Launched 4 years in the past, the Garmin Swim 2 was the model’s second try at a devoted swimming watch. In addition to a sleeker, extra modern design and a colour display, it added biking, working and cardio monitoring—making it a gorgeous possibility for swimmers seeking to dabble in cross-training with out investing in a triathlon watch.
Its specs made it seem like it might problem its considerably costlier rivals. In addition to recording and logging swimming metrics within the pool or open water (through GPS), it tracked basic health equivalent to steps and energy burned like one of the best of them, whereas providing options (cellphone notifications, calendar reminders) widespread on different smartwatches.
However, years on from its launch, does it nonetheless maintain its personal among the many finest swimming watches or has it been knocked into the gradual lane by newer, flashier alternate options?
Garmin Swim 2: Worth And Availability
The Garmin Swim 2 was launched in October 2019 and prices $249 within the US and £219.99 within the UK. The subsequent least expensive smartwatch in Garmin’s vary that options comparable pool and open-water swimming capabilities is the Intuition 2 ($299.99/£249.99), whereas its most inexpensive triathlon watch is the Garmin Forerunner 255 ($349.99/£299.99). The Coros Tempo 3 and Polar Ignite 3 supply a multisport various for the same worth.
How I Examined This Watch
I’ve used the Garmin Swim 2 as my principal look ahead to 4 weeks, which has included two 1,500-2,000m swims every week in a 50m lido and 25m indoor pool. I additionally examined the Swim 2 in open water and put its exercise features by their paces whereas finishing pool-based drills and coaching periods. I’ve expertise with a number of the finest triathlon watches, together with the Garmin Forerunner 955 Photo voltaic, which I used alongside the Garmin Swim 2 to test its accuracy.
Set-Up And Design
The Swim 2 has a 1.04in glass colour show enclosed in a sturdy plastic case with a silicone strap. Whereas on the small facet in comparison with different smartwatches and health trackers, its vivid backlight makes the display simple to see at a look, and it’s additionally clear when used within the pool.
You navigate the watch utilizing 5 buttons which can be on the perimeters of its base. Every button performs a unique perform basically smartwatch mode and through an exercise, and whereas it’s fairly intuitive, there are small labels on the display to make its performance that bit simpler.
As with different Garmin watches and bike computer systems, organising is simple. Out of the field, you’re prompted to obtain the Garmin Join app (accessible on Google Play and the Apple App Retailer) and hook up with your smartphone through Bluetooth. From right here, it’s potential to arrange preferences, equivalent to Do Not Disturb timings (the hours whenever you gained’t obtain notifications on the watch), whereas Garmin Join can be the place the place you’ll have the ability to delve into actions and preserve observe of your basic health metrics and sleep rating.
Swimming Options
The Swim 2 is full of all of the swimming options you would probably need. Distance, tempo, stroke depend, stroke kind and SWOLF (rating that measures your swimming effectivity) could be displayed on the watch mid-activity and analyzed post-swim, whereas the built-in coronary heart fee monitor logs the depth of effort and the way onerous you’re working.
In observe, the Swim 2 accurately analyzed the sort and variety of strokes once I was swimming lengths, nevertheless it wasn’t 100% correct on distance and, subsequently, tempo. On a number of events when finishing a basic endurance-focused swim, it over-estimated the variety of lengths I’d swum, barely skewing the common and quickest paces within the course of. Whereas this is a matter I’ve encountered with the Garmin Forerunner 955, I anticipated nearer to 100% accuracy from a devoted swimming watch.
When finishing drills or equipment-based periods, the Swim 2 fared a lot better. After syncing a exercise I’d created through the Garmin Join app, the watch seamlessly took me by the steps throughout every stage and at no level lower an interval brief. In open water, it appeared to log actions precisely through its built-in GPS (effectively, as precisely because the Garmin Forerunner 955), and the one subject I discovered was the drain this precipitated on the battery. When used for pool swims, the Swim 2 lasted round every week between costs, although open-water swims required extra frequent charging.
Health Monitoring And Common Options
One of many greatest upgrades to the Swim 2 over its predecessor was the addition of working, biking and cardio logging. In testing, it was superb for the fundamentals, however fell brief on the extra superior metrics that you just’d get on a multi-sport watch, or perhaps a newer smartwatch.
For working and biking it tracked coronary heart fee, distance and tempo/pace in step with the Garmin Forerunner 955, however the incapability so as to add an influence meter as one other sensor limits its multi-sport potential. Additionally, it doesn’t have a separate triathlon exercise mode, which suggests you’d need to get artistic with the watch should you needed to make use of it for an occasion.
Its basic options are satisfactory in contrast with different, newer fashions. Smartphone syncing is proscribed to messages and calendar notifications (no Garmin Pay right here), whereas its small display makes it extra of a pager than one thing you would learn a full e mail on.
Is The Garmin Swim 2 Price It?
The Garmin Swim 2 does what it’s designed to do effectively, will elevate your swimming coaching to new data-fueled heights, and has the advantage of the user-friendly Garmin Join interface.
At its worth, the Swim 2 is an inexpensive possibility relative to the remainder of Garmin’s vary, significantly should you’re solely after a means of monitoring time within the pool or open water.
Sadly, its basic health and smartwatch options haven’t aged effectively exterior the water, and I’d need extra from a contemporary smartwatch—significantly with cross-training on my exercise agenda. You’ll get extra to your cash by plumping for the brand new Coros Tempo 3 or Garmin Intuition 2.
