Garmin Gps 405 Forerunner Monitor Watch

Ive been running and cycling with HRM's for many years now and this is my most expensive foray into a new monitor plus GPS. After lots of web based review studying i decided to bite the bullet and go for the 405. Initially out of the box it all looked chunky and rubbery in a nice way, i then charged the watch and got playing. I had a complete nigthmare with the touch sensitive bezel and the software(Garmin connect) and the install on the PC version for when your away from an internet source, so went to bed feeling like I was going to return the 405 and get a refund.

Having slept on it(not literally:) I decided that Surely Garmin wouldn't release untried technology beta versions onto the market. So perseveared with it and played some more, started to get used to it and as I explored its functions and use started to quite like it. So went for a 10K cross country run and really got on well with it - the touch bezel is way easier to use on the fly than buttons! Got the software soughted - awesome:) now I have used this watch a good few times and it rocks. The chest strap is the most comfortable i have used as well.

The trick is just to take your time, learn about it and how to use it. Initially the watch and the software are not particularly intuitive but be patient and it all just comes together and you wonder what all the fuss was about. It is an extremely clever piece of kit with really advanced technolgy and loads of really useful functions; more of a computer than a watch in some ways. Also on the Garmin web site there are a series of short demo/instructional videos with a guy called Jake which are really worth a look before and after purchase as they really show the watch in its functional state and on an arm(so you get an idea of scale)! The Garmin spec sheet does not do it justice either, as it does alot more than it says on the tin! Including every heart rate type: BPM, %,HRR% and so on(doesn't mention % in the spec)

With reference to the water and bezel thing that has been mentioned this shouldn't really be a problem as you can easily lock the bezel and leave the unit paging through the info on auto. Also the other thing worth mentioning about the bezel, as this seems to bother some people from what ive read, is that you can change the sensitivity of the bezel in the menu, as it is purely electronic rather than mechanical. Similar to i pod but without that mechanical movement you get when you operate the i pod control.

Hope this helps

The main improvement on the 305 is that this new generation of Forerunner actually looks like a wristwatch, so you'll be more inclined to keep it on for everyday use (allowing for the fact you need to charge it regularly). It's predecessors were too bulky and unwieldy for that and were strictly for training use only.

The battery life is also much improved - my 305 needed a re-charge after 2 hours training. This one has been going strong on 1 charge for a couple of days and 3 training sessions. It also features a handy power-save mode which again adds to it's usability and all round utility.

Now the negatives. The 305 was simple to operate. It had the usual menu buttons and side buttons to let you scroll through the functions. The 405 'improves' on this with a touch-sensitive bezel you run your finger round to operate - a bit like an iPod's click wheel but not half as user-friendly. I've only had the thing for a few days but my impressions are this is over-engineered and has actually taken the usability of the Forerunner backwards. It's simple enough to decipher but easy to inadvertently switch modes and functions, and not half as easy to operate 'on the hoof' as Garmin perhaps think it is. They should've stuck with the push button interface of the 305.

The charging adaptor is a plastic clip that just isn't as robust as the little docking station charger that came with the 305, it's also easy to not connect properly or inadvertently disconnect.

And what of the 'wireless' download feature? I dont see the point of this at all. It's considerably slower to upload your data than the 305 was. The 405 comes with a ANT USB stick that fits in your USB port then wirelessly downloads from your 405 when it is brought within 3m range. This USB stick will be hard to replace if you lose it, and losing it will reduce your 405 to a 200 quid digital wristwatch. A USB lead is easier to replace. This seems like a pointless innovation, and the fact you have to log onto the Garmin website to download the driver is infuriating. The manual suggests this is as simple as logging onto a webpage and pressing 'download'. Not for me it wasn't. Firstly the webpage wouldnt upload for a couple of days, then when it did actually finding the download in question took a bit of investigation - only to find that wasnt working either. Garmin assume everyone has easy access to high speed internet connection. What exactly is wrong with supplying the download on the user disc?? Especially when Garmin go to the trouble of supplying you with 6 different sets of paper instructions, each in a different language!?

Get past this and, as ever, the Forerunner remains an excellent training tool.

In summary, if you already own a 305 and it meets all your requirements then my recommendation is stick with it - unless you absolutely must have the very latest in Garmin technology. Its a better bit of kit.

EDIT: After 3 months of trying my hardest to persevere ive given up on the 405 and switched back to the much better 305. The final straw was taking the 405 on a half-marathon during which there was a light rain shower. The thing couldnt handle it and lost all functionality.

I cant believe Garmin didnt trial this product as fit for purpose, yet that appears to be the case. In too much of a hurry to get it out for last summer's market perhaps?

Anyway, this site wont let me revise my initial (and overly generous) 4 star rating, otherwise id drop it to 2. Avoid.

Garmin Forerunner 405 with HRM and USB ANT stick - Black

Bought this as it seemed to be the best GPS running watch around at the moment (I'm upgrading from a Polar 'Footpod' running system).

It is indeed a great product but there are a few caveats.

First, here's what's good about it:

- The 405 is a lot neater than most of the other GPS watches currently available (although it is still relatively bulky for a watch).
- The display is very clear and the backlight is very effective.
- The multiple data screens allow you to view data on a lot of items.
- Almost all the functionality is fully customisable - the ability to mix metric and imperial units is a great idea (especially for those of us in the UK who often use both).
- The watch seems able to hold GPS lock fairly well (through trees etc.), provided you allow enough time to establish a good lock the first time out.
- Once initial synchronisation has been established (see below), subsequent data transfer is a doddle.
- The ability to plot your runs etc. on 'Google Maps' is brilliant and incredibly simple to do.
- The touch / jog ring does seem to work, once you get used to it (see below).

And here's what's not so good about it:

- There's very little in the manual about the required software downloads - you're pretty much on your own and the explanations on the Garmin website are pretty poor (a lot of applications are duplicated as well).
- Initial synchronisation with my laptop was a complete pain - the watch and the computer just didn't want to talk to each for some time (and there's no help at all on this).
- The jog / touch ring takes some getting used to - I tried to toggle between data screens on my first run and it seemed to get stuck into one particular mode and I had to stop and figure out how to get back to where I was - probably just a question of getting used to it.
- Establishing initial GPS satellite lock takes some time - not sure about subsequent locking yet, although I suspect this would be somewhat quicker.
- The GPS doesn't give an accurate track when there are any obstructions around (trees, high builidings, under bridges etc.), frequently suggesting that you've taken a short-cut when you didn't - In these circumstances the indicated mileage will probably be low (in fact, I don't think it's as accurate as the Polar 'foodpod' running system.
- The pace shown was complete rubbish - the readings were all over the place and didn't tally at all with the average pace measured over the whole run (again, the Polar foodpod device was much more consistent here).
- The Garmin HRM monitor is not as comfortable / easy to use as the Polar one (although the watch is very good at syncing with the monitor).

Taking everything into account though, this is still a great piece of kit.