I'm a Garmin gal. I got into the running community when the Forerunner 10 was all the rage, and I was convinced a Garmin was my only choice. At the time, all Fitbit could do was offer total number of steps a day. It was a rudimentary pedometer at best, just in a cute fancy casing, with little to offer in GPS and other features that runners look for. I went with a cheaper Garmin, the Forerunner 15. Lots of my running friends were getting the fancy 910XT, 620, 235, and other "big model number, big price" Garmin watches I couldn't afford or justify for myself at the time. I had the small black model FR15, which had a green trim. I wasn't thrilled with the look, but it was the only black band available in the small size. The others were pink and purple with a white face. I wear a lot of red, so I didn't really want those colors, since I used it as an all day activity/step tracker as well as a running watch (hence, why I went with Garmin, and ditched the thought of getting a Fitbit). The only problem was going to church, where dress is a little more formal, and the look of a big bulky black running watch was a big eyesore. I wore it all the time, and I would often take my watch off in church and sneak it inside my purse because I'd forgotten to take it off before I left home.
Eventually, the problems with the FR15's syncing and consistency (software issues) plagued me enough that I decided to get rid of it and go with a different watch. I ended up getting a cheap knock-off Fitbit-like device which was a disaster from Day 1. I settled for it at the time; I still did not like the Fitbit enough for the price and certainly didn't like the fact that nothing was waterproof at the time (now there are 2 waterproof models, but the running metrics are still limited at best). My "El-Cheapo" was great as a smart watch, but horrible as a pedometer or a running or workout watch. I ended up returning it, as Garmin just announced the FR35 would be released soon. When I saw the pictures, it looked like the answer to my dreams. Not as bulky and big as the FR235 (the 235 is still priced at $329… way out of my price range), and the FR35's band choices were finally more attractive and stylish (especially for a full-featured running watch).
So now, on to what I LOVE about this watch:
+++++DESIGN. I love the square face. It looks similar to the Apple Watch or the Fitbit Blaze. It has a wrist-based heart rate monitor (which is why I'd been eyeing the FR235 before). But this is even better because the watch face is the same for all the colors. I imagine I can change the band eventually. I bought the white band and love it. I wear it all day, every day--cooking, cleaning, running, etc., and there is no dinginess at all. I once got pizza sauce on it (horror!), but cleaned it easily with a cloth and some hand sanitizer, with no red staining at all. I almost got the Frost Blue, but I decided white or black go with just about anything. The size is also a winning feature. It's not as big as the round FR220, 225, 230, 235, Fenix, etc. My wrists are small so a big round watch just seemed too "blingy" to me. It also isn't as thick on top as my FR15 was, even with the new heart rate monitor. The band is more flexible, and has more notches for a more ideal fit than my FR15 did. The heart rate sensors don't dig into my wrist (they protrude less than most any other wrist-based HR monitor I've seen), and the band is stretchy enough that it gives just the right fit.
The analog watch face option is one of my favorite features, which makes it look less like a running watch. One of the things I love most about this watch is that I can wear it anywhere, anytime (probably not to a black-tie formal event), but most of the time, it's perfect for me.
The display is easy to see, and the data fields you can put into the screen offer much more info than my FR15 did. Running is sunlight is no challenge for this device. The display is crisp and clear. It seems to adjust to lighting so you can easily see the screen. Someone compared it to the Kindle "paperwhite" screen, and that seems to be a close description. The backlight is also great for waking in the middle of the night and checking the time--it's bright enough to see, but not so bright that it will blind you. The backlight has a somewhat bluish tint that is easier on your eyes.
One of the only things I can say I don't care for is the buttons on the side of the watch. Though they are rather inconspicuous, they are a little hard to push at times. From a looks standpoint, though, it gives the watch a more sleek look, so I can't complain too much.
(A special note: on some of the promotional pictures, all the "loops" that hold the extra strap in place are black. That is not the case. The loop is the same color as the strap you order. Perhaps the beta testing of the watch only offered a black loop, but the release has proved to have a matching loop with the band.)
