Garmin Forerunner 310XT GPS Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor
Finally, a GPS-enabled training device that isn’t afraid of the water. The rugged Forerunner 310XT is the triathlete’s indispensable training tool – a GPS-enabled, swim-proof trainer that tracks bike and run data and sends it wirelessly to your computer. This multi-sport device has long battery life, tracks distance, pace and goes from wrist to bike in seconds.
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars Misleading: Not a Triathlete watch
This device has been represented as a triathlete’s watch and the first swim proof GPS watch. If you watch the video from Garmin or see any of the advertisements, Garmin leads you to believe that this watch will collect reliable data for all 3 multisport events. It is reasonable for someone to assume this watch can be worn in a race and collect GPS data in the water, since, of course, SWIMMING is the first event in a triathlon.
If you are considering buying this watch realize the following:
-This device does not collect usable data in the water, period (other than time, which any $20 waterproof watch can collect in a much smaller form factor). No heart rate data and totally unusable and inaccurate GPS data while in the water.
-There are preset modes for run, bike, and “other”, in which “other” shows a person on skis (explain that one?). They intentionally omit a category for swimming, despite advertising that this watch is for triathletes (see the photo I added under product photos).
-You will need to purchase a separate quick release kit if you want to use this watch on a bike. It does not get accurate data on a bike if you are wearing in on your wrist. It auto pauses, then unpauses for most of the time I am riding if I wear it on my wrist — even if I have it set to only auto pause when completely stopped. The quick release kit IS NOT the more common one for the 205 and 305 Garmin 010-10889-00 Forerunner 305/205 Quick Release Kit, so do not buy that one. They have made a new one for this watch and most places do not have it in stock yet. As of the date I am writing this review, it is not yet available on Amazon.com. Go to Garmin’s website and look under the accessories tab for this watch. You will see a different model number. I have confirmed this with customer service. The part number for the proper quick release kit is: 010-11215-00. Google it.
-If you want foot cadence or the ability to track distance indoors and assume you get it for spending $400 on this device, think again. You will have to buy a separate foot pod which costs $80-100, depending on where you buy it (earlier Garmin Forerunner watch kits included foot pods). Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 (ANT+)
-The watch is large and sits high on top of the wrist (they packed 20 hours of batter life into this watch), so to wear it under your wetsuit will let water in the wetsuit, or you will have to wear it on top of (or crammed in front of) the wetsuit, which will not allow you to remove your wetsuit without first removing the watch (thus adding time to your transition and sort of negating that whole “triathlete” angle). You can see a photo of this watch on my wrist under the photos section of the product.
-There is no way to turn off GPS tracking for only one of the 3 events in multisport mode. Therefore you will always either have incorrect GPS data recording for the swimming mode (or, actually “other”, since there is no “swim” mode, as previously mentioned). I have called customer support and they confirm this. Their solution was to turn off GPS while I am swimming, then reset and manually start a new timer and mode during transition 1 for my bike event. I’ll let you be the judge of how to take that advice.
So, in conclusion, if you want to setup this watch for a bike and run, and want the ability to wear the watch in the water before hand (and no start it unless you want some incorrect distance data included), you will need to buy:
$400 – the Garmin 310XT with HR
$25 – quick release mount kit (for wrist and bike) (no link in Amazon yet)
$80-100 – foot pod (if you want cadence)
Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 (ANT+)
$35-50 – speed/cadence sensor (if you want cadence for the bike)
GARMIN 010-10644-00 Speed/Cadence Sensor
You’ll be into it for $575 retail. Garmin, you did us wrong on this one. Some of us are willing to spend this kind of money on a product if it proves to do what it advertises itself to do. We’re not asking it to do anything more than perform as advertised. I realize your fine print saves you from lawsuits, but it doesn’t gain you repeat customers. It sends them over to Polar.
3 Stars 310XT is fabulous, Garmin Connect is garbage
I have had the 310XT for about 3 weeks and it is FABULOUS. It has a great GPS, a flexible user interface and lasts forever. I am not a tri-athlete, but I am a (SLOW) marathoner — other watches have battery lives that are too short for me. I have used the 310XT about 10 times since I got it. I just love it.
