Garmin Forerunner GPS Series | ||
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RUNNERS, BICYCLISTS and TRIATHLETES that want to
IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE NOW CAN with cutting edge technology and simplicity. |
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Garmin Forerunner Reviews |
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Garmin Forerunner 301 |
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The Garmin Forerunner 301 is the next exciting addition to the Forerunner lineup. Take your workouts to the next level with all the great GPS features found in the Forerunner 201, plus the added capability of a continuous heart rate monitor. Knowing your heart rate while exercising lets you measure your exercise intensity and performance, giving you a powerful training tool. The Forerunner 301 training profiles can be customized for running, cycling, and other sports. For those interested in losing weight, improving fitness, reaching peak athletic performance, or just improving health to reduce heart-related problems, the Forerunner 301 delivers.
The Forerunner 301 offers a wide variety of training features that can help you train at any level you choose.
Included Training Center software allows you to store and analyze data
using interactive graphs. View larger.
The easy-to-use, two-piece system consists of the wrist unit and a digital
heart rate transmitter that you wear around your chest. The transmitter
is coded that so there is no interference from other heart rate monitor
users nearby. The 301 unit continuously monitors heart rate, speed, distance,
pace, and calories burned. A heart rate zone chart, included with the manual,
helps you target specific heart rate zones for optimal training. The unit's
built-in alerts help you maintain those heart rate zones. For those who
don't want to fuss with the charts, there's an AutoLearn feature that allows
the unit to learn your maximum heart rate and set zones accordingly. Pace,
time, distance, interval workout, and advanced custom workout alerts are
also included. Meanwhile, the AutoPause feature pauses and resumes the
training timer based on a specified speed. Finally, the AutoLap feature
records lap data when you reach a specified distance. Don't worry about
running out of room for your lap data; the unit boasts a 5,000-lap memory.
Like the Forerunner 201, the 301 also doubles as a basic navigator. You can mark your starting point as a specific location, see your current position on the plotter display, and follow an electronic breadcrumb trail back to your starting point. The built-in GPS receiver provides highly accurate data, and there's no calibration required. Just turn it on and go.
The unit's USB data port means that connecting the unit to your computer is easier than ever. The USB connection offers fast and reliable data transmission to any USB-equipped PC. And because analyzing workout data is an important tool in reaching one's fitness goals, the 301 comes with Garmin Training Center software, which allows you to download workout data to your PC for detailed analysis. View data for each workout, including your heart rate, time, distance, speed, path traveled, and altitude. You can also track data for multiple sports and multiple users, and you can overlay workout data onto a map. The unit is compatible with MotionBased and TrainingPeaks, which are popular third-party training software packages.
With up to 14 hours of battery life, the 301's rechargeable lithium-ion battery is designed for extended use. It's also rugged and waterproof for up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. The unit ships with a 1-year warranty.
Get heart rate and other vital data at a glance.
Customize your workouts with programmable intervals.
Set up exercise profiles for different types of sports.
A built in Virtual partner runs alongside you, graphically displaying
your goal pace/speed.
{Link
to original article}
Leave it to the GPS pros at Garmin to thoroughly idiot-proof heart-rate
training: The company's new Forerunner 301—our pick for Gear of the
Year—is a no-brainer digital coach. It's ideal for runners, trekkers,
cyclists, paddlers, and anyone else who wants to collect satellite-enhanced
workout data in the field and crunch the numbers later.
1. After charging up the Forerunner, I fastened it to my wrist, donned the heart-rate strap, walked outside, and—while the device searched for GPS satellites—programmed in my height, weight, age, and sex. Total setup time: five minutes. On subsequent runs, the 301 found a bird in a mere 30 seconds.
2. Like all high-end heart-rate monitors, the 301 doubles as a watch, altimeter, speedometer, and odometer. But count your blessings, real-time-feedback junkies, because while most screens let you see only three types of data at once, the Forerunner's displays four. Your heart rate pops up in the top-right corner.
3. Program a target pace or speed into the Virtual Partner screen and "race" against yourself. It's an ideal feature for goal-oriented training, such as running a sub-three-hour marathon. Every second, the 301 tells you exactly how far you are behind—or ahead of—yourself.
