best gps watch????

can any one help

looking at gps watches to improve running time and to find out how far i am actually going as i tend to run by time rather than distance and my car cant always go where i run!!!!

have looked at garmin forerunner 110 and 305 not sure which one best?

thanks Rob

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Comments

  • what functionality do you require, that should determine the watch you purchase.

    The 305 is a very reasonable product imho

  • Check out the following reviews...very comphrehensive ! Should be more than enough information for you to decide. I just bought a Forerunner 110...

    Forerunner 110

    Forerunner 305

  • excellent

    thank you for your help the reviews were great think i know which one i am going to chose

    many thanks

    Rob

  • Whats the difference between the 205 and 305?
  • No experience of anything else, but I'm more than happy with the 305, picked up on evilbay new for around £10 more than a used one!! No brainer

    Rob.
  • Check out this recent test of all the top GPS watches:

    Best GPS Watch
  • My Garmin lasted six months, they are notoriously unreliable. Check out other brands eg. Polar, Timex

  • I recently bought a Garmin 305 and I've been more than happy with it. Very easy to use (I'm a complete technophobe) and it really has took my training to a whole new level.

    That said, if all you are after is something to tell you the distance you've ran then the 110 would probably be perfectly adequate.

    My own reasoning for buying the 305 over the 110 was hoping to progress further and I thought I might as well buy the model with the extra features now rather than spending money on the 110 now only to want to upgrade to the 305 in a couple of months anyway.
  • I've had the 305 for a while now and it has been very reliable. Don't think of them as watches more as small computers and mine did 'hang' once. You reset them and they are fine. For my advancing years the 305 is good because it has a larger screen than the newer models. You could get the 205 without the heart monitor which was good value if you did not want the extra gizmo but I'm not sure if they still sell that model.

    I see the 410 is dropping in price.

  • Stay away from garmins.I bought my 110 in july of this year.

    Cons

    1. The screen fogs over after 10 min of running in cool or damp conditions.2.The heartmonitor is very unrealiable,the connection between the HRM and watch does not work from time to time leaving you frustrated on your next run. (has been replaced twice) 3.the watch switches off from time to time. You are often left with a non working watch even after being charged over night.

    Make sure you research garmin watches thoroughly. There are 100's of unhappy runners around. Check out forums.

    Pro's

    1.Customer service is good. 2.Garmin connect is very good for tracking your data.

    Never again

    Steve.

     

  • Garmin 305 is bomb proof, I've been using one for nearly 4 years now, and before that I used a Garmin 101, which I still have, although a little clumsier in size it is still better for longer events as it takes AAA barreries which can be replaced without losing a record of the run

  • 305 is fantastic.... but they don't make them any more image.  The profiteers have pushed the price up to around the same as the new 310XT (about 180 quid), so I'm going to go for the latter when the price is right (it's waterproof, has great battery life and is very similar to the 305).

  • I've had a very old 101 for years and years, and have now just upgraded to a 305. The 101 did become a little unreliable in the end, but it was pretty ancient. The 305 is a dream so far. I wouldn't call Garmins notoriously unreliable at all.

  • I agree with Steve the 110 is very unreliable .I had the same problems as him and on my third replacement watch .
  • I would guess that Garmins are the most popular running watch there is; must be millions of them out there. You're bound to get a few have problems. Garmin are pretty good at replacing faulty ones. My 405 was over year out of warranty and they sent me a brand new one when mine had a problem.

  • another vote for the 305.  Mine is now 6 years old and going strong. We also have the older Forerunner 201 which is still going strong and has a battery life of 14 hours plus. Great brand, and great customer service.

  • I have just bought a garmin 10. All I want is time and distance and to be able to put it on garmin connect.



    Sorted.
  • I have also recently bought an F10 great simple easy to use bit of kit. No heart rate. No fancy bells and whistles.
  • Remember you don't have to use Garmin Connect. It's very pretty, but I personally find fetcheveryone far more useful. There are no end of places to store your data though, so worth checking out which works best for you.

  • I import into fetch from connect. Saves me having to actually type it in image

     

  • I just bought myself a Garmin forerunner 10 and have only used it a couple of times up to yet but I love it. It's really simple to use and tells me everything I need to know, pace, distance and time.



    I don't know how I every managed without it now.
  • Can anyone recommend a fairly basic GPS with altitude? I'm mainly a hill runner and want some idea of ascent - don't car if it's not super-accurate. I get it from my phone but am struggling with missed data points on that (and don't take a phone very often). I'd use it running and biking.

  • Anyone would think that only garmins exist....

    Soleus, Polar, Timex and Suunto all make GPS running watches.

    Soleus has them under £100.00, Timex have them under £115.00 and both Polar & Suunto under £125.00 if price is an issue.

    I have nothing against Garmin, but they aren't the only option.

  • You don't have to upload to connect first, you can just upload it straight to fetch - no typing needed. I do type a quite comment, but i have to do that in connect anyway.

  • I've had a Garmin 205 for 3 years now and wouldn't be without it. Its a brilliant watch that though it marketed at £229.99 at the time only cost me £99.99 (or something silly) from Sweatshop at the time. 

    I have never regretted it. It is so simple to use, and whether its for a short 3 mile run or a downloaded 18-20 mile run with directions, it has been so, so accurate. There have been times when I've not taken a track because it didn't look right only for the watch to alert me and for me to find it was bang on and my instinct was wrong!

    Reading the report referenced earlier in this thread the 305 came out tops, and I'm not surprised. Judging by that article, the thing to be cautious of with Timex, Nike etc is quite obviously their accuracy. I've never had such a problem with my 205.

    I've never used any other GPS watch (though I have used Runkeeper and MapMyRun on my phone), and I'm not likely to be persuaded to change either. Personally I don't recognise any of the problems a few folk have noted, but I do know just how helpful and supportinve the folk at Garmin are with questions or issues.

    As you might have guessed, I'm a Garmin fan!

  • touie2touie2 ✭✭✭
    I've had a garmin 205 and 305 and now have a suunto ambit, ok so its much more expensive but it is far better than the garmins were I wouldn't go back to a garmin after having a suunto!
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