Last Updated: November 24, 2018 (Refresh Now)
Garmin Forerunner 230 Purple Strike
Last Updated: November 24, 2018 (Refresh Now)
8.2
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
614
Old Reviews
202
Unverified
46
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Review Analysis - 366 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Device Compatibility
55sync, notifications, connect, bluetooth, garmin connect app
+73%
-27%
" ... I've never had any trouble with the auto sync. ... "
" ... I have 7-8 watches but since I bought Garmin I have not used any other watch. ... "
" ... He loves it, especially since it doubles as a bit of a 'smart watch' since he can get notifications from his iPhone. ... "
" ... Great syncing with my iPhone. ... "
" ... After running and you opt to save the run it synchs to my IPhone seamlessly and all the stats are displayed on my iPhone. ... "
" ... It syncs beautifully with the Garmin Connect app. ... "
" ... I don't want to get a notification for an email on my computer, smartphone, and watch. ... It works well, I just prefer to read notifications on my phone. ... "
" ... My watch works perfectly and I love it. ... "
Battery Life
47life, charge, week, gps, great battery life
+87%
-13%
" ... I chose it mainly for the price point and battery life (in training mode) for my first 50 mile. ... "
" ... Battery life is great, and I love being able to change the watch face. ... "
" ... The battery last a long time. ... "
" ... Battery life for me has been very good. ... "
" ... Amazing battery life! ... "
" ... Decent battery life ... "
" ... Holds a charge for about 3 days of use before he needs to charge it. ... "
" ... -Great battery life in the normal, every-day mode, including running 2-3x a week (average 4 miles per run) ... You get used to the level of brightness (or lack thereof) and if it spares the battery, I'll settle for a dimmer watchface since I can always just activate the backlight! ... "
GPS
43garmin, gps signal, forerunner 230, garmin forerunner, tracking
+88%
-12%
" ... And the GPS mapping is a plus. ... "
" ... GPS links up quick. ... "
" ... GPS works amazing for my runs outside, which is really great. ... "
" ... Prefer a Pebble for smartwatch features, but you can't beat the Forerunner 230 in running. ... "
" ... Great as expected from Garmin ... "
" ... I love my Garmin Forerunner 230! ... "
" ... I am happy with m'y new Garmin Forerunner, ... "
" ... I love my Garmin. ... "
For Running
42run, track, training, runs, runner
+100%
" ... It did great through training and race day. ... "
" ... I've used this watch mostly for running and I actually snap it to my bike as well. ... "
" ... I really like this watch for running. ... "
" ... Love this, very accurate for running. ... "
" ... Its really good for workouts and exercise. ... "
" ... Mainly wanted for distance and pace. ... "
" ... This has helped him with his consistency, and he loves running even more now! ... "
" ... My daughter has transitioned into running after having been an accomplished gymnast, so she is a workout fiend but totally inexperienced at running. ... "
Ease of Use
36user friendly, simple, easy, interface, learning
+83%
-17%
" ... Simple to use. ... "
" ... I use it to track my runs and that’s it, so for me, it’s easy to use. ... "
" ... It has many other features which I found logically laid out and pretty easy to use. ... "
" ... Easy to use, easy to live with. ... "
" ... Simple design and readouts. ... "
" ... Lightweight and easy to use. ... "
" ... Easy to use and set up. ... "
" ... Easy to use and set up. ... "
Apps
35garmin, apps, garmin connect app, software, watch faces
+86%
-14%
" ... It has features like 'find my phone' or 'weather' that constantly states App Connection Required, yet I am able to get all the other notifications. ... "
" ... I have 7-8 watches but since I bought Garmin I have not used any other watch. ... "
" ... Very durable, update downloads keep the software current, lots of apps. ... "
" ... The app I downloaded works great to time keeping. ... "
" ... Nice for tracking steps and like the way it can be paired with UA myFitness app. ... "
" ... It syncs beautifully with the Garmin Connect app. ... "
" ... This is both my first smart-watch and my first Garmin (or any running watch for that matter). ... easily customizable watch faces with the Garmin FaceIt app ... "
" ... I don't want to get a notification for an email on my computer, smartphone, and watch. ... "
Pedometer
32step, tracking, runner, pace, accurate
