If you're not into long reviews, the title of this review pretty much sums it up.
I've only had this watch for a week, but researched for months and knew exactly what features I was looking for.
First, my main use cases:
Running, swimming, cycling; but majority running. I used to do Triathlon's but just run and swim now mainly for health (and honestly stress relief). I wanted an activity tracker also and liked the idea of an optical heart rate sensor. Some limited smart watch functionality would be nice also. But definitely waterproof, built in GPS for running, and basic stop-watch functionality and something I could wear 24/7 as a daily watch also.
Watches I was considering:
Apple Watch, Forerunner 235, 735x, Fenix 3 HR, TomTom Mult-Sport Cardio, TomTom Spark, TomTom Spark+Music, Suunto Sparten, Ambit 3, etc. pretty much any of the GPS sport watches, ideally with the optical heart rate. I don't train hard or by heart rate really, and have had the chest straps in the past; just liked the idea of checking my resting heart rate at times and the activity tracker that comes on most of these sport watches.
Also, the Apple Watch was out, unless I went with the Waterfi version (waterproof version of it at @ $600). Of course, as I'm writing this, the new Series 2 Apple Watch was announced which is waterproof and has built in GPS. Which, may have altered my decision. I am an iPhone user, but in the end, regardless, I don't really care for the Apple Watch look and am glad I chose the 735xt.
I was able to visit a local REI and try on all the Garmin devices. I REALLY love the Fenix 3 HR and the style, but I have small wrists (6.5") and in the end, it was just too large. It wouldn't even fit under the cuff of my basic dress shirt, and didn't see myself wearing it to bed to take advantage of the sleep functionality. The TomTom's didn't really look like I could wear them every day as a watch. I did consider the TomTom Spark Cardio + Music as I liked the idea of not having to carry my phone. But then I really decided that I carry my phone not only for the music, but also in case of emergency.
The Garmin VivoActive HR had everything I wanted and cheaper, and even would have liked the idea of having golf (even though I haven't golfed in 10 years), but it's just darn ugly (IMO).
In the end, it really came down to the Garmin 235 vs 735xt. And whether the multi-sport and swimming functionality of the 735 was worth an extra $120. And so obviously I decided on the 735xt. Which I'm glad I did because it works awesome in the pool. For me it just came down to whether or not I wanted to track distance in the pool instead of just time and if that was worth $120.
Here's been my experience with it, using it for 7 days now.
Pros:
- Looks OK to wear as an everyday watch
- Light (very light, which may also be somewhat of a con for some, see below)
- Pool Swim function counts distance and time (love how you just enter the pool size and it automatically keeps track of the distance, knowing when you make a turn)
- Connect IQ, this is where you can download watch faces, apps, widgets, data fields, etc. I've added a different watch face and use a stopwatch, timer app that I got from the IQ store. I use the stopwatch and timer a lot plus I've added a nice data field for running that shows HR (and color for zone), Pace, Cadence, Time, Distance all on the same screen
- Has some basic smart watch features. Email, calendar notifications, music controls for phone, etc. I really wanted these features in a watch, but have realized since wearing that I just turned them all off. Honestly, I get bugged enough with text and emails and don't need my watch distracting me also. So I just leave it on do-not disturb, as I do with my phone also when I'm running. Although the watch does have a user profile setting where you can set your sleep hours, so it sets the watch to do-not-disturb automatically during these times
- Garmin Connect Mobile App. Pretty good app, full of data and makes it easy to install and customize watch faces. Many watch faces allow you to customize them (how and what data is displayed, basic colors, etc.). It's pretty awesome
Cons:
- Only con I can really think of is that the Garmin weather widget on the watch is not working for me. I did download a 3rd party weather widget, but it's not as dynamic as the Garmin version and only shows temp (hi/low) for the day. This is apparently common and happening with other users, so I'm pretty sure Garmin will have a firmware or software fix for this sometime soon. And I've tried about all the troubleshooting fixes I could find (e.g. location services, etc.) on the internet and Garmin forums.
