Garmin Forerunner 110

allijoy13
allijoy13 Posts: 66 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Do you have one? What do you think? Have you had other GPS or heart rate monitors to compare it to?

I'd like to get one, but I want to be sure I'm making the right choice. I will use it for running and for monitoring my HR at the gym.

Replies

  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
    This guy has the best reviews on Garmin watches (and other sport watches/HRM) -- here is his review for the 110: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/07/garmin-forerunner-110-in-depth-product.html

    I have the 310XT but I use mine for swimming as well (which you probably don't need).

    Anyway, hope this link to the review helps!
  • allijoy13
    allijoy13 Posts: 66 Member
    Thank you! This is a great site!
  • msrootitooti
    msrootitooti Posts: 253 Member
    I have it and love it.. when I got it I was only interested in heart rate, distance and pace and didn't want to spend tons of money so this one definitely fit the bill.
  • allijoy13
    allijoy13 Posts: 66 Member
    msrootitooti - does it show you your pace as you go along? The review said it only shows pace for the lap you set, rather than your ongoing pace, which would not help you adjust as you are running. I really want a HRM and a GPS together, and I don't want to break the bank!
  • Krissy563
    Krissy563 Posts: 47 Member
    I got the 110 after much research (dcrainmaker is a great site!!). The lap vs instant pace was something that I wrestled with when deciding which model to buy. Ultimately, no GPS watch is ever perfect, so "instant" pace is never going to be spot on. And after you've been running a while (as in months, not each run), you really are not going to change pace so dramatically from step to step that you need to consult your watch constantly to keep on pace, so overall, I'm OK with not having instant pace. (You can also set your lap to something short, like .25 miles, if keeping a constant pace is a problem for you.) It would be nice to be able to toggle between lap and instant paces, but then you start to get into bigger, more expensive watches, and I like running without having a small television strapped to my wrist :)

    The one thing I did kind of wish I had when first starting out was the ability to monitor and stay within a set heartrate interval. When I could hardly run a mile, my trainer had me under strict orders to keep my heartrate in a certain range so I could run for a longer and longer time without overexerting myself, and there is no way to do that on this watch other than constant monitoring, which gets annoying holding your arm up while running. Other models will beep when you go out of your heartrate interval. However, I no longer train by heartrate, so I don't miss this feature.

    I will also say that I have had some sporadic issues with the watch seemingly dying, requiring some Googling and overly complicated sequences of holding certain buttons down to resuscitate the darn thing. And as you will probably read, the clip that hooks the watch to your computer is ultra finicky. If you don't have it just right, it won't link up to your computer, and I think sometimes it actually drains the battery.

    That said, it's performed solidly 99% of the times I needed it. Good luck!!
  • allijoy13
    allijoy13 Posts: 66 Member
    Thanks Krissy. It's going to be a tough decision!

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