As technology advances it makes it easier than ever to track our performance statistics, and this along with research in to the importance of this data means devices that do this tracking are becoming very popular. There are sport watches, pedometers, heart rate monitors and digital scales all helping us to accurately measure this important data.

The Garmin 410 is a sports watch with GPS that has the functionality to provide you with statistics to help your improve your cycling and running performance. This model also comes with a heart rate monitor to provide data on your cardio fitness levels and help you to stay in your training zones.

These features are not cheap and we will look to see if it is worth the money. Read on to find out.

Specifications

• Type of Device: GPS Watch, Heart Rate Monitor and Activity Tracker
• Release Year: 2012
• Size: 0.4 x 2.4 x 1.3 inches
• Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Wireless Internet Data Upload? Yes
• Battery Life: 8 hours
• Warranty: Manufacturers 1 Year

The Pros

Wide Range Of Data: This sports watch is made for those that take their training seriously. It monitors a lot of data including speed, distance, time elapsed and calories burned. This model also includes a heart rate monitor so you can see your heart rate and this can help you optimize your training.

By having this information readily available makes it a wonderful training device for anyone who takes their fitness seriously. It can also be very useful for those just starting out, as they can easily monitor how they are progressing and set themselves new objectives as they progress.

Staying In The Heart Rate Zone: The heart rate monitor gives you the option to set the zone you want to use for training to improve your level of fitness. You can also compare your heart rate on training runs or races to see how your heart rate compares to previous ones.

Upload Data Wirelessly: In common with most tracking devices these days this one uploads data automatically to your online account over your home WiFi when ever it is in range. You can go through the data at your convenience to see how your latest results compare with your targets and the past.

Online Account: It seems most customers like this service offered by Garmin. Your own personal account lets you track and monitor your performance and set new targets for yourself in an easy to use interface. You can display your data in more than 30 ways so you can see it in the way that you like best to get the most out of your data.

Most people find navigating around the data pretty easy to do. It stores all your data from the first time you used a Garmin device and enabled your account and they can all be visually presented in the form of charts and graphs to quickly and easily see your progress. Many find their online account a great way to keep them motivated with their training and putting in the effort to keep moving forward with their fitness.

Fast GPS Connection: You don’t have to wait around waiting for this device to connect to the satellite; it usually determines your location in about 30 seconds. This is great, as nobody wants to be standing around waiting when they are all ready to get started exercising. This can be annoying especially in the cold. This makes it one of the fastest GPS sports watches available on the market.

Save Your Battery: you can turn this watch off when you don’t want to use it to save the battery charge. When you do this you don’t lose any of settings for time and date, which means you can extend the life of the battery without causing yourself the pain of re-setting them.

Touch-based Technology: You don’t have buttons to use to set and control the sports watch. The bezel control system works well in wet and humid conditions. Most customers find this makes it easy to navigate around the settings then pushing and twiddling buttons.

The Cons

Battery Life Issues: In some cases people have reported issues with the battery life. It is an intermittent problem where sometimes it runs as it should and then other times it cuts out in the middle of a workout or it might be flat even before you start your training session. According to

Garmin say it only affects a very small number of customers, which is of little comfort if it occurs outside the warranty period and you do not have the chance to return the watch and have it replaced.

Issues with It Rebooting: In addition to the issues with the battery life it can also start to re-boot randomly, after a few months, normally in the middle of a workout. It wipes all of your data that has been recorded to that time which is very annoying. According to Garmin this has only happens to a very small number of their watches.

Design: Although not the most important thing by a long way, this is a fairly big watch. So, you probably won’t want to wear for anything outside of your training sessions. It’s probably not one you would choose to wear when you go to work.

Should You Buy The Forerunner 410 With Heart Rate Monitor?

Overall the Garmin Forerunner 410 is a very good watch, but there are some concerns over reboot and battery life. There is a small risk of you getting one that stops being usable after a few months. If you are willing to risk it then it will probably be worth buying. If you’re not willing to take the risk then the best idea would be to look for a watch that has better reliability ratings even if it doesn’t have as many features.

• Related post: Garmin Premium Heart Rate Monitor Review