I use the Garmin foot pod with my
Garmin Forerunner 410, it provided valuable addition data such as my running cadence (the number of steps per minute) and provides distance and speed information when there is no GPS signal available, namely when in the gym or on a treadmill. It works reliably and appears to be really surprisingly accurate. It also synchronises with the Forerunner 410 reliably and in seconds.
The foot pod is small, in fact the same size as a Nike Plus device and will fit in a Nike plus holder in your training shoe. It comes mounted on a quick release harness that fastens to the running shoe by the laces. This seems secure enough although I confess I use a
Velcro Shoe Pouch when outside, the quick release harness hasn't yet earned my trust.
So why only three stars? Well, when describing the cost of the Garmin foot pod I toyed with the words `amazing' and `eye-watering' but these didn't really cut it and I was finally forced to resort to `astonishing'. The
Nike+ Sport Kit retails for around £20 and is essentially the same technology and that would seem to be a reasonable price for this unit, even £30 may be reasonable. You would need to be really serious about running to invest in this foot pod at this price.
So to sum up, technically the foot pod is excellent, reliable and accurate, commercially - what were they thinking? At £40 I'd award it four stars; at £30 I'd give it five stars.
