14 responses so far ↓

• 1 Elmore

  I have been using the 50 for approx 4 months. The set up and operation of the unit are not very intuitive. However once set up it is acceptable. Just be careful not to accidently push 2 buttons at the same time. This is easy to do when trying to push one side button with your index finger while applying counter pressure with the thumb.

  Push 2 and the watch will reset. If it does then you will lose anything in the memory. Not very nice if you haven’t downloaded the workouts in memory or are in the middle of a long run.

• 2 Eckenberg

  My wife loves it! she has used it so much for her runs that the battery went out in 6 months! We went to a watch store to change it. It had no power unless we adjusted it, then it would lose power again…uggg. My wife loved it so much we just got a new one. I hope the battery last longer, if not, looks like she’ll have another one for her birthday (easy gift). The set up is a bit of a pain, but if you call Garmin, they can help and it’s only a one time deal. Other than the set up & battery, it’s great. Tracks speed, distance thru-out the run (i.e. when you slow down it shows you on the computer via graph and text when and how long during the run you slowed down and what speed you going). Pretty cool. Just make sure you get the foot pod also.

• 3 Ishikawa

  I got this watch about 9 months ago, and was fairly happy with it until it stopped working. It went through the first battery in about 5 months and after having it changed it never seemed the same. I tripped during a race this Fall and while I didn’t hit it on the pavement, it reset from the shock. Poof, mile 4 of a half marathon and my watch reads 00:00. Since then it’s repeatedly reset at the slightest bump or jostle and now the battery’s dead again. Now I have no watch and am not sure I want to give Garmin any more of my money.

• 4 Ives

  Been using this sucker with HR strap and footpod for about 6 months now, running a LOT.

  Pros:
  *I had never used a HR monitor before. Fantastic training method. Can’t compare it to any other HR monitors (e.g. Polar), but compared to NOT using a HR monitor for training, it gets five stars.

  *Small, lightweight, waterproof.

  *Got the entire set (watch, HR monitor, and foot pod) for $120.

  Cons:
  *Having used many other regular watches, from Casio to Timex’s Ironman, as a basic watch, or even a workout watch, it’s crappy. First of all, the light from the light button does NOT stay on long enough. Some of us actually exercise at night, you know? Ironman watch: much better.

  *Effectively non-standard start/stop/save button functionality. That face button for lap is just plain annoying. The buttons in general I don’t find that good. And, if I’m trying to time many short events (sprint times of other people) it’s a total pain and slow to be able to start, stop, clear, and restart. I realize that’s not what it’s necessarily made for, but it’s annoying.

  *Battery life is marginal. My footpod battery was dead out of the box when new. That was annoying. Had the system 6 months, and changed the watch battery twice now and the footpod once (total of four batteries in six months if you count the DOA footpod). Glad I’m comfortable doing so myself, as paying someone to do it would be annoying. That said, I do like replaceable better than a rechargeable watch itself as sometimes you’re just not near power. Best would be if I felt comfortable enough to try out the RCR-2032 batteries (rechargeable versions; they’re out there) but am worried that the higher voltage will kill it.

  Overall, if you’ve never used a HR monitor system, I think it’s just dandy. But, I wish the watch were as functional and high quality as the Ironman series, the light stayed on longer, the buttons were better, and DEFINITELY wish that it took a velcro sports watch band.

• 5 Mohr

  My unit’s battery came dead, had to buy a new one, not a big deal. Be aware the unit is activated by sensing shakes, so the unit probably stayed on during transport.

  It works as advertised, very well made. Highly recommended.

• 6 McGillivray

  I love the foot pot and it works great with the Garmin Forerunner 50 I purchased. The only problem is the battery was DOA. I was getting frustrated with not being able to get it to pair with the watch. Then I recalled reading a review on the foot pod saying it worked great once they put a new battery in it. So I took the battery out of the heart rate monitor and put it in the foot pod. No issues since.

