When comparing Xiaomi Mi Band 2 vs Garmin Forerunner 235, the Slant community recommends Garmin Forerunner 235 for most people. In the question“What are the best fitness trackers?” Garmin Forerunner 235 is ranked 8th while Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is ranked 16th. The most important reason people chose Garmin Forerunner 235 is:
It's quite lightweight at 1.6oz and has a large bright display for easy reading while on the move in all types of lighting conditions. It's water resistant up to 50 meters so you're safe to wear it running in all types of weather.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Good product for the price
It's a great option if you're not looking to invest a lot of money but still want a tracker with a decent set of features.
Pro Same functionality of competitors for half the price or less
You get step tracking, sleep tracking, vibrate notifications, call notifications, clock, alarm, custom actions (via third party apps), heart rate reader (albeit not the most precise one) for the fraction of the cost of the competitors.
Pro Ideal tracker for runners
It's quite lightweight at 1.6oz and has a large bright display for easy reading while on the move in all types of lighting conditions. It's water resistant up to 50 meters so you're safe to wear it running in all types of weather.
Pro Quickly picks up a GPS signal
It picks up the GPS signal much faster than most other GPS fitness trackers available, so there is little waiting around for it to connect before you start your run.
Pro Customize the display screen to display the data most important to you
The display screens are fully customizable so you can control which stats you want to see.
Pro Extremely lightweight and comfortable
Despite the amount of hardware this tracker contains and it's large size, it's very lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Cons
Con Very unreliable build quality
There are many reports of the track malfunctioning right out of the box or after only a few hours of use. This includes the LED display not working, the heart rate function not working, and buyers being sent used products.
Con Heart rate monitor is very unreliable
Along with frequently not working at all, it has a tendency to be quite inaccurate. It struggles to read the HR when you're sweating as well so isn't useful during exercise.
Con Has trouble tracking heart rate during intervals
During interval training when there is a frequent change of exertion, the Forerunner 235 has trouble continuously providing accurate readings. It's better suited for running with a sustained pace.
Con Needs to be recharged often
Garmin states the watch has a battery life of 11 hours training and 9 days of use as a watch, which is a fairly short charge compared to other fitness trackers.
However many people have found the actual charge to be much less, often needing to be recharged every couple of days.