sports watch review gps image
Ashley
Which is the best?
Answer
Garmin Forerunner 210 with Heart Rate Monitor
http://amzn.to/f32FYc
PROS:
Very simple to use
Good size for woman's wrist
Could use as a regular watch due to it's size
GPS connects fast
Power save mode
Has pace, distance, intervals, etc
CONS:
The battery contacts are tiny and tricky to get in place
Heart rate monitor strap seems very soft and pliable but cuts into my skin.
................................
Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch
http://amzn.to/fyGEUZ
Pros.
1. Normal size - Unlike the 305, which I would not wear, the 405 is a regular watch. I wear it all the time.
2. Everything in one device - HR, pace, distance, elevation, laps.
3. Pace - I thought the whole GPS thing might be a bit too high-tech for a guy who loves the simplicity of running, but it is very, very nice to know your pace as you run. I use Hal Higdon's training plans, which call for all kinds of runs, with warm-ups, intervals, tempo intervals, pace segments, etc. The pace feature makes doing these workouts possible without having a coach at your side.
4. GPS frees you from mapping out your route. You just run until it shows your distance is done. The Garmin Connect site then shows your map. This doesn't sound so amazing, but it is very liberating. You just run wherever you want, explore your neighborhood, whatever. It transforms city running.
5. Auto laps. Great feature. Records all your details (time, HR, pace) for each lap automatically. You can review on the watch or on Garmin Connect.
6. The Garmin Connect website is very good and continually improving, with new features every couple of months.
7. The data seems pretty accurate, based on a track workout. In a recent 10K race, it recorded 10.2K, but some of that variation is certainly due to my weaving among the crowd. All GPS devices have a margin of error.
Cons:
1. Battery life - with GPS enabled, it needs a charge every couple of days to avoid the dreaded "low battery" warning in the middle of a workout.
2. The USB stick for wireless transfer. It works, but Nike does it better. The Nike+ pop-out USB stick is a much simpler way to transfer data to the computer and a much better way to keep from losing the USB part.
3. It can take a couple of minutes to find satellites and loses accuracy in bad weather. But this is probably true of any GPS device.
...................................
All in all, I would go for the Garmin 405. It is an incredible training device, the best choice in the market. 5 stars.
Garmin Forerunner 210 with Heart Rate Monitor
http://amzn.to/f32FYc
PROS:
Very simple to use
Good size for woman's wrist
Could use as a regular watch due to it's size
GPS connects fast
Power save mode
Has pace, distance, intervals, etc
CONS:
The battery contacts are tiny and tricky to get in place
Heart rate monitor strap seems very soft and pliable but cuts into my skin.
................................
Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch
http://amzn.to/fyGEUZ
Pros.
1. Normal size - Unlike the 305, which I would not wear, the 405 is a regular watch. I wear it all the time.
2. Everything in one device - HR, pace, distance, elevation, laps.
3. Pace - I thought the whole GPS thing might be a bit too high-tech for a guy who loves the simplicity of running, but it is very, very nice to know your pace as you run. I use Hal Higdon's training plans, which call for all kinds of runs, with warm-ups, intervals, tempo intervals, pace segments, etc. The pace feature makes doing these workouts possible without having a coach at your side.
4. GPS frees you from mapping out your route. You just run until it shows your distance is done. The Garmin Connect site then shows your map. This doesn't sound so amazing, but it is very liberating. You just run wherever you want, explore your neighborhood, whatever. It transforms city running.
5. Auto laps. Great feature. Records all your details (time, HR, pace) for each lap automatically. You can review on the watch or on Garmin Connect.
6. The Garmin Connect website is very good and continually improving, with new features every couple of months.
7. The data seems pretty accurate, based on a track workout. In a recent 10K race, it recorded 10.2K, but some of that variation is certainly due to my weaving among the crowd. All GPS devices have a margin of error.
Cons:
1. Battery life - with GPS enabled, it needs a charge every couple of days to avoid the dreaded "low battery" warning in the middle of a workout.
2. The USB stick for wireless transfer. It works, but Nike does it better. The Nike+ pop-out USB stick is a much simpler way to transfer data to the computer and a much better way to keep from losing the USB part.
3. It can take a couple of minutes to find satellites and loses accuracy in bad weather. But this is probably true of any GPS device.
...................................
All in all, I would go for the Garmin 405. It is an incredible training device, the best choice in the market. 5 stars.
Which polar heart rate monitor model is better between FT40M and RS300?
Ed Turner
Which polar heart rate model would you recommend between the FT40M and RS300X?
I'm an FT7 owner, and i don't see much difference between the FT40M and the one i have right now. How come the FT40M is a bit more expensive than RS300? I feel (for the look of the pics in the website) that the RS300 is more complete.
I'm interested in running; i really don't mind not having ALL the features a Polar heart rate monitor could offer.
Answer
I recommend neither.
I'm not a fan of HR training, especially for beginners. HR training is for those individuals who are very experienced and very educated on exercise and fitness. HR monitors aren't 100% correct and don't always work either, so you can't feel dependent on them. Once you have a lot of experience with training you will know what your HR is just by paying attention to your effort level for your body. I can guess my HR very accurately, so a HR monitor for me would be a huge waste of money (and mine was).
If you are interested in running, just go running. Why spend tons of money before you try out a sport for a while and know it's something you want to do and it's something you want to train seriously for? Especially because as a beginner you should be paying 100% attention to your body, not HR numbers.
Some people really enjoy HR training and there are many benefits to it. I personally just think that once you have experience you can HR train without a HR monitor because you will learn to feel where your HR is without having to be told by a device.
I see them as a waste of time and money because training based on milage and effort does the exact same thing HR training does.
I would spend a lot of time looking at reviews of each kind and see what consumers have to say about them. Some HR monitors are chest straps that require that they are wet to function. In my experience, these don't work (at least mine never has, but I have the worlds worst brand of GPS watch, Garmin).
-Connor
I recommend neither.
I'm not a fan of HR training, especially for beginners. HR training is for those individuals who are very experienced and very educated on exercise and fitness. HR monitors aren't 100% correct and don't always work either, so you can't feel dependent on them. Once you have a lot of experience with training you will know what your HR is just by paying attention to your effort level for your body. I can guess my HR very accurately, so a HR monitor for me would be a huge waste of money (and mine was).
If you are interested in running, just go running. Why spend tons of money before you try out a sport for a while and know it's something you want to do and it's something you want to train seriously for? Especially because as a beginner you should be paying 100% attention to your body, not HR numbers.
Some people really enjoy HR training and there are many benefits to it. I personally just think that once you have experience you can HR train without a HR monitor because you will learn to feel where your HR is without having to be told by a device.
I see them as a waste of time and money because training based on milage and effort does the exact same thing HR training does.
I would spend a lot of time looking at reviews of each kind and see what consumers have to say about them. Some HR monitors are chest straps that require that they are wet to function. In my experience, these don't work (at least mine never has, but I have the worlds worst brand of GPS watch, Garmin).
-Connor
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment