Customer Reviews

Garmin Forerunner 305 Waterproof Running GPS with Heart Rate Monitor

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this unit to replace one that is over ten years old and is becoming less than reliable. But this was after over 300 races and thousands of training days. So far this is a better unit than the old one. I prefer that it fits on my wrist rather than on my sleeve. It is easier to read when I am running. I have not used the heart monitor with it yet, but if it is like the old one, it will be reliable. Garmin has made themselves a world leader in this type of equipment because of devices just like this one.

It comes with five buttons. There are power, mode, lap/reset, start stop, enter, and arrows which you press to scroll through menus. With an optional Garmin cadence sensor (GSC 10}, you can use cadence alerts for your bike. You can also set the Forerunner 305 to automatically pause if you have to stop and then start again. It records any paused time as Rest Time and any paused distance as Rest Distance. You can set up three types of workouts: quick, interval, and advanced. You can also race against a virtual partner.It can be set up for multisport athletes including triathletes and duathletes. It is waterproof, but not intended to be used while swimming.

It can store up to two years of data in it. When the memory is full, it will start rewriting data. Meanwhile, you should not have to worry about this if you download it into Garmin Training Centre once in awhile to analyze your own activities. Unlike the old model this one can be programmed to be used as a GPS whne you turn the device to map mode. It comes with a 75 page instruction manual, a heart rate monitor, a quick start up manual, a charging unit, a USB connection for your computer, a spare strap buckle, and a Garmin Training Center disc.

I recommend this unit over all other Garmin Forerunners. It is all most athletes would ever need. I paid a remarkably good price for this unit and would recommend it to anyone serious about their training.

I really wanted to love my Garmin 305. It had all the features that I was looking for and the versatility use it to track a number of activities. But a recurring conflict between the Garmin USB drivers and Windows 7 (64 bit) - which Garmin refuses to acknowledge as a widespread problem - means that I cannot endorse or recommend this product. Almost every time that I plug my Garmin 305 into my PC, the computer instantly crashes (BSOD) and goes into recovery mode. Since the 305 is charged by placing it into its cradle, this can cause challenges just keeping the unit charged. I've found that I have to delete the USB drivers, which prevents the conflict but allows me to charge the unit.

If you would like to see how widespread this problem is, and how long it has been an issue, simply put "Garmin 305 BSOD" (BSOD = blue screen of death) into Google and you will find tons of reports on this problem. Repeated contact with Garmin yielded no solutions other than re-installing the USB drivers.

On the positive side, the unit tracks well in operation once it has locked onto the satellites (which can take more than a minutes sometimes) and can be used for several hours without needing to recharge. The Garmin Connect website is also quite useful for tracking workouts (if you can get the 305 to connect without crashing your computer) and is in almost all respects better than the included Training Centre software. The size, while bulkier than some of the newer units, is not intrusive and I don't notice it on my wrist when I am running.

Bottom line: look elsewhere if you want the connectivity to upload your workouts to your PC. But, if all you want is a simple GPS and heart rate monitor, this is a good option to consider.

Size and jokes about getting an arm workout while running aside. This watch is by far the best bang for your buck. I have friends who had bought smaller or "prettier" GPS watches. But, then they are all jealous at the price I paid with all the features this watch has.

It was a present for my sister-in-law. She said she liked it and it had lots of features that she enjoyed.

the unit worked fine until the battery stopped accepting a charge that would hold for more than about 25 minutes. Garmin was not sympathetic as i had the unit for less than 2 years, but for more than one year, which is over warranty. a rechargeable battery ought to last more than 2 years. this is particularly problematic with this device as the battery is not replaceable.

I bought this unit last year as a new runner and wasn't expecting much more than a watch that measured distance. Since then, my Garmin and I have become inseperable. While I don't have experience with another GPS unit and can't compare it that way, I can say that this watch has everything a beginner to novice runner could possibly need for their training. I haven't used many of the functions (like the Virtual Trainer running buddy), but I use the watch to track my 10 and 1 intervals (which start and end with a easily audible beeping noise) and to track my speed and distance. I enjoy the feature where you can set your watch at a specific pace and it beeps if you go above or below that pace. It's definitely very helpful when trying to hit a goal time but have trouble keeping your speed where it needs to be. I never have trouble finding or keeping a satellite signal and the battery life lasts me for about 5-6 runs. The watch also has a lot of storage. I have only had to clear my runs once (about a week ago) because the battery life was starting to suffer because of the stored data.
I had an issue with my battery after about 8 months (which was caused by my over-full memory) and Garmin customer service was great! I didn't have to wait on hold and the Canadian representative was very helpful. They emailed me warranty information immediately and promised my unit back to me within two weeks. Fortunately, my problem could be solved at home so I didn't have to send it off. I don't know how smoothly the actual repair process would have been, but the customer service rep was great to work with and extremely helpful.
This watch is a little bulky (especially on a slim built person), but I find it fits very comfortably with a wristband underneath. I highly recommend this unit!

I have bought this item recently and I am so happy to did it! It's an amazing equipment for my training! Exactly what i was looking for!

I am training for a marathon (on 2011 September, 25th) and this Forerunner help me so much to program all the different trainings I have to do until the marathon!

With the program include (the "Training Center" CD in the box) you have so many ways to follow your progress and many options are available!

It's my personnal trainer now and I really love it!

I've had this watch for many years. I work at a Running store and out of all the Gamins. This unit is the easiest to use.
I like to say if it's not written down it never happened and the Garmin writes everything down. Well on your computer that is.
It does intervals. I like to run 10min Run 1 min Walk for my LSD (Long Slow Distance) Runs and this does the job.
I can set my pace so if I go too fast or slow it will beep. It is the same with my Heart Rate.
I think having all my data saved motivates me to train more consistently.
Cheers
Scott S

I had this product for a month now,i used it for about 20 times already and i think it is absolutely amazing.
It is a great tool for serious runners,you can learn a lot about your workout and just get better and better.I highly recommend it for anybody who wants to improve his performance.if you just want to see your heart rate you can find a lot of other cheaper options.

I have been using this watch for the past year now and am impressed with it. This watch if very easy to use and the programs are easy to follow. The accuracy on the GPS is very reliable but takes a while to load sometimes. It is a lot better then my Iphone Nike Running GPS program. The other issue I have with this product is that when I upload my runs, the site is constantly crashing. This is so frustrating! I still enjoy using this watch, but will be upgrading to another watch that downloads wirelessly.