Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist-Mounted GPS Personal Training Device
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Manufacturer: Garmin
List Price: $267.99
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Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist-Mounted GPS Personal Training Device
Package Includes: Forerunner 205, docking cradle, expander strap, AC charger, PC/USB interface cable, Quick start guide, Garmin Training Center CD & owner’s manual
With the Garmin Forerunner 205, form meets function with a sleek and stylish personal trainer. Designed for athletes of all levels, this running partner and personal trainer tracks your every move with a super-sensitive GPS. The GPS tool even works on tree-covered trails and near tall buildings. It continuously monitors your speed, distance, pace and calories burned so you can train smarter, more effectively. Don’t let their good looks fool you — these taskmasters will continually push you to do your personal best. Virtual Partner lets you train against a digital person at specified time, distance or pace goals AutoScroll cycles through data pages during a workout Auto Pause pauses and resumes training timer based on a specified speed Easy to use - No calibration required, just turn it on and go Multi-sport capability lets you transition between sports without resetting — you can use it for running, biking, and more Customizable screens let you view up to 12 data fields on 3 data screens for immediate feedback Lap Memory - 1,000 laps Rechargeable internal lithium ion battery - life of 10 hours (typical use) Waterproof - Submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 mins. Transfer data from Forerunner to your PC for a detailed analysis of your workout Create, schedule and download workouts to your Forerunner View data for each workout, including your heart rate, time, distance, speed, pat Display Size(WxH) - 1.3 x 0.8 (33 x 20.3 mm) Physical Size(WxHxD) - 2.1 x. 7 x 2.7 (53.3 x 17.8 x 68.6 mm) Weight - 2.72 oz. (77 g)
Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, affordable, and effective wrist-mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 205. The release of this device is a major achievement from a design and technology perspective. This isn’t just marketing-speak; the Forerunner 205 is the most accurate, most reliable wrist-mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we’ve ever tested. Yes, it’s that good. While no device this compact can do everything (yet), the 205 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. While the 205 doesn’t offer heart rate monitoring, or connectivity with Garmin’s wireless speed and cadence sensor — for that, you’ll need to step up to the Forerunner 305 — but it’s a great way to get basic GPS location and performance data.
View Garmin’s Forerunner demonstration video.
Choose from 12 data fields to display on the 305’s screen. View larger. |
The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the sky when you’re running or walking. View larger. |
The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive. View larger. |
Choose from three workout modes that help you target your training goals. View larger. |
The 305 features rudimentary mapping and location marking functions. View larger. |
Design
The 205’s design is a radical departure from Garmin’s previous generation of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it didn’t quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it wasn’t much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.
Not so with the 205. Garmin’s engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit’s antenna to face the sky when you’re running, while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it’s smaller than the display found on previous Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 205 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous Forerunners. View button layout.
The underside of the 205 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 205’s embedded lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 205 is that it features an integrated, high-sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 205’s ability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, our product tester had the 205 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 205, satellite acquisition was nearly instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn’t faze the unit either; tracking remained true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap (Forerunner 305 model shown). |
While the Forerunner 205 isn’t billed as a GPS navigation device, it does have some rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and routing capabilities. In addition to marking locations along your journey, you can zoom in or out of a simple map that displays your current direction and path. There’s also a “go to location” feature that routes you back to your starting location, or to any location you have defined. Once you have defined several locations, you can save this information as a route, allowing you to travel the same path in the future. As you’ll see below, the 205’s new “Courses” feature gives you new levels of control over how you define your favorite runs and rides.
Training Functions
The 205 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can’t use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it’s worthless. When it comes to these factors — and here’s the take home message on the 205 — this device is successful where many other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 205 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that’s most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you’ll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it.
Garmin’s Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they’ve decided to keep a good thing going with the 205. If you’re the type that performs best when you’ve got a competitor egging you on, you’ll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you’re looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 205 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.
PC Connectivity and Software
Garmin has been outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now — a welcome move for those who struggled with serial port connections in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 205 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the PC (Sadly, Training Center is not Mac-compatible).
In a first for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also lets you define courses on your PC that you can upload to the device. When course information is combined with uploaded workout information, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you’re on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software’s ability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it easy to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recovery spots. Plus, the ability to track historical performance on a given course is a great way to measure your improvement.
The 205 is also fully compatible with Garmin’s MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we weren’t able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you’re a serious endurance athlete, you’ll be glad to know that the 205 is also compatible with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy-to-use web based training system designed to help athletes train for any event.
Pros
- Radically new design is better in every way
- Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
- So simple to set up and use, you will actually use it
Cons
- No Mac OS compatibility
- Okay, it’s bigger than a sport’s watch — but so much more powerful
What’s in the Box
Forerunner 205, Garmin Training Center CD-ROM, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner’s manual, quick start guide.
The successor to the Garmin Forerunner 201 is here, and it’s better than ever. Weighing in at just over 2.5 ounces, the Garmin Forerunner 205 breaks new ground in terms of comfort, style, and performance. Totally redesigned, the 205 gives outdoor athletes and runners real-time information about speed, distance, and pace on a device that’s easy to use and amazingly compact.
