Ok I have been spending way too much time researching which garmin watch to buy. Yes I live in the stoneage but my 310 xt lasted for a good 4 years now it is done! Does not recognize any heart rate monitor, new old etc. I used the strap and don't mind it however wouldn't mind doing away with the strap but because of issues with ohrm's don't mind continuing to use it. Anyways, I am looking into buying the 935 xt for many reasons but feel it has too much that I likely won't use. But prefer to be up-to-date with the watches these days. What are your thoughts on the optical hr monitor on the 935 xt? and in general as a solid watch...but it is super pricey...thus my hesitation. I was thinking the 735, or the 235 but not sure. I wouldn't mind more analytics in a watch. Can you and anyone please chime in if you have the 935 xt or if you went with a different one? I want to have a watch that will last a good 3 years or so, 500 bucks is a lot though. Also does this work with the older garmin hrm's? and what about the polar strap? and I read DC Rainmaker's review of the Scosche so may invest in that, but shouldn't a 500$ watch that uses optical monitoring really be accurate? sigh....decisions, decsions....thanks for the help!!
If you need a tri/multisport watch, you can't do any better than the 935. I've had mine since last April, and it's amazing. Upgrading from a 310xt would be a mind blowing upgrade. Yes, I find the optical HRM to be pretty accurate; more so than the 235 that I replaced it with (the 735xt uses the same HRM as the 235.. the Forerunner 935 is the next gen HRM). The only thing to be aware of is that it will not work while swimming; you need to wear a chest strap to get a reliable heart rate. Yes, it should work with all the older Garmin straps... not sure about Polar.
The 735xt is still a decent tri watch, but as you know is on the way out. Since you want to keep this watch for 3+ years, I'd definitely pay the extra for the 935, it will last longer!
I love my 935 but if you are on a budget I would say your best bet would be a 920xt, you can get them with just an HRM-Run for $270, or with the tri-bundle for $350 new and they have almost all the same core functionality as the 935. The 935 is faster, looks better, and has some cool extras, but your best bang-for-the-buck is undoubtedly the 920xt. It will still be a bind blowing upgrade from a 310
Thanks for the responses. What about the 735? How is the optical heart rate monitor of the 935? For instance, if I wear the watch all day, can I shut off the optical hrm? to reduce battery consumption? In all honesty I checked out the 920 but it is still a bit dated no? then I will have to upgrade again in a few years? how is the optical hrm on the 920xt? I would prefer to do away with the heart rate strap, but not sure if the optical hrm is dependable? thoughts?
The optical HR is a hit or miss thing. Totally useless for me. Works maybe for half of my activities, but since you don't know which half is accurate, it becomes useless. For other users it seems to be spot on. For most it seems to do fine outside of activities but even here I've had problems. But no optical HR I've tried works for me on the wrist. Only way to know if it'll work for you is to try it. Won't be worse than your 310 :)
If you don't care about the battery lasting 24 hours or the multi-sport modes, you could check out the new 645. One benefit of the latest watches is they will continue to be supported longer. I'm guessing the 645 hardware is pretty much identical to the 935 and Fenix 5 (other than Garmin Pay chip and music memory). The 920 would do everything you want from a fitness stand point but probably will never get another update, and wouldn't be as good as an every day watch.
ok than that is that. How is the optical hrm on the 935? compared to the 735? or even the 235? honestly the 935 is a pretty price. I would not mind hte 235 but if the optical hrm on the 935 is better than I might go with that one.
Optical HR is a personal thing. Some will swear blind that it works for them, others (me included) will say that it is generally useless for all but the easiest of activities and general day-to-day tracking. Whether it's better or worse depending on the device is another issue. If you want to track HR in activities, you need a strap around the chest to as certain as you can be that you will get good outcomes.
Thanks. Yep that is what I figured. Maybe I will get the 235 then? or the 920? and maybe knab the Scosche which I heard is pretty good. Does the 920 support the Scosche? and other Ant+ straps and monitors? this is helpful thanks.
The Scosche Rhythm+ is ANT+ and supported by all Garmin watches that can be used with an external heart rate monitor. For me the Scosche works very well during activities (running, biking). You can not use it to track heart rate 24/7 because the rechargable battery lasts "only" 8 hours.
