Watch Advice: Garmin, Polar, etc..

inshapeCK

Does anyone own a Garmin Forerunner 305 with heart rate? I bought one awhile ago but don't know if I want to return it to buy a different one or different kind of "watch". It is all sooooo over my head! What I really want I can't seem to find even though I have looked at GPS and non-GPS models and Polar watches. I am soooo confused.

I originally wanted something that would tell me how fast I walked as my current $5.00 watch would only tell me how long I walked. Walking is the exercise I do the most. When I logged my exercise, My Fitness Pal always asked how fast I walked so if my husband walked with me we had to carry his car GPS.

Then I thought it would be even more accurate to log in my exercise if I had a watch that told me how long and fast I walked as well as how many calories I burned. I wasn't, however, a fan of having to wear a heart rate monitor but understand that using a heart rate monitor would give the most accurate reading of calories burned.

I had orginally thought it would be great if I could buy a sports watch that I could wear regularly and then if I ended up somewhere and I was walking with someone I would be "good to go" to "measure" my walk (e.g., time, speed).

Another problem I am having is I wanted to be able to use my watch when I do workout videos at home but my husband said the GPS watch won't work inside and since I am not actually going anywhere it won't give me an accurate read for my workout. AHHHHHH!!!

So any advice you have is VERY MUCH welcomed.

In the perfect world, where I design my own watch, I would like a sporty looking watch (black, if possible) that is not massive on my teeny wrists (only part of me that is teeny!) and that measures the amount of time exercised as well as my walking speed and calories burned would be good too and not too expensive. I want to be able to use it for walking for sure but I do also do a little biking and I would also like it to be able to give me some kind of information (e.g., time, speed, calories) when I do an inside workout video.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions???????

fatboypup

polar

AZTrailRunner

The Garmin Forerunner 305 doesn't calculate calories burned based on HR, although newer models do. It uses speed and distance to calculate calories burned. You could run 5 miles uphill at a 10% grade and it will simply look like you ran 5 miles on flat roads.

glowingz

I've been looking into these things too. Have you looked at the Nike+ Sportband? It seems like a pretty simple design, not too bulky, has the option to add a Polar chest strap, tracks calories burned, distance, and speed. And it's not too expensive, and comes in nice colors.

I still haven't made a decision on one, but I like that one best so far, in terms of simplicity and function.

27strange

Do you have a smartphone? If ya do, Runkeeper is a great free app that uses GPS to track your runs or walks or cycling. It keeps track of distance, speed/pace, time, etc and gives you audio reports as you go. You can purchase a Polar chest strap to work with the app as well to track heart rate and calories if you want.

For wristwatch HRMs my favorite is Polar FT4 and I plan to get one. Higher dollar models have GPS features, but the FT4 does not.

cahira

I've been looking into these things too. Have you looked at the Nike+ Sportband? It seems like a pretty simple design, not too bulky, has the option to add a Polar chest strap, tracks calories burned, distance, and speed. And it's not too expensive, and comes in nice colors.

I still haven't made a decision on one, but I like that one best so far, in terms of simplicity and function.

I am looking at the sportband as well. I don't have a fancy phone or ipod, but I really like the nike+ functionality in theory.

eracman

I own the 305 and love it...however it will not work for tracking your heart rate while working out indoors. It is great if your primary mode of exercise is running, walking, etc, but it uses speed and distance to determine calories burned, not heart rate. I think the heart rate piece is meant to be used to observe trends in how your heart rate improves over time as you run/walk more.

If you are going to use it to monitor your runs and progress, then keep it b/c it provides a wealth of information. If not, then try a polar. I am probably going buy a polar for my indoor workouts. and use my Garmin for running.

That's my 2 cents.

inshapeCK

I dont have a smartphone/ iphone/ blackberry, I only have a basic cellphone.

I am not a runner. I don't even jog. I mostly walk and sometimes bike, do aquafit, do workout videos, and Wii activites.

I also own Wii EA Active 2 which I believe has a heart rate monitor but I haven't used it yet even though it was a Christmas gift.