Sports Watches: Reviews

Updated June 2009

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Best basic sports watch

It's not the most exciting or feature-packed sports watch, but reviewers say the Tech4O Accelerator Runner is comfortable and relatively easy to use once you get past the initial setup. Its features include a chronograph… to track time and lap splits and an internal accelerometer to calculate pace and distance. Reviewers say the Tech4O sports watch is accurate, and many owners like having a simple, comfortable, no-frills watch that tracks time and distance without the added expense of GPS functionality. The watch comes in both men's and women's versions (the women's version is the RW2).

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: More than 40 owners review the women's version of the Tech4O Accelerator Running Watch on Amazon.com, giving it a four-star ...

Amazon.com: The men's version of the Tech4O Accelerator gets fewer reviews, but owners are generally happy with the watch. Reviewers praise ...

About.com: Wendy Bumgardner, About.com's guide to walking, writes a detailed review of the Tech4O Accelerator watch. She focuses mainly on ...

Women's Health magazine: Women's Health magazine highlights the Tech4O Accelerator watch in a brief review. Calling it a "smart gadget," Women's Health ...

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Basic heart-rate monitor watch

Timex Ironman Road Trainer Heart Rate Monitor

*Est. $90 Compare Prices

If you want to track your heart rate in addition to workout times and lap splits, experts say the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Heart Rate Monitor is a good basic sports watch with an included chest strap. This rugged,… water-resistant sports watch boasts a 50-lap memory, countdown timer, alarm and Indiglo backlight. Furthermore, reviewers say the Timex Ironman Road Trainer is easy to operate with minimal setup time. It comes in both men's (full) and women's (midsize) versions. There's no GPS functionality, so the Ironman sports watch can't track distance. However, GPS watches cost a lot more.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Outside Magazine: Outside magazine calls the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Digital HRM sports watch a "killer value," recommending it as a ...

Trail Runner Magazine: Trail Runner picks the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Digital HRM in its 2009 Gear Guide. Saying the watch is "relatively easy to ...

About.com: Wendy Bumgardner, the About.com guide to walking, gives the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Digital HRM watch an overall rating of 4.5 ...

Maxim magazine: In a series on the "best stuff of the year," Maxim magazine writes a balanced review of the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Digital ...

The Associated Press: The Timex Ironman Road Trainer Digital HRM scores a mention in a list of workout gear that won't break the bank, compiled by The ...

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Best GPS sports watch

Garmin Forerunner 405

*Est. $300 Compare Prices

A favorite of athletes and reviewers alike, the Garmin Forerunner 405 impresses with a relatively sleek design (some GPS watches are very bulky). Reviews note the Forerunner's quick satellite lock and a wireless data… upload (for tracking workouts on your computer). PC World calls it the "Cadillac of wrist watches for serious runners." The Garmin Forerunner 405 tracks distance, pace, calories and time; an optional heart-rate monitor and a bike pod for cyclists can also be added. Reviewers praise the unique bezel design, although owners say it can be hard to use when your fingers are wet or sweaty. The Garmin Forerunner 405 is slightly smaller than previous Forerunner GPS watches, but it comes at a cost -- a shorter battery life that limits the watch to eight hours of continuous use before it needs to be recharged.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

The Boston Globe: The Boston Globe tests five heart rate monitors and Terrence Mahon, a running coach for Team Running USA, evaluates each model. ...

Runner's World: Senior editor Sean Downey writes a detailed review of the Garmin Forerunner 405 for Runner's World. He loves the virtual partner ...

Runner's World U.K.: Runner's World U.K. clearly thinks the Garmin Forerunner 405 is a better watch than its predecessor, the Garmin Forerunner 305. ...

Amazon.com: Nearly 80 owners review the Garmin Forerunner 405 on Amazon.com, where it earns mixed reviews and an average rating of 3.5 stars. ...

Wired.com: The Garmin Forerunner 405 scores eight stars out of 10 from Wired. Reviewer Mathew Honan praises the easy-to-use bezel and ...

RunningTimes.com: Longtime gear reviewer Brian Metzler also likes the virtual partner on the Garmin Forerunner 405, and he appreciates the smaller ...

Shape: Shape magazine likes the Garmin Forerunner 405, especially for serious runners, but reviewer Alla Byrne thinks that casual ...

RoadRunnerSports.com: More than 40 owners review the Garmin Forerunner 405 on RoadRunnerSports.com, giving it an average rating of four stars. ...

The Independent (London): The Independent picks its 10 favorite digital watches, including the Garmin Forerunner 405. Calling it "scarily efficient," ...

SmartMoney.com: Smart Money highlights seven fitness gadgets that can get you in shape in a brief review, including the Garmin Forerunner 405. ...

Men's Fitness: Men's Fitness highlights five watches in a brief review, including the Garmin Forerunner 405. Noah Johnson thinks this watch ...

The Mirror (U.K.): Steve Halsall, a personal trainer, reviews the Garmin Forerunner 405 for the Mirror, calling it a great value. Halsall says the ...

Women's Adventure magazine: The Garmin Forerunner 405 scores an Editor's Choice award from Women's Adventure magazine, but there's no explanation why this ...

