Garmin - Forerunner 735XT

My almost 10 year old Forerunner 735XT lasts longer than that, even if I keep it on during showers and record my commute to work and back every day. Newer, more powerful Garmin watches, like the Enduro 3 or Instinct 3, are even more impressive.

I think many people on Reddit are just too negative about it. Software bugs are obviously annoying, but even my FR735XT still gets Firmware updates every now and then, so it probably is still getting better. And who the f* actually needs LTE and/or Satellite calls on a watch? That's what you bring your phone for and even on my phone I don't need LTE or Sattelite calls.

Ive used Garmin exclusively on the bike for a decade plus but I find their HR tracking is wildly unreliable without a chest strap. I have a 735xt I use basically just for time and distance running/hiking because the HR is so inaccurate. Today, did 90 minutes of intervals with the 735 saying I was in Zone 0 95% of the time while Whoop (accurately) had me in Z2-Z3. Maybe higher end models differ though. Problem is I’m too cheap to find out 😂

I had a $20 vivo active 2 that was super simple. Wanted heart rate so I got a cheap Fitbit. Wanted better tracking and ability to use chest strap heart monitor, so i got a used forerunner 735xt. Fitbit wanted a subscription to see most of the data. Garmin cost more but didn't require subscription. It worked good enough but was aged technology. Got a good deal on a used 955($200 used). It's a MIP screen and I order it over newer OLED screens.

I have strong opinions about fitness trackers, and at this point I have one from just about everybody. I adore my apple watch for daily wear and sleep tracking. It has the best sensors in the biz and meshes well with apple health and the iOS ecosystem. I stayed away for years but finally relented and I think it's worth the daily charging (which can be done while you're in the shower, for the most part). I recently went on a camping trip and didn't have a charger, so I wore my garmin 735xt. It was totally inferior and really disappointed me. Sleep tracking is worse, notifications are worse (all on, or all off), and navigating on the watch stunk in comparison. It did a great job tracking the rides I did with it but it just wasn't up to snuff. The newer watches have better sensors and sleep tracking but you need to pay good money ($400) to get something that will play music without your phone, track runs and rides, and has all of the good features that you can get elsewhere for less money. Garmin has good points, but I think the battery life being better may be the biggest one. I also have a garmin head unit and it's the best for actual cycling. Or I should say, a head unit is way better than a watch for actual cycling. Your information is always there and you don't need to worry about it. Battery lasts forever and it does the job. For cycling, this is the best. In your position, I'd honestly suggest just tracking your rides with your phone, like by using strava, and connect an HR strap to that. It's the cheapest and best way to track rides. Don't leave the screen on, it won't last long, but start it and put it in your jersey pocket. I have a "Coospo" H808s heart rate strap that's been great for nearly 3 or 4 years. I've upgraded to a rechargeable one that I got for free but I wouldn't have paid for it.

I've been using Garmin watches since 2004. I've never had one fail, I've replaced them out of wanting a new feature or eventually losing battery life. Models: FR 201, 305, 225, vivoactive 1 & 3, FR 735XT, Edge 520+ 6 watches over 21 years. Plus pulling the 305 apart and replacing the battery (it still works - so did the 201 last I heard that the guy I'd given it to had passed it on)

I'm using the forerunner 735xt. It's a triathlon watch so does all the swim metrics for the pool and open water swims. It's quite an old model now so you can get them fairly cheap.

Just bought the new Fenix MIP. I would say the same. Pricey, but hopefully worth it for a long time like my 735xt I just retired!

Just wanting to add another data point as I just got a new watch. I used to use a Forerunner 735 until earlier this year when the battery died. I ended up replacing it with a VivoActive 5, just because of how cheap it was. Some observations: the new watch is generally sufficient for my running, as it tracks heart rate and cadence, which are the two main metrics I care about. It however does not have the "breadcrumbs map" that the 735 had which was fairly useful especially when running a loop and trying to estimate how much longer to get back. It also lacks the altimeter. I knew this going in, but thought that some altitude estimate will be available from the GPS signal, but this doesn't seem to be the case. This one I miss as I run a lot of hills. The VA5 also lacks the race predictor, but I don't know how useful that was. On the other hand, this watch has a ton of other sensors the old Forerunner did not have (but likely are found in new watches), like respiration, sleep score, pulse Ox, HRV. It also much nicer looking than the older F735. My verdict so far is that VA5 is perfectly sufficient for casual running, and a good deal given the low cost. However, long term, I will replace it with a Forerunner.

I just got a Forerunner 255, and I love it, plus it was on sale. I had the 735xt previously

I bought a second hand Garmin 735xt for $80 on eBay this summer and it has worked great