Garmin Forerunner 735XT is the company’s new fitness flagship

Garmin has been revealing some really great wearables recently, and that run is set to continue judging by its latest wrist companion.

The Garmin Forerunner 735XT — based on features and price — is now atop of the company’s fitness watch range. And speaking of the latter, you’ll need to fork out a good US$450 to own one.

It’s available in black and while, or “blue and frost blue” and boasts a large circular face, with silicon straps. It’s a retro aesthetic but polished for the current decade. I think Garmin nailed the styling.

But beyond that, is it worth its steep price tag? Well, let’s have a look at the specs.

The Forerunner 735XT is what Garmin calls a multi-sport tracker. If that means absolutely nothing to you, the watch “features 24/7 heart rate monitoring and built-in activities including running, cycling, swimming, multisport, hiking, XC skiing, strength training, paddle sports and cardio.” As as one should imagine, it’s also waterproof (up to 50m) and boasts an on-board GPS alongside heart-rate monitoring.

Battery life, according to Garmin, varies between 14 hours (in total workout mode) or 11 days when engaged in mundane time-keeping duties.

It’s also compatible with the company’s cycling and swimming hardware monitoring systems too, that’ll help you gauge your cadence and power output on your daily ride or swim. But perhaps the strangest new feature is the “Suffer Score.”

“Suffer Score is based on users’ heart rate and tells them how hard they’ve been working. So whether a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, if their heart is working hard they can rack up a high score,” the press release claims.

The company notes that the Forerunner 735XT is the first device to feature the technology honed by Strava, and like most other Garmin watches, it also connects to the Connect IQ app and storefront.

Garmin’s also quick to note that the Forerunner is a regular smartwatch too, pinging social media notifications to its wearer, as well as call alerts, SMSes (if people still send those) and the like. Users can also control music playback from the watch face.

The Forerunner 735XT is currently available on Garmin’s retail site.