Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue)
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $177.99 You Save: $192.00 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $144.99 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue)
Customer Review: Great replacement for my Polar HRM
Summary: 5 Stars
I never write these things but I always read them. So for me to write a review means I was either impressed with the product or irritated by it.
In this case I was very impressed. I did a lot of research on several GPS based training watches and I kept coming back to Garmin. I love my nav unit for my car so I gambled on this watch knowing they aren't primarily a manufacturer of training gear.
I must say the watch when set up and calibrated works great for me. If you have issues with the bezel try to recalibrate it. I mainly only use it when I start my runs and it is intuitive and easy way to navigate the menus without a ton of buttons. I set up additional information screens, set it to auto switch the screens in a slow pace, and lock the bezel when I'm running. I'm not super picky about all the information I see, so for me it is generally pace (you have a ton of options to choose from for each item) distance, and HR info.
I've been on several 3-5 mile runs to see if it is accurate, and it works great. I took it recently on a 7 mile run through a dense park area and combined with my foot pod it accurately mapped and recorded the workout. I believe someone stated that you couldn't use the GPS and foot pod together, which is incorrect. I love that I can now see the elevation changes. I had no idea there was a 600 ft elevation change on one of my routes.
Lastly, I must say I find the HRM actually better than my old Polar unit, though the strap itself might be a tad bulky for smaller men and women. The watch itself is pretty small when you consider what is packed into it, and it looks like a watch not a GPS strapped to your forearm.
I run an average of 22 miles a week, and this is one of my favorite purchases yet.
Pros -
It looks and feels like a watch not a GPS strapped to your arm.
It is accurate and has a ton of display options.
I actually like and appreciate the bevel feature.
It's rechargeable, so you don't have to send it in when the battery dies. (Polar suck in that instance.)
You don't have to have a separate GPS unit, and it works well with a foot pod for treadmill or trail running.
Cons -
Price (I'm a cheap person I guess)
Size (however I totally understand considering what they have to pack in a watch)
HRM strap is somewhat bulky compared to Polar straps.
Well I hope some of this helps others if they were on the fence as I was.
Customer Review: It's like Garmin didn't test the design...
Summary: 1 Stars
I just returned my 405 - I tried very hard to like this, but in the end, it was just way too expensive for all the issues I had using it. I'm surprised by the four star rating it currently has on Amazon.
I have used a Forerunner 305 for over two years now (which I absolutely love) and thought that the 405 would be a nice upgrade. Smaller, better GPS, newer technology, etc. But the problem is that Garmin added the now infamous "touch bezel". It is not necesarily that the bezel is too sensitive, just that it reacts everytime it touches something. For instance, when you touch your leg mid-run to tie a shoe, scratch an itch, pull up a sock, etc. When the weather turned cold, I discovered that the special running material on my running jacket sets the bezel off. My running buddies that have the 405 actually wear the watch OVER their jacket! 75% of the time I look down at the watch it is on some random screen. You can lock the bezel so the screen won't change, but to do this you have to press the start/stop and lap/reset buttons at the same time - so then you end up stopping the watch half the time. What a mess.
THe people I know that do use a 405 don't have anything nice to say about it. They use it because they've already paid for it and it does the most important thing, which is track distance.
I have no idea why Garmin decided to go with the bezel design, but it seriously seems like no one there ever really put it through its paces. I did really like the improved GPS reception and the brighter backlight, but that was about all. Hopefully the next model will just use regular old buttons or I may have to move on to a different brand.
A summary of my pros/cons over the previous model if you are still considering buying this:
Pros:
-Improved GPS and form factor
-Backlight is really bright
-Software seems improved
Cons:
-Touch bezel causes random screens to appear - too sensitive, can't wear with cold weather gear
-Bezel locking button combo causes you to inadvertently stop the watch or move to a new lap
-Data screens only hold max of 3 fields instead of 4
-You can only scroll through your workout screens in one direction - eg, you need to cycle through all screens to get the one prior to the one you are looking at.
Bottom line: Either buy a 205/305 or wait for the model after the 405 and pray it doesn't have a touch bezel.
Customer Review: Big disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
First, the positive: I am quite pleased with the GPS performance of this watch and with and the computer interface (the ANT+ stick and agent). The watch reliably connects with my computer when it's within range, downloads the data to the computer, and the software automatically uploads the data to Garmin Connect.
Now the negative: I purchased this watch in February 2010. By April, the rubber strap broke and the buckle came off. I contacted Garmin and they immediately send out a replacement strap, though in the meantime I had switched to the velcro strap which comes with the watch (and I've continued to use that strap ever since).
About a month after the strap broke, one of the spring contacts on the charging clip failed, so I could no longer charge the watch. Again, I contacted Garmin and they quickly sent me a replacement.
