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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Garmin 310XT Review}}

The {{Garmin 310XT}} represents great value for money, providing all the key features you're likely to need, though it misses out on [[Best Running Watch| some of the cool new abilities of the more recent watches]]. The 310XT is now two generations old, having been replaced by the [[Garmin 910XT]] and then the [[Garmin 920XT]]. The [[Garmin 910XT]] is better, but not worth the extra cost for most runners, while the 920XT is a rather larger leap forward. If you want something smaller, then the [[Garmin 610]] is also excellent value for money, or the later [[Garmin 620]]. While the 310XT is rather large by today's standards, I have tiny wrists and it fits me well. (It's a better fit for tiny wrists than the [[Polar V800]] for instance.) For a simple evaluation of a GPS watch, I look at how well it can answer some basic questions:

* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and the Garmin 310XT has good GPS accuracy. It will give you a better idea than most watches how far you've gone.

* '''What's my cadence? '''[[Cadence]]''' '''is one of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of running. If you get your Cadence right, many other things naturally fall into place. The Garmin 310XT supports [[Cadence]] via a [[Footpod]], but has no alerts nor does it have an internal accelerometer to estimate Cadence.

For ultramarathon running the Garmin 310XT has the battery life to suffice for shorter ultras, but if you expect to be moving during the [[Second Dawn]] you may need to look elsewhere. (You can turn off GPS and use a Footpod; if you're okay with that compromise, the 310XT will last for days.) See [[Best Running Watch#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.

=Garmin 310XT Pros=

* The 310XT is great value for money at this price level.

* The larger size allows for a larger display that's easy to read, even with four data items displayed.

* The 310XT will display the route you've run, though it does not have any built in maps. You can also upload courses and display them which is great for trail ultramarathons.

=Garmin 310XT Cons=

* Some people find the 310XT to be rather large, and it is much larger than a normal watch.

* '''WiFi/Bluetooth Uploads'''. While the automatic upload of workouts via WiFi or Bluetooth to a Smartphone is nice, the upload will typically only go to the manufacturers web site.

* '''Web Configuration'''. Some watches allow you to setup the configuration via a web site, and then download your changes. This is vastly easier than fiddling with the watch.

=Comparison Table=

{{:Best Running Watch-table}}