's under-measuring by 300-500 on 2km swim, when compared to Suunto Ambit3 Sport and Android phone measure. So in the end I wear my old Suunto Ambit3 when going swimming but that should be fixed by Garmin. However they released FR945 and dropped the whole FR935 down. So now I am left with FR935 for running, biking and the rest and Suunto Ambit3 Sport for OWS. So after all of it I actually wouldn't mind switching to Polar Vantage V2 or Grit X because they have OHR that works well with open water swim as well. Anyway very good analysis.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@angelnaydev5801]

I have only been using Garmin but i have everything I need and I really like the badges. Sometimes they give me a little motivation to do something

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Right on! I never paid much attention to them but when I received my "100 miler" badge I was pretty proud of it. Keep on trucking!

[@ukmikeb26]

Thanks for posting. I switched to a Suunto watch after having several faulty Garmin watches, however I miss the Garmin eco system and the watch when it worked properly.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

How do you like the Suunto app? Does it do what you need?

[@dr4aces]

I've been on Garmin since 2014 and I couldn't leave when my Fenix 2 broke. The Fenix 6 was so expensive it hurts but the ecosystem is what made me pay. I don't really like the thinness of the straps on the Forerunners so it had to be the Fenix. Garmin have got my number, I'm stuck with them and I'm stuck paying through the teeth for the Fenix but.... it is a really lovely watch and the ecosystem makes it all worthwhile.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure. It's an excellent watch and the overall experience is worth paying up for if you can utilize all of the features! Thanks for watching!

[@dcutl]

I have Polar and Garmin: I actually prefer the Polar over Garmin because it is simple and tells me what I want to know. Not that Garmin is a bad platform, but just overwhelming. I would take Suunto App over both if it were more polished, for example, adding the ability to program structured workouts. I think Suunto makes the best watches, they just need to expand their app a bit.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I like how Polar spells out data in plain english instead of throwing numbers at you. Thanks for watching!

[@indonesiaamerica7050]

Polar's first product was a simple Heart Rate monitor without any recording. IIRC it just had a recap by preset zones. But they did develop the best in class and added cycling sensors with proprietary RF signals. They were best in class for years. They were late to integrate GPS and I'm not sure if you can even get cycling power. Not sure about running power either. So, yeah. It totally depends on what you're actually tracking. My problem is that the video states it is about "ecosystem" and that implies which "system" gives the most valuable choices. Ecosystem is a marketing term invented by Apple to compare the supposed value of having all of these "certified" choices in comparison to the wide open markets for Linux and Windows. The "app stores" are part of an "ecosystem" but the term should not be conflated with "apps". Garmin clearly, without question, has the best "ecosystem" of sensors and apps. It's the only one under discussion here that even has ANT+ sensor compatibility. The other choices have bundled apps and in usually "app stores" and some of those have third party apps as well. Garmin is by far the most versatile and has the most high quality choices. That's the ecosystem. If Polar does it all for you with the retail bundle that's normal and makes total sense but it's not because it has a great "ecosystem".

[@steve_jackson9933]

Garmin. Much like you, I have been on it for so long it would be a shame to start fresh with another ecosystem, plus their watches are just so darn good.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yeah, it's hard to make the switch once you're embedded! Thanks for watching!

[@waltersysmans9916]

Good video, looking in buying a watch and lean towards Coros. Now I have seen the app even more convinced. I like things simple that work.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@patrickbakmunks6320]

Now 3 years later 😂 can you make a updated version of this video? Whit all the new on the ecosystems? 😄😄

[@Arne_Andersen]

Have been using Connect for 3 years now, and had no issues...allso have intergrated activities going back to 2012. I have allso used Polar Flow, I liked that one to....I guess as long as it work with Strava i can go with it.

[@nashvillenobody]

What about when it went down for a week? That is a pretty big issue to me...

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice! It's nice having all of that historical data!

[@ElyxStudio]

The polar running program is one nice features. I just stop building my own training programs, now, polar takes care of it, it gets me to the running event in shape, ready to PB. That, in my book, makes it worthwhile to continue with Polar that I've been using now since the early 2000s :-)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice!

[@GrmaniKandan]

Garmin 4 life ❤️. Using forerunner for the past 1 year. Thinking to get the new hrm pro.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice! Hope you enjoy it.

