I currently own a 6 years old Garmin Forerunner 305. My poor garmina finally lost the turn on and off button and I am thinking it is time to replace her. I checked for repair on the Garmin website and it will cost me about $80. Since the 305 is so big and clunky, I am seriously thinking to get a newer, less bulky model. Please give me your recommendation.
My questions to you all: what are you using for sports watch? What do you like about your make/model and what you don't like about it?.
Thanks for your help.
Nancy
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
I use the 305.
I like it.
I can see the large-font numbers without wearing reading glasses.
And it does what I want. I use Advanced Workouts features
.
Hi Nancy,
I have the Garmin 405, which uses swipes of the bezel to access some of information/screens. I think I'd prefer buttons, since if you don't swipe exactly right, nothing happens. Sometimes, it seems to work flawlessly, and other times I can swipe half a dozen times before it works.
If I were to need to replace my Garmin, I'd also look at other smart/sports watches - some of them seem to be getting pretty sophisticated in their capabilities and might be worth consideration. But I'm not at that point yet, so I've only taken cursory glances at those other watches.
Whatever you decide, I hope it works for you!
After reading Tammy's comments on the F10, I looked up. HERE's what appears to be a good review of the F10.
Jay
Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.
for what it's worth, I bought David the Garmin FR10. It's basic and I don't believe it has features like the 405 for advanced workouts. But it's the size of a regular watch, the read-out display is large enough to suit my eyes. If/when I have to get a new garmin (currently have the 405), I might get this model because I pretty much only use a couple features on my 405 anyways - I tend to just use it to measure distance run, get my pace, or maybe use my virtual pacer occasionally and the 10 has those features.
Tammy
Mariposai - I have a 205 that still works - you can have it! Shall I ship it to you?
I got for Christmas last year a Garmin 610 - I loves it!! Screen is big enough to see, touch screen, wireless download, and vibrating mile alarm. The strap was not comfortable and not easy to put on and off, so I bought a velco strap to use instead.
"During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."
an amazing likeness
After years (5 or 6?) of Forerunner 205, I moved over the Forerunner 210 just about a year ago. It's just about perfect in its features vs. simplicity. Were I buying today, I'd go with FR220 for the (1) improved display over the FR210 for my tired old eyes, and (2) the GPS pre-fetch feature which makes it usable within seconds of powering on.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
usandtoto-2@msn.com
Nancy - I've been using the 310xt for a few years now and love it. The battery is good for over 15 hours on a charge, much better than the previous versions. Large screen that is easy to see and you can program what you want to see and on what screen. You can get it with a heart rate monitor and/or a foot pod. I use the HR monitor almost daily to ensure I don't go to hard on an easy day. I tried the foot pod as I do a lot of treadmill running but, never could get it calibrated just right. So I wouldn't recommend the 50 ish dollars for it.
I hope you find the right model/make that fits for you. See you in a month.
Marathon Maniac #530 Mike (My Indian name is "Runs for Beer")
Posie - If you're running on trails/in trees a lot, the 305 seems to be the best for keeping the satellite, if that's important to you. I lost my HR strap for my 305, so I am also using my 205 just the HR features. It constantly loses the GPS signal on the trails, so I can't rely on it for mileage. And as you know, the 305 has a long battery life (about 10 hours). My experience with the 405 I had is that there were only 5 hours of battery life. Mine 405 also died after just two years. Unfortunately, getting a new 305 is expensive. I've yet to find a new one that isn't over $300, and I think it's because (1) they don't make it anymore (supposedly), and (2) everyone likes it.
As to the 310x . . . . .
Rasmussen - How big is that re a woman's wrist? A friend of mine, who is definitely smaller than me, doesn't use her 310x because she said it's too big on her wrist compared to her 305. I've been looking at the 310x for when my 305 dies because it's suppose to be very reliable re the GPS, because of the long battery life, and so far it seems to be more economical.
Alas - My 305 gives me fits quite often, so I fear it won't be long before I have to make a decision, myself, as to which direction to go on a new one.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Leslie,
I can't say how the 310xt would fit a woman's wrist. Though, I don't have a large wrist myself and I'm comfortable with it. It is larger than the 305 or 205 models. But, I do think its better in keeping a satellite lock and with a longer battery charge (more than 15 hrs) it's something worth looking into.
a local runner posted on our club fb page that she has a Garmin 110 that she bought (refurbished) for $150. She used it once but it's not what she thought it would be (not sure what her specific reasons are), so she is selling it for $120 - no personal data has been programmed in the watch, it's still in original box, etc.
if you have an interest in a 110, that might be a possibility. I have no idea what they go for brand new, so not sure how significant of a savings that is though or whether it's worth it to buy from a private person, versus a company with return/exchange policies. but just wanted to put that out there.
Marathon Maniac #957
Just a side note - I have a 305 and when I wear a short sleeved shirt, I wear a wrist cuff under the Garmin made from a 2" portion cut from an old sock. This keeps it from chafing.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
Thank you all for your input. I think this has been a nice conversation to have since each one of us, sooner or later, will be looking for a new sports watch. For the moment I think I have my problem solved since Enkephalin, very graciously offer me her old one. I will give it a try to see how it works for me.