Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS With USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor
by Garmin
|
List Price: Our Price: $349.99 You Save: $50.00 (13%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $255.00 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS With USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor
Customer Review: Not as sturdy as it should be
Summary: 2 Stars
I've had a Garmin for the past five or six years, upgrading every couple of years as new models came out, and by and large I was happy with the models I have had.
About the time the 310XT came out in the UK where I currently live, I was also starting to get interested in wild swimming and even contemplating a triathlon, and when one of our dogs mangled my previous model, this was a perfect excuse to buy the new super-duper multi-sports Garmin.
Unfortunately I have never used my 310XT for swimming. Why? Because within a few weeks of buying it, I dropped it a short distance onto a semi-solid floor and the (apparently rather fragile glass)face broke. Consequently it is no longer waterproof and even going out in the rain causes it to mist up. I wouldn't dare immerse it.
I did write to Garmin asking if they could supply or repair the face. In fairness they did write back:
" Unfortunately we don't do repairs, however we do have a replacement service instead. You can send your unit to us to be replaced with an as-new refurbished model with a full year warranty on it at a cost of £117.50 GBP[about $180] inc VAT."
but I didn't really want to pay that much having just splashed(hah!) out on the full price for the thing.
To add insult to injury the strap on the HRM frayed and whenever I wore it the readings for the first few minutes were off the scale, which didn't do much for my recorded average HR. So I bought a new strap and that wasn't cheap either.
Additionally the wrist strap continually comes loose at the junction with the unit, which when you're running or cycling is not great news, and even the prongs which fasten into the holes on the strap are prone to come out of their spring loaded fittings.
Add to that the fact that the height readings are frankly entirely crap (even after a recent software update) to the extent that you have to rely on a website such as Garmin correct to do a proper recalculation then I think it's fair to say that this model is not fit for purpose.
Which is a shame because previously I was a huge Garmin fan.
Customer Review: Waterproof and smaller size
Summary: 4 Stars
I was initially worried about the size because the previous 305 seemed a bit large for me, but wearing this watch proved to be quite comfortable and less bulky, but still large enough for easy reference during the run / bike. The size may prove a difficulty if you swim with a wetsuit, as some may find it difficult to pull through wetsuit sleeves. The strap is more sturdy than most watches I have seen. The buttons seem easily easily differentiated (vs. the 205 and Polar's 300x offer, or Timex watches) and the waterproof capability is great, because now you can view your swim split if you race in a Triathlon that doesn't offer it. The battery is to last as long as they claim and over a 3 day training period plus race, did not require its recharge at all. The GPS antenna seems more capable beneath trees than previous models, and the HRM picks up quite readily with minimum hassle because of the snap on button that can be released (or even applied) with one hand. The HRM strap is improved over the Garmin 305 model in that the material is more comfortable, and the actual monitor is smaller in size that the Garmin 305 or the Timex HRM's. Over-all a very useful tool without being bulky, and bigger display than the 405. If you're ready to train with a HRM this should be a strong consideration, but if you need simply a speed distance pace monitor, there are less expensive offerings out there. And if color is a consideration, the orange and grey give it a sporty appearance.
I have no experience with the cadence meter or bike attachment for this watch.
Summary:
Pros:
Waterproof
Smaller than Garmin 305
Sturdy strap
Easy buttons
Improved GPS antenna
HRM softer / more comfortable
HRM easy snap on button
HRM smaller sensor size (vs. Polar or previous Garmin or Timex)
Sporty color
Considerations:
Still bulky enough to bother full sleeve wetsuit removal
Price may be out of budget for some athletes
Customer Review: One of the best training tools to own
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the watch 2 weeks ago and it's functionality has far exceeded my expectations. Aside from the eye opener once you realize that due to the limitation of GPS you can use the watch only as a timer during the swim, I love the watch. (GPS reception breaks and, since the watch is on your wrist which travels forward and backward during the swim, the distance swam can never be correctly recored - unless you wore it on your back I guess)
However: I just finished my first triathlon with the watch today. At the first swim marker, I got kicked on the wrist and it ripped the watchband off the watch. Incredibly lucky I caught the sinking watch and was able to stuff it under my wet suit. After finishing the Triathlon without a watch I was able to inspect the damage: The spring bar pin that connects the band with the watch was still there and intact. The pin however looks much to short and too thin to hold such a big watch reliably in "rough" situations. GARMIN: You should fix this right away! In the meantime, mine will be duct taped on and turned to the back of the wrist during the swim.
