I first bought the Fenix 5 and 5s but returned them both. I just wasn't turned on by those watches as I had hoped I would. I then bought a Fenix 3. I really liked that watch but after a few days I just couldn't see my self running and biking with that thing. It's heft meant I had to keep that beast strapped to my wrist like a tourniquet! So I'm all sad because I was ready to throw down and be a Fenix fan boy when suddenly I start seeing comparisons to the Fenix 5 line and the Forerunner 935? Really? Really, so I got one and man I couldn't be happier. The 935 weighs half as much, does everything that a Fenix 5 does and has WiFi which only the Fenix 5 Sapphires do. Even the straps on this watch feel more comfortable than the ones on the Fenix 5/3. I can sleep with it on and it never feels uncomfortable. And the GPS and other features have been spot on (check the Garmin website Fenix 5 forums to know what I'm talking about). So if you're dead set on chasing the bling go ahead and get a Fenix, but if you will actually run and bike and hike your ass off like I do, definitely get the 935.
Pros:__________
- Battery life is incredible as I’ve gotten more than a week before I feel the need to charge it, sometimes even more if I want to “push” it. To answer any future questions, battery life isn’t an issue.
- GPS locks on very fast when you’re out in about.
- HR 24/7 monitor is pretty accurate compared to a Basis.
- The built-in backlight is a lifesaver for me as my workouts are always at night. For those with previous models, my colleges have told me that it’s indeed a big upgrade.
- For its size, this watch is light and in no way feels overbearing to wear.
- Really appreciate the automatic pausing if you’re in middle of a workout/activity.
- Notifications (connecting your smartphone with this watch) are easy to read when they pop up during a run. Almost anything that allows you alerts to your phone you can redirect it to the watch.
- When clearing the notifications from the watch I notice that the alerts are removed from my iPhone as well.
- You have the option to update your watch in three different ways, which does give you options depending on where you’re at.
- A lot of shit is customizable with this watch. Create your personal data screen, training modes (Almost any sport you can think of), recovery hours, etc. (you have a lot).
- Does have a neat goal sheet layout that notifies me when I reach my daily goals.
- The band fits nice without and rash or irritation. I do recommend to take it off after your workout if you don’t want to have a ring tan.
- Option to add numerous widgets (weather, calendar, etc.).
- Built in Wi-Fi is way better than using Bluetooth for uploading your workouts from my experience.
- There is a release kit option for those who it mount it on something (I didn’t try this as my wrist is perfect for this device).
- Create your routes and if you fall of course it will alert you where you are and where you need to go. I tried this out numerous times and every time its GPS knew where I was and vibrates my wrist.
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Cons:__________
- The mapping only has a line to be followed, not much detail on your terrain.
- Don’t have the option to reply back when your notifications pop up. This isn’t much of an issue because you should be working out when you have this on and not replying back to alerts.
- IT may be light but it’s still big. Small wrist people, be aware.
- No ability to play music from it.
- Firmware glitches such as editing only on alarm, auto uploading delay, GPS enabling for specific sports, and some others that have already been fixed. I would assume that majority of them will be fixed soon.
- The screen may be bright but you would expect a larger screen given the size of the watch (It’s still perfectly fine for me).
- Notice that public networks with filters will prevent the watch to be updated via Wi-Fi.
- Customization has to mainly be done on the watch and not on the app.
- HR monitor will not work if you’re swimming as you’ll need to get an HR strap.
Bottom Line:__________
If you do any form of outdoor cardio then this is a must have. I’m truly impressed on how much this little guy can give you. With the customization to almost anything in your form of working out to the prolong battery life, this is for those who want to take their workout to the next level. Keep in mind that if you're more into weight lifting and or gym cardio than I advise you forget this as this watch is built for the outdoors.
I usually tell you the downside of this device but they’re so minor that It doesn’t matter. A big chunk of glitches have already been fixed and I have no doubt the others will be resolved as well. Overall, if you do cardio outside then this is a must. Verdict: Well designed, full customization, and great battery life. This is a win for those who want to take their outdoor cardio workouts to the next level.
Hopefully I was a help to you.
Love,
Honest Reviewer
Summary:
If you're looking for a sport watch that records a lot of data, is useful for training and don't care about "smart features" except notifications. This is it. Its fast, its accurate, it lasts forever and its probably the best there is right now.
Pros:
- You can actually have maps and directions, soon navigation even thus this is not a Fenix 5x (search for "485" on your phone appstore). Its surprisingly useful.
- battery life and charge speed is crazy good. by the time i plugged it in to update (which took 5min, so it got 5min of charge, which went up to 89% charge) a couple days ago.. i, uhm, did not go below the charge level it was at when I got it. It's at 79% now, and I got it out of the box at 70%. I have 3 hours of GPS use since. I have no doubt this can last a week. I've also no doubt that it lasts more than a day in ultratac mode (they claim 60h) and close to 20h in normal full-tracking mode (they claim 24h) though I'll update when I have the .. draining.. opportunity to test a 20h work-out.
- non-back-lit screen: somehow reviews don't do this justice. Non-back-lit means the screen emits no light by default, just like the amazon paper/papershite kindles. It means its readable in ANY sunlight conditions, and uses very little power. Of course, there is an auxillary back light for when it's absolutely dark outside.
- no-non-sense menus. I was afraid of that one. No touch screen? How good are buttons going to be? Well they're fine. The menus are all logical and everything is actually quite simple and easy to use. Nice.
- Customizable - it's not a samsung or apple watch but you do have multiple watch faces and apps - and they work.
- light and "thin" for a smart watch. This is lighter and thinner than my microsoft band 2, for example. Can't feel the thing on my wrist.
- GPS, Glonass, HR tracking work well. Better than any watch I've had. It reacts quickly to HR changes and is quite accurate for a wrist-HR sensor. Some still would want to have a separate HR strap - but it's not really all that necessary.
- ANT+, Bt connection. That I can see data from my bike equipment on the watch, and transmit watch data to my Wahoo bike computer is absolutely great.
- Amount of stats: This is a Garmin sport watch. You get everything they can record, and more. That's just cool.
- Automatic pausing, etc. during activities: i always wondered how well it works on Garmins. Well, it's been flawless so far, so there's that.
- Notifications: I had read how bad notifications are on Garmin devices. Well now that I've used it I can tell: it is not bad at all. In fact it's quite great. Legible, fast, reliable - at least on this watch right now. Sure, you cannot type a reply from the watch, but I never cared for that - it seems more gimmicky than it is useful in most cases...
Cons:
- its kinda big. if you have a small wrist, be prepared. Its not the biggest watch in the world, but its certainly not small either.
- Android software is terribad. Login, app store, general reliability is not great. It does work, but it can sometimes take a few attempts.. Garmin, please hire a real Android dev? Thanksfully you don't need to interact much with it except for reading your sport stats, and that part works ok.
- Poor documentation. I had to google how to software update the watch, which involved copying a file.. on the watch. its not that bad, but i expect auto update wirelessly and/or an actual document from Garmin that explains how to do this, not a forum post.
- Price. If you want the best, this is it. Yet it's still overpriced compared to what you'd get from a Garmin 235 or even an Apple Watch. Basically value/price ratio is not good.
- I would prefer a wireless charger - though since this thing rarely needs to be charged, its not a big deal
- No ability to play music from the watch
- No ability to use regular maps out of the box (needs additional, paid third party software)
Pictures:
- 42mm Seiko vs FR-935 vs Microsoft Band 2 sizes. Wrist diameter 6 inches.
- 485 app for mapping - SF Google offices location
- back-side of the watch
I've had it for some 6 months now. When I purchased it I did not plan on wearing it every day, but as soon as I opened the box I changed my mind.