Now about the form factor and weight. It is plastic. And this may be a be negative for some. I remember trying on the display model at REI and it felt like a toy. Of course I know these display versions are basically shells and not the real thing, but even the real thing feels a bit like a toy. So if you want a heavy, steel, metal or oversize watch, this probably isn't for you.
The last 2 watches I've worn were a G-Shock GW2310FB-1CR and for about 5 years a Lunimox Colormark Chrono (BO) every day. I like light watches. And for me, this Garmin 735xt is light, comfortable, and even though a bit "plastic" feeling... because I guess it is, it fits my use case perfectly. And if it ever breaks, I'm lucky enough to live about 30 minutes from Garmin's world headquarters and have heard good stories from friends who've taken their Garmin devices out there for service.
Battery Life
The specs say a bunch of different things, 14 hours in activity mode with GPS, 11 days in watch mode (activity tracking, smart notification, etc.) But here's what I've gotten from the first week. From a full charge and daily activity I went about 4 days and it was at 25%. But that's been with me fiddling with the watch a lot.
I did a full charge of the watch on a Sunday. Did 8 mile run on Monday, 1000 Meter Swim on Tuesday, 5 Mile Run on Wednesday, 1000 meter swim on Thursday and by Thursday evening it was about at 25% and in the evening it beeped and said "save power mode", which I wasn't quite sure what that was at the time so I went ahead and put it on the charger. Looking like it's about 10-12% per day with at least a 30-45 minute activity with GPS each day. Keep in mind I have activity tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring, and use the stopwatch and countdown timer a few times during the day also.
I hope this review helps. I researched (and obsessed) for months on which one of these to buy; weighing features style and price. Of course I'm biased now as I purchased the 735xt, but as of yet have no buyers remorse.
So why not 5 stars? I really never give anything 5 stars, but if the weather widget would have worked out of the box I probably would have.
Note: I will update this review as I use the watch more, but wanted to give my initial impressions after two runs with it.
Updated 7/10/16: I've worn it for about three weeks now, so provided some additional thoughts at bottom of review.
Updated 7/20/16: Something else great about this watch is how quickly it charges. I've never had a Garmin come close to the speed this thing powers up. I'd estimate that it charges at least twice as fast as my FR225 did.
Background: I know it is a tri-watch, but I only use it for running. I've previously owned the Forerunner 220 and 225. There are a ton of new features with this one, and I couldn't resist.
The Great: Weight, feel, size, look. Aesthetically no complains. Battery life is also excellent (although it might not last through an Iron-Man) and the apps/features feel limitless.
The Good: If you have used a Garmin watch before, then the learning curve shouldn't be too steep. That being said, it can be overwhelming. The customizable nature of it (considering the size and weight) is, like, amazing. I've been playing around with it for the last 36 hours (which some people might not want to spend the time doing...)
The "Needs Improvement" Stuff: To be fair, this has less to do with the watch than it does Garmin. But they continue to have issues in terms of ease of use between the device, their apps and their desktop applications. This isn't as big of a deal with watches that have less features, like my 220 and 225, but for the 735xt, it can be quite challenging. The watch already comes preloaded with a lot of widgets, which is good and bad. Generally the biggest challenge is figuring out how to get apps and turn on/off widgets (and rearrange everything as you'd like). It isn't intuitive and the roadmap to doing it could be better articulated.
A second "Needs Improvement" area is the "flow" between screens/interfaces. I completely understand that there is only so much they can do, but between the five watch buttons, it takes some real time to figure out what does what. For example, you can scroll through the widgets by pressing down, but pressing down does other things depending on what you're doing at the time.
Despite the constructive criticisms, I'm still giving the 735xt five stars for now. You simply can't beat the size and customizable nature of it. However if you aren't willing or able to invest the time needed to really understand the device and adjust it to meet your needs, then you might end up frustrated.
