Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue)
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue)
Customer Review: The best Tri watch there is
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, So I have tried the whole brand offerings that would be considered tri watches as I have competed in the sport for about 13 years now.
I have to say when I bought the watch I was skeptical that it would be any better than the others but hopeful. Man was I surprised, a great watch all around and well above expectations.
My last watch was the Polar RS 800. That watch although really attractive and technically sound was a piece of junk from a durability standpoint. The battery life was very poor ( about 3 months of Ironman training use) and add to the fact you have to turn it in to Polar to get it replaced ( the best way Vs trying it yourself) and the fact the wrist strap broke 2 times on me in one year you end up wasting a lot of time looking for another watch while yours is getting repaired. And get this when I needed an upgrade to the new Windows operating system Polar sent me a 7 page email on how to do it myself or of course I could buy the upgrade software for $99, The watch was less than a year old. So rather than do that I gave up on my second attempt at a polar watch ( the first watch strap broke as well and the battery had the same short life). I can go into to the pother watches as well but lets just stick with the review here on the Garmin.
My one and only complaint is the battery life after charging when using GPS. I am seeing that it only last about 4 hours while using GPS lately. Other than that I use the foot pod and bike cyclometer that I bought in addition to get by that. I wish I did not have to but a small problem for an otherwise amazing watch.
Pros"
Well built solid and feels solid around your wrist
Amazing software
Lost of display options
Cool Looking but could use more color options
Great interface with garmin connect
I love seeing my routes and runs around town and also seeing others in the community. Actually met a friend that lived around the corner from me by noticing his training run posts originated from just around the block
Bezel sweet issue no problem for me and I use it on long runs, long bikes and for 12 hours oin my last Ironman and had no issue with its sensitivity especially after fooling with the adjustments you can make
Love the display speed options
Very bright light
Easy to use and set up very intuitive
Cons:
Battery life when using GPS
Bottom line if you are serious about finding the right watch look no further than this watch. I think you can see from previous posts of mine on I think runners world that I liked other watches but this by far beats them all, nike, timex ironman, Polar, Suunto (was probably second) this was a surprise because they were not a sport specific watch but in the end they nailed it
Customer Review: Believe everything you read
Summary: 3 Stars
I got this for Christmas following MUCH comparison between the GF 305 and the GF 405. Bought it on Costco website. I eventually chose the 405cx based on the size of the unit, the wireless sync to the computer, and reviewer's reports of increased speed in satellite acquisition over the 305. I started running in September, after going for a run with my brother who has the 305. I could see that for serious training having a GPS watch would be a great help. I figured after reading all the reviews that the pros for the 405 outweighed the cons, or in the case of this watch, the CON, which is the touch bezel. So I opened it up Christmas day, and started to play with it. I will say that the touch bezel did not impress me out of the gate, and being the only means of navigating through the watch settings, that was a little worrisome. I took it out for a run, and did what many reviewers suggested, which was to set the data screens to auto scroll, and then lock the bezel while running to avoid inadvertent bezel touching. The satellites acquired very quickly, although I don't live in an area where satellite acquisition should be problem. The watch worked great during the run, and following the run I was able to upload the data using the ANT agent and included software to my Mac without a hitch. Subsequent runs proved the same, quick acquisition, no GPS or battery issues, and no problems uploading to Mac. I've run in temperatures ranging from 5 degrees F to 60 degrees F, anywhere from 2 miles to 13 miles, and the watch has worked well. I haven't been able to update to the latest software version, I ran through all the steps but the watch still says it's on version 2.1, and it won't allow me re-attempt the update to 2.3 again, not sure what's going on there. Heart rate monitor has worked flawlessly.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the 405cx. The reason I gave 3 stars (I would give 3 1/2) is because the touch bezel is truly a lame feature. After running and getting sweaty, the bezel is pretty useless. Even sitting at home on the couch, it can be frustrating to operate. It's either too sensitive or not sensitive enough, and it doesn't seem to make a difference what sensitivity setting you select. All of the other features are great, I can't complain. The software is pretty plain jane, but works well enough, and Garmin Connect is what I use after I upload my runs anyways. We'll see how it holds up in warm/hot weather when summer comes, but I can't imagine much difference.
