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{{DISPLAYTITLE:TomTom Cardio Runner Review}}
[[File:TomTomCardioRunner.jpg|right|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[[Optical Heart Rate Monitoring]], rather than requiring a separate chest strap. Other than that, the TomTom does not inspire, though with the latest firmware it's fairly respectable and easy to use. You're paying a premium over [[Best Running Watch| some of the better watches]], especially as the optical HRM does not work well. I think that the TomTom is only worth considering if you really want the built in optical heart rate monitoring, otherwise look elsewhere. 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 TomTom now has reasonable [[GPS Accuracy]] (see below for details.)
* '''How fast am I running?''' Knowing how fast you're running can be a nice to know, or it can be vital for your training or race performance. Because of the nature of GPS, watches that rely on GPS signal alone tend to have serious problems with current pace. Without the ability to display current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while getting all other data from GPS, the TomTom can't answer this question.
The TomTom is not a good choice for ultrarunners, as its battery life is too short. See [[Best Running Watch#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.
=TomTom Cardio Runner Pros=
* The optical heart rate monitoring [[Optical Heart Rate Monitoring]] works reasonably well most of the time, but there are enough problems to limit its viability. Optical heart rate monitoring is a technique that 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 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. See images below for details.