[@thomasnickel7531]

I have a Coros, and I should make sure to note that they did add support for Waypoints/POI's, or whatever your ecosystem may call them. And they work very well from the use I have got out of them. While the Coros and Suunto (never owned Polar so I cant comment) dont have legit topo maps, like the Garmin does, Coros does show the Map, on a grid, with a reference for how long the square is, which is crazy helpful for Nav, and judging how far something might be, or getting a bearing for distance. I thought that was worth mentioning to anyone who is making a comparison of the Nav/Routes featues.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup, that was actually introduced after I filmed this video in a firmware update. I've played with it a bit but it's strange how it only works with certain GPX files. I've found only "Plotaroute" website to be able to import GPX files with waypoints. Other services like Gaia GPS don't work. How are you utilizing it? Thanks for watching!

[@thomasnickel7531]

@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks. Love your videos. And I have only used it with Plotaroute as their support articles show. I did try to use waypoints from Alltrails I had made a while back, and that did not import strangely enough. And I predominantly use my Coros Vertix with Waypoints for marking camp sites, water sources, overlooks for photo ops when on backpacking trips. I also live in Cleveland where a lot of our running trails go in and out of paved and dirt areas, so I have used it to mark where those points are, so I know where I need to walk on the pavement (to help maintain an old injury) and where I can pick up the pace again on dirt. So I can manage the blended terrain well. The biggest draw for me on this is battery life though. when I used my old Suunto 9 on a multi day trip, I would find my self recharging it more frequently than I would care to, since their nav only works in the highest gps frequency settings with a 20hr estimate battery life. My Coros Vertix offers 60hrs highest frequency GPS while doing Nav, which for mult day trips is way better for me, I was able to downsize my powerbank and cut packweight. Since I didnt need as much capacity on my bank to keep charging my phone, watch and headlamp. Was a big win for me over all on trips like that.

[@sor609]

The one thing that made me go back to Garmin (connect) is the option to import activities. If you compare the phone apps, they’re pretty comparable but if you i.e. decided to use a bike trainer for your biking activities or you used your backup device because you forgot to i.e. charge your Polar or something happened to it - there is no option to import external activities into Flow. If you depend on Flow and don’t use something like Strava, you’re out of luck.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's really strange that doesn't exist in Polar flow but you're right. It's a challenge with Coros as well. There's a secret website where you can upload GPX files to the server and they're shown in the app but it's not totally obvious. Thanks for watching!

[@tested211]

Are these manufacturers being daft creating their own hardware-centric ecosystems? They are all outputting similar types of data (GPS position, HR, blood ox, time) It seems like people want to interpret this data in different ways that might be better if agnostic from the hardware platform maybe? (like Strava or Training Peaks) In my own case I use a Suunto watch (Ambit 3 Peak) but I use Strava to see all my workouts and keep up with friends and GPX Planner to make routes, so any Suunto software is only a middle man to get data in and out for me. Very cool and very useful video btw - thanks!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Strava has a pretty basic level of training tools with "fitness/freshness" I don't fully trust but some people have had good success with. Training Peaks is great though! Thanks for watching!

[@ironspeed]

I'm in the Garmin camp, been using it since my old Garmin Edge 800, and it syncs to all my other "social" training apps, so that nice :D

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Excellent ! Thanks for watching !

[@ciaofabiociao]

no one ever reviews software and the digital ecosystem. Thank you! Ciao!

[@jasonree]

I am enjoying the Garmin connect app. Struggle with the course builder but that may just be experience! Great content, thanks!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's easier to use on the website with a proper computer. I've created several 100+ mile routes on it and really enjoy how it works with Garmin watches. But you could try something like Gaia GPS if you want an alternative. Just upload the GPX file into garmin after you're done! Thanks for watching.

[@livegreatalways]

Really wanted to buy the Coros Pace 2 (due to the long battery life and native power reading) after being with Garmin for the past 5 years.... But the ecosystems, yes - many virtual run apps only support data upload for established brands like Garmin and Suunto, Coros no where to be seen... It doesn't allow pairing with a Power Meter, Zwift running app only provide direct pairing for Garmin watches, auto-upload to Garmin yes, but again Coros is not an option... Coros whilst the watches are great, the ecosystems cannot match that of Garmin. At least 5 years behind. So in the end, I ended up sticking with Garmin, pay a bit more but no regrets later on down the road. Tq for the video!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Coros is moving fast in terms of features and ecosystem progress. I think they're going to become a lot more competitive in the next couple of years. Garmin can't get lazy right now! Thanks for watching!

[@PhilFromMars]

9:31 😂 i feel you. When my watch tells me to have more deep sleep cycles, I think: tell my kids that. ^^

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Aint that the truth!

