Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sport Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Black)
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sport Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Black)
Customer Review: Comparison: Garmin Forerunner 405 vs. Suunto X9i
Summary: 3 Stars
After two weeks of side-by-side usage, I've concluded that these watches are targeted at very different markets. Furthermore, in many respects, it seems like neither watch is totally ready for prime-time. Both have nice feature sets, but they each seem to be lacking some very important features to make them truly useful across several sports. The Suunto X9i seems to be targeted and more useful to the climbing crowd, whereas the Garmin Forerunner 405 seems targeted at the fitness/jogging crowd. Neither has the complete feature set that the above-average hiker/trail runner/mountain biker needs. Thus, if you purchase either, you have to accept the compromises inherit in one or the other.
If I was pressed to recommend one over the other, I very hesitantly lean towards the Garmin Forerunner 405 due to smaller size, better battery life, faster GPS synch, slightly better navigation screen and of course, lower price. I'm hesitant because of several important cons which I elaborate on below.
STATS:
Battery Life (w/ GPS): 4.5hr (X9i) vs. 8hr (405)
Battery Life (w/o GPS): 16d. (X9i) vs. 12d. (405)
Size: X9i is larger in every dimension than 405
Weight: 74g (X9i) vs. 60g (405)
Water Resistence: 100m (X9i) vs. 3m (405)
Heart Rate Monitor: No (X9i) vs. Yes (405)
Outside Temperature: Yes(X9i) vs. No (405)
CONS: Garmin Forerunner 405
1) Does not display raw latitude/longitude position on standard screen. You can save a waypoint, which they call "location", and then edit that point to see the latitude/longitude (displayed in non-decimal format).
2) Does not have On/Off button to save battery-life.
3) Comes with very basic software with limited maps. Cannot export tracks into GPX format.
4) Difficult to upload waypoints for future route.
5) Limited to WGS84 map datum (limits international usage of tracks)
PROS: Garmin Forerunner 405
1) Easy to use menu system.
2) Fast GPS satellite synching.
3) Can connect to heart rate monitor.
4) If you can get waypoints loaded, there is a nice screen that shows the direction/distance to the selected waypoint.
5) Great fitness monitoring screens and many are customizable.
CONS: Sunnto X9i
1) Large physical size.
2) Poor battery life with GPS on.
3) Slow GPS satellite synching.
4) Difficult to use and complex menu system with 5 buttons.
5) Does not have On/Off button to save battery-life.
6) GPS tracks, which they call "logs", tend to have jumps/errors when GPS drops out, which is often.
7) Comes with very basic software with no maps.
8) No screen to show direction to a selected waypoint.
9) Limited to WGS84 map datum (limits international usage of tracks)
10) Suggested Retail Price is 25% more than the Garmin 405.
PROS: Suunto X9i
1) Does display raw latitude/longitude position on Position screen, but in non-decimal format.
2) Does have temperature feature.
Customer Review: Disappointed--305 is Better
Summary: 1 Stars
I did a lot of research on both the 305 and 405 before I purchased the 405. The deciding factor was the price, I actually got the 405 cheaper than the 305. Also, since it was the newest unit, I thought it might be better than the 305--I was wrong!
I used the 405 for over a year and had problems with it from the start. First, let me say I read the manual and sat with the device customizing it--this took about 2 hours. Any time I wanted to change something on the watch, I had to pull out the manual and spend some time with the watch. The menus were difficult to navigate and not very intuitive. I had my husband, a computer geek, try it out and even he was frustrated. As many reviewers have stated, the device doesn't work with wet/sweaty hands. This was incredibly frustrating when I needed to know what time it was and couldn't get off the training screen. I'd often forget to lock the bezel after I started my run, then my shirt would touch the watch and the timer would stop or flip to another screen--which I couldn't change (wet hands). I can't tell you how many runs didn't get recorded. When the watch worked, I did like the data it provided and it seemed to synch up with the satellites quicker than my 205. It also had less erroneous data and worked better under tree cover.