++++NOTIFICATIONS/phone integration. The notifications are ok. The Bluetooth range and connectivity is sometimes "wonky" but it's still a very new device and I am sure the software updates will work out some bugs. No, the face is not a full color like some of the pricier models, but that is not a deal-breaker for me. Less color means longer battery life. Connectivity to the Garmin app is not always perfect, but it does sync at least 2-3 times a day for me. And the issue could be with the app itself or my phone, not the watch.
++++BATTERY. The charging cable is much easier to attach with this model than with my FR15. The FR15's dock fit entirely around the watch face on the back. This one just clips on the side. Not that it's a big deal, but so far, I like it better. It's easier to remove. I hope it is durable over time. When I do need to charge, it takes less than an hour to get back to full charge.
And so far, the charge has lasted over 5 days. I have only used it for outdoor running a few times, as most of my runs are treadmill runs. Still, with all the Bluetooth features, the battery life seems pretty long. And the GPS connects MUCH faster than My FR15 did.
FEATURES:
+++++INDOOR RUNNING! Living in a hot and humid climate, I rely on treadmill runs through a large part of the year. The running options have an indoor feature that gives me all the data I need to record my runs. My FR15 required a foot pod for indoor running, and even then, the activity would not register as a run on some running sites where I exported my data.
+++++WORKOUT CHOICES: This allows cycling (indoor and outdoor options), outdoor running, indoor running, walking (outside or indoor), and cardio to be recorded with the watch. Your calories burned are calculated based on the parameters you enter about yourself (age, weight, gender), and tied to heart rate (reflecting the intensity of your workout). I can do just about any exercise and tie it to one of those activities. (There is no activity specified for swimming, but the cardio would cover that, as I've read in initial testers of the product.) The running modes offer free run, intervals, run/walk, and virtual pacer. So far, I use the free run only, because I mostly run on a treadmill. However, the other options look promising as I start training outdoors again for fall races. The cardio option also has interval features, which is excellent for Tabata/HIIT workouts. It buzzes at each interval switch, and beeps to give you a warning of 5 seconds before your interval is about to change.
+++++CADENCE tracking. I don't need my foot pod anymore! I hated having to change my old foot pod over to different shoes every day (I rotate my running shoes). The FR35 tracks my cadence without the need of a foot pod. AND no more worries about the foot pod getting in the way of tags during races that some events rely on.
+++++ALL DAY STEP COUNT. This watch replaces the need for an activity tracker, as it does it all for you. It makes it much easier to keep all your info in one place. And the Garmin app is sleek and easy to navigate. When you reach your daily step goal (you can set your own daily goal or let Garmin adjust your goal on a daily basis), you get a vibration on your watch with little fireworks as a mini celebration.
+++++MOVE IQ. I recently went for a walk on the beach, just to get my step count in for the day (on my rest day). I noticed on my timeline on Garmin Connect that MoveIQ had detected the walk and labeled it as such on my timeline. However, the walk does not show up as a "walking" activity under the "Activities" tab of Garmin Connect because I did not start the activity on my watch. I feel this is something Garmin can and may possibly adjust in the software, but it is neat still to see it on my daily timeline.
I'm not a new runner, by any stretch of the word, and I'm certainly no expert. I guess you'd say I'm a seasoned or intermediate runner. I won't qualify for Boston, but the walk/run and C25K programs don't cut it for me, either. The comments I've read on some forums about the FR35 being a "beginners" GPS watch is pure bunk. This has all the features I need, and it is small enough to wear all day.
If you are on the fence (as I was) about purchasing the FR35 or the Fitbit Charge 2 (priced about $50 cheaper right now), here are the things that swayed me to choose the FR35 (besides my Garmin bias):
1. FR35 is waterproof. You can purchase a waterproof version of the Charge 2 through a 3rd party seller for $250 (original price + $100 fee for waterproof feature added). However, the Garmin already comes with that feature. So if you aren't willing to leave your device at home for swimming and water activities, then Garmin is your obvious choice. Since I live near the beach, water activities are built in to my daily life, so the Garmin is a no-brainer choice. I also don't have to worry about excessive sweat during a workout shorting out my device.
2. FR35 shows cadence. This is a big one for runners. Especially those runners who have struggled with injury like me. IT Band Syndrome not only creeps in when your leg and glute muscles are weaker, but also when your running cadence is slower. I can also tell from my cadence over time if it starts to decrease when I need to take more rest and avoid overtraining.
