Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS Running Watch with Wrist-Based Heart Rate and Workouts - Black

I read all the reviews on all fancy ones and the cheaper ones - inc apple, fit bits and garmins. For me all I wanted really was something to be waterproof, tell me the TIME, date and day, monitor my heart-rate (I’m over 50!) ‘just-in-case’, not need charging religiously every night and tell me how far I’d run and how long it took! All the other bits (estimated steps taken, calories burned, sleep monitoring, lengths swum) were extras but not at all essential for me. This watch does exactly that very well .... it has GPS (takes a second or two to kick in on a run) and gives me lots of info during and after my run that later goes onto my phone app should I link it. The heart rate app works great so I’m warned if I’ overdoing it (or not doing it enough!). The time, date and day is exactly what I need at a glance and I can see it in bright sun AND in the dark (little light button). All very simple to set up. I have since discovered its very good with notifications about incoming calls, text, whats.App and others that appear on my iPhone (obv only of it is nearby) which works much better than I had realised. I am very pleased with it. The more expensive garmins are big say on GPS and not heart rate, the more expensive fit-bits do lots of clever things on gym workouts or swimming but have no GPS. The Apple Watch is no doubt good at many things besides but mega expensive. Many seem to require you to have your phone with you to work but this works just fine on its own as a fitness aid and as a watch, plain and simple, that looks pretty good too! HIGHLY RECOMMEND

I have used the forerunner 15 for over 3 years - it is still working well.I had some 'spare' (sic) money and decided to invest in a new running watch. Why and why the forerunner 35?• The 15 drains the battery in 3.5hrs (approx)• It doesn't measure anything else• It doesn't have Bluetooth connectivity and it can only be connected to the Garmin app by connecting to a PC.I wanted• Longer GPS life• Waterproof (resistance)• More measurements• Connection to a smartphoneBut• Not so much information, complication as to make me not want to use it.• Value for Money.It took me weeeeks to decide. After 1 or 2 false starts etc I chose the Forerunner 35.• Claims 9 + hours of GPS (enough for 95% of whatever I do or what I will ever want to do)• Waterproof• Gives an Idea of heart rate....VO2....from wrist• Daily steps and calories• Easy connection to phoneDid I want to play music from it? NoDid I want maps on it? Fun, but not necessaryHas a sleep tracker - OK, a bonusAlerts from phone? Not interested in that, but it has it as a feature.What is the reality?• Comfortable and lightweight• Purchased a screen protector as screen is flush not recessed.• Ran an Ultra in a rural setting. GPS took 10 seconds to fix. Did not fail for entire run. Accurate distance measured.• Most important for me.The GPS figure isn't hype.Before the Ultra I switched off heart rate monitor and Bluetooth. As the photos above show, the run lasted 7 hours and the battery kept the GPS running for the full time.....still with 2 of the 5 battery bars still available. The 2 bars have lasted thru the next day with the heart monitor on.I would certainly be confident of a 9hr + battery life with GPS.EDITANOTHER ULTRA RUN; 10HRS PLUS• The heart rate and VO2 aren't good enough for medical purposes! But for my purposes they 'look right'. I am happy with the numbers they give ....in fact I'm rather impressed with how accurate they appear.• When transferred to my smartphone (painlessly) lap times (whichever you have chosen - miles...km) are shown: as is a map of the course with approximate heights etc shown.• I have always used Endomondo on my smartphone for mapping my runs using GPS now I can transfer the Garmin information straight to Endomondo, meaning my phone can be used for listening to music (even making an emergency call if necessary - whatever) without the chance of the battery being quickly drained on a long run.Why only 4*? I've had to give it 1 (one) soft reboot.... So it is really 4.79*(!)will comment further as I use this item more.EDIT5* - no more resets needed

Garmin Forerunner 35 is the perfect choice to accompany you on runs and other outdoor adventures. It represents superb value for money.The Forerunner 35 offers more or less everything you’d want from a sports watch. It can track running, cycling and walking via GPS and there’s also a mode for indoor activity. Like all Garmin’s fitness wearables, it’ll also count your steps, calories burned, “intensity minutes” and distance travelled throughout the day. An optical heart-rate monitor keeps tabs on your pulse both during exercise and at rest; wear it overnight and it’ll log your time spent in different sleep stages.There’s also a few specialist running features that not all GPS-enabled trackers offer: you can set a virtual pacer, and track your cadence (step count per minute) as you run. Pair it with your phone and the Forerunner 35 delivers notifications to your wrist, and syncs all of your fitness data to the Garmin Connect app, where you can spend hours poring over it.Smartwatches, fitness trackers and sports watches come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The Fitbit Flex is sleek and tough, but it could easily be mistaken for a friendship bracelet. At the other end of the scale, there’s the elegant Apple Watch 4, which also includes a generous 44mm screen – if you’re willing to pay.In this market, the Forerunner 35 is somewhat within its own category. It’s a very basic-looking device, but I find this quite agreeably understated – less is more, as they say. The square shape also sits nicely on the wrist, so it’s comfortable to wear. The front is taken up by a compact 23.5mm screen; this is only monochrome, but it’s sharp enough to clearly show your incoming messages.Pros-Cheap-Excellent GPS tracking-Long battery life-Supports ANT+ sensorsCons-No swim tracking-Lacks newer features such as stress tracking