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950 of 955 humans found the following review helpful.
Great watch for running indoors or outdoors
By Stephen M. Charme
After using the Forerunner 305 for over two years, I decisive to replace it with the 405cx and am very happy with my decision. But basi let me address the main criticism of the 405cx and it is predecessor the 405--the bevel and touch system.
Garmin is not Apple, so the bevel and touch are not on par with the scroll wheel on an Ipod or the touch on an iPod Touch--but they still work fine. Granted, if the bevel gets sweaty or I touch it with sweaty fingers (not something unexpected for an exercise watch) it becomes nonresponsive until I wipe off the sweat. But this is not a big deal for me. When I run I plainly use automati scroll, which is unaffected by moisture. And if I want to override automati scroll by using a manual touch, it takes only a second to wipe the sweat off the bezel or my fingers. So don't be discouraged from buying this unit based on the bevel and touch.
While the 305 is a great unit, here is why I like the 405cx better. Note: I use this on an Intel powered Macbook running the latest edition of Leopard without any problems.
1. Although the 405cx is as thick as the 305, it is noticeably littler and lighter.
2. I like the wireless ANT engineering that mechanically transfers info rather than having to place the unit in a USB cradle as with the 305 (though doing so is not a huge deal), and also without apparent effort pairs with my heart rate monitor and foot pod (which must be purchased separately).
3. The 305 has no power save mode, and I inadvertently drained the battery a couple of times when I forgot to turn it off after running or put it in the charger. The 405cx not only has an automatic power save mode, but you may turn off the GPS when running indoors to further save power. With the GPS turned off, scarcely any power is used. Also, this capacity to turn the GPS off makes it posing no difficulty to use the footpod when running indoors (the 305 basi has to search for a satellite signal before realizing you are indoors, and that may take various minutes).
4. I find the bevel and touch system on the 405cx much requiring little effort to use than the buttons on the 305 in order to alter respective features. But I like electronic gadgets, and as I said above, the sweat issue is not a huge deal for me.
Here are a heap of tips:
1. Rinse the unit, the heart rate monitor and the strap after each use with plain water.
2. Keep the unit in the charging clip after each use to assure you always have sufficient power. A simple touch of the bevel will tell you the percentage of power left. The charging clip may be powered thru a USB port on your computer or by way of an electric outlet using an AC adaptor. The included AC adaptor with the 405cx is very clunky; I use the Apple travel charger for the iPod instead. Make sure the charging clip is in the right manner attached to the unit or you will drain the unit rather of charging it (already happened to me).
3. Although the unit lists three training fields, there are genuinely four if you have the heart rate monitor--by default only the heart rate shows up in the introductory field, but you may change that to include two further and added data items.
4. Unlike the 305, where you may move forward and backward amid data fields, the 405cx lets you move only forward. Therefore, when I run indoors I turn off my "outdoor only" selective information fields--grade, elevation, etc.--so that I don't waste time looking at them.
5. For a basi time purchaser to whom cost is important, I would say get the 305. My reasons for switching to the 305 may not be primary to you.
6. Buy the new version of the footpod rather than the old version (I have reviewed both on Amazon) for running indoors.
7. I use a Mac software program called Ascent that I think is far superior to Garmin Connect and Garmin Training Center, and not similar to the former does not require an internet connection to upload data.
Bottom Line: I have had this unit for three weeks and run over 100 miles both indoors on a treadmill and outdoors in all kinds of weather--light rain, cool nights, and hot humid days. I genuinely like this unit. Due to the bevel and touch issues I would have ranked it 4 ½ stars if I could, but since there are no ½ star ratings I gave it 5 stars in spite of those issues because for me they are negligible equated to the rich features on the 405cx. If you are a severe runner, you will love this unit.
Update July 22, 2009: I have now been using this for when it comes to six weeks and logged over 200 miles. In that time I have had the bevel lock up due to sweat only twice: once in the gym and once outside. The point is that this is even less of a problem than I thought, and will have to not admonish you from buying this unit.