[@cuebj]

Nowadays, at 66, problem is being too drowsy and sleeping in day. A year on from massive heart attack and 3 resuscitations, appointment to reassess medications etc cancelled due to Covid. Want reduce beta blockers for a start. Can't see grandchildren who might have kept me moving

[@mutebg]

I have garmin but I think has too many things. been thinking about switching to Coros but has too little features and looks super simple. From your video, Polar seems kind of having the right balance

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Totally, sometimes the Garmin platform can be a little overwhelming! Thanks for watching.

[@jimmygumballs4993]

Thanks for this video. It covers exactly what I wanted to know for picking my next watch,

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@endokrin7897]

This helps, but it's still a big jump to go to a new platform, when you've got years of data and daily interaction with another system (in my case, Garmin Connect) I like the way you talk. DCR talks too fast for me. But of course he's well liked. My FR945 broke, so I'm using an older sports watch as I researched for a new watch. I'm seriously considering Suunto, Coros or Polar. I've got many years of data in Garmin Connect, and I'm familiar with it, so it is a big leap to consider a different brand. Thankfully, all of my data over the past 3+ years is also stored in Strava and Komoot, so it's not as big of a deal. I just don't want buyer's remorse. I've been watching a LOT of Chase the Summit videos, and when I finally do choose a new watch, I'll try using your affiliate link to show appreciation. Have a nice day!

[@46southgardener]

Fbfv

[@udoattar9641]

Hi Dave, can you do an update video to this one ? The eco-systems have changed a bit since this video. I hope you have some time for that. Thanks anyway.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It’s on my to-do list!

[@udoattar9641]

@@ChaseTheSummit can't wait to see that. By the way, I like all your videos that's why I subscribed. Keep up the good work 🙂

[@JLambinator]

Helpful review. I'm curious which you would recommend for a multi-sport athlete whose focus isn't social features or music, or really even glossy look and feel, but rather, the best option for monitoring sleep/energy/recovery, progressive overload and volume when doing various types of sports and training during the week, so as to maximize workouts without overtraining. I'm in my 40's now, but still do some dirt bike and MTB races, ride regularly, and do the occasional grappling competition. I lift 2-3 times a week, ride 2-3 times a week, hit the kick boxing class or BJJ class once a week and throw in the odd hike, yard work, etc. Looking for a watch and band to wear pretty much all the time, and an ecosystem to help me really monitor my training and recovery so I don't overdo it, or slack off in the name of not over training. In my head I'm still 20 :) I like the simplicity of Garmin's Body battery, and the app looks slick, but it seems like Polar does the same thing in effect, as body batter, but with more health related data at the expense of less slick look and feel than Garmin??

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I really like Body Battery as well and tend to prefer it over trying to digest the complicated metrics that come from some of the competition.

[@georgesa.videau8332]

Thank you for this. Polar flow for me. I use Strava only for virtual races/challenges.

[@HoytMcBeth]

Dave! Great job as usual and Merry Christmas if that’s your jam. I am six weeks into using the Coros Pace 2 and a couple things: 1) They DO have pre-made workouts from their sponsored athletes but the downside is that they seem to literally be their athletes’ workouts - in other words they’re really hard and not practical for most middle of the road athletes. 2) I agree that the entire Coros ecosystem is really user-friendly. 3) Downside is that I feel their analytics (calories burned, VO2 max estimate, recovery estimate ) are a bit off. I always get more calories burned for strength training than a longer easy run, which seems unlikely. Know you’ve mentioned this as well. 4) Maybe this is more hardware than software, but compared to my Garmin 235 and Apple Watch S3 it is slow to synch with GPS. Overall I love the watch’s simplicity and battery life but I wish it had Polar’s training and recovery sophistication. But they seem to be busting out improvements all the time, so maybe the ecosystem will catch up with the hardware. I used your reviews to decide btw the Pace 2 and Ignite and thanks for your work and polished production!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Great points! Good point with GPS Lock. I think Garmin still has that crown. Polar also seems to take a while to get a lock outside. Thanks for watching!

[@MarkSmith_Best-Athletics]

Really? I have two Coros watches at home and both grab an immediate GPS lock, they usually grab within a few seconds even indoors often for me.

