Shop Treadmills > Treadmill Trainers > Garmin 010-00375-01 Running Machine > Reviews

Excellent personal training device

S. Cronin - 5 out of 5.

Used the Forerunner 301 for the first time after it arrived today and I am extremely impressed. Downloaded the latest Training Center software and this works flawlessly on 64 bit Vista. The interface with Google Earth is a superb addition and proved the accuracy of the GPS - easily within the <10m tolerance as specified. I ran along beaches, a riverside and roads and all the GPS plots of my run matched in Google Earth spot on. This obviously means that the speed/pace readings will also be accurate and with the excellent totally flexible editable workout facility this is going to be a big motivator to get me back out training regularly to get me fit for Windsurfing. I will also be able to use the Forerunner to check out the speeds I can get up to on my Windsuring kit.
As soon as I get myself a new bike, I will be adding cycling workouts and getting the bike mount kit.

0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Brilliant!!

Alison from UK - 5 out of 5.

I brought this after my 201 konked out. I had read a lot of reviews on the 305 and the 405, and I was not really impressed with what I was reading.

The 405 in particular had fantastic reviews but then there were terrible reviews. I did not want to take the risk of having a bad bit of kit. I went to Halfords to see the 305 as they sell it, and quite frankly, the 205 looked like something out of Dr Who, far too bulky, esp for us Girls. So I went for the 301.

It does everything I want it to, and is an improvement on the 201,as it has an inbuilt HRM. Im a runner, and I found it great for doing intervals... it gave me my average hpm for each of the intervals, most useful. I have had no problems whatsoever with getting a signal, with maintaining the signal and the pace calculator is accurate. I live in a town, rather than a city. You can also press buttons to see different screens. I have a screen for HR, and a screen for pace and distance, excatly what I want. A nice big screen too.

I also found it eay to hold, rather than have round my wrist or arm, it slipped gently inside my palm, with it being rectangular. I would not in any event wear a watch, even a 405.

So if you want a gadget that works, that isnt expensive (the 405 is £200!!, I paid 70 odd for the 301) and looks OK, then I recomend it. Amazon got it for me via a firm called Photoland, and they, too, were 100%. Delivery: ordered it on the Thurs, and it came on the Tues in a nice unopened, unused box........ absolutely no complaints there!!

0 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Can't decide between 301 and 305?

C. Johnson from UK - 4 out of 5.

I have now bought both 301 and 305 (I could not do without one whilst the first went back for repair!

301 - Cheaper, excellent display, indeed larger than the 305. Initialisation of satellites could take 2-3 minutes every day and sometimes gets lost for 30 seconds on a run under trees. Poor USB socket reliability - mine broke.

305 - in general it is more expensive, looks cool and has more functionality, eg racing against a previous run and fully alterable displays.

However, the 305 has a great PLUS POINT - the GPS initialisation is fantastic, 30 seconds in the house and doesn't loose it on a run.

The 305 has one BAD POINT - The display is not only smaller, the contrast (alterable) is poorer but the letter describing the data fields and value for history are SO SMALL and wispy that I can barely see them with contact lenses and reading glasses, whilst the 301 was fine without both.

To end on a good note, the 305 has flush pins for USB connection and fits into a cradle. My 301 had a miniature USB on the watch, which filled up with sweat and somehow became intermittent - hence back for repair.

Conclusion - 305 is better, but if you have poor eye sight, I would get the 301.

20 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.

A good piece of kit

Scottie007 from London - 5 out of 5.

I have to say i was quite impressed by this as it was actually able to pick up a GPS signal in the middle of central London! I do have to agree about the heart rate monitor does go a bit crazy every so often! The software provided is an excellent monitoring tool!

1 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Very useful but HRM spikey

Robert from Wakefield, UK - 4 out of 5.

I bought one of these a few months ago from Amazon for marathon training. The GPS is good, and whilst I've had a few dropouts, it's generally pretty good. It can take a tedious amount of time to acquire the satellite signals - I recommend standing away from buildings and keeping the unit as still as possible. However, I'm not so sure about the HRM. It seems to spike at 230-240 way too often (I'm sure my heart's not going at that rate!) meaning the warning triggers too often. Also the pace reading is a bit too instantaneous I think - I haven't figured out whether it can be smoothed a bit more.

The software is OK. The maps aren't very accurate but you can subscribe to MotionBased or other sites where you will get a much more accurate map.

All in all, a worthwhile investment for distance tracking and training, although the HRM could be better

8 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Ideal running watch

R. J. Staunton from UK - 5 out of 5.

Like many other runners I have made the mistake of over estimating my distance out training, and my racing has suffered as a result. With a 301 those days are gone. Unlike other reveiwers I have had no problems with the software supplied with the device. All of the information you could need is shown in a clear manner and downloads to the pc take no time. Using the watch itself is little different to a normal watch, apart from acquiring a signal. I lean the watch on the lounge window and it picks up the signal while I am getting ready. The best feature is the average lap indicator - the real time speed is a little spikey. The heart rate moniter seems to work well too. Theres nothing really to criticise. There is a new model out, but availability is an issue, and its over £100 more with little advantage. If you run you should buy this product!

11 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Forerunner 301 is so simple to use

S. Green from Ellesmere Port, Cheshrie United Kingdom - 4 out of 5.

Firstly Amazon delivered my new Forerunner within 24 Hrs of my ordering it, fantastic. Straight out of the box all you have to do is charge it up then get out running. The 301 found a GPS signal in 2 minutes, this remained solid throughout, the HRM worked great with no spikes and was very comfortable. On returning home after my 10 miles or so it was easy to get the data onto my PC (Don't use the software that comes on the CD, download the newest version from www.garmin.com), within minutes i could inspect my route, view all my vital stats graphically and it was simple to plan and download onto the 301 a complete training program for the London Marathon. The only drawback was the pace/speed display when running, it appeared to have a small anount of lag, this can be fine tuned so i'll get round to fixing it. Overall a great piece of kit.

13 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Great Cycling Partner

P. Winchcombe - 5 out of 5.

I have now had my Garmin 301 since mid Dec 2005 and am still glad I bought it. It worked out of the box, my PC recognised it, it found and still finds the satellite in 1 - 2 minutes, the heart rate monitor has only failed to record consistently during training once out of 30 or more sessions (my fault in positioning the strap). I use it for cycling rather than running and the average speed is a great tool, the training partner works well (although when you hit traffic lights and it just carries on, you know some work will be required). The site which holds your latest 10 sessions for free makes up for the atrocious mapping which comes with the Garmin. Have not managed to work out what map software the Garmin is compatible with for home PC. Other reviewers have highlighted the small numbers for heart rate monitor and I agree. On runs the variety of alarms allows you to tell if you are keeping up with your targets. A personal training GPS may seem like over kill but if I were still running half and full marathons this would be invaluable. As a cyclist it allows me to keep an accurate record of mileage and it doesn't half annoy my mates when I say that's another mile and the pace has dropped. Get one, you won't regret it if you already train regularly.

16 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Great Christmas present

Anonymous - 3 out of 5.

I got this for Christmas (2005) and have since used it for 7 runs. In general it's great, and a real thrill to review distance/speed/routes (though sadly I don't run quite as far/fast as I hoped!). I've found being able to track speed/elevation/heart rate really useful.

Like other users I couldn't get it to work with the supplied software, hence the 3 stars. Like the others I downloaded the latest version (from July 05!) and my PC then recognised the watch and I was able to download runs. I'm not overwhelmed with the quality of the software, it doesn't give you much advice, or allow you to compare runs with each other. I'm planning to download google earth plus which apparently allows you to import sessions.

In general I've had a good gps signal, it drops maybe once or twice briefly in the forest where I run (not always in the same place). I didn't get on with one feature called "auto pause" which is supposed to pause the clock when you stop to cross a road or whatever, but also kicked in when I slowed to scramble up and down muddy banks.

Also, strange for a watch, but it's hard to use it to actually see what time it is when you're on a run! Also, the heart rate indicator on the watch is really small and difficult to read when you're running.

Time for Garmin and suppliers (ie Amazon) to supply the right version of the software with the watch don't you think?

18 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Garmin Forerunner 301

Anonymous - 5 out of 5.

I purchased the garmin forerunner 301 a few months back after a friend "McBlue" recommended it. I do a lot of mountain bike riding so it was great to have a record of what i did each time i went out on a ride, i have even used it for running. This is really a great piece of equipment it records all the information you need to see how you are progressing in whatever sport you are doing and you have a complete record downloaded on to your computer which you can write comments on where you went, who with and how you felt you did etc. It truly is a great thing certainly makes me want to go out all the time to then come home and see it all on record. You can also then download it onto Motion Base and you can view everyone else's workout and put your one on too and people all over the world use it and its great to see their maps and where they have been, you can also see your route on Google Earth this is also very good, well what more can i say i loved it so much that i then went on to buy another one for my mate's christmas presents "McMatt". Im sure you wont be disappointed. "McBlonde"

9 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Forerunner 301

Neil from Herts - 3 out of 5.

This is a great piece of kit if you want to train outdoors, away from the city. The GPS unit is very accurate and it is simple to operate. It fits well on your wrist, and the bike fit is compact too. In summary, it's hard to beat. Why 3 stars? Garmin supplied me with outdated 'Training Center' software that doesn't run with the device, and I had to contact their help department, and download updated software.

8 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

All the great features of the 201 but with so much more

S Mansell from Bath, England - 5 out of 5.

I bought a Forerunner 201 about 8 months ago to help/encourage me with my run training. I fell in love with it instantly, and thought it would be hard to beat.

My girlfriend recently suggested that I should switch to heart-rate training, and so I decided to "upgrade" to the 301.

Wow! It does so much more than the 201 including "advanced" workouts where you can easily setup fartlek, interval and tempo runs based on time, distance and/or heartrate.

In short - brilliant!

11 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

fine piece of kit

Anonymous - 4 out of 5.

I've only had this for a week but already see this as an essential piece of equipment in my training programme. I see that others have had some problems with the GPS but I run through woody areas and have not lost any signal, at any stage, even when the tree canopy shuts out the majority of the light.

The real treat, for me, is getting back home and downloading the data onto a PC and seeing graphs showing how my heart rate and running pace change through the run. It really is the ultimate toy!

The device is unobtrusive when in use: the strap needs some adjustment before you get it right, and the GPS bit is attached to a velcro strap. Mugger fodder perhaps, especially when you look as knackered as I do during my run, but very easy to use.

You can also use it when doing other sports, not just running. I have a friend who uses one when swimming though cycling is the obvious alternative to running while still being able to use the GPS outdoors.

Why not four stars? No Mac compatibility for the TC software. Sorry guys but given the simplicity of the software it can't be that difficult to get someone to write it for the Mac.

I also couldn't get my PC to identify the device through the USB interface. It turns out I needed to download the latest Training Centre software from Garmin. Not a problem but it would be nice to have had it on the disc. The updated version came out long enough ago for me to have got it last week. That said, Garmin were very helpful in getting me up and running.

18 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Be aware of the device's GPS Limitations

Anthony Barthorpe from Orkney, Scotland, United Kingdom - 3 out of 5.

I bought this device as part of my fitness regime that sees me running 3 marathons a year. I live in the Orkney Islands which has an open, undulating and mostly treeless environment. In Orkney the device works like a dream. On Sunday 2nd October 2005 I ran the Budapest Marathon where I decided to use the device to monitor my pace under race conditions. In the city environment with tall buildings coupled with occassional tree cover, the device was pretty well useless. The signal drop out was so bad that I ignored all the read outs except the timer which I used to manually calculate my kilometer splits and my pace. When I downloaded the telemetry from the device into the computer after the race, the traning centre report indicated that I had only covered 32km instead of 42.1km. In other words for a full quarter of the marathon course it had failed to register a working signal. As a training device in the right environment, it does exactly what it says on the packet. In a city environment it is not really fit for the purpose and should not be relied on by a serious runner as a device that can be under race conditions as anything other than a stopwatch. I have given the device a 3 star rating. This reflects an average score. 5 Stars for use in the open air with few or no buildings or trees present. 1 Star for use in a city or town environment where there are tall buildings, narrow streets or where there is tree cover.

28 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Best running kit

Viv - 5 out of 5.

This is the best bit of running kit I have ever bought. Together with the Sport Tracks software you can have endless fun looking at your pace, splits, heart rate, and track your run on a map. It satisfies all my obssessive needs!

4 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.

Beyond running

R M perkins from Windsor, Berkshire United Kingdom - 5 out of 5.

I've had a forerunner 301 for about 4 months now, so i think i've used about every feature. The best thing about it is you can get it to regulate the amount of 'effort' you put into a run. Say you want to do a certain distance in a certain time, it can measure this, but also keep track of your heart rate to stop you overdoing it when under the weather.
Also, as i do quite a bit of hiking, the altitude reading is very useful, as is the gradient.
Overall the unit is very easy to use whilst on the run, and has a great indiglo style backlight for dusk / night running.
A couple of complaints, the map software they supply with the unit is awful. It's about 100-200 metres out in some places which shows you having run down a motorway, or in the sea! You can purchase better maps, but they don't come cheap.
The other drawback it has is when you're running in cities the buildings can block the gps signal, leaving 'gaps in your route when you download it.
My next aim is to try and hook it up to my pocket pc to view my route as i walk or cycle it.

62 people voted this review as helpful and 0 people voted this review as unhelpful.

All you ever need - worth every penny

Anonymous - 4 out of 5.

Just started out runing and a training programme for the London Marathon 2006. This item will cover all your needs - and is great if you don't belong to a running club. It will help set up a training programmes/sessiosn and with the heart monitor it will be based on your fitness. The forerunner is easy to opperate and understand and has a great training centre that you can setup and review your programmes and progress in depth on your pc. You can also download firmware upgrade and fixes to keep your unit up-to-date. Go for it!

44 people voted this review as helpful and 1 people voted this review as unhelpful.