Customer Ratings & Reviews

I purchased the Garmin Forerunner 235 to track my running workouts. While no item is perfect, I have been very happy with this one. Previously, I was using an iPhone app and carrying my phone when running. That served its purpose for a while, but this has been a huge improvement. The watch is very comfortable and doesn't bother my wrist at all, not even on long runs. The watch band has a lot of holes, which makes it really easy to get a good fit. I also wear it for tracking my sleep as well as for my alarm, and I hardly notice that it's there. With each workout segment, you can set your desired intensity target based on pace, speed, cadence, or HR zone (including custom HR zones). And when you establish a target, the watch will give you alerts when you are outside of this range. Now that I know what the alerts sound like, I find myself not looking at the watch nearly as much during runs. When I was researching different options, I had a hard time determining if you could use third party ANT+ heart rate monitors with the 235. But I was happy to see that this can be done. I didn't have any trouble pairing this with the Scosche Rhythm+. You can disable the wrist HR monitor and only use the external device or you can download a data field from the Garmin IQ store that allows you to use both simultaneously. There are a few things about this item that I believe could be better. First, I have not been able to find any available data screen that will give you an interval countdown. The existing timer options start at 0:00 and count up, not the other way around. Not a deal breaker by any means, but this is one improvement I think that could easily be made. Second, I wish there were more variables that could be configured with certain specific workouts. For example, I use GPS+GLONASS when running at the track, as this seems to provide for more accurate location readings. However, it drains the batteries more quickly and doesn't seem to make a discernible difference on street and trail runs, so I haven't been using it for these. So it would be nice to be able to have certain workouts default to a particular GPS setting. But again, not a deal breaker. Another issue is the accuracy of the wrist HR monitor. I've seen this mentioned and even witnessed it myself on one of my earlier runs. It was a really cold day. I was doing an easy (zone 1) warmup, when it started indicating that my heart rate was close to 190. Once I broke a sweat, it settled into a more accurate heart rate reading. To remedy this problem, I've been using a drop of HR monitor gel before each run. This allows it to maintain better contact with the skin, which seems to result in more consistently accurate readings. In fact, I recorded both the Garmin FR 235 and the Scosche Rhythm+ HR readings this morning. As you can see in the picture, other than a minor peak difference early on, the two were very close. The other thing I wasn't particularly thrilled about was the brightness of the screen. Or I should say lack of brightness. But I soon realized the lighting is basically the opposite of my phone or something like the Apple Watch. When there's no light shining on the screen, it's pretty dim and can be difficult to see. But as long as there's good light, it's very easy to see. So outside during the daytime, there's no issue at all. At night or early in the morning, I've just started wearing a head lamp, which I probably should have been doing anyway. With this on, I can see the screen perfectly well. I'm sure it was done this way to preserve batteries. I should add that the wrist HR monitor isn't the best for tracking weight workouts. Neither is the Scosche Rhythm+. I'm not sure why, but the readings are just way off at times. I'll be out of breath, and it will show my HR to be in the 80's or so. For now, I've pretty well just determined not to worry about tracking my HR on these types of workouts. But for running, the 235 is excellent. I'm not sure about the scientific accuracy of the race predictors, recovery advisor, or VO2 max readings, but changes in these areas at least seem to correspond with improvements in conditioning. Anyway, that's about it for now. While not perfect, I've been very happy with the Garmin Forerunner 235. I look forward to using this for years to come and would definitely recommend it to others.

I've had this watch for about 3 months and I absolutely love it. I actually started off with the Vivoactive HR, but I have a small wrist and found it uncomfortable. The Forerunner 235 is much more comfortable and I wear it all the time except on the rare occasion I am going to a semi-formal or formal function when the watch is just too sporty. I'm a runner who doesn't run quite as much as I used to, but I love all the statistics regardless. Giving up some of the activity tracking functions the Vivo offered was no big deal (I don't golf or paddleboard) and I'm definitely happier having the additional running functions of the 235. I upgraded from an older model (forerunner 410) and I'm really enjoying all the extra features. I love the activity tracking, although I do find that sometimes the step count can be off by as much 25%. I have a good idea how many steps I cover when I walk and find this watch sometimes (not always) varies significantly. I also use an iPhone and find that to be more consistent and accurate. Having said that, I still give this watch 5 stars because the step count is not the primary reason I got it. Syncing with phone app can be slower than I would like, but again, not a deal breaker for me. Aside from those two minor (for me) glitches, everything else works great. The GPS loads lightening-fast - no more waiting and waiting as I had to previously do on occasion with my older Garmin. The display is great and very customizable. There are so many features, I haven't even figured them all out yet. The smart notifications are really cool, too. I was at a meeting for work where we all had to turn in our phones. No worries for me; I was wearing my Garmin and got my notifications. I didn't need to worry the possibility of a rare emergency, like my kids' school calling because one of them became sick (highly unlikely, but in that rare instance when the phone is taken away, that's when I just know I'm going to get such a call). Or if I'm out with friends, if I get a text, I can quickly glance at my wrist without being one of those people who's looking at their phone so much, it seems like they'd rather be somewhere else. I love the heart rate monitor, too, as I never could deal with the chest strap. I owned one with the old watch and never once used it. Big waste of $$ because I liked the idea but could never be bothered. I can finally now do heart-rate training without any fuss using the wrist-based heart rate. Another feature that's new to me that I like a lot is the recovery time which automatically pops up every time I finish a run. I don't always follow it, but it's nice to have it, since I tend to overdo it sometimes and push myself too much. VO2 max is another great feature. Battery life is good and charging is fast. Having used a Garmin GPS watch for the past 5+ years as well as owning a Garmin car GPS, I am big fan of Garmin. Their customer service is fantastic, too.

Before purchasing the FR235, I had a FR15 as my starting out GPS watch. It worked well for what I wanted it to do (track distance). The downside for the FR15 was that the distance wasn't always accurate (I ran a marathon recently and it said I did 26.6 miles), GPS took forever to sync, and it didn't track HR. To supplement the HR I had bought a HR monitor online, but lost it within 3-4 months (I tend to lose things once in a while). After getting the FR235, it was a major, major improvement. The GPS synced within seconds, distance was near accurate (~ +/- .02mi, which is great, 1-2x have gotten a slip up where it cuts a big corner), and it had built in HR. Added perks were bluetooth syncing, watch interfaces (Back to the Future is the best one!), continuous HR, HR zones timing (how long you've been in which zone, and phone notifications (i.e. calls [can answer from watch], texts, emails, etc), I could even find my phone if I'm within range, and it has a great battery life (including several runs, it can last at least a week or two!). The only downsides to the watch are: HR takes some time to catch up at the beginning of a run, hard to find a good positioning on wrist for the HR to check properly (I have mine tight for runs to get better accuracy), and watch will randomly dis/connect from phone even when phone is 10-20 feet away (beeping can be annoying especially during work). I understand that HR won't always be accurate so it isn't a complete letdown; it's still a good estimation of heart rate. Haven't tried wearing it to sleep as it feels uncomfortable to wear and makes it harder to fall asleep for me. And don't know how I feel about it swimming (heard it is a possibility). Again this is a great watch if you're at least an intermediate runner and want to look at more statistics for running and need more accuracy from GPS tracking. If not interested in lots of statistics, then I would recommend a less expensive watch with less features (like Vivosmart HR).

I am a 30-40 mile per week runner training for my 2nd Marathon and I was looking for a Running Watch with GPS, Heart Rate monitor, and great battery life. This watch is perfect for me! It provides all the basic functions you expect with decent battery life. I don't utilize the phone notifications much, but it is nice to know who is texting you while running. I would highly recommend this watch to any runner.

I got this Garmin to replace my old Forerunner 225 that was dying (took forever to get GPS sync). This model is a bit more streamlined, has easy-to-read display and the wrist-based HR function seems to be as accurate as the old chest strap of the old model. I like the battery life and the GPS sync is super fast, so I'm pretty happy with this overall.

This is my fourth Garmin running GPS device over the course of 12 years. This appears to be the best yet. I haven't spent a whole lot of time with it as it is still cold out in the Midwest. However, the few times I have used it the satellites/GPS calibrates almost instantly. My last device from 7 years ago could take several minutes to find a signal. This one has a heart rate monitor which used your wrist instead of a chest strap. It works pretty well. A strap would be better. It's easy to sync to your Garmin online profile. I haven't tested any of the cell phone features as I have no plans to carry my cell phone with me while running. Best Buy did a price match so I got it at a very good price. It's primarily focused on running so if you want something for biking, swimming, etc. you might want to look at the higher end models. This is a great size and is nice and lightweight. I like it.

Battery life, GPS accuracy and lock time, Heart Rate monitor and last but not the least Garmin Connect App is great. I can get away with one charge for the entire week that includes 3 5k run tracking. Smart notifications are basic, has lot of room for improvement - but that is not what I bought this for

This is my second Garmin. I really like the GPS and pace tracker. I like the built in heart rate monitor. I wish it had a traditional stop watch. It's still a bit troublesome to navigate some of the features.

Overall great product. The charge lasts a week easily and recharges quickly. The heart rate is about as accurate as you can get for a wrist based HR monitor. The band is comfortable. The sensor may get irritating sometimes if the watch is too tight.

So far, I have not been disappointed with this purchase. (Other than running less than I planned, but that's another problem...) I've been debating about updating my Garmin Forerunner from the old 405 for a year, and I'm so happy I did. The heart rate and bluetooth to Garmin connect work perfectly. I also love the varied screens. I ruled out so many cheaper options because I want a lot of info on my running screen. I do not use it as a smart watch (no need, so I don't want the bother), but everything else has lived up to my expectations. Another note, it is so much more comfortable than the old 405!

This watch has been amazing. It has great functionality coupled with a heart rate monitor. The phone app functionality is what really makes this watch worth the money. The only negatives are it's not very accurate when running indoors or cycling indoors.

This watch is everything that I'm looking for in a running watch: quick to pick up the GPS signal, accurate distance tracking & heart rate, and additional workout types available (both pre-loaded and available at Garmin Connect, great battery life. I switched to this after a couple years doing battle with the FitBit Ionic and am already much happier with this watch than any other that I have owned.

Both my teens (who are avid runners) now wear this. Never had any problems. My son utilizes the altitude and heart rate readings constantly to train. What I like is not having to ask them what they have run. I just look at their accounts to find out to make sure they are following coaches instructions on their own time. Invaluable, especially if you hate to write down workouts or are wondering at what point you started to feel bad during a run.

Gps is fast to react. Screen could be brighter. Hr is accurate.

Before I switched to the Garmin 6x Pro Solar, this watch got me through my training runs. This was a step up from the Forerunner 225, which lasted years for me. The 235 provides heart rate, steps, gps, setting training and intervals, other miscellaneous workouts, and tracking training runs on Garmin Connect. Is a great watch for runners, walkers, and other fitness enthusiasts.

I have been using the Garmin Forerunner for many years and have always loved them. I had to upgrade to the 235 this year since the 230 is no longer available. I love the added heart rate feature. I really like the frost blue color but I would have loved to get my purple color back (from the 230). Many features to use with runs! Easy to access GPS!

Automatically syncs to the app on my phone. Display easy to read while running. I can toggle between screens for overall run information, or to another screen for lap information. Pretty accurate heart rate monitor. Very quickly syncs to GPS signal. Overall, outstanding for running.

This running watch can also double as a daily activity tracker. The GPS is fast on the uptake, and unlike some other trackers, does not require me to carry my phone when using it. Also, the GPS is more accurate than many models I've tried, and super-fast in locating satellites for positioning. You can get heart-rate readings without a chest strap, too!

Easy to use as a heart rate / activity monitor without any manual reading. Battery life can be 7 days with the GPS on & Bluetooth off. Use after-market accessories like a tempered glass cover & silicon bezel cover to keep the watch like new. Syncing & using the great web tools has a learning curve.

I love this watch! I am training for LA Marathon and needed a watch that could give me all my stats. This is the best running watch I've ever owned. It does my heart rate, miles, steps, elevation gain .... the battery last a long time! I even ran in the rain for 4 hours the other day and it still works!