We originally took a sneaky look at, probably unintended, gender bias in this article about the wider reporting of the suitability of the Fenix 5S to ‘various demographics’. Have a read if you don’t remember it; it probably would be classed as ‘vaguely humorous‘ by a small percentage of the population
PARODY: Garmin Fenix 5 – for women, girls and other fellow members of the lesser sex
So now, in a very much tongue-in-cheek way, could we say that the top women’s product would be this little pink number variant of the same watch?:
Or maybe it would be the 38mm Apple Watch I’m using at the moment with STRYD? Actually, the 38mm version is a bit small.
Maybe.
But in seriousness that are VERY MANY similarities between men and women. Apparently some even have similar tastes 😉 However there are some differences too and I’m sure you don’t need me to cover any of those here. Here are 3 products that do take into account issues that are faced by many women athletes and, in two of the case, by men too!
So here are my Top 3, in no particular order:
- Polar OH1 – Some people just don’t get on with chest straps. Yet they want accurate HR results. They want app compatibility and watch compatibility. Yet they might not want to have a phone strapped to their arm OR a watch strapped to their wrist all the time when exercising. The OH1 has Scosche-levels of accuracy and also gives you a few more water-based options too.
- Fenix 5S – Some people prefer small watches or simply have small wrists. Scarily enough this even includes younger people. Who would have guessed that? With a 42mm case size the Fenix 5S is positively more negatively sized than the rather whopping 51mm of the Fenix 5X. The screen resolution suffers a bit further because of the smaller size but apart from that you have oodles of features. Yes you can buy the pink one if you really want to but it does come in a rather sweet and gender-neutral grey/gray. Let’s be frank tho if you are not too bothered about sporting metrics then you’d buy the Apple 😉
- Elvie – This really is not one for the guys. And you would need a REALLY good excuse to use one. I’ll say REALLY GOOD EXCUSE again.
The Top 3:
The watches below are better suited for smaller wrists – put another way they are the smallest format for the category in which Garmin is targetting. eg the 735XT is the smallest tri watch from Garmin.
Related reading: Garmin Forerunner 645 Music – First Pictures Emerge.
Last Updated on 8 April 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. Run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — A small keyring adapter you can use anywhere. Essential when away. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — Front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — The race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mixes engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — A radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Wahoo. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — The power-meter pedals most serious cyclists choose. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 — A serious choice for a pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Polar H10 — My daily driver for accurate, waking HRV readings.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 — The bike computer that has the feature Garmin lacks: usability. I use mine on most rides.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
