# What is a good Running GPS watch?



## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

Hello, I am thinking about getting a GPS watch to track my running (i have been using "Log your run" on my iphone for a few months)....There are several different models to choose from, and i was wondering if anybody had any expierence with them???

I was looking at several different Garmin Forerunners on amazon, but there are so many its hard to choose one.

I am training for the Chicago Marathon in October, and an Ironman in 2013.

What do you guys reccomend?


Thank you,
Jon


----------



## Buzzard (Sep 7, 2004)

Forerunner 210. Simple, with all the basic features you need. None of the extra junk you don't need. HR and foot pod compatible. Decent battery life. Check out this website for killer reviews: 

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/12/garmin-forerunner-210-in-depth-review.html?m=1

Use the Forerunner 210 to log rides as well, if you don't want to use your smart phone. Get on Strava if you're not already.


----------



## Bridgey (Mar 26, 2003)

Motorola MOTOACTV DC Rainmaker: Motorola MOTOACTV In Depth Review

GPS watch with the full package (ANT + supported), HR, Cadence, Power, Mp3, earphones.

From DC Rainmakers first paragraph
"As I noted two days ago, the Motorola Motoactv has completely and totally changed the face of sports watches…literally overnight. Upon its initial release it has managed to offer an immense suite of features and functionality, as well as offering new sensor types and connection methods"

Pros: 

- Amazingly clean user interface 
- Easily records your runs, bikes, walks, other gym equipment 
- Supports ANT+, Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth sensors 
- Supports Bluetooth headphones wirelessly 
- Allows data export to CSV 
- Connects via Wifi to automatically upload workouts

Cons: 

- Waterproofing is of questionable integrity 
- No audible alerts without headphones 
- No vibration engine for vibration alerts 
- Battery level seems lower than it should be


----------



## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks for the opinions guys.

I probably should have clarified that this would only be for running, as i have a Garmin Edge 500 computer for cycling.

I am really liking the Forerunner 210.


----------



## chuckice (Aug 25, 2004)

Forerunner 210 is hard to beat for basic features...run the comparison against the 610 to see if there's anything you might find useful. I wouldn't stray from either of those two. I've been using my 610 for almost a year...zero issues. If you do any treadmill miles consider picking up the footpod as well so you can track treadmill time on Garmin Connect as well.


----------



## bq_or_bust (Oct 27, 2007)

just remember that any GPS watch will have problems locating and maintaining satellites in a big city. polar also have GPS. a polar tech at an expo told me they use the same technology as garmin.

get a model which has the features you want (heart rate, etc.) and one than you can download your runs. also consider if you are going to do triathlons in the near future. if so, might be nice to get an all-in compensating one (waterproof).


----------



## chuckice (Aug 25, 2004)

FWIW I live in San Francisco...no issues with satellites. Nice thing with Garmin & the footpod is it will switch to the footpod for pace/distance data if satellite coverage gets spotty and switch back when it improves (on the 610...i think the 210 does the same).


----------



## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

My gf has the Forerunner 110, I have the the 210. The charging device on the Garmin's suck, you have to really make sure the pins are aligned accurately. I actually sent my 210 back today, I am going to give the Motoactv a shot. It will work with my Garmin hr strap and cadence sensor etc. Other than the charging "problem" the Garmins work okay, sometimes a hard reset is required if satellite reception is funky. I also wish they had auto start and stop, but for that you need the Forerunner 410 which has touch buttons which I don't like.
Having rambled about all that, I'd still recommend the Forerunner 210 for $200 from Amazon.


----------



## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

I had a 210...that's the "laptop on your wrist" one, right? It took forever to load the satellites, especially in town, but also under trees. It fell apart when I went in the pool with it, but they were nice enough to replace. 

I upgraded to the 310xt. it loads just slightly faster, although the marketing made it sound like it would be a big difference. It has a lot of glitches, I lost data from a very important (to me) race. It's cool that it loads automatically to Garmin Connect, but that software is fragile as well. And now, the wrist strap keeps falling off if I so much as brush against something. it's secured by incredibly small, fragile pins. 

Next time I need to blow $400, I'm going to try some other brand. BUT...I cannot run/race without this technology now, no matter how massive a pain it is.


