PROS

I like the extra smart watch functionality and Android integration.

I like the design and smaller size of the PW4. My Garmin watches have always been so big and bulky. I've always thought that the Pixel Watch is the best looking smart watch.

I'm pretty happy with the data and interface in Fitbit Premium. I'm ecstatic to find that it does give me an estimated VO2 Max (range). When researching this watch, I'd read that Fitbit and Pixel watches only do that if you track runs. Thankfully, that turned out to be incorrect. I had a VO2 Max range in Fitbit the evening after I did almost 11 miles of walking right after I got the watch, and it tweaked that range after I logged a couple of bike rides. The center of that range matches my Garmin estimate exactly, so that's cool.

It has better sleep stage tracking (not surprising). Initially, I thought it was better than my Oura Ring 4, but now I think Oura is just a bit better, at least when you consider that I experienced a known bug in the PW4 that causes it to lose track of your full sleep when you get up in the middle of the night (like to pee). It doesn't usually do that to me, but I experienced it two nights ago.

It has better HR monitoring (I've had significant issues with HR tracking on my last three Garmin watches during higher intensity activities like outdoor and indoor riding, but that's largely mitigated by the fact that they support the use of a chest strap HR monitor).

I love the drop-on magnetic charger that positions the watch in an upright position. I hate having to plug my Garmin watches in to charge them, although having 24 *days* of battery life on my Garmin Enduro 3 makes that kind of a moot point.

CONS

As much as I like Fitbit Premium, I'm still missing some of the Garmin watch and Connect reports and data, such as the watch's morning report (the Fitbit/PW4 one doesn't come close) and my Garmin endurance score (although I always complained about how that score is skewed toward elite athletes). I don't see anything in Fitbit that's like the Garmin endurance score. That score is how I had hard evidence that trying Mounjaro (instead of Trulicity) early this year screwed my cycling training/endurance. I felt weaker on the bike, but having an endurance graph and score that clearly showed me flatlining at about 80% of my normal summer score, even though I was at least on pace for total miles ridden if not higher, is what made it clear that Mounjaro screwed me in a similar fashion to what Metformin did in 2022. I stopped taking Mounjaro and my endurance score started climbing again 1.5 weeks after my first skipped Mounjaro injection. I'm nervous about losing that metric.

I wish Google would release a larger diameter version of their Pixel watches. Many people would consider this 45mm watch quite large, but I've been wearing 51mm Garmin watches, because my 56-year old eyes, which are also frequently gooped up from allergies, don't read small text very well. I would love a PW4 that's between 48 and 50mm in diameter. Yes, you can change the font size, but doing that too much messes with the proportions of the watch "dial".

The Garmin has better GPS (obviously--they have the best GPS in the business), but the PW4 does a good job for a much less expensive device, and is close enough that it doesn't bother me at all, even on my 83.4km ride the other day.

SUMMARY

Overall, right now, I prefer the PW4 for my use cases as a "normal" person and not a hardcore athlete. However, in the past, I've always come back to Garmin eventually. If it weren't for the fact that I'm a mechanical watch collector and wear them on my left wrist, I'd seriously consider wearing both a Garmin watch and the PW4. Crazy, but I'm too obsessed with my data and reports.