Garmin Forerunner 230 vs 235 – Comparison of 2023
Garmin Forerunners have become an essential device for an athlete’s life. These running watches provide runners with an array of features that enhance and improve their running experience.
They are both easy to use, have more than satisfactory battery life, and many other cool qualities that are taking the market by storm.
Although they have many similarities, it is the simple and delicate differences that will determine which one is the perfect fit for you.
The debate of Forerunner 230 and 235 is not a new one. In our article, you’ll find out exactly what these two watches offer and what separates them in terms of battery life, activity tracking, and other important features.
Garmin Forerunner 235 vs 230 Smartwatch
Although they’re similar in most of their features, they do have some important differences which we’ll discuss here.
Heart Rate Monitor
This is probably the most obvious and key difference between 230 and 235. The 235 features a wrist-based heart rate, which means it’ll measure your heart rate from the underside of the watch while for the 230, you’ll need a chest strap.
When you’re a runner, you have to monitor your heart rate on a regular basis. Anyone who’s worn a chest strap knows what a hassle it is.
It has to be tight so that it doesn’t fall off, and then it becomes too tight to run properly.
So a wrist-based HR monitor is definitely a very useful feature to have on a runner’s watch.
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Battery Life
The next difference is the battery life of the watches. And the 235 uses more power than the 230 to power its additional feature. And so the battery life of the 230 is much longer than 235.
While you can easily use the 230 for more than a month on watch mode, the 235 will last 9 days. With GPS, you’ll get 16 hours in 230 and 11 hours in 235.
Pulse Rate
Because of the wrist-based HR monitor, you’ll get around-the-clock pulse rate on the 235 for as long as you’re wearing it.
No one will wear a chest strap all day to stay informed about their pulse rate.
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Garmin Forerunner 230
A standard smartwatch suitable for athletes, the Forerunner 230 has most of the features a runner needs.
It is made of durable and highly resistant plastic that’ll be as light as a feather on your wrist.
This waterproof watch also has a sports strap made of rubber, which is sweat resistant making it perfect for runners, cyclists, or any other sports.
With a screen resolution of 215×180, it doesn’t have the brightest LCD display, but it does a decent job in daylight, and you can always turn on the backlight when necessary.
The Forerunner 230 has long-lasting battery life. It’ll last more than one month in normal watch mode and 16 hours if you want to turn on the GPS. This watch offers almost everything a runner might need.
You can track distance, pace, and speed with the GPS accurately, and once you’re done, it’ll tell you your recovery time and the VO2 max score.
For daily routine, you’ll be able to find out steps and distance walked and how many calories you burned. You can set up daily goals in the app, and the watch will show your progress.
Another great feature is the Move bar that tells you to move around if you’ve been sitting on the desk or sofa for too long.
It’s compatible with iOS and Android phones, and you can connect your watch with your phone using Garmin Connect.
You’ll receive notifications for emails, texts and you can control the music with the 230.
The app on your phone will show your daily activities statistics and review your workouts.
PROS
CONS
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Garmin Forerunner 235
The Forerunner 235 is another example of Garmin’s superb quality and accuracy when it comes to sports watches.
Its battery will last you full 9 days without charging on normal watch mode and a solid 11 hours on GPS mode.
And its plastic body gives it a lightweight feel at only 42g. If you don’t like the straps, they’re easily replaceable.
The 215×180 pixel screen is readable in daylight while running. It uses GPS and GLONASS satellites for tracking location, so it’s as accurate as it can get when measuring the distance, speed, and pace of your run.
Moreover, the best thing about the Forerunner 235 is the heart rate monitor that’s wrist-based.
By using Elevate Technology, this Garmin watch will measure your heart rate all day, all week without the need for any chest strap.
You’ll know about your heart rate when you run or cycle, and it’ll also tell you your resting heart rate.
Just like the 230, it’ll track your activity and sleep. With the push of a button, you’ll know the number of steps you took, and the calories you burned.
The sleep monitor will track the time you slept, and the Move bar will annoy you enough to get up and move about before sitting down again.
Once you connect it to your phone, it’ll display call, text, email, and social media notifications.
The audio will notify you of your pace and time as you run. You won’t even have to look at the watch.
Because it’s designed for runners, it has various advanced workout features like Auto Lap, Auto Pause, Run Profiles, Race Predictor, Psychological Measurements, and many more.
PROS
CONS
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here we have the most commonly asked queries regarding the Forerunner 230 and 235:
How do I charge my Garmin wristwatch?
When you have to charge the wristwatch, just connect the watch with a computer or laptop using a USB cable. You can also use a wall charger to charge the batteries of your watch.
Do the Forerunner watches measure heart rate?
Yes! The Forerunner 230 and 235 both are able to calculate your heart rate; however, you have to use a chest strap for the 230 while the 235 will measure it on its own.
Which watch has more features in terms of training?
Both of these watches feature many useful training features like Auto Pause, Auto Lap, etc.
In both watches, you can customize workout programs according to your needs.
Can the Forerunner watches track all kinds of sports activity?
The Forerunner watches are mainly designed for runners, so they offer almost all the features needed to track your run.
Its cycling profile will allow for basic cycle training features. And for other outdoor activities swimming, hiking, skiing it’ll track the basic data like speed, distance and time.
What’s the number one difference between the Forerunner 230 and 235?
The number one difference between these two watches is the wrist-based heart rate monitor.
And the 235 can measure your heart rate without a chest strap while you’ll need a chest strap to measure the heart rate in the 230.
Conclusion
Both of these watches are excellent choices for anyone who wants to keep up with their workouts and runs.
They’re simple to use, stylish and offer an array of features at a reasonable price.
Whether you’ll opt for the 230 or the 235 will really depend on that heart rate monitor.
But whichever one you choose we assure you that you won’t be disappointed.