[@adamdavis7038]

Great video Dave! Unless Garmin really poops the bed, I'm unlikely to ever switch. I back up to Strava, but I really prefer to just use the Connect app and web version. Curious if anyone has ever had any trouble running a course, I've tried it a couple of times, creating it is no problem, but it always bombs out during my run. My watch hangs up, restarts, and/or has big GPS dropouts. None of that has ever happened not doing a course. Still using a Fenix 5, and not tempted to upgrade yet. Kind of thinking 955 Solar on big sale [so maybe Christmas 2022 :)]

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Garmin has kept a healthy lead but I'm curious to see what Coros does in the coming year. They're moving SO fast. I rarely have issues with courses. How are you creating them? In Garmin connect?

[@adamdavis7038]

@@ChaseTheSummit I'm definitely glad for the competition. Is it weren't for my history in Garmin, I'd be (more) tempted to try Coros. I've only tried two courses. The first, I created from a previous run... I think you have to do that in the web app. The second, I used course creator. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

[@hornsteinhof7592]

Coros is nice, but the missing Google Fit sync is mind-boggling. My insurance syncs with google fit, saving me quite some money every year. I love the Pace 2, but this made me go separate ways

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Oh interesting! It might be worth submitting a feature request with them. They tend to listen!

[@SurfTomas]

This was really good. I started with suunto m5 but it didn't sync to my pc unless you used a USB cable. So i only used the watch and the features it had. Pretty good, then i jumped to Garmin.. I'm on my 3rd Garmin and loving the ecosystem.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks! The days of USB sync were painful! Thank goodness for Bluetooth!

[@SurfTomas]

@@ChaseTheSummit so true!

[@LucyLeheilleix]

Super useful video. Thanks so much…I reckon I’m headed Garmin’s way. All of the best 👍🏻

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it was useful!

[@MateHegyhati]

Great video. I'm in the Garmin ecosystem for 5-6 years now I think. When my friends ask, "ok, but what is behind this ecosystem buzzword", I usually ask back if they have an hour for this conversation or not :-D. But I've not seen the others much. From this promo, Polar looks a bit chaotic for me compared to Coros, but I also prefer GC UI over Strava, so maybe that's my thing. Form your explanation it seemed, that maybe you are a bit out of date with some features. If not, sorry for assuming. Garmin actually has "algorithmic" training plans, that are somewhere between a real coach and a predefined training plan. I think it can be a nice feature for many budget sensitive people. Badges and challenges: originally they are 2 different things. you talked about the "traditional" badges, from which some are repeatable (really long ones, and thing slike running on your birthday), most of them, like the 5k are not. Challenges are competitions among friends or group members, or public. They can be about distance, calories, steps. A few "new to the running" friends of mine actually told me, how much the badges motivated them. And since this spring, there is a mixture of the these badge/challenge things. Each month, a few public challenges are announced , like run x km on the week of halloween, or have at least 2h riding on this weekend. Everyone can sign up, and gain the badge (and the points as well). Sorry if you knew about these, and I just wasted your time. :-D Now, what I miss: Flyby / showing who you ran with at your activity. These are the only things I visited sometimes Strava for. (But it got ruined there recently, so I haven't been to Strava since.) MAybe one other thing: TP is nice, but if GC could provide the same platform for coaches, I'd be happy not to go to another platform all the time.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It would be cool to see FlyBy's incorporated into something like Garmin Connect. Seems like it might not be as useful as strava though because there are less users. Thanks for watching!

[@Maelo_R]

Thanks for the video. I don't see many ecosystem comparisons. I'm researching for my first GPS watch and I don't really care for phone notifications. It's hard to find info on the ecosystems and I want an ecosystem that provides good information and is easy to use. Also that I can utilize my existing wahoo hr strap and cadence sensor as I'm currently indoor cycling due to snowy winters. Id say my fitness level is beginner as I've just rekindled my fitness journey over the last 2 months. I just want to improve my general health and wellness and not compete in races or anything. l want track my activities, but also get into an ecosystem that would me prevent from over training and set up training plans to work up to longer distances, etc. I love cycling and I am not much of a runner, but am looking to begin running and I will likely invest in cadence sensor to prevent injury. I'd love to utilize the existing tech I have without having to acquire new tech for ecosystem compatibility.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Fortunately you can disable notifications on basically any platform. It seems like a Coros or Polar might suit your needs if you're not focused on the Smartwatch features. Thanks for watching!

[@airulnizam9]

I have to admit the brutal truth which my suunto 9 baro apps not as good as my friend garmin apps. The 7 days summary is awesome and easy to understand. Smooth to navigate as well while i have to struggle a bit finding important info for my activities and so on.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It seems to be getting better. Hopefiully we'll see some innovation from Suunto this year!

