The Garmin Edge 1030 is the latest bike computer release by Garmin and offers new features which are very exciting to dedicated cyclists who have been wanting more from their Edge 1000 or 820. This review will look into the device in detail, offering perspective if you're looking to buy a bike computer for the first time or if you're wondering whether it's worth upgrading your current model.

The first part of this review will be for the benefit of those who have never used a bike computer before and will spend more time covering the basics of the device. If you are already well versed in Garmin's products and just want to know how it differs from your current device, jump to the next section.

What are the benefits of using a bike computer?

If you're thinking of buying a bike computer, you're probably already a fairly competent cyclist, or perhaps you've only just got into the sport but have excelled at it quickly. Chances are you already have an activity tracker, fitness tracker, or smart watch as well and track your rides with that. Having a bike computer gives you more metrics and can also be used for navigation which will prove vital when cycling away from home.

You'll be able to see the gradient of the hill you're climbing in real time and also how many metres to the top which can be motivational if you're struggling.

You can create courses on Garmin Connect and send them to your bike computer which takes the stress out of navigating while cycling and can also spark more creativity for taking new routes rather than just always following the same old roads.

When paired with other devices such as a chest strap heart rate monitor and power meter pedals, you'll be able to get a whole world of advanced metrics including average power, FTP, and VO2 max.

What's in the box?

When you buy your Garmin Edge 1030 bike computer, the main component you need is the device itself. You also get a charger cable which is USB so can plug into your computer/laptop and into a charging port. You also get the bracket and mount that the device sits on which screws on to your handlebars very easily. I did have to remove my bell for it to fit though so if you already have a busy set up with bells and reflectors etc you may have to make some sacrifices. There is also a user manual, but who reads that in reality?

Setting up your new bike computer

Even if you're not a techno-whizz, it should be fairly straight forward to set up your device. You will need a Garmin Connect account, but if you've made it this far it's probably safe to assume you already have one. You'll need to pair your phone which is done very easily by following on-screen instructions and is done with Bluetooth. If you want to send courses to your device, you'll also need to set up Garmin Express which is also done by following simple on-screen instructions from your computer or laptop. Once your route is sent to your device, you'll be able to follow it on your ride without any additional devices or sensors/accessories.

Connect IQ is like the app store for Garmin devices. Anyone can create an app for it, in fact there's over 1,000 online now. You can download apps, widgets, clock faces and more to customise your device. 

Is it worth replacing my current bike computer with the Edge 1030?

The Edge 1030 has some really nifty new features which will come as a relief to those who use their bike computer a lot. There will always be features that a device doesn't have that you wish it did, and some of your prayers have been answered with this release.

Enhanced Group Track and Live Track

This is probably the most exciting new feature from the Edge 1030. A lot of cyclists find it a pain having to constantly stop to get out their phone to answer a call, or likewise having to stop if someone else on the ride needs to stop to get their phone out. With the Edge 1030 and enhanced Live Track, you can now respond to calls and texts with pre-canned messages. So if your partner texts, you can send a quick response of 'I'm nearly home' or reply to a call from the office saying 'Can't talk now, I'm riding.' 

The other exciting new feature is enhanced Group Track. If you're connected to your buddies on Garmin Connect, you can tell the others in your ride that you've punctured without having to get your phone out. The message will only be sent within your group and will allow you to quickly and efficiently send a message out.

Create Courses

On the Navigation screen, you can drop pins and create a course wherever you are. Although this gives a lot of freedom, the accuracy can be a little off and I found that on a 35-mile route I created, there was 1-mile worth of extra little loops that my device had added in by a slip of the finger or just of its own accord. For instance, my Edge 1030 wanted me to turn right into a station car park and then come straight back out again instead of just cycling past. 

Trendline Popularity Routing

The final and most exciting feature of this release is new popularity routing. There are thousands of Garmin users all over the world creating routes and cycling their favourite trails and time trials. The experts at Garmin have taken this feature and put it to use on your device. New Trendline popularity routing uses billions of miles of ride data from Garmin Connect to provide riders with the best road, mountain or gravel routes that are collected from those most travelled by fellow cyclists. Using the improved and revamped Course Creator in Garmin Connect allows cyclists to generate even more bike-friendly routes based on popularity data.

