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Garmin Forerunner 235
Garmin Forerunner 235 Review Facts
Running is considered the most accessible sport due to the lack of equipment required to participate in the sport, as well as the ability to do it nearly anywhere. All that is required in order to run, jog or even walk is a decent set of running shoes. There are, however, more advanced equipment that can assist with a runners performance and tracking. Heart rate monitors are a great tool in order to determine calorie count, as well as to monitor your performance. Tracking your heart rate can help those looking to lose weight, as well as those looking to improve their overall performance. It can also be a helpful method of determining if you are working out hard enough. There are numerous charts online in order to show you how to determine whether the heart rate is in cardio vascular performance or muscle building in based on the age of the individual. Most monitors also include a GPS feature that will track where you've run or where to run to. In fact, heart rate monitors have evolved so much in a technological sense that there is very little that a heart rate monitor can't do.
This article focuses specifically on the Garmin Forerunner 235. This is a single product review on the product due to the products overall popularity. This is a highly purchased product due to what seems to be the features and quality of the product. Garmin is a well-known tracking and navigation company. They offer numerous different navigation products including automotive and health rated ones. We looked at consumer reviews of this product in order to determine what consumers liked and disliked about the product. We looked at materials used for this product in order to determine its durability and overall quality. Finally we looked at the accuracy and features of the product in order to determine if it stands up to the competition or if it falls short. This is our comprehensive review of the Garmin Forerunner 235. We hope that this article serves you in your next heart rate monitor and GPS purchase.
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
- This product is waterproof
- This product comes with numerous handy features
- This product is attractive in design
- This product is quite lightweight
Cons
- This product has an easily scratchable face (requires protective covers)
- Lightweight nature causes some to wonder about the quality of the materials used (seems a little flimsy)
ACCESSORIES/SPECS
This product comes with the watch itself (face and band), a charging cable in order to charge the watch (as it has rechargeable batteries) and a manual. This product is quite light on the wrist and the bands of the watch are interchangeable in order to suit individual styles. Reviewers noted that the bands of the product are easy to replace (discussed in more detail below). This product is 45 mm by 45 mm by 11.7 mm. It is 42 gm in weight as well (regularly reviewed as being quite lightweight). The resolution of this product is 215 by 180 pixels which is impressive. The display is both sunlight visible and transitive MIP (memory-in-pixel). This is handy when running outdoors or in areas of high brightness. The battery of this product should last for up to 9 days or up to 11 hours of continuous use. Those who purchased this product found that the battery of the product lasted for quite a while. The majority of users who regularly use this product confirmed that they only charge it once a week which is quite positive in comparison to competitive products. Finally, this product holds up to 200 hours of activity data in order to offer long analysis reports to determine improvement and areas of improvement.
ACCURACY
This product offers GSP, speed, distance and heart rate options. Those who bought this product did find it to be quite accurate in all aspects which is positive. There were very few complaints that the product didn't accurately track these statistics which is also very good. This product also offers features like auto-stop which will prompt the runner to stop the workout when the product thinks that the runner may have stopped which would help with the runners overall accuracy when looking back at the workout. The calorie counter seems to be quite on point as well, numerous reviewers found that the calories burned were in line with other models available. The heart rate monitor can be used to track and monitor sleep as well which assist those who may be having some sleeping issues at night as well. Overall, those who purchased this product were quite pleased and impressed with the products accuracy which is quite positive.
ADVANCED FEATURES
This product has a calendar in order to help keep those wearing this product for purposes outside of running on time for their appointments. It also offers weather, camera remote and step counter capabilities. This product comes with the Garmin Connect application which allows those using the product to track everything on their smartphone as well. The app itself is discussed in more detail below. Those who used this product appreciated how seamlessly information transferred between the watch and the application. There seemed to be next to no lag when it comes to the transfer of that data. More advanced features of this product include advanced workouts for those who have already advanced past basic workouts and need something a little more substantial. It also offers training plans which can help push an individual further or alternatively help those who don't know where to start. It also offers finish times, auto scroll and touch button lock which adds a level of security. Overall, this product is loaded with interesting and helpful features. Reviewers regularly praised this fact.
APPS
The app and features of this product offer a wide range of tracking and goal monitoring capabilities. This includes a step counter, a move bar (encourages movement during inactivity during the day like when sitting in front of a desk for hours) and auto goal reminders (adjusts to the individuals activity levels and sets targets based on those habits). It also offers sleep monitoring which assists the user with their sleep patterns, potentially helping with internal health. It also offers calories burned, distance traveled and GPS speed/distance. GPS speed and distance is a fairly important aspect of this type of product as this will ultimately show the runner their progress and where they need to improve. It also offers activity profiles which can be used in groups to set group goals and competitions. This product also comes with numerous other features that can be looked up online. Those who purchased this product were very impressed by the features of this product, saying that it is very competitive with popular heart rate monitor and GPS units available today. It also assists with aspects outside of workouts like everyday life which is quite handy especially when on the go.
BAND
The band on this product is made of a silicon material. It is quite soft and smooth, many individuals praised the band for being quite comfortable as well. The band on the product can easily be removed and replaced with a different style and material alternative. Those who bought this product found that replacing the band on the product to be quite easy and appreciated that. This product has a range of different bands in order to offer a more customization to the watch and suit individual styles. The silicone material is also quite 'sticky' which keeps the watch in place even when wrists are a little sweaty which is positive. Overall, offering a product that comes with a soft, comfortable and reliable strap is highly valuable to this type of product and because it can accommodate different straps is handy.
BASIC FEATURES
The basic features of this product include the time and date, GPS time sync and automatic daylight savings time which is handy. It also offers an alarm clock and stop watch for those looking to use this product for more than just physical activity. Those who used this product found the basic features to be quite handy and reliable which is positive. In addition to those features, this product also offers Connect IQ which is a customization option for watch faces, data field, widgets and apps. The program, according to reviewers, works seamlessly with the smart phone app. This product, like most products, offer smart notifications that are also customization in order to offer analytics and encouragement. It has a calendar, weather and find my phone capabilities in order to assist with everyday life and offers the ability to control music through the smart phone. This enables the watch to act like a small remote for the music of your smartphone. Those who purchased this product liked the connectivity and convenient features of this watch which is positive.
EASE-OF-USE
This product offers numerous features that make it easier to use like reminders, notification and auto pause options (pauses the workout when it seems the runner has stopped). It also offers downloadable training plans in order to make the workout even easier. This product also offers auto prompts in order to keep the runner from having to constantly look at their watch. It has a control for the music that might be used during a workout via a runners smartphone. Those who purchased this product were quite impressed with how easy it is to work this product. It seems very user friendly and not busy even with all its features. Those who bought this product referred to it as a solid, easy to use, investment.
DURABILITY
This product offers a chemically strengthened glass face which is supposed to provide strength and durability. Those who wore this product found it to be quite lightweight which concerned them about the face of the product. Reviewers said that it should be noted that the face should be protected at all times by Garmin's screen protectors. This should be considered when buying this product. The arm band of this product is made of a silicone material which is soft and grips well to the wrist. This should be considered for those with allergies to silicone. As mentioned above, the bands of this product can be replaced with different types of bands so those with silicone allergies should be fine with alternate band options. This watch is also waterproof, offering a water rating of 5 ATM. This means that the water resistant to a certain level of pressure, 1 ATM is about 50 meters deep or 165 feet. This would mean that this watch can handle a fair bit of pressure before having issues with pressurization damaging the watch. Those who wore this product did not have issues with the products durability. It seems that it's fairly durable but it can't hurt to protect the face plate with a screen cover just to be safe as well as to prolong the life of this product and keep it looking newer longer.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line is that this product seems to be a pretty good one. Those who bought this product really appreciated how easy it is to use, how great the responsiveness of the product is and how reliable it is. Those who used this also appreciated its accuracy and liked the prompts that allowed them to focus more on the workout and their progress than the watch itself. This product is waterproof which is great for those using this to both run in the rain with or swim with. It is a little pricey but it makes sense considering how highly rated it is, all of its features and its good design. It is easily customized which suits individual styles and potential allergy issues. It also has a ton of interesting and helpful features. And because Garmin is a well-known and reliable brand, this product is definitely worth consideration. Overall, this is a reliable, high-quality, handy and effective piece of equipment. Garmin also offers decent warranties and a good exchange/return policy. All of which are pretty positive points.
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