Great watch for running indoors or outdoors, July 3, 2009

By 

Stephen M. Charme (central New Jersey) – See all my reviews

  

  

  

After using the Forerunner 305 for over two years, I decided to replace it with the 405cx and am very happy with my decision. But first let me address the main criticism of the 405cx and its predecessor the 405–the bevel and touch system.

Garmin is not Apple, so the bevel and touch are not on par with the scroll wheel on an Ipod or the touch on an iPod Touch–but they still work fine. Granted, if the bevel gets sweaty or I touch it with sweaty fingers (not something unexpected for an exercise watch) it becomes nonresponsive until I wipe off the sweat. But this is not a big deal for me. When I run I simply use auto scroll, which is unaffected by moisture. And if I want to override auto scroll by using a manual touch, it takes only a second to wipe the sweat off the bezel or my fingers. So don’t be discouraged from buying this unit based on the bevel and touch.

While the 305 is a great unit, here is why I like the 405cx better. Note: I use this…

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Miles ahead of the rest, January 30, 2010

I really did my homework in choosing a fitness watch with heart rate monitor. I ordered competing models from Garmin, Timex, Polar, and Suunto, to look them over closely and compare. Then I sent them all back but this one.

Someone pointed out that this Garmin watch is a little on the clunky side – that’s true. I have a small wrist,and the watch part of it is long and flat and doesn’t really fit nicely. They had to pack the GPS receiver inside the band. But no matter – with the band strapped tight, it stays put, and it’s not so huge that people would say “What’s that thing on her wrist?” It still looks like a watch. A funky sort of a watch maybe, but not a television set or anything.

I think you need to decide if you want GPS or not. I decided that yes, I really wanted GPS to measure my distance, because I run and jog and hike and travel quite a bit, so my routes are always changing. In my ideal world, I’d be able to pop up a map on my PC and see my…

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A Gadget Geek’s Fun New Toy, April 24, 2009

I’m a new runner and after running the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago this year, I think I’m addicted. I even registered for the 2009 Chicago Marathon, I still can’t contemplate running a full 26.2 miles. But if I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do this right. Running on nearby trails, I never really knew how far I’ve run or what my pace was (there aren’t any mile markers). I wanted a way to track my distance and pace. I have friends that own both the forerunner 305 and 405, and I was impressed on how accurately they tracked distance and pace. I researched the reviews on both, and even though I like the looks of the 405, I was leaning toward the 305 since it’s half the price and the reviews were much more positive. However, I couldn’t get over the notion of looking like I’m running with a computer on my wrist.

Along came announcements of the 310xt and 405cx. Initially, I was set on getting the 310xt because of it’s large screen and waterproof capability. However, it…

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