Garmin/Timex/etc for small wrists?

daisyjess · April 2012

I'm gradually easing myself back into running after illness, and as a reward for managing a whole year without a hospital stay I'm hoping to buy myself a GPS running watch.
Before I commit myself (and a good chunk of money that I saved thanks to being a student who couldn't go out!) too strongly to the idea, I'd love to know if the straps of running watches are even suitable for people with relatively small wrists. I'm not particularly tiny but the arm strap I bought a while ago for my phone drives me crazy slipping around, and I definitely don't want to pay several hundred pounds for something that annoying!
I've had a look through the specs of a Garmin and a Timex, and I can't see anything about strap length. My wrists are just over 13cm around - am I likely to be able to find anything that's comfortable?
Edit: I'm an idiot and didn't realise that the tape measure doesn't start at the beginning - my wrists are about 15cm around. *duh*

[Deleted User] · April 2012

I've got a Garmin Forerunner 110 and a wrist circ of about 14cm and it is OK - the strap has holes along its full length and is fairly soft rubber so it works fine for a small wrist. The watch face is quite large - about the width of the top of my wrist - and can be a little uncomfortable with tight sleeves e.g. if you have a top with built-in mitts and then you want to push the sleeves up mid-run. Other than that it's fine.

daisyjess · April 2012

Great, thanks! Tight sleeves wouldn't be an issue - I recycle my old baggy t-shirts as running clothes

[Deleted User] · April 2012

I've got small wrists, and prominent wrist bones. I find the back of my garmin 205 presses on these, so I cushion mine with a sweat band - or the band on my gloves. Feels fine with just the extra layer.

mingo_the_flamingo · April 2012

I've got a Garmin 305, but I swapped the strap for the velcro one from the quick release kit..far more adjustable and in my opinion far more comfortable. You would have to buy it separately though, but I think it's worth every penny.

[Deleted User] · April 2012

I have 16 cm wrists and when I wear my Garmin 405 there is at least another cm of adjustment available - I just checked it right now! Also the 405cx (and maybe some of the newer ones too) come with a softer velcro strap you can put on instead of the rubbery one. I've seen some really petite and skinny girls wearing the 205s and 305s so I guess they must be okay on small wrists. Or maybe they wear a sweat band underneath or something...

Catalin Bond · April 2012

I have small wrists (can't find the tape measure to see how small, but maybe around 15 cm) and I have a garmin 305. When I first looked at it I thought it would drive me mad, but I actually find it very comfortable. I may try the sweatband idea though as sometimes it rides up my arm and gets less comfortable.

Wilkie · April 2012

I have 15cm wrists too. I found the 305 drove me crazy, it slipped when I sweated, and would press on the little bone on the outside of the wrist.

The 405 is much better, as it's smaller and lighter it doesn't slip and doesn't bug me. You can buy a velcro strap for it, but it's £21

The existing strap is fine.

xine111 · April 2012

I have small wrists but get on fine with the Garmin 305 - I tend to push it down my forearm though so it isn't really sitting on my wrist.

Nykie · April 2012

I have 15cm wrists, also with a protruding wrist bone and I have the 410. It's fine - I have it a bit loose but not loose enough so that it twists round and I really don't notice it there. When it first arrived, I thought it looked massive and the 410 does come with those velcro straps for smaller or larger wrists, but I think that they make it feel worse.

You can have the strap tighter - I have it on the 6th hole from the face of the watch.

I think that you'd be fine with a 410 or a 405 (which is the same size as 410).

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Garmin/Timex/etc for small wrists?

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