Gps Watches For Runners: digital watch

Showing posts with label digital watch. Show all posts

6/02/2012

Suunto M2 Heart Rate Monitor w/ Dual Comfort Belt - Women's Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm posting this coz I couldn't find any reviews when I was trying to choose one myself. I hope this helps!
So I deliberated for ages...the polar? the garmin? the suunto? And then which model?
They all have great features... but I think the Suunto M-series are the better looking watches and yes, I am that shallow.
It's my first HRM and I found it very easy to use...
Pros:
- large face, easy to read
- nice looking
- pause function, apparently the session ends if you don't restart after pausing for one hour
- can enter your year of birth and weight (I guess it works out your calories based on this information)
- 4 weeks of cumulative information
- can view details of your last previous workout
- tells you if you are in zone 1, 2 or 3 and beeps when you move between them. Also shows you when you are below zone 1 and above zone 3
- gives you stats on calories burned, time and time spent in each zone
- shows you calories on the fly (apparently some HRMs only show you after the workout)
- strap and watch are very comfortable
- reasonably priced
- very motivating!
Cons:
- No back light
- can't program "zones"
- doesn't take your height into consideration when estimating calories
- does not connect with the other suunto products, ie footpod, bikecomputer and usb data collector (to plug into your computer). Even if it did, they are very expensive.
- no fitness test or workout program
- only gives you details of one previous workout. Thought it does provide you with a summary of workouts in total. (Not sure how this works yet) I personally would love to scroll through each individual workout. Perhaps no HRMs provide that function. I don't know.
- doesn't show all information at once, you have to scroll through. It shows you two pieces of information on each screen though, ie heart rate plus calories burned (I can't remember the other couplings coz I mostly kept it on that setting). Scrolling through doesn't bother me at all. I think that's what you get for having the heart rate so large on the screen, which I really like.
Honestly, as much as I like it I am wondering whether to exchange it for the M4 which is only $30 more and it will give me a backlight and some of the other features...
My only issue is that I don't think you get the beeps and zone information with the M4. Whether I decide to upgrade or not, I'll be happy with this one... just wondering whether I'll be happier with the other one.
Oh, and if you're trying to decide between Suunto HRMs, the manuals are available on their website so you can read through them to find out what features they have or don't have - it might help you make a decision.
Oct 26 Update:
So, I've been using this watch for over a month now and I've concluded the following:
1. It REALLY bugs me that it doesn't have a back light. In this day and age you'd think it would be standard. SUUNTO, Listen up!
2. It is VERY attractive. I like the way it looks so much that I wear it everyday. (This is doubly why the lack of light bothers me because it doesn't function like a real watch). I receive many compliments about it.
3. Soooo many times I have accidentally deleted the workout I'm currently on after hitting the pause button. The Question it asks you is: "Stop?" And you have to select "yes" or "no". Not so hard, but if you get stopped by someone asking you the time, you might accidentally press "yes" thinking, yes I want to pause. Doh! I wish it had no question and just gave you the "Continue" or "Stop" options. That could just be me... but I've stuffed that up at least 3 times and deleted my workout info unintenionally. Also, it's meant to pause for up to an hour. I hit pause for about half and hour, restarted it then hit pause again thinking the hour would start again but it stopped after probably around half an hour without my asking it to and with no warning. That was frustrating. Because it doesn't save details of more than your last workout, if you're on the go, like I was you might again accidentally delete your hard work with no recompense. (If it saved all your previous workouts, that wouldn't be a problem).
I think this watch could be really fantastic if it just had a couple of those additional features. I recommend it to those of you who know how to press buttons properly. I notice it's $50 cheaper since I purchased it.

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5/24/2012

Suunto t3d Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Training Watch(Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned several suunto watches for different purposes. I've never been disappointed at all. Most of the complaints are about the scratching of the face. I buy face protectors and I never have an issue. I'm currently using this watch with the foot, bike and pc pod and I love it. It tracks all my running, biking and weight training states. Get a suunto and you will love it.

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The Suunto t3d gives you the edge to efficiently take your workout to the next level. The included Suunto Dual Comfort Belt accurately monitors your real-time heart rate, calorie consumption, and Training Effect: a quick and accurate measurement of how hard your body is working at any given moment, so you can easily find that sweet spot for getting the most out of each workout. Optional Suunto PODs take your Suunto t3d one step further by calculating your speed and distance in all your sports, in addition to your cycling cadence. View your personal stats in the training logbook to help you follow your progress and reach your targets.

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1/18/2012

Suunto Foot POD Mini Review

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(More customer reviews)This pod is quite difficult to calibrate and show correct readings when attached on the shoe. In my opinion it gives better readings when used inside a shoe designed for e.g. Adidas miCoach. However, Suunto does not guarantee that it will not brake when used inside a shoe. It also loses connection to the t6d every now and then when used inside a shoe.
Despite this I will give it a four star rating. Because once you get it calibrated it's very accurate. It's very small and you don't even notice it while running.

