Garmin Forerunner 235 €120 in Argos

brophs · 21-03-2020 10:26am #1

Saw this on HUKD and as it’s still in stock in some stores, it might be of some use to someone. Not the newest watch, but really good value at that price.

https://m.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1159534/Trail/searchtext%3EGarmin+Forerunner.htm

deconduo · 21-03-2020 1:17pm

Yeah that's a fantastic price for a solid running watch.

Damo 2k9 · 21-03-2020 1:30pm

Brilliant price for that. Have had the 235 for 2+ years and not a single problem with it.

Roberto_gas · 22-03-2020 8:48am

How is heart rate accuracy and battery life ? Its 4 year old model and have heard negative things ! Thank u

rambunctious1 · 22-03-2020 9:05am

Roberto_gas wrote: »

How is heart rate accuracy and battery life ? Its 4 year old model and have heard negative things ! Thank u

Got rid of a Fitbit Versa and got this instead about a year ago. Battery life is great. Even though it's waterproof I charge it each day while in the shower and that's it. If only wearing for workouts/runs etc... you should still get a couple of weeks between charges. Haven't done any serious research but heart rate and sleep seemed comparable to the Fitbit. I've read about heart rate inaccuracies on these but never experienced it and a separate chest strap monitor, will always give better results than any of these built in wrist monitors. Solid watch, fast GPS and a bargain at that price.

Rowley Birkin QC · 22-03-2020 2:14pm

Nice, thanks OP.

I've reserved one while I research. Is there anything else in the same ballpark that's comparable?

I have a cheapo tracker and have been meaning to get something like this. Use an android phone, presume that doesn't complicate things?

iggy · 22-03-2020 2:31pm

Cheers.
Ordered one to replace my Huawei W1 which has packed in.
Out of stock in liffey Valley but available from Wed /Fri

ted1 · 22-03-2020 2:42pm

I’ve reserved one but might leave it. I currently have a charge 2, it has a good battery life and can record cycles aswell as runs. The garmin does not seem to be able to do cycles

Roberto_gas · 22-03-2020 3:30pm

rambunctious1 wrote: »

Got rid of a Fitbit Versa and got this instead about a year ago. Battery life is great. Even though it's waterproof I charge it each day while in the shower and that's it. If only wearing for workouts/runs etc... you should still get a couple of weeks between charges. Haven't done any serious research but heart rate and sleep seemed comparable to the Fitbit. I've read about heart rate inaccuracies on these but never experienced it and a separate chest strap monitor, will always give better results than any of these built in wrist monitors. Solid watch, fast GPS and a bargain at that price.

Thanks I was thinking about versa as fitbit has a big community! Why do you charge it daily if i may ask !

opus · 22-03-2020 5:30pm

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Nice, thanks OP.

I've reserved one while I research. Is there anything else in the same ballpark that's comparable?

I have a cheapo tracker and have been meaning to get something like this. Use an android phone, presume that doesn't complicate things?

It's one of the older Garmin models but pretty well regarded, detailed review here.

No problem using an Android phone, you just need to install their Garmin Connect app, works very well.

fitzer1982 · 22-03-2020 7:29pm

Thanks OP, grabbed one in Drogheda early this morning. I remember this being close to 300 euro in price a couple of years ago.

ULMarc · 22-03-2020 7:54pm

Roberto_gas wrote: »

How is heart rate accuracy and battery life ? Its 4 year old model and have heard negative things ! Thank u

I've had its sibling, the 230, which doesn't have the HRM for 5 years. The battery is still grand. I can't speak for HR accuracy of course. I use a chest strap with mine.

Though the watch is useless for both pool and open water swimming. If you had interest in swimming the cheapest option from Garmin would be the 735xt. Otherwise the 235 is still a fantastic choice.

Rowley Birkin QC · 23-03-2020 5:03pm

Weird, I reserved one, got the email and went to check it there for when I could collect but it doesn't have a reservation number?

Anyone have a spare reservation they didn't use?

Reg'stoy · 23-03-2020 6:17pm

Heads up for people whose local argos mightn't have one in stock, got a similar watch using Harvey Norman's price match promise. Don't let them fudge you off saying that it has to be in stock in a local argos, any one will do.

As far as I know, curry's, Powercity and DID do similar price match promises.

Rossie11 · 24-03-2020 10:05am

Back up to 180euro again
damn it..

sheldon16 · 24-03-2020 10:32am

Hi, have a code and just on the way to collect. Will they honour the €120?

Roberto_gas · 24-03-2020 10:46am

sheldon16 wrote: »

Hi, have a code and just on the way to collect. Will they honour the €120?