Some time after that, the watch started behaving erratically. Specifically, the screen would occasionally go blank (while I was running), the watch would refuse to charge or would begin charging and when I was ready to use it, I would find that it was completely discharged, the watch would lock up and require a reset, and other frustrating behavior. Tonight I spent about an hour cleaning the charging contacts, jiggling the charging clip, and basically playing around with the watch until I finally was able to get it to start up again and begin charging, only to find that it had once completely discharged, despite having been in the charger all day long.
Needless to say, I am very frustrated.
Beyond my particular problems, there are several other issues with this watch which would keep me from purchasing it again. First, the touch interface is lousy; sometimes it's a hair trigger, other times it completely refuses to respond. Second, while getting data to Garmin Connect is fairly easy, Garmin Connect itself leaves much to be desired and despite the fact that Garmin upgraded Garmin Connect once while I've been using this watch, they've basically ignored customer requests for fixes and features (obvious things like having the Activities Map default to your location instead of random places around the globe).
I'm sorry to say that this will probably be the last Garmin product I purchase (I've been a loyal Garmin customer for over a decade, but their quality seems to have deteriorated now that they've moved to consumer electronics).
Customer Review: Superb - everything I had wished for
Summary: 5 Stars
I've only had this watch for a week, but I'm so super impressed with it that I decided to write a review after just one run (10m/16k) and a few hours of 'playing around'. I must start by saying that this product, in contrast to what some reviewers had to say here, is super user-friendly. I have probably used, or at least gone over all of the functions it has to offer, and I did not even open the instruction manual once. If you know your way with gadgets, there is no reason why this shouldn't be a piece of cake for you.
I'm a marathon runner, and have used Polar RS200SD (with a foot pod) until I decided to step up to this little wonder. I didn't want to settle for a watch that can show 32.12 or 33.96 for the same 33km run on different occasions - I wanted one I could rely on for turning around on my long runs. Foot-pods just do not do that. The 405CX's GPS features are amazing - satellites are found in a matter of seconds, and throughout my run, I had 4m (12ft) accuracy. Even in my home I get 6-8m (18-24ft) accuracy. I ran 16km and turned around at the place I know is exactly 8km from the starting point. The Garmin showed 8.01, and by the time I was back it was 16.01.
The display is clear enough, and allows you to set up to 3 screens with 3 data-items each (choose from over 30, i.e. Speed, Avg-Speed, LastLap-Speed etc.), in addition to the HR screen (which is also configurable). The VP is very helpful if you're trying to keep a steady pace, and allows you to always be aware of how you're doing in comparison to the pace you desired. This is something I wish I had in my previous competitions.
Connection to the computer couldn't be easier, and I'm so happy to say goodbye to those stupid Polar 'SonicLink' sounds that belong to modems somewhere back in the early 90's. One of the best things about data transfer is that Garmin (unlike Polar) do not keep their data secret, meaning I can use any software I want in order to analyze my runs, and not have to settle on some stripped-down online tool, which does not even allow me to export its data in a format other than XML (Polar, again).
I could not be more satisfied with this watch. It isn't cheap, but if you're a runner who wants to know exactly where you are on your run, and be confident that the speed the watch is showing is correct - this is the way to go.
Way to go Garmin - You've earned an enthusiastic new fan!
Customer Review: Garmin 405cx - still needs work
Summary: 2 Stars
So far I've used this device for over 300 miles of running. It's better than some of my prior experiences with Polar, but overall, it's too pricey for the performance and features.
As mentioned in prior reviews, the scroll feature is ok, but it's kludgy and easily activated by brushing against the unit.
I have yet to get the software updates to work on my PC (windows 7). Very annoying when it continually asks to upgrade, you click yes, the software 'installs', but it doesn't work or update.
The data transfer is mediocre at best - the proprietary software that loads events to the web and to the PC need work, and have this weird way of simply losing data. I've had several sessions disappear on me. Very frustrating.
The virtual partner function, heartrate function, and time of run functions work, but they aren't the easiest to navigate while running, and they could have done a better job to make the info visible. I have good eyesight, and it's difficult to see the text while performing.
The software displays different info, but is also very basic and doesn't really do a good job of mapping historical info other than having items to click on where you can see information. Probably there are more features that can be used, but it's not intuitive other than to see how far you've run, heartrate, etc.
Thinking of moving to another PC? Good luck - it wiped my data on trying that. Support is the pits to try and get help - the message boards are full of folks trying this or that. Essentially this is yet another tool that falls far short of what it should do - reliably store, transfer, and allow viewing of data, and be able to massage that data easily into historical records/database for analysis.
The GPS function seems to work well - I've used it 3 times.
The watch needs to be calibrated to a track or use GPS to get accurate results - i haven't done that that, and using a treadmill means the watch is off by quite a bit until I do.
I suggest you spend your several hundred dollars elsewhere, or wait for some serious reworking of the software and technology. A pretty watch is all you get - the functionality, support, and reliability is not present in this device. I wish I could return it - it will be gathering dust along with my prior junky polar device soon.