Ever since I got my Garmin Forerunner 22 GPS tracker watch I’ve been using Garmin Connect website. However, a few months ago I was having issues syncing data from the watch to the site. It took so long to sync (we’re talking days and multiple attempts), I gave up and started to look elsewhere. Part of the criteria for the tracker site was to still be able to use my watch, whether I would need to manually extract the .fit files and upload them. Without this, what is the point of using the watch.
Here is my take on some of the apps and tracking providers I tried:
- Garmin Connect – Has a good website for analysing data, can design your own training plan and routes. I also get points with my Vitality Health Plan. Downsides are; syncing can be a pain and unreliable, and not many segments set up. Also, the app doesn’t track runs, but obviously the idea is to use their watches.
- Runtastic – Great maps view. There are significant differences between the Android and iOS app. Also, I got spammed with emails of offers! And it costs to buy the app.
- Strava – So far this has been the best app and website I have used. There are many users, including a number of friends, lots of segments and I can sync my data from Garmin Connect straight to Strava automatically. There is a premium version I have not used and I believe its £40 per year. Another downside is that it doesn’t record my laps, so if I was to use the lap button on the watch, Strava just records mile splits.
- Nike+ Running – I used the iPhone app pre Garmin watch days and found it to suit my needs. The iOS version is much better than the Android, to the point the Android version was pretty unusable on my HTC One M7. This prompted me to stop using the phone on my runs and invest in a watch.
In conclusion, I rate Strava as the best free app and website out there, closely followed by Garmin Connect. But that does now means I have to maintain two websites! For now, that’s enough as the more time analysing, the less time I’m running.