+94%
-6%
" ... It does a wide variety of tracking, including steps, pace, distance, time, and location. ... "
" ... Step counter seems accurate enough. ... "
" ... I had heard really good things about Garmin trackers for runners. ... "
" ... I like the tracking. ... "
" ... This does a great job tracking my time and help me with my training. ... I use it daily to help with my activity tracking. ... "
" ... Great product, has been accurate on runs and step counts. ... "
" ... it has an excellent step-counter ... "
" ... I enjoy knowing my accurate step count each day. ... "
Charging
32watch, charging, charger, usb, charged
+44%
-56%
" ... Dead out of the box, troubleshot and charged for 2 days straight with no change. ... "
" ... It wouldn't take a single charge. ... "
" ... 2. get frozen on charging screen ... "
" ... Watch arrived completely dead and would not charge. ... "
" ... Charger stop working so now when it dies I'm done. ... "
" ... I opened the box and there is no charger for the Watch. ... "
" ... I was stupid enough to order a 2nd one when the 1st one I ordered would not charge right out of the box. ... "
" ... Was unablessed to charge or turn on. ... "
Comfort
29wrist, wear, wearing, comfortable, watch face
+76%
-24%
" ... I had a fit bit before, I love this much more ... "
" ... It was really easy to program and use right out of the box, and while sporty looking, I love the look of it and wear it every day. ... "
" ... Fit is good, he's a smaller guy and it doesn't overwhelm his arm. ... "
" ... It's also my daily watch for now, that's how much I enjoy wearing it. ... I have been wearing this watch daily since I got it 30 days ago, and I highly recommended it. ... "
" ... It's much softer and more comfortable now. ... "
" ... the watch face stays on and you don't have to deal with the wrist turn to see the time ... "
" ... It's lightweight, fits comfortably on my wrist, and I wear it all the time. ... "
" ... It's nice to not have to look at my phone in my sleeve. ... "
Product Reliability
27watch, stopped working, month, ago, later
+48%
-52%
" ... My Garmin stopped working after 2 days. ... "
" ... It takes lots of rest days! ... "
" ... The time drifts for no apparent reason. ... Numerous hard resets failed to resolve the issues. ... "
" ... Dead out of the box, troubleshot and charged for 2 days straight with no change. ... "
" ... to many problems ... 1. randomly changes date/time then go back to normal time hours later ... "
" ... bought it 6mon ago and stop working. ... "
" ... The display stopped working in less than 3 months! ... "
" ... Didn't last more than 3 months. ... "
Display Clarity
27screen, face, easy to read, dim, bright
+70%
-30%
" ... The screen display works great in sun or dark. ... "
" ... The screen is divided into thirds but the watch face is large enough to still be able to read it pretty easily, even with my near sightedness. ... "
" ... - Larger screen, very easy to read even in dim light ... "
" ... The face is easy to read and can be customized to display your desired metrics. ... "
" ... The display is clear and customizable, it's light, and it just has the best user interface ever - it's simply intuitive. ... Also, the 230 a fantastic, clear and easy to read, screen, esp while running. ... "
" ... Trying to figure out the screen settings so it will show total distance. ... "
" ... Numbers display well. ... "
" ... It is super light and comfortable with a large screen that is easy to see while running. ... "
Heartrate
26heart rate monitor, forerunner 230, garmin, 230, pace
+85%
-15%
" ... No heart rate monitor either. ... "
" ... I love my Garmin Forerunner 230! ... "
" ... Great product and honest company (Heart rate monitors) with excellent service. ... "
" ... Forerunner 230 more than I could possibly imagined! ... "
" ... -Activity monitor makes you actually MOVE in order to get rid of the red "inactivity" lines (I'd estimate you have to walk about a football field's length to eliminate all red bars that accrue over an hour of inactivity) ... "
" ... - Works with any Ant+ heart rate monitor - I use the same HR strap and foot pod that I used with my 210 ... "
" ... I bought the Forerunner 230 primarily for tracking runs. ... "
" ... When accompanied by a heart monitor, this watch provides all the information and convenience any runner could want. ... "
Accuracy
21tracking, step, gps, steps, counts
+100%
" ... Step counter seems accurate enough. ... "
" ... I like the tracking. ... "