I usually run 3 specific days in a week, so I could plan ahead and make sure the watch was charged the night before. This was ok as long as I was never spontaneous, then the watch was often dead when I wanted to run. I almost had my Forerunner 205 repaired to use as a backup watch when I found the 305 dead. An On/Off switch is such a valuable feature! Yes, this watch is smaller than the 305, but as a woman, it's still too big for me to wear on a daily basis. The ANT stick worked on and off. I finally resorted to having my husband call Garmin's technical support and after an hour or so on the phone, they finally were able to get it to work. The bezel got to the point of only working from time to time with dry hands, so I gave the watch to my husband to see what he could do with it. He asked me why I had put up with this watch for such a long time given all the problems and frustrations I had with it. That was what I needed, I bought the 305. The 305 is bigger and heavier and tends to slide around a bit on my wrist, but since I wear it only for running, I can bear it. The data seems as reliable as the 405 and synchs up in about the same amount of time. The biggest advantage for me is the On/Off switch. I know how much battery life is left at the end of a run and I know that is how much will be there when I start the next run--no guessing! I've customized the screens and can easily navigate between them at a touch of a button. I don't worry about losing the small ANT stick anymore when I travel, as the charger/data cable is larger. The watch actually works like you would expect--WELL!
For me, the 305 is a much better device than the 405.
Customer Review: Don't believe the bad reviews
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, please read the manual before using this watch. There is a bit of a learning curve but once you know it inside-out and are aware of the caveats, you'll find this watch to be an awesome investment.
Looks: This watch looks awesome. I tried on both the FR305 and the FR405 and the FR305 looks like a brick on my wrist. That's not to say this watch is 'small'. The FR405 is pretty big and probably too big to wear out in public when you're not exercising. You could probably get away with it but I'll explain why you can't in the next section...
Comfort: It's not exactly a comfortable watch to wear and this is why I gave the watch only 4 stars. Part of the wrist band is hard and not flexible. This can make it uncomfortable to wear if you don't wear it loose. I don't mind wearing it loose and it never bothers me when I'm running but forget about wearing it out in public. If you're wearing a jacket, like even a fleece, it's hard to put your hands in your jacket pocket because the watch is still a bit bulky. Still, the most important part is, it's comfortable (for me) when I'm running and that's all that matters.
Functionality: Works perfect. Sure, you need to give it a little bit to warm up and obtain a GPS signal. What I do in the morning before my run is put the watch up on the window sill and go do my morning routine. By the time I'm ready to head out, I grab my watch and it's already obtained the GPS signal. Other times, I take my time to stretch for 5 minutes and usually by the time I'm done, it's ready to go. There's only been a few times where I kind of had to walk around like a dummy before I was able to 'run'. I've never had a problem with it losing signal at all! Surprisingly, it works well at the track too! And if you're worried about the touch bezel not working when your hands are wet, I haven't had that problem yet but hey, it's written in the manual. If you read through the manual, you'll see that but if you didn't, don't say I didn't tell you. My suggestion is to just play with it for a few days and you'll figure out what you can do and what you can't do, and also you'll learn what works well and what doesn't.
Complaints: I guess the only complaint I have other than the comfort issue is the alerting. I have setup workouts that require me to stay in range of my pace. Let's say I want to keep within a pace of 8:00-8:10, I expect it to beep whenever I run too fast or too slow. It does initially when I start my workout, but for some reason after i've been running for awhile, it stops alerting all together. I may need to go back to the manual to see if this is normal or contact Garmin and see why this is happening. I'd understand if the alerting 'calms down' a bit after you've been running for awhile maybe to account for hills and other things that may slow you down. Or, maybe there's a way to tell the alerting to beep when you've gone out of your range for too long? I dunno...
Customer Review: Great purchase so far!
Summary: 4 Stars
Background:
I've been thinking about getting a GPS running watch for quite some time and finally got tired of estimating my speed/distance using a regular watch and Map-My-Run (MMR). I did some relatively brief online research and quickly focused down to the Garmin 305 and Garmin 405. All the reviews seemed to point to the Garmin 305 (users just raved about it), but when I visited a local sports store, I couldn't get over the size factor of the 305 and so I decided to get the 405. This was even after a friend of mine (a 305 user) said not to get the 405.
