The super runner and blogger at Races Like a Girl asked me the other night how deeply I loved my Garmin Forerunner 405, as her older model kicked the bucket recently (R.I.P.) and she is looking to upgrade.
I’ve never posted a full review of my handsome green training partner, mainly because I feel like I’m still plumbing the depths of all he has to offer. So, I’m not sure this review will be as comprehensive as others you may find on the web, but it will be earnest.
Let me start by saying that my primary attachment to Little G is sentimental, since he was my reward for breaking 2 hours in the half. Every time I buckle my 405 onto my wrist, I remember the exhilaration of meeting that goal and the pleasure of getting the corresponding reward.
But, sentiment only gets you so far in training, and the features my gorgeous Garmin has to offer have to take it the rest of the way.
Things I like:
- The design: color, size, shape, the way the wristband is formed, the way the charger bites it like a gentle alligator.
- These features: autolap, lap button, wireless sync, heart rate monitor, GPS (as a tracking tool), ability to switch time zones, uploading to Garmin Connect to see my route and stats (although the site itself sucks; see below)
- Their customer service team. Vern!
Things I haven’t used yet:
- Workouts
- Heart Rate Training
- GPS (as a navigational tool)
- This informational video will fill you in on what I’m unable to opin
Things that annoy me:
Satellite, Anyone? In some parts of New York City, it is impossible (or takes 5 minutes or more) to for Little G to locate a satellite. Thankfully, I get a signal outside my office, but conversely I never get one when I head out from Paragon with Nike Speed.
Drunken Runner? Similarly, there are moments when the signal will get wonky, like over the 59th Street Bridge, under the West Side Highway, or even through Sunnyside on a cloudy day. The Forerunner 405 has reported that I have run certain miles in 6:45, simply because its signal is zigzagging when I’m running straight.
Renegade Bezel! The bezel frequently switches-on its own-to Virtual Partner or Heart Rate screens when I’m running. This was a major annoyance during the final miles of the NYC marathon when I’d glance to check my pace and I’d see my heart rate, or “1 Minute Behind.” I’d have to spend several seconds futzing with Little G to get the timer screen back.
Incorrigible Button. The lap button does not always catch when I push it. This sucks when, for example, I’m doing hill repeats and I’ve been at the top of the hill for 5 seconds or more still trying to record the end of that lap.
Weak Ticker. The battery lasts not even 24 hours before Little G needs a charge. It’s aggravating when the “Low Battery” alert pops up and covers the autolap notices, so I can’t see my mile splits.
Garmin [Dis]Connect. This “sharing” site claims it has social networking functionality (you can post the workout to Facebook or email it out) but there’s no way for members to maintain an open profile and invite “friends” on Connect so that others can just log on and review and compare your training and others’ training. Also, there are no mile markers on the maps that are created from your workout data. The site is very slow, and frequently down. Only this past week they released the Mac platform–which 405 users have been waiting for since the end of April 2008 (at least). I realize there are other online options for crunching my Garmin workouts but I am not tech savvy and without written instructions from the manufacturer am intimidated.
I can’t compare the 405 to any other Forerunner model, unfortunately, as the 405 is the only Garmin I’ve ever had. I saw it during its launch at the Boston Marathon Expo and it was love at first tap of the bezel. For me, the primary benefit of Little G is the way it (mostly) accurately tracks my mileage and organizes my workouts. Autolap is an excellent tool, and I am getting used to Virtual Partner though I don’t rely on it the way some of my running buddies do.
As I re-read what I’ve written, I know it seems like a litany of complaints-but honestly, it’s going to take a lot more for me to throw over Little G.
How does everyone else out there feel about their Garmins, 405’s or otherwise? Sarah–I know you have it bad for your Garmy. Brother? Laminator? Ansky? Please comment away for our friend Julie.
Pigtails Flying 
Thanks for posting this, TK. My 305 didn’t actually die. It’s just coughing up phlegm these days. I eagerly await more reviews from the peanut gallery.
Also — I emailed you this, but for the benefit of others — if you train with a Garmin and use a PC, check out SportTracks by Zone Five Software. It’s free and is head and shoulders above Garmin Connect.
I have a 305 but almost never use the HRM. I agree on Sporttracks. It lets you do all sorts of stuff with splits.