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Budget GPS watch

Garmin Forerunner 101

*Est. $110 Compare Prices

It doesn't have the bells and whistles of the more expensive Garmin Forerunner 405, but experts say the Garmin Forerunner 101 is a better value if you really want a GPS watch (only GPS watches can accurately track… distance). The Forerunner 101 is certainly not as sleek as the Garmin Forerunner 405 -- the Garmin Forerunner 101 measures 3.26 inches wide, compared with 1.88 inches for the more expensive 405. Still, it tracks time, pace, distance and calories burned, and it marks waypoints and includes the virtual partner training tool. However, reviewers say satellite reception can be spotty in large cities or under dense tree cover. The Forerunner uses two AAA batteries, so it's not rechargeable like most other GPS watches. You also can't upload your workout data to a computer, but the Garmin Forerunner 101 does store two years' worth of workouts in its internal memory.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: More than 100 owners give the Garmin Forerunner 101 a rating of four stars on Amazon.com. Overall, owners are impressed with the ...

RunningTimes.com: In this older review, Jim Gerweck evaluates the Garmin Forerunner 101, recommending it for people who live in areas with good ...

Time magazine: The Garmin Forerunner 101 gets good marks in this older review from Time magazine. Although reviewer Wilson Rothman has problems ...

Buzzillions.com: The Garmin Forerunner 101 gets mixed feedback in owner-written reviews compiled by Buzzillions.com. Some owners think it's ...

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Budget adventure watch

Origo Granite Peak Titanium Sleek

*Est. $175 Compare Prices

Adventure watches differ from running watches in that they have extra features for hiking, camping or mountaineering. Most are expensive, but the Origo Granite Peak Titanium Sleek earns great reviews, and it's… considerably cheaper than the top-rated Suunto X10. It includes a digital compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, chronograph and 99-lap memory. In one test of six adventure watches, the Origo Granite Peak Titanium Sleek was the most accurate, and reviewers say it provides a wealth of information, even if it is a bit heavy at 3.5 ounces. Unlike the Suunto X10, you can't upload your workout data to a computer with the Origo Granite Peak Titanium Sleek, but the Origo sports watch costs hundreds less. To save even more money, you can choose the Field Sleek version (*Est. $135) that loses the titanium casing in favor of black stainless steel.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Men's Journal: Men's Journal tests six adventure watches, and the Origo Granite Peak Titanium Sleek was the most precise of the bunch. Overall, ...

Trail Runner Magazine: The Origo Granite Peak Titanium Sleek scores a mention in Trail Runner's 2009 Gear Guide, where it earns points for durability -- ...

Outside Magazine: In its 2008 Buyer's Guide, Outside magazine highlights a number of sports watches, including the Origo Granite Peak Titanium ...

RunningTimes.com: Running Times highlights two adventure watches that it recommends for trail running, including the Origo Granite Peak Sleek. ...

Backcountry.com: Only a few owners have reviewed the Origo Granite Peak watches on Backcountry.com, but most of the feedback is positive. ...

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Oregon Mountain Community

for $37.95

Best GPS adventure watch

Suunto X10

*Est. $550 Compare Prices

It's definitely not inexpensive, but reviewers think the Suunto X10 is a terrific, feature-packed adventure watch. It boasts an altimeter, barometer, chronograph, compass and GPS navigation, and reviews indicate that this… sports watch is reliable, accurate and comfortable to wear. Reviewers are also impressed with the easy-to-use interface and battery life. It's a hefty watch, so it is a better choice for climbers, hikers and trail runners, rather than recreational runners. Given the long list of features, the Suunto X10 is not the easiest watch to set up -- reviewers say you'll have to spend some serious quality time with the 95-page user manual.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Men's Journal: Men's Journal tests six adventure watches, giving its highest rating to the Suunto X10. The watch performs admirably in tests, ...

National Geographic Adventure: The Suunto X10 wins a Best of Adventure gear award from National Geographic Adventure for 2009. National Geographic Adventure ...

Navigadget.com: Navigadget.com provides a lengthy review of the Suunto X10, complete with pictures and a comprehensive list of features. It's ...

Snowshoe Magazine: Derrick Spafford says the Suunto X10 has "tons of bells and whistles," and he thinks it's a great watch for snowshoe running. He ...

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OpticsPlane- t.com

for $549.00

J&R Music and Computer World

for $549.00

Amazon Marketplace

for $403.50

Garmin Forerunner 305 *Est. $200

4 picks by top review sites.

Polar RS800 with G3 *Est. $290

3 picks by top review sites.

Polar RS800CX G3 *Est. $370

2 picks by top review sites.

Timex Ironman Bodylink *Est. $180

2 picks by top review sites.

Timex Expedition WS4 *Est. $140

2 picks by top review sites.

Suunto T4C *Est. $220

2 picks by top review sites.

Garmin Forerunner 205 *Est. $150

2 picks by top review sites.

Garmin Forerunner 201 *Est. $125

2 picks by top review sites.

Suunto Core *Est. $330

2 picks by top review sites.


	Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor from Amazon.com New: Too low to display In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Polar RS800G3 Multisport GPS Computer Heart Rate Monitor Watch with FREE USB 2.0 Interface from Amazon.com New: $292.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Polar RS800CX Multi Sport Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G3 GPS Sensor W.I.N.D. from Amazon.com New: $439.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Timex Ironman T5F011 Men's Bodylink Heart Rate Monitor Watch from Amazon.com New: $201.95 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Suunto t4c Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Trainer Watch (Black Frost) from Amazon.com New: $152.71 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Garmin Forerunner 205 from Amazon.com New: $195.95 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Garmin Forerunner 201 Wrist-Mounted GPS Fitness Computer from Amazon.com New: $118.49 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Suunto Core Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and Depth Measurement (All Black) from Amazon.com New: $340.00 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

Sports Watches: Reviews

Best basic sports watch

Basic heart-rate monitor watch

Best GPS sports watch

Budget GPS watch

Budget adventure watch

Best GPS adventure watch

Sports Watches by Price Range