Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Updated 12/31/2015: I purchased the new Garmin Forerunner 235 at the 2015 Route 66 Marathon expo over a month ago. So far I am very impressed with this device, although there are certainly some issues (more on those later). But, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. First off, to give you an idea of how I plan to use this watch, I run approximately 30-50 miles a week and run about 3-6 marathons/year, along with the occasional half marathon should the mood strike. I am also a casual cyclist, which serves as one of my cross training workouts. Here are some of my observations. — First Impressions — The Forerunner 235 (FR235) is very light, weighing in at only 1.5 oz and has a wrist band made of a soft, flexible, supple rubber material. I am immediately struck by how comfortable the watch feels on my wrist. Easily this watch is more comfortable than other Garmin watches I am familiar with, such as the Forerunner 10, Forerunner 910XT, Forerunner 920XT, and Forerunner 305. The FR235 proved itself worthy indeed during my last marathon, staying nice and comfy and snug on my wrist throughout. — Ideal for Runners — The FR235 is a mid-range watch targeted primarily for runners, replacing the Forerunner 225 model. This watch easily has all the features I need and then some. As to the accuracy of the heart rate (HR) monitor, it works well - at times. More on this later. Do realize that wrist-based optical HR monitors are still relatively new, technically speaking, and continue to face challenges. So, if your major reason for getting the FR235 is for its HR functions, be aware that it is not perfect. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the features I find useful in this watch, many of which are an improvement from the previous model, the Forerunner 225: — Hardware — • Battery life up to 11 hours for training; 9 days for watch + activity tracking + notifications + heart rate functions. • Water resistant to a depth of 50 meters (164 ft. or 5 ATM). • Built-in wrist-based optical heart rate sensor (3 LEDs + optical sensor configuration). • GLONASS and GPS signal receiver; using both means faster signal acquisition and improved accuracy and coverage. This is especially useful while running near many large buildings in an urban environment. Just be aware that using both GPS and GLONASS reduces battery life from 11 to 9 hours during training. Using only the GPS, which is what I do, is perfectly fine and I noticed that this watch acquires the GPS signal very quickly, accurately, and reliably. — Software — • Bluetooth connected features (via pairing with a smartphone) include phone notifications, social media interactions, LiveTrack (allows others to follow your race in real time), and locate lost smartphone capability. • Connect IQ support, which means you can download custom watch faces, widgets, data fields, and apps to the watch. There are lots of options to choose from to make your watch unique to your tastes and needs. I especially like the weather widget! • Capable of “Every Second” data recording, which means that data points are captured every second, resulting in a highly detailed record of your run. This feature is important for you data types who like to perform running analytics and such. The previous model (Forerunner 225) did not have this capability; it only had “Smart” data recording, which only captured data points associated with a change in direction, pace, or heart rate. This reduces the file size for the run, but at the cost of not having a detailed analysis of your run. • VIRB control, which allows you to control your VIRB action camera. I have not tried this feature as I don’t have one of these cameras. — Physiological/Activity Tracking — • Running Dynamics data provided (via Garmin Connect) such as average stride length, average run cadence, and max run cadence. • Recovery advisor, which displays how much time off you need before you are fully recovered and ready for the next workout. So far, I am unsure of how accurate this is. After running a marathon, the recovery advisor showed I needed around 60 hours, which seems a bit low to me. However, perhaps this is because the device requires more running data in order to “learn” more about my running performance and possibly provide better estimates. Other physiological measurements captured include VO2 max estimation and race time prediction. • Activity Tracking feature records step count, step goal, distance traveled, and calories burned for each day. There is also Move Alert, which when sitting for prolonged periods of time will trigger an alert to remind you to move. • Custom data screens; the activity screens available: Screen 1 - Custom data (up to four data fields) Screen 2 - Custom data (up to four data fields) Screen 3 - Heart Rate (optional) Screen 4 - Heart Rate Zone Gauge (optional) Screen 5 - Clock (optional) • Sleep Tracking feature monitors movement during sleep. Data captured include total hours of sleep, time spent in each level of sleep (deep, light, awake) based on movement detected by the device. Note that you need to use Garmin Connect (via website account or mobile application) to view these statistics. • Built-in optical heart rate sensor can measure heart rate 24/7. The sampling rate is determined by activity; while you are running the sampling rate is every second, the industry standard. While at rest, it seems that the sampling depends on when you move, or when you manually check your HR by navigating to the HR screen. I suspect this is done as a way of extending battery life. • Training Indoors feature uses the device accelerometer to capture speed and distance data. I haven't tried this yet, but with the colder weather lately I may finally try this out on the dreaded gym dreadmill (aka treadmill). • Supports cycling mode. Data captured includes bike speed and cadence (with optional cadence accessory). Haven't tested this yet. — Usability — • Large display (44% larger than the previous model, the Forerunner 225). The display is plastic, and so far it appears to be resistant to scratching from the usual activities. I have not yet banged it on the edge of a wall or table, so that would be the real test when that should happen. • A total of five buttons is located around the watch face, and no touch screen. The display has great resolution and capable of showing color graphics. • Alerts include vibration, sound, and visual. You can also play audio alerts during your run when used with your smartphone. Audio alerts include lap number, lap time, lap pace, lap speed, and heart rate data. During an alert the Garmin Connect app on the smartphone will play the audio announcement while muting whatever music you are playing on your smartphone. • The Wrist Turn backlight setting can be used to turn on the backlight with a turn of the wrist toward you. I finally had a chance to use this during a recent nighttime run, and it was REALLY nice not having to push the backlight button to see my watch. Also, I noticed that the backlight is not as bright as say, the Forerunner 920XT, but it is still sufficient! — Concerns, Bugs, Odd Behaviors and Such — • The HR function of this watch is not stellar, but it does get the job done somewhat. First off, as I mentioned earlier, wrist-based HR sensor technology is not quite there yet. I have seen the FR235 give false HR readings that were greatly elevated. While sitting at my desk I have seen HR readings spike from a resting HR of 50 to 140 in just a few seconds, and then return back to resting HR all the while I am staring at my FR235 in disbelief, not moving an inch. Also, the HR data that is captured is not smooth; rather, it is erratic at times with "jumps" in HR values over time. You can see this when looking at the HR bar graph which displays data over the last four hours. Having said all of this, I am not bothered by this as the HR monitor function of the FR235 is not the main reason I chose this device; instead it was a "nice" to have function. Just understand that this technology is far from perfect and you will be fine. • Bluetooth connected features are not reliable, and I can't seem to find a pattern as to how they sometimes work and other times not so much. Also, when launching the Connect Garmin app on my phone a connection "should" be established to the FR235 so that data can be downloaded. This does not reliably work, so I would have to manually establish a connection and even this doesn't always work. What does work when this issue arises is to power the FR235 off and then back on, then re-try the app. Hopefully a software fix from Garmin will resolve this issue, but as any Garmin can attest don't hold your breath for this to some rapidly! • When I wear the watch on my left wrist, for some reason I occasionally hit the Start/Stop timer button. Also, the FR235 lets out a quiet "squeak" when I sometimes move my wrist in a certain way. I suspect it has to do with the particular qualities of the materials where the strap and watch make connection. — Final Thoughts — Overall, still an advanced running watch with a lot of cool useful features. I would happily recommend the Forerunner 235 to any serious runner looking to improve their ability. As I have more experience with the watch, I will update this review accordingly. [Last updated 2015-12-31]