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The Forerunner is a great piece of kit but you really need to get to know it to get the best out of it. Great features and functionality as long as you spend time learning the device. The downsides, the Garmin support is rubbish and in some cases the instructions (where to go) are just plain wrong. Best place for support, go to you tube and search for independent videos.
I bought this watch for my wife as we've both started running together. I have the Forerunner 310XT myself & found the motiviation a GPS watch gives you during a run to be superb. Being able to measure accurately how far & how fast you're going versus your goals makes a massive difference. The watch is a lot bigger than it looks in the picture (as mentally you compare this to a normal watch size) so the display is a good size & very easy to read. It has a maximum of 3 fields per screen of a good size so the only down side here (versus a larger unit like the 310XT) is that you have 1 less field per screen. This isn't really an issue tho as after a few runs you work out what data you want to view during the run & can amend the screens accordingly & swap between screens as you run. As with most in-built GPS watches this large size is maybe an issue for the smaller, more petite runner out there - this is why I chose this particular model however as it comes with 2 replacement soft sports straps (for a larger &/or smaller wrist respectively). My wife has very petite wrists & the small strap makes this watch a great fit & she finds the strap very comfortable to wear. Software features = great - all the features of upper end watches including 'virtual training partner', 'return to start navigation', & much more advanced training/workout options for the advanced runners out there (that we'll never use). You can also upload data wirelessly (through the Garmin wireless USB adaptor) to 'Garmin Connect' website to keep a track of your runs, map the runs online and view your stats which is very easy to use. The battery is good - my wife is getting a couple of weeks use out of it at the mo with 1 outdoor endurance run/ride a week. The watch stays on however to enable you to use this as a standard watch so you have to turn the GPS location off after every run/ride to make the battery last longer. Would be much easier and more functional if you could just turn the watch off as the unit is too big to wear as an every day watch so this is just a waste of battery in stand-by mode. The bezel works similar to an iPod click wheel & as a design is quite functional. It is quite easy (but not simple) to use but only after some practice to learn what type of interaction with the bezel does what function. The bezel use has been listed as an issue on many forums - affected by sweat, catching it when you don't want to, etc. My wife isn't having any problems with it however & 'locks it out' when not using the functions. I think this comes down to preference - touch sensitive controls are clearly the way forward in most tech these days & my wife isn't generally a big fan of said tech but is getting on fine with it. Between the 2 models I personally preffer the 310XT's old style push-button activation as this is a very defined action with no chance of jumping past the screen you're after or changing screens by accident. Alternatively removing the buttons makes this watch more aestheticlly pleasing, sleeker, and more modern looking. GPS location takes a while with thick cloud but get's there in the end & hasn't lost signal yet once in contact. On sunny days it takes no time at all & there's nothing between this & the 310XT on these points. Value = a good buy as you can get newer versions now which has driven down cost of new & used 405CX models but there's been little change in functionality! A great buy for advanced runners (Esp. 4 small wrists)!!Read full review
This watch was everything I expected....and more. t has really edged me on to working harder. So much that I am now considering my first half marathon....no, I have decided to do my first one. Am having great fun playing about with the functions and still learning new features. Only slight gripe is that it came with an American adapter. This does not work and I can only recharge it due to an old camera charger i had lying around the house. So watch out for these ones. If you can, go for the GB model.
very accurate and easier to use than i thought it would be. fairly quick to find satalite. battery last long time between charges. only down side is the display is small and hard to read especially in the rain. either need to buy a bigger watch or move out of the west country! the thing i would not be with out is the Garmin connect web sight, ant+ works well and the data analysis is out of this world.
its a garmin so it has to be good well made & easy to use does what it say on the box great piece of kit
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned