Subject: RE: garmin forerunners vs other less expensive fitness watches? Cheaper watches? I don't know of any. The only other one is the Timex Global Trainer. It does have some advantages, but it's not exactly cheaper. It looks cool in the pictures- but it's huge. I think that would be your only other choice. If he has even a little bit of geekdom in him, and would enjoy looking at data- then stay away from the 'simple' garmins, the 110 and 210. they've got the best packaging, but limited features. The best 'bang for the buck' is the 305- as previously mentioned. It will do everything- but it does look like you're wearing a laptop on your wrist. Personally-I like my 405- it looks like a watch, rather than a hunk of electronics. I'm actually wearing it to work today, so it's right there on my wrist when I go for a run later. But- some people don't like the touch bezel (like an ipod ) of the 405, as it does act up in the rain and with sweaty hands. Not a problem for me (I don't sweat much and live in a dry climate ), but they've improved on this in the new 410. They all work on the bike as well. The 310xt is probably the best, in that it's waterproof, has a longer battery life (good for ironman distances ) and has a multisport mode- but it doesn't really track swimming distance and might be overkill if this is primarily a running device. for swimming- About $100 will get you a swimovate pool-mate. |