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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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| {{Garmin HRM}}
| {{Garmin Footpod}}
|-
| {{Garmin 910XT}}
| {{Garmin HRM}}
| {{Garmin Footpod}}
|-
| {{Suunto Ambit2 R}}
| A good watch at a reasonable price, with only one flaw.
| {{Suunto Ambit2 R with HRM}}
| {{Suunto Ambit2 R without HRM}}
| {{Garmin HRM}} (buy the Garmin, not the Suunto)
|
|-
| colspan="6"|<center>'''Worth Considering'''</center>
|-
| {{Fenix 2}}
| The most features, but pricy and patchy GPS accuracy.
| {{Fenix 2 with HRM}}
| {{Fenix 2 without HRM}}
| {{Garmin HRM Run}}
|
|-
| {{Motoactv}}
=What to look for=
There are several features to consider when looking for a runners watch. <div style="float:right;">__TOC__</div>
* '''GPS.''' GPS provides an easy measure of how far you've run, which is critical for your training. While it is possible to map out a run afterwards, this tends to be tedious and is typically less accurate than GPS. However, '''<span style='color:#FF0000'>GPS is not accurate enough to display your current pace'''</span>. The Garmin 910XT, 310XT and 610 can display current pace from the Foodpod while using GPS for distance. * '''GPS Accuracy.''' I've [[GPS Accuracy| Analyzed the Accuracy of GPS watches]], and I've found that there are wide differences in accuracy. The Garmin 620 and Garmin 10 are especially poor. Interestingly, adding a Footpod to the 310XT/910XT improves their accuracy noticeably. I've not tested all the watches yet, but more devices will be added as time allows. (My testing methodology requires me to run 100s of miles with each watch.)
* '''Weight.''' None of these devices weigh enough to have a noticeable impact on running performance, but the weight can be noticeable.
* '''Size.''' The size of these devices varies widely, and the larger devices can feel a little bulky, especially if you have a smaller wrist. I've provided the size as the volume in cubic centimeters to give a single number to compare.
* '''Waterproofing.''' Even if you don't swim, having good waterproofing is important to prevent your watch being destroyed by the rain or sweat.
* '''Current pace from a [[Footpod]].''' A [[Footpod]] can be used to provide [[Cadence]] and in some watches it can also provide pace and distance. Displaying pace from the Footpod provides an a far more accurate indication of current pacethan GPS, which is important for any training program that requires running at a specific pace. Unlike GPS, [[Footpod]]s need to be calibrated to provide accurate pace/distance, but this is relatively easy. For most runners, once the Footpod is calibrated it will display the right pace across a wide range of paces.
* '''[[Heart Rate Monitor]].''' [[Heart Rate]] is important information when training, though it is important to understand the limitations of heart rate based training. Having a [[Heart Rate Monitor]] that will record your heart rate is particularly valuable for evaluating your training.
** Note that the [[Heart Rate Monitor|Heart Rate Monitoring]] of Garmin watches is not as reliable as the Polar systems, but there are [[Garmin Heart Rate Monitoring|things to can do to improve the Garmin HRM issues]].
* '''Cadence'''. A display of [[Cadence]] is a critical training tool and newer watches are able to use an internal accelerometer to provide Cadence without any accessories. Other watches may need a Foodpod.
* '''Data Upload.''' The ability to record your workout and store it in a training log such as [[Dailymile]] or [[SportTracks]] is vital. All of the recommended watches here have that ability. I'd strongly advise even a new runner to store their data so that they can look back over the months and years to understand their progress. A watch that can upload to a PC makes recording your workouts much easier.
* '''Battery Life.''' How much battery life you need depends on how long you run for. It's best to have a watch that will last quite a bit longer than your longest run.
! Pace from FootPod
! Heart Rate Monitor
! [[Cadence]]
! Data Upload
! Battery Life
! [[Heart Rate Variability]]
|-
| colspan="1314"|<center>'''Recommended'''</center>
|-
| {{Garmin 310XT}}
| 65.0 9 (76.1 6 with [[Footpod]])
| 2.5
| 63
| Yes
| Yes
| Footpod
| Yes
| Good (20hr)
|-
| {{Garmin 610}}
| 6.4
| 2.5
| 41
| Yes
| Yes
| Footpod
| Yes
| Fair (8hr)
| Record only
|-
| {{Fenix 2Garmin 910XT}}| 56.3 (preliminary)8 with [[Footpod]]| 32.25| 3249
| Good (50m)
| Yes
| Yes
| Footpod| Yes| Good (15Hr, more in extended mode20hr)
| Yes
| Map of current route
| Yes
| NoRecord only
|-
| {{Garmin 910XTSuunto Ambit2 R}}| 5.8.9 with [[Footpod]]
| 2.5
| 4930
| Good (50m)
| No
| Yes
| Internal
| Limited
| Fair (8 Hr, more in extended mode)
| No
| Back to start map
| Yes
| Record only
|-
| colspan="14"|<center>'''Worth Considering'''</center>
|-
| {{Fenix 2}}
| 3.8
| 3.2
| 32
| Good (50m)
| No
| Yes
| Internal| Yes| Good (20hr15Hr, more in extended mode)
| Yes
| Map of current route
| Yes
| Record only|-| colspan="13"|<center>'''Worth Considering'''</center>No
|-
| {{Motoactv}}
| No
| Yes
| Footpod
| Limited
| Poor (3-6hr)
|-
| {{Polar RC3 GPS}}
| 65.31
| 2.0
| 29
| No
| Yes
| Footpod
| Yes (but painful)
| Fair (13hr)
| Yes
| Yes
| Footpod
| Yes
| Months!
| 28
| Good (30m)
| No
| No
| No
| No
|-
| colspan="1314"|<center>'''Buyer Beware'''</center>
|-
| {{Garmin 620}}
| 43.29
| 1.5
| 20
|
| Yes
| Internal
| Yes
| Fair (10hr)
|-
| {{Garmin 10}}
| 4.0 1
| 1.3
| 33
| Good (50m)
| No
| No
| No
* Not the range of accessories that the 910XT/310XT has, such as power meter for cycling.
* No display of course maps or mapping of your current route, but it has a simplistic 'back to start' arrow.
==The solid choice - Garmin 910XT==
The {{Garmin 910XT}} is a version of the 310XT with extra features, but it's more expensive. Probably the most useful feature for most runners is the calculation of Training Effect. It can also record laps when swimming, is better at recording altitude, and can record [[Heart Rate Variability]]. If you can afford the 910XT, then it's a little better than the 310XT, but the 310XT is better value. (The 910XT is available with the [[Heart Rate Monitor]] as {{Garmin 910XT with HRM}}.) At this price point, compare the 910XT with the Fenix 2.
[[File:Garmin-910xt.jpg|thumb|none|200px|Garmin 910XT]]
===Garmin 910XT Pros===
* The pros of the 310XT also apply here.
* The 910XT displays and records Training Effect, an indicator of how hard or effective a training session is.
* The 910XT can record swimming, but it does this with an accelerometer rather than GPS. You have to tell the 910XT how long the pool is, but it will detect each lap, as well as your stroke.
* The 910XT has a barometric altimeter, which is far more accurate at recording altitude changes than GPS.
* The 910XT will not display [[Heart Rate Variability]] but it is possible for it to record [[Heart Rate Variability]] for later analysis. This recording can be enabled from the firstbeat.com ATHELTE software (there's a free trial).
===Garmin 910XT Cons===
* The cons of the 310XT also apply here.
* The biggest downside for most people over the 310XT is the price, which is significantly more than the 310XT.
==Suunto Ambit2 R==
[[File:ambit2r.png|none|thumb|200px|The Ambit2 R, available in black or white.]]
The "R" in the name is for "Runner" and is the moniker for the cheapest of the Ambit2 range. It lacks some of the features of the more expensive Ambit2 watches, but the price is far more attractive. The Ambit2 R offers great functionality and reasonable GPS accuracy, and it's only significant flaw is the inability to display pace from a [[Footpod]].
===Ambit2 R Pros===
* The watch is highly configurable, and configuration is via a web site rather than fiddling with the watch. The Ambit2 can display up to 8 different pages of data, including various graphs.
* You can download or create 'Apps' for the Ambit2, which allow for some degree of extensibility. These are not really applications, but small scripts so the functionality is rather limited.
* Data has to be uploaded to the Suunto website movescount.com but it can then be exported in many different formats including TCX and FIT.
* While the standard battery life is not great at 8 hours, you can configure the Ambit2 so it only checks GPS data periodically, which compromises [[GPS Accuracy]] but improves battery life. I found that after 20 hours of use with 1 minute GPS checks I had a claimed 61% of battery life left, giving a projected life of about 50 hours.
* The Ambit2 will download a list of GPS satellites for quicker GPS acquisition. This seems to work well, and when the cache is stale because the watch has not been connected to the internet for a while, GPS acquisition is still reasonable.