A more severe issue is with the ANT technology. Sometimes I will get a message on my laptop that the transfer of selective information to the laptop from the 405cx was not successful. I then quit the Garmin Ant Agent on my laptop (and most times remove and reinsert the ANT USB stick as well), restart it, and have to go through this routine three or four times before the selective information ultimately transfers to my laptop. The problem started out after I modified the ANT software, and I see from Garmin forums that other users have experienced the same problem. Hopefully this is just a bug that Garmin will repair in a later update. While I would not let this admonish you from buying the 405cx, just keep in mind that a wireless transfer of data, while convenient, is not always problem free.
Update August 21, 2009: Garmin freed an update for Macs (and I assume for PCs as well) that solved the download troubles using the ANT technology. Now the data transfers work perfectly.
The more I use this watch, the better I like it. Here are my latest comments:
1. The backlight is far superior to that on the Forerunner 305. It gives rise to a much more magnificent light that I be grateful for when running at night either outdoors or on the treadmill at my gym (the treadmill area is kind of dim at night).
2. The battery life is excellent. Even with BOTH the backlight AND the GPS on for a couple of hours, battery capacity is still 75% when I am finished running. What this means as a practical matter is that if you forget to hook this watch up to the charger after a long run, you will still be good to go for your next run. The battery life per charge on the Forerunner 305 is not as good, and from time to time when I forgot to charge the 305 among runs, the battery would die for the duration of the second run.
3. The "sweat issue"--i.e. the watch getting non-responsive when the bevel gets sweaty--has become a non-issue for me since I haven't experienced any problem in months. Perhaps that is because I sporadically "towel off" the sweat on my wrist and forearm for the duration of a long run.
Update January 9, 2010: I carry on to commend this watch as the best GPS watch for severe runners. Using it this winter has been a pleasure. Here is why:
1. I have run in sub-freezing temperatures where the "real feel" with the wind has been as cold as zero. I keep this watch around the outside sleeve of my running jacket so the GPS function is not impeded (as it would be if the watch was covered up). The bitter cold has had no averse effect of any kind so far.
2. When I take a break for the duration of my run at a local comfortableness store, the watch does not fog up when I go inside, and after I have warmed up, it does not fog up when I go back outside.
3. I have run in light snow, which I just shake off the watch sporadically without any averse effect (and I did not suppose any, since I have run in light rain for the duration of warmer weather without any problems).
In short, this watch is performing great for the duration of a very cold winter in the Northeast.
Update May 24, 2010: I have been using this for closely a year, and it still works great. On a recent vacation to Mexico, the satellite signal was picked up quickly and without any problem, and the same was unfeigned when I returned home to New Jersey. Also, I ran outdoors in very hot and humid weather, and was drenched with sweat. It just took a couple of seconds to wipe it off the unit so that it would function properly. Here is a cleaning tip: At the end of each run I stop the timer, then touch the Time/Date at the top of the unit to switch to the time, and then lock the bezel before I rinse the watch off. I found that if I tried to lock the bezel while the unit was still on the exercise screen, on occasion I would in an unintentional manner restart the timer. But that doesn't occur if you switch to the Time/Date before locking the bezel.
I still believe that this is the best GPS watch on the market for severe runners.
Update June 27, 2010: The other day after I had finished running and transferring my data, I noticed that the time was faulty on my 405cx. I encountered that the screen had wholly frozen, and not one thing was responsive. I did some quick internet exploration and solved the problem as follows: I connected the 405cx to the charging clip, which I plugged directly into my PC rather of into my USB hub. Without touching the bevel, I simultaneously pushed in both buttons for in regards to 30 seconds, after which the screen unfroze and the charging screen appeared. The watch has worked fine ever since. I have no idea what caused the problem, but in case it happens to somebody else, I wanted to list what worked for me.
Update November 4, 2010: I have now had this unit for over 16 months, for the duration of which I have run when it comes to 1600 miles indoors and outdoors in all kinds of weather year round, and it still works great. I have a few miscellaneous tips:
1. I have seen galore reviews complain regarding battery life. After a 2 1/2 hour run outdoors I still have 70% of my battery life. However, I begin with 100% because whenever my unit is not in use, I have it attached to the battery charger. I think that is a good habit to get into.
