Garmin Forerunner 305 Wrist Worn GPS Personal Training Device (With Heart Rate Monitor) - Electronics / Photography (Garmin)

For full product details, view this product on Amazon.

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

Pichel3000
UK
28th August 2008

Glad I went for the 305 and not the 405
I've been using my Forerunner 305 for over 2 weeks now and I am very, very happy with it. Although I know it is sad, but this little device was one of my main motivations to get back into long distance running after a 5 year break.

Since Garmin has updated its GPS watch range choosing the latest model (Forerunner 405) would have been obvious, but I am glad I followed the advice of some reviews on here and elsewhere to go for the older and bigger 305 instead.

Why? Well, first of all I have a very nice everyday wristwatch and do not need a running watch that I can also wear at work or in the pub. Yes, the 305 is quite a biggie, but when I am out and about on a run then I don't really mind. After all: I'm out there to pound roads and not catwalks! With roughly 77g the watch is -despite its size- not too heavy and does not disturb me during my run.

The user interface (ie the way how to move and navigate through the screens and menus) is very well done and cleverly thought through. The accompanying software from Garmin is -well- sub-optimal. Thank god there now is a Mac version of it, but the overall functionality is nothing to write home about. As a Mac devotee, I am currently trialling a log software called Ascent (for Mac OS X), which seems to fit the bill for me. However you'll still require the Garmin software to upload your own workouts or courses, so you can't replace it 100%. But Ascent is much better in graphing your progress and displaying your route on Google Maps, for example.

What I love about the watch are the aggregated History screens. You can see your total weekly milage and average heart rate for a week. The 305 stores up to 1000 laps, which should enable me to store a whole marathon preparation training onto the watch - maybe even 2.

Another very good aspect is the fact that I can now see my current pace and heart rate on 1 screen, which really helps me to pace myself during a training run. I also love the Virtual Partner function, although I still haven't understood which time and pace the VP takes (the last run or an average of previous runs on the course?). The manual does not reveal any details on this.

Satellite aquisition is relatively fast. You basically need to be outside for a minute or 2 before you start your workout in order to get a satellite fix.

On the whole I can only recommend the 305. The 405 might be smaller and newer, but I've saved roughly £80-90 by purchasing a 305... that's a pair of new running shoes in my book!

Victoria
Cheshire
17th August 2008

Great for endurance riding
I use the 305 to train my horse for endurance riding competitions - the combined GPS and heart rate monitor work perfectly and are around 4 times cheaper than the equivalent Polar unit. The heart rate belt is easy to fix to my horse - I just attach it to the inside of the girth, wet my horses skin and then use vetwrap to secure it in place and I get 100% accurate heart rate readings. The fact that the unit reads the heart rate wirelessly and has a good reception range makes it ideal (and easy) to adapt to equine use. I can track avaerage speeds and distances which when you ride solo is a great plus as it can be difficult to judge your pace. The virtual trainer is great for competitions as I can set my speed/distance parameters and instantly know when I'm falling behind my target time for completion. A must for any endurance rider!!

Active Mark
Cheshire, UK
6th August 2008

Fitness training
This monitor provides great information for your training. You get heart rate data, how far you have run, what time, speed and more. It provides an easy way to create small and long term goals, ideal for fitness trainers like me. Signing up to MotionBased (available for free) can get you a Google map reading too, giving you an interactive map. I have not used all of the tools on the watch yet, but what I have used I am very satisfied with.

Digbydog
UK
11th July 2008

Fantastic
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.

Richard Taylor
Hertfordshire, UK
9th July 2008

Great motivation
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...