Garmin Connect — This is a web site that works with the data on your watch, displaying your runs and rides, etc. If you have *any* intention of buying this watch so that you can upload your tracks, see where you ran on a map, and “play” your run or ride over, forget it. At least forget it as of August 23, 2009. Garmin Connect is a fantastic idea that will work some day, and when it does, Garmin products will be worth buying just for the fun that Garmin Connect provides. It just doesn’t work now. I have a Mac and have had a 3 week odyssey of having my runs upload just fine (4 of them), then fail to upload at all (6 of them). I have been told that I need to re–install software (which I did), that I need to de-install software… no wait, a NEW version of the software is out which might now work…., no wait, it still doesn’t work.
Garmin Connect and the associated 310XT functionality are *purely* in the pre-release stage. Garmin just decided to throw them out there and let the users help debug. It is a scandalous approach to consumer electronics at this price.
So the device itself — stand alone — is 5 stars. You will love it. Garmin Connect and the associated functionality on the watch are 1 star — they simply don’t work. Put it all together and I give it a 3 star rating.
Just so you can see what awaits you if you wade into Garmin Connect, see below pasted from a “Admin” user on the Garmin Connect site. It is one of the many, many, drifting, vague, conflicting, useless threads about my Mac problem. Notice the irony — you spend $400 on the 310XT and heart monitor and then you have to wade through this sort of un-informative junk, which ends with the Admin’s tag line of “I’m a happy girl”. Well, I can tell you, I am NOT a happy girl about Garmin Connect.
Old 07-23-2009, 05:21 PM
RUNKKRUN RUNKKRUN is offline
Administrator – Team GC
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 106
Default Resolution for Garmin Communicator Not Found in Safari 4
Original post from APELOSI:
If you are using Safari 4 Beta and the Garmin Communicator Plugin shows as not being installed (when uploading new or from list), please remove “Macintosh HD/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.webplugin” and restart Safari 4.
From IShouldBeRunning:
Uh, ok… but what if I use Flip4Mac?
From saeedi:
What’s interesting is that after removing Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.webplugin I still have a plug-in called Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin that seems to allow the browser to view WMV files in the browser. And Communicator does work in Safari still.
From saeedi:
A new version of Flip4mac was released (2.2.3.7) but unfortunately, still an issue with the web plugin.
From petej:
Thank you for the workaround, and for the hard work on getting Garmin Connect running for all devices.
Now that Safari 4 is no longer beta, will the conflict with Flip4Mac be resolved? Has someone at Garmin opened a Radar with Apple on the issue?
I’m really happy GC now supports my devices.
From APELOSI:
I was informed we opened up a case with Apple when the “solution” was first found but I have no insight into whether or not Apple opened a case in Radar (gotta love the little ant eater) or not or what its progress is.
__________________
I’m a happy girl.
4 Stars Great Triathlon watch – but be careful, the band is not reliable!
I bought the watch 2 weeks ago and it’s functionality has far exceeded my expectations. Aside from the eye opener once you realize that due to the limitation of GPS you can use the watch only as a timer during the swim, I love the watch. (GPS reception breaks and, since the watch is on your wrist which travels forward and backward during the swim, the distance swam can never be correctly recored – unless you wore it on your back I guess)
However: I just finished my first triathlon with the watch today. At the first swim marker, I got kicked on the wrist and it ripped the watchband off the watch. Incredibly lucky I caught the sinking watch and was able to stuff it under my wet suit. After finishing the Triathlon without a watch I was able to inspect the damage: The spring bar pin that connects the band with the watch was still there and intact. The pin however looks much to short and too thin to hold such a big watch reliably in “rough” situations. GARMIN: You should fix this right away! In the meantime, mine will be duct taped on and turned to the back of the wrist during the swim.
1 Star We pay to be Garmin’s beta testers
I wish other companies would compete for this lucrative athlete’s GPS watch market. Garmin has a top-down mentality that thinks it comes out with great products. The 310XT is twice the price of the 305 and doesn’t track in the water! Does anyone at Garmin actually test these products before they’re introduced? For all the criticisms Garmin received for the 305, they never had a serious firmware update to address issues and upgrade ideas for the two plus years I’ve used it.
The big difference between Apple and Garmin? Apple pushes the envelope to create a better product through firmware updates. Apple products make you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth even years after you purchased their product. Garmin or the other hand, wants you to spend your money on the latest unproven product. Take the 405 – the GPS watch comes to market, was never tested wet or in rainy weather. The sensitive touch dial stops working, so don’t sweat on it or run in the rain!