• 7 Erskine

  I’ve had a few troubles with the 405.
  The footpod: as reviewed numerous other times, the pod would not connect with the watch, which was frustrating. After reading reviews, I now realize it is the battery – DOA (dead on arrival). Not cool when your spending serious bucks for the 405 and foot pod.
  The watch: oh boy. I’m pretty good technically – maybe an 8 out of 10. But after reading the entire 2 pages of manual, and the DVD that was enclosed, which had about the same amount of info as the manual, I cannot get the darn thing to just tell me my HR, pace and distance. Believe me, I’ve tried.
  I’m guessing if you know someone who has one, and you go running with them, and they show you how to get it programmed… then maybe you’re go to go.
  But I gotta say, it’s not easy to figure out. You have to be outside, moving and have the manual with you to go through the programs, training, options, workouts.

  I really want to like it. And I’ll go to Walgreens tomorrow and get a new battery. And I’ll try again.
  But really, it shouldn’t be this hard.

  Wish I had gotten the 305, which has much better functionality (although from what I read, worse GPS reception).

• 8 Crow

  The footpod I received was slightly different than the one pictured, which was actually for once a good thing.
  The Garmin footpod I got was a smaller, more compact version of the one pictured.
  If you own the Nike+ shoes, and are looking to upgrade to a Garmin, look for Footpod Model Number Garmin 010-11092-00 or also known at SDM4, I believe.
  The unit is smaller and will fit into a Nike+ shoe, which is a nice touch.
  Getting the unit and clip around shoelaces was just a tad tough, but that’s a good thing. It hasn’t fallen off yet.
  Provided you have a Garmin unit that displays the cadence, you will also see your stride rate on your reports in the Garmin training center. Still not sure how useful that particular information is yet, but the graphs look very colorful now.
  I haven’t been forced inside on the treadmill to use this yet, but I have to assume it will be as accurate if not more so than the Nike+.
  With the addition of the footpod to my Garmin setup, I have officially upgraded from the Nike+ system for tracking my runs.

• 9 Hammond

  I bought the Forerunner with Footpod and ANT Stick for $104. The heartrate monitor was seperate. Warning to buyers – there are a lot of different “packages” for the Forerunner and you have to research carefully what exactly comes with yours.

  Pros:
  – Decent memory for keeping workout history
  - Nice on-line interface for looking at your workouts
  - Once you get the pairing to footpad, heart rate monitor figured out its seemless
  Cons:
  – Its kinda big and ugly
  – It has a lot of options, but its really hard to remember all the button sequences to press to use them. In the end I only use Time, Training Mode (heart rate, and pace, and laps).
  – Getting the pairing to work was a pain initially. Once I got it it was OK. Pairing to the ANT and uploading to the web is a continual pain. Good thing it stores a decent number of workouts so I don’t have to do it all the time.

• 10 Delfin

  I really like the Forerunner 50. It was fairly simple to set up and the foot pod was close enough for me with it’s accuracy. You can always set adjust it. You do need to wet the heartrate monitor a little before starting your workout or it won’t work until you have a good sweat going. The USB stick works great, I like being able to see my heart rate fluctuations and my rate of speed on the treadmill. I do wish it would work with the eliptical though, I usually warm up there.

  Anyway, for the price it’s a great product. I look forward to purchasing the bicycle pod and trying that out next. As for the battery running out, mine was delivered out. So if you have an issue, run down to your local CVS or Walgreens and get a 2-pack for $[...] Problem solved.
  [...]

• 11 Belcher

  This is a great all-around product. It’s great for working out at the gym or just tracking daily activities. My only complaint would be that it is a little difficult to understand how to set it up, but that could just be my lack of technological aptitude. I would definitely recommend these items.

• 12 Nahouli

  I like this watch but I had trouble linking the foot pod to the watch. I’m at the point where I have to purchase a new battery to see if that works.

• 13 Fee

  I got the watch. I didn’t open it right away, but when I finally did. It worked ok at first, I had to replace the battery in the footpod in order for the watch to detect it as soon as I started using it. Then the watch I replaced a few days later. Now it’s not working at all.

  Outside of return window. I didn’t even get the chance to use it at all.
  I wouldn’t recommend buying this watch. I got a lemon from Amazon.

• 14 Avery

  Foot pod arrived with a dead battery. Need to calibrate foot pod. Overall, its a good product and it serves my need. Thanks.

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