What you will learn
- Smartwatch GARMIN Forerunner 30 0,93" GPS Waterproof 5 ATM Bluetooth Turquoise
- Comparison Forerunner 30 vs 35: what differences?
- How to choose between the Forerunner 30 and the Forerunner 35?
- Where to buy the Forerunner 30 and 35?
- Smartwatch GARMIN Forerunner 30 0,93" GPS Waterproof 5 ATM Bluetooth Turquoise
Buy the Forerunner 30
Smartwatch GARMIN Forerunner 30 0,93" GPS Waterproof 5 ATM Bluetooth Turquoise
Amazon.com
- 010-01930-04
Commercial links. Non contractual prices. Please consult the merchant website.
Buy the Forerunner 35
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Comparison Forerunner 30 vs 35: what differences?
The goal of Garmin, with these 2 entry-level GPS watch models, is to offer sport watches that are both affordable and accessible to everyone, that is to say easy to use. The Forerunner 35 already brought simplicity of use with functions limited to the bare essentials. With the Forerunner 30, Garmin wanted to offer an even simpler and above all cheaper watch. Certain functions, widgets and sensors have thus been removed for a watch which could not be more refined but which nevertheless includes the essential functions.
Thus, the 2 models are perfectly suited for most athletes for sports such as running, swimming or cycling. That said, the Forerunner 30 is clearly designed for running.
→ Read our review of the Garmin Forerunner 30
The forerunner 30 is therefore a lighter version of the Forerunner 35. The essential functions have been retained: GPS (without GLONASS), optical heart rate monitoring on the wrist, accelerometer for indoor activities, course recording, activity tracking, VO2max measurement, SMS and call notifications, goal setting, alerts and more. To get a cheaper watch, Garmin has mainly cut into other areas that can make a big difference depending on how you want to use this watch.
The main differences are in a few functions removed, battery life, sensors and bracelet colors.
Design
The design of the 2 watches is almost the same except for the different colors of the straps (gray, purple, turquoise for the Forerunner 30 with the on / off button of the same color, and black, lime, water green and white for the Forerunner 35). Garmin has also chemically reinforced the glass of its youngest for improved resistance to bumps and scratches.
The functions
In terms of functionality, Garmin has removed, on the Forerunner 30, a certain number of more or less useful functions but which can nevertheless constitute eliminatory criteria for certain athletes. The Forerunner 30 offers only one running profile while the other watch offers 4 (running, treadmill, bike and cardio) and allows you to program a display according to the profile chosen. This makes the watch less flexible and above all definitely oriented towards running.
The following functions, present on the Forerunner 35, have been removed from the Forerunner 30: Virtual Pacer (motivating tool encouraging the athlete to run at a defined speed), programming of interval training, weather, music control from the Smartphone, alarms heart rate. The watch screen is also no longer customizable.
Battery
To save money, Garmin pulled on the battery without reducing the weight of his watch. We go from 13 hours of use announced in GPS mode to only 8 hours on the Forerunner 30 and from 9 days in watch mode to 5 days.
The sensors
It’s probably the sensors that make the biggest difference between the 2 watches. With the Forerunner 30, it is not possible to use external ANT + wireless sensors (cardio belt, accelerometer, foot pod, cadence sensor for running or cycling) while this was possible with the Forerunner 35. For the heart rate reading, only the optical monitoring on the wrist can be used or it is unusable (or very unreliable) for interval training and in water. This choice is made at the expense of the versatility of the watch: the use of the watch for sports other than running is rather limited.
Summary table of the differences between the Forerunner 30 and the Forerunner 35
| Characteristics
|
Forerunner 30
|
Forerunner 35
|
|---|---|---|
| Glass material | Chemically reinforced glass | Glass |
| Weight | 37.3 g | 37.3 g |
| Dimensions | 35.5 x 40.7 x 13.3 mm | 35.5 x 40.7 x 13.3 mm |
| Bracelets | Gray, turquoise or purple silicone | Black, lemon yellow, water green or white silicone |
| Display | Monochrome 128×128 px | Monochrome 128×128 px |
| GPS |
•
|
•
|
| GLONASS | ||
| Sealing | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Optical HR sensor |
•
|
•
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| Autonomy(1) | 5d / 8h | 9d / 1pm |
| Memory | 7 activities | 7 activities |
| VO2max function |
•
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•
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| Accelerometer |
•
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•
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| Alarm clock |
•
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•
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| Stopwatch |
•
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•
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| Smart notifications |
•
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•
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| Weather forecast |
•
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| Music function |
•
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| Find my phone |
•
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•
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| Garmin Connect mobile |
•
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•
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| Move IQ |
•
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•
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| Activity monitoring |
•
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•
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| Customizable activity profiles |
•
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| Audio instructions |
•
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•
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| HR zones |
•
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| Calories from HR |
•
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•
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| HR broadcast |
•
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| Cadence and speed sensor support |
•
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| Split workouts |
•
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1 : Autonomy in watch mode / GPS mode
