8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Forerunner 305 great outdoor/sports watch!
Date of Review: Oct 28, 2008
The Bottom Line: This is the clear leader in Sports Watch products, combining HRM and GPS (distance and altitude).
I decided to upgrade from my Timex Ironman Bodylink setup, although I only had the Timex HRM thus far. Ironically, the Timex Bodylink setup including the HRM, GPS, and Recorder: would have cost more than the Garmin 305!
The 305's HRM is more accurate than the Timex (which was prone to start 100bpm too high, even with using gel under the chest strap for only the Timex).
I primarily use it for 'running', but I have tried it with 'biking' which is as-neat. I like the "Courses" feature, since I tend to re-run the same path in my runs, and (at some level) using the "Virtual Partner" and racing against yourself is as tough as it gets(!).
The USB port gives the software access, and recharges the battery to boot. (Conversely, the Timex setup requires three components to work; the minor plus for the Timex is you can use the watch as a 'normal' daily wristwatch.)
The software includes "Training Center", but far better is try out the www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks share-software which is neato integrated with Google maps(!).
Finally, it's way "too" big to use as a everyday (non-sports) watch, and actually doesn't display time (i.e. in a non-sports mode usage) very readable.
Update: the HRM strap needs careful care when replacing the battery (note that the battery lasts about a year). Don't lose the rubber O-ring, and, take great care when screwing down the cover, as it's too easy to strip the threads. That said, Garmin has covered an HRM replacement, even 2-years OUT of warranty: kudos to Garmin for the best customer service.
