Gps watches are they worth it ?

leanneakaliz
leanneakaliz Posts: 229 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
As the title states does anyone have a gps watch such as garmin or the new tomtom and are they worth it? What are some of the positives etc ?

Thank you so much

Replies

  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    My fiance has a Garmin watch. He likes it a lot, when it works. A few times in the winter/when it was cloudy, it took up to 15 minutes for sattelites to "find" him. We don't live in a rural area. It seems to track how many mins/km and shows him roughly how many calories he's burned.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    I have a garmin forerunner 110. to me it is worth it. first of all it's only $139 shipped with amazon prime.

    I run outdoors exclusively and it helps a great deal for me. I am increasing distance right now so I can monitor my pace to make sure I'm not going too fast and won't run out of steam to complete the distance. and also it gives me the distance I have run.

    then I can sync it to my computer and see the split times and it plots your course on a map.

    if you run on a treadmil then of course it isn't going to be very helpful.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    I have a Garmin Forerunner 220 and it's absolutely worth it to me. I run regularly and do boot camps so I use it literally, every single day. I love having a more accurate assessment of my calories and being able to keep track of my mileage. It's a huge part of my fitness routine, so for me it's amazing.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    My fiance has a Garmin watch. He likes it a lot, when it works. A few times in the winter/when it was cloudy, it took up to 15 minutes for sattelites to "find" him. We don't live in a rural area. It seems to track how many mins/km and shows him roughly how many calories he's burned.

    it is cloudy here in san diego today and mine took a little longer than usual to find a satellite. kind of annoying.
  • ag27404
    ag27404 Posts: 47 Member


    if you run on a treadmil then of course it isn't going to be very helpful.

    Garmin actually has a foot pod if you do a lot of running on treadmills. I find it helpful for when the weather isn't agreeable to run outside.
  • ag27404
    ag27404 Posts: 47 Member
    As the title states does anyone have a gps watch such as garmin or the new tomtom and are they worth it? What are some of the positives etc ?

    Thank you so much

    I have a Garmin 210 and I've liked it. I've had some issues with connecting with the satellites (I'm glad to hear it isn't just me!) at times. It's a nice to have. It helped me a lot when I first started running to know that I was actually making progress. I have found that downloading and looking at my data is really helpful for this.

    The ironic thing is that as much as like my Garmin, when I run without it (as I did in a race this weekend) I tend to run better than I do with it. I almost have a mental issue with running too fast when I know my pace or something. That would be my biggest con but overall I'm happy with it and it is nice as I can use it with my bike as well.
  • leanneakaliz
    leanneakaliz Posts: 229 Member
    Thank you so much for your posts/ answers. I am a student so over £100 it is quite an expense for me im in 2 minds whether to save and get one or risk taking my phone and using apps such as map my run.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I have a Garmin 610 and love it (it;s got one of the more accurate algorithms in terms of calories expended). I'm a numbers wonk and love having pace, heart rate, elevation, splits etc etc available at my fingertips. The other thing i like is that it keeps my distances honest.

    Do I think it makes me a better runner, probably not.....if you're on a student budget it's an item you can probably live without .
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
    Buy a Garmin, it will make all others look like toys...................
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Thank you so much for your posts/ answers. I am a student so over £100 it is quite an expense for me im in 2 minds whether to save and get one or risk taking my phone and using apps such as map my run.

    I've done both. Using your phone with free apps is definitely an option. How you use it will make a difference too. If you are just tracking your mileage and pace, the phone options is fine. However once I go to the point of having target paces for tempo runs/intervals, or just to pace myself for a race, I found the phone wasn't a great option. I would have to carry my phone in my hand to see my numbers because I couldn't see that information on the armband. You can get apps that give you feedback as you go, but it wasn't enough for when I was running those target paces.

    So yeah, I much prefer the watch, but the phone option is definitely doable. Like Brian said, it won't make you a better runner and you can certainly do without it, but it is a "nice to have". For me it is "worth it".

    As for brand - I am a huge Garmin fan. I am on my 3rd now over the course of almost 10 years now (the first one lost to puppy teeth, the second lost at a race, my third is second hand because of price). I've had nothign but good experience with their customer service and heard nothing but the same from other runners. I've done research into other models for my next one (I want one for triathlon) and will go with Garmin again.

    If you want to compare products, this guy does a great review
    http://www.dcrainmaker.com
  • aswearingen22
    aswearingen22 Posts: 271 Member
    I have the Garmin 610 and love it. You don't need to spend that much though, you can use one of the cheaper models (such as the 10 for $130). I wear the chest strap so I get an accurate calorie count (as accurate as you can get anyway), and also like being able to monitor my heart rate during a run, I know my fitness is better depending on how my heart is running on runs. It's also awesome to not have to have routes planned ahead of time if you're trying to hit a certain # of miles, just run out 3 miles, then turn around and come back to get to 6. It's far more accurate than an app on your phone, your phone app will generally tell you you've run quite a bit further than you really have (the gps in your phone isn't intended to work for tracking running, but works well enough if you really don't care), which also makes you think you're faster than you are!;) I also like being able to review my splits after runs/races.

