Fitness wearables are one of the most popular tech items of 2017. The latest generation of fitness wearables have come in the form of highly intelligent and functional devices that are a fusion of fully-fledged smartwatch and lightweight fitness analytics tools, combining cutting-edge biometric tech with rugged and innovative design.
Forerunner is a smart wearable company that is leading the charge in the creation of advanced and unique wearable technology. Offering products from simple fitness bands to extreme sports altimeter watches with in-built GPS mapping capacity, Forerunner are one of the best known and highest quality manufacturers in the sport and fitness wearable industry.
The Forerunner 935 is Forerunner’s latest premium, custom-built GPS enabled running and triathlon smartwatch fitness tracker. Offering a massive range of functionality designed from the ground up to offer runners and endurance athletes a suite of powerful analytical, tracking, and mapping tools, the Forerunner 935 is shaping up to be one of the most feature rich running watches of the year.
In this article, we’ll take a close look at the Forerunner 935 and check out its features, design, abilities, and tech specs to help you decide whether it’s the right smart running companion for you.
What is the Garmin Forerunner 935?
From the first glance at the product rap sheet, it’s clear that Forerunner have created the 935 to offer the ultimate smartwatch solution for runners. The 935 offers a suite of features that go above and beyond the industry standard of sports and fitness watches.
In the Forerunner 935 you’ll find all of the features you’d expect from a premium running smartwatch- wrist-based heart rate tracking, training status, and running dynamics, as well as a number of advanced features that generally come with a far higher price tag than that of the 935.
The Garmin Forerunner 935 is also able to provide advanced analytic features such as VO2 max, FTP, and even comprehensive, actionable training and coaching functionality to help runners improve their game. The watch itself boasts a lightweight and comfortable design that offers users the ability to quickly swap out straps via the Quickfit Band system, allowing fitness enthusiasts to switch from rugged high performance straps for the track to elegant, fashionable bands for black tie events.
The 935, like the entire Forerunner range, can be paired with the Garmin Connect app, which is available for both iOS and Android. The app allows for high resolution fitness tracking, calorie tracking, and access to a huge online community of fitness enthusiasts, workout plans, and more. When paired with a compatible smartphone, the Forerunner 935 automatically communicates with the Garmin Connect cloud server, storing progress and allowing users to compete with other Garmin Connect athletes.
The smartwatch functionality of the 935 also allows users to receive push notification, text messages, emails, and call notifications via the watch, as well as set alarms, audio prompts, and control music. The 935 doesn’t have to be connected to a smartphone to share data, however- a quick connection wifi feature allows for on-the-fly updating when your phone battery is dead.
Features & Abilities
The feature list of the Forerunner 935 is extensive. The performance, recovery, and training abilities of the 935 are some of the most comprehensive available from any fitness tracker, allowing for in-depth training analysis and recovery planning.
The Training Status functionality of the 935 is a new feature from Garmin that analyzes performance history over a training period, delivering detailed insights on development and helping athletes and sports enthusiasts hit their goals faster by providing a sports science based analysis on productive training, peaking, or overreaching.
A new anaerobic training feature, unique to the 935 line, presents an easy-to-interpret summary of anaerobic capacity. Garmin Forerunner 935 users are also able to view their overall training load, which collates the data gathered by the device over the last 7 days and compares it to the overall optimal range of all data collected, helping individuals training for competitive events quickly see how their progress is going.
The Forerunner 935 also offers a high-resolution technique tracking function. The 935 uses information gathered by the biometric sensor suite to assess ground contact time, stride length, balance, vertical oscillation, and cadence to provide actionable and helpful tips on how to correct the form of the user to achieve better overall performance.
The technique tracking functions of the 935 can be augmented by the addition of the Garmin Running Dynamics Pod or a heart rate monitor strap to increase accuracy and insight. The innovative construction of the 935 even allows for it to be used to track swimming metrics, counting strokes, pace, distance, and more to help swimming enthusiasts move more efficiently in the water.
A major improvement in the Forerunner 935 over previous models is the battery life. The Forerunner 935 can be used for up to 24 hours in GPS tracking mode, or more than 50 hours in the Garmin Ultratrac Battery Saver mode. Without the advanced fitness tracking functionality enabled, the 935 can be used as a standard smartwatch for a massive two weeks on a single charge.
Garmin Forerunner 935 Design & Specifications
The 935 is kitted out with both GPS and GLONASS satellite coverage, allowing for unrestricted movement throughout almost any environment or location imaginable. The 935 comes complete with an on-board barometer that provides real-time elevation information, and is built around a case and bezel made from fiber-reinforced polymer.
The lens of the 935 is constructed from high quality shatterproof glass, and the whole unit offers a 5 ATM waterproof rating, making it ideal for swim tracking. With a 240 x 240 pixel display that can be customized with a range of watch faces, custom apps, training programs, and medical information, the Forerunner 935 is one of the most versatile run tracking smartwatches available on the market.
Garmin Forerunner 935 Verdict
If you’re looking for the ultimate fitness tracking smartwatch, the Forerunner 935 is one of the best choices available in 2017. Custom-built for running but offering functionality that supports almost any physical activity, the 935 offers metrics and features not found in any other fitness smartwatch on the market.