----------



## Buzzard (Sep 7, 2004)

litespeedchick - You're probably thinking of the older 305. The 210 is more like a regular watch in appearance, with a sleek form factor. My 210 has worked flawlessly and always locks on to satellites rather quickly. The 210 should not be used for swimming. It's not designed for it.

Also, I really don't understand why people are having such a hard time with the charge/data transfer cable connection. I've had no issues with this.


----------



## scottzj (Oct 4, 2010)

I have the Garmin 310xt. I think its one of the best purchases I have made for my running and cycling days. It has the heart monitor, cadence, bike mount and wrist strap. I wear the 310xt on my wrist with new band and one twist and I can have it mounted on the bike. This keeps you from buying 2/3 garmin devices for running, swimming and cycling.


----------



## abinkley (May 8, 2012)

I have a Garmin Forerunner 405 that has been awesome. Looks like a real watch and had everything I needed (gps, pace, HR, etc). Battery life is not phenomenal, but still a great watch.


----------



## EHietpas (Feb 9, 2012)

Look at the battery life. The Garmin 405 is known to have terrible battery life. I own the 305, which although a little bulky, has a LOT of bells and whistles that I use for multisport racing. The hangup with the 305 is that the battery life is 8 hrs. My friend just bought the 410, but it doesn't have all the feature he wanted. The best bang for the buck price wise is the 305 for multisport. The GPS on all watches does not work correctly for the swim, I don't care what Polar, Garmin or whoever claims. So keep that in mind. There are a lot of facts on that. The 310 was the major upgrade from the 305 and it is water proof vs water resistant for up to 30 minutes. 

The 100 and 200 series are not what your looking for. Here's the info I sent a buddy of mine on these. The review link is the place to go to look at ALL GPS watches. The guy does extremely detailed reviews.

I'd stay away from the Forerunner 410. The best price I could find was for $199 but if you read the fine print you will see that this does NOT include the Heart Rate Monitor Strap. The kit with strap is over 3 bills almost everywhere I looked.

Honestly, for the money I'd probably buy the one I have the Garmin 305. It comes with everything you need and it has the multisport feature on the fly. Here's the review for that guy. DC Rainmaker: Review of Garmin Forerunner 305
E-Digital Electronics : GARMIN GPS-Enabled Personal Trainer w/ Heart Rate Monitor FORERUNNER305 [alFORERUNNER305] - $145.00 $145.00 (This site is from amazon.)

Scheels carries the 610 ($399), 410 ($299 w/ HRM) and 210 ($249 w/ HRM) so you can go there and take a look at them. But for the money and the multiple cool uses, the 305 is still king for me. 

Good Luck


----------



## the_don (Mar 23, 2008)

Another vote for the Motorola Motoactv.

Seriously, read the DC Rainmaker review. You will get rid of your bike computer as the Motoactv does everything much better than anything that has come before.

I am selling my Polar CS500 and getting it because it ticks every box I have ever wanted in a sports computer.


----------



## BeepBeepZipTang (Oct 8, 2009)

I second the Forerunner 210. great device for riding as well. Battery life is ok. Nice docking device for charging and garmin connect for your stats.

especially good for tri/dua events (less the swimming).:thumbsup:


----------



## NWS Alpine (Mar 16, 2012)

the_don said:


> Another vote for the Motorola Motoactv.
> 
> Seriously, read the DC Rainmaker review. You will get rid of your bike computer as the Motoactv does everything much better than anything that has come before.
> 
> I am selling my Polar CS500 and getting it because it ticks every box I have ever wanted in a sports computer.


Except if you need a longer battery life or ride in the rain. 

I went with the 310XT because I use it on my bike and also standup paddleboarding. It has been awesome. I have no issues with it in the water.


----------



## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

How long have you had it? Does your band not fall apart constantly?


----------



## SilverStar07 (May 18, 2011)

I got the Nike Sportwatch GPS for Christmas and it has been great. I use it for all my work outs, granted it works best for running as that's what it was designed for. But Nike has slowly adding features via firmware updates, it now has MPH/KPH instead of just pace so it can be used for biking as well. I have been in communication with a couple of the reps at Nike because they did have some problems with the GPS tracking when downloading the info on their web site but that has been fixed. We also talked about adding a dedicated "bike" mode and possibly being able to use the Polar Cadence sensor, it already uses the Polar Heart Rate Monitor they couldn't confirm anything but it wasn't the first time had been brought up.