    Another thing to consider, on 5/31, Garmin is releasing a new watch that is an activity tracker (like fitbit) plus a gps watch. If I were in the market for a gps watch, I'd totally wait and get it! It's the forerunner 15 for $170.
  • leanneakaliz
    leanneakaliz Posts: 229 Member
    Im overwhelmed by how many posted thank you. I am only looking to check mileage at the moment and already have a Polar HRM so I think for the time being I will use my phone then once I have finished my degree and full time job I will treat myself/ ask for money for Christmas :)

    Thanks again

    I will definitely be going Garmin after all your responses though ! :)
  • fire_under_ice
    fire_under_ice Posts: 14 Member
    Another Garmin 610 user here! Absolutely love it for tracking my running and cycling. Don't always pay attention to it when actually running but love the stats it gives me, especially when paired with SportTracks software.
  • feebz36
    feebz36 Posts: 32 Member
    I have a Garmin forerunner 110, my husband now has one too. I have never had any bother with the satellites finding me, and I even took it to Shetland when I was working there over the winter. It found me there no matter what the weather. I love it because it pushes me to go for that little extra mile, or to run that little bit faster to beat my time. I like the computer interface too, where you can see all of your runs, and watch yourself get better. I have gone from not even being able to run for a whole minute, to being well on the way to completing my first half marathon (october).
  • LucasEVille
    LucasEVille Posts: 567 Member
    Wish they had GLONASS as well as GPS like in my Garmin GPSMAP 64 I use for Geocaching and hiking, solves all issues with tree and cloud cover and has me pretty much on a constant 3 meter accuracy.
  • aj7x
    aj7x Posts: 84 Member
    I love mine! I have the garmin watch. Sometimes I takes a few minutes for the satellite to find a signal but other then that it's great. It tells you how far you go, how many calories you burn, etc. You can even set a pace and it will let you know if you are ahead of pace and beeps when you are behind your pace. My favorite part is that it's pink!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    I love having a GPS .... but it is just a tool to help add one more set of data to what I track from runs and rides, not a need. The pace and distance data is all an approximation based on the simple fact that every point a GPS collects has a margin of error. It might be 3 meters off, maybe 10, maybe spot on ... with that +/- repeated multiple times a minute (depends on the model) then usually averaged out by the software. Each program treats the collected data a little differently but those differences can add up to tenths of a mile over time.

    That said, when you're pounding the pavement on a new route or you want to compare your current workout to past runs on the same course they provide accurate enough information to give you a very good idea how you're doing overall ... just don't trust it to that hundredth of a mile decimal.
  • daviddowns1968
    daviddowns1968 Posts: 11 Member
    I was considering getting a Garmin and currently use Mapmyfitness app of my phone. Having trialed a watch and spoken with friends, there seems no real advantage by having the watch. I use an armband to hold my phone so easy to start and stop the app. Plus I get to listen to music while running.

    Save your money and stick to the phone with the app.
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
    I have a GPS on my mobile phone so I wouldn't consider getting a GPS watch. It tells me how far I have walked and showing I have been walking for, simple maths tells me how fast I walked.
    However I do have a fitbit too so calories are done for me.
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
    I'm a GPS - and to be more specific, Garmin - addict. Love them! Truth is, I have 2 Garmins. Plus I have basically all the extras.

    I have a 310XT for outdoor use, and a FR70 for indoor use. I of course have the HRM gear. I've got a foot pod for tread milling and a bike sensor on my bike for when I'm on the trainer. And I've got a BC1000 digital scale that feeds into my FR70. It's a really great scale.

    Plus, I have a free Garmin Connect online account, where I upload all my workout data. It's a great resource that lets me do some cool things with my workout info. And I've got friends that I share workout data with, and we trade comments every so often.

    I mean, what's not to love?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I was considering getting a Garmin and currently use Mapmyfitness app of my phone. Having trialed a watch and spoken with friends, there seems no real advantage by having the watch. I use an armband to hold my phone so easy to start and stop the app. Plus I get to listen to music while running.

    Save your money and stick to the phone with the app.

    There are advantages, just not for what you want it for - which is fine - but that doesn't mean it isn't better for some people.
  • runforestrun35
    runforestrun35 Posts: 480 Member
    Love my Garmin... I started out with a less expensive Nike band and it was very unreliable... I paid 140 but I am still using my garmin 3+ years later.... Definitely have been getting my money's worth!!! :-)
  • idsk
    idsk Posts: 16
    I'm mostly in the gym at the moment or walking the dogs. So have been using a fitbit flex, runtastic app and a polar h7 hrm. All feed into myfitness pal very well. But I keep looking at gps watches! And can't decide!
    If I get a FR220, then I need a new hrm. Strap. Or is the tomtom multisport worth it.? Does it talk to myfitness pal? Or runtastic?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    I'm mostly in the gym at the moment or walking the dogs. So have been using a fitbit flex, runtastic app and a polar h7 hrm. All feed into myfitness pal very well. But I keep looking at gps watches! And can't decide!
    If I get a FR220, then I need a new hrm. Strap. Or is the tomtom multisport worth it.? Does it talk to myfitness pal? Or runtastic?

    The TomTom can automatically upload to the MapMy family of apps, Runkeeper, Endomondo, Training Peaks, and I think Strava. Several of those then link to MFP.

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