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Our Garmin Forerunner 110 Review Summary takes into consideration commonly mentioned pros and cons from a wide variety of users. We also calculate our GWW Score based on user ratings from multiple websites.

Editor’s Summary: The Garmin Forerunner 110 is marketed as an easy to use GPS wrist watch with very few bells and whistles. From all we have read, we’d say Garmin has been very successful… although there are really enough bells and whistles to satisfy most runners.

The Forerunner 110 would score even higher if not for one hotly debated feature… Pace.  Most users are satisfied with the way this watch implements the pace feature, but those who are not, slammed the Garmin Forerunner 110 in their reviews and ratings. This watch DOES NOT give “current” pace, meaning “what is my pace at this very moment?”. It DOES provide average pace for your current lap, or if AutoLap is turned off it provides average pace for your entire run. If “current” pace is a feature you want on your GPS wrist watch, we suggest you take a look at our Garmin 305 Review of Reviews.

Other than this one feature debate, most users are thrilled by the ease of use, the size and appearance, the speed and accuracy of the GPS and the features of this watch. It’s available in several styles including the Garmin Forerunner 110 Ladies pink & gray version.

Garmin Forerunner 110 GWW Score: 8.56 out of 10 (181 Ratings)

Most Mentioned Pros:

• simple setup and easy to get started right away
• size/appearance – smaller than other Garmin GPS watches to date. Even users with small wrists felt very comfortable wearing this watch.
• Comfortable to wear
• GPS chip – many users felt this GPS picked up satellite signal more quickly than other similar watches and also felt that it held its signal amongst trees and buildings. There are always some reports of problems with GPS, but a majority of users were satisfied.
• heart rate monitor - we didn’t see any complaints about the included heart rate monitor, but note that it is optional and many users were pleased about having a choice.
• auto time set – this GPS wrist watch picks up the time from the satellites, so no need to ever set it.
• easy upload to computer and Garmin Connect – plugs into computer via USB
• Garmin Connect – after your workout data is uploaded to the Garmin Connect website, you can analyze and map your runs.
• AutoLap – can be set as low as 1/4 mile – default is 1 mile
• easy to read
• long batter life
• the watch can be turned off to conserve batter
• good for biking too

Most Mentioned Cons:

• pace – only shows average for entire run or lap (not current pace, but has avg of current lap).
• some buttons are difficult to press – mentioned by a couple of users.
• accuracy – as noted above in the Pros, with GPS, there are always a few problems. Most users were happy with the GPS.

Here are some of the features listed for the Garmin Forerunner 110:

• GPS-enabled with High-sensitivity receiver
• Heart rate monitor: included in some versions
• Heart rate-based calorie computation
• Lap history: 1000 laps
• Compatible with Garmin Connect (online community where you analyze, categorize and share data)
• Compatible with Garmin Training Center software
• Auto Lap (automatically starts a new lap)
• Water resistant
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
• Battery life: 3 weeks in power save mode; 8 hours in training mode
• RoHS version available

Tags: Garmin Forerunner 110 Review, Garmin GPS Watches, gps wrist watch

Our Garmin Forerunner 610 Review will be available as soon as it’s been field tested by some real users. The expected ship date of this full featured GPS wrist watch is mid-May 2011. This is Garmin’s first touch screen watch, and early reports suggest that it works as advertised. It looks like there isn’t much this watch can’t do and we’re hoping that it also has some simplicity for users to who don’t choose to use the advanced features. The swipe and tap touchscreen may be a big step up from the controversial touch bezel of its predecessor.

The Forerunner 610 provides distance, pace, GPS position, heart rate, calories and more. Supposedly, it can even guide you back to your starting point while you are on a run. A new feature called Virtual Racerâ„¢ lets you race your previous bests or other challenges and accounts for varying speeds and real-time conditions. Another new feature is the Training Effect capability from Firstbeat. Training Effect measures the impact of an activity on your aerobic fitness. It is calculated based from data in your user profile, your heart rate and the difficulty of the activity. The Garmin Forerunner 610 also offers customizable heart rate zones, alerts and heart-rate based calorie computations.

Tags: colorblack, forerunner, garmin, garmin forerunner 610 review, garmin fr 610, gps, gps wrist watch

Garmin and Polar make nice GPS wrist watches, but we’ve noticed there are quite a few athletes who love RunKeeper and are seeking a RunKeeper watch. Surprisingly, there is no RunKeeper watch, but don’t stop reading. RunKeeper is an app for iPhones and Android phones, but it’s also software for your computer that provides sophisticated run analysis tools. The problem for many runners is that they don’t like lugging their phones around when they run. There is a solution… the RunKeeper software allows you to import data from your Polar or Garmin GPS watch. There are two methods depending on your watch and both are fairly easy.

