Garmin 920XT Review

For our Christmas gifts last year, my wife and I got each other a Garmin 920XT GPS watch, and after a few months with it I feel I've got a good enough feel for it to review it. Before buying this watch, I used the previous generation, the 910XT, so I'll compare the two watches here.

The 920XT comes in two color combinations - black and blue and white and red. Garmin also offers a tri bundle, which has a black and silver watch and some extra heart rate bands. My wife got the blue and black version, and I got the tri bundle.

The watch itself is a good triathlon watch. It lets you select from six different workout types: Indoor Run, Run, Indoor bike, Bike, Pool Swim and Open Water Swim. It also has a Triathlon mode.

Each mode is fully customizable in terms of which statistics are shown on which screen. Each screen can show up to four different data fields. If you want to show only your overall distance on your run, so be it. If you want to see the distance for your current lap, your current pace, your current heart rate and your time in each heart rate zone, that's doable as well.

Running
The running modes are pretty straightforward. Select the mode, wait for GPS to connect (if you're doing an outdoor run), then go. As stated, you can customize the screens to show whatever stats float your boat. I tend to go with overall distance, current pace and overall time.

The main difference between the Run and Indoor Run modes is the GPS connectivity. The Indoor Run mode does not connect to GPS and uses wrist based detection (abbreviated WDR; don't ask me why) to determine your pace and distance. WDR is, obviously, less accurate than GPS. How much less accurate I can't say, but I've used it on the treadmill and did notice it was quite a bit off from the treadmill mileage estimate - about a tenth of a mile over one mile.

Biking
The biking mode allows you to track bike-specific metrics. You'll see speed instead of pace, and it'll be displayed in either MPH or KPH (MPH is the default here in the States, but is easily changed via the settings menu; while I have no proof of this, I'd imagine KPH is the default everywhere else in the world). You can also connect to and get statistics from ANT+ power meters and speed/cadence and other ANT+ sensors.

I do not own a power meter and thus cannot comment on how the watch works with these types of meters. I do have the speed and cadence sensor, and I can say it works well. The speed sensor mainly comes into play during the Indoor Bike mode, while you are not moving (GPS is used to determine your speed when you are biking outdoors). It estimates your speed and does a decent job of it. The cadence portion of the sensor tells you how many times you pedal per minute, and is equally useful both indoors and out.

Swimming
I have not yet had a chance to use the Open Water Swim mode as it's been far too cold here for any kind of open water swimming. The Pool Swim mode, however, I have quite a bit of experience with, and I like it very much.

The Indoor Swimming mode is, in my opinion, a huge improvement over the same mode on the 910XT. The mode on the 920XT seems to just be more intuitive than in the previous generation, and a new rest screen helps you to better time intervals. Overall, this mode is a huge improvement from the 910XT.

For the first time, Garmin has included heart rate monitor support in the swim mode. See the Triathlon Bundle section for more info on this.

Triathlon
As mentioned, this mode is designed to be used during races. It allows you to switch between modes with one press of the Lap button. You have the option of including transitions or not. Since this mode is to be used during triathlons, you cannot change the order of activities in this mode. It goes Swim/Bike/Run, with transitions between the Swim and Bike and Bike and Run if you choose to include them.

I haven't had the chance to use this mode on the 920XT yet as my first triathlon this year isn't scheduled until August, but if it's anything like the Triathlon mode on the 910XT, it will be good to use during races.

Triathlon Bundle
The triathlon bundle offered by Garmin is actually a pretty good deal. It nets you a quick release kit (see the Quick Release Kit section) and two different heart rate straps - the HRM Swim and HRM Tri. The two straps are designed for two different things. The HRM Swim is designed to mainly be used in the pool, whereas the HRM Tri is designed to be used during open water swims, cycling and running.

Don't expect any real-time heart rate statistics, however. All of Garmin's heart rate straps are ANT+, and ANT+ sensors cannot transmit through water. These heart rate straps save your heart rate data, then transmit that data to your watch when you exit the water and save your workout.

The HRM Swim is much wider than the HRM Tri, and will not capture running dynamics, whereas the HRM Tri will capture that data. The HRM Swim also has a sticky-like material on the band that helps it hold to your body when you push off the wall.

The HRM Swim works very well in the pool. It stays in place on my chest well when I push off from the wall, both during open and flip turns. The HRM Tri doesn't work as well. Lacking the sticky stuff on the band the HRM Swim has, it has a tendency to slip off the chest when you push off the wall.

Overall, I'd advise you to use the HRM Swim only in the pool and only during open water swims when you're not planning on running or biking afterwards. You certainly can wear it when you bike or run, but, as previously stated, the HRM Swim will not capture running dynamics, and, out of the water, it's not nearly as comfortable as the HRM Tri or the regular HRM Run.

I'd use the HRM Tri when I'm doing open water swims. I also use it when I'm biking and running. I do have the typical HRM Run strap, but I tend to prefer the HRM Tri for most things.

Quick Release Kit

The quick release kit is something I quickly fell absolutely in love with once I got it installed. To use it, you have to remove the bands from your watch, then attach a small plate to the back of the watch (the second piece from the left in the picture). You attach the watch bands to a different plate (the left most piece in the picture), and that piece will then attach to the plate you placed on the back of your watch. It is a simple connection - rotate the watch ninety degrees to the left or right, place it on the plate with the watch bands, then rotate it ninety degrees back and it is locked in place.

There is also another connection you can place on your bike (the upper right piece in the picture) using the provided elastic bands. You simply disconnect the watch face from the bands by rotating it as described above, then simply connect it to the connection that is mounted on your bike. I have mind connected to my aero bottle, which places it directly in front of my face.

                                    

I love the ability to be able to do this during bike rides. I did not have anything like this with the 910XT, and when I got aero bars, I found I had to position my watch with the face of the watch about ninety degrees from normal just to see the face. This placed it right on my wrist bone, which was a bit uncomfortable, but I couldn't do much about it. Now, I have it right in front of my face, which is very nice. I doubt I'll use this feature during sprint distance races, as I don't really need to see my stats on that short of a ride, but during a half ironman, when I'm going to want to control my heart rate, I will almost certainly take the time in T1 to place my watch up here.

Parting Thoughts

Overall, I've been really impressed with the 920XT. My wife also really likes it. She has the Forerunner 620, a running-specific watch, and she prefers the 920XT to the Forerunner 620 for every activity, even running. She's not a triathlete, but she does run and bike.

The GPS connects very quickly with the 920XT, much faster than on the 910XT. With the 910XT, I typically had to wait anywhere from two to five minutes to get connected to GPS, but am typically connected within thirty seconds with the 920XT. 

If you're looking for a new triathlon watch, give the 920XT a look. It's well worth the money they're asking.