Yes they should show them the mail with price

brennarr · 24-03-2020 12:14pm

iggy wrote: »

Cheers.
Ordered one to replace my Huawei W1 which has packed in.
Out of stock in liffey Valley but available from Wed /Fri

I reserved for Liffey Valley too but didn't get a reservation number - might not now be able to get it for €120 now :mad:

Soarer · 24-03-2020 12:22pm

If you didn't get a reservation number, you didn't have a reservation.

brennarr · 24-03-2020 12:26pm

Soarer wrote: »

If you didn't get a reservation number, you didn't have a reservation.

Yeah, I got the reservation email less the code as it had to be delivered to the store.

I have a reservation code for another store for the €120 but I won't be able to make it today - I doubt they will honor the price on that email?

Soarer · 24-03-2020 12:36pm

brennarr wrote: »

Yeah, I got the reservation email less the code as it had to be delivered to the store.

I have a reservation code for another store for the €120 but I won't be able to make it today - I doubt they will honor the price on that email?

I'd say ring them and ask.

The delivered to store part is irrelevant. You'd still have gotten a code if it was a valid reservation. Literally in the last 5 minutes, I've gotten the text to say mine has been delivered to the store, and I have a reservation code.

iggy · 24-03-2020 12:46pm

brennarr wrote: »

I reserved for Liffey Valley too but didn't get a reservation number - might not now be able to get it for €120 now :mad:

Same here.
Was supposed to be in stock from tomorrow.
Anyone recommend something similar for roughly same price?

Roberto_gas · 24-03-2020 12:56pm

iggy wrote: »

Same here.
Was supposed to be in stock from tomorrow.
Anyone recommend something similar for roughly same price?

go for fitbit versa or versa 2 with a bit higher price.....very good fitness trackers

Casey78 · 24-03-2020 12:59pm

Roberto_gas wrote: »

go for fitbit versa or versa 2 with a bit higher price.....very good fitness trackers

Big difference between a running watch and a fitness tracker.

Limpy · 24-03-2020 1:02pm

HR is poor on the 230 and 235. I have both.

Roberto_gas · 24-03-2020 1:33pm

Casey78 wrote: »

Big difference between a running watch and a fitness tracker.

Agree....Versa does most of the stuff 235 does barring having its own GPS. So if you cannot carry your phone on a run then dont go with a Versa

ted1 · 24-03-2020 1:39pm

Casey78 wrote: »

Big difference between a running watch and a fitness tracker.

Care to expand on that.

I’ve decided to keep my Fitbit as it offers more functionality. I’ve a charge 2 so it uses the GPS of the phone. And connects to Strava.

Paranoid Mandroid · 24-03-2020 1:45pm

ted1 wrote: »

Care to expand on that.

I’ve decided to keep my Fitbit as it offers more functionality. I’ve a charge 2 so it uses the GPS of the phone. And connects to Strava.

Having a watch with its own GPS is much better than carrying a phone around on a run. If you don't mind then charge 2 or whatever all the way.

ec18 · 24-03-2020 1:50pm

Offer has expired

brennarr · 24-03-2020 3:13pm

Soarer wrote: »

I'd say ring them and ask.

The delivered to store part is irrelevant. You'd still have gotten a code if it was a valid reservation. Literally in the last 5 minutes, I've gotten the text to say mine has been delivered to the store, and I have a reservation code.

They honoured the €120. They rang the other store with my reservation number to confirm the price and if it hadn't been bought already so all good.

pissed · 24-03-2020 4:22pm

Just picked mine up in Blanchardstown. No issues with them honoring the reduced price once I showed the email.

ted1 · 24-03-2020 5:05pm

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

Having a watch with its own GPS is much better than carrying a phone around on a run. If you don't mind then charge 2 or whatever all the way.

I carry a phone in a pouch to play music anyway.

ooter · 24-03-2020 6:48pm

got one earlier for 120 euro, gave the girl at the till my reservation number and all was good, was showing as 180 euro at the machines.

ParkyJiSung · 24-03-2020 8:58pm

Any one have any idea if they will open tomorrow? Or is the announcement earlier mean they are shut? The website is down

sheldon16 · 24-03-2020 9:04pm

They are shut. Got a text from them and email

Roberto_gas · 24-03-2020 9:16pm

Cancelled my reservation as they r shut

deiseindublin · 24-03-2020 9:23pm

Cancelled mine too.

iggy · 24-03-2020 10:30pm

Would an Amazfit Bip be any good compared to the Garmin forerunner 235?

event · 24-03-2020 10:44pm

What are you using it for?

It's not a fitness watch, it's a running watch. Never heard of that brand before tbh

Casey78 · 25-03-2020 10:21am

iggy wrote: »

Would an Amazfit Bip be any good compared to the Garmin forerunner 235?