Update 04/11/11:
I have now used the watch for 3 seasons and it turned out to be one of the best training tools I own. The functionality and reliability are outstanding. The above mentioned problem with the wristband did not re-occur. All you have to do is turn the watch to the inside of our wrist during the swim.
There is one word of caution though: I let the lap memory of the watch run out by not downloading it to GarminConnect for several months. When I tried to transfer the date, it would not read it. With the help of the Garmin tech support, we were able fix the issue but only by erasing all the data on the watch (hard reset). Acc. to tech support, that's not unusual, but can easily be prevented by not letting the memory fill up too much.
Bottom line: Great watch would buy again in a second. (Just like the new Garmin Edge 800!)
Customer Review: A great training tool
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned this watch for about three months and I have no regrets at all. I use it just about every day.
Before I bought the 310XT, I was thinking that the 405 would be the perfect choice but after a little research I realized that the 310 was the 405 on steroids.. Twenty hour battery life, Ruggedized, Bigger more readable screen, more functional buttons.. and still reasonably small. For a while I was tempted to buy the 305 (The 310s older brother) and save some serious money but the 305 is larger and several years older in the technology tree. I wanted something that was going to still be getting firmware upgrades and was not at or near end of life.
I went ahead and bought the 310 and for the first month I just did the basics with it.. I let it monitor my runs and my bike rides.. but then I discovered all the cool stuff.. I started to design workouts where the watch would tell me when to do things based on things like heart rate, distance, time, etc.. I programmed the entire "Couch to 5K" program into the watch and then modified it in ways that the C25K program could never have pulled off.. Like cool down periods in the interval training that were based on heart rate and distance that is actually measured by GPS.. I gotta say this is very cool!
There has been three firmware upgrades since I bought the watch and the latest one TOTALLY FIXED the elevation charting issues. Until the latest upgrade, the elevation data in the charts was noticeably inaccurate. The watch boots up and finds the satellites amazingly fast. I have the foot pod and the heart monitor belt. Both add a lot to my workouts..
The Garmin Connect web site mated up with the Garmin 310 is just awesome.. I have had no problems with the Garmin 310, it links up to my computer just fine and it links to my foot pod and HRM belt fine too. It was very expensive but it is well worth it. Highly Recommended!
Customer Review: Easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
This watch, in my opinion, is the greatest running watch since the Forerunner 305. For one thing, the GPS signals are far more accurate, and are found faster than previous models. When I put it on, it feels big, but once I start running I completely forget about it. The heart rate monitor was also very nice. Its a soft strap, so the heart rate sensors are the in strap itself, which makes it much easier to run in.
For those reviewers who were saying how they cannot get a GPS signal in the water, and it's Garmin's fault, they have no idea what they are talking about. GPS has never worked under water, and probably never will. The GPS signals on this thing are accurate on land, which is what I care about.
If anyone was thinking about getting the Forerunner 405cx, I have a friend who has this watch, and he hates it. He says that if you get any water or sweat on the bezel that you must wipe it off, otherwise it lock up. Also, to pay more just for a more accurate calorie counter? No calorie counter will ever be 100% correct, so shelling out more doesn't seem worth it.
Here are my overall assumptions of the watch:
PRO
- easy to read screen
- accurate GPS signal
- comfortable heart rate monitor
- buttons are easy to press while running
- easy to control, set up workouts
- large screen, so I can see my progress mid-workout
- long battery life
CON
- initial set up can be a pain
- software that comes with watch is not very good
- heart rate monitor does not work underwater very well
If you want to analyze your workout data, I recommend Sporttracks. It free, and you can input data that wasn't recorded with the watch. There are also a lot of plugins, like Google earth maps, route finders, etc.