5 Tips to Avoid Issues With Your Garmin Sports Watch

Garmin is the premium brand in the sports watch and fitness tracker market in Australia and their products are built for reliability and comfort. However every now and again we are contacted about an issue with a product. There are a few simple but important maintenance tips you can use to avoid most of these problems.

It's important however that if you think that there is an issue with your watch or fitness tracker that you contact your retailer or call Garmin Australia Support on 1800 235 822 to resolve it asap. It may be a simple fix or a fault where the unit can be fixed or replaced by the authorised Service centre. We are all too often are contacted by frustrated people that have tried to solve it themselves by trawling through forums etc and have spent way too much time on it and not resolved the problem.

From our perspective, Garmin Australia stands behind their products and are quick to resolve any issues so don't waste time and energy on it.

Many issues, however, can simply be avoided with these simple maintenance tips:.

1. Keep your software up to date.

Some devices will receive updates via the Garmin Connect App and Bluetooth others require you plug your device into a computer and the use Garmin Express. Garmin will often release updates to fix bugs, improve the performance or even to add functionality. We recommend you do this on a regular basis to make sure you always have the latest software and avoid potential problems.

2. Regularly delete your activity history.

Devices have a limited memory and depending on which one you have will determine how many hours you can store. We, however, recommend regularly deleting the activities from your watch (after uploading them to Garmin Connect). Try to keep your stored sessions to under 10 activities. Check your user manual if you are unsure how to do this.

3. Keep your watch clean.

Thoroughly rinse your device with fresh water after any exposure to sunscreen, bug spray, cosmetics, salt water, chlorine etc This will avoid damage to the casing but also avoid corrosion of the electrical contacts when charging. You can clean it by using a cloth dampened with a mild detergent to wipe away sweat etc. and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean debris away from charging contact points or cavities on the device. Make sure you allow the watch to fully dry before using it again. If you have a leather watch band, keep it dry. Exposure to water can damage the leather.

4. Avoid pressing the buttons when underwater.

5. Ensure the correct fit.

• a. If you have a device without optical heart rate, don't wear it too tight. You should be able to move it back and forth on your wrist
• b. If your device does have an optical heart rate sensor, you will benefit from a snug, but comfortable, fit for improved heart rate performance during an activity. Wear the band 2 finger widths above your wrist i.e. not on your wrist bone and remember to loosen it after each exercise. If you’re struggling with accuracy, try putting it on the inside of your wrist (the soft fleshy part, generally sensors do better there) or try the other wrist, you’d be surprised how often that makes a difference

By following these maintenance tips plus those in your Garmin User Manual you should have a long, trouble-free experience with your Garmin Sports Watch or Fitness tracker. There will however inevitably be the very odd device that develops a fault. Don't hesitate to contact your retailer or Garmin Support straight away as this will be the quickest way to resolving any issues you may experience.

I hope this has been helpful and please let me know if you have any questions via the comments section below.