3. GPS built into the watch. The Fitbit requires use of your phone to make GPS work. FR35 has it built in (along with a great LiveTrack feature that is relatively new).
4. Buttons. Garmin has 4 buttons, Fitbit has 1. Some would not say this is a plus, but I don't like hitting the same button a dozen times to get to the page that I want. And there are so many running metrics you can view from your wrist without the need for the Garmin app.
5. Smartphone notifications. From my understanding, Fitbit only gives calls, texts, and calendar notifications. Garmin offers much more (AND the ability to dismiss those notifications right from your watch… big plus).
6. Size. The new FR35 is not as thick on the face as the Charge 2 appears (from the photos I've seen). Though I like the sleek look of the Charge 2 (and all the Fitbits), the Charge 2 does seem to be thicker to accommodate for Fitbit's design of the heart monitor built in. AND I'd add that the FR35 is much less bulky than Garmin's Vivosmart HR+, which was another choice I'd considered (same price, similar features, just a different look).
7. Indoor running. Fitbit does not offer indoor running metrics like Garmin. The best the Fitbit can do is offer you calories burned according to your heart rate. The Garmin FR35 offers distance, cadence, and pace, in addition to heart rate.
8. Reviews. After seeing the Charge 2 reviews (I read the critical ones of those who have had trouble with the product), I decided to steer clear of the Fitbit brand. Prior Fitbit models have been known to overcount steps (I have friends with desk jobs who drive to work and Fitbit step count shows 12k steps a day, which I KNOW is wrong). The Charge 2 seems to have reviews of undercounting steps, but also counting driving as steps. The FR35 has proven to be accurate in steps and heart rate for me, especially when compared to my prior Garmin and to other users (I have compared steps at running events including half marathons, 5Ks, and 10Ks). I know for me, a 5K is roughly 5,500 steps, a 10K around 11,000, and a half marathon ~23,000 steps.
*UPDATE 2: Have been using for almost a full year now. Still works like new. Use it 3-5 times a week on runs and occasionally wear it as an everyday watch. My boyfriend just got his own Forerunner 35 for Christmas and he loves his too.
*UPDATE: Have been using this almost daily for almost 5 months. Still in great condition and working order. Has withstood snow, rain, sweat, and repeated taking on and taking off.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I bought this because I had been using the smart-phone app "Runkeeper" to track my runs, but needed a run-tracking device that didn't use up phone data/battery as I'm increasing my distance. This fit the bill.
I've taken this watch on a few runs now, ranging from 3-10 miles. On each run its accurately tracked my run - the GPS never seemed to lose signal. I ran familiar routes so I could compare them with the GPS tracking on my smartphone and they match up, so this tells me the GPS is accurate.
Pros:
-Accurate GPS tracking
-Battery life (worked all day as a regular watch with activity tracking turned off, and also worked on my semi-long runs no problem).
-Heart rate monitor on wrist. Love not needing to wear a band around my stomach.
-Pairs with the Garmin Connect app on my laptop and phone.
- Color! Love it!
Cons:
-Maybe not a con but I wonder about the durability/longevity of the wristband. Time will tell.
For me the Forerunner 35 is worth the $200 I paid for it. Its all I need and don't see a reason for spending money on the newer, more expensive Forerunners.
UPDATE: Garmin customer support replaced my watch that wasn't syncing properly, and I love it now! Also, the Garmin app has been updated since I originally wrote this review, and the new version is much nicer to use!
Garmin has been making GPS devices for runners for a long time, and that shows in the Forerunner. The Forerunner 35 lets you do things you'd expect on an advanced running GPS, like customize the screens you see during your run with any of roughly a dozen different stats. Things like distance, pace, average pace, time, etc. And it can manage things like interval workouts. The device is small (for a GPS watch), and comfortable to wear.
The Forerunner 35 is a runner’s GPS, and with my background as a college runner, I appreciated all of the features it offered. Still, it has room for improvement. I had a very difficult time getting it to sync properly with my phone, and ultimately had to do a factory reset on the GPS before it would sync properly. The Garmin Connect phone app did not feel polished, and I still occasionally get notifications that bluetooth sync failed (although it works again after reconnecting). If Garmin would update their software to fix the bluetooth syncing problems, my review would be 5 stars!
