Jake Walker

Why I Moved From Apple Watch to Garmin (And Stayed)

The Confession

I am an Apple guy. I use a Mac, I have an iPhone, and for years, the Apple Watch was welded to my wrist. When the Apple Watch Ultra came out, I bought it immediately--it’s a really nice piece of hardware, and I loved how it all worked together.

But as I started taking running seriously, I kept hearing the same thing from many of the runners I respected: "If you want to train properly, you need a Garmin."

So, I made the jump. First to the Forerunner 965, and more recently to the Forerunner 970.

The Temptation to Switch Back

I’ll be honest: I haven't been 100% faithful. I miss the smart features of the Apple Watch. I miss the ecosystem. I’ve tried to go back to Apple. I’ve loaded my Ultra with third-party apps like WorkOutDoors, which is what everyone says is the app that replaces a Garmin. But frankly, I found the interface inscrutable. I’m usually someone who can suffer through complex UI to get to the good stuff, but it just felt like too much friction. Each time I tried to switch back to the Apple Watch, I lasted about a week before the Garmin went back on. Here is why I can’t quit it.

1. Customization is King

This was the dealbreaker. On the Garmin, the ability to customize my data screens for specific workouts and races is second to none.

One particularly killer feature is a Connect IQ data field called Peter’s Race Pacer. It solves a specific problem every marathoner faces: how to pace a race when you aren't running the tangents perfectly (and GPS drift starts adding up). Most watches will tell you you’ve run mile 1 at .98 or 1.02 miles. Over 26.2 miles, those discrepancies can add up, and your watch distance won't match the race distance.

With Peter’s Race Pacer on my Garmin, I can hit the lap button at every physical mile marker. It re-calibrates the distance to match the course exactly and tells me my actual status against my goal time—how many seconds ahead or behind I am, my ETA, etc. It is just fantastic, and I haven't found anything on other platforms that replicates it this well.

2. The Data Ecosystem (and the HRM-600)

I’m a data guy—it's just naturally how my brain works. The pairing of the Forerunner 970 with the HRM-600 chest strap gives me metrics that actually change how I run. I’m not just looking at "calories burned"; I’m looking at real-time runner statistics and predictions that feel helpful. The granular data helps me understand why a run felt hard, not just that it was hard. I've gone back and analyzed workouts and races with all the data the Garmin outputs.

3. LiveTrack: The Family Factor

This is a feature that doesn't get mentioned in tech reviews enough, but it’s vital for me. Garmin’s LiveTrack is excellent for my family.

It’s not just about safety; it’s about logistics. On weekend long runs, they can see exactly how far along I am. On race day, it allows them to time spectating perfectly, knowing exactly when I’ll be running by their spot. Apple’s FindMy features are good, but they don't provide that specific "race course" context that LiveTrack does.

4. The "Little" Things That Matter

Where Garmin Needs to Improve

It’s not perfect. The Garmin Connect app feels like it could be improved greatly. It’s cluttered and could learn a lot from Coros. The Coros app and ecosystem have a clean design that I really admire—but ultimately, they weren't granular enough for what I wanted. I wish Garmin would steal their designers, but keep the Garmin data depth.

The Verdict

You would be totally fine running a marathon with an Apple Watch Ultra. It is a capable device that can handle the distance. But I have found that I get way more enjoyment out of the data, the interface, and the specific tools that Garmin brings to the table. For me, the trade-off of losing the Apple smart features is worth the specific joy of having a dedicated tool for the job.