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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Best Running Watch, including Garmin, Polar, & Suunto}}
This article is a concise guide to the best running watches available today at differing prices and functionality. As well as recommendations for the best watch, I also have a few that are worth considering in spite of their flaws, and some to avoid. For most runners my top choice is the {{Garmin 310XT}}, which is great value for money and has all the features you're likely to need. If that's too big and you want something more watch like, then the {{Garmin 610}} is great, and it's often available refurbished at a great price. Also, consider using a [[Running With A Smartphone| Smartphone]]; if you already have one they are a cheap option and can have outstanding [[GPS Accuracy]]. For a lighthearted look at running watches, check out [[If Running Watches were Sports Cars]]?
=Upcoming Reviews=
I have a am currently testing the Garmin 920XT , and Polar M400 on pre-order. If the 920XT has good GPS accuracy, then it might review will be one of the best running watchespublished soon.
=Summary of Features=
Here's a table of these features for each of the watches I recommend (all have GPS). For details of the meaning of each column see the reviews referenced in the table.
** The [[Suunto Ambit2 R]] gives 25 hours in extended mode and the more expensive Ambit2 gives 50 hours. There is some map capability, but it's not as good as the 310/910.
** The [[Polar V800]] gives 50 hours in extended mode, but has no map display.
** The [[Garmin Fenix 2]] will give 50 hours in extended mode, but it has serious mediocre [[GPS Accuracy]] problems even in normal modeand it has the occasional "lost satellite reception" problem.
* You can extend the battery life a little by avoiding using the backlight or changing the display. Showing the map on the 310/910 seems to drain the battery quite fast. I've had 37+ hours out of the [[Suunto Ambit2 R]].
* Another option, depending on the race, is to have two watches and swap part way through.
* Some runners will recharge their watch during a race, but that seems to be more hassle than it's worth.
[[File:RunsWithGear.JPG|none|thumb|300px|I don't normally run with quite this much gear, but my testing involves running with multiple devices concurrently. For this run, I have; iPhone 5s (left arm), Garmin 310XT (left wrist), Garmin Fenix2 (left hand), Garmin 620 and [[Basis Activity Tracker]] (right wrist), Pebble SmartWatch (right hand), [[Best Running MP3 Player| my favorite music player, the ClipZip]] (belt), Garmin Running Dynamics Heart Rate strap (chest), [[Best Running Headphones| the wonderful Koss Portapro headphones]], Garmin footpod and temperature pod (on shoes, not shown). I'm gathering GPS Accuracy data on the Fenix2 and iPhone 5s, with the 310XT to act as a sanity check, the 620 giving a [[Cadence]] alert and the Basis because I always wear it.]]