The Good
* Syncs to Garmin Connect app & website.
* Customizable screens in run mode - see any stat wherever you want.
* Support for interval training.
* Supports most phone notifications (text, call, calendar, etc).
* Small, comfortable, lightweight.
* You can go back to look at run history on the watch.
The Bad
* Had trouble getting bluetooth activity sync to work. (FIXED - see update)
* Garmin Connect app & website have some sync problems, and aren't that easy to use. (FIXED - see update)
LOVE this thing! Never wanted a HRM, but now that I have it, I love it...though it CAN be "sketchy" at times.
I get about 4-5 days out of the battery when NOT using the activity function. When I DO use that regularly, I get like 3-4 days, tops. No biggie...I just charge it overnight when it gets down to 1 bar.
The strap is very comfortable...I thought it might get dirty easily, but it hasn't. Regardless, I wash it with a damp cloth every night. (I have the lime green.)
I also recommend the IQ Shield for it...it's a biggish screen, and you want to protect it!
I went from FitBit to this...and although the FitBit community seems larger/better, I'm still happy with this watch!
A couple months back, after more than 8 years of service, my trusty Garmin Forerunner 60 bit the dust. In need of a new watch to help record my workouts, I surveyed the field of new fitness watches and activity trackers and settled on a Pebble2 +HR. I loved the relatively sleek design of the Pebble and the customizable watch faces, but the companion app lacked a lot of basic features and less than two weeks after receiving mine, Pebble announced their acquisition by FitBit along with a statement indicating they could not promise the watch would remain functional in the future. So, back went the Pebble, and I ordered up this Garmin Forerunner 35 (FR35) as a replacement. After living with it for about a month, here's how it stacks up.
HARDWARE
Overall the hardware is acceptable, although far from stylish. I do have a couple of quibbles though. The "Analog" face, isn't completely terrible, but the "Digital" face is ugly. The digital time readout is legible, but the giant Bluetooth connection indicator and battery status stick out like a sore thumb. My Pebble offered a much more elegant face (along with dozens of other options) that was able to show a digital time display along with the current weather, current HR, and current step total. It would be nice to see something more along those lines offered here. Another minor complaint is with the wrist strap. While plenty comfortable for 24/7 wear, the diagonal line texture seems to trap chlorine and soap residue and requires a thorough scrubbing every few days. I'm also disappointed to see that it's connected to the watch via two star-head screws. When the strap inevitably fails, I'll have to hope Garmin has replacements available. A standard watch strap would have been much preferred here.
WORKOUTS
I have had the chance to try the FR35 out across a varied set of workouts including swims, indoor treadmill runs, and outdoor runs. When outdoors the GPS tracking is as accurate as my phone's GPS. I compared measured workout distances between the FR35 and MapMyRun and found the total distance measured to be extremely close. The heart rate accuracy provided by the wrist strap is good, much better than what I saw on the Pebble, but it's slower to react to changes than the Wahoo chest strap I compared it against. Given an additional 5-10 seconds to respond to a change in effort, it seemed to +/- 5bpm compared to the chest strap about 95% of the time. If that error bothers you, you can pair it with an ANT+ chest strap during workouts instead (like the Wahoo Tickr or any recent Garmin strap).
ACTIVITY TRACKING
The FR35 seems to count steps fairly accurately. It does a pretty good job of rejecting random arm movements that otherwise inflate step counts. While I generally find the distance calculation based on pedometer step counts to be laughably inaccurate, I was reasonably impressed at how close the total calculated distance to the actual distance on a treadmill run. While I wouldn't necessarily rely on this to measure out mile splits, it's close enough for casual distance guesstimation.
The sleep tracking works quite well and is automatic. I find it logs my actual sleep and wake times within about +/- 10 minutes of when I actually fall asleep and it does a good job of rejecting time spent reading in bed. The sleep tracking graphs breakdown sleep into light and deep sleep periods (although, without knowing how these periods are calculated it's hard to read too much into these) as well as movement levels. I'll be very interested to monitor my sleep levels over time (hours and quality) to see how my general feeling of wellness changes as the amount of quality sleep time I'm getting varies.