[@stevemurray710]

Why choose? I have a Garmin fenix 5 and think about having a polar v2 on the other wrist. There was a great deal on the v2 13 months ago, waiting for that price, may never happen. Oh well. When my Garmin tells me my workout was unproductive I am not told why. Maybe it thinks I should have gone easier. Polar might do better. I bet the 2 ecosystems might give opposite recommendations after doing a run.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Haha probably because financially choosing is a better option! But I agree. It's nice to have companion devices. Thanks for watching.

[@lfmars98]

I bought the Coros Pace 2 based on the watch itself, but the Coros app and ecosystem is lacking to say the least. I couldn’t link my Concept 2 rower or Nike Run account at all which was a dealbreaker for me. I’ll just have to buy another Garmin instead! Thanks for this review!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for sharing. Yeah unfortunately COROS isn't all the way there yet in terms of integrating other platforms other than Strava, and Training Peaks.

[@narrowboatlongpod4176]

I've got the Garmin 945. I don't really have any complaints about the watch. I had a Polar Ignite before and hated the touch screen. The navigation on the 945 is great but I've started using Komoot for voice guidance which I much prefer to the constant vibrations on my wrist. Annoying things on Garmin are the inability to set a sleep goal, which I could live without if they didn't have the tick for 8 hours. It would also be really nice if Garmin supported native power for running so that Stryd could be used without apps/widgets. And finally it would be great if you could configure the watch screens from Garmin Connect.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Agree with a lot of your points! Particularly the ability to customize the data fields from the app/website. That's something I've always wanted!

[@juan2luna]

Great video! Thanks! I think you should do an update from time to time! No one else seems to do this. Hey KZbin says this video was posted 2 years ago, right time for a new one ;-)

[@RunFreeandStrong]

Excellent, and as you said there is probably more unpacking in future videos. The challenge is that although I use Garmin Connect (using both Fenix 5 Plus and 235 watches), I also use Stryd and Strava. Unfortunately the 3 ecosystems don't integrate well (e.g. each uses different metrics and some data is recalculated and differs), so now I have to review 3 ecosystems daily. I would really like a "single source of truth" with some standardization (i.e. why does Strava feel the need to recalculate distance run from Garmin, why not give me the default Garmin data in Strava). In addition, I would like to see these ecosystems use Artificial Intelligence to provide better metrics and guidance. Not useful after I run 6 miles at 10 min pace in 1 foot of snow for Garmin to tell me this was a below average effort. Looking at weather data, my location, my cadence, etc., and using AI, Garmin should be able to tell that this wasn't my usual effort and enable me to either override or autogenerate an adjusted metric (this is happening in other business applications). Would love to hear your thoughts on these two challenges. Sorry for the long comment. All the best for the holidays and 2021! Love your channel!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Have you tried using the Stryd app on your garmin watch? That will record a Stryd activity, and also sync to both Stryd PowerCenter and Strava after the fact. Unfortunately you lose some functionality of the Garmin watch when you use the Stryd app but it does work well for workouts or road runs. I tend to agree that Garmin's display of data could be better. It's hard to understand what all of the numbers mean. I like how Polar just spells it out in plain english. Thanks for watching! Happy Holidays!

[@MASHGaming88]

Its two years later, have there been changes which are chaging something on your perspective? Its very difficult to navigate through this jungle of providers.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I need to re-create this video... Stay tuned!

[@carlospayanalonso]

Just let you know (you didn't mentioned) that with the Coros App you can also export a .fit file since the activity screen. I had for a couple of weeks a Pace 2 and I used it to export the activities to the Garmin App where my trainer could see them

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure! I tried to cover as much as I could in a sub-20 minute video 😂 . Thanks for the feedback!

[@carlospayanalonso]

Sure!! I just commented in case you didn't know :) I like a lot your videos, btw.

[@doughobbs7706]

A very interesing as I'm looking to replace a very old Suunto Ambit with something new and only know the Suunto world - intersting to see its bottom of the pile, means anything else is on par or better then what I know/have now! Have to agree with you about the Suunto route builder tho - it is amazing!

[@anthonyrampino7734]

Is it possible for you to do a updated version of this video since there’s been updates to the apps?

[@nioman4real]

At the moment I am using Garmin, but I used to love Polar and I still think their app is much more user friendly. Next ecosystem will however be chosen with the device as I do want my next device to also function as a smartwatch. Most likely candidates at the moment are therefor Suunto 7 (or the next version of it), Samsung or even Apple .

