Is the 235 really that bad?

Just make sure you buy somewhere with a good return policy ;)

But yeah, it was that bad... For me personally since the last update it's good enough, but others have been less lucky. Apart from the limitations of the OHR I really do like the watch and with limitations I mean the fact it adjusts really slow to changes (so no intervals based on heart rate) and used to have many glitches (cadence lock, for me improved bigtime since the last update, and 'weird spikes/readings'... again seems to have improved since the last update). As a general guideline it's ok, to really base your training on though... wouldn't recommend.

Other then that I have almost no issues, love the flexiblity of Connect IQ, happy wiht the looks (actually looks like a proper watch ;) ), happy with battery life, etc.

But as others have had major issues still after the latest update I can only say that you really have to try yourself to see how it works for you.

It has great potential and at the moment I would buy again, also due to lack of proper alternatives, but also because it actually finally functions within expectations (ok, except for the OHR glitches mentioned above).

Former athlete here who has slipped (far) out of form.

Am looking to get back into it and have researched getting a device to log/motivate me along the way. Research pointed me here after comparing style, capabilities, price, etc.

Everything seemed great even after reading reviews from the likes of RizKnows and DCRainmaker, etc. and I was ready to pull out my wallet - but, then I stumbled upon this forum.

Feeling odd as I am willing to spend the $ on what the device "should" be and excited to have it - but, would hate to throw myself into this mess if it is really, in fact, THAT bad.

Could anyone share their thoughts on what someone in my position ought to do? Thanks.

Good on you for trying to get yourself back into form, it takes a lot of willpower and heart to want to get back into the thick of things. With that being said, in my experience, I've been disappointed with the watch. I came from a Fitbit Surge which was a great motivator albeit the tracking wasn't always stellar (step counter in particular was absurd) but the heartrate tracking was good as was the gps. When the 235 works it works well. The options packed into it are numerous and useful...when they work.

Which brings me to the part I have not enjoyed....the software updates and support for the device. Currently, the latest update has brought a lot of problems to the device (take a look at some of the more recent forum posts on 4.30). No doubt Garmin will eventually patch/fix the issue....but it's a cycle of software issues every time they do one. 4.20 was the most stable i've seen on the watch since i've bought one (Jan of this year). But beyond that I literally cringe when I see an update for the watch.

My advice to you in regards to the 235 is pass on it. It could be great, but heavens know what an update will bring to it. If cost isn't an issue the fenix 3 HR is the best on the market. The Vivoactive HR is coming out (or might be out) is a multi sport watch that pairs with external things (as Rizknows put it, it's the Fenix 3HR jr.). Or frankly, if you just want a motivator that records data and you don't care about sensor pairing, The Fitbit Blaze or Surge might be the best option.

Good luck to you.

For my personal experience, I have to say it is not that bad.

Never had cadence lock issues or no heart rate, at the moment the only problems I have is that
Vo2 max is not synced to Garmin Connect, and the watch is displaying wrong RHR (garmin connect displays it wright.

I have to say that you have to try and see if it works according to your usage, and remember that it's a forum where mostly updates and problems are posted.

I would not recommend buying a 235. 6 months post release and there are still major issues. What's worse is that many of these issues are new. Fix one thing, break 2 others.

Be careful in these forums through. There are several Garmin fanboys that do nothing but defend Garmin, bash anyone critical of Garmin, and use big words to try and appear smart. It's cute.

I would not recommend buying a 235. 6 months post release and there are still major issues. What's worse is that many of these issues are new. Fix one thing, break 2 others.

Be careful in these forums through. There are several Garmin fanboys that do nothing but defend Garmin, bash anyone critical of Garmin, and use big words to try and appear smart. It's cute.

Oh, it's a great running watch though. Best I've ever owned. It just fails as a fitness tracker and heart rate monitor.

I would not recommend buying a 235. 6 months post release and there are still major issues. What's worse is that many of these issues are new. Fix one thing, break 2 others.

Be careful in these forums through. There are several Garmin fanboys that do nothing but defend Garmin, bash anyone critical of Garmin, and use big words to try and appear smart. It's cute.

Can I 2nd, 3rd and 4th that....because this is absolutely true.

Thanks, guys, for all of the input - pretty much confirming what I thought. Great in theory/not so great in actual practice. That's a shame.

The other one I had kind of narrowed it down to was the Vivoactive HR - 2 things, though - 1. Doesn't seem that anybody has it in the larger size I'll almost definitely need. 2. I keep telling myself that I could just get a chest strap and throw my phone in a pouch - but, I really want the 24/7 monitoring for resting HR, some sleep monitoring, etc, so, I'd be losing all of that. Not what I really want to do - I want a watch. I know this is a Garmin 235 forum - but, if anyone has experience with another model/brand, please let me know. Thanks again.

I asked myself the same question. Given that the elevate OHR is kinda the first generation, it's more like a big scale public test. As it just came out, I gave the vivoactive hr a try, couldn't stand the bump though. Now I ordered the forerunner 230 with a strap - I don't think you can go wrong here.

I will be back for the forerunner 245 though :D perhaps the OHR is matured by then...

I asked myself the same question. Given that the elevate OHR is kinda the first generation, it's more like a big scale public test. As it just came out, I gave the vivoactive hr a try, couldn't stand the bump though. Now I ordered the forerunner 230 with a strap - I don't think you can go wrong here.

I will be back for the forerunner 245 though :D perhaps the OHR is matured by then...

Half the point of wanting the watch is for running/workouts - the other half is for an all day activity/sleep tracker.

Are you foregoing the latter half of that?

I'm almost ready to get a Fitbit for all day tracking and a chest strap for working out. Don't see myself keeping up with that bit of a hassle, though. Really wanted one device (a watch) to be the end all/be all and not have to look back.

Former athlete here who has slipped (far) out of form.

Am looking to get back into it and have researched getting a device to log/motivate me along the way. Research pointed me here after comparing style, capabilities, price, etc.

Everything seemed great even after reading reviews from the likes of RizKnows and DCRainmaker, etc. and I was ready to pull out my wallet - but, then I stumbled upon this forum.

Feeling odd as I am willing to spend the $ on what the device "should" be and excited to have it - but, would hate to throw myself into this mess if it is really, in fact, THAT bad.

Could anyone share their thoughts on what someone in my position ought to do? Thanks.

I've had mine since December and haven't really had any problems with it's performance; I run about 4 times a week. Has it works perfectly for me? No, but no fatal issues either. Some of this is because wrist based heart rate monitor technology is still pretty new and cannot do some of the things that chest based monitors can. Has it worked really well for me? Yes. Would I buy it again? Absolutely.

The biggest performance issue for me is how well it tracks HR for short and very intense intervals. However, I knew this from the DC RAINMAKER review before I made my purchase.

One thing I'd stress is that coming people coming here are mostly like coming because they are having problems. Furthermore, most people don't write good reviews about the stuff they love whereas people are very vocal about their complaints. So in short, it is highly likely that this forum has a proportion of dissatisfied owners that does not properly reflect the overall customer base.