Update: Have worn it long enough to say that it is very comfortable. GPS, HR, etc. is fairly accurate ("fairly" compared to perfection, but very accurate when compared to current competition). Customization (once you get over the learning curve) is pretty great. No issues on the battery life. I think that 14-hour max w/ GPS on might be on the low end. If you started a long race at 100 percent battery, I feel confident you'd get at least 18 hours out of it (unless you kept the backlight on a lot). I was able to get six days of constant wear w/ HR monitor on and running for about eight hours during that time before it got down to about 1-2 percent.
I recently purchased the Garmin Forerunner first because I needed to track multiple activities, running and cycling, and second I wanted to be untethered from my phone on my runs.
When I received the Garmin watch the packaging secured the watch. the watch was undamaged and the package was not beat up as other orders I received have been. When I opened the package and read the instruction manual, the set up process was easy. The Garmin app was free to download and paired the watch to my iphone was no trouble. I am pleased with the intial set up.
When using the Garmin watch while cycling indoors, the watch keeped good time and pace. I had trouble keeping any metrics except for time with my apple watch.
When using the Garmin watch while running, the watch keeped accurate time and distance without taking my iphone with me. I had to take my phone with me when using the apple watch to track distance and time which was a problem when it was raining because I dont have a waterproof case for my phone. I wore the Garmin watch while it was raining and the watch function perfectly.
One thing to note is when done with any activity make sure the watch pairs with app to save the activity.
The only problem I have encountered is after I allowed the Garmin app and watch access to my facebook account I still can't post through the app.
I like being able to see my heartrate and calories burned on one face before, during, and after workouts. the watch has other metrics but I don't need them.
Overall, this watch is great for tracking any activity as well as showing heartrate and calories. the watch is waterproof, so I dont have to worry about water damge, and the watch functions independant of my phone.
I have the Fenix 3 HR and was considering a switch to either the 735XT or the newer and more expensive 935. I do not relish carrying a huge tank of a watch like the Fenix 3HR on my wrist when going long distances and wanted something smaller and lighter.
For me, I would say the 735XT strikes the perfect balance for a running watch. It is much much smaller than the Fenix 3HR (and also the new Fenix 5 series), and significantly smaller than the 935 (44mm vs 46 mm - yes, this makes a whole world of difference). It is also much lighter. It has practically all the functions I need and then some. I don't miss the extra features of the Fenix 3 HR.
I use the watch mainly to track my heart rate while running and biking every day. The heart rate sensor works very well and I am 100% satisfied with this watch. It connects to my android phone perfectly. The details that it gives you are amazing. The battery really does last 2 weeks. I run every day for about 35 minutes and ride 2 days a week for about 3 hours each time. I use the watch gps for all my exercises and the battery still lasts 2 weeks. I have charged it from 5% to 100% in about an hour. When i first got the watch it took some time to learn how Garmen does things, since im use to samsung watches. But now I can breeze through the menus. I have had the watch for about 3 months. The sleep info is pretty good too. On the days that I am tired I can look back at my sleep pattern for the night before and see how many times I woke up, how much deep sleep I got and light sleep. The heart rate "suffer score" works very well and motivates you to pick up the pace when it falls to low. You can also download routes to follow and the watch will track your best times and alert you as you complete each segment on the route. Its a little pricy but well worth the 455.00. The first picture is the heart rate score while running and the second is a free watch face i downloaded that tracks and shows steps, calories burned and heart rate right on the main screen. One last thing, it helps to track your heart rate if you wear the watch a little above your wrist, like in the pictures.
OK. its now nem 9 months and I still wear the watch everyday all day long. I was charging it this morning after the battery went completly dead on me over night. I have been busy with work and havent been using the GPS and I havent charged the watch in 2 weeks. Actually I forgot all about charging it. lol. So I thought I would update my review and give more info. This is truly one of the best exercise waches on the market. Garmen just updated the phone app and it even better and easier to use.
