Garmin Forerunner 405cx GPS Sportwatch review $180

Garmin Forerunner 405cx GPS Sportwatch review

Author
Users
  • Comfort
  • User-Friendly
  • Price
  • Functionality
  • Durability

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The Garmin Forerunner 405cx has been my newest and is easily the best addition to my gadgetry.  It’s decently large compared to other running watches I’ve used, but this much more than just a lap-counter.  I’ve really been enjoying it a lot and really like seeing the data it produces for my workouts.

The features that I like:

  • Automatic mile lap counter (you can still hit lap or even set up automatic laps of other distances)
  • Very easy to read during-workout display and easy to navigate different screens mid-workout.
  • Wireless uploading to Garmin’s site (connect.garmin.com) via a wireless usb stick (as soon as I arrive home it starts uploading data automatically)
  • Online date has a nice display of route, pace, heart rate, laps, and other data that is super easy to navigate through.
  • Solid battery life (about 7 hours while using both GPS and chest strap simultaneously, much more without chest strap).
  • Optional chest strap for heart rate monitor easy to use and pretty comfortable (first chest strap I’ve ever used)
  • Watch has a virtual touch screen via the “bezel” (outer-rim of the watch) that allows for easy navigation of the watch.
  • It walked me through set up automatically the very first time I turned it on.
  • I can send previous routes or those created by others to my watch so that I can follow them.
  • It has a “go home” function so you can navigate back to your starting point.
  • Ability to turn off the GPS for indoor workouts (so that I can still use the stopwatch/lap counter and heart rate monitor.  An option footpod can also be bought for indoor workouts to track mileage.
  • Free and easy updating (wirelessly) online.
  • Easy to charge.
  • Originally retailed for about twice as much but has been on sale through many retailers for about half (the price I listed).
The things I do not like:
  • The band starts to detach from the watch (the pin doesn’t seem to hold it in very well) and I’m always afraid my watch it going to fall off mid-run. (See image below)
  • It’s very inconsistent finding satellites.  Sometimes I run with someone else with the exact same model of watch and sometimes it takes one of us a whole 10 minutes to get a signal while it takes the other person less than a minute. That doesn’t make sense!

 

garmin forerunner band break

Thanks for all the fun, 405cx! Final running stats with this watch:

2 Comments

  1. I like that it is easy to use and charge. It also comes with a heart-rate monitor which is helpful. I also recently got into biking and there is a nifty little adapter you can buy to put on the back tire of your bike that can sync with the watch. It is nice when biking indoors where there is no satellite. However, I have had the watch about a year and a half and the last 6-8 months the watch is very inconsistent with hooking up to satellites. It sometimes takes 30 seconds to find satellite and other times it will take me 5-10 minutes, so long that sometimes I give up and just start running. I don’t feel like my watch is old enough to be having these problems already, but once it does find satellite I find it reliable and accurate.

  2. Update: Finally updated to a new Garmin in September. Grateful for all the new features but happy to have this one with me for so many miles and great runs! (see last pic above!)

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