What Garmin do I need?
Right now, I have a Garmin 910, which is two editions past obsolete. It meets every basic need I have(*) but I have it in my noggin that I want a newer model. It seems like the 920 would be perfect, but it's also discontinued, and the 935 (or whatever the current iteration is) looks like it's too much watch for my use-case.
What I need:
-battery life ~to 10h
-quick release kit so i can transfer between a dedicated bike mount and wrist strap
-bluetooth, I guess
-stryd compatibility
-Swiss-army-knife simplicity. I on;y want one computer, but i want it to do everything.
What I don't need:
-music
-texts
-v02, FTP
What I'm not sure if i need or not (but can't identify any conceivable use in my life at this moment. Convince me otherwise?)
-optical HR
-swim metrics
-altimeter (instead of GPS-based altitude)
What I don't know that I need / unknown unknowns
?????????
thoughts?
*except 'native' stryd compatibility, but I have a functional workaround
Comments
I use Garmin 935.
I is probably overkill for me but am quite happy with it except the cable attachment. Way worse than the 920 one IMO.
@Dave Tallo I second Garmin 935. I had a 920, but it died relatively quickly (after 18 months) and since it's a generation behind, I wouldn't recommend it.
The 935 has everything you listed in your "What I need list" and some of what is in your "Don't need" column. I haven't found a recent multi-sport watch that does not also have a lot of additional bells and whistles.
The watch automatically calculates VO2, however there is nothing you need to do for that or with the information. It does display texts, but you can turn off that option (I have it turned off on my watch). I have found the optical HR sensor to be fairly accurate compared to a traditional chest heart rate monitor -- that said, you don't need to use it if you want to use a normal HR strap. When I run on the treadmill in the winter I rely exclusively on optical HR because I'm tired of wearing a chest or wrist strap. Swim metrics are automatically calculated after a swim, so you can choose to look at or not. I think most multi-sport watches are going to give you swim metrics. Lastly, the altimeter is barometer-based within the unit.
The Garmin 945 has many of the same workout metrics, but adds in music, Garmin Pay capabilities, etc., so this may have way more than you want/ need.
I have not looked at other brands such as Polar and Suunto. Check out DC Rainmaker, he has reviewed all recent watches in-depth.
I had a 920, cracked the screen and got the 935. It worked great for a long time then the charging port connection started getting a little wonky and it developed the well known altimeter problem, which never really bothered me. When the 945 came out I ordered it right away from REI and it has been solid since day one. And the battery life on it is exceptional. Never have any connectivity issues with my Stryd Wind.
I really like having music on my watch so I can leave my phone at home when I go for a run. Listening to music while running is a habit I don't think I'll ever break.
I didn't bother getting either of the HR straps. The wrist based is good enough for what I use HR for, which is pretty much nothing other than the HR cap for runs off the bike on race day or if training run calls for it.
Though, REI is having a $150 off Fenix 6 sale right now if that is of any interest to you.
I like my 945 for all the reasons people noted above. That said, of all the things you listed, "Stryd compatibility" is the only one that could push you into a more complex watch than it sounds like you otherwise want. The other asks can easily be met by a mid-level watch. As you noted, the issue of Stryd compability is also more complicated than it sounds because different watches have different levels of compatibility. I recommend skimming the link below to get a sense of which watches have the level of compatibility you want, and then going from there. If you really want true native Stryd support (not the tier 2 level or workarounds that some watches have) and 10+ hour battery life, that's not a long list. In the alternative, you don't actually need a watch for Stryd if all you want to do is analyze metrics after-the-fact. Finally, I would note that the 935 has now been out for more than 3 years, and as a result some products can't sync with it due to its age and limited compute power. I loved, loved, loved by 910xt and 920, in part because they were built like tanks and could last forever. Unfortunately modern watches often can't last that long (depending on use cases) not because they physically break faster, but because they increasing rely on apps to drive features and interop with other devices. Ever year those apps get more robust, which means the watches become less able to handle the necessary processing power. As a middle-of-the-packer, I can still do 80% of what I need with my trusty old 910xt and 920, but they simply can't do the last 10-20% (e.g., native Stryd), which is why I ended up with a 945.
https://support.stryd.com/hc/en-us/categories/360003569073-Compatible-watches-with-Stryd
Thanks everyone. This tips the scale to the 935. I really wish the 920 was still viable! In my mind (and since I last stopped paying attention), this was the "hot new watch that will be the last Garmin you ever need! "
I broke yet ANOTHER wrist band on my 920 today; been breaking them about once/year the last few years. Changed into my last free one that I got from a Garmin rep last year.
Can anyone say if the wrist bands are stronger on the 935 or 945, over the 920?
My 935 was and my 945 is my daily wear watch and I am not easy on them and they take a good amount of abuse, particularly from doorways. I have yet to break a band. Which means I now will.
The 920 I did break one band.
I remember back before the 935 came out, it seemed half the posts in a Tri group I was in on FB was people posting pics of their broken 920 bands.
I've got a 935 and I am reasonably happy with it. Optical HR is pretty bad, so a chest based strap is best. Also my elevation is always messed up so I use the TP function to auto correct it.
Agreed about extra features of 945 that I don't find necessary like music/Garmin pay etc.
Tom