Garmin Training Center software also was never updated. My 305 decided to download multiple copies of my run data multiple times. I had to spend hours deleting the copies. Spent hours with Garmin Tech Support to find out that they have no idea what the problem was. Never did get fixed…
Please Timex, jump into this lucrative market and make a watch a triathlete would love.
4 Stars Decent watch, but a lot of catches
The 310xt was my first Garmin purchase. After years of having family use the Edge and the Forerunner for biking/running I decided I’d take the plunge when they came out with “the triathlete’s indispensable training tool” in the 310xt.
My first thought was this was pricey. But, looking at the ForeRunner 305 & 405, I realized it wasn’t that much more expensive for the additional supposed features and the “newness”. Then I looked at the price here on Amazon and almost passed out. $550? Without the HRM strap? Ouch. If you’re really into this watch, don’t buy at that price. Search for the ones priced at $399. Most sites sell at that price.
Ok, onto the feature set. Large, clear buttons. Large screen. Ability to track multiple sports. Quick upload of data. Lots of customizable options and screens.
Pros:
Easy to set up and use. Pairing with the ANT USB stick is simple and can quickly get you started without the manual.
Online tools are pretty good (much better than previous iterations). Also, works with the MapMy list of sites (fitness, run, walk, hike, bike, swim, tri).
Customizable display allows for up to 4 tracking items per screen. So, you can track pace, HR, time and distance covered on one screen then scroll to another and get a map of your HR, your calories burned and a bunch of other potential options, all determined by you.
You can create routes on your watch and when you run it, it will record whenever you are on that route path. Great for comparing against previous training routes and for quickly setting the route and having it track you properly. Once you are on the route, it tracks you.
Auto-multisport option allows you to set that and when you click lap, it will dump you to the next “sport” whether it be a transition or another sport such as biking/running.
Tracks you the individual after you enter your height, weight, level of fitness. Provides caloric burn and other related info based on your input.
Virtual training partner. You can actually have it show how you’re doing on a saved route versus your virtual training partner. This partner is a previous version of you doing the same route and tells your pace and how far you’re up/behind. Pretty cool.
Multitude of things you can configure and display/adjust/fine tune.
Cons:
Swim? As I quoted from the Garmin site above, this watch bills itself as the triathlete’s indispensable training tool. Umm.. triathlete means 3 sports, typically involving SWIMMING, biking and running. Swim is not an option. In fact, when I clicked other one time, it had what appeared to be an icon of a downhill skier. I’m not sure how that showed up since that option isn’t there. HUGE mistake in my book for a watch billed to be for triathletes.
Elevation Accuracy? This one is WAAAAAY off. On a 3.3 mile run, it had me ascending 853 feet. Unless I’m climbing the Washington Monument, I’m not getting that type of elevation in 3.3 miles. I’d have to say it is off by, 600 feet or so. On a 60 mile bike ride, it had me at 1500 feet and that one at least took me up some legitimate hills.
Switching events: There is no way to switch events mid-stream on the watch if you didn’t set it properly to begin. Let’s say you ran one day and then biked the following day. If you left it on run then switched when you realized the mistake, it clears the data and you start with a new workout. The original workout is kept but you can’t append the “new” workout on either on the watch or with any of their software (both installed SW and online site). So, when workouts are categorized, it shows a multisport recording on the installable software and whatever you mistakenly set in the online site. You then have 2 workouts you can’t consolidate or run reports against without manual intervention.
Swim accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. While I haven’t put it through its paces and will hopefully edit this review in the future, for a 1/2 mile swim, this thing was way off. Beach, opposite direction, gaps. All were part of that swim result.
While there are a lot of pros (which do warrant a 4 star), the cons are extremely negative. Since I don’t have a watch to keep track of everything, this one will have to do. At such a price point, I’m highly disappointed in the overall performance considering it is billed as the triathlete’s dream. It really does track mileage well and with enough fudging (using the elevation in MapMyRide instead of from the watch) and by manually adjusting routes in my various tracking sites, I can get close what I want. The HRM is good and the coupled effect of it all makes it as worthwhile as having a set of watches out there. But, I will not be ultimately promoting this to other athletes. While I’ve managed to make it work to a 4-star rating with my own fiddling, I wouldn’t recommend it to a hardcore triathlete. Being my first training watch for my first Ironman, I wish I could say there were other watches which had the functionality I needed. Unfortunately, I’d have to wear two or more plus a bike computer. Even more unfortunate, in order to get what this watch said it can do all in one I might still need another to keep this one honest.
