630 or 235 - assuming the optical HR is accurate

I'm going through similar thought processes. I've got a Fenix 3 which I love, but the 24/7 HR monitoring feature is calling to me. Would love to know what my HR is anytime I want, and have an accurate idea of my resting heart rate. So I'm considering trading "down" to the 235. The 630 looks great too. Here are my thoughts on your points:

235 vs 620
+optical HR, including all the benefits like resting HR.
Yep - it's the killer feature of the 235. For me I'll still need a HR strap in the winter while training, but there's no way around that unless I move closer to the equator.

- touch screen, I love the touch screen on my 620.
Doesn't matter much to me. I liked the touch screen on the Vivoactive but didn't miss it when I moved to the Fenix.

- 4 customizable data screens, I'd miss this
The Fenix has like, endless customizable screens, but I only use two and usually just one, so this also doesn't matter.

~WIFI - I could care less about this as I connect to my phone
A minus for me. Yeah, Bluetooth will work, but WiFi makes synching and downloading updates seem like magic.

~basic navigation - the difference between the two is minimal
Minus for me. The 235 doesn't allow you to save your location and then later navigate back to it, like the 630. I use this feature often (e.g., to find my parked car in an unfamiliar town, or to return to a place of interest at a future date, etc.).

~running dynamics - interesting, but I really have never found a use for them
Agreed. Garmin really focuses on this, but it seems most runners don't share the same enthusiasm.

For me, a minus for both watches is that they are all plastic. At this price, especially the 630, glass and stainless steel would be a nice touch. Aesthetics is the one thing I feel I'm really giving up on when going back to the Forerunner series.

235 vs 620
+optical HR, including all the benefits like resting HR.
Yep - it's the killer feature of the 235. For me I'll still need a HR strap in the winter while training, but there's no way around that unless I move closer to the equator.

Nope, You can use miolink/scoshe rythm+ and have optical hr with every garmin fitness gear with ant+ :)

> the 24/7 HR monitoring feature is calling to me
Not quite sure what you would really do with all that data day after day although a significantly elevated resting pulse (or even lower sometimes) can point to illness and/or tiredness although you usually know that anyway according to how you feel.
A few times have worn my strap all day including at night. In the past used to religiously record my resting HR each AM and often would put my strap on before getting out of bed for good! Typically I found my "motionless" resting HR to be a few beats lower than say just sitting in a chair for a few minutes. Ultimately it was "interesting" but rarely told me anything more than I "felt" anyway.

Another factor in these device choices is how well Connect IQ will be supported on each one. Looking at the DC Rainmaker previews that bit doesn't seem to have been implemented yet. It could certainly help to fill say some navigation "gaps".

Again with dynamics yet to really see what the 2nd generation ones are about. Dynamic read out of stride length sounds interesting especially if you felt like experimenting with trying to alter your style to lower or higher cadence. also there is some new left/right balance ground contact thing bit like cyclists have left/right power percentage figures. I am wondering if could help you detect temporary imbalances that could lead to injury if not treated.

Then there is the lactate threshold piece on the 630. Usually a very important number to know for an efficient training level to try and improve your performance in distance running.

So lots to wait and see I feel.

Nope, You can use miolink/scoshe rythm+ and have optical hr with every garmin fitness gear with ant+ :)

Having a second device defeats the whole purpose for me. If I have to have a 2nd device that I put on when I want HR, I might as well use the chest strap. I tried a miolink for a while but never could get reliable data and having to have it on the same wrist as the watch made both uncomfortable. On the opposite wrist the signal would drop in and out due to the weak signal.

>So lots to wait and see I feel.

Clearly the best route would be to stay with what I have for another year and see how all of this irons out, both optical HR and new advance dynamics. By then they should be coming out with a Fenix 4 that gives the best of all worlds. Just not sure I have that kind of self control.

Nope, You can use miolink/scoshe rythm+ and have optical hr with every garmin fitness gear with ant+ :)

But they are still straps.

Assuming the hr is accurate then 235 all the way. I currently have a 620 and a fitbit charge hr. The 235 will replace the fitbit as an activity tracker and as a hr monitor. My only concern is one of comfort. I've been wearing the 620 around trying to get used to the size.

In any case, I will probably keep my strap for runs just in case.

I can't wait for release- hopefully won't be too long.

My only concern is one of comfort. I've been wearing the 620 around trying to get used to the size.

This! As an all-day watch activity tracker size is pretty important to me, and easy to overlook in all the HR excitement.

I really want to know if the 235 dimensions on the Garmin webpage are accurate or cut-and-paste-to-be-updated. I find it hard to believe the addition of the HRM only adds 1g of weight and no extra size from the 230! If the watch turns out to be bulky like the 225 (as an all-day watch) i might wait for the vivoactive 2 HR, which i'm sure will be announced early 2016. Then decide.

Doesn't matter much to me. I liked the touch screen on the Vivoactive but didn't miss it when I moved to the Fenix.

Can you comment on the vivoactive vs the more dedicated running watches (forerunner, fenix, etc)?

I LOVE how thin and light the vivoactive is, and that it does swimming as well as running. It seems to do all the basic sports stuff really well.

Not so good is no running interval options (everyone says there'll be a 3rd party app for that, but the ones i've seen look like a bit of a hack to me), and no audible alerts which you need to hear splits etc (or are the vibrations good enough? - certainly vibrations alone on my FR220 are not).

Aside from the advanced stuff like running dynamics (which is of limited interest to me), what do you (think you) give up going from the fenix (or 230) to the vivoactive? What if they bought out a vivoactive HR?

I thought the vivoactive was a great value for the price. What I didn't like is that each screen could only have 3 data fields. No more, no fewer. I also missed having customizable workouts and Garmin calendar training plans. The fenix and 230/235/630 have these features. GPS was accurate and the size was amazingly small for all it did. The vibration alerts were weak, although I think those were later improved.