Saturday, June 18, 2011

Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Black) (Electronics)


Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Black) (Electronics)


My last running watch was a Suunto S4 and now I'm using a Garmin 405. This review highlights my experience with both watches.



Suunto S4 experience (used for 2+ years):



I purchased a Suunto S4 a few years ago. It was cutting edge at the time. However, I had to return it to Suunto three different times because it stopped working each time I had to change the battery. My conclusion each time this happened was that the watch had great technology... but it was built with cheap material with poor quality testing. I didn't purchase the PC pod... so, I was unable to transfer my workout data to my computer. I did have a heart rate monitor and a foot pod. The watch worked good when I didn't have to replace the battery. I needed to read the manual several times before getting a good grasp of all the features. I felt that the built in Suunto Coach feature was pretty much useless... it consistently recommended a schedule that was too light for me. Overall feeling of the Suunto S4:

* Great watch for runners a few years ago

* Still good technology in the watch

* Made with cheap material (lifespan of watch was very short in my opinion)

* Worked well on a treadmill and outdoors.





Garmin 405 experience (after 1 month):



I've had the Garmin 405 for a month now. It rocks! It took me one run to get used to the Garmin 405. After one more run I had it configured just right for my needs. I know there are features I still have not taken advantage of... but it works just the way I want it to with the right information displayed during my run. I occasionally use the Heart Rate Monitor to get a feel for my average heart rate on different types of runs. I never installed the software to track my running on my computer. Instead I setup an account with Garmin Connect and it is excellent!!!!! The ability to track my exact course on the map, elevation, distance, heart rate, peaks and low points for each measurement, etc. is incredible. Plus, it's there on the web for me to pull up anytime and anywhere. I've run against the virtual trainer on a few occasions. However, I prefer to monitor my running time, speed and distance (or current HR if I'm wearing the Heart Rate monitor). There is a ton of data you can use to monitor when you run. I can't comment on the longevity of the watch since mine is only a month old (I hope it lasts for at least 2 years). I sometimes wear the watch when I'm not running. Often I'll just snap on the charging clip after a run and leave it until my next run. The ant technology has worked perfect for me to load my runs online. I just snapped in the ant stick this evening and 6 runs loaded off my watch to the internet for my review. One tip that has worked well for me is to lock the watch after I start the run and set the training screen to my preferred view. This will prevent me from changing something by accident and is something I learned to do after running in the rain once. I have not tested the 405 on a treadmill since I have not purchased the footpod. Regarding the GPS signal, it seems to work very well... even with trees overhead. It's cool when the watch tells me there's a sharp turn ahead... and it's right. Also, I like how the watch tells me when my run is half over. In both of these cases, it tells you with a message box and a little sound that prompts me to look at my watch since I wear an IPod when I run. I always strive to complete my workout goal because I get a nice success message at the end with an sound indicating my workout has completed.



Overall recommendation: Buy the Garmin 405 and use it with Garmin Connect. If you are a runner that likes to analyze the details of your runs... you will love it.


Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Black) (Electronics)





BUY Now Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Black) (Electronics)
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