52 year old casual to intermediate runner here (and a pretty serious cyclist) looking for my first running watch. With the now discounted 620/HRM Run bundle now selling for less than a 230, which would you recommend, and why? I've read the DC Rainmaker reviews, and remain completely overwhelmed. Thanks for any thoughts you might have.
sorry for the weird subject line... typed the captcha in the wrong place
52 year old casual to intermediate runner here (and a pretty serious cyclist) looking for my first running watch. With the now discounted 620/HRM Run bundle now selling for less than a 230, which would you recommend, and why? I've read the DC Rainmaker reviews, and remain completely overwhelmed. Thanks for any thoughts you might have.
questions: - will you wear the watch when you are note running? if so, would you like notifications sent from your phone to your watch? - does battery life matter to you, and charging frequency? (10 vs 16 hrs)? - are the advanced running metrics of interest to you? - are you interested in an activity tracker? - is the cost difference (<230 vs 299 for 230/HRM) a serious consideration?
i too had the option of going with the 620, but the advanced running metrics weren't of interest to me but the other things i listed above were.
also, the 230 does include a cycling mode.
hope these help create some sort of scorecard for you....
Having used both, although not a 620 for some time now, I would say the 230.
You might want to get a 620 if any of these was really important to you: Saving a bit of money Touchscreen WiFi uploads Running Dynamics (although I understand the 620 won't get updated for the 2nd generation ones that the 630 has) Customisable lap alerts
Otherwise the 230 largely does everything the 620 does but also has Bigger screen Connect IQ support Back to Start Smart Notifications Weather widget Music Controls Calendar view
-I will likely use it as an everyday "watch," so the fitness tracker and other functions of the 230 are appealing.
-I prefer the aesthetics of the 230 as well. Larger screen is a big plus.
-The advanced metrics of the 620 really interest me, but reading some user comments lead me to think the novelty would likely wear off soon.
-Money is an issue only insofar as the watch will be a gift to me, and the budget is $250.
-I have a dedicated Garmin Edge 800 for my bikes (with an HRM), so wouldn't require cycle duty for the watch.
Yes the 230 would work better as an everyday watch for the reasons mentioned but also because it comes in less flashy colors than the 620. You should be aware of its "backlight" from the past though especially if you're worried about legibility -> https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?333563-Dim-backlight
Yes the 230 would work better as an everyday watch for the reasons mentioned but also because it comes in less flashy colors than the 620. You should be aware of its "backlight" from the past though especially if you're worried about legibility -> https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?333563-Dim-backlight
Thanks for pointing that out. Going through the thread, and rereading DC's comments, I think it won't be an issue for me.
sounds like beyond the novelty of the running metrics, the 230 is the watch for you.
i have had mine as an every day watch for nearly 3 weeks now and it has worked well. yet, the verdict is still out on whether it will remain as such. the main reason for me to return is one i knew about all along: i am hard on watches. in the 3 weeks i've had the 230, i've been pretty good to it, yet the other morning i spied a bunch of white around the bezel of the watch, presumably from banging it against a painted wall at some point. most of it rubbed off, but it leads me to believe that long term, i may have to return to my trusted Bertucci field watch which is much more abuse tolerant.
but based on what you have said, i would definitely lean towards the 230.
FWIW, the basic 230 watch is $250 and is $300 with the Heart Rate Monitor.
Update. . .Received my watch from Clever Training, and it was DOA. Charged it overnight and nothing. I'll be sending it back for an exchange. Bummed that I'll miss using it during this week's spring like weather!