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11/02/2011

Suunto Altimax Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter and Barometer Review

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(More customer reviews)This watch has many great features, and few shortcomings. The bad first, and then the good: First; It is quite big. At first it seems like a hockey puck has been strapped to your wrist. Second; it uses a barometer to guage altitude, and therefore it requires some study, attention to detail, and monitoring and adjustment to get the most out of it.
Now the mitigating factors on these shortcomings: First (large size); while it is a bit large on your wrist, it is quite lightweight, and after a while, you get used to it. Overall, it is quite comforable to wear. The large control buttons are easy to use in winter with gloves on. And, the large display makes the data easy to digest. Second (barometer-based altimeter); all the other altimeter watches on the market work in much the same way, so this shortcoming should not disqualify this watch in comparison to other climbing/skiing watches.
Now the good: First; it has the features you need and not a lot of others you don't. Timekeeping, altitude, barometer. That's it. No other gadgets to confuse and add to the cost. Second; it's very rugged. I've abused mine heartily and it's stood up very well. Third; the features it does have are comprehensive and well executed. Fourth; assuming you master the arcane science of tracking altitude with a barometer -based altimeter, this one is quite accurate compared to some others I've tried (like the casio models).
Quick summary of features: the basic timekeeping functions are great! Time, date, multiple alarms, countdown timer, stopwatch, dual time zone -- all work easily and intuitively.
In Altimeter mode, the main display gives you your current altitude and a quick display of your recent trend. After this, it get complicated. The feature set is robust, and you'll have to spend some time with the manual to master it. It will measure just about anything related to going up or down a mountain that you could ever think of. It can also log these things and remember them for your future use. It can be changed from measuring feet per minute skied (for example) to feet per hour climbed. You name it, this thing can record and measure it.
What I use it for mostly, is just to show me where I am on the mountain in terms of altitude. To do this, you'll need to know what the actual altitude is where you start (parking lot, for example) and use that to set the altimeter. From there, the watch will keep an extremely accurate account of where you go from there. The only problem will be if a new weather pattern moves in. This will cause a change of barometric pressure and will affect the accuracy of the altitude reading.
In barometer mode, this watch will also give you a very accurate warning of a new weather pattern moving in -- as long as you are not changing your altitude substantially. As with the altitude mode, you can ask it to log data into memory to see trends and keep track of pressure over time.
In summary, it is an excellent tool for mountaineers and skiers. Used properly, it is a very accurate tool for navigation and weather forecasting. However, expect to spend some time with the user manual to master the features before you ask it to help save your life. I've tried several of the other watches on the market (Casio, Avocet, Nike) with similar features and this is the best of the bunch.

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Vital data you need hiking, climbing, or skiing is just a glance away with the Suunto Altimax Wristop Computer. Get all the functionality of a watch, altimeter, and barometer in a stylish red design. The Altimax looks like a high-end wristwatch, with an ABS plastic body and resin wristband with a buckle closure. The body is black, with a ring of black around the dial and an oversized, backlit LCD screen. The Altimax is made tough, built to be waterproof even when submerged up to 100 feet.
The watch displays day, time, and date with three programmable alarms plus a stopwatch and countdown timer. The dual time function allows you to stay on time even when traveling in a different time zone. The Altimax also offers a combination of altimeter and barometer functions.
The altimeter allows you to view the current altitude with a range up to 29,500 feet and a resolution of 10 feet. Also view your ascent/descent rate in feet per minute. (All measurements are also available in metric units.) One-button access allows you to see immediate information about vertical ascent/descent and the number of runs skied.
The barometer allows you to measure the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, absolute pressure, and a difference measurement to follow changes in barometric pressure and temperature. The automatic four-day memory keeps track of atmospheric pressure information. Another feature is the adjustable sea-level pressure function.
The Altimax comes with a user-replaceable battery, which lasts up to 18 months, and a low-battery indicator. It is covered by a one-year warranty.

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9/06/2011

Suunto X9i GPS Altimeter Compass Review

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(More customer reviews)I found the remarks of the one other positive reviewer quite a relief: the guy who pointed out that good performance of the GPS (i.e. the key unique feature distinguishing this watch from other Suunto models) hinges critically on whether or not you first get your satellite 'fix' properly. I have found that, if you wait the very first time you use it, to get a proper (not flashing) firm fix, then subsequent fixes have been relatively rapid (usually around 2 minutes in an urban environment. Once you have a lock-on, then subsequent performance is relatively fine.
I have a few minor gripes about the software visualisation. When it does loose satellite connection, rather than not graphing for the drop out period of time, the software includes the squiggly deviations to route when it can't locate you. This has the consequence that some journeys appear like I fly around or walk on water. This is not the case. I would prefer just blanks for drop-out periods of time. Any GPS device works much better in open spaces rather than built-up urban ramblings.
As a watch model, the comparable device is the Garmin forerunner. The Garmin probably has more 'stickability' and usability for its GPS (I have Garmin handheld for comparison). Its greater reception and stronger GPS reception is due to its bigger aerial. That means it's also bigger and probably emitting strange things into your arm. The battery life on Garmin receivers is very frustrating and I have had no problems with the x9i though its continual GPS use would be limited to 4-5 hours. Personally, I am prepared to live with the slightly more delicate reception of the x9i in order to use a much more elegant device. The watch looks like a watch and its smooth contours and rubberised grippy surface have design aesthetics and simplicity of display that Garmin doesn't. If you primarily (or only) use GPS, buy the Garmin. If you are concerned about looks and multi-function and if you are patient to setup a good connection first time, I think you will be pleasantly rewarded by this watch. I really like that it charges off my USB. Also, using Desktop Parallels and Win XP, I exchange the data into Trek Manager and X-loader uploading to Google with my Macbook ;-)

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