You can add which way you want to go (ie I want to go into the mountains or not). Popularity routing uses activity from other riders so you can use the best routes that other riders use, so when creating a course your device will send you the way that other cyclists go so you'll have a better route. This also means you can easily find local club rides. 

Improved Features

These are the features that you already find on other devices but have been improved for this release. 

The Edge 1030 shows your training load, fitness, stress etc. visually rather than just metrically. For the Edge 1000, this was buried within a few different menus meaning it was a pain to find, but that's not the case for the 1030 because Garmin understand that people want to see these stats quickly before they ride. You can use your wrist-based heart rate monitor in broadcast mode to get enhanced data, but for stats like FTP you'll need a chest strap, which gives you more accuracy and data anyway. 

Swipe down for more menus like on a smart phone. These are general device settings rather than user-profile specific, like battery life etc. From here, swipe across for text and call alerts and controls, weather etc. With everything on (GPS, data etc), the battery will last around 20 hours, making it more than capable at lasting for even the longest of rides.

The pause/stop button has moved from the front of the screen to the bottom to make more space for a bigger screen. What I personally found was that this made it very fiddly and tricky to hit, for example while pausing at a half-way stop on a long ride. On the Edge 1000 the pause button is on the front which I think is a lot more user-friendly. 

Verdict

The Garmin Edge 1030 is a top-of-the-line bike computer and for good reason. The experts at Garmin live by their sport and test the devices to get the most for their users. This shows in the intricacy and innovation found in this device. Features that cyclists both amateur and elite will have been waiting for are finally here, meaning your ride can be more accurate and seamless than ever. I'd say it's worth upgrading your current device if you use a bike computer often and especially if you do a lot of long rides with a club or group. If you are a very casual rider, you'll probably be okay with an older model or even just with the basic stats given by a GPS tracking watch. 

You can buy the Garmin Edge 1030 for £499.99 from the Garmin website or other retailers like Evans Cycles or Rutland Cycling. 

Garmin's new Forerunner 935 is a top-of-the-line triathlon watch designed for serious athletes and people who deeply care about using training statistics to improve their racing performance when it counts.

Advanced Features

The Forerunner 935 is designed for elite athletes who are at the top of their game, and this is reflected in the calibre of technology that this watch boasts. It features a built-in barometer and altimeter to provide elevation changes and monitors your performance so that you are alerted if you are undertraining or overdoing it. Very technical features such as ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio, and even more truly set this watch apart from its competitors and show how it would make the perfect companion to a dedicated athlete.

This watch, like other watches in the Forerunner series, features wrist-based heart rate monitoring and all-day activity tracking such as step count so that you can track your progress all day and even all night. It's waterproof so that you can wear it swimming, and offers both indoor and outdoor options for all three disciplines- swimming, cycling, and running. The multisport features mean you can switch sports at the touch of a button and use it for brick workouts as well as triathlon races.

Specifics

The battery life on other Garmin watches such as the Forerunner 735XT is a little questionable as it doesn't seem to last as long as you'd expect from a triathlon watch, however on the 935 that definitely isn't an issue. The Forerunner 935 boasts a 2-week battery life when used just as a watch, and up to 24 hours in GPS mode meaning you could complete a full ironman or ultra marathon while tracking and not have to worry about losing your progress. 

Weighing in at 49g, this watch is a little heavier than some of its siblings like the 735XT, and the watch face is much larger meaning it is not quite as suitable as an everyday activity tracker or even just as a watch. It has an extra button too which means it's a little more complicated to use, however this just reflects the fact that this watch is not designed for your everyday gym goer and is meant to be used thoroughly and to its full potential by a competitive athlete or coach.

Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 935 is an exquisite piece of technology and features advanced training information which is sure to boost the performance of its wearer if used correctly. Its attractive design means it can be worn all day, and the built-in heart rate monitor and step tracker means it even covers the all-day activity tracker market that is so popular at the moment. It's definitely not for the faint hearted and is better suited for serious athletes and prolific competitors in the sport of running, cycling, and triathlon. It loses a few marks from me as it's a little too big to be comfortable all day, and the rubber strap meant I got a sweat rash from continuing to wear it for long periods of time after training. However, the technical information remains unbeatable and very impressive.

Comfort: 7

Durability: 10

Battery Life: 9

Technical Information: 10

Value for money: 10

Overall Score: 46/50

Garmin Index Smart Scale vs Omron Body Composition Monitor Review

It’s time to take the first step …

Just one step can now tell you not only your weight but your body fat, visceral fat, BMI, muscle percentage, calories and even bone mass.

The Garmin Index Smart scale gives you a way to see the results from your wearables as data and review your progress with ease. The scale is designed to give you a full picture of health and connect with Garmin products to motivate your progress further.

Before there was Garmin, Omron scales were the most popular choice of body measurement scales in the industry, trusted by health professionals and PT’s to monitor weight, BMI, body fat, muscle and visceral fat. How do they compare? Will the Garmin Index Smart scales live up to the widely used Omron scales?

Omron Body Composition Monitor

Garmin Index Smart Scale

Set Up

Garmin Index Smart Scale

The Garmin Smart scale setup requires wifi and bluetooth and connects with either the pc (via an extra usb extension) or to the Connect mobile app. Setting up the scale, according to the instructions, was simple. In reality, it’s only easy when you know how. I set the scale up via a connection with the mobile app.

The scales first need to connect to your wifi connection and then once this is successful pair with your device. This was probably the most difficult thing with the scales, whereas with the Omron you can just get on and go (more about this later) the Garmin scales require some extra tlc. However, once they were eventually successfully paired, any data read by the scales will then be downloaded straight to the app. Simple.

Tip:If you don’t already have a user profile on the Connect app, you’ll need to set one up, all you need to fill out is your age, gender, height and weight. The weight will change automatically after you weigh yourself, so a rough guess is fine.

Omron Body Composition Monitor

The Omron setup requires you to enter your gender and height manually on the device and then step on the scales holding the hand held attachment at shoulder level, it’s a simple and easy set up that is done within minutes. You can enter your details as a stored user, but the set up is so simple as a guest, using either method is fast and effective.

Winner: Omron. Connecting to the wifi and then adding users was time consuming and so for the set up the Omron was quicker, although in the long run it will probably take more time.

Users

Garmin:

The Garmin scale can be set up to have up to 16 automatically detected users, however they do all have to be “friends” with the lead user via Garmin Connect. The main user can then use the app to send requests for other users to register on the scale. Every user sets up a unique name of up to four digits, for which I chose Vick, original. I know. Once I step on the scales, within a few seconds my name appears and the scales begin taking my readings. The scales automatically detect each user via their weight, so there could be issues if two users are of a similar build, however you can tap the display to scroll through users until you meet the right details.

Omron:

To set up a user profile on the Omron, you repeat the regular process, but instead of entering yourself as guest, you can select a profile number of 1- 4. This is where the Garmin wins hands down, as it can store 4 times the profiles of the Omron and recognises each automatically.

Winner: Garmin. 16 automatic vs 4 manually entered users, the smart scales quadruple the Omron.

How they work:

Garmin:

Once you’ve made it through the setup, using the Garmin scales couldn’t be easier.  Simply step on the scales and weight (see what I did there). The scales then guide you through your personal statistics, body weight to body fat %, water %, muscle and bone mass. Those are all the functions of the body fat scale in a nutshell.

These measures are taken via electrical impulses. The bodyfat on scales like these are measured by sending an electrical pulse up one leg and down the other. This is where some will argue that scales readings are inaccurate as your bodyfat will differ before and after a pedicure, with the condition of your feet affecting the readings.

