Garmin Forerunner 935: Review

Disclaimer:  I received the Garmin Forerunner 935 to use and review as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave 

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It's hard to contain my excitement with my latest product review!  I have been an avid runner since 2011.  In the last seven years, I have been extremely loyal to Garmin.  It's the only brand I've ever owned. 

I still remember my very first GPS watch.  I was so excited to have a running watch that tracked GPS and told me simple statistics like time, pace and mileage. I felt like the coolest cat on the block.  I had arrived, officially, as a serious runner.  

Fast forward another year.  I upgraded.  Then, I upgraded again to the forerunner 235.   The forerunner 235 was the GPS watch that I felt was the absolute "Taj Mahal" of running watches.  It had so many specs and notifications, I was in heaven!  It is truly a watch that does everything.   How could any watch do more? 

But then.... enter the Forerunner 935!   When developing this watch, Garmin thought of everything; from the sleek design, to the multi-sport functions and even the silky feel of the band on your skin.  Yes, as a female, the silky feel is definitely something I noticed. 

I could honestly discuss every aspect of this watch, but in an effort to keep my blog post from becoming a novel, I will concentrate on just a few.  If you are interested in learning more about this watch, please visit the website here.  

TREADMILL RUNNING & CALIBRATION 

Being a Minnesotan, I'm used to running in all weather conditions, but sometimes it's just impossible to run outside; especially at -20 degrees.  I do own a treadmill and I use it frequently.  Until receiving the forerunner 935, my data for indoor runs was sub-par.  Sure, after several runs it seemed that my previous watch would calibrate relatively close to the actual pace and mileage.    

However, I was very excited to see just how awesome this watch does with indoor treadmill runs.  After my first run, I was immediately prompted with a message to calibrate and put in my actual treadmill statistics.  I was very impressed with this function and I'm happy to report that my second run indoors the watch data was EXACT.  Now that's a cool function!  Way to go Garmin!   It's certainly nice to be able to record your stats while using the treadmill.   

VO2 Max 

What is VO2 max?  It's the maximum rate of oxygen consumption after incremental exercise.  Essentially, the higher the number, the better the runners cardiovascular fitness is.  It also reflects the endurance capacity of a runner during exercise.  Elite runners are in the very high 60s and low 70s usually.  Over the course of that last month, I have seen my VO2 max increase which makes me happy! 

SLEEP FUNCTION

The Forerunner 935 syncs effortlessly with the Garmin Connect App and my Iphone 6.  It is in this app, that I gain so many other valuable statistics.  I am definitely a data nerd so I enjoy browsing the app to find my daily stats.  One in particular that I really love is the sleep functionality.  I wear this watch 24/7.  The only time I take it off is to shower (even though it's waterproof) and to charge.  Sidenote:  I rarely charge this watch.  It's battery life is amazing!

This watch is sleek and comfortable to sleep in and I absolutely love the alarm!  It gives me a gentle vibrate to wake me up.  Because I wear it to sleep, I have completely eliminated my noisy clock alarm and my husband doesn't even know I leave the room for my early morning wake-up calls.   For an added bonus, there is a snooze function.  I must admit that I've used the snooze function a few times. 

Along with the alarm, the Forerunner 935 will record your sleep statistics based on your movement during sleep.  With two little boys and early morning visits to their bedroom, it's funny to see where I spike and when I'm sleeping deeply.  

GPS 

One of the most exciting things for me to see after I complete a run is my GPS map.  The Garmin Connect App does a fabulous job pinpointing your exact locations.  Someday, I'd like to try to make a cool pattern out of my GPS map.  How cool is this data? 

 

 

STATISTICS 

I truly believe there is not much else this Garmin can do.  But, here are a few of the added statistics that this watch has:

• Heart Rate - I really enjoy knowing my heart rate at my fingertips while training
• Steps  - I have a 10,000 step goal daily
• Intensity Minutes
• Floors climbed
• Stress - according to my stats, my stress level is low.  YIPPEE!
• Calories in/out
• Sleep - I could get more sleep, but couldn't everyone?

NOTIFICATIONS 

 

As I stated before, I am a data nerd and notifications are one of my favorite aspects of this watch.  This watch will receive text, call, movement, and social media notifications. Don't worry, if you don't want to get all of them, you can use your phone settings to turn them off!    It has also completely replaced my Garmin Vivosmart for all of my activity notifications. 

 

 

 

 

I honestly could gush about this watch for days and days.  I am a Garmin lover for life and this watch has made me a true believer.  In my opinion, it does have an above average price of $499.  But, what I will say is - this watch delivers!  If you are debating at all whether this watch is for you don't be nervous.  It will absolutely fill your needs and then some! 

 

Happy Running! Now, go buy that Garmin!