Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $234.99 You Save: $65.00 (22%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $150.00 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor
Customer Review: great b-day present!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just got a Garmin 305 for my 62nd B-day. I have every training gadget ever sold, and have been running for 45 years, so that's a lot. Also, I am an electrical engineer with a company that has tested GPS receivers for military and commercial cutomers and I've designed antennas for several GPS units.
Garmin did a great job on this baby. It is well thought out for runners, and well designed as a product. The GPS sensitivity is really superior. I can consistently get full operation INDOORS. Battery life is right at the claimed 8 hours. Display is big and clear, although it appears the window is not replaceable and it might get some nasty use in trail running.
Seveal posters complained of programming complexity...I disagree. There are many options and controls in the initial configuration stuff but that's the whole idea. If you don't want all the metrics and detail, get something cheaper. It can be very well personalized.
I've now given it a pretty good test on both urban and trail runs. It is very accurate in distance(1%) on long fairly straight runs, like a 10k loop. In shorter zig-zag urban street runs, cumulative error from the many corners degrades that considerably. The heart rate monitor is reliable and accuate. It acts suspiciously like my Polar, which is equally good.
My only beef is hard to explain unless you have another Garmin like an ETREX. There is a nice Compass display with an arrow back to camp and distance. But you have to choose a waypoint from the stored list to use as the target. I expected that a waypoint would automatically be created at the start of a run by pressing START since everyting including the return path auto sets to the start location. But the compass does not. So there I am out on my first trail run in the mountains of Albuquerque, hit the compass to guide me home and No Dice ( the default is apparently Garmin's factory location) So always make a named waypoint at the start of a run.
This thing is effective, accurate, and easy (and expensive)
DAVE C Albuquerque
Customer Review: Very useful training tool for new or amateur runners
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this at the begining of February 2011. I started running in the fall of 2010 and was interested in measuring and monitoring my progress. I purchased the Nike+ Sportband at first and used this as my primary training tool for both indoor and outdoor runs until I bought this. The problem with a non-GPS unit was some inconsistency in measuring my distance on a treadmill vs my natural outdoor stride. I still use the Sportband for indoor runs but decided I wanted to get more accurate data as I begin to train outside with changes to topography and measurements of heart rates, etc.
I logged my first run (a 7 miler) with quite a lot of variation in elevation and was interested to see how accurate and effective this was tracked. I was very pleased with the results. I have since used this on all but all of my long distance runs (I am up to 10 miles with a planned 1/2 marathon next week) and have found the data to be consistent in terms of my overall pace and I can see how I am progressing.
The device itself is fairly easy to use for its basic functions. I have not yet delved into the mapping/navigation functions. It is very light to wear and you hardly notice it when running despite its size. The heart monitor is not uncomfortable and it does help show you how hard you are working (however the basic screen heart information is quite small although this may be customizable within the settings).
One of the benefits is when uploading to the Garmin Connect site. Not just for monitoring your training but also to look for routes that you want to try yourself. Now that I am training for longer runs I am looking around my zipcode and seeing runs of the distance that I want to run. Having the ability to plan runs ahead of time and print a map (I tuck it into my shorts in case I get lost) is very helpful so you can know your range and direction in advance of getting out the door.
Overall, for an amateur runner this is a great tool and the price is right vs the newer models. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: My Christmas bling...
Summary: 5 Stars
I love my new Garmin 305! I'm currently training with a team to run a marathon, which is now less than 2 weeks away! My coaches both have this watch and they have completed 15+ marathons themselves so I've had my eye on this one for a few months. I was so excited when it came in that I immediately went for a run! I used it for my 8 mile Turkey Trot run on Thanksgiving and knew immediately after how many calories I had just burned so I could enjoy my dinner without guilt!
It is so nice to be able to just start my watch and start running. No more mapping the mileage online before and then after to get my pace, distance, and calorie data. It's invaluable to runners/ bikers who keep up with this info for training or health reasons. I have mine set on current pace, avg. pace, elapsed time, and distance. But the screens are customizeable and you can easily scroll to see the wealth of information this thing keeps track of. I love the interval setting which can set time or distance intervals. And the watch is big on a small wrist, but it's not heavy and the screen size makes it easier to read while your running. Also for the reviewers saying that the heart rate monitor is too small, the screen can be set to show the numbers larger.