The 305 is generally fine, but once in a while it has me running through buildings, so I’ve had recorded 1/4 mile splits in the 20 second range. I find it particularly useful for long tempo runs and for use at road-relay races when it helps to know your pace on courses without markings.
Very good on trails too.
It doesn’t work on a track; it triggers 400 meters at about 380. It also doesn’t work on a treadmill. But I think that’s because it’s indoors and can’t get a good signal.
Overall, I love it.
Also, it’s really cool when you use it abroad and then you get maps of, say, your runs in Regent’s or Hyde Parks.
ok- since I’ve been skulking around your site I’ve been secretly hoping for something on little G so that I could avoid the following question that will make me look like a moron.
What the hell IS little G?
(how obvious is it that I don’t run, on a scale from 1 to 10……..?)
I also run with a 305. As TK mentioned there are some parts of the city where I either can’t get a signal or it’s not reliable. The 305 is clunky but I like that the “lap” and “start/stop” buttons are big and are on the front of the device instead of the side.
I use Sport Tracks but I also upload my runs to Motionbased.com so my runs can feed into my blog and Facebook page.
I’m probably going to “sidegrade” to a new 305, since they’re about $150 vs. $300 for the 405. I’m happy with it overall, but my particular unit has always had issues with finding and locking onto GPS signals.
Thanks, all!
Also, Joe, Garmin has a $50 footpod that’s pretty accurate (at least it’s a lot more accurate than my treadmill’s pace/distance readout). I use that for treadmill work.
I have a 405 — bought one of the very first ones. Also bought the heart rate monitor model. My thoughts are that I love the Heart Rate functions and the ability to set pace with the 405. (Before I always just took time, distance and averaged. Now I get real time pace data).
And I LOVE the ability to have all that data once I download the workout to Garmin Connect. That is the good.
The bad — let’s just say the 405 is a work in progress. The software is buggy, the touch bezel has a life of its own, and the battery just has no long life. Garmin Connect is rudimentary (the map data is laughable. I run in Westchester, and it is supposed to show you where you ran on a map. But unless you buy a map package, the “map” that on which it tracks your workout is basically highways and main roads. So it is like you ran offroad.) And Garmin Connect “lost” 6 months of workouts. That was a bad day
All that being said, I kick myself if I run without it. If I were in a buying mode, I would buy a heart rate monitor and wait for the next 405. Surely Garmin is working on the issues (I actually went to the Garmin booth at the NY Marathon expo and told them because I want this product to succeed.)
And if you travel and run, it is great. Never a doubt as to distance, time, pace, anything.
Repliderium — Little G is the name I’ve given to my Garmin Forerunner 405. this is a GPS-enabled sports watch with a bunch of other features that help runners train more effectively by monitoring things like heartrate, pace, distance, etc. The second link in this post goes tot he product page on the manufacturer website if you want to really dig in. Love that you read me even though you don’t run!
Joe:
I agree; frequently Little G has me running through buildings (or over them, in a single bound, as I like to imagine. Supergirl!).
And, yes, my recorded maps of runs in faraway lands feel like mementos from the trip. I like that!
Further to you, Repliderium, about not knowing “who or what” Little G” was — my dad was afraid to ask me what type of device Little G exactly was, as he was afraid it could get awkward (shall we say?), especially given the fact that I clearly am so enamored with this little electronic thing. HILARIOUS!
LMAO! Your Dad & I both thank you for the enlightenment!
I’ve regularly upgraded my Garmin collection, going from the 1xx to the 205 (same as 305, minus the heartrate function) and now onto the 405. Here’s my quick take:
— The reception is no better, no worse than the 205. In fact, the Garmin peeps at the Boston expo (where I purchased) told me it’s the same. So, I often jog a warmup over to the SE corner of Central Park, where I get in a light stretch while the watch acquires a signal. Mission accomplished there.
— The “Renegade Bezel” is in part a flaw of having a touch bezel in the first place. Your sweat seems to transmit the electrical current that triggers bezel activity, like what your finger would achieve. Garmin sort of addresses this by allowing you to “lock” the bezel: press the “lap” and “start/stop” button simultaneously to toggle between locked and unlocked. Of course, it’s a bit of an inconvenience to have to unlock just to switch views … then again, I often have trouble doing much of anything after a workout because the watch will be thoroughly covered in sweat and take on a mind of it’s own (people must think I’m nuts when they see the backlight strobing!).
— I like the molded plastic band and shape because it’s certainly slimmed the watch down and made it more fashionable, if still huge for a normal timepiece. But … I’ve had to send mine back already once because the watch band broke at the pin hole, where it connects to the body. I never put much stress on that area, and the watch fits my wrist just fine, but somehow that inflexibility in the area was too much for that strap.
— Re: the above point … Garmin customer service is tops. When I called to see if they’d ship me a new strap that I could put on, they made me send the WHOLE watch back to them. Ugh. But, imagine my glee when they send me an entirely new watch only a couple days later! Not “fixed.” “New.”
— You mean to tell me these people can’t get a working version of the wireless sync software for a mac? Mac support was supposed to be out last summer, but now they’re saying Q1 2009. I’m kinda p’d off about this one.
— Software. Hmmm, I gave up on all of the options once Garmin took over MotionBased because they all kinda suck. Instead, I dump the data to my work computer (PC) and then use the TCX files to create maps on gpsvisualizer.com … To find your Garmin history on PC, go to
C:\Documents and Settings\#######\Application Data\GARMIN\Devices\######\History
Note: the ##### would be specific to your computer/name/device.
Hmmm, I’m sure I have a lot more comments on this, but, in general, I think it’s the best option out there for time/distance/pace/etc all in one unit. The gps is accurate. If you use the lap-pace display and set it to auto-lap every mile, you’ll get a pretty accurate pace (I’ve found more so than the current page setting which can fluctuate wildly). I mostly use the watch only for easy days (make sure I’m running slow enough), interval days (I run mine on the streets so don’t always have a good reference point other than my internal preception of page) and many long runs (when I want to be sure I’m hitting my times; slow enough in the early miles, working hard enough in the later miles).
All that said, I’ve strongly recommended the watch to a lot of runner friends and do so for anybody who can afford the option. Otherwise, the 305 is an affordable alternative that will get you just about the same benefits.
I’m still happy with my 205. Here in suburban Florida, I can find a signal *inside* my house while I fuel up and have never lost my signal while on a run. Yes, the screen is like running with a TV strapped to my wrist, but it does the job of helping me train on pace, and I credit it with some good races.
Unfortunately, Garmin-hawking distracts me enough during training; I can’t imagine how much more it would distract me if I had a wonky bezel with a mind of its own. And I do switch back and forth between screens on the run, so locking the bezel wouldn’t help. Methinks buying the “new and improved” 405 will be my reward for BQ’ing . . . sometime in 2013.
Your “Little G” has a partner in my Garmie, TK; maybe one day all four of us will run together, either in your corner of the woods or mine.
JD, the Mac wireless sync app is up & running, I believe. My brother got his going this morning. Check it out & let me know… I could be wrong (it happens but I’m never happy abt it).
Zookeeper I am completely up for a West Coast run. Just today I was thinking how badly I need to get out to the coast to see some old friends….
Umm…I love my Garmin 305. I agree with all the raves and rants about its functionality, but really, I don’t think I’d be were I am with my running if it weren’t for it. The trick to getting the most of the Garmin is to use it with Sportstracks. Not only so, but if you download Sportstracks with all it’s pluggins, it fixes a lot of miscalculations that the Garmin GPS has. For example, I have a pluggin that accurately tells me the exact weather pattern…another that fixes the elevation that Garmin is notoriously bad at, another that compares paces over different terrain (perfect for hill work) and other features that make it totally indispensible. So together the Garmin and Sportstracks gives me more data and numbers to play with than I could ever want. Highly recommended!
The 305+ SportTracks combo=perfection. (And Laminator was the one who told me about SportTracks in the first place 🙂 ) You can slice and dice the data better with that program and I like the export to Google Earth with the mile splits feature (which is where I get some of the Garmin-created maps that I post on my blog.)
You’d be correct, TK. Still no word on the software page for the 405, but on their mac software page they have ant agent for mac download. Worked this evening to pull workouts off to my computer.
Oh yeah, if anybody needs the link: http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/index.jsp
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