2. When traveling, I use the Garmin GPS travel case (which I have reviewed on Amazon). I always begin with a unit that is 100% charged, then turn the GPS off, then lock the bevel so that the backlight does not without advance planning come on if the unit is jostled in the case. If you take those three steps, then you will not wind up with a "dead" unit when you reach your destination.
3. I purchased an extra battery charger and keep it in my carrying case. An extra charger is not costly (you may buy it on Amazon) and ensures that you will be competent to charge the unit while you are away. Sometimes when you are packing at the last minute it is easy to forget things, and I already had one trip where I forgot the charger. That's when I purchased an extra one to keep in the case.
4. I have seen a review complain that there is no on/off switch. I agree that might be handy to have sometimes, but it actually is unnecessary if you keep your unit in the charger when not in use and take the precautions that I cited while traveling.
5. Finally, I have seen a comment that the calories will count up even if you are not wearing the heart rate monitor. True, but the count will not be precise because the 405cx specifically calculates calories based on heart rate. That means you need to wear the heart rate monitor if you want an precise calorie count.
6. If you are taking into account buying this unit but still have a great deal of doubts, buy it on Amazon, which has a no questions asked return policy if it does not live up to your expected values in the original 30 days. Also, if you have an Amex card, use it to buy the unit since Amex at no cost extends the mfrs warranty for one year, and will refund your entire buy price if an item becomes faulty after the mfrs warranty has expired but before the extra one year amount of time from Amex has expired.
Update December 10, 2010: The price on this unit has dropped dramatically on Amazon because Garmin has now introduced a newer model called the Forerunner 410, which is much more expensive, and is likewise available on Amazon (though as of this date there is not a single review). I have not personally tested the 410, but based on what I have read, I am not prepared to switch. The biggest betterment is supposed to be that the bezel is no longer affected by sweat, but as brought up in my review of the 405cx, I have not found that to be a major issue, even though I recognise that a good deal of users have experienced problems. Aside from that, I have not read regarding any refinements that I think are indispensable sufficient to warrant paying substantially more money. Therefore if you are looking for a terrific running watch, I don't think that may presently find a better one than the 405cx, which I have now been using with great success for 1 1/2 years. And the best price is still on Amazon.
Update December 21, 2010: It is indispensable to update the software on the 405cx to the current version to keep the 405cx working at it is best. To see what version you presently have, go to Menu, Settings, System, About. Then Google "Garmin Forerunner 405cx software update," which will take you to the Garmin software update web site for the 405cx. See what the latest version of the software is. If there is a newer version of the software than on your 405cx, then follow the instructions for updating. I suggest attaching your 405cx to the charger for the duration of the update routine to see to it that the update is not interrupted due to a low charge.
I not long ago modified the software for my 405cx, which I had neglected to do for a while, and saw an prompt betterment in my satellite acquisition, which now in a literal sense takes just seconds. Doing an update is not difficult, and the directions are easy to follow.
Update March 6, 2011: This is the second winter that I have run outdoors with the 405cx in the Northeast. It has worked great. I have run in temperatures near zero, for the duration of the blizzard that we had in December, and in light snow, sleet, freezing rain, and an ice storm. I never had any problem with the 405cx beneath any of these conditions because at the beginning of each run I had the bezel set to automati scroll (which I always use, irrespective of the weather) and locked the bezel.
Using automati scroll and locking the bezel does away with the sweat and moisture issues that I have seen other reviewers complain about. In addition, when I stop to take a break and want to see the time, it takes me only a second to unlock the bezel, and then lock it again when I am ready to resume my run.
I have now been using this watch for 1 3/4 years and still believe that for the current price on Amazon you cannot get a better value for your running.
48 of 48 persons found the following review helpful.
Miles in front of the rest
By World Traveller
I in truth did my homework in choosing a fitness watch with heart rate monitor. I ordered competing models from Garmin, Timex, Polar, and Suunto, to look them over closely and compare. Then I sent them all back but this one.
