Garmin - Forerunner 235

Used garmin forerunner 235. It’s like $30 on eBay and does everything. Awesome watch.

If you're on a budget I suggest you look into a second hand Garmin watch. That's how I got my very first watch - a Forerunner 235 that cost me 70€. Of course it has its flaws and is not as modern, high tech or complete as the most recent versions but it 100% serves the process of getting me to run, program workouts, give me metrics and track my progress. The battery life usually lasts one week which is less than the newer ones but I find it pretty good. At least in my country there is always a second hand market because people often like to upgrade their watch and sell the old version

I have a Garmin Forerunner 235 which is fairly basic, but it can record runs, bike rides and other activites using the "Other" activity type (which is what I use for walks/hikes). It's a few years old and now fairly cheap so it sounds like it would suit your needs. If you feel a bit weird about having a used one, buy a new watch strap for it (pretty cheap) and give the unit itself a clean with soap and a toothbrush, problem solved.

Hey I'd highly second this - I got a used Garmin forerunner 235 for about £60 and even though it's an old model it works great and supports all synced workouts on Runna. I haven't felt I've ever missed out on the bells and whistles and tbh for something that's been out for so long the support even now is amazing. Hope this helps but just wanted to chime in after I saw you posted a reply - good luck!

I have an Apple Watch s6 and an older Garmin (FR235), I wouldn’t recommend an older AW, mine only tends to hold a charge for 18 hours or so whereas the Garmin, although it has less functionality as a smart watch, it does give more stats for running and the battery life is more like a week. That coupled with Apple’s habit of withdrawing support for older devices would definitely lead me to the Garmin if I had to make the choice.

I have a Garmin forerunner 235 which has been amazing the 5-6 years plus I have had it . GPS/mapping , heart rate , step count , many other things and a great battery. There maybe newer models out there but I will definitely get another Garmin watch.

I have a Galaxy watch now, but it's crap as a fitness tracker. When I want accurate data, I wear my old Garmin. I think it's a Forerunner 235? That may not be in production anymore, but any of the entry-level Garmins would work.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 235 and have used it originally to run but useful for swimming laps in a pool or out in the ocean. Now I'm using it as more of a rest timer between sets when lifting, use the indoor bike or jump on the treadmill. Pretty flexible for whatever activity you wish to track.

Both my partner and I love our Apple Watches but they are horrendously bad at tracking accuracy and would terminally underestimate distance by around 5-10%. For some reason my partner’s would only record her heart rate for around 20% of a workout. Tried all the usual (tightening wrist band, re-pairing etc) but they just don’t work as a fitness tool. It’s a real shame because as a smart watch they are amazing (especially leaving your phone at home with the cellular models), but as a training tool, my 8 year old Forerunner 235 is a better option than my 1 year old Apple Watch.

Wife has the 265 and I have the 965. Battery life is good on the 235 and excellent for the 965. Maps as mentioned is the biggest difference.

For me, Garmin watches were one of the best investments in my life. I was never a sporty person, but with age, having regular activities becomes a pleasure and necessity. I started running more than fifteen years ago, and an old Forerunner 305 (not even a "smart" watch) was a better companion than a smartphone. Then I switched to Forerunner 235, a good watch that just worked and didn't require charging more often than once every few weeks. Five years ago, I bought an Apple Watch, and I was negatively surprised how it sucks for running and fitness tracking in general - a one-hour run drains half of a day's battery, sleep tracking doesn't work automagically - you need to have a sleep schedule, and if you fall asleep during the day, the watch doesn't catch it. Also, I had to charge this watch daily. In general, maybe it's stupid to stop running because of the watch, but I stopped because there were too many inconveniences with the Apple Watch to continue. As for the smartness, the Apple Watch was not as smart as I expected—yes, it had good integration with the iPhone and Mac and some nice features, but even these integrations have gotten worse over the last few years. So when this year, the battery of my Apple Watch finally died, it became the best event for my health in many years because I bought a Forerunner 255 (which is 5x cheaper than the Apple Watch, BTW) and started to run again. The results since April: VO2 max—from 41 to 45, lactate threshold—from 6:23min/km to 5:40min/km, and overall better quality of life.

I use Garmin forerunner watch, sync Strava with Garmin Connect and sync Komoot with Strava. It works like a charm.

I have a Garmin Edge bike computer and chest based heart rate because I like to see my speed on the handlebars rather than having to look at my watch. It also navigates for me on more adventurous rides and race courses I'm unfamiliar with. For local social rides I just track on my Garmin Forerunner watch.

Runs are the same concept as rides. Personally, I use purpose-built devices to record: Garmin Edge bike computer, Garmin Forerunner watch (they also both do navigation, connect to heart rate sensors, watch does music, etc.). When I stop an activity and hit save, it's uploaded to Strava before I can even get the garage door open. I don't want to carry my phone on a run, and I don't want to run down the battery on all-day rides.

People have to stop comparing these. These are for two different people. I would never wear an Apple Watch based on battery life alone. I specifically got the Garmin for a wrist based gps and mapping tool to track and orient myself. You buy an Apple Watch to use smart features and be connected to your phone. Garmin has never been in that market. It’s a whole company based on gps systems for outdoor activities . You buy an Apple Watch to have Apple ecosystem. you can’t use half the feature of the fenix on an iPhone bc they only want you to use their watch… Garmin are all specifically made for their audience even down the the model . Apple watches are just to keep you plugged into your phone and have no bearing on actual outdoor activities despite calling it ultra. The Millitary has been orienteering with Garmin wrist based gps systems forever. You’d never catch an Apple Watch on patrol in Afghanistan. 😂