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Add to SafariWhen comparing Suunto M5 vs Garmin Forerunner 235, the Slant community recommends Garmin Forerunner 235 for most people. In the question“What are the best fitness trackers with heart rate monitoring?” Garmin Forerunner 235 is ranked 6th while Suunto M5 is ranked 9th. 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
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Adapts to ones workouts
The watch can adapt to the routine one is using for their workouts in order to suggest other workouts the user may be able to handle. This basically works as a simple personal trainer, which can be encouraging to the user.
Pro Heart rate monitor is not necessary for every workout
Luckily the extra monitor is not necessary for every workout, which is nice as it can be a pain to hook up correctly and is a bit of a chore being an extra piece to worry about.
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 Setting up the heart-rate monitor can be a chore
Finding the correct placement for the heart rate pad to record correct reading can be difficult to do, which may be time consuming and a PITA.
Con Movestick can't be run on OSX
Software for the device is not OSX compatible, though users could emulate a Windows environment and use the software that way.
Con Heart rate monitoring can be hit or miss
There may be times where the monitor fluctuates out of the norm, which leads to incorrect readings. Normally this is understood when using something like a smartwatch, but to see it happening with a device that has a separate band to record heart monitoring it is a shame to see.
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.
