Garmin Fenix 3hr or 735xt?

Brad Marcus

Looking to upgrade to a tri watch WITH an optical heart rate sensor. I currently have the 910xt and have been using it with a MIO link to read HR. But time for an upgrade on the watch and the MIO battery life is ~7hrs.

So, which is it? The Fenix 3HR or the 735XT??

Price is now comparable since Garmin now offers the Fenix at 25% as of today. I've read the reviews and comparisons online, but interested in any first hand accounts.

Thank you!

Clark Mitchell

FWIW, I have the vivoactive hr and I find the hr sensor to be quite wonky. In my experience, it is generally useless while biking as it consistently reads 30 - 40 bpm higher than actual. I'm not sure if this is due to wind or road interference, but it was consistently inaccurate, to the point where I have given up using it while biking.

In addition to the issues while biking, I often have trouble at the beginning of brick runs. I have numerous bricks where my HR is 170-180 for the first 3/4 of a mile and then suddenly drops to 125-130 as expected.

The only other detail I'll throw in is that the battery life on the 735 is pretty short if you plan on using it for full distance IM or ultra type races.

scott dinhofer

I have yet to hear anything good about the optical HR...

that said, I just got a fenix 3 for skiing WITHOUT the optical sensor, will be thinking about selling my 920xt...

Phil Mills

I would, and have gone with the Fenix3 w/o HR sensor. The optical sensors incorporated into watches do not accurately track/record HR during exercise. Best to use a separate HR device like your Mio and the Garmin chest strap when you need more than 7 hrs.

The Fenix3 is due for a refresh in early 2017. Since you have a device set up that is working, I would hold off until March.

If money is the driving factor, the current discount for the Fenix3 is about $100. When the Fenix4 comes out, the F3 will probably be discounted even more, say $150-$200. Either way, waiting is a win-win.

Brad Marcus

Thanks for all the input on this. My wife heard me discussing this topic today, and shared with me that she bought me the Fenix3 for my upcoming birthday...so I guess the problem is solved for now. Will report back how the integrated HRM works after my bday!

Scott Giljum

So I use the Fenix 3 HR and actually like it quite a bit. I find the HR to be "good enough" for me. It may not be quite spot on every second, but neither was my Mio. It does seem to be relatively close to what I was experiencing and I am good with that. I will say though that I do tighten it down a notch when I am biking or running to make sure I get a good HR reading. That has made a big difference.