Disclaimer: I received a free Garmin 935 watch to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"
I have been a resident on Planet Garmin since 2014 and have enjoyed every day of my stay. I am also a technology junkie so every year I have been on the planet I have upgraded my watch since I want ALL the features. I started with a Garmin Forerunner 210 (2014-2016) and my latest was a Garmin Forerunner 220 (2016-present). This year the ache to upgrade came and the call was answered with the Garmin Forerunner 935. I felt like I went from driving a bike to a Tesla.
The features on this watch have completely blown me away. I would write a 100 page review, but I will highlight a few of the features of the watch. Since I don't have the multisport accessories I will review some of the running functions.
Watch details
The Garmin 935 (https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/564291) is a multisport watch that tracks running, swimming, and biking. The watch comes with the charging cable and instruction manual. Additional accessories can be purchased to experience its full functionality. It is Bluetooth and wifi compatible. It has so many widgets that are included on the watch and more that can be downloaded.
Set up
Since I already had a Garmin watch, it was super easy to set up the Garmin 935 to sync to my phone and computer. I initially set up the watch to sync to my phone using Bluetooth. I also enable the notifications (social media, email, etc) to the watch. Later, I set up the watch to sync to my computer for software updates. I also downloaded the FACE IT app to customize the watch face with my favorite pictures.
Running features
The watch picks up the GPS signal quickly. During the runs there are so many metrics that are tracked. The watch can be customized to add or remove the metrics. I decided to try a few them. There is the temperature, distance and pace, heart rate, and interval feature. The distance and pace and interval functions are pretty standard for all Garmins. One feature I liked is when you pause the run in addition to ending the run, you have the option to Resume Later or travel Back to the Start (more on the feature later). The heart rate is measured on the wrist and more comfortable than the traditional heart rate monitor. A new feature for me was the virtual pacer.
Virtual Pacer
The virtual pacer is a fun feature that allows you to run against a virtual runner with a pace that you preprogram. This is a great feature if you want to run with a pacer without the stress of an actual pacer.
Back to the Start
The Back to the Start feature has two options: TRACBACK or Straight Line. Both guide you back to the start. I used the Tracback feature and purposely ran the route incorrectly to see what would happen. The watch gently reminded me that I was off course when I ran the wrong way. While I am not a fan of out and back routes, this could come in handy one day.
Pedometer
Another great feature of the watch is that it tracks your steps. I also have a FitBit Altra that I wear on my other wrist. The steps on both devices were within 10% of each other. I can't speak to accuracy for either device since I tend to take them off during the day and sometimes forget to put them back on. I am excited that now I can compete in Garmin step challenges. I can also monitor my steps from home screen.
Overall, I LOVE this watch. Together we are going to burn up the pavement for new PRs. There are so many features I have to explore and with every adventure I will be trying them. My only improvement would be a 2 button unlock feature similar to what is found on the Garmin 220. Sometimes, I accidently start my watch by bumping the start button. Otherwise, I am in Garmin heaven.