* The Abmit2 displays Training Effect, but unlike the Garmin units you have to explicitly set your 'activity class' rather than have the watch work it out automatically. In many ways I prefer having the activity class set explicitly. There is also support for "recovery time", though it's less obvious than the Garmin implementations which display the value at the end of each workout. The recovery time also resets with each workout rather than being a cumulative time, which limits its usefulness.
* The Suunto web site (movescount.com) has remarkably good analysis and data from the Ambit2.
* The "R" version of the Ambit2 is available in black or white, with the white version intended for women. I tried the white version as I have smaller wrists and I found the materials used for the strap are remarkably soft and comfortable.
* If you're prepared to pay more, you can get other versions of the Ambit2 that provide extra functions. (There's also a Sapphire version that's more expensive but functionally identical to the Ambit2.)
{| class="wikitable"
!
! Ambit2
! Ambit2 S
! Ambit2 R
|-
| Price
| $500
| $350
| $250
|-
| Claimed battery life
| style="background-color: #2AD600;" |Up to 50 hours
| Up to 25 hours
| Up to 25 hours
|-
| Barometric altimeter
| style="background-color: #2AD600;" |Yes
| No
| No
|-
| Cycling support (speed/candence/power)
| style="background-color: #2AD600;" |Yes
| style="background-color: #2AD600;" |Yes
| No
|-
| Swimming support
| style="background-color: #2AD600;" |Yes
| style="background-color: #2AD600;" |Yes
| No
|}
===Ambit2 R Cons===
* The biggest downside to the Ambit2 compared to the 310XT/910XT/610 is that there is no way of displaying your current pace from the [[Footpod]] while using GPS for overall distance and course. You can only use a footpod by turning off GPS, which is pretty useless.
* Like any complex device, the Ambit2 can occasionally need a reboot. Sadly, while you can shut down the Ambit2 from the menu, the only way of waking it up again is to plug it into a USB power source. This should be a very rare issue, but if it happens to you on or just before a race, you're screwed.
* While the Ambit2 can display a map of a route, or give you a map for going back to the start, there is not a simple display of your current route.
=Worth Considering=
These watches are good, but they are not quite good enough to be completely recommended.
==The most features - Garmin Fenix 2==
The Fenix 2 combines the best features of the Garmin 910XT and 620, plus some extras and is the best running watch at the moment. This is a remarkable watch, with a vast array of features, but remains reasonably easy to use. The only flaws are the lack of current pace from a [[Footpod]] and the disappointing results of my initial [[GPS Accuracy]] testing.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|}
===Fenix 2 Pros===
* When combined with the new heart rate monitor strap, the Fenix 2 will show and record [[Cadence]], Vertical Oscillation (VO) and Ground Contact Time (GCT). This is fascinating data, but it's not clear how to interpret and use VO or GCT. This confusion is compounded by the way that a higher Cadence will result in a lower VO and lower GCT simply because of the faster turnover. The Fenix 2 has a display of Cadence, VO, and GCT that gives an indication of how good your current values are, but without the color display of the Garmin 620 this indicator is not as clear. The Fenix 2 can also display Cadence using the internal accelerometer.
* Like several other devices, the Fenix 2 displays Training Effect, an indicator of how hard or effective a training session is. In my unscientific trails, the Training Effect on the Fenix 2 seems similar to the 620, which is a change from the 610/910XT.
* The Fenix 2 builds on the Training Effect to give an estimation of the recovery time before the next workout. While this is only an estimation and there are no studies that evaluate it, there is the possibility that it might help prevent [[Overtraining]]. There is also a display of your recovery after the first mile or so of each run, which is again a nice idea. Sadly, if you miss the message, there does not appear to be a way of recalling it, nor does the Fenix 2 record this value.
* The Fenix 2 includes an internal accelerometer to give you an idea of pace and distance while running on a treadmill without a footpod. I found it was too far out to be of any use, giving a display that was off by 1-3 minutes/mile. A lot will depend on your running style and how you use a treadmill.
* You need to have the new "HRM Run" for the running dynamics features. It will display Heart Rate and calculate Training Effect with the older Garmin HRM, but not Ground Contact Time or Vertical Oscillation.
==Brilliant, but flawed – Motorola Motoactv==
The discontinued {{Motoactv}} was a revolutionary running watch, using a color touch screen, GPS and including an MP3 player. It was more like a smartphone than a traditional GPS watch; the Motoactv was brilliant, but it was also flawed. When it was originally introduced at $250, these flaws were too severe for it to compete with the Garmin alternatives. The price of the Motoactv tends to vary, but it is often available for under $150, and at that price the Motoactv is great value for money. If you can live with each of these four flaws, then the Motoactv is a great buy. (See the cons section for more details on each.)