" ... I use it daily to help with my activity tracking. ... "
" ... Great product, has been accurate on runs and step counts. ... "
" ... I enjoy knowing my accurate step count each day. ... I love having accurate, up to date stats while I'm running. ... "
" ... It is tracking nicely. ... "
" ... I only use this watch for running, but love the accuracy. ... "
" ... Very accurate and has a lot of apps available for it. ... "
Price
21worth, watch, investment, cost, well worth
+90%
-10%
" ... I recommend this watch and its worth the price. ... "
" ... Decided to buy this one instead of the waterproof version due the price slope ... "
" ... It's perfect for my purposes.worth the price! ... "
" ... It has so many of the features that I wanted at a price that wasn't crazy expensive! ... "
" ... Definitely a worthwhile investment. ... "
" ... Bottom line - I like it enough for the price I paid and would buy it again. ... "
" ... Price/performance 10 points. ... "
" ... Great watch for the price. ... "
For Kids
20son, daughter, wife loves, watch, kids
+100%
" ... 2 other kids had same problem with same watch type. ... "
" ... I use it for soccer referee and it in perfect. ... "
" ... Really like using my new watch, for everything, challenge my daughter's every other week for a challenge. ... "
" ... wife loves it. ... "
" ... My wife loves it. ... "
" ... My kids made the suggestion and it worked. ... "
" ... Bought this for my daughter (16 years old) and she loves it! ... "
" ... Bought this for my son and he loves it. ... "
Band
20watch, wrist, strap, wear, watch face
+55%
-45%
" ... the watch face stays on and you don't have to deal with the wrist turn to see the time ... "
" ... Before owning this watch I used a simple Timex Ironman watch. ... "
" ... It is a much better than product than Fitbit Charge and the Fitbit Alta I wore previously. ... "
" ... I am using the same HR strap that I used for the 220. ... "
" ... I resolved that by purchasing a $10 band and it works great. ... I know I could have gotten the 235 with the monitor, but I feel you are getting better accuracy with the external band. ... "
" ... I'm pretty sure the strap itself accounts for over half the weight. ... "
" ... I replaced the band with a metal band and it looks much more dressy. ... "
" ... I was wearing a Garmin Vivosmart HR (love it too!). ... At first, I wore both the Garmin Forerunner 230 and the Garmin Vivosmart HR. ... Now I love the Forerunner 230 so much that I no longer wear the Vivosmart HR. ... "
Software Platform
16garmin, apps, software, watch faces, pebble
+81%
-19%
" ... Very durable, update downloads keep the software current, lots of apps. ... "
" ... The app I downloaded works great to time keeping. ... "
" ... easily customizable watch faces with the Garmin FaceIt app ... "
" ... Additionally you can customize this the watch with additional software (widgets etc). ... "
" ... there are multiple watch faces that you can download ... "
" ... App is set up nicely. ... "
" ... Using the Garmin Connect app on my iPhone 5S and the Garmin Connect Portal is where the system really shines. ... "
" ... I like the app/widget to download to change the watchface. ... "
Design
16watch face, looks great, purple, looks, looking
+69%
-31%
" ... Simple design and readouts. ... "
" ... The general feel of the watch is good to great. ... "
" ... very light and looks good . ... - It's very light and it looks great ... "
" ... There's a lot of detail there. ... "
" ... It's really comfortable and looks really good! ... "
" ... The watch is stylish, and the functionality is top notch. ... "
" ... Before this watch I had a Pebble Classic. ... "
" ... It is very lightweight and looks great! ... "
Controls
14button, run button, music controls, controls, accidentally
+86%
-14%
" ... -Buttons (as opposed to touch screen, which I didn't want) are easy to push and I rarely have problems with them activating the watch accidentally, though this does happen every now and then ... "
" ... I will reach up to change the display and accidentally hit the Lap or Stop button. ... "
" ... Clear and easy to use in particular I find the up and down buttons easier to use then the bevel on previous Garmins. ... "
" ... I like that the weather forecast is only two buttons away. ... "
" ... The buttons are super sensitive. ... A good fix would be to swap the location of the run button and the backlight button. ... "
" ... I read a few reviews that dinged the watch’s menu system, but perhaps it’s because I have no experience with other devices, I’ve found the menu to be perfectly simple. ... "
" ... - Controls the music (tracks + volume) on my mobile phone and I can read messages, see phone calls, etc . ... "
" ... I'm learning the controls on it. ... "
As Gift
12birthday, bought, watch, husband, wife
+100%
" ... I purchased this watch as a gift and the recipient was very excited about the look and functionality it appeared to have. ... "
" ... My husband loves to run, so I decided to get him to for his birthday. ... "
" ... This was a gift for my nephew, but he seems to be very pleased with the watch. ... "
" ... Purchased as gift for my wife. ... "
" ... My husband was jealous of mine, so I bought him one as a birthday gift. ... "
" ... Got this for the daughter at Christmas and she is LOVING it! ... "
" ... I bought this as a Christmas gift for my grandson so I can't give a personal review but he seems to love it . ... "
" ... Gave as a gift. ... "
Features
12watch, smartwatch, lots, functions, worth
+100%
" ... I love this watch, the color, the features. ... "
" ... This watch does have some "smart watch" features as well. ... "
" ... I can't speak to the cycling function as I do not use it. ... "
" ... It is larger than the Vivofit, obviously but I really enjoy the large face and the smartwatch features. ... "
" ... It has a lot of features that are nice, but ... "
" ... Very light smartwatch. ... "
" ... lots of options . ... "
" ... Can't wait to figure out all the cool features this watch has to offer. ... "
Bluetooth
12blue tooth, via bluetooth, garmin connect app, connect, turning
+67%
-33%
" ... I was really excited for a faster GPS sync and the blue tooth options, but it's fairly slow to load when you go to run and when you get home which can be a deal breaker for me. ... "
" ... Bluetooth stays connected very well and it's easy to operate. ... "
" ... It connects easily with bluetooth and GPS. ... Battery is still going strong for 3 days and that is with using bluetooth, syncing, and without bluetooth at night and during activity. ... "
" ... APP - I downloaded the Garmin Connect app on my iphone and it was very simple to connect via bluetooth. ... "
" ... It is my second Garmin watch and I love the blue tooth connectivity and how long the charge lasts. ... "
" ... It has Bluetooth and it syncs seamlessly with the garmin connect app on my phone. ... "
" ... The BT range on the Pebble is WAY better than the 230 though. ... "
Build Quality
12durable, stylish, strap, plastic, feels cheap
+75%
-25%
" ... Overall, it's a great watch and it's nice that it doesn't completely break the bank. ... "
" ... Durable, handles the constant shock from running, and moisture from heaving sweating. ... "
" ... Fit is good, he's a smaller guy and it doesn't overwhelm his arm. ... "
" ... The build seems quite sturdy. ... "
" ... He is very hard on anything electronic and it has withstood his abuse. ... "
" ... The watch is stylish, and the functionality is top notch. ... "
Sleep Tracking
11tracker, sleep, track, sleep patterns, measures
+91%
-9%
" ... His favorite features seem to be the step counter and the sleep tracker. ... "
" ... -Activity monitor makes you actually MOVE in order to get rid of the red "inactivity" lines (I'd estimate you have to walk about a football field's length to eliminate all red bars that accrue over an hour of inactivity) ... "
" ... I use it daily to help with my activity tracking. ... "
" ... It is stylish for day to day life and gives me insights on my day to day activity levels and sleeping habits. ... "
" ... Amazing activity tracker and workout tracker. ... "
" ... - Measures all key indicators that I am interested in (speed, elevation, pace, calories, heart rate, etc.) ... "
" ... The watch does a great job tracking my steps and sleep hours and sleep quality. ... "
" ... Finally, if you are looking to track your sleep patterns, I would say the accuracy is not very good so it would not be my first choice if I wanted only to track sleep patterns. ... "
Marketplace
11product, shipping, item, garmin, expected
+73%
-27%
" ... Item exactly as described. ... "
" ... Excellent product and great value here at Amazon. ... "
" ... It looks more pink in the photo. ... "
" ... Excelent item, perfect price for the item. ... "
" ... Watch works as advertised. ... "
" ... I paid for next day shipping too. ... "
" ... Just received it today. ... "
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Specifications
No specs available.
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