Can you use a running watch to run with power?

Can you use a running watch to Run with Power?

Yes.

All the major running watch manufacturers (Garmin, COROS, Wahoo, Suunto, Polar, and even Apple) include wrist-based power in their newer models.

Why use wrist-based power?

✅ You may already have a watch that can provide wrist-based power, which means you don’t need to buy a separate power meter.

✅ You may be a multi-sport athlete. The Stryd Ecosystem only supports running, so the investment in Stryd is less attractive.

Are there any downsides?

❌ There are no independent studies testing whether wrist-based power provides repeatable, valid power numbers. However, I ran my own (N=1) study, comparing wrist-based power from Garmin, Coros and Apple to numbers from a Stryd footpod. I found they produce repeatable numbers that, for recreational runners, are correlated to the Stryd footpod.

❌ There isn’t an ecosystem for wrist-based power – instead, you’ll need to connect a few different apps.

❌ Because power is still relatively new, and because you’ll need to use a few different apps, setup is more complex than with a Stryd.

❌ Finally, few running watches produce power numbers when running on a treadmill.

The Verdict?

No one has independently validated wrist-based power yet, and setup is more complex than using a Stryd.

But it may be a budget-friendly way to try Running with Power.

For more information on my N=1 study into wrist-based power, see Running with Power – 2G+AW+COROS