 The Forerunner 205 features the powerful new SiRF GPS navigation chip for supreme accuracy, even under tree cover and between tall buildings. |
 The unit’s GPS receiver is designed to face towards the sky when you’re running. |
 A more watch-like design makes it far easier to use and wear. |
Plus, the 205 is engineered to help folks train better and smarter. Training assistant tools, various distance and time alerts, and bundled Training Center PC software combine to make the device an essential part of any athlete’s training program.
The 205’s easy-to-read, 1.3-inch display has been integrated into a sleek and stylish form factor that is definitely a step up from the larger and more cumbersome Forerunner 201 model. The 205 looks and wears like a stylish sports watch, and it’s more carefully designed to meet the needs of athletes. The design also positions the antenna with an optimal view of the sky. Additionally, the case is water resistant to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes). Alerts for pace, distance, and time let you know when you’re going too slow or too fast. The unit also tracks speed, distance, pace, and calories burned. Plus, course feature lets you race against previous runs in order to improve your time or just compare speed and pace data at every point of the way.
Accuracy is the name of the game with the 205. The vastly more accurate GPS antenna and receiver, which uses an advanced SiRF chip, offer much faster satellite acquisition times. The unit can also hold a fix in places never before possible. Gone are the days of losing a fix under tree cover or when running between tall buildings. All of these features add up to far more accuracy in recording and tracking your exercise data. And because the 205 uses GPS to track how far and how fast you’re going, you never have to calibrate it. Additionally, the unit doubles as a basic navigator. Mark your starting point as a specific location, see your current position on the plotter display, and follow an electronic breadcrumb trail back to your starting point.
The 205 features a USB data connection and docking cradle for downloading your speed, lap, and exercise time data into Garmin’s Training Center PC software. The unit stores up to 1,000 lap histories, which you can download to your PC for a detailed post-workout analysis. The 205 also lets you create and schedule workouts using the included software, which you can then download directly to the unit.
For additional post-workout analysis, the 205 is compatible with MotionBased software. MotionBased adds a new dimension to training and outdoor fitness that makes the analytical aspects of a sport more compelling and a lot more fun. You can upload data to MotionBased, a Web-based application that has partnered with Garmin. MotionBased provides in-depth analysis of your workouts, as well as online mapping and route sharing that will take your training to the next level. MotionBased automatically calculates time, distance, speed, and elevation, and it displays this information through meaningful charts, illustrations, reports, and maps. With MotionBased, you can also race multiple instances of the same route to see how you are improving or to race other members of MotionBased. You can “virtually race” someone you don’t even know.
If you like the features of the Forerunner 205 but also require heart-rate monitoring, be sure to check out the Forerunner 305.
What’s in the Box
Forerunner 205 unit, Training Center CD-ROM, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB interface cable, owner’s manual, and quick-start guide.
Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist-Mounted GPS Personal Training Device Features:
- Sleek wrist-mounted sports performance monitor with high-sensitivity GPS receiver and training software
- Monitors speed, distance, pace, and calories burned for smarter, more effective conditioning
- Powerful GPS navigator provides faster acquisition times and improves tracking under trees and near buildings
- Delivers detailed post-workout analysis on bundled Training Center PC software (connects to PC via USB)
- Includes rechargeable lithium-ion battery; measures 2.1 x 0.7 x 2.7 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist-Mounted GPS Personal Training Device Reviews
My rabid runner girlfriend hates technology but LOVES this product!
I bought this for my girlfriend’s birthday. She runs seven miles every day of the year but this purchase was a long-shot as she despises technology, also she is very petite and I was afraid the unit would be too large for her tiny wrists. The short story is that she absolutely loves it! She raves constantly about its features as well as the software included. I tried it myself (I walk long distances) and was so impressed I bought a Gamin Foretrex 101 for myself. Great product and great manufacturer!
Excellent, much better then 201
This little gadget, is a lot esier to use, lighter, more accurate and better than the 201, if you enjoy running, you should buy it, the virtual training partner works pretty good, the workout program you can download from your computer is easy to use and you can actuallt program farttkleks, repetitions, long run with goals or no golas on time and/or distance.
I am training for my 2nd marathon with the 2005 forerunenr and it is making it a lot easier and better to train, if you want to have your heart rate measure to you should buy the 305.
Garmin 205 Forerunner
When I attempted to use the 205, it took an hour to aquire a satellite signal. After the first time it aquired the signal, it never again was able to locate a satellite. I sent the product back and got excellent customer service from Garmin and they replaced it in a weeks time. THe second Garmin was working quite well, though I was disappointed in the time it still took to get a signal. Sometimes, it takes 5 minutes from a location I have used it in before. After using the product for a couple months, I am finding that the 205 is not working as well as it was after I received the replacement. I tend to loose signal quite frequently. Most recently, while running a marathon, I lost signal at mile 18 and it never aquired the signal again. I was running around a small island with no buildings nor large trees that could have interferred with the signal. What a disappointment. The product is very unreliable and it is definately not worth putting your confidence in the product. I would not purchase another Garmin. I originally purchased the Forerunner 201 (the older model) and it was even more unreliable. It seized up, lost signal, and the pace was never accurate. I had to ship that one back to the factory twice. The forerunners are definately not what they are advertised to be.
loving this!!
best running companion I’ve ever had– don’t know if I will ever be able to run without it again!
Is the course accurate?
I never have to wonder if a race course is accurate. This Garmin Forerunner 205 is comfortable, and extremely accurate.
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