Garmin Forerunner 305 Wrist Worn GPS Personal Training Device (With Heart Rate Monitor)

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Customer Reviews:

• 
  2008-04-21
  By R. Pembery,
  I had this up and running in no time at all. The GPS reception is great and I would recommend going for the 305 over the 205 for the heartrate monitor. The software out of the bag is barely sufficient but there are lots of high quality alternatives available out there (freeware or shareware). Great for interval training or racing against your previous best. It is light and fits around your wrist well - not too big.
  
  
• 
  2008-04-27
  By B. Smith,
  I do not own many gadgets (the ones I do own usually live in the kitchen !) and I was not into fitness until I started following a rowing programme on a Concept 2 Rowing Machine (also brilliant). I had no idea if I was training in the right zone to burn calories efficiently. My partner (a very gadgety person) has had his Forerunner 305 for a few months so I knew about it and a friend who does a lot of long distance running also raved about hers. So I read a few other reviews and decided to treat myself (best price by far was here on Amazon).
  
  Well it is brilliant. I have been using it for monitoring my rowing (set to "other" sport) and for power walking. I even started to jog the other day :-) and know this is going to help me to build my fitness and lose some more weight (nearly 3 stones off and about 10lbs from target !) I can thoroughly recommend it - even the downloading to the computer (we also have a Mac) is easy and has been trouble free.
  
  
• 
  2008-05-18
  By J. Manifold, Denmark
  This thing does pretty much everything. It's GPS reception is excellent, even on a rainy day while running through trees. The one feature I thought I'd never use - its ability to plot a tiny map of your route - is the one feature I have come to rely on. Several times, I've used this map to find my way back to my car after a long run through woods and fields. Seeing your route on Google Earth is fascinating and useful.
  
  
• 
  2008-07-09
  By Richard Taylor, Hertfordshire, UK
  Having used the Forerunner 305 to cheat myself back into running, I can only say what a great piece of kit it is. The pro/con that it doesn't work on OS-X (Mac) is simply not correct - I use it on one! The battery life allows me to do a week business trip without having to recharge, ad frankly, while the Garmin software is OK, programs, mostly share/freeware such as Sporttracks (PC) or Trailrunner (Mac) make using and analysing the data even better. I find the satellite acquisition a little slow when you're changing continents regularly, but stay in the same place and it's not a problem. Enjoy...
  
  
• 
  2008-07-11
  By Digbydog, UK
  I used to do a fair amount of running up until about 10 years ago. In those days I used a Casio watch to record how long I was out for. I would then guess how far the run was or drive the route I had just ran to get some idea how far I had gone. I started running again in the last six months and I am very impressed by the Forerunner. It is not perfect, the distance climbed is more a guess rather than an accurate statement. I suspect the calories burned is also a little bit of a guide rather than a fact. However the distance travelled versus the time taken is very good, again not perfect, but far better than any guess I could come up with.
  
  Yes it takes a little while to get the satellite signal before your start your run, but I tend to put it by the window, get changed and when I'm ready to go then it has got it's signal.
  
  The more you run in areas with trees or tall buildings then I suspect the less accurate it is. I have done both and I find it more than acceptable.
  
  I hate to go running without it and so it becomes another thing to remember to have with you.
  
  I have never really got to grips with heart rate monitors so I think the 205 would have been as good for me.
  
  The software that comes with the watch for the PC is not very good and I would recommend the free software called SportTracks.