Found a significant bug:

Depends on what you consider the core function of the watch.

This is designed and marketed as a running watch which is why it's in the Forerunner series. In that regard I find it to fufill its core function well. There are still some things that need to be sorted with alerts during downloaded workouts and some other things with the oHRM that some people are experiencing.

For me the oHRM has worked quite well on runs since the update of the sensor firmware update and that's why I bought this watch.

Depends on what you consider the core function of the watch.

This is designed and marketed as a running watch which is why it's in the Forerunner series. In that regard I find it to fufill its core function well. There are still some things that need to be sorted with alerts during downloaded workouts and some other things with the oHRM that some people are experiencing.

For me the oHRM has worked quite well on runs since the update of the sensor firmware update and that's why I bought this watch.

Sorry I can't buy that. Why do people keep using this excuse in Garmin's defence...?

Yes, granted it's a running watch BUT it's also being marketed as an 24/7 activity tracker. Both features should be equally functional. Go back 3 years or so and it's running only features would of cut it but not now. Not in today's market and not really for what this range of the forerunner series is being marketed towards.

If I wanted 'just a running watch' I would have just bought a FR1x or FR2x for running and a fitbit for activity tracking. The whole appeal of this particular watch is that you supposedly have everything in one device which can be worn all day long and during runs.

I agree as a running watch it's mostly ok. A few minor bugs that are aceptable for a new series. I have no issues with this part of the watch also but overall it's sub-par.

Until they fix trivial issues like having their online numbers match up with actual (and what the watch actually measured) I will continue to be on their case.

HaniC, I am in complete agreement with you. I am generally a huge fan of Garmin. I started with their Forerunner 410 and eventually moved to the 910XT when I did some triathlon training. I still have my 910XT and it works perfectly fine. However, I was especially interested in this 235 because of the OHRM and the activity tracking. Otherwise, I wouldn't have paid the expense to change watches.

I'm willing to deal with a few less-then-ideal things about the OHRM. It works okay and it's way better than having to wear a HR strap. However, when Garmin Connect has data in two different places on their own web site, and does not match each other (and one is beyond a doubt WAY off), and they can't bother to even get back with me after two weeks, I do get upset. I really hoped to know how many calories I was burning each day. That's what I expected I would be able to do (in addition to all the cool running stuff I already had with my 910XT) when I bought the watch.

I'm generally, an optimistic, happy person. All my friends have heard me brag to no end about this watch. However, I do think a little less of Garmin for this experience now. I hope they will redeem themselves and then once again I will sing their praises.

I had a GREAT 17-mile run today!! Funny though. Garmin says I also walked around for 12.98 miles in additional to that. Bahahaha.

I am also using myfitnesspal.com and this bug is totally screwing up the exercise calories. I just ran 17 km and in addition to the extra 1100-1200 kcal from that I also have something like 800-900 kcal from the same steps.

Come on Garmin.

I am also using myfitnesspal.com and this bug is totally screwing up the exercise calories. I just ran 17 km and in addition to the extra 1100-1200 kcal from that I also have something like 800-900 kcal from the same steps.

Come on Garmin.

Call Garmin and open a ticket. They will try to tell you that the numbers are okay. You need to point out that the now yesterday's calories and distance differ between the steps widget and the full steps page. It seems they are still not moving this to the front burner. In my opinion this is a key feature of the watch (calorie counting) that is completely not functional now.

I'm noticing the same problem with calories not matching up which then messes up with MyFitnessPal. If it was right in the GC app, I would still be okay with MFP being off since I could use GC to see how many calories I have left. Ideally they would all communicate seemlessly like my Fitbit did with MFP. When you notify Garmin, are you calling or emailing them? I'll do my part to help them see that this is the reason I picked this watch over others and that I expect it to work properly. Fitbit did it just fine even with me recording workouts on MapMyRun and Fitbit, so I'm not sure why they can't figure it out.

When you notify Garmin, are you calling or emailing them? I'll do my part to help them see that this is the reason I picked this watch over others and that I expect it to work properly.

I called them. I had to make them go into my account for them to see and understand that there is a discrepancy between the steps widget page and the full steps "Activities" page in both calories and distance (and that the Activities page is wrong for these two measures regarding Daily Activities). Unfortunately, like you said, this calories number is the one that feeds into MFP, which renders the calorie management part of the watch as completely useless.

I still have an open ticket. They have started to get miffed when I call to follow up on it. The first guy said they would get back to me in three business days. I waited a week and called back. The next person said they had no idea why the first person would have told me that. They said it usually takes at least two weeks. Well, now it has been that long, so I guess I'll call back again today.

Here's a good example from a few days ago. But basically it's like this every day.



Apparently i burned more calories walking 6.4km throughout the day (and with a low'ish HR) than i did running 11km in an hour (and with a high HR). Gulp!

My guess is that the daily steps calories are being calculated from the total steps, and they've forgotten to subtract off the run steps first. So from 18785 and not 8011 in the above case.

My guess is that the daily steps calories are being calculated from the total steps, and they've forgotten to subtract off the run steps first.

I know what you are saying, but mine is not consistent. I did a 20-mile run the other day and my walking steps distance was almost 18 miles (with corresponding high calories). Today I ran another 20, and this time I only showed 7.4 walking miles. This is still inflated, but not by as much. To see what I actually walked, I take the distance listed on the widget (24.1 miles) and subtract the 20 I did during the run, to see that I actually walked 4.1 miles, rather than 7.4 miles. The calories work the same way. The 4.1 walking miles makes a lot more sense based on 9,310 walking steps.

I still have not figured out any rhyme or reason as to why the distance and calories are sometimes inflated by a huge amount and other times by a smaller amount. However, I can always see the true numbers when I do the mathematical calculations described above.

At least I have noticed that the number of calories now feeding into My Fitness Pal is the correct one instead of the inflated one. I think this is a change. At least it means I might be able to start using that app to count calories again with some degree of trust.

Here's a good example from a few days ago. But basically it's like this every day.



Apparently i burned more calories walking 6.4km throughout the day (and with a low'ish HR) than i did running 11km in an hour (and with a high HR). Gulp!

My guess is that the daily steps calories are being calculated from the total steps, and they've forgotten to subtract off the run steps first. So from 18785 and not 8011 in the above case.

I'm still not convinced there is a direct relationship between the daily steps and calories burnt figure. It could be that outside of activity tracking they are calculated independently. They just appear on the same line. Perhaps the calories are HR based and the steps, steps. So you could be doing something that raises HR but logs minimal steps. I wish we had some understanding on how this is calculated as there could be wrong assumptions being made here leading people to the wrong conclusions. I'm not saying I am right, just offering an alternative theory. Tim G if you are reading this is there any way to find out? I have discussed with the helpdesk for a specific example but I don't think they understood what I was talking about!