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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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| {{TomTom Cardio Runner}}
| Heart Rate monitoring without the chest strap
| {{TomTom Cardio Runner}}
| Separate HR strap not needed
|
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|-
| colspan="6"|<center>'''Buyer Beware'''</center>
* '''Training Effect.''' This is a measure of how hard a training run is as a numeric value of 1.0 to 5.0, based on an analysis of [[Heart Rate Variability]].
* '''Heart Rate Variability'''. There is a growing interest in the possibility of using [[Heart Rate Variability]] (HRV) to evaluate training stress. While only one device will display HRV, there are several that will record HRV for later analysis.
* '''GPS Pre-cache'''. Some newer watches will download the predicted positions of the GPS satellites for faster initial acquisition. This pre-cache works remarkably well, and the data is usually downloaded automatically when the watch is connected to the internet. However, the data is only valid for a few days, so after that time the device will fall back to the usual approach of scanning for satellites.
Here's a table of these features for each of the watches I recommend (all have GPS).
! Training Effect
! [[Heart Rate Variability]]
! GPS Pre-cache
|-
| colspan="1415"|<center>'''Recommended'''</center>
|-
| {{Garmin 310XT}}
| No
| Map of current route
| No
| No
| No
| Yes
| Record only
| No
|-
| {{Garmin 910XT}}
| Yes
| Record only
| No
|-
| {{Suunto Ambit2 R}}
| Yes
| Record only
| Yes
|-
| colspan="1415"|<center>'''Worth Considering'''</center>
|-
| {{Fenix 2}}
| Yes
| No
| Yes
|-
| {{Motoactv}}
| No
| Full color maps
| No
| No
| No
| Yes (but painful)
| Fair (13hr)
| No
| No
| No
| No
| Record and Display
| No
|-
| {{Soleus 1.0}}
| No
| Fair (8hr)
| No
| No
| No
| No
|-
| {{TomTom Cardio Runner}}| 4.6 (provisional)| 2.2| 30| Good (50m)| No| Yes (optical)| Yes| Yes| Fair (8hr)| No| No| No| No| Yes|-| colspan="1415"|<center>'''Buyer Beware'''</center>
|-
| {{Garmin 620}}
| Yes
| Record only
| Yes
|-
| {{Garmin 10}}
| Yes
| Poor (5hr)
| No
| No
| No
* 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 claimed battery life is 8 hours, which is a little short. However, I've read reports of people getting longer battery life.
* The initial acquisition of the GPS satellites is slower than the better watches like the 310XT/910XT.
==Optical Heart Rate Monitor – TomTom Cardio Runner==
[[File:TomTomCardioRunner.jpg|none|thumb|200px|The TomTom cardio runner, showing the green LEDs that provide optical heart rate monitoring.]]
The key feature of the TomTom Cardio Runner is its optical measurement of heart rate, rather than requiring a separate chest strap. Other than that, the TomTom is a fairly mediocre device, and you're paying a premium over some of the better options listed here. I think that the TomTom is only worth considering if you really want the optical heart rate monitoring, otherwise look elsewhere.
===TomTom Cardio Runner Pros===
* The optical heart rate monitoring works reasonably well. This technique has been around for decades, but it's only recently that the technology has been viable for use during exercise. The TomTom uses two green LEDs and a detector to determine Heart Rate based on the blood filling of the capillaries under the skin.
** When the watch has a good lock on your heart rate it's fairly accurate, and normally within a few beats/minute of a chest strap based monitor. Most of this variation seems to be due to the smoothing that's applied to the reading rather than overall accuracy.
** I had a number of problems with the TomTom not locking onto my heart rate for minutes at a time. It would either show a ridiculously high or low value, so it was pretty obvious. Occasionally it would not find my heart rate at all and just show three dashes.
** I found the problems were worse when my skin was cold. I've not tried it in winter, but at 50f/10c the TomTom struggled, probably because the capillaries it was looking for had constricted due to the cold.
** Because the TomTom has to be next to the skin to monitor the blood flow under the skin, it would be problematic in winter when you need to wear extra layers of clothing. You can't put the TomTom over a base layer, so it would have to be covered by your outer layers, hiding the display.
** To get a good view of your capillaries, the TomTom needs to be positioned slightly further up your wrist and to be quite tightly closed. I didn't find this uncomfortable, but it was tighter than I'd normally have a watch.
** Using optical heart rate measurement is generally not accurate enough for measuring [[Heart Rate Variability]].
* The TomTom will cache the locations of the GPS satellites for a few days, which worked reasonably well.
* With GPS turned off, the TomTom battery will last some time, making it possible to monitor heart rate for extended periods, such as during sleep.
* There is great support for automatically uploading to a variety of tracking web sites, including MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, TrainingPeaks, as well as exporting to KML, GPX, CSV, FIT or TCX files.
* The TomTom can pair with a smart phone, allowing for posting of workouts or updating the satellite pre-cache via the phone.
* I rather like the TomTom's four buttons arranged as a square for input, which works rather like a joystick for navigating menus. The right side of the screen is touch sensitive for turning on the backlight or recording a lap, but it's triggered by sweat.
===TomTom Cardio Runner Cons===
* The core functionality of the TomTom seems rather crude when compared with other devices in this price range.
* You can chose two metrics to display at the top of the screen, but these are shown in a tiny font that is hard to read in poor light.
* The main display will scroll through a number of metrics, but there is little configuration of what to display. (The histogram of heart rate display is rather cool.)
* The [[GPS Accuracy]] is mediocre. It could be a lot worse, as Garmin has shown, but it could also be a lot better.
* I've found no way of displaying cadence on the TomTom, which I think is a major shortfall. (There is support for a bike cadence sensor in the multisport version of this watch, but that doesn't help runners.)
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:TomTomDisplay.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|This is the display layout, with two rather tiny items at the top and one rather large item in the middle. You can only configure the top row, with the main display cycling through various options.]]
|[[File:TomTomInput.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The four buttons that surround the GPS receiver act like a joystick or joypad.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:TomTom Shape.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The TomTom is rather a strange shape, curving around the wrist.]]
|[[File:TomTom HRG.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The display of the Heart Rate graph, common in newer devices.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:TomTom Histo.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|This is the first time I've seen a histogram of Heart Rate, which is rather nice.]]
|[[File:TomTomLED.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|The LEDs that detect heart rate optically. The lines you can see on the picture are not visible to the eye.]]
|}
=Buyer Beware=
These devices are sufficiently flawed to make them impossible to recommend.
* There is a prediction of your [[VO2max|V̇O<sub>2</sub>max]], which worked well for me, but I would not rely on its accuracy.
* The 620 will upload your workouts to Garmin Connect via WiFi without needing a computer. It will also link to a smart phone to upload a workout as it takes place, which is nice for folks tracking you during a race, though it means wearing the watch and the phone together.
* The 620 will cache the locations of the GPS satellites for the next few days, makes for faster satellite lock. However, if you've not connected the 620 to the internet for a few days, the 620 can be painfully slow to acquire a lock.
* The 620 will not display [[Heart Rate Variability]] but it is possible for it to record [[Heart Rate Variability]] for later analysis. To enable this recording, you need to download a special FIT file from the firstbeat.com web site.
===Garmin 620 Cons===
=Not Recommended=
These watches have flaws or a price point that makes them unattractive.
==Garmin 405/405CX/410==
The Garmin 4xx series watches use a touch sensitive bezel which does not work well with gloves or when wet. The [http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Forerunner-GPS-Enabled-Sports-Watch/dp/B0046BWRUK Garmin 410] has an 'improved bezel', but there are [http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/01/look-at-new-garmin-fr410-touch-bezel.html still problems]. I also see more people struggling at the start of marathons with the 4xx watches than all the other devices combined.
