Garmin Forerunner 235 Frost Blue - Watch Review
The Forerunner 235 Frost Blue is one of the sharpest affordable smartwatches in the market now, and in a relatively contested field of affordable smartwatches, it’s certainly one of the best one too. As the name suggests, it is in fact, a running smartwatch, but with a lot more than just pacing and distance measuring. It also offers detailed running dynamics, heart-rate analysis and training feedback as well.
Now, this smartwatch may have been released 2 years ago, and being 2 years old in tech is like, being 2 decades late. But there are still some future-proof features and updates on the Forerunner 235 that still keeps it as a viable option for runners looking for a bargain smartwatch.
With so much going on and so many options out there, it can be hard to nail which smartwatch you actually want, but we’ll make it easy for you. If you’re looking for a serious flagship smartwatch, this isn’t the one for you. But before you click away in your buyer’s haste for a flagship smartwatch, you might want to hang back and check out this Forerunner 235 first. It’s no flagship, but it’s a great lower-end smartwatch with plenty of great features and has a lot going for it aside from the price.
The Forerunner 235 is the brand’s iteration of a runner focused smartwatch and an upgrade over the Forerunner 45. The watches are Bluetooth smart connected and generally look just like an unfussy runner’s smartwatch. Though with the additional functionality of a higher-end smartwatch. With it, you get a step counter, heart rate monitor, run tracking and metrics, GPS, Activity tracker, and dynamic smart-training/recovery/sleep trackers as well.
Garmin has offered users who want something affordable and practical a great entrance into the world of smartwatches with timeless and sleek designs paired with practical and useful functions too.
As we mentioned earlier, the Forerunner is an upgrade over the existing Forerunner 45, which was the truly entry level runner’s smartwatch in Garmin’s line-up. But, much like when you’re shopping for wine, you wouldn’t want to always go for the cheapest option, and its often the second cheapest option that tends to be the best. The same applies for the Forerunner 235.
Charging-wise, the Forerunner 235 runs on the same connector as the Forerunner 735XT, the Forerunner 45 and more. Battery life is pretty good too, clocking in at 9-days in watch mode and 11 hours in GPS mode with the heart-rate monitor in use.
The smartwatch is capable of tracking one’s dynamic workout, running and cooldown/resting too. It is also capable of tracking/determining VO2MAX which is a nice surprise considering Its price point.
The optical sensor on the rear is capable of tracking your resting heart rate 24/7 at 1-2 second intervals and monitoring your daily stress levels too. All of this can be viewed on the aforementioned Garmin Connect app on your phone too.
Verdict
The Garmin Forerunner 235 is a great entry level smartwatch, packed full of features and functions that places it well above its price point. In fact, it’s probably one of the best affordable smartwatches in the market today. Its functionality and features trail behind full-fledged offerings from the brand or its competitors, however, this isn’t a smartwatch aimed at tech-heads looking for the highest performing smartwatch in the market. But it’s certainly enough for the average user like you and me.
It’s a move forward in blending higher end features into more affordable packages that makes for a much more consumer friendly market today. It’s brilliant. And if you’re in the market for a watch that you can always rely on and offer you the useful functionality and practicality you’d expect from a higher-end smartwatch, then it’s certainly hard to do better than the Forerunner 235.