4. This navigation company didn't forget its roots. The Forerunner is a legit waterproof GPS that will direct you back to the trailhead, turn by turn, should you become deliriously lost on an all-day speed hike. Just try to do so before its ten-hour rechargeable battery expires.
5. The included USB cable syncs the Forerunner with a PC and unleashes the Training Center software, which graphs your heart's workload. I ran it with Garmin MapSource ($117, sold separately) to reveal my bike route on a street map, then clicked on the corresponding heart-rate graph to see the exact point where I almost reached cardiac arrest. {Link to original article}
Garmin Forerunner 305 |
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Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 305. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn't just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 305 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we've ever tested. Yes, it's that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 305 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. The 305 model includes wireless heartrate monitoring and it can also be connected to Garmin's wireless bicycle speed and cadence sensor. If you don't need these features, consider the lower-priced Forerunner 205.
Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305's screen.
The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the
sky when you're running or walking.
The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive.
Choose from three workout modes that help you target your training goals.
The 305 features rudimentary mapping and location marking functions.
Forerunner 305 Design
The 305's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation
of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin
Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring,
good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn't quite
deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing
it wasn't much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to
your wrist.
Not so with the 305. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 305 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners. View button layout.
The underside of the 305 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 305's embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 305 is that it features an integrated,
high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means
that the 305's ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position
is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, the
tester had the 305 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with
GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 305, satellite
acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn't
faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance
on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked
up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap.
While the Forerunner 305 isn't billed as a GPS navigation device, it does
have some rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and routing capabilities.
In addition to marking locations along your journey, you can zoom in
or out of a simple map that displays your current direction and path.
There's also a "go to location" feature that routes you back
to your starting location, or to any location you have defined. Once
you have defined several locations, you can save this information as
a route, allowing you to travel the same path in the future. As you'll
see below, the 305's new "Courses" feature gives you new levels
of control over how you define your favorite runs and rides.
Training Functions
The 305 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize
a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple
is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and
make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's worthless. When
it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the
305 -- this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 305 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes. The 305 adds the ability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also track bike performance data.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it. The ability to display heartrate is a big plus, too, as it's a fairly good indicator of excercise output, fatigue, and fitness level. The 305 has all the heartrate functions you'd expect from a full-function monitor, including the ability to set target zones and alerts to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the 305. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 305 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
PC Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some
time now -- a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections
in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 305 integrates seamlessly with
the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded
and stored on the PC (Sadly, Training Center is not Mac-compatible).
Not only does Training Center make it easy to track your performance,
you can graph data such as heartrate alongside your speed and distance.
Over time, this is a great way to view your fitness levels increase,
and it also helps you see what types of workouts are necessary to strengthen
your weaknesses. For instance, if you see your heartrate begin to spike
after a certain distance, you know you need to increase your endurance
workouts to train that area of fitness.
In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your PC that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you're on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software's ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.
The 305 is also fully compatible with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren't able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you're a serious endurance athlete, you'll be glad to know that the 305 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.
Pros
* Radically new design is better in every way
* Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
* So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it
Cons
* No Mac OS compatibility
* Okay, it's bigger than a sport's watch -- but so much more powerful
Garmin Forerunner 205 |
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Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 205. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn't just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 205 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we've ever tested. Yes, it's that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 205 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. While the 205 doesn't offer heart rate monitoring, or connectivity with Garmin's wireless speed and cadence sensor -- for that, you'll need to step up to the Forerunner 305 -- but it's a great way to get basic GPS location and performance data.
Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305's screen.
The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the
sky when you're running or walking.
The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive.
Choose from three workout modes that help you target your training goals.
The 305 features rudimentary mapping and location marking functions.
Design
The 205's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation
of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin
Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring,
good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn't quite deliver
in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it wasn't
much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.
Not so with the 205. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 205 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners. View button layout.
The underside of the 205 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 205's embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 205 is that it features an integrated,
high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means
that the 205's ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position
is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, our
product tester had the 205 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance
with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 205,
satellite acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees
didn't faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance
on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked
up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap
(Forerunner 305 model shown).