Someone pointed out that this Garmin watch is a little on the clunky side - that's true. I have a little wrist,and the watch share of it is long and flat and doesn't genuinely fit nicely. They had to pack the GPS receiver inside the band. But no matter - with the band strapped tight, it stays put, and it's not so huge that people would say "What's that thing on her wrist?" It still looks like a watch. A funky sort of a watch maybe, but not a television set or anything.
I think you need to determine if you want GPS or not. I decisive that yes, I in truth wanted GPS to measure my distance, because I run and jog and hike and travel rather a bit, so my routes are always changing. In my idealisti world, I'd be capable to pop up a map on my PC and see my route, and have a table showing all my workouts and how a great deal of miles they total, in running, biking, etc. I could at long last answer the folks at the running store when they ask how a great deal of miles are on my running shoes.
I ended up with this Garmin, far and away the best choice for just what I wanted. All the other GPS solutions were discerned strap-on-the-arm ones that integrate AAA batteries that need to be substituted each 12 hours of operation - ouch, costly. Even with rechargables, it would be a hassle to be always taking them out, plugging them into the charger, putting them back in the arm-band-GPS unit. The watch on those other widgets was just a receiver for the arm-unit. Granted, it meant that their watches could be a little littler ... I genuinely liked the design of the Timex the best, and the Polar was little too. But who wants to carry a clunky thing around their arm? That's one more thing to pack or lose, more batteries to buy and fuss with, more elements to break... forget it.
I also was swayed to a considerable degree by the Garmin software and tight integration with the PC and mapping software. None of the other brands, as of this writing (January 2010) had anything near as easy. Polar excels at fitness tracking, but not the mapping part. Timex and others require third-party mapping solutions that you have to manually upload and comprise with. Only Garmin had a simple plug-and-play solution. Plug in their little included USB "ANT Stick" (like a little thumb drive), and fetch the watch near, and it mechanically receives the info the watch stored from your workouts, loads it into your Garmin fitness/mapping program, and you may see all your stats and your routes etc.
I also liked that this unit is one of the few that tracks altitude, so you recognise not only how galore miles, but how much total up and down you went (cumulative). It may display the data on a chart with any paramets you set, for example you may see the actual altitudes of your run along your route. That is so cool!
Other people trashed this unit because the bezel-touch operation is a hassle. One guy made the point that he just locks the screen into a view before his run starts, so he doesn't hassle with the touch thing going haywire. That is the perfective solution, and it's what I did too.
So with this Garmin watch, you only have to do not forget two pieces: the watch, and the charger. The charger clips right onto the watch to rejuice the battery inside. It ships with conversion plugs for global outlets.
Here's a tip that isn't clear from Garmin's specs: the GPS may be turned on or off. With the GPS on all the time, the watch will run out of juice after when it comes to 8 hours and will need to be recharged. With the GPS off, it lasts... I'm guessing at least a week (I haven't let it go that far). It works like a normal watch, tells date and time, etc. Heart rate monitor. Etc.
I was worried that this watch wouldn't work if you, say, went out in the morning for a hike, stopped for lunch, continued hiking... 8 hours wouldn't be enough. The simple solution is to turn off GPS when you don't need it, and your battery will last as long as you need it.
So, if you may afford it, this one is the only way to go, if you want GPS. I've had it a month, after handling all the others, reading their manuals, etc., and settling on this one. I'm super happy with it and love Garmin. Next generation will be even better, when they fix the bezel issue and get the watch to be even more watch-looking, but this is miles in front of the contest as is.
** Update - I've now had this model for closely a year, and still think it is fantastic. A few things I learned - the battery lasts regarding 2 weeks when the GPS is turned off. The link to mapping software works great, I have a year's worth of running/biking stats and I may click on any single run to see the route. Since I travel a reasonable amount, it's a great memory of places. It has a handy feature where you may set a starting point, such as the parking lot of a hiking area, and then once you're altogether lost, have it point the way back - you get an actual arrow pointing and a distance indicator of how far away you are from that point. It's kinda buried in all the menus, so not something you'd be capable to find quickly unless you did it steadily or had the user guide right there, but I used it twice and found it a ease knowing that, even if I got lost, I wouldn't be lost. It is likewise easy to switch amidst running and "multisport" modes, which means you may bike or jog and keep those stats separate. (That way, you're not apt to get impressed with yourself for running 20 miles, when in fact that day you were on a bike.) I have to mention that the wrist band closure is a bit of a hassle, if any person from Garmin is reading. It has a little lock to keep the end from flapping, but in fact, it's in truth hard to push the locking end through the little hold-down. Just a wee bit of hassle, hardly worth mentioning. Everything else I said above is still the case. It's a great tool.
97 of 104 humans found the following review helpful.
A Gadget Geek's Fun New Toy
By Gadget Geek
I'm a new runner and after running the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago this year, I think I'm addicted. I even registered for the 2009 Chicago Marathon, I still can't contemplate running a full 26.2 miles. But if I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this right. Running on nearby trails, I never actually knew how far I've run or what my pace was (there aren't any mile markers). I wanted a way to track my distance and pace. I have friends that own both the forerunner 305 and 405, and I was impressed on how accurately they tracked distance and pace. I researched the reviews on both, and even though I like the looks of the 405, I was leaning toward the 305 since it's half the price and the reviews were much more positive. However, I couldn't get over the notion of looking like I'm running with a computer on my wrist.
Along came proclamations of the 310xt and 405cx. Initially, I was set on getting the 310xt because of it's huge screen and waterproof capability. However, it wouldn't be freed till mid May and that model wouldn't even include the HRM. Originally I thought the 405cx wasn't available until mid May also, according to Amazon's 405cx preorder. But to my surprise, I found it available for free for the length of one night shipping from the Clever Training internetlocation for 369.99. I got mine for 314.95 with free ground shipping, so do your exploration and you might land a "premium" deal on this heart rate monitors in USA 
I'm getting side tracked here, I decisive on the 405cx because I was hoping Garmin would have ironed out all the flaws of it's former iteration. I've never owned the 405 or 305, so I can't say how much better the 405cx is. After reading the 405 reviews, a few complaints caught my attention:
- Poor satellite reception
- Clumsy bezel interface
- Locks up when sweated on
- Inaccurate heart rate monitor
1. Satellite reception is excellent. It's competent to track satellites indoors! (though accuracy is degraded)
2. The bezel interface, even though very sexy, is a pain in my arse to use. It's overly sensible at times and not in others. Lock it often. It's going to take a lot of time for me to get use to. Oh well, it's the price I have to pay for sexiness...
3. In the 2 days I've had this unit, it's never locked up on me. I want you to know, I sweat profusely to the point where it looks like I just took a shower (I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not...). I don't just sweat when I'm working out either, most times I sweat sitting idly in a chilly room. It's so embarrassing for the duration of meetings! So trust me, sweating does not cause the 405cx to lock up.
4. The heart rate monitor is superb. This is my original HRM though, so possibly I don't know what I'm talking about. But it doesn't spike to 200 bpm or drop to 20 bpm like the treadmills in the gym do, so I'm happy. On a side note, the 305 loves the HRM that comes with the 405cx. The one that comes with the 305 is utter garbage, it stays at 65 bpm disregarding of what you do. It was in all likelihood defective, but it's something to think in regards to for any person thinking of getting the 305 instead.
This review is getting genuinely long, and I need to get back to work. Garmin Connect is the online software that manages all your running data. Use it, it's hot. Just be aware, at default all your actions are shared with the Garmin Connect online community (think of what you put on your descriptions). I love how you may "play" your run on Google maps. It's hard for me to explain, check out this link for yourself
[...]
Please don't make fun of my slow pace, I'm a new runner! Here's a tip before I end this. You may delete activities. Just click on the red "x" next to the pencil and lock. This was a little discouraging and hindering until I figured it out. Good luck resolving on a watch, I hope it makes your runs more enjoyable. It does for a gadget geek like me.
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