Product Review

Serious multi-sport athletes need serious data tracking ability, and the Garmin Forerunner 735XT brings it in spades. Its ability to transition seamlessly from run to bike to swim with a quick click of a button makes it the perfect training partner for aspiring amateurs and professional athletes alike. Most notably in comparison to other smart watches available, the 735XT incorporates Garmin's new and proprietary Elevate optical sensor at the wrist, eliminating the need for a chest strap. While Garmin claims Elevate is appropriate for tracking intense activities and training zones, it may be a good idea to stick to your traditional chest strap for interval sessions until Elevate's accuracy is proven, given the issues with many of the other optical sensors currently on the market. Garmin couches Elevate as freedom from heart rate straps on race day and recommends pairing the 735XT with a heart rate strap for precise data tracking during training and additional features such as ground contact time balance, stride length, and vertical ratio running dynamics. The Forerunner 735XT is GPS-enabled to track routes, distance, speed, and other metrics depending on your choice of activity, and all of the data can be uploaded to Garmin Connect for in-depth analysis. It also connects to Garmin's app store, Connect IQ, which opens the unit up for virtually limitless customizability through third-party apps and features. In addition to all this, it still brings the usual functionality that we've grown to expect from smart watches and wearables, including text and call notifications, steps taken, calories burned, and sleep patterns, so you can stay on top of nutrition and recovery.