Feature Product
- GPS running watch with multisport features
- Estimates heart rate at the wrist so you can run freer on race day.Shock resistant
- Provides advanced dynamics for running, cycling and swimming7, including ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more (when paired with a Running Dynamics Pod, HRM-Run or HRM-Tri Monitor, sold separately)
- Offers VO2 max estimate, lactate threshold (when used with a chest strap heart rate monitor), race predictor and recovery advisor
- Connected features4: smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, live tracking and more
- Customize with free watch faces, apps and more from our Connect IQ store
Description
Be a better athlete today than you were yesterday with forerunner 735XT. This GPS multisport Watch is for athletes who want dialed-in data for training and a lighter load on race day. Wrist-based Heart rate lets you run freer when it's time to toe the line. For advanced running dynamics and other detailed measurements, add a chest strap and train your Heart out. Includes Starve suffer score, activity profiles for running, cycling, swimming and more. The auto multisport feature lets you transition sports with just one button press. Smart notifications, automatic uploads and connect IQ compatibility for custom Watch faces and apps make the 735XT the ultimate smart watch for athletes.
Really impressed with this watch. I mainly use this for running but really like that there is a seamless transition for other sports. I can't speak to the differences between this model and the 235. I mainly bought this model to have the Strava Segments Live feature, which is not available on the 235. To that end, the "Segments Live" feature is not as cool as I thought it would be, though that is no fault of the watch. The segments seem to start a short distance after the segment would appear on Strava, but I don't think that is the watch's fault.
I really like the ease of use. Screens are easy to navigate and I'm a fan of buttons over touch screen, particularly where I'm in gloves all winter and sweating like a pig in the summer. You can tell that this watch is designed with athletes in mind.
Like any watch, it takes a little while for it to get used to you. My heartrate data (which I admittedly don't use all that often) was all over the place at first but seems to have leveled out. The distance measurements also seem to get more and more consistent with time. The satellite is picking up faster and faster each time as well. Really great watch.
I've had the watch for a couple of months now and have really enjoyed it. I have used it primarily as a running watch and it's running functionality is fantastic. Sleep tracking and heart rate monitor is also useful and seems very accurate.
So far the only disappointing thing I have to say is I haven't found a quality app to track time in the gym while lifting weights. It's a small gripe, but I'm hopeful they are able to add some new apps. Also, wish the watch had replaceable straps and utilized the popular quick release function, but I understand those are more likely to fail during strenuous activity. Would recommend to people who do lots of running, biking and swimming. Gym focused people should consider other options.
I did an upgrade from the FR225 to the FR735XT and I can say I am more than pleased with it. This watch has the same "interface" so its easy to use if you are a Garmin user, but has a lot of additional functions, also, screen is bigger and it is so lightweight, it even looks like a toy watch, you'll not even notice that you have it in your wrist while doing your favorite sport. Best Garmin watch I had so far!
It is an amazing fitness device! I have not had it long, but so far, it's excellent at running and swimming calculations (have not cycled yet). With the Garmin Connect app, it becomes a workout companion, with excellent and really beautifully displayed metrics.
The display is much softer than pictures online, or even on the box.
It does have a cheap feel to it, even thought the function of it is very high.
I switched from an Apple Watch, (1st gen) and it's not even comparable when it comes to metrics.
If I could, I would give the battery life 7 stars. I've had it on my wrist for more than 48 hours, which included running and swimming both days, as well as at night to track my sleep, and it's at about 68% battery life! CRAZY AWESOME!
Some simple tasks like setting an alarm, etc. are much more button pushing than you want.
If you're really concerned with fitness, this watch will do what you want.
I’ve had this watch for a month already and man I never take it off unless I have to charge it! I’ve been wearing watches since I’ve been in high school and show off this awesome watch tan like my dad. Anyways I always like to wear my regular analog watches but this watch changes everything!!! I love how it tracks my steps my sleep my heart rate my trail runs!! Man this thing is a minimalist game changer! My gf and I are training for our 2nd marathon and man this watch gives me so much confidence with its feedback and runner friendly apps! The phone app is very simple to get used to and it’s fun challenging friends every week to who can run the farthest! Can’t wait to learn and use this more in the pool! Also got the glass protector thingy for piece of mine these little watches are pretty light, the kind of light where you’d want extra protection when your running or at the gym and accidentally smack it around like a clumsy oooof putting weights back.
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