Garmin Forerunner 205 Review

Craig Smith — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:28:50 +0000

Click Here To Learn More About The Garmin Forerunner 205

Specifications

Dimensions: 2.1 x 2.7 x 0.7 inches (5.33 x 6.86 x 1.78 cm)
Display: 1.3 x 0.8 inches (3.3 x 2.0 cm)
Resolution: 160 x 100 pixels
Weight: 2.72 oz (77 g)
Battery: rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life: 10 hours, typical
Water resistant: yes (IPX7)
GPS-enabled: yes
High-sensitivity receiver: yes
RoHS version available: yes
Lap history: 1,000 laps
Waypoints/favorites/locations: 100
Routes: 50
Heart rate monitor: no
Bike speed/cadence sensor: no
Foot pod: no
Automatic sync: no

Garmin Connect™ compatible: yes
Garmin Training Center compatible: yes
Virtual Partner: yes
Courses: yes
Auto Pause: yes
Auto Lap: yes
Auto Scroll: yes
Multi-sport: yes
Advanced workouts: yes
Simple workouts: yes
Pace alert: yes
Time/distance alert: yes
Vibration alert: no
Interval training: yes
Customizable screen(s): yes
Unit-to-unit transfer: no
Sport watch: no

Pros

Feature rich
Nice styling
Easy to read screen
Simple to set up
Simple to use

Cons

No heart rate monitor
Not Mac friendly
Poor signal recovery

Ratings

Score (Rank)

Value: 9/10 (2)
Performance/Ease of Use: 8.5/10 (3)
Quality: 8.75/10 (3)
Size/weight: 8/10 (5)
Overall Rating: 8.5/10 (3)

Review

The Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watch is one of the most advanced GPS devices on the market. It is ideal for runners that want the most effective work out possible.

The Forerunner 205 is a very popular device with dimensions of 2.1” x 2.7” x .7”, making the device very portable, where you can easily carry it in your pocket. The display resolution is 160 x 100 pixels, it weighs 2.72 ounces, it is water resistant and the rechargeable battery has a maximum life of ten hours.

The Forerunner 205 is very easy to use, making it great for retrieving the information that you are looking for when you most need it. The screen is very easy to customize. That being said there have been some complaints about it taking to long to connect to the satellites, the cost and that there is no Mac friendly software available with the device.

The Forerunner 205 comes Garmin Connect compatible. This is an online community that was developed by Garmin to analyze, connect and share different data with various Garmin users. Users can also use Garmin Connect to contact the customer service department.

The Forerunner 205 has different features to help improve the overall quality of the workout that you are receiving. These would include being able to create specific custom workouts with stated objectives to store in the Forerunner 205. You can also set the device to give you simpler workout information such as the time, distance and the overall amount of calories that you are burning during the workout.

The Forerunner 205 comes with different alerts to let you know when you reach your stated objective. These would include: the pace alert, that will let you know when you are straying from your preset pace, and the time/distance alert, which lets you know when you reached your predetermined time or distance.

We recommend using the Garmin Forerunner 205, however, before you make any purchase please be aware that some consumers have mentioned that while the device is reliable it sometimes takes too long to connect to the satellites. And, that there is no Mac friendly software available with the device. Even with these concerns, it is advisable to give the Forerunner 205 some serious consideration.

GPS Running Watch Review » Garmin Forerunner 205