GPS Watches

Garmin rules among sports watches with GPS

Garmin is the industry leader in GPS-enabled sports watches, and its line of Forerunner watches earns top marks from experts and athletes. A favorite of reviewers, the Garmin Forerunner 405 (*Est. $300) wins praise for a svelte design (compared with previous Forerunner models), quick satellite lock and a wireless data upload. The Garmin Forerunner 405 comes in black or light green, and it tracks distance, pace, time, calories burned and heart rate (if you buy the optional heart rate strap for about $60). As opposed to previous Forerunner GPS watches, the 405 uses a streamlined touch bezel that you tap for menu navigation. Runners can purchase a foot pod (*Est. $120) to use the Garmin watch indoors, and cyclists can add a bike sensor (*Est. $60) to track speed and cadence.

The Garmin Forerunner 405 is praised by numerous reviewers. PC World calls it the "Cadillac of wrist watches for serious runners," and Howard Schneider at The Washington Post praises it as an "engineering marvel." Schneider especially recommends the Forerunner 405 for trail runners, because you can record waypoints to help you find your way out of the woods. The GPS sports watch also gets high marks from Men's Journal, Women's Adventure and Smart Money magazines.

Runner's World senior editor Sean Downey finds a lot to like with the Garmin Forerunner 405, including quicker satellite reception than previous Forerunner watches. He is also impressed with the foot pod and loves the virtual partner, which allows you to set a pace and race against it. Shape magazine also likes the virtual partner, and deems the Garmin Forerunner 405 a "useful tool for serious runners." While Shape's editors like the sports watch overall, they find the Garmin difficult and frustrating to set up, and think it may be better suited for serious athletes, rather than recreational joggers. Mathew Honan, a triathlete, gives the Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS watch a score of eight out of 10 in a review for Wired. Honan likes the touch bezel, which gets high marks for ease of use, and Brian Metzler at Running Times agrees that the bezel is a great feature. While professional reviewers universally praise the bezel, numerous owners report problems navigating the menus with wet or sweaty fingers.

While most reviewers like the Garmin Forerunner 405 overall, many users point to the same downside -- a short battery life. According to Garmin, a fully charged battery should last for up to eight hours of continuous use. However, Sean Downey at Runner's World wishes the battery charge would last longer, and Howard Schneider at The Washington Post calls the Garmin Forerunner 405 an "energy hog." Owner-written reviews at RoadRunnerSports.com and Amazon.com confirm that the battery drains quickly, and multiple owners say the battery life is much shorter than on previous Forerunner watches. On a positive note, Runner's World U.K. says the Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS watch is more user friendly and "sexier" than its predecessor, the Garmin Forerunner 305. A newer model, the Garmin Forerunner 405CX (*Est. $370), adds better calorie calculation and a replaceable wrist band for those with smaller wrists, but it's quite a bit more expensive.

It's interesting to note that several owners posting on Amazon.com wish they had stuck with the cheaper Garmin Forerunner 305 (*Est. $200) instead of upgrading to the 405 watch. The Garmin Forerunner 305 shares many features with the Forerunner 405 -- they both sport GPS functionality, a virtual partner, pace alerts and interval timers. However, the Garmin Forerunner 305 is clunkier (2.72 oz. compared with 2.11 oz. for the 405) and it uses a USB cable instead of a wireless upload for data transfer. Still, many owners say the battery lasts longer on the Garmin Forerunner 305, which has a manufacturer-reported battery life of 10 hours. In more than 700 owner-written reviews on Amazon.com, the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch earns 500 five-star ratings. Owners call it reliable, accurate and easy to use. Most owners admit that it's bulky, but they find the impressive functionality outweighs this drawback. And of course, it costs a lot less.

Experts also agree that the Garmin Forerunner 305 is easy to use and reliable. Researchers at the University of Arizona test four GPS watches at various speeds on an outdoor track, comparing the data with both a pedometer and an accelerometer. Of the four GPS watches tested, the researchers select the Garmin Forerunner 305 as the best pick. They think the watch is user friendly, and they like the easy data transfer and audible alerts. Triathlete Mathew Honan finds the Garmin Forerunner 305 highly accurate, and it is the only GPS watch that never loses its satellite signal during his testing. However, multiple owners posting to Amazon.com complain that, while the GPS watch may hold a satellite signal well, it takes a very long time to initially acquire satellite reception.

The latest addition to the Forerunner lineup is the Garmin Forerunner 310XT (*Est. $350). This is the first in the series that can be worn in the water, making it a good choice for triathletes who want a GPS-enabled watch for swimming, running and cycling. The Forerunner 310XT has a manufacturer-reported battery life of 20 hours, and it can time swim sessions in addition to tracking distance and pace on land. Cyclists will need to add the optional bike sensor (*Est. $60); the heart-rate monitor (*Est. $60) costs extra as well. The Garmin Forerunner 310XT has a wireless data upload like the Garmin Forerunner 405, but its boxy design is more reminiscent of the Garmin Forerunner 305. National Geographic Adventure highlights the Garmin Forerunner 310XT in its 2009 buyer's guide, where it earns praise for its swim-friendly design.

