Garmin has just announced their new iteration of their flagship triathlon watch, the Forerunner 935. Many have asked, what’s the difference between the Forerunner 935 (commonly referred to as the FR935) and the recently released fenix 5? The most obvious difference is the price. The FR935 starts from $699, where the fenix 5 starts from $799.
However, the other main difference is the weight. If you exercise frequently, you will appreciate the lighter feel of the Forerunner 935. The FR935 weighs only 49 grams, which is incredibly light considering the features it encompasses.
The Forerunner 935 is also thinner than the fenix 5 (13.9 mm thick compared to 15.5 mm) and fenix 5S for that matter (14.5 mm thick). The FR935 also retains the barometric altimeter from the fenix 5, as well as Wi-Fi which was reserved for the Sapphire versions of fenix 5. The only downgrade was water resistance (from 100 metres on the fenix 5 to 50 metres on the FR935), which isn’t a factor for most triathletes. With Garmin quoting the same battery life as the fenix 5, the FR935 is a steal at the lower price.
Software is also improved in the Forerunner 935. The Training Status tool analyses previous workouts and general fitness levels to display whether you’re training productively, peaking or overdoing it. Another improvement is Training Load, which grabs data from a longer period to analyse a week’s worth of workouts. This helps to determine if each individual session is too easy or too hard.
The Forerunner 935 can also be paired with Garmin’s yet to be released Running Dynamics Pod (which clips to your waistband) to track and display metrics like cadence, ground contact time, vertical oscillation and stride length. This means that you don’t have to wear a HRM-Run chest strap if you’re happy measuring your heart rate from your wrist.
With a simpler design, the Forerunner 935 has all the best features of the fenix 5 and Forerunner 735XT. Like the Ford Model T, you can have any colour as long as it is Black. Unlike the Ford Model T, you can customise the FR935 with Garmin’s range of QuickFit 22 bands. If you’re a triathlete looking for maximum training data with minimal weight, this is the watch for you.
Garmin Forerunner 935 – Black / Grey
Garmin Forerunner 935 – Black / Grey (HRM-Tri Bundle)
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