Pros:
quick satellite acquisition
wireless sync to PC or Mac
customizable data fields
virtual partner can be a good motivator
small form factor
accurate
Cons:
Bezel sucks
Kinda feels cheap, scrapes easily
Can't update software (possible user error)
Customer Review: Garmin 405CX vs. 305
Summary: 4 Stars
The Garmin Forerunner 305 is just as good apparently, but i didn't want to carry something so large (trying to go with less). The 405CX I got is a bit of a pain, in that it is smaller, and hard to see the dial in the bright sun as well as the shade. It also has a bezel that you run your finger around to change the menu choices, but it gets activated when you bump it lightly. Not that sensitivity is a bad thing, since a lot of touch devices lack sensitivity. The only thing that keeps the bezel from totally ruining things is that you can lock it right after you start a run, so that it won't get tapped or stopped. The larger garmin would be my choice if I weren't looking for something less obvious. The menus are hard to scroll through due again to the over-sensitivity of the bezel, but after a bit of use, you can navigate through all the minor miss-taps. The rechargeable battery so far has held a charge over the course of a couple of days. Some reviews had said that the GPS being on drains power, but I haven't see that happen. Perhaps with the CX Garmin has included an auto-off function for the GPS. The virtual partner is nice, and you can set it so that the screens scroll between the virtual partner and the timer/distance screens. It isn't clear to me whether the size of the display numbers can be adjusted, but it is tough to see so small numbers, which would be a plus for the 305. Garmin Connect is excellent. The auto-transfer works great with my Mac on Leopard. After I go for a run, as soon as I get near the computer, it does the data transfer automatically (once I set it up). You can opt for using just the on-line Connect, or you can also download an application for Mac or PC that will sync with the on-line version. The mapping functions are great. I think Garmin has worked quite a bit on the software to make it user-friendly. You can easily share your data with a trainer or friend, as each workout has a specific http address associated with it. The GPS is very accurate, and so far hasn't had any problems reading my runs under a running path that is totally tree lined. I did a run out in the middle of nowhere last week, and it found satellites easily. So in wrapping up, I would say that if you don't mind a large object on your wrist, the 305 is cheaper and does the same thing as the 405CX. The 405CX looks like a watch, and can be used as such and no one would know the difference. If you have bad eyesight, the 405CX is definitely hard to see. With the bezel locked, I was unable to use the backlight while running through a really shady area. I don't know who runs at night, but if the idea is to improve being able to see the dial in shadey areas, it needs some work. If you would like to e-mail me directly, you can do so here: [...]Customer Review: Great exercise aid and I own a Mac
Summary: 4 Stars
After the initial setup of the Forerunner 405CX and linking which I admit took some time (10-15 minutes with the ANT agent software) with my MacBook Air (Leopard I think the latest 10.6.2 OS) I have been pleased with the performance of the product. The ease of use on setting up the watch, which has nothing to do with your PC isn't intuitive. For example, setting up your pace and other settings took a little bit of playing around with the watch. Also, as stated the bezel is a bit sensitive as you are making these settings. I've not had any uploading or downloading issues on the Mac with the watch and I've had the product for about 3 months.
One thing I'm truly impressed with is after linking the data to the website being able to see map and satellite views of your runs. As someone else stated the GPS functions as well as the mapping makes it easy to run when you are traveling. I did decide to buy the foot pod which greatly aids you in starting your runs without necessarily having to stabilize GPS signals.
I guess a few issues from a "husky" person's point of view is the Heart Rate monitor isn't as loose as stated by some... I guess this is more of a ergonomic best fit trade-off. I guess us big guys need to run more to be able to complain about the looseness of the strap (LOL!) Also, doesn't quite make sense to not include the foot pod with the watch given you may want to do some training indoors and outdoors. The foot pod seems to be more beneficial than the heart monitor as a add-on because you can take your heart rate the old fashioned way with your fingers...
The bezel is fairly sensitive but it's manageable... Just to note, I don't use this usually as my primary watch because the watch is a bit bigger than my others and I don't find the strap as comfortable. I haven't tried to change out the included velcro strap because for a 1-2 hour run for me it isn't necessary.
As far as the website I haven't had many problems reviewing my data directly or on the calendar. I would also say it also isn't as intuitive as I would like but you can navigate to what you want without spending an inordinate amount of time to do it. Please note I'm a longtime fully Mac person and I would say the the website could be optimized for better ease of use.
The GPS function as already stated takes a little time to find the satellites (about 20-30 seconds) and if you can afford it I would buy the foot pod as stated..
Overall, you can monitor progress; log your distance; see where you've gone; measure heart rate; have a virtual partner run with you; set your pace; and believe it or not tell time. It's really a good tool to have once you get past the price.
Customer Review: Pleasantly Surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
For the past month I've been experimenting with the Garmin Forerunner 405CX. It was a Christmas gift to myself after MultiSportFit.com trainer Sal Palmieri recommended that I invest in a sports watch with a heart rate monitor (I will explain and review MultiSportFit.com in a future post).
Now I've never been one to be super analytical with statistics, time, pace, etc. Hell, up until the last couple of years I usual ran naked sans watch at whatever pace and time "felt" good. So I was super hesitant to buy a Garmin because number one, they are ridiculously expensive and number two, I'm afraid of becoming "that guy" with his workout charts and annoying watch beeping constantly.
I narrowed down my options fairly quickly. I knew I wanted the Garmin name brand. I've trusted Garmin in other activities including Aviation, Fishing and Hiking so I'm partial and loyal to them. I don't want a Star Trek Communicator on my wrist so that eliminated a lot of the Garmin sports watches. I'm really only interested in pace, time and distance so the Forerunner 110 seemed the logical choice. It's the minimalist GPS watch and a heart rate monitor is optional (which Sal seems to be really interested in heart rate data) so it looked like it is the obvious choice. Then I saw the Forerunner 405CX on sale marked down to about the same price as the 110, probably because Garmin launched a new model at an ultra ridiculous price. Long story short; I hesitantly purchased the 405CX on sale for $199.
After three weeks running with this watch I think I'm in love. It was easy to set up on my computer, which it wireless uploads the workouts I've completed without me even asking. And, the best part? That data is synced with not only the Garmin website, but also others like DailyMile.com, MapMyRun.com and MultiSportFit.com. That right there saves me SO much time. I will admit that I haven't even read the instructions manual and I've only focused on the things I care about like time, distance and pace. The heart rate information is interesting (at one point I had a heart rate of 50 while sitting on the couch!). The mapping is mind blowing. Garmin will overlay the route of the workout to Google Earth and when I zoom in I can see things like me crossing the road to get away from someone walking a poodle.
I'm sure I'll learn more about it and myself as time goes by, but for now I'm stoked. It seems like the right choice and if I ever want to use all the other amazing features this watch provides it's there for me.