Note: My greatest concern about purchasing the 405 was the "bezel". Many reviewers complained that it was difficult to use and that if it gets wet (i.e. from sweat), it is nearly impossible to activate.
Setup:
Out of the box, it took a little while (40 min) for me to learn about the majority functionality and tweak all the setting. This includes the time it took to figure out how to install the software and get it synced with the computer. It wasn't that difficult, but rather just needed to devote the time to doing it.
My Experience:
This all this said, so far, the Garmin 405 has exceeded my expectations and I am extremely happy with the purchase. My focus for getting the watch was to be able to monitor my speed, distance, and heart rate while running. The watch had delivered perfectly for this. I am also really enjoying the ability to quickly upload a workout to an online website (I prefer the online capabilities b/c I can access from both work and home).
As for the bezel, while it is a bit cumbersome to use, I STRONGLY recommend that when you run, you set the AUTO SCROLL function to "ON". This way, you don't need to even touch the bezel during your run. As an example, I have two data screens that are enabled:
1) Field #1: Time, Lap Pace, Distance
2) Heart-Rate: Heart Rate
(you can customize a bunch of fields and there are tons of different data that you can display)
By putting the auto scroll on, the watch display simply alternates between the two screens which is perfect for me. For an added benefit, you can "lock" the bezel so you don't inadvertantly change the display.
Other Thoughts:
The watch has a lot of functionality that I have still figuring out / exploring. As an example, I created a run using MMR and have been able to export it to the watch. This is a pretty neat feature (as it actually gives you directions on how to follow the track you mapped out). There is also a "Virtual Parnter" feature (haven't yet used), but also seems interesting.
In terms of battery, it's not bad (can used a few times before requiring a charge).
Overall:
Highly recommend it. Reasons why I didn't give it 5 stars was because complexity of setup...
Customer Review: Read all reviews (bad and good), still 5 stars
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, i want to say i read almost all of the reviews because $250+ is a lot to spend in the blind.
I always read the worst reviews first, that is how i am, and i was very worried about this product. In the end it comes down to this; the people who wrote the 1 star reviews had no idea how to work their watch, and if they did, well, then i guess programming a watch during a run is a hobby of theirs. I will hit on all of the topics i found discouraging and write what i have found to be absolutely amazing.
First; The biggest complaint BY FAR is that the bevel doesn't react very well, if at all while wet. This is true. BUT, first the person using the watch needs to understand the bevel. The bevel is very sensitive to touch, there is no audible or palapable clicking, just touch, that is it. They complain that when it is wet, or you sweat, you cannot use the bevel, i do not disagree, it is almost impossible to use the bevel when it is wet, (i live in the seattle area, it is always wet when i run). Caveat to all of that, YOU DO NOT NEED TO TOUCH THE BEVEL WHEN YOU RUN! If anyone can think of a reason to touch the bevel while you are running please tell me. This is the botom line; the watch has a program that you can set up to scroll (program called auto scroll on the watch) through three different pages/interfaces as you train. the three interfaces are- heart rate, pace, distance+time+pace, and you can set it up the scroll through these pages fast, slow or medium WITH OUT TOUCHING THE WATCH!!!!! What else, while you are running, would you want to do????!!!! I can understand and relate to the runner who wants to program their alarm for the next morning while they are on a 5 mile jog.....wait, no that is sarcasm. If you are into programing your watch while you run, then this product is not for you. It is called OPERATOR ERROR, and yes, i hope some of these dopes that wrote their comments read this. This product is amazing. One thing i haven't delved into is knowing the exact time of day as i run, i don't think i can know this without using the bevel (but i haven't looked into it, so i will not state that it is an impossability! HINT HINT)
So GPS features, are outstanding, i was using google earth religiously before i bought this and still do. I plan my routes via google earth, i hate running under 5 miles. Spot on. period. yes it takes a minute, not 5 minutes, but a minute to find the satellites....hmmmmmm.....all gps' are like this, no? Give me a break, not only does it do all of it's features perfectly, but it has an awesome program that tracks all of your workouts on your computer and makes the after workout that much more enjoyable.
Before this watch i used a $20 dollar cheapo, big upgrade, but worth it all the way
Bevel locking system is great
Whole product is top notch