Garmin is a running watch for runners.
Amazfit Bip is for people who want to count how many steps they do in a day

ejmaztec · 25-03-2020 3:45pm

I had an inkling that the big "close down" was going to happen, so rushed in on Monday to get two of them, because me and the missus had cheap crap fitness watches, that were combined with unfit crap iPhone apps, and didn't record more than 10% of anything pertinent.

Thanks again OP

ErinGoBrath · 25-03-2020 4:07pm

Casey78 wrote: »

Garmin is a running watch for runners.
Amazfit Bip is for people who want to count how many steps they do in a day

I disagree, the Bip is a lot more useful that that. It's got it's own GPS, HR monitor and can track sports including running with reasonable enough accuracy for the majority of runners.

Roberto_gas · 25-03-2020 4:11pm

BIP is a good kit with great battery life....value buy. Wont give u premium feel !

event · 25-03-2020 6:18pm

If you're serious about running though, get a garmin. The extras you can pair to it plus the data from the app itself, very handy

ooter · 03-04-2020 7:15pm

anyone else having issues with their argos bought garmin?
I reckon these are a faulty batch that they let go cheap, been using mine for a couple of weeks now and it's definitely not accurate and when I upload my runs on to garmin connect half of the run doesn't even appear on the map. did loops on one of my runs last week and the map was all over the shop instead of being a perfect continuous circle. any other watch I've ever had always clocked the same loop at pretty much 1km but this watch was clocking less than 1km. did a test with it today, ran 2 miles out on a straight road and then turned back, when I got back to the point I started the watch had only clocked 1.8 miles. did the same out and back again and it was a bit more accurate but it clocked 2 miles further up the road than it did the first time around.
will definitely be bringing it back when argos opens back up

gabbo is coming · 03-04-2020 7:23pm

ULMarc wrote: »

I've had its sibling, the 230, which doesn't have the HRM for 5 years. The battery is still grand. I can't speak for HR accuracy of course. I use a chest strap with mine.

Though the watch is useless for both pool and open water swimming. If you had interest in swimming the cheapest option from Garmin would be the 735xt. Otherwise the 235 is still a fantastic choice.

Getting my second replacement 235 from Garmin. After about 2 years, HR light stays on and kills the battery

ejmaztec · 04-04-2020 1:16am

ooter wrote: »

anyone else having issues with their argos bought garmin?
I reckon these are a faulty batch that they let go cheap, been using mine for a couple of weeks now and it's definitely not accurate and when I upload my runs on to garmin connect half of the run doesn't even appear on the map. did loops on one of my runs last week and the map was all over the shop instead of being a perfect continuous circle. any other watch I've ever had always clocked the same loop at pretty much 1km but this watch was clocking less than 1km. did a test with it today, ran 2 miles out on a straight road and then turned back, when I got back to the point I started the watch had only clocked 1.8 miles. did the same out and back again and it was a bit more accurate but it clocked 2 miles further up the road than it did the first time around.
will definitely be bringing it back when argos opens back up

The only issue I've had with mine is that it doesn't like downloaded watch faces, and continually powers on and off, losing data, and changing the time. I've tried three different faces, with the same end result. They were supposed to be compatible but I can't tell if it's some fault in the 235 that makes them incompatible, or if the watch face app itself has a glitch.

I contacted Garmin support to sort out the problem, and I'm still in the middle of back and forth emails. You should stir them up with your problem and see what happens, while you're waiting God knows how long for Argos to open up again.

I haven't tested distances yet, and I'm a walker not a runner :pac:

zweton · 04-04-2020 1:21am

Can you put music on it and does it have Spotify?

conormc1984 · 04-04-2020 5:04am

zweton wrote: »

Can you put music on it and does it have Spotify?

No you cant, the 245 can

zweton · 04-04-2020 10:21am

conormc1984 wrote: »

No you cant, the 245 can

Gotcha, ok I guess it's between the 245 and vivoactive 4...

Don't suppose anyone has used both.

thefa · 04-04-2020 10:29am

ooter wrote: »

anyone else having issues with their argos bought garmin?
I reckon these are a faulty batch that they let go cheap, been using mine for a couple of weeks now and it's definitely not accurate and when I upload my runs on to garmin connect half of the run doesn't even appear on the map. did loops on one of my runs last week and the map was all over the shop instead of being a perfect continuous circle. any other watch I've ever had always clocked the same loop at pretty much 1km but this watch was clocking less than 1km. did a test with it today, ran 2 miles out on a straight road and then turned back, when I got back to the point I started the watch had only clocked 1.8 miles. did the same out and back again and it was a bit more accurate but it clocked 2 miles further up the road than it did the first time around.
will definitely be bringing it back when argos opens back up

Have an Apple Watch that I find can overestimate quite a bit. Eg. ran a marathon and it recorded 43.25km which I wouldn’t expect as big an overshoot.

Would you be coming from another brand?

Garmin Forerunner 235 €120 in Argos

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