The purpose of this buying guide is to help you find the best
GPS running watches for your workout lifestyle.
Here are links to the complete guide:
In the last article we went through features of
GPS running watches. Here is part 2 of that list:
Even More Features Of GPS Running Watches
Heart Rate Monitor: Some GPS watches also have a heart rate monitor to help you keep within your target heart rates. And if that's the case you want to then decide if you want a chest strap heart rate monitor or not. While the
Garmin GPS watches seem to have the best quality GPS systems and GPS watches, the
Polar GPS watches tend to have the best heart rate monitor watches. So one of those might be your choice depending on what your priority is for the more accurate measurements: pace or heartrate. (If you are actually looking for a heart rate watch now instead of a GPS watch, please visit our sister site:
Heart Rate Watch Reviews).
Water Resistance and Multiple Sports: Quite a few runners like to engage in water sports, like swimming or kaykaing. Is the watch you are looking at going to work well with those sports? Or heck, some runners just enjoy running in the rain. Or heck, some runners need to stick to a training schedule despite if it is raining. One of the more popular water resistant GPS running watches is the
Garmin Forerunner 310XT (pictured right).
Durability and Warranty: sports watches are on wrists of active people, so the watch needs to stand up to active exercises. Warranties are helpful here also. Most GPS watches are pretty durable (this is one reason they are so bulky)
Aesthetics: GPS running watches are not the prettiest watches. There are very few (if any) watches you would want to use as an everyday watch. They tend to be quite big and bulky. That being said, when you.re running you may not worry so much about aesthetics. If you do care about aesthetics, your choices will be vary narrow . in fact besides this Garmin watch, none of the Garmins look that great and you might end up going with Polar or Timex
Audible Alerts: Some watches may have audible alerts for you. So you can set zones for pacing similar to how you can set training zones with heart rate watches. Some GPS programs can give you audible data monitoring as well so you do not have to look down at your watch. For example, every five minutes you can have it alert you to your current pace.
Simplicity (and Price): We mentioned this in the last post: It's good to have a budget in mind as GPS watches can be as low as $100 and up to $500. And with price in mind, this is something else to keep in mind: sometimes the best feature is to have very few features. Some runners want to just be able to push and go. Granted the data available will also have fewer information for you, but that is the idea in simplicity. So in this case you can look for more "entry level" type GPS watches which will also be much cheaper. One very popular "entry level" type GPS watch (or simple-to-use GPS watch) is the
Garmin Forerunner 110 (pictured right)
Navigation Ability: Most of us associate GPS technology with maps and detailed, turn-by-turn navigation instructions. There are some high-end cycling computers on the market that provide these capabilities. GPS watches don't offer maps or turn-by-turn directions, but they may provide some navigation capability. Typical navigation features of a GPS watch include the ability to mark and save a location, or "waypoint"; ability to create and follow a simple directional track, and possibly a compass. Navigation features could be useful for a trail runner, for example.
It's a different story after you upload GPS watch data to a computer, however. Most online workout tracking/training log services (including Garmin Connect) will show you detailed maps of your routes that you can share with others, or even upload to a program such as Google Earth. You may also find and import others' maps and routes in some cases.
Final Word: GPS Watches
Overall, GPS watches put powerful location, time, and distance technology at your fingertips, and free you from wires and inaccurate foot pod sensors. They also let you track important data such as heart rate and calorie burn, and provide you with an easy way to compile a highly detailed online training log. See detailed information about the latest products in my comprehensive GPS watch review.
That Concludes This Portion Of Our Buying Guide
Now that we've gone over our introduction of GPS watches and an extensive list of features to consider, we will now go into our recommendations next:
How To Buy A GPS Running Watch Part 4 Our Recommendations
Stay tuned!
Here are links to the complete guide:
Cheers!
Go back to read more GPS Running Watches
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