Can you recommend a garmin please?

Hi all,

Am driving myself crazy looking at all the different garmin watches available so can anyone recommend one for me please? What I'm after is the following:-

An accurate mileage

Something that I can programme to do interval training - (If there is such a thing?)

I don't want to spend a fortune but am quite serious about my running and am after something to help me improve.

I've been using a nike+ for years and although it's great to track your runs the mileage is very inaccurate.

Thanks for any help or suggestions!

p.s I have very small wrists so don't want a huge watch.

Comments

  • Katy- I've got 305 and absolutely love it.  It's got all the features you describe and a lot more.  It is quite large... although I don't mind and my wrist is small.  405 is slightly smaller I think but I found it a lot more fiddly and it's more expensive.
  • Will look at the 305 thank you, does it beep at you to tell you if you are running too fast/slow when doing interval training?
  • Yes, you can set it to beep, you can also set it to run against a virtual partner.image
  • i recommend the garmin 405. It costs about £120-130 from amazon. I have tiny wrists. I bought the 405 as it comes with 2 extra straps, it fits perfect and its very comfy. The garmin is quite high tech so takes a bit of getting use to but can set laps and has a trainer to show if your behind or ahead and comes with heart rate monitor. great buy
  • Ah sounds good, have looked on amazon and they come with a heart rate monitor - Anyone know if they are they worth using?
  • Even the very oldest 101 will do what you want (apart from that it's a bit like wearing a brick!). I don't know about some of the newer models, but any of the 01 or 05 range will do it. The 205 is the same as the 305 but without the heart rate monitor. Cheapest I've seen them for is £90 on Amazon.
  • Re HRM - lots swear by them, but I find them next to useless. Can't run (or even walk) up hills slow enough & can't run fast enough down them to stay in the zone. I find setting a pace zone to run to and the interval options on the Garmin far more helpful.

    I guess my position would be - I'd save the dosh and get one without HRM, but would gratefully accept if someone offered a free upgrade!

    Like I say lots of people disagree with me and think a HRM is the best training aid there is.
  • Katy- heart rate monitors are great.  Even if you don't want to use it now you might want to in a couple of years and the price is not that much different. 

  • i should add its the 405cx i have, with the extra straps. its 135 just now. It can be worth using the heart rate monitor to see if your working to hard or not hard enough. if you didnt want to wear it though it wouldnt matter. I was looking at the 305 before but it has been discontinued so im not sure if it broke if garmin would fix it. hope this helps
  • Ok great thanks all! Your advice has given me real help in deciding, don't think I could spent another week searching and reading up on Garmins!
  • I have the 405cx and have really small wrists, have to get childrens watches and the strap fits okay. I love my garmin.
  • Hi,

    I recently upgraded from the 205 to the 410 with hrm. As well as being neater and more stylish the 410 is much quicker at acquiring satellites so you can get on with your run without waiting.

    I looked at the 405 but read that the bezel mechanism was badly flawed and this was rectified in the 410. See:

    http://www.ransacker.co.uk/running-shoes/goings-on/garmin-forerunner-410-gps-watch-review/

    You can the 410 with heart rate monitor for under £200 and I reckon it's worth the extra over the cheaper models.

    Good luck!

    Pingu1874
  • For what it's worth, I got a 110 for Christmas. I have really small wrists, but it's fine due to the good strap with plenty of size adjustments, so although they are bulky you should find it doesn't move around when running.
  • If you can stretch it definitely get the 610.

    I had a 405cx and sold it after 2 incredibly annoying months of use. So it was with some reservation that I jumped back in with the 610, but have been really happy, it's a fantastic piece of kit.
    It's fully customisable for interval training, the 110 is not and isn't too bad for size and bulk either, I'd say it's comparable to a G-Shock and much more like a regular watch than the 405 which always felt like you were wearing an electronic tag to me.
  • Ai have the 610 and I love it, one simple feature I love is the vibrate. Can run with head phones on and not have to worry about keeping an eye on the watch for the end of intervals. Touch screen works well and can't fault it at all. Tis on the expensive side though.

    Had the 405 and we never got on, didn't like the touch bezel, and a had few units die on me. Although Garmin replaced them.
    305 was ok but just too bulky, then before that had the 301 which was like wearing a mars bar on your wrist.
  • You can't go wrong with a 305, big but light and quite robust
  • TenjisoTenjiso ✭✭✭
    Another vote for the 305 here!

  • ChimneyChimney ✭✭✭
    +1 for the 305, love it to bits and given me very good service for three years. Will be getting a 910 soon because of the swimming bit  image
    If reality matched intention I'd know I was dreaming
  • I love my 305. Yes it is bulky and the first few times I wore it I was very aware of it on my wrist. But I got over that very quickly, it is quite light, incredibly reliable, very accurate, does everything you need it to do. Now when I wear it I cover it with a long sleeve (in winter) and forget it's there until I complete my run.

    My boyfriend purchased the 110 a week ago as Sweatshop were doing half price offer, even as of today it's £99 and that one is also very good. Small and very light, not as many features I don't think you can set it for intervals. When you're not using it for training displays as a standard watch.
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