For most Garmin watches:
http://support.runkeeper.com/kb/frequently-asked-questions/how-to-import-garmin-gps-data-to-runkeeper-website

For watches that can export GPX or TCX files:
http://support.runkeeper.com/kb/frequently-asked-questions/how-to-import-gpxtcx-data-to-runkeeper-website

Tags: GPS Running Apps

Tags: Garmin Approach S1 Watch Review, gps golf watch, gps wrist watch

Our Garmin Forerunner 410 review summary will be available as soon as we find enough reviews to summarize!  So far, the reviews on  Amazon.com are looking pretty good, so if you’re in the market for a new GPS wrist watch, you’ll probably want to consider the Garmin 410.

Garmin Forerunner 410: It appears that Garmin’s intention with the Forerunner 410 was to make improvements to the Garmin Forerunner 405 based on feedback from customers. Garmin says the touch bezel on the Forerunner 410 works well when wet, whether from sweat or rain. Most of the complaints about the Forerunner 405 and 405CX were about the touch bezel.  Other differences on the Forerunner 410 will be a softer strap for the heart rate monitor  and new software features that have evolved from the highly touted Forerunner 405 software.

In the mean time, check out our Garmin Forerunner 405CX Review Summary or our Garmin Forerunner 405 Review Summary.

Garmin Forerunner 410

Garmin Forerunner 410 with Heart Rate Monitor

Tags: Garmin Forerunner 410 Review, gps wrist watch

Our Garmin Forerunner 210 review summary will be available as soon as there are enough reviews out there to summarize.

GOOD NEWS! You don’t have to wait… Although the Garmin press release indicated that this watch wouldn’t be available in stores until after the Chicago Marathon and the New York City Marathon Expo… You CAN get yours right now! We confirmed with a phone call on Oct. 13, 2010, that there are a few available that can be purchased at Amazon.com.

The Garmin Forerunner 210 is only slightly different from its predescessor, the Forerunner 110.  The most notable of which is the addition of interval training. On the Forerunner 210, you can setup exercise and rest intervals. It also ships with a heart-rate monitor, which comes as an option on the Forerunner 110.  Lastly, some versions of the Forerunner 210 come with a footpod. (See our Garmin Forerunner 110 Review Summary.)

Here are some of the Garmin Forerunner 210 Features:

• Simple to use – just charge it and your ready to run.
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver
• Heart rate monitor
• Heart rate-based calorie computation
• Interval Training
• Lap history: 1000 laps
• Compatible with Garmin Connect (online community where you analyze and share data)
• Compatible with Garmin Training Center software
• Auto Lap (automatically starts a new lap)
• Water resistant
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
• Battery life: 3 weeks in power save mode; 8 hours in training mode

Tags: Garmin Forerunner 210 Review, gps wrist watch

We’re looking hard for a GPS Child Locator Watch that gets good reviews, but so far we’re not thrilled with our results. In a future post, we’ll discuss in more detail the GPS child locator watches that are available, but right now we want to tell you the good news…

Amber Alert GPS has developed the Amber Alert GPS Armor. It’s not a GPS wrist watch, but it can be worn on a belt, a lanyard, as a bracelet or clipped on just about anywhere. Here are a few features:

• An App is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid, and any other web enabled phone.
• Your child’s location is updated every minute and can be viewed on your phone or computer.
• You can set a safe zone and if the device leaves that area up to ten previously selected individuals will receive email alerts.
• Your child can send a quick SOS by pressing and holding the SOS button. The device will send email alerts to individuals you have selected. Your child can use this for any kind of emergency.
• For an additional monthly fee, you can add two-way voice communication. You can contact or listen to your child or your child can initiate a call to you.
• You can set destination alerts so that you are notified when your child reaches a specificed location.
• You can set the device to email you periodic updates as to your child’s whereabouts.
• The device can be set up with temperature alerts, so that you are notified if the temperature goes above or below a certain temperature.
• The Predator alert is an additional fee, but it ties into the national sex offender database and notifies you if it comes to within 500 feet of a registered sex offender’s home.
• There is an option to set speed alerts. This would be particularly useful if you had a teen whose driving habits were questionable.

In addition to the cost of the Amber Alert GPS Armor, there is a subscription fee. Currently plans start at $9.99 monthly. The device colors can be customized.

Tags: GPS Child Locator Watch, GPS Locator Watches, gps wrist watch

Our Garmin 405 Review takes into consideration many user reviews posted on a variety of different websites. We look for common positive and negative themes that are mentioned again and again. Our GWW Score for the Garmin Forerunner 405 is based on compilation of user ratings from multiple websites.

Editors Notes: This GWW Score for this watch doesn’t make it look very promising, but a thorough reading of both positive and negative user reviews would warrant giving some consideration to buying this watch. It’s not for everyone, but for anyone who desires a large feature set and has enough technical patience to survive a moderate learning curve, the Garmin 405 is worth a second look.

The only difference we could find between the Garmin Forerunner 405CX and the Garmin Forerunner 405 were: the 405CX has a heart rate-based calorie computation and velcro strap that is supposed to be more comfortable and fit a wider range of wrist sizes. The Garmin 405 offers the option of buying with or without the heart rate monitor.

Garmin Forerunner 405 GWW Score: 6.97 out of 10 (254 Ratings)

Most Mentioned Pros:

• Feature Set – monitors your time, distance, pace, calories and heart rate (when paired with heart rate monitor)
• Garmin Connect – Maps and reports for analyzing your workout and goal setting
• Virtual Partner – lets you race a virtual competitor over a specified distance and speed
• Accuracy
• ANT Stick – uploads data to your computer whenever the watch is near the computer (same room is usually good enough)
• Auto Lap
• Auto Scroll – up to three customizable data screens will scroll on the watch while you workout. Users who loved this watch said there was no need to even touch the watch during their workouts once this feature was set up with the exact data they wanted to view during the workout. There is also a choice of scroll speeds
• Heartrate Monitor
• Many users used the Garmin 405 for running and biking
• Smaller than most GPS wrist watches, including the Garmin 305
• Touch Bezel – Although the touch bezel was a deal-breaker for many users, many of those who love this GPS wrist watch do not understand. They believe that the intended use of the touch bezel is for setup and post run analysis, not for use during the run. They just lock it before they start running and turn on the Auto Scroll Feature

Most Mentioned Cons:

• Battery life – some users complained that it was not long enough. Also since the watch can’t be turned off, it might need to be charged right before a long workout. A firmware update is reported to have improved the battery life. Also turning off the GPS when not working out, greatly improves battery life
• Touch Bezel – many users complained about the touch bezel. The most mentioned complaint is that it doesn’t work when wet and that included sweat. If you needed to use the touch bezel during a workout when you’re sweating or when it’s raining, it might not respond. As mentioned above, users who love this watch felt like this was an invalid complaint as Auto Scroll is all you really need and even if you wanted to move screens manually, the tap feature would work in the rain.  The second biggest complaint about the touch bezel is from users who do not lock it during a workout. It can easily be bumped unintentionally and move you to an undesired screen. The disagreement about whether or not this particular feature is wonderful or horrible is pretty extreme
• Size – users with smaller wrist still felt this watch was too big for wearing all the time. It is smaller than the Forerunner 305
• Slow to find satellites – some users reported that it was fast, while others said it was slow
• Learning Curve – to utilize the watch to its fullest, expect to spend some time with the instruction manual and the watch before you work out
• GPS accuracy – some users thought it lacked accuracy, but many also reported that it did rather well.
• Difficulty syncing to PC – sometimes the ANT stick didn’t pick up the watch and as with most things computer, some users encounter difficulties
• Mac compatibility – Many of the original reviews complained that it wasn’t Mac Compatible, but that shouldn’t be a problem anymore, as Garmin has added Mac compatibility for this GPS wrist watch

Features:

• Heart rate monitor (on some versions)
• Bike speed/cadence sensor (optional)
• Foot pod (optional)
• Automatic Sync
• Garmin Connectâ„¢ and Garmin Training Center®
• Virtual Partner® (train against a digital person)
• Courses (compete against previous activities)
• Auto Pause® (pauses and resumes timer based on speed)
• Auto Lap®
• Auto Scroll
• Advanced workouts (create custom, goal-oriented workouts)
• Simple workouts (input time, distance and calorie goals)
• Pace alert
• Time/distance alert
• Interval training
• Customizable Screens
• Unit-to-unit transfer
• Watch functions include dual time, date and alarm

Tags: Garmin 405 Review, Garmin Forerunner 405, gps wrist watch

If you have looked into ordering the Betty White Safe Watch by Monsignor, you’ve discovered that there is a hefty ongoing monthly fee for the monitoring service. Without the monitoring service, the watch is pretty useless. Monsignor does not post prices on their website and requires a date of birth before they will give prices on the phone. The price I was quoted for a 70 year old, was $99.90 for the watch and a monthly fee of $42.50. The also offer a discount for a 2-year prepay which still makes it over $33 a month, and no refund is available if for some reason you don’t need to have the watch for the entire two years.

We found an alternative to the Safe Watch that could save you a lot of money over time. The Amber Alert, as it’s name implies, is marketed as a GPS device for children, and has a slightly different feature set than Safe Watch, but for certain situations, it might fit the bill as well, if not better than the Safe Watch. If you are looking for a device for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, then the Amber Alert has several advantages over the Safe Watch.