Polar and Suunto also make GPS watches

While Garmin gets high marks for its GPS-enabled watches, Polar also gets good reviews in this category. The Polar RS800 (*Est. $290) has a host of features, but you'll need to add the optional G3 GPS Sensor W.I.N.D. (*Est. $140) to get the pace and distance information that comes built-in on the Garmin Forerunner watches. Still, the Polar RS800 does track elevation and altitude changes with an altimeter, and this sports watch includes a heart rate monitor. Mathew Honan tests the watch for Runner's World, praising the many features but finding the watch is more difficult to set up than the Garmin Forerunner 305. His tests show that the GPS sensor is very accurate, and he recommends the watch for competitive athletes who need to track a lot of workout data. Running Times agrees, saying the sports watch provides a ton of information for runners; the tester also enjoys the customizable display screen.

Alice Oglethorpe, the "Gear Girl" for Fitness magazine, calls the Polar RS800 (which she reviews with the optional G3 GPS sensor) the "sports watch of my dreams," including it on a list of the best new fitness gear of 2008. She likes the all-in-one functionality of the Polar RS800, which also scores a mention in Outside's 2008 buyer's guide and Trail Runner's 2009 gear guide. Both publications are impressed with this "training computer," and Trail Runner hails the elevation features. The Polar RS800 only receives a handful of owner-written reviews on Amazon.com, and reviews are mixed. Some owners are very happy with the sports watch, while others question its reliability.

Polar also offers a newer sports watch in the Polar RS800CX (*Est. $420). According to Polar, the RS800CX is designed to be used as a multisport watch. Unlike the Polar RS800, the RS800CX can be used for cycling as well as running with the addition of the CS Cadence Sensor (*Est. $55) or the CS Speed Sensor (*Est. $55). These bike sensors are not compatible with the Polar RS800. Mathew Honan reviews the Polar RS800CX for Wired and gives it an above-average rating of eight out of 10. Honan praises the add-on sensors and the robust training software (PC only) that gives athletes an amazing amount of information on their workouts and heart rate. The only downside to the Polar RS800CX, according to Honan, is its ugly design.

Another option for a feature-loaded GPS watch is the Suunto T4C (*Est. $220). Like the Polar RS800, this sports watch needs the optional GPS POD (*Est. $130) to track pace and distance. The Suunto T4C earns a spot in Outside magazine's 2009 buyer's guide, where the editors call this training tool "intuitive." It includes a heart rate monitor, and it tracks time, heart rate and calories -- in addition to pace and distance information with the optional GPS pod. The Suunto T4C is an upgrade to the well-reviewed Suunto T4, which has been discontinued. The T4C comes in two colors, black frost and black volcano.

Budget GPS watches

The top-rated GPS watches are pretty expensive, but if you don't need tons of features, you can find a GPS sports watch that won't break the bank. Although it's been around for a long time, reviewers say the Garmin Forerunner 101 (*Est. $110) is a great value -- and highly accurate to boot. Garmin markets the Forerunner 101 as an entry-level GPS watch, and it does sport far fewer bells and whistles than the Forerunner 405 or 305. You can't upload your workout data to a computer, and this watch runs on two AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable battery like the other Forerunner watches. It's also much larger than a traditional watch. Still, it tracks pace, speed, distance and calories; it also marks waypoints and includes the popular virtual partner feature.

More than 100 users give the Garmin Forerunner 101 an overall rating of four stars on Amazon.com. In general, reviewers say the watch is easy to use, with a large display and lightweight design. Most owners also like that it takes AAA batteries (rather than a rechargeable battery), although some report problems with satellite reception under cloud cover or large trees. In a review for Time magazine, Wilson Rothman notes the same problem -- he has issues obtaining satellite reception in downtown Manhattan. Running Times also has problems with the satellite reception on the Garmin Forerunner 101, finding the distance reading came up a little short on a test run thanks to some large trees and buildings. Overall, Running Times likes the Garmin Forerunner 101, especially for runners who live in an area with good satellite reception.

The full-size Timex Ironman Bodylink T5F011 (*Est. $180) is double the price of the Garmin Forerunner 101, but it adds a heart-rate monitor and elevation tracking. The GPS watch is also water-resistant up to 50 meters. Unlike the Garmin Forerunner 101, the Timex Ironman Bodylink uses a separate GPS pod (included with the watch) to calculate speed, distance and elevation changes.

Mathew Honan reviews the Timex Ironman Bodylink for Runner's World, and he finds the easy-to-use interface is a good fit for runners who want a simple fitness watch. However, his tests show that the GPS functionality is less accurate than on other watches -- like the Garmin Forerunner 350 or the Polar RS800 -- and that it frequently lost satellite reception during trail runs. This drawback is also mentioned in a number of owner-written reviews on Amazon.com, although others praise the sports watch for providing a good value. In a detailed review for TheFinalSprint.com, Paul Petersen says "when it comes to reliability, value and simplicity, the Timex Ironman Bodylink is hard to beat." Petersen praises the quick setup, and he has no problems with satellite reception during his test runs. CNET's review also finds the GPS to be spot-on, but a "clunky design" and lack of a data upload leads them to give it only an "OK" overall rating.

The Timex Ironman Bodylink comes in a full size, and in midsize as the T5G311 (*Est. $155). For a few extra bucks, you can also get the Timex Ironman Bodylink Trail Runner T5J985 (*Est. $185) that tracks waypoints and includes an on-the-move compass. The Trail Runner version gets much better reviews on Amazon.com -- more than 25 owners give the sports watch above-average ratings. Several owners think the Timex Ironman Bodylink Trail Runner is easier to use than the Garmin GPS watches, and one reviewer praises it as "a lot of watch for the money." A few owners have problems with the watch dropping satellite reception mid-run, but most owners appear very pleased with the Timex Ironman Bodylink Trail Runner.