While the Forerunner 205 isn't billed as a GPS navigation device, it does
have some rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and routing capabilities.
In addition to marking locations along your journey, you can zoom in or
out of a simple map that displays your current direction and path. There's
also a "go to location" feature that routes you back to your
starting location, or to any location you have defined. Once you have defined
several locations, you can save this information as a route, allowing you
to travel the same path in the future. As you'll see below, the 205's new "Courses" feature
gives you new levels of control over how you define your favorite runs
and rides.
Training Functions
The 205 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize
a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple
is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and
make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's worthless. When
it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the
205 -- this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 205 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it.
Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the 205. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 205 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
PC Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some
time now -- a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections
in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 205 integrates seamlessly with
the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded
and stored on the PC (Sadly, Training Center is not Mac-compatible).
In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your PC that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you're on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software's ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.
The 205 is also fully compatible with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren't able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you're a serious endurance athlete, you'll be glad to know that the 205 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.
Pros
* Radically new design is better in every way
* Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
* So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it
Cons
* No Mac OS compatibility
* Okay, it's bigger than a sport's watch -- but so much more powerful
Garmin Forerunner 201 |
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At first, the device felt a little bulky on my wrist, both in weight and in size (it measures 3.26 by 1.71 by 0.69 inches). But it really is light enough (less than 3 ounces) that it felt comfortable and transparent. I did, however, position the band a bit higher up my arm to ensure full mobility of my wrist, as the length of the Forerunner tended to get in its way.
The large display--with equally large, easy-to-read characters--helps you avoid having to squint at the readout. Just a quick glance at your numbers and you'll maintain your training concentration. The six rubber buttons on the front of the chassis are easy to access (unless you're wearing bulky gloves). I easily got the promised 13 hours out of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. At the end of the day, I'd just recharge it for around two hours and it would be ready for me the next morning.
While this is definitely a workable GPS receiver, the Forerunner is slim on overall GPS features--which is not to its detriment (think of it as a performance monitor with a dash of GPS). That said, the Forerunner was able to pick up a GPS signal just about wherever I went outside (though it had very slight hiccups in the center of downtown). But if you're looking for a full-fledged tracking device, the Forerunner isn't for you. (You'll want to start with a basic GPS unit like Garmin's eTrex.)
The Forerunner 201 has a variety of helpful tracking, monitoring, and navigational features. The History function enables you to view your workout statistics broken down by individual days, cumulative weeks, or your entire workout history (if you track different workouts during the same day, they'll be broken out as different laps). You can even view a map of your route. And much like other GPS units, you can save waypoints (called "locations" in Forerunner parlance) to mark the coordinates of a place you want to return to later.
Most interesting is the Virtual Partner mode, which enables you to set goals for a workout which will then be completed by a digital character displayed on the Forerunner's screen. You can then see how far off the time, pace, or distance you are of your virtual training buddy's; your digital character even stops when you do (though the buddy keeps on going). I found that, unless you've got a good idea as to your pace or distance, you'll have a couple of trial-and-error training sessions to get in sync with your buddy. I cut short my first attempt after my buddy got so far ahead of me that he disappeared off the screen (which I'd like to believe was not due to my woeful pace).
I was disappointed at not having the LogBook software, which enables you
to keep a journal of your exercise activities (it was not available at
the time of this test). But overall, the Forerunner 201 is a very useful exercise-monitoring
system that will be prized by anyone involved in serious physical training.
--Agen G.N. Schmitz
Auto Menu: Timer pauses when you stop running. Auto lap logs your performance
over a predetermined distance.
History: Review training history by day or
week.
Map: Navigate back to the start or to a stored location.
Virtual Partner: Set time, pace, and distance goals, and train with a "virtual
partner."
Pros:
* Loaded with performance-tracking features for the serious athlete
* GPS functionality a bonus, especially in referring back to previous routes
* Virtual Partner feature offers a fun, competitive way to keep you concentrated
on training
Cons:
* Lack of Logbook software at time of test
* Virtual Partner feature takes some trial-and-error adjustments