Pros and Cons of Garmin Watches
Garmin watches come in a wide variety of styles and features. Many consider the best watches on the market today are those produced by Garmin. Here are some reasons why Garmin watches are considered the best.
GPS Running With Garmin Forerunner watches or any other model from the Garmin family, you can enjoy the outdoors while still keeping track of your fitness. One worthy competitor is Garmin s collection of sports-oriented smartwares, which are now popular among a wide variety of runners. Garmin's watches stand up well to rough use and wear, and the brand has a reputation for durability. Its smartwares perform well, even under demanding conditions. Garmin's watches offer accurate signals during every sport, from hiking and running to cycling and racing.
The upper limit of GPS tracking performance depends on the distance covered by your movements. For example, when running downhill, your speedometer will show a lower rate of speed than if you were swimming downhill. Pool swimming is another example, as the surface water temperature can vary during the day and night. Therefore, your swimming watch should be capable of tracking the changes in temperature and altitude, which can then be used to determine your maximum and minimum speeds.
Many Garmin heart rate monitors include some features that are considered convenient, such as the stair counting heart rate monitor, but the majority of Garmin heart rate watches have nothing in common with each other. Most models include a heart rate monitor watch and a basic calorie counter. A Garmin solar GPS runner watch is different from its non-solar counterparts due to the limited exposure to sunlight.
Some Garmin watches can be used underwater, but most people will not be able to run or swim underwater for more than twenty minutes at a time. An example of this is the Garmin fenix series. Even though the fenix series is waterproof up to thirty minutes, it is not waterproof long enough to use while swimming. Therefore, you may be able to use your Garmin fenix series while swimming, but it is difficult to run or exercise while wearing it. Most other Garmin watches are specifically made for swimming and running activities.
Another reason why so many people choose to use Garmin watches is because many of the Garmin GPS watches support different training modes, such as the virtual coach. One of the more popular features of the Garmin GPS watches is their bluetooth technology. Most Garmin bluetooth watches allow you to connect them to your computer via Bluetooth. This allows you to use your computer to control your fitness program, such as recording your workout or count the calories burned, as well as send you an e-mail or text message when you have reached a goal. Many of the Garmin heart rate monitors also allow you to track the amount of miles you have ran or walked.
While the GPS technology in these products is very useful, there are some drawbacks to the Garmin watches as well. The one major drawback is the accuracy of the pedometer. Most of the cycling and running watches offer accurate readings, however the Garmin seems to have a slightly inaccurate measurement. Another drawback to the Garmin watch is that you will need to use a foot pod to register the distance. These foot pads break very often, causing the accuracy of the pedometer to fall below the desired level.
These issues aside, the Garmin watches are certainly popular amongst runners, cyclists, swimmers, etc. as they can track your performance and keep track of your fitness features. The key to these fitness features is the ability to program them into your watch, as you can do with the other garmin devices. Some watches will let you program more than one activity, while others just give you the time. Some watches will also have a better interface for some of the more advanced features that Garmin has integrated into their sports watches.