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The Suunto 7 is one of the few devices out there that strike a balance between real sport watches and smartwatches. The apple is quite nice too. Thanks for watching!

[@tanushbhatt1419]

Mr. Chase the summit: "i don't get too jacked" proceeds to show perfectly toned biceps

[@ChaseTheSummit]

😂 I wish!

[@DonDudley]

Garmin and Polar being able to export to Strava and Nike+ simultaneously is the best part of those two. I have tied myself to Garmin because of this.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The third party app export is really nice. Fortunately there's apps like "RunGap" that can do this even with a Coros or Suunto device! Thanks for watching.

[@msganga1974]

Thanks for this really interesting VIDEO! Personally I would add a point. I had experience with Polar , Suunto and Garmin watches and I felt Garmin was always more intuitive. I was able to use the first Fenix 3 without almost reading anything and even the connection with the Garmin Ecosystem was quite easy. Meanwhile I honestly struggled with Suunto and I reached a point where I decided to return the watch and take a Garmin fenix 5 plus. Probably it depends on our logic...I feel more comfortable with Garmin... :D

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for sharing!

[@OrdMandrell1]

Had to ditch my Coros Vertix (gave it to a friend as a gift) because it didn't support structured runs. Switched to a Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire (reluctantly). Now that they've fixed their software I'm switching back to Coros - love their watches and software (and they FINALLY integrate fully with Training Peaks).

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I love how fast they've been updating their software. It's quite impressive. If they'd only find a way to incorporate mapping I might just hang up my garmins!

[@OrdMandrell1]

@@ChaseTheSummit Interesting. I've never found the full mapping on the Garmin watches to be all that more useful than the Coros' (albeit scaled-down) version. I'm not too fussed about what's available around the course I'm planning to run - just the course itself. The breadcrumbs are just enough to run the course effectively and no more. That's it. I suspect that this type of parsimony with their feature set is why their battery life is so epic.

[@JonathanBarrientos]

Garmin all the way. I did try Polar briefly and that was nice also.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Sandlexroo]

I used to care about ecosystems more a year ago, now I just don’t care - just use what works and what I have at the moment. But I kind of stuck in Polar for the last 8 years and I’m so bored, but the watches still work 😭

[@SubtleForces]

Echoes my feeling about Garmin ;-)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Keep it simple! thanks for watching!

[@Svein-71]

I've been using Garmin since 2019, before that I had Polar, and Garmin is absolutely the best.

[@MrMichaelfalk]

To me - the best ecosystem is the one that lets you own your data, and make it possible to use whatever platform you want.. Garmin lets you download everything - does the other offer that?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Most offer the ability to download your activities but not all of them offer the ability to download your daily wellness data.

[@Sagothh]

Great video as always. Great channel and content. Thank you.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@TheRealDarklight]

Is there a posibility for a 2022 update? I would like to see how things changed in the last year. Like Coros released their website and maping. I'm in the market looking for a watch for the next couple of years, and it is realy hard to gauge the ecosystems without having used them. Your video was the best i could find.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

For sure! I need to do that! Thanks for the reminder.

[@Dawid46]

I'm old-fashioned, I have to have a desktop view for such vast data to analyze, for creating workouts, routes etc. I don't care too much about the mobile app, it's just for a quick overview and should synchronize data reliably. For now, Garmin meets all those requirements.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Nice! Polar also has a great website. Thanks for watching.

[@bgruber]

and sadly suunto abandoned the use of anything than mobile phones.

[@tested211]

​@@bgruber Indeed. Phones are great for quick simple setups and I know the whole world is supposed to be abandoning computers but honestly, like many, I sit in front of 2 big monitors, a full keyboard and a mouse all day long. As a hardware interface, it's about 100 times better than a phone for doing anything remotely involved.

[@bgruber]

@@tested211 True words man ^^ maybe a tad off-topic but: since I´m planning to get the Garmin 945LTE: do you know if garmin offers the possibillity to program your own displayed values? I would like to have a value shown that is based on my LTHR and then have zones, just like HR-Zones. With suunto its called "apps" but i havent found anything like this on Garmin

[@zantin91]

Great video, I am going to be choosing a more premium watch to buy next year and been looking to see if some platforms are catching up to others. Hoping garmin will add running power support soon!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Garmin already supports running power if you have a Garmin HRM chest strap or the Stryd pod just no wrist based power. Thanks for watching!

[@thestamsvideoproduction7427]

So glad @chasethesummit is so well informed!

[@julienb.4309]

Solid review David ! Very usefull, Thanks !!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks!