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It’s all very well having all these fitness apps that will help you monitor your workouts, but this involves having to keep your mobile with you, which is obviously impractical. A great solution for you to be able to leave your phone at home is a smartwatch integrated with GPS.
We are going to compare two of these solutions from Garmin, the Garmin 25 vs 35. We will consider all of their features including appearance, tracking, and battery life. For a quick comparison, we will include a side-by-side chart and follow up with some pros and cons of each.
To start, let’s take a look at the similarities between the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35.
Garmin Forerunner 25 vs 35 – Similarities
Tracking Features
The built-in GPS allows for live tracking of your workouts. The Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35 can monitor your steps as well as setting daily goals for you to achieve. You can also monitor your calories, speed, distance, and cadence (the total combined left and right steps in one minute).
Screen
The screens of the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35 are color displays with 128 x 128 pixels.
Water Rating
There is no need to worry about wearing the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35 in the rain or those extra sweaty training sessions. The water rating for both is 5 ATM.
Clock Features
Aside from the date and time, you will be able to set an alarm and a stopwatch with the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35.
Connect IQ App
The Connect IQ app from Garmin amplifies the features of the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35. You can create plans, see maps, see daily summaries of your activities and share your progress on social media sites.
Side by Side Comparison
The following comparison chart will help to quickly review the specifications we have mentioned.
Garmin Forerunner 25 | Garmin Forerunner 35 | |
| Image |  |  |
| Screen Size | 0.73 x 0.73 inches/ 0.91 x 0.91 inches | 0.93 x 0.93 inches |
| Weight | 1.12oz/1.37oz | 1.31oz |
| Color | White and pink, black and violet/ black and blue, black and red | Black, green, blue, white |
| Water Rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Screen | 128 x 128 pixels color display | 128 x 128 pixels color display |
| Tracking | Step counter plus daily goal, calories, GPS-based distance, speed, cadence | Step counter plus daily goal, calories, GPS-based distance, speed, cadence |
| Clock features | Alarm and stopwatch | Alarm and stopwatch |
| Notifications | Not Stated | Vibrations |
| Activity Profiles | Running | Running and cycling
|
| Battery Life | Up to 8 hours (10 large) in training mode, up to 8 weeks (10 large) in watch mode | Up to 13 hours in GPS mode, up to 9 days in watch mode |
| Connect IQ App | Yes | Yes |
| Price |
There are a few differences between the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35 that will no doubt affect your buying choice.
Differences Between Garmin Forerunner 25 and Garmin Forerunner 35
Appearance
These Garmin GPS watches look like a normal watch with a traditional design.
Garmin Forerunner 25
You can choose between two different sizes. The small watch has a screen size of 0.73 x 0.73 inches and weighs 1.12 ounces. It comes in two colors, white and pink or black and violet. The large watch has a screen of 0.91 inches x 0.91 inches and weighs a little more at 1.37 ounces. The color options are black and blue or black and red.
Garmin Forerunner 35
This model comes in just one size with a screen of 0.93 x 0.93 inches and it weighs 1.31 ounces. There are 4 color options, black, green, blue, or white and the straps are interchangeable.
The Winner Is- A Tie
Also read – Garmin Vivoactive 3 vs Forerunner 235: Which GPS Smart Watch is Better?
Notifications
If you are leaving your phone at home, it is handy to receive notifications while you are working out.
Garmin Forerunner 25
There is no product information about the notifications with this watch.
Garmin Forerunner 35
You will get vibrations for call and text alerts.
The Winner Is- The Garmin Forerunner 35
Also read – Garmin Vivoactive 3 vs Vivoactive 4: Which GPS Smart Watch is Better?
Activity Profiles
Needless to say, monitoring your physical progress isn’t the same for each activity.
Garmin Forerunner 25
The activity profile is running.
Garmin Forerunner 35
You can choose between running and cycling profiles.
The Winner Is- The Garmin Forerunner 35
Battery Life
The battery life will vary depending on the mode you are using.
Garmin Forerunner 25
The small version of the GPS watch has a battery life of up to 8 hours in training mode and 8 weeks in watch mode. The large version will last for up to 10 hours in training mode and 10 weeks in watch mode.
Garmin Forerunner 35
When using in GPS mode, the battery can last for up to 13 hours. However, in watch mode, it is only 9 days.
The Winner Is- The Garmin Forerunner 25
Also read – Garmin Forerunner 620 vs 230: Which Smart Watch is Better?
Pros and Cons
Before our final verdict, here are a few pros and cons of the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35.
Garmin Forerunner 25
Pros:
- The buttons make it easy to use
- The GPS is very accurate
- The battery life is longer than expected, especially when not in GPS mode
Cons:
- The Connect IQ app is sometimes slow at syncing data
Garmin Forerunner 35
Pros:
- Very easy to sync with your phone
- It’s quite a bit cheaper
- The screen is nice and bright
Cons:
- The heart rate monitor isn’t as accurate as it should be
The Final Verdict
One of the biggest differences between the Garmin Forerunner 25 and the Garmin Forerunner 35 is the design. We felt that both were comfortable (including the large and small versions of the Garmin Forerunner 25) and all of the colors looked nice. For this reason, we decided to leave it out of our decision. The tracking features were also the same.
The battery life should be enough to give the Garmin Forerunner the advantage but as we are so used to charging our mobiles on a daily basis, this didn’t put us off. On the contrary, because of the lower price, we actually felt that the Garmin Forerunner 35 was better value for money and more reliable, making it the overall winner for today.