Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought both the Forerunner 235 and the Vivoactive 3 Music. I ended up returning the Forerunner 235, though I think both watches have their merits. As background, I'm a distance runner (half marathon to 50k) but have also dabbled in triathlons and actually cross-train most of the week. Why to Pick the Forerunner 235: - The Forerunner 235 latches onto GPS signal immediately, while I've had to wait several minutes with the Vivoactive 3, especially if I've changed geographical location (like one country/state to another). After that initial GPS signal search, the Vivoactive 3 still takes 30ish seconds to find signal. Why to Pick the Vivoactive 3: - Watch feels more "modern," probably due to the touchscreen and sleeker design (Forerunner 235 feels very plastic-y and bulky). The Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music was released in 2018, while the Forerunner 235 is from 2015, so the Vivoactive 3 is newer technology for about the same price. - The heart rate monitor of the Forerunner 235 actually juts out a little, and it sticks into your wrist, which is uncomfortable if you're wearing the watch for an extended period of time. The Vivoactive 3 HR sensor doesn't jut out, so it's much easier to wear. - The Vivoactive 3 can track more activities; I was particularly interested in the swimming stats (pace per 100m, average number of strokes, etc). Note that in swimming mode, HR is disabled. Also, the swimming function is currently pretty inaccurate. Despite changing pool distance settings, I've gotten total distance numbers more than twice as long as I've actually swum! In a 25m pool, numbers were spot on, however. Hopefully this function improves with updates though. The Bottom Line: If you're a hardcore runner who wants fast GPS signal and doesn't care to wear the watch for extended periods of time as a fitness tracker, I recommend the Forerunner 235. If you do other sports too and want a comfortable watch to wear all day, go with the Vivoactive 3.