I had also looked at the Motoactive and I was close to getting it, I didn't because it was new on the market with not a lot of info yet and I was worried about the water proofing or lack there of. I do swim on occasion for work outs and would like to track those work outs as well.

I don't think there is any 1 perfect GPS watch out there, so I made a list of things I wanted to use it for and got the 1 that best met those wants.

Just my 2 cents, what ever that's worth.

SS-


----------



## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Just got my Motoactv yesterday. I can't give a long term review as I've used it once, but I can give my first impressions. It's huge. I am a bigger guy, 6' 180, and I think it's huge. It's on par with the bigger Garmin watches.
I only have the wrist watch and clip mount, I wanted to make sure I liked it before I bought the more expensive bike mount.

It's really customizable. You can adjust all your workout zones, the information that appears on the screen for each type of activity, etc. It has elevation, gps of course, an FM radio (seems to actually work!), a stopwatch and timer, the music player, maps included for most of the U.S., and much more.
The supplied headphones are okay, and they come with 6 different silicone pieces for your ears, 3 sets that "completely" block ambient noise, and 3 sets that allow ambient noise. They have a built in microphone. I have it synced to my Droid Razr and I can receive texts on the device, as well as answer calls. Pretty cool. The music player is standard Android fare, as is the menus, home screens, etc. You can actually root it, but I probably won't do that.
The online software is okay, I don't see any calorie counting function for managing that, but it does indeed record your calories burned. It can function as a pedometer, and you can calibrate it for indoor running or elliptical machines to measure your distance etc. It found my Garmin heart strap as fast as my Garmin's do, and it will work with a cadence sensor also.
I think if you can handle the size, it's an awesome device. I'm hesitant about it's water resistance, but if I ride in the rain I guess I'll figure out more about that then.


----------



## Bluffplace (Jul 30, 2008)

Sell the 500 and get the Garmin 310xt. Buy the accessories so that you can also mount it on your bike.


----------



## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

The 310XT lacks a barometric altimeter which some find useful...


----------



## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks for all the input everyone!

I will have to go check out all the Garmin/Motorola/Nike units in person when i get a chance, and then decide which is best for me.


----------



## jkompa (May 15, 2012)

Garmin has always been good to me. I like the 310 for running, but it also has a bike mount option so you don't need to have multiples.


----------



## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

thank you for the opportunity to vent about this garmin. The band broke in a different place today. I don't think it's fixable this time. 

it usually comes apart where the band attaches to the watch body, but today the plastic loops at the end have broken so the buckle can't be attached. 

They can make a watch that talks to satellites but they can't make a sturdy band?


----------



## the_don (Mar 23, 2008)

litespeedchick said:


> thank you for the opportunity to vent about this garmin. The band broke in a different place today. I don't think it's fixable this time.
> 
> it usually comes apart where the band attaches to the watch body, but today the plastic loops at the end have broken so the buckle can't be attached.
> 
> They can make a watch that talks to satellites but they can't make a sturdy band?


Well, it doesn't 'talk' to satellites, more like 'just listens to their radio signals'. 

Ah, that sucks that your Garmin broke, maybe now you have an excuse to get the new Motorola, that has changeable straps and mounts! As well as being a ton better than everything else!


----------



## willstylez (Sep 15, 2011)

I bought a *Suunto Ambit * nearly 2 months ago and absolutely love it. Besides having specific modes for running, cycling, mountaineering, trekking, skiing....you can also design & name other modes on their Movescount website. Plus it has an altimeter, barometer, 3D compass, etc. Comes with a heart rate monitor too. Website is simple to use as well.

Big bonus is that the watch looks stellar, in my opinion. I bought the all black one and wear it as a daily watch. Oh yeah, battery life is superb too.


----------



## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

the_don said:


> , maybe now you have an excuse to get the new Motorola, that has changeable straps and mounts! As well as being a ton better than everything else!