It's hard to comment on the accuracy of calorie tracking without access to a physiology lab. The calories burned are tracked, and it's kind of useful to look at the trend over time. I wouldn't rely on the number of calories burned as reported by the watch to be super accurate though (if, say you're monitoring caloric input/output).
NOTIFICATIONS
When connected with my phone, the notifications are usable. Text messages and phone calls (and other notifications if I desire) buzz through to the watch face. It's enough to know there's something that may require my attention and a glance at the screen provides enough of a summary to decide if I need to pull out my phone or deal with the notification later. While I have found getting these alerts on my wrist pretty useful, this particular feature falls short of what the Pebble offered. There's no queue or timeline for reviewing notifications as there is on the Pebble and I find I miss the ability to simply scroll back through previous alerts.
BATTERY LIFE
The Forerunner 35's battery life is outstanding. I get between 8 and 10 days between charges, and a full charge takes only a few hours. This is much better than I expected and ensures I only miss a few hours of activity monitoring per month. Given the time of year, I've been doing most of my running indoors so I've made light use of the GPS, I expect as the weather warms up and I do more outside running with the GPS on, I'll lose a couple of days of battery life, but I expect I should still make it a week or so between charges.
APP/WEBSITE
I've used Garmin's connect website to log my swims and runs for years now, so most of the experience there is familiar. The website provides access to my workout history so I can compare runs and swims against previous efforts and see improvements over time. Now that I have the FR35, I get access to my sleep, all-day heart rate, and activity tracking data there as well. The app for my Android phone is decent. It can be a little confusing navigating through the various screens, but overall, all of the information I would care to look at is available, often presented in easy to digest charts and graphs.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall I find the FR35 to be an excellent activity tracker and workout companion, but only a mediocre smartwatch. A few tweaks to the software allowing for some nicer watch face options and a better interface for dealing with notifications would make this a five-star device. Still, even with these shortcomings, I find myself wearing it 24/7 and imagine it will be on my wrist for a few years reliably logging my activity until my next upgrade.
Feature Product
- Built-in GPS - built-in to acquire satellites quickly to track how far, how fast and where you run, even under tree cover. No phone required
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring - warm gives you heart rate all day and night -no additional Strap required. Display resolution 128 x 128 pixels. Lens material : Chemically strengthened glass
- Vibration alerts - helpful vibration alerts notify you of running prompts, activity tracking milestones, smart notifications and virtual pacing progress
- Updated display perfect for indoor/outdoor viewing, smart connectivity auto uploads, smart notifications, live track, music controls and automatic software updates
- Display size 0.93 x 0.93 inch (23.5 x 23.4 mm), sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP), water rating 5 ATM, Smartwatch Mode up to 9 days, GPS mode up to 13 hours
Description
Stay fit, stay connected, and share your progress with forerunner 35. This stylish, easy-to-use GPS running Watch offers elevate wrist based Heart rate, giving you the option to run Without a chest strap. It also doubles as an all-day activity tracker to give you steps and calories. Forerunner 35 includes connected features like smart notifications, automatic uploads to the Garmin connect online fitness community, live track and music controls right on your wrist. Meet your fitness goals with help from various Sport profiles, intervals, vibration alerts to keep you motivated and useful features such as auto pause and run/walk activity mode. Forerunner 35 running Watch has what you need to take your running to the next level. Just put it on and go!
I have given this watch a five star review because this is an excellent fitness watch. It looks sleek and sporty(I chose the wild lime green, and wear it day and night) and does exactly what I need it to do - accurate heart rate, distance on runs or bike rides, speed, calories burned, etc. It's very easy to use but still has lots of great features. Today while driving the screen suddenly went blank. When I got home and tried to charge it, nothing. I followed online directions for soft and hard reset - nothing. I contacted Garmin and immediately the customer service rep was able to diagnose a "display hardware failure." I have had the watch for 16 months, 4 months past the 1-year warranty. Thankfully Garmin replaced the watch but unfortunately they charged me $79. While I appreciate being given a significant discount, my previous Garmin Forerunner lasted 7 years and still works. While technically Garmin is certainly within their rights to not even give me anything at all, as a customer having an expensive product like this only last for 16 months (and then paying anything at all for its replacement or repair) doesn't build brand loyalty. I like it so much I paid for the new one but I'm disappointed that was the offer from the company. I would have liked the product to have either been repaired or replaced at no cost, a recognition from the company that it should still work less than a year and a half.
After extensive research about different running watch and fitness tracker manufacturers and models, I wore the Garmin Forerunner 35 and the Fitbit Charge 3 on the same wrist for several days and conducted a detailed comparative analysis of their data (think spreadsheets with multiple tabs and graphs). The metrics I looked at included daily resting heart rate, steps, calories, distance, and sleep. I also examined activity data, i.e., distance, average heart rate, average pace, and calories during my runs and dog walks.
At the end of the day, the two fitness trackers gave fairly consistent data, with variance usually at or below 5%, an acceptable margin all things considered. However, after this experience, and despite LOVING the Forerunner 35's built-in GPS (which the Charge 3 lacks), I chose to go with the Fitbit for three reasons:
1) The Fitbit has more frequent heart rate sampling -- the sensors measure it every 5 seconds while resting, compared to what appeared to be measurements every minute(?) for the Garmin. I realized this because I noticed that the Fitbit's green LEDs were always on, but they were frequently off (not flashing) on the Garmin and would only come on periodically. Presumably this is to save battery life on the Forerunner.
Practically speaking, this meant that stats over a longer period of time (such as average heart rate during a 45-minute run, or resting heart rate for the day) were fairly comparable between the two. But if I wanted to get my current heart rate at a glance, the Fitbit was usually spot on as soon as I looked at the device, whereas the Garmin was sometimes 30 bpm too high or too low. (I am fairly in tune with my resting heart rate so know the Fitbit was accurate in these cases and the Garmin was off -- especially because once the Garmin told me it was 42 bpm, and I know my resting heart rate is more in the high 50s.)
Once the Forerunner realized I was trying to look at heart rate data, it would start flashing its LEDs and the number would then either decrease or increase to pretty much match what the Fitbit was showing me from the get-go. This is a minor issue that wouldn't compromise the integrity of heart rate data in the long run -- after all, relative trends over time are what these sorts of devices are best for -- but I got annoyed by seeing incorrect numbers and having to wait 10-15 seconds for the Forerunner to adjust.
2) The Forerunner's sleep tracking wasn't as accurate as the Fitbit. I think this comes down to an issue of sensor sensitivity and/or how algorithms interpret the sensor data on the back end. Basically, the Forerunner was consistently telling me that I was getting anywhere from 20-45 minutes more sleep than the Fitbit every night. I have a good sense of knowing how I feel with N hours of sleep, and I think the Forerunner was overestimating.
Further evidence for this hypothesis is that one night, I got up around 4 a.m. to go to the bathroom and check on my dog. The next morning, this few minutes of "awake" time and the steps I took were reflected in my Fitbit data, but not the Garmin data. Basically, the Forerunner somehow missed that I woke up, got out of bed and walked to the bathroom down the hall, walked to the living room, and walked back to bed. The missing steps are not important to me, but how did the device not catch on to the fact that I was awake? Surely it should've picked up on that based on my heart rate and movement.
3) The Garmin’s step counting was overzealous. The Forerunner 35 consistently told me I was doing more steps per day than the Charge 3, sometimes only by 200-300 steps but other times by 800-900 steps. That’s an almost 10% margin if you’re aiming for 10,000 steps per day.
I’m guessing one reason for this is that the Fitbit allows you to adjust settings in the app for wear on your dominant vs. non-dominant wrist, the former resulting in algorithms that err on the side of excluding movements that may not be steps. Garmin’s devices do not appear to have this setting, meaning they are probably overcounting by interpreting some non-step movements as steps.
4) I'm a fairly petite person (5'2", 120 lbs) and the Forerunner 35 was a bit too big for my taste. The screen's length pretty much occupied the entirety of my wrist width, and it was pretty thick too. I occasionally had trouble pulling my sleeves up if my clothes were fitted, such as with long-sleeved base layers -- which I would wear while running, precisely when I wanted to see the watch. Obviously an issue of preference, but I found it mildly annoying.
In conclusion, I would say that none of these is a deal breaker if what you really want out of the Forerunner is a decent GPS running watch. Its built-in GPS is truly wonderful, the auto-lap feature is super convenient, and the customizable data fields for workouts are fantastically brilliant. It's uber functional without any superfluous or overly complicated frills, and I especially love that it has the day of the week and date shown on its always-on display. Battery life is competitive, especially for a GPS watch. However, when push comes to shove, I personally prefer more reliable data. I couldn't keep using it and raising an eyebrow every time the information the device gave me didn't match what I know about my own body.
I was browsing through the countless wearable fitness technologies available on the market, and finally decided on the Garmin Forerunner 35. I was looking for three qualities: Reliable heart rate tracking, waterproof (I love to swim), and affordability.
This was the most affordable option, and the reviews were pretty good, so I gave it a go. I've had this tracker for just short of a year now, and I absolutely LOVE it. The heart rate tracking is great, it's super waterproof, the band does not smell after hours of sweat, and the smart notifications are amazing. The notifications are bare bones, and not always perfect, but I actually prefer it. I can get a quick glance at incoming notifications, and decide if it's worth pulling my phone out. I'm trying to spend less time on my phone, and I love that it enables me to dismiss notifications that are non urgent so I don't get sucked into using my phone throughout the day.
I was using a heart rate monitor for a certain class of workouts, and the Garmin integrated automatically and easily with my HR Monitor for even easier tracking. The integration with MyFitnessPal is also exceptional.
Most importantly, and the reason I've come back to Amazon to write a review, is because of the support experience I just had. I noticed today that the "band keeper" (keeps excess watch band slack from flopping in the wind) ripped off. I went onto the Garmin website, and was able to ask for a replacement by simply filling out a form with the product's serial number. The band keeper was FREE, I didn't have to advocate for myself with a support worker, didn't need proof of purchase, etc. It was EXTREMELY easy, and has automatically built a lot of brand loyalty with Garmin. I respect their trust in their customers, and value how easy they made it for me to keep using their product. That support experience has made me want to buy even more Garmin products to better track my fitness - amazing!
Wanted something to track how many miles I walk at work and heart rate, this is perfect. I’ve tried so many Fitbits (don’t bother with them, they’re trash) and a few Jawbones as well, but the Garmin is the best one I’ve ever owned. I like that I can see notifications from my phone on the watch itself, but rarely ever turn it on. I thought about getting an Apple Watch to have everything this does, and more, but decided on the Garmin because it seems to stand the test of time. I did a lot of research before purchasing this and recommend that you do the same. It’s not touch screen, has buttons on both sides, and is a black and white screen rather than a colored one. Garmins are also supposed to be more accurate than Fitbits, etc. I had to buy some screen protectors for it, but this thing has managed to survive everything I put it through at work. I would definitely recommend it.
Says avg resting heart rate is 49. Heart rate has never been lower than 61 so this average seems to be way off.
Steps off by about 20% per hundred steps. Checked this after wearing the watch for a few days. Walked 100 steps and watch showed 81 steps. Not sure if it gets better or worse percentage wise with more steps. Seems like it would be worse.
Syncs to phone but app then says no data for any activity or health & performance or anything else. Like it syncs a blank. Online web site not any better even when I hooked watch up through USB cable to upload data to site.
Date will not change even after having walked for an hour with the gps activated. Rebooted watch and it said acquiring date and time by GPS but comes back to the same wrong date and time. Can set time manually but not date.
Instruction for watch not very in depth, had to find independent videos online for in depth operation and use of features.
Likely going to return this watch at 169.00 I think more of the advertised features should work better than they do and some do not work at all.
Update to previous review. I exchanged the first watch for another Forerunner 35. The replacement watch functions as advertised and all bugs of previous watch are now non issues with new unit. Amazon made the exchange process ridiculously easy and efficient which I suppose is why they are so successful. Received replacement 2 days after I opted for the exchange. I was offered options of speaking to a tech rep, exchange or refund. Fortunately I chose exchange.
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