Turtles Can Run

A big thank you to everyone who gave me their opinions and review of the different GPS watches.  It seems that most people use the 205, 305 and 405.  Here is a brief summary of  what people said about each watch.

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor

The Garmin 305 was the most popular with 70% of the vote.  Everyone who has one said they love it.  A few even have replaced theirs with another or said they would when theirs died.  A few people said it had a great battery life and that the connection was very reliable.  Most people did not find it bulky or uncomfortable even though it is large.  The Large display and button actually is a positve for most people.

GARMIN 010-00466-00 Forerunner 205 GPS Receiver

I did not mention the 205 in the original post,  but it is the same as the 305 except it doesn’t have the heart rate monitor.  It was recommended by 22% of the people who gave their opinions on which watch I should choose.  This is an even cheaper alternative, for those people who do not need or want a GPS with a heart rate monitor.  All the people who have it say they love it and just like the 305 many said they have or would replace it with the same model.

GARMIN Forerunner 405 Black GPS Enabled Sports Watch/ HRM

Only 8% people said they loved the 405.  Most people thought it wasn’t worth the extra money, and that the 305 performed better.  Some of the negatives were  that  battery life was awful,  it has spotty connectivity, and the touch bezel can be problematic, especially when wet.  On the other hand  those who gave it a positive review  liked the touch bezel and said it wasn’t a problem as long as it was locked and that they haven’t had any problems with it.

I am purchasing the 305.  From my research and everyone’s reviews of the product,  it seems like it will be the best fit for me and my budget.  I am choosing the 305 over the 205 because I would use the heart rate monitor .  Even though I have a polar and will continue to use that at the gym, I don’t want the have to wear two watches on my runs, as it is I carry around enough gear.  I am excited about getting it, the only worry I have is that it might be to big for my wrist, but if this is really a problem I can just give it to my husband.  I am sure he would love a new gadget to play with.  I will let you know how I like it after I have received it and tested it out for a couple of weeks.  Thanks again for all the feed back it was very helpful!

Slow and Steady Still Finishes the Race

-Middalia Wayman

Filed under: My Gear