Forerunner 920XT – Best Triathlon Watch Yet?

If you are looking for a new multi-sport gps training watch then look no further as the new forerunner 920XT is crazy awesome with a TON of features that you can seriously dial in your training.

There are so much that it will take you a bit to get dial it all in but man the metrics you get out of this watch in your triathlon training will be incredibly vital as you adjust your training plan based on looking at your results on Garmin connect.

What I love about this watch is not only does it have great features to keep track of your biking and running metrics, is that it finally has some swimming features on the watch that make swimming indoors fun!

You finally get a watch that is built to help you keep track of strokes and laps in a pool!  I don’t know about you, but man after doing about 40 laps, I loose count sometimes on what the heck lap I’m on when I’m doing  along set.  This will help set off alarms on when you have completed your set so you can just swim!

Let’s look at what the Garmin 920XT can do for your multi-sport training below and see if it’s the watch that will be right for you.

Garmin Forerunner 920xt Features & Design

Feature list

• Advanced Running features to track your cadence, stride length, ground contact time, amount of bounce in your step and metronome feature.  You of course have your regular distance, pace and heart rate settings.
• I can also estimate your VO2 max, has a race prediction feature and includes a recovery advisory.
• For swimming you can track your distance, stroke count, it has a drill logging feature and reset timers to help you start and stop your laps.
• There is also a feature that you can tap into your smart phone to get email, text and other alerts.
• As with most high end Garmin gps watches you can automatically upload your workouts to Garmin connect when paired with your smart phone.
• You have your normal biking metrics and heart rate metrics as well.
• Has activity tracking built in to track your total steps and calories burned throughout the day as well.
• Color Display
• Up to 40 hours in UltraTrac mode; up to 24 hours in training mode; up to 4 months in watch mode

Sizing

Here is the physical size of the watch 1.9” x 2.2” x 0.5” (48 x 55 x 12.7 mm).  The actual display is 1.1″ x 0.8″ (2.9 x 2.1 cm) with a resolution of 205 x 148 pixels.  The watch itself weighs in at 2.1 oz. This is 15 percent lighter than the forerunner 910xt model I bought. It’s really a big deal. With a smaller size now in the 920 I would actually wear my watch around all the time. I didn’t like doing that with the older model because of how big it was.

Garmin Forerunner 920Xt Benefits

So, one of the unique things about the forerunner 920 is that you can use this in a variety of ways based on what you want to train for. There are 3 models of this watch that you need to know about so you purchase the correct one.

You have the just watch version, HRM-Tri version and the HRM-Run Version.  We’ll look at all three so you can see the benefits of each of them.

All of the models come with a standard charging and data cradle. So, just assume that for each one. Also, if you are only interested in a running watch then I do want you to know that this is a pretty expensive running watch.

You can get the basic features for half the price with the forerunner 220 or the forerunner 620 to be honest. This is really a triathlon watch when it comes down to it. But if you have the cash this will be one kick a$$ running watch so keep reading!

920XT HRM-Traithlon Version

So, it comes with the HRM tri heart rate strap, HRM Swim heart rate strap and quick release kit.

The HRM Tri strap is made to go underwater and keeps track of your heart rate metrics by sending it back to the 920. It fits nicely under your clothing and wet suit.  It also tracks heart rate with the run and bike as well.

HRM Swim Version

Now the HRM Swim is specifically made for indoor swimming. What really made me give up on using the heart rate strap in the pool was that it would slip all over the place and would slip down with pushing off the wall.

This strap is specifically made to avoid that with a new strap that is not plastic and incorporates a non-slip design.  FINALLY!!!!!!!  So, as you are in the pool during the winter months and early spring you will absolutely need this guy so you can finally do more heart rate based swimming workouts.

With this option you can track your pace, stroke count, swolf score and stroke rate.  It also has a feature to log your swim drills and comes with 2 different rest interval timers that help you know when it’s time for the next set to push off the wall and get rocking!

You can get really advanced and use the alert timers in your workout to keep you on track so you know when you go a certain distance or you know when your set is over.

Check out the video below to see it in action.