Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor Reviews
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor Reviews
Other products by Garmin Ratting 4.5 Out of 5.0 Special Offer Total New 65 Total Use 2
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Amazon.com Review
Package Includes: Forerunner 305, Heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, AC charger, PC/USB interface cable, Quick start guide, Garmin Training Center CD & owner's manualThe Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS System combines form and function. This combination running partner and personal trainer is designed for athletes of all levels. It features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, new courses feature, and robust ANT wireless heart rate monitor for optimal performance. The super-sensitive GPS tracks your every move, even working on tree-covered trails and near tall buildings. The heart device monitors your heart rate, speed, distance, pace and calories burned so you can train smarter, more effectively. These taskmasters will continually push you to do your personal best. Courses feature lets you download recorded courses and compete against previous workouts Auto Pause pauses and resumes training timer GPS features - GPS with high-Sensitivity SiRFstarIII architecture Wireless communication between system devices via ANT protocol Display Size(WxH) - 1.3 x 0.8 (33 x 20.3 mm) Lap Memory - 1,000 laps Rechargeable internal lithium ion battery - lasts 10 hours (typical use) Waterproof - Submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 mins. Alerts - Time, distance, pace and heart rate Physical Size(WxHxD) - 2.1 x. 7 x 2.7 (53.3 x 17.8 x 68.6 mm) Weight - 2.72 oz. (77 g)
Heart rate monitor features - Transmission Range - approximately 3m (9.8ft) 3V CR2032 battery - lasts 3 years (1 hour per day) Physical size(WxHxD) - 13.7 x 1.4 x 0.5 (348 x 35.6 x 12.7 mm) Weight -. 74 oz (21 grams)
Amazon.com Review Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 305. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn't just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 305 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we've ever tested. Yes, it's that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 305 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. The 305 model includes wireless heartrate monitoring and it can also be connected to Garmin's wireless bicycle speed and cadence sensor. If you don't need these features, consider the lower-priced Forerunner 205.
View Garmin's Forerunner demonstration video.
 Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305's screen. View larger. |
 The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the sky when you're running or walking. View larger. |
 The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive. View larger. |
 Choose from three workout modes that help you target your training goals. View larger. |
 The 305 features rudimentary mapping and location marking functions. View larger. |
The 305's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn't quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it wasn't much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.
Not so with the 305. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 305 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners. View button layout.
The underside of the 305 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 305's embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 305 is that it features an integrated, high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 305's ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, the tester had the 305 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 305, satellite acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn't faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
 The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap. |
Training Functions
The 305 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's worthless. When it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the 305 -- this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 305 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes. The 305 adds the ability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also track bike performance data.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it. The ability to display heartrate is a big plus, too, as it's a fairly good indicator of excercise output, fatigue, and fitness level. The 305 has all the heartrate functions you'd expect from a full-function monitor, including the ability to set target zones and alerts to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the 305. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 305 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
Computer Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now -- a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 305 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the computer. Not only does Training Center--which is compatible with both PC and Mac--make it easy to track your performance, you can graph data such as heartrate alongside your speed and distance. Over time, this is a great way to view your fitness levels increase, and it also helps you see what types of workouts are necessary to strengthen your weaknesses. For instance, if you see your heartrate begin to spike after a certain distance, you know you need to increase your endurance workouts to train that area of fitness.
In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your computer that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you're on the road or path. Back on the computer, the software's ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.
The 305 is also fully compatible with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren't able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you're a serious endurance athlete, you'll be glad to know that the 305 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.
Pros
- Radically new design is better in every way
- Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
- So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it
- Okay, it's bigger than a sport's watch -- but so much more powerful
Forerunner 305, Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner's manual, quick start guide.
Technical Details
- High-Sensitivity, Watch-Like GPS Receiver That Provides Exceptional Signal Reception- 1 Piece Training Assistant That Provides Athletes With Precise Speed, Distance & Pace Data
- Includes Training Center Software, Which Allows Users To Download Workout Data For A Detailed Analysis
- Used For Multiple Sports Such As Cycling, Cross- Country Skiing & Windsurfing
- Data Acquired May Also Be Analyzed With Motionbased, Which Provides Online Mapping & Route Sharing
See more technical details
By Ryan Bichon (Columbus, OH USA)
I use this watch when I go kayaking to measure how far I have gone. It's a little bulkier than the Garmin 405 but is also $200 cheaper. I like that the main screens are customizable. The picture shows three items on the screen but you can actually have a max of four items on the screen. You can also change which fields it shows to fit your needs. You can cycle through each screen by using the arrow keys and can see your route on the map by pressing the menu key. It also comes with a wireless heart rate monitor that connects automatically to the watch. If you are a real man, i.e. have a hairy chest, the heart rate monitor is a bit uncomfortable as it tends to pull at the hair. My biggest problem is that I forget to stop my lap and the car ride home messes up my data...but that is not the watches fault!
By runannerun (Tulsa)
Even though there is a more current model available, I purchased this one primarily because it is cheaper than the newer one. After talking with more seasoned runners, several said the newer model was larger and the navigation tools were not as easy to use. I purchased this model (again) after giving my last one to my fiancee. It has all the necessities without the price of the newer features that I do not need. PS - I love this size as it is not as large as the newer one.
By jeff russell (US)
I think the best feature of the Forerunner 305 is seen when you use it, the pace and HR feautres in every day use just work, and that's what you need in a training device you use every day. Also like the display because it's big enough to actually see and it's highly modifiable. The training partner is also a really nice feature, making it possible to race against time, distance, pace, not sure why, but psychologically it's always just more effective to have someone you're trying to beat, even an electronic stand in.
Here are the issues (they aren't deal breakers, but they're also NOT small):
1. need better driver support - win 7 64 bit driver BSOD all the time when you go to upload data (and garmin knows this)
2. the software for anaylsis purposes is simply not in the same league as what comes with the Polar 800SD (not even close)
3. the strap is one generation behind the Polar, they need to adopt cloth sensors, they're just more comfortable to wear
4. start/stop/pause isn't intuitive (if you've used a polar and garmin to compare, you'll know what i mean)
I gave it 4 stars over all, because again, the criticisms aren't deal breakers, in day in day out use on actual runs this device shines, it's all the stuff ancillary to the run where garmin needs to work on improvements, like the data anaylsis, drivers, HRM strap update, etc.
By A jogger (Baltimore, MD)
I bought this awesome Garmin a few weeks ago, and absolutely love it! I don't leave home without it! There are a lot of cool features that I'm still learning about but it was so easy to start up right out of the box. The display is easy to read and you can set your own preferences for number of fields on each display screen. Comes with everything you need to connect to your PC. I haven't tried the heartrate monitor yet but it, too, looks easy to use. I've worn it in the rain with no trouble. Battery life is great and it charges up from almost dead in a couple of hours. I love the "auto pause" when you have to stop for traffic or some other reason. It gets a satelite signal pretty quickly, within 1 or 2 minutes. I usually put it on my window sill while getting ready and it finds the signal from there. All in all, it's a fantastic deal with the heartrate monitor!
By Kyle Smith (Dallas, TX)
I just recently bought my garmin. Never had a previous version. I chose this because it had HRM, pace monitor, and mileage marker.I have yet to use the HRM because I use it to train for a marathon. My HRM isn't a big deal at this point. I love it so far. I can set it to alert when I hit a mile or go over/under a specific pace. Very easy to program.
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