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(More customer reviews)I've been training with the Garmin 405 for a year now and love it. Given the mixed reviews here, I was apprehensive about getting it, but it really is a great training device.
Out of the box, it's quite good. After configuring it and just getting used to the way it works, it's much better. For example, mine is set to auto lap every kilometer and I mostly use a custom view with lap pace, heart rate and total distance. Interval Workouts are also very handy and easy to set up. The possibilities are endless.
The bezel takes some getting used to, but once you have configured the views, you simply leave it alone while running or tap with the middle of your finger (works better than the fingertip for whatever reason) to change views. You can lock the view by pushing both side buttons at the same time. This keeps it from switching views and beeping madly when wet or from bumping your shirt sleeve.
As I've progressed as a runner - first marathon in 2008, 3:52 at 41 years old - I've tried a variety of watches. First, a Timex Ironman, which I loved, but no Heart Monitor. Then a Timex Heart Monitor which I used with the Ironman (for the 100 lap memory). The Timex watches were stolen so next, a Nike Heart Monitor with the Nike+ Sports Band and Foot Pod, which looks cool but is not very accurate, even calibrated. Changes in speed, hills, etc. will affect the accuracy of any foot pod system. Once calibrated, it tended to be about 3-5% off.
Now, the Garmin 405. Likes:
1. Normal size - Unlike the 305, which I would not wear, the 405 is a regular watch. I wear it all the time.
2. Everything in one device - HR, pace, distance, elevation, laps.
3. Pace - I thought the whole GPS thing might be a bit too high-tech for a guy who loves the simplicity of running, but it is very, very nice to know your pace as you run. I use Hal Higdon's training plans, which call for all kinds of runs, with warm-ups, intervals, tempo intervals, pace segments, etc. The pace feature makes doing these workouts possible without having a coach at your side.
4. GPS frees you from mapping out your route. You just run until it shows your distance is done. The Garmin Connect site then shows your map. This doesn't sound so amazing, but it is very liberating. You just run wherever you want, explore your neighborhood, whatever. It transforms city running.
5. Auto laps. Great feature. Records all your details (time, HR, pace) for each lap automatically. You can review on the watch or on Garmin Connect.
6. The Garmin Connect website is very good and continually improving, with new features every couple of months.
7. The data seems pretty accurate, based on a track workout. In a recent 10K race, it recorded 10.2K, but some of that variation is certainly due to my weaving among the crowd. All GPS devices have a margin of error.
Dislikes:
1. Battery life - with GPS enabled, it needs a charge every couple of days to avoid the dreaded "low battery" warning in the middle of a workout.
2. The USB stick for wireless transfer. It works, but Nike does it better. The Nike+ pop-out USB stick is a much simpler way to transfer data to the computer and a much better way to keep from losing the USB part.
3. It can take a couple of minutes to find satellites and loses accuracy in bad weather. This is probably true of any GPS device.
4. You need the foot pod to record distance indoors. One more piece of gear (and not cheap). I didn't buy it. It would be great to be able to manually add the distance to a workout on Garmin Connect.
All in all, the Garmin 405 is an incredible training device. It is the best choice in the market. Nothing comes close to it. 5 stars.
I hope you find this helpful.
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Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Green)With the Forerunner 405, Garmin has finally put the power of GPS location-based date into a sleek sport watch that can be worn all day. Runners no longer have to choose between function and fashion. Garmin's ANT + Sport wireless platform that wirelessly sends your data to your computer and a touch bezel that lets you change screens with a simple tap (no more fumbling for buttons) run make this not just a leap forward in GPS-enabled fitness devices, but in training devices period. Forerunner 405 comes in two color options — black or green.
The Power Of Location-Based Data Anyone who has used Garmin's Forerunner 205 or 305 already understands the power that attaching location data to traditional measurements like distance, speed, time, calories burned, and heart rate can provide. Knowing exactly where you worked hardest, ran fastest (or most slowly), and lets you tailor your workouts to improve for specific distances, conditions, and types of terrain. It gives a complete picture of how you interact with every portion of your run.
Forerunner 405 comes in two color options — black or green
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