That's the reason I like my iPhone app the workouts. Most runs are hr, and it tells me by voice when I go above or below the zone I set. I'm not sure if I'll be able to hear the Garmin if I'm wearing headphones though. The battery life and accuracy is lacking. I can only get a little over 2 hrs by itself and 6 with the battery case I got for it but it's worse in cold weather.

 

I've got a strap and hardly notice it anymore but to not have to worry about it would be nice.

 

The 225 is the same as the 220 just plus HR.

Oh, I notice it.  CHAFE CENTRAL.

First and foremost, to my shock and amazement, the wrist heart rate function works perfectly, which makes this a keeper in spite of a few minor complaints.

Thanks for the update!  I read dc rainmaker's review and he was pretty positive about the wrist heart rate monitor.   I was about to pull the trigger but then I read a few amazon reviews from women with smaller wrists saying that the monitor doesn't work for them.  I'm easily confused when it comes to big purchases.     I assume you have to keep the watch pretty tight to your wrist?

Okay, so I've used the 225 a few times now and here are my initial impressions. My previous Garmin is the 610, which has many many features that I never use.

 

First and foremost, to my shock and amazement, the wrist heart rate function works perfectly, which makes this a keeper in spite of a few minor complaints.

Pros of this device for me (many of these are things that I would have had on the 220 or 620 if I had ever upgraded to those):

• wrist heart rate
• color screen (and I even get to pick my color scheme)
• battery charge status is on the clock screen...always had to hunt for this information on my 610
• wireless sync with garmin connect on my phone
• way way better charger design
• found satellites very quickly

Neutral

• push button versus touch screen-my touch screen on the 610 works great and I've gotten used to it; my husband HATES the touch screen on his 610.  I really think the push button is just a matter of getting familiar with what to touch when
• bigger than the 610-both screen size and thickness

Cons

• some menu items are not instinctively where I think they should be but that was a problem on the 610 too so not anything new
• Biggest problem for me is the volume of the interval beeps is MUCH softer.  Due to knee arthritis, my ortho dr has insisted I do run/walk intervals for a while. Even running on a quiet street at 5 am I could not hear the beeps over the noise of the cicadas (and no, I don't run with earphones).  I never had that problem with my 610.  The 225 doesn't have the vibrate function that the 610 has and though it vibrates slightly when the alert goes off, it's not enough to be really noticeable. I think the problem is the rubber seal necessary to get an accurate heart rate is also insulating the sound.  This is a big problem for me.  There are interval timer screens that my 610 didn't have, but who wants to keep looking at their wrist while running?

I kept the box because I wasn't sure if that volume issue was big enough for me to return it.  Since I like the wrist heart rate so much and am otherwise pleased, I'm going to keep it, though I may still use my 610 when running intervals at a time or place where the noise level is going to be anything other than completely silent.

 

Hope that helps!

Thank you for your initial thoughts!

I settled on the 220 and the wrist monitor notwithstanding, the vibration strength on it is well above board.

It could be that you just need time to adapt to the 225, which could take a bit.

Here's a question for you; have you done something completely stupid like run with both of your watches? 

I agree with you with regard to my 610...the beep is LOUD and even the vibration is enough for my running partner to notice.  I'm wondering if the beep is coming from the back of the watch and the rubber seal is affecting it.

Haven't run with both watches yet.  Did consider running with my Polar HRM to see how close the calories burned information was.

Nice review, sheepla!  Makes me want to do a 920 write up.   I believe with the newer generation devices (226, 620, 920), they have satellite caching, so when you turn on the device, it "remembers" the satellites it used before and locks into them quickly.  I don't believe the older models had that.  My old 610 sometimes took forever to lock in.

Bummer about the lack of vibration alerts.  Now that my last two devices have had it, lack of vibration alerts would be a deal breaker for me now.

While the touchscreen for the 610 worked fine, the 620 is much improved.

I'm kind of jealous of the HRM on the wrist.  The chest strap is still kind of a PITA to deal with, though I use it all the time.

Okay, so I've used the 225 a few times now and here are my initial impressions. My previous Garmin is the 610, which has many many features that I never use.

 

First and foremost, to my shock and amazement, the wrist heart rate function works perfectly, which makes this a keeper in spite of a few minor complaints.

Pros of this device for me (many of these are things that I would have had on the 220 or 620 if I had ever upgraded to those):

• wrist heart rate
• color screen (and I even get to pick my color scheme)
• battery charge status is on the clock screen...always had to hunt for this information on my 610
• wireless sync with garmin connect on my phone
• way way better charger design
• found satellites very quickly

Neutral

• push button versus touch screen-my touch screen on the 610 works great and I've gotten used to it; my husband HATES the touch screen on his 610.  I really think the push button is just a matter of getting familiar with what to touch when
• bigger than the 610-both screen size and thickness

Cons

• some menu items are not instinctively where I think they should be but that was a problem on the 610 too so not anything new
• Biggest problem for me is the volume of the interval beeps is MUCH softer.  Due to knee arthritis, my ortho dr has insisted I do run/walk intervals for a while. Even running on a quiet street at 5 am I could not hear the beeps over the noise of the cicadas (and no, I don't run with earphones).  I never had that problem with my 610.  The 225 doesn't have the vibrate function that the 610 has and though it vibrates slightly when the alert goes off, it's not enough to be really noticeable. I think the problem is the rubber seal necessary to get an accurate heart rate is also insulating the sound.  This is a big problem for me.  There are interval timer screens that my 610 didn't have, but who wants to keep looking at their wrist while running?

I kept the box because I wasn't sure if that volume issue was big enough for me to return it.  Since I like the wrist heart rate so much and am otherwise pleased, I'm going to keep it, though I may still use my 610 when running intervals at a time or place where the noise level is going to be anything other than completely silent.

 

Hope that helps!

As a 620 user:

The Pros: you listed are all a function of the 620 (& 220)

I do find it interesting that the vibe and beep is softer.  Though sometimes it seems like a blast from my 620 I also find that if I leave those functions on during a race I often miss hearing of feeling it.  Focused I guess.

So being softer could really get lost during a run.

 

Thank you for your initial thoughts!

 

I settled on the 220 and the wrist monitor notwithstanding, the vibration strength on it is well above board.

 

It could be that you just need time to adapt to the 225, which could take a bit.

 

Here's a question for you; have you done something completely stupid like run with both of your watches? 

YES