I wear it as my regular watch now, day & night, letter for the "sleep" feature.
Battery life is awesome, lasts more than a week.
I also got the HRM-Run chest strap which opened up a new series of metrics for me that I did not even know existed.
Very reliable data so far, the GPS engine seems better than my Garmin 310XT.
Also like the Android app, and the fact that Garmin have been pumping out sofwater updates and new features for the watch.
The barometric altitude feature does not seem to be very accurate but it does not bother me.
The sleep feature sometimes will register more sleep than actually happened, again no big deal.
The watch interface is easy to learn and to see, I wear reading glasses but I can see the running metrics without glasses while running.
Great watch if you are an exercise junkie.
Received it 6 days ago. As others warned this is the APAC version. New update installed yesterday...ver 9.70. Overall it works but it’s had a few problems with Bluetooth losing connectivity before the update. After the update wrist HR stoppped recording history until Watch was restarted several times. Testing for a few more days but not sure this 935 is staying on my wrist much longer.
Update--- Called Garmin support - verified advertised item number (amazon's site) compared to what I received - wrong item was sent. Garmin agreed to replace the Amazon purchased Apac with the ROW version I intended to purchase. Excellent support! EXCELLENT! Received my new Garmin 935 and couldn't be happier. Best activity/training companion ever.
Feature Product
- Premium GPS running/triathlon watch with wrist-based heart rate;Strap material : silicone ; Smartphone compatibility : iPhone, Android, Windows; designed for sale and support in North America only.
- Offers advanced running and multisport Features in a comfortable watch you can wear all day, and it only weighs 49 grams
- Provides elevation changes with a built-in barometer; altimeter and electronic compass help you keep your bearings
- Evaluates your training status to indicate if you're undertraining or overdoing it and offers additional performance monitoring Features
- Provides advanced dynamics for running, cycling and swimming, including ground contact time balance, stride length and more
Description
Who cares that forerunner 935 gives you dialed-in data such as dynamics for running, cycling and swimming, wrist-based Heart rate, training status, ftp and vo2 Max? a dedicated athlete like you who’s ready to Beat yesterday. This premium GPS running/Triathlon Watch helps you fine-tune your training and recovery to be a better athlete. For the competitor in you, it features Starve live segments so you can turn every run or ride into a virtual competition. For the “looks count, too” in you, interchangeable bands let you quickly change bands for a new Sport or style. Forerunner 935 also has smart notifications, automatic uploads and connect IQ compatibility for custom Watch faces and apps.
Phenomenal. This review is about a month after I had received the watch.
I had waited and waited to buy a watch that would fulfill all the different activities I do and the Garmin 935 is the best fit for me.
The manual that comes with the watch is basic as with most similar products but the Garmin online forum is great and just search for a particular topic and a set of easy to follow instructions should pop up. I have successfully found out how to do all the changes/customization's I want to do.
PROS:
- I have been able to customize the screens to what I want and add several activities to my favourites so I do not have to go "looking" for them and they pop up first.
- I have cycled (outside and indoors), ran, pool swam and open water swim all with great recording results.
- I have attached a couple of the faces of the different options and one which I customized when I swim.
-The open water swimming has been pretty accurate and has shown a true swim path.
- I have synced it with my Garmin 520 as a heart rate monitor with no issues, got picked up straight away.
- Indoor rowing, great as I had no way to count my stroke rate, now I do.
- The watch face customization's are really great and have downloaded several through the Connect IQ store.
- The battery life is really good and I generally to charge it every couple of days and that is with exercising every day.
CONS:
- One minor complaint is that the pool swimming is not that accurate, I have tried it in a 25 m, 50 m and a 18 m pool and it will generally be within 100-150 m of my total workout.
