It’s tricky to say whether STRYD or Garmin Running Power (CIQ app) are the leading running power meter solution at the moment in terms of sales. Sure, the free Garmin Running Power app has more single downloads but how many people then really go on to use it in training? Sure, STRYD has more total downloads of all its apps and data fields but how many users use more than one? Also, we don’t know what the sales of the Polar Vantage V are and what percentage of the owners use Polar’s own power calculations.
- Garmin Running Power: 29961
- STRYD Ciq: 22607 , 13325 , 6568.
- Runscribe: less than 1500
- Polar Vantage V: Unknown
- Others: Tiny
Current CIQ downloads shown @10Jan2019
These figures exclude other-platform usage (zero in Garmin’s case) and do not reflect inactive users nor serial downloads of updated versions of each app. So maybe STRYD is the market leader for ‘running with power’. I would have thought that is the case.
What next in our shared crystal ball of running futures?
Here are a few options
- RunScribe’s USP is their superior take on running gait. Their accurate power and running pace are almost of secondary important – which I think is unfair as those two features are pretty awesome and benefit from dual-sided pod collection of data.
- STRYD have already produced STRYD Live (no power but it can be upgraded) but that now seems to have been withdrawn from sale. I have no doubt that STRYD will innovate further in 2019 but I do not know if this will be from new footpods, algorithmic changes or platform changes.
- Garmin Running Power – Garmin are due to produce new joint BLE/ANT accessories including a new footpod. Jan2019 has seen an FCC registration from Garmin of a new BLE HRM so…fingers crossed that this HRM is a sign of more accessories to come from Garmin in 2019. However, Garmin might be more interested in competing in the Zwift Run sphere than furthering their competition against STRYD for running power. So there may, or may not, be running power hardware from Garmin in 2019.
- Suunto – I can’t see them investing in a new footpod – power or otherwise. It’s possible a 3rd party might produce something power-related via Movesense but I doubt it (See Runteq) as that hardware seems best-suited for wearing as a chest strap. I would imagine Suunto would be keen to keep on integrating STRYD’s data.
- Polar now have the Vantage V and Polar’s native power support there is pretty awesome. At least it has the potential to be once all the creases have been ironed out. That might take the best part of all of 2019 but by the end of that year, we should see power zone alerts and the ability to schedule create complex structured workouts based on running power. This WILL be the best platform-solution BUT the issue(ette) for Polar is that it will also support STRYD power and I would imagine that a great number of people will keep using STRYD rather than Polar’s own calculations that are currently based on GPS. (FWIW It’s very likely I will switch to Polar Vantage as my main running watch once footpod handling is sorted out and even more likely once the power running platform offering is finished)
- Wahoo is a good contender and somewhat of a ‘dark horse’ when it comes to the future of running power. Whatever they deliver in 2019 you can be reasonably sure that it will be great hardware on a minimal and open platform that leverages what 3rd parties can support in terms of additional feature support)
- SHFT – there are at least two other gait tools that also produce some estimate of power, including SHFT. No doubt more of these will follow but I suspect they are all doomed to failure if they try to compete against the big boys/girls with a running power-only product
- Something else? … yep, there will certainly be something else that I haven’t directly mentioned here 😉 Those of you who have heard of the search abilities of Google will, no doubt, know more than me… 😉
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Just my two watts here: I think/hope that Garmin makes running power meters native to running mode in the next year so Q4 ‘19 and wahoo might release a watch that also has this. Stryd definitely has something in the lab to account for wind but that will take time to fully mature. Maybe they will also update their treadmill mode interface while they are at it
Random tidbit: The app download numbers (as of April anyways) also included *updates* of the apps. Each time an updated app is incremented, . Thus effectively inflating the crap out of them.
aaaaaah. useless then? although perhaps vaguely indicative.
For me, there are only 2 running power options out there worth mentioning:
Runscribe
STRYD
In the respective functions that they advertise–, they deliver. With both, you paid for functions, and they do what they say they do. There will always be room to make those number better, but you get what you paid for.
Garmin power as it exists now also follows this pattern. You get what you paid for–which was nothing (other than the purchase of the strap or running dynamics pod). I tried the Garmin option and yea, erroneous values that not only do not align with my Stryd patterns (a given) but also not possible for humans to produce (unless I have mistaken my pre-run drink with the super soldier serum).
I know the point of the article is to compare and contrast, but Garmin has built a reputation on putting out a new function built upon outstanding hardware to do things it might not have been created to do said function (like trying to squeeze another puzzle piece into a completed puzzle). Which leads to…unique outcomes.
Whatever Garmin does either later this year or fresh after CES, let it be a device dedicated to the function. Garmin wants to do running power? Put out a new foot pod that does power.
What next in the market tho?
From Garmin? Like I said, hopefully, a multifunctional foot pod(s) that gauges running power. They introduced power internally and desperately need a refresh on the foot pod.
As for everyone else? I guess it depends. Not everyone is sold on running power as a useful metric, and some play nice with current hardware (Suunto natively support STRYD for example). If the sector is booming with lots of interest, yea everyone will put out their own. I don’t think it’s prevalent. Hell, I think most people use Stryd for the accurate instant pacing more than for the power metric (on Garmin, maybe not so much with Suunto since it’s a native metric and Suunto’s GPS tend to be better). With the chest strap based power though, it’s not good (or just stable). And you’ve said it yourself: crap numbers in-crap numbers out. I’m paraphrasing, but it’s the point you were making.
Out of the two big ones though, I think Runscribe is one the right track (pun intended?) Power and instant pace is the backbone, but those additional things, like footfall/gait. Are they true? I don’t know, but their existence is intriguing to me.
If anything, I’d expect both to simply tighten their respective devices functions and be ready if more people get interested in running power. If the sector’s threshold gets pushed, more companies will wade in.
Surprised you have missed the Polar Vantage V. It is just around corner to be released (during this month to be exact). Will have running power from wrist and also optical sensor combined with direct contact measurement. The info has already leaked from retailers.
http://gpsrumors.com/polar-vantage-v-pictures
I’ve been aware of it. Polar keeps dropping me emails about how “the wait is almost over.” I am skeptical about any running power metric not coming from a pod though. STRYD initially was a strap if I’m not mistaken and wasn’t that accurate.
Then again, this IS Polar we’re talking about. They always seem the company that won’t put something out unless they have really committed to it doing what it says it can do. If this is running power from the watch, I will give them the benefit of the doubt they have exhaustively tested the function to death.
Just about ready to start running again after a bad ankle break in the summer, wondering about the runScribe and the fact it records both sides for gait analysis etc. and while I’ve seen mention of it for injury prevention if any thoughts about using it to help with recovery overall
yes it would probably be the best one to get for you. i’mnot sure how it can specifically HELP recovery but yo ucould, for example, certianly analyse impact forces on each side and if/how that varies from shoe to shoe. get your cadence up too and you can use all that to minimise liklihood of re-injury I guess