As far as the satellite signal, it takes around 1-2 minutes when I walk out of my door, but for some reason it takes less than a minute if I turn it on inside my house. Mine has never lost a signal after the initial lock.
After my run it is really easy to upload the data to the computer. Right now I'm using the Garmin Connect website, and [...] both so that I can decide which one I want to continue to use. They are both free and have been easy to use. So far I like [...] more because they can keep track of usage on gear, mostly the mileage on my running shoes.
This watch is perfect for the runner (haven't used it for any other sport so can't comment on that) and I don't know how I've gone so long without it!
Customer Review: Size does matter
Summary: 5 Stars
I was torn between the 305 and 405, particularly since the functionality seems to be about the same. What made the difference for me was actually going to the store and trying each one on. I am a female with very small wrists, so I thought the 405 might be better. But when I tried them on, I was surprised to find that the 305 is a MUCH better fit. The band on the 405 consists of stiff plastic on either side of the face, while the 305 band is flexible rubber on either side of the face. The 405 was therefore more bulky, and uncomfortable just standing in the store wearing it. While the face of the 305 is larger, it is designed to wrap around the wrist and seems less bulky. Yes, the 305 looks geeky, but so does the 405 if you're a small person. (I found that Amazon's prices were much cheaper, even with 1-day shipping, so even though I tried them on in-store, I ordered from Amazon).
Update: Used the 305 for the first time today on a run in Central Park, and it worked perfectly. I chose an organized race to try it out, so I could test its accuracy against the course mileage and course clock - it matched up perfectly, and never dropped a signal in the park. After reading all the reviews re: current pace issues, I set mine to show four fields: (1) time; (2) distance; (3) current pace; (4) average pace. I did notice some erratic changes in the current pace, and it does seem to lag a few seconds, but most of the time it matched up well with the average pace (which was incredibly helpful), and did generally reflect when I was running faster or slower. It was nice to be able to compare how my "current pace" tracked against my average for the race.
My first use of this watch also resulted in a new PR for me (by almost 40 seconds). I found it incredibly useful in staying motivated. It was great to see the faster current pace, which made me feel good and want to continue it, and it was helpful to see when I was starting to slow, so I could pick it back up. Highly recommended!
Customer Review: Advanced workout tracking
Summary: 5 Stars
I have used this watch for everything. 14'ers, triathlons, adventure races, canyoneering, basically anything that can get the heart rate up and a nice sweat.
first, the watch unit is big. I am over 6'2" and 180 lbs, and the watch is big on my wrist. however, after 1 or 2 weeks i have gotten used to its size. I have taken it on long runs and long rides (12+ hours) and of course it gets annoying, but everything does after that amount of time exercising. the rubber does generate and trap a bit more sweat, but its better than a cloth band that just soaks it up.
the gps is highly accurate, i have compared it against several other units i have. I also have worn and used the polar s-625x, and the garmin unit is very accurate. i much prefer the complete cloth and clasp mechanism of the polar, but not enough to reduce usage of the garmin.
the watch is fairly rugged and water resistant, i have had it (often!!) completely underwater when kayaking and canyoneering, and it has not leaked or been destroyed for it. despite abusing this thing fairly regularly, it has continued to work day after day.
the downsides to this watch are few: it has to be recharged daily, or at least twice weekly if you workout more than 20 hours a week. it takes up to 3 minutes (average of 1.5) to get a signal unless you turn it on before putting it on and let it sit and gather signals for a minute. moving even slightly (scratching your head) will make you wait for the signal to catch up. the previously mentioned bulk is only an issue if you are very small, like my wife, or if you are worried about wind resistance when in the aero position in a tri. also, the software really does leave much to be desired, but it does not detract from the overall use of the watch as an HRM and distance tracking mechanism. (don't get lost in the woods during an adventure race and expect it to guide you faithfully back!)
overall, excellent product, well worth the money if you are an exercise fiend.