- No HR during swimming. I would have thought that for this watch, Garmin would have updated the algorithm to capture this as I do use my heart rate during the swim. The Samsung watch captures your HR during swimming which my buddy constantly points out. I will not plan to buy the chest strap to swim with as it is uncomfortable and I do not see the reason why I should spend that money after buying this watch.
- The watch screen could have been a sapphire lens.
All in all, if you want a very versatile Multi sport watch, The Garmin 935 is it.
I had the Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire edition when it first came out and love the device. Unfortunately, being a full-time nursing student meant having to scrounge for some cash, which ultimately meant selling my Fenix 5. School has eased up just enough for me to pull more hours at work and I was able to get this gem. I was hesitant about the plastic casing, but the device feels very durable while still being light. All the tracking features are working perfectly, which is something even my Fenix 5 couldn't boast. The GPS also acquires a signal much more quickly, so another pro there. The screen is crisp and clear in all lighting situations I have encountered. Wrist HR is as accurate as any of them, which is no fault of the device, so it is kinda accurate most of the time. Syncing even seems fast with this device compared to the Fenix 5, but I also got a new phone, so that may have something to do with it. When I have the money again, I will likely buy the next Fenix, but this is a solid device that I am happy with. I don't know how it will hold up long-term, but I will update if it starts falling apart. Would recommend.
As a personal trainer, I have used more than a dozen fitness watches from Garmin, TomTom, Suunto, Fitbit, Polar, Timex and Mio. The best budget-priced watch with optical heart rate is still the TomTom Cardio Spark 3 (under $200 with music and bluetooth headphones), but if you want sheer power and features, with a ridiculously long battery life, the Garmin Forerunner 935 is the hands down winner. It has virtually all the features of the Garmin Fenix 5 HR, but in a lighter, smaller package. If you mostly walk for exercise, with an occasional run, the 935 is overkill. Go for the TomTom. But, if you run marathons or triathlons, engage in multiple long distance activities like cycling, hiking, kayaking, and open water swimming, or if you want detailed metrics on your extreme gym workouts, the 935 will make you smile.
All wrist-based optical heart rate sensors struggle to maintain accuracy when the wrist moves or flexes. They will never equal the near perfect performance of a chest strap. However, after trying several watches with optical heart rate, the 935 is the best for me, averaging around 95% accuracy when compared to a chest strap. Keep in mind, your results may vary, depending on your skin type and where you position the watch. But, to be fair, anything above 90% accuracy is acceptable. If you are paying close attention to heart rate zones in your training, I always recommend wearing a chest strap for pinpoint accuracy.
The 935 does it all right out of the box, but with a little time, you can add features and customizations to personalize the way your watch collects and displays data. GarminConnect syncs your watch and smart phone, and displays all your current and historical data for activities, sleep, heart rate, stress, calories, and more. You can set goals, challenges, create workouts, make connections with other athletes, and much much more. And, the icing on the cake is the Connect IQ store for adding free apps and watch faces to your 935.
$499 is a significant amount to spend on a fitness watch, but if your physical activities are varied and sometimes extreme, you will be glad you made the investment.
I recently bought the Forerunner 235 and sent it back for several reasons. One of those reasons was the shockingly dim display (and the awful heart rate accuracy). After reading reviews, and after a brief fling with an Apple Watch, I ordered the Forerunner 935, especially after reading that the display is brighter than the 235 and 735, and the brightness level could be adjusted. Well, no. But, yes. Depending on what your definition of display brightness is. More on that later.
Pros:
1. Incredibly accurate heart rate monitor, even when working out. Same as my Garmin chest strap.
2. Sleep tracking, as far as I can tell, is accurate. More importantly, very comfortable to sleep in.
3. Lots of cool stats and analytics for the geek (me).
4. Lots of watch faces to choose from. A ridiculous amount.
5. Notifications are great when they work (see below)
6. Display is bright in direct light.
7. Garmin Connect app is very good.
8. Quick to pick up (and stay with) external senors (Bluetooth and ANT).
Cons:
1. Yeah, so, don't confuse normal display brightness (cannot be adjusted) to backlight brightness (which can be adjusted). Backlight happens when you press the appropriate button on the watch or when the watch is gestured towards your body (at least it is most times, although I haven't quite figured out the exact hand-body motion algorithm for the gesturing activation yet). Otherwise, in a dark room, if you look at your 935, it is dim dim dim. So, if you want a watch face with thirty metrics, you better have superhero vision, even when you're looking at it in direct sunlight, because most of the additional stats (other than time) are itty bitty.
2. Notifications are finicky. I have an iPhone and there is a little song and dance you have to do when notifications stop working. Just be prepared. It's not a tragedy, but can be slightly annoying when it happens. Also, even when notifications work, some notifications get skipped. Example, for 1 text I get a notification, and then 2 minutes later another text arrives but I get no notification. Then, 5 minutes later I get a text notification for the next text. Weird. It's like the iPhone and 935 never really get along, but have come to some sort of passive-aggressive agreement to coexist. I would definitely not describe the relationship as seamless or consistent.
3. If you're going to constantly monitor your heart rate just be prepared that battery life is not going to be super-fantastic. I charge it at night when I'm showering. Charges fairly quickly. Example, last night I started at 99% before I went to bed. Tracked sleep. Heart rate has been constantly tracking. It is now 5:00 PM and the 935 is at 87%. So not too shabby. But, after I work out tonight I'm guessing it will be in the low 70%.
4. Pricey. Not sure this a $400 watch, and for about that much you can get a lot more in the way of apps and connectability with an Apple Watch, if that's your thing. I wanted this for activities, not to have another iPhone on my wrist, so I like it better than the Apple Watch 4 (which I did also order and send back).
5. While there are many, many, many watch faces available, there are surprisingly few apps like weather and other non-activity-tracking apps available. Looks like even on the Garmin Connect Store there are apps that are in weird stages of development (require API codes and other developer-type workarounds). The interface is pretty one-dimensional, which accounts for the lack of "fun" apps. Good thing statistics and metrics don't need to be fun.
Summary, if you want a smartphone on your wrist, with access to hundreds of cool apps and the ability to be able to answer texts and calls from your watch, don't buy the 935. If you are a serious athlete and an accurate wrist-based heart rate monitor is your thing, and you want to be able to ONLY see calls and other notifications, I would suggest the 935.
One final note: if you have an iPhone, before you buy this, I would suggest getting on the Garmin forums and checking out the issues that have been going on for some time with no real solutions.
Pro tip: if you opt for the 935 and you have an iPhone, be prepared to have the Garmin Connect app running at all times to increase the likelihood that you will receive notifications. That will tax the battery on both ends, but it seems to help.
UPDATE
1. Every morning I have to reset notifications to start working again. It's easy but has to be done every morning. Check out Garmin forums. Turn off Garmin Connect notifications, then turn off Bluetooth, then do all that in reverse. Works every time.
2. Do not have the Garmin Connect app open when you're working out or the 935 will reboot itself several times during the workout.
3. Email notifications from the iPhone email app are annoying. Several times during the day the 935 will suddenly give me individual notifications for all the unread emails in my inbox even if it already has notified me prior of those same emails.
Would I buy this watch again? Maybe. Personally I probably should have waited 2 weeks for the 945 and shelled out the extra $ for that. But this is an above average smartwatch for athletes.
Lasts for over 2 weeks on a charge, with about 12 40-minute runs over that time. I like the non-cradle charger. I do not connect via Bluetooth or use the HR feature much except during runs. It automatically uploads the run to Garmin over WiFi when I get home and then I use the Garmin Connect app to view the run. I like the configurable watch face so I can get the time in large numbers without a lot of icons on the screen (but you can add many icons if you wish). I like the feature to automatically turn on the light during an activity when you raise your arm, so no need to press a button to light it.
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