As the title says, I need a smart watch that monitors heart function, but also has typical smart watch features, with GPS being a nice addition.

As I am NOT doing an Apple watch, I am looking primarily at the two below:

Garmin Vivoactive 4 Link

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Link

Does anyone have any experience with these watches, or have an opinion on which would be better? I am using a late model Samsung A 71 phone.

Thanks for your help.

If you do not mind answering what were the results of your cardio tests?

Echo was normal which is great news. BP is back in the high normal range. Still awaiting the results of the 24 hour heart monitor.

Honestly, I feel great. If I can get the heart rate back to normal, I will consider myself fully cured.

Thank you for asking.

Good news. Hopefully the Holter monitor will not show anything of consequence and the arrythmia will resolve on its own.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
As the title says, I need a smart watch that monitors heart function, but also has typical smart watch features, with GPS being a nice addition.

As I am NOT doing an Apple watch, I am looking primarily at the two below:

Garmin Vivoactive 4 Link

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Link

Does anyone have any experience with these watches, or have an opinion on which would be better? I am using a late model Samsung A 71 phone.

Thanks for your help.

I used a Garmin Vivoactive 3 and loved it, but then I found a deal on a refurbished Garmin Fenix 5x Sapphire and bought it. I gave the Vivoactive 3 to my wife.

The Vivoactive was easy to use, and the Garmin Connect App is great. The Garmin watches do heart rate, you can set a heart rate warning, and they track sleep very well.

My vote would be for the Garmin all day every day.

Artie...What smartphone features do you need/want? The reason I ask is you may be able to simply buy a fitness band like the Honor Band 6 to get what you're looking for at a far lower cost. That's what I'm looking at getting to track my fitness and monitor my essentials.

I know you said no Apple but we've been down this road last year with my dad and every doctor said Apple only. This coming from a family that only has Samsung phones.

BigDeal: I have considered that, but I use many of the smart watch features in my business and daily life. I am upgrading from a Samsung Gearfit 2 Pro, which has become unreliable on heart rate, and doesn'thave Blood O2, or simulated ECG, or the other heart functions.

BB61: My understanding is that the latest (Mark 6) Apple Watch will not sync with Android devices. You are absolutely correct that earlier Apple watches are the only ones that really made the grade. My cardiologist has approved both the Samsung and Garmin offerings, and I am trying to choose between them, while being open to other issues. I will likely look into a rebuilt Fenix 5, as suggested above, for example.

My gut says Samsung, for guaranteed compatibility with your Samsung phone.
But, I have no experience with either.

I've got my eye on the new Citizen smart watch.

I know you didn't mention this brand but Fitbit does that stuff and I works on Android.
Mine (Fitbit HR 3)has worked well but has the occasional software glitches like most.
Mine only come off to take a shower and charts heart rate, blood O2, sleep time and levels, and a bunch of other things (steps, miles).
They are much less expensive than Apple and smaller too. I would pay up for an Apple if it had more of what I want but it has more of what I don't want for more dollars.

I wear a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 every day. It works very well with my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra phone.

The smartphone integration is seamless (as you would expect from the consistent ecosystem). Great screen, easy navigation with the rotating bezel, two-day battery life, and it feels like a quality timepiece on your wrist.

All the health monitoring features work well. I use it to track number of steps, sleep quality, SpO2, average and resting heart rate (as well as heart rate during exercise), etc. I also play around with the ECG feature which is interesting.

I find the Samsung Health smartphone app to be well designed and informative.

I wore a Galaxy Watch Active 2 before I got the Watch 3, and I must say I'm quite pleased with Samsung's watches.

One thing I would add is that my Watch Active 2 had an integrated LTE radio so you could text, make and receive calls and emails, etc. without your phone nearby. It was neat, but the LTE radio was a freaking battery HOG. I ended up turning the LTE radio off most of the time.

I recommend going for the Bluetooth only (non-LTE) version of the watch unless you really want to leave your phone at home.

If you have any specific questions LMK and I can try to address them for you.

Good Luck!

Very happy with my refurbished Vivoactive 3 purchased at the beginning of the year after wearing several "fitbit" devices long with a separate timepiece. Paired quickly with my Polar chest strap when I'm on the bike.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d...pop_mob_b_asin_title

After having bartonella endocarditis (aorta valve replacement) I purchased an apple 7 watch. I use it with an apple phone.

Not what you are asking for but Wanted to state I have not had any issues with the heart related functions of the apple watch.

I wear a Polar Grit X ~ primarily for fitness.
Perhaps one of these might work for you.

https://www.polar.com/us-en/all-watches/

I have a Garmin Instinct Solar and it works well with my Samsung S20. It does heart rate, PulseOx and will track a variety of activities with or without GPS. I believe that the newer Instinct2 will also do ECG's and well as fall detection.

I particularly like the way I can use the app to view historical data (e.g. week/month/year of average heart rate or PulseOx high/low). My wife has a Galaxy watch and we haven't figured out how to review similar data on her phone...probably operator headspace on our part.

It’s not a watch, but I believe that the KardiaMobile personal EKG is the best heart function analysis tool available to the general public. The KardiaMobile app that controls it is available for Android and iPhone:

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...300097794#6300097794

Pipe Smoker, I agree. I have had several Kardia Mobile device, including the 6-lead model and the latest which is credit-card size. They are clumsier to get an EKG going than on my Apple Watch, but the quality of the EKG is extremely good.
The Apple Watch (and I presume the Android-compatible watches) monitors for atrial fibrillation. That can occur without symptoms, so you wouldn't pick it up on a Kardia Mobile device except by luck. I look on the two as complementary.

I have the Samsung Watch, #4. It does a capable job of monitoring heart rate. The ECG function has stopped working. My son has the Garmin Vivo Active and it works really well.

Forgot to add my Polar watch syncs to my Android phone (Samsung Galaxy) app and also my Windows desktop.

I have a Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar Tactical. Pretty happy. Stupid expensive. The titanium watch band alone was $200.