Omron:

The Omron uses the Bioelectrical Impedance (BI) method and body fat is shown as a percentage of body weight. The scale also measures your BMI, muscle, visceral fat and resting metabolism. Using the Omron is simple and by holding the unit in front of you within a few moments you will have a reading. The screen flashes your results quite quickly, so you may have to watch the loop a few times before you can record all the details.

Winner: Garmin. It’s almost impossible to get the weigh in wrong with the Garmin scales, all you need to do is stand on them and Garmin does the rest. These details are automatically loaded to your app as well so there is no need to rush for a pen and paper. The Omron reading is fast, but once you’re off the scales, it’s down to you remember the units and take note.

Garmin Connect and Garmin Index Scales

The Garmin Connect scales claim to send your data directly to the app, which it does, however the findings are not obvious to find. Starting on the main page, rather than featuring your statistics on the “snapshots” page the data is stored in the weight section. This can be found via the following path Garmin Connect > More > Health Stats > Weight and then scrolling down to the bottom of the page. The app will give you an overview of your weight from the last 7 days, 4 weeks and 12 months.

When combined with a fitness tracker such as the Garmin Vivomove (link) this provides a complete picture of the user's health, enabling them to track their activity and progress to find the perfect fitness regime.

Results

Both scales boast accurate results, however the variation between the two scales was drastic. The weight remained consistent to within .1 of a kilogram between both scales, the body fat % was 10% greater on the Omron than the Garmin Smart scales.

Whilst there are differences between the scales readings, deciphering which of the two is actually most accurate isn’t necessarily important. Whilst bodyfat scales can give a good indication of body fat percentages, the only real accurate way to measure body composition is through hydrostatic weighing.

The other factor to consider with both these bodyfat scales is fat distribution. Why is this important? As for example those who carry more fat around the abdomen (apple shapes) are at risk of to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers, while fat in the thighs and hips (pear-shapes) is not a health problem and may even be protective.

Price

Omron scales retail with a starting price of around £50 compared with the Garmin Smart scale which retails at around £120.

Garmin Index Smart Scale vs Omron Body Composition Monitor

Measure	Garmin Index Smart Scale	Omron Karada
Weight	✔	✔
Body fat	✔	✔
Muscle mass	✔	✔
Body water	✔	✖
Bone mass	✔	✖
BMI	✔	✔
Visceral fat	✖	✔
Resting Metabolism	✖	✔

Verdict:

Winner: Garmin.

After the initial set up confusion, the Garmin was easy to use, saves all your data automatically and has the most user options available. For me, the scale wins because you can open your data as part of the app and view your stats alongside the feedback from the rest of your days activity, making it easy to associate weight loss/ gain and activity as well as your calorie intake. Using the Connect app has every area covered from calories burned to sleep, food intake and now weight. Combining a Garmin watch such as the Vivomove with the smart scale creates the perfect assistant to achieving your goals, you’re given all the metrics, the rest is down to you.

 

It’s no secret that I love heart rate training. In fact, I'm pretty sure my heart rate rocketed when I read Garmin’s press release revealing their two new activity trackers with wrist based heart rate. I’ve been itching to get my hands on one since.

The Vivosmart HR is the latest upgrade to the Garmin fitness tracker family, taking all the features of previous models and adding heart rate, floors climbed and minutes of intensity. Of the three, heart rate takes first place in the race to review, so let’s see how it held up.

How accurate is the Heart rate on Vivosmart HR?

At Rest (Heart Rate Accuracy)

The heart rate on the Vivosmart HR is 24/7, meaning you can scroll through your notifications to view your heartbeat live, at any time of day, or night…If you’re crazy enough to be awake. The heart rate screen displays your current heart rate, followed by your average resting heart rate. When it comes to accuracy here, I’ve found this to be fairly spot on, when I'm sat typing away at my desk (like now) my heart rates reading at 67 BPM, higher than resting but it’s pretty obvious I'm sat down. At rest, the vivosmart does well at tracking my heart rate and updates regularly, however whilst this is intriguing, it’s my active heart rate that I'm really interested in.