Good point, as with broken bike parts, i should see this as an "upgrade opportunity" ;-)


----------



## jkuo (Mar 30, 2008)

I've had a Garmin 305 (the original one) for 5-6 years now, whenever it first came out. Still works great, band has held up well and I've dropped it, fallen on it, no issues. Battery life isn't great, but it's not terrible either. Pretty basic features, but it is relatively accurate.

My wife got a Nike GPS Watch (TomTom). Looks sleek, GPS works well, a few more features than the Garmin. Sometimes it would take longer to find the satellite than the Garmin, but other than that it was fine. After a year though, the band broke. It split right by where it attaches to the body of the watch. Still functional, but ugly and would totally fail at some point. In Nike's defense, the watch wasn't designed for people with small wrists, the angle of the band becomes really sharp if you have a smaller wrist. Also, Nike warrantied it even though it was 2 weeks past the 1 year period, no questions asked.

In the end, during the wait for the warranty replacement Nike, my wife got a MotoActv. Honestly, it is way better than the Nike or Garmin. More flexibility, more features, GPS syncs much quicker. I'm so impressed that I'm about to ditch my Garmin and Sigma Rox 9.0 (which has never worked well for me) and get the Motorola for both bike and run.


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

I moved to a Forerunner 210 a year ago after the case on my old 305 cracked. The 210 is lightweight like a watch and finds the GPS satellites fairly quickly. For a basic featured GPS watch, it's a reasonable choice. 

Some disadvantages:

It does not have a AUTO STOP feature. If you are a timing junkie, you won't like this as it will skew your running time if you stop along the way for a bio break or a doughnut. Same situation if you use it for cycling.

The connector is strange. Not sure if it is related or not but sometimes I come get my watch before a run and it is totally discharged! When this happens, I'm never sure if got all the connector pins locked in correctly.

You'll want to stay away from the earlier 205 and 405 models even though they can be found cheaper. Mega-complaints about the touch/bezel user interface.


----------



## bobs51 (Nov 1, 2012)

*Strava*

I am / was on Strava but now they appear to be tryng to push me towards Garmin to buy some product or other.

I am happy with Strava can anyone tell me what is going on, I am not that technically minded and resist all attemtpts to con me out of unnecessary spending.

Strava works, I want to stick with it! Simple??

Any comments welcome please?

Thanks

Bob


----------



## Johns1234 (May 9, 2013)

I am really hooked on the new Timex Run Trainer 2.0 which I think is the best value for the features available especially if you need one for running and triathlon. Just running you can get a pretty good value watch down to $99 but as soon as you need swimming features, HR, Data upload, Intervals and workout memory you are looking at 275 and up no matter which brand.


----------



## Carlosmontiel (Dec 6, 2012)

I have a garmin 610 that I used for about 10 months for running and riding. I just upgraded to a 910xt so I can use It for triathlon trainning a racing. I really like It. It just connects with The pc as I come Inside my apartment and send all The info to garming connect. I also bought a sunto Ant+ USB thingy, It is smaller than The garming one and worked just as Well ( i had lost The USB of The 610).

I like The 910xt Lots of info, nice quality and feel.


----------



## Alfonsina (Aug 26, 2012)

There is a sale on the 910s at the moment, can it talk to my 500's cadence and speed and use the HRM strap I have for the edge 500? I don't need to double up on those bits? They are not device specific if paired? I would love to get a 910 and the foot pod so I can use it for running and swimming but I was a bit cost paralyzed at the tri bundle.


----------



## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Some of good reviews here: DC Rainmaker


----------



## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

Alfonsina said:


> There is a sale on the 910s at the moment, can it talk to my 500's cadence and speed and use the HRM strap I have for the edge 500? I don't need to double up on those bits? They are not device specific if paired? I would love to get a 910 and the foot pod so I can use it for running and swimming but I was a bit cost paralyzed at the tri bundle.


Yes you can use the same cadence/HR that you have on your 500 with any garmin device... In fact you can most likey use any ant+ third party HR/cadence and your Garmin will sync, you just have to pair the devices, just like the third party power devices.


----------



## Alfonsina (Aug 26, 2012)

I just ordered the 910 for 299 on sale. As I only need the foot pod it is a good enough price. Hopefully it will get here soon.


----------