During Exercise (Heart Rate Accuracy)

The first workout I decided to test the Vivosmart HR with was legs. This is one tough routine, combining heavy lifts with plyometrics, keeping the heart rate high throughout with short rest intervals. The workout was set to be a challenge for both me and the watch, to see if it could respond quickly to the varying intensity and challenge my legs not to buckle beneath me! Before we look at the results, I compared with the Mio Fuse (see review here), I’ve been wearing this watch for some time now and have found it has the most accurate wrist-based heart rate of any of the watches I’ve reviewed.

Below is the feedback from the Vivosmart HR:

Heart rate view Vivosmart HR

Firstly, I started my warm up with a heart rate of 119 according to the Vivoactive, this was high. Worryingly high when I'm only walking. Fortunately the Fuse was there to keep me sane and show a more accurate 90bpm. As I continued to dive into my warm up, rather oddly the Vivosmart seemed to jump back down, quite the opposite as to what was happening.

Looking through the rest of the routine, the heart rate seems to remain, as a whole, fairly accurate. You can clearly see the peak where I’ve finished with a Tabata before coming into my cool down, and my heart rate remains fairly high throughout the bulk of the session. The Vivosmart and I shared a few odd moments throughout the workout, with me giving it the “WHAT?!” look after feeling like my heart's in my throat only for the Vivosmart to be telling my it’s around 130bpm, but then it would rocket up to 160 bpm again and our friendship would be restored.

When you compare the overall results with the Fuse, the average and the max aren't that far off, however throughout the workout, the Fuse kept up where the Vivosmart lagged behind. Sometimes, the Vivosmart had a mind of its own.

Heart rate view Mio Fuse

Last 4 Hours:

Along with the live feedback on the watch and graphs on the app, at any point throughout the day you can scroll to a graph of your heart rates last four hours of activity, which details a graph and your lowest and highest heart rate score in that timeframe. This is a cool tool, however it’s not very specific as there are no numerical details to the graph, just it’s shape.

Garmin Vivosmart HR Pro’s +

• The continuous and resting heart rate is accurate (for the most part).
• The 4 hour window is an easy to view feature to see if you’ve been varying your heart rate enough (and something I’ve only found on Garmin watches).
• Having heart rate at your wrist makes it easy to press go at any given opportunity without needing to wear any extra equipment.
• The Vivosmart HR broadcast heart rate via ANT+ but will NOT connect to other ANT+ sensors to read data.

Garmin Vivosmart HR Con’s -

• During training, the heart rate on the Vivosmart can be sporadic.
• The HR it sends via ANT+ seems to be fairly accurate for light sports’ usage. (Which really means it's inaccurate for anything more).

Garmin’s smart tech is getting more and more intelligent with every new smartwatch release.

The latest generation of Garmin watches, The Vivofit 3, Vivosmart HR and Vivoactive HR all now come loaded with Move IQ.

Move IQ continuously monitors for periods of sustained activity and automatically detects common exercises such as walking, running, biking, swimming and elliptical training. These are downloaded to the app where they can be viewed in further detail.

Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales said: “Exciting new developments like Move IQ offer a full package to people wanting to take a step toward a healthier lifestyle."

The smart wellness insights provided by Garmin Move IQ provide cues to help users reach a personalised daily goal, set based around the previous day's activity, compared to other activity trackers which base this goal around recommended daily activity. This adjustment makes the goals unique and therefore more achievable for the user, encouraging and motivating them to do more.

When a move goal is reached the user gets a shoutout as a motivational reward for their activity. Insights also show users how they are doing in comparison to others like them for extra motivation to beat their friends.

As well as automatically recognising the activity the watch calculates active and intensity minutes. Active minutes are counted for all exercise sessions that provide at least 10 consecutive minutes of moderate to vigorous active motion.

All the metrics collected by Move IQ can be checked on the mobile app Garmin Connect, which is available on both iOS and Android. The Garmin Connect app also enables smart coaching tailored to your needs and feedback for all your activities.