Right out of the gate consumers are going to want to know what is different, or better, about the Garmin
Forerunner 210 GPS watch than the Garmin Forerunner 110. There are two answers, first foot pod compatibility for indoor training in the winter so you can measure speed and distance. Second, the Forerunner 210 actually has built-in interval training so it is more suitable to slightly more serious runners. These two additions make the Garmin Forerunner 210 a good choice and those options add $50 to the price tag over the 110.
The killer part about the new Garmin Forerunner 210 is just how easy they are to use. Unlike previous models of years gone by you don't need a PHD in GPS watch programming. Just acquire satellites and push start and you are off.
There are two versions of the Forerunner 210 and the first has a regular chest strap and USB data transfer. The second version, called the club version, features Garmin's premium soft strap chest strap and adds a foot pod for winter use for an extra $50. If you run indoors or like comfy straps it is a good investment.
Of course if you want the Virtual Partner training feature, course, auto pause, and pace alerts you really need to move up to the Garmin Forerunner410, which we would classify as appropriate for those really serious about their training. Of course the Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS watch still allows you to download maps of your runs to Map My Run, Map My Ride, or Google Earth, so it does assemble a very definitive bread crumb trail of where you have been.
One customer called to tell us that he could tell what side of the street and which sidewalk he was running on which is pretty darn cool.
You'll get about 7 hours of battery life in full GPS mode in our estimation, however for regular workouts with just heart rate you can operate the watch in regular mode and it doesn't require much battery at all. GPS signal receipt eats up a lot of battery but thankfully this is rechargeable so no more trips to the drug store to buy disposables - this is a green GPS watch.
Unlike the Forerunner 410, the Forerunner 210 is not compatible with bike cadence sensors which makes the watch more suitable to purely runners, although you can get speed, distance and heart rate data while cycling so it is still pretty useful, just not the cadence.
You can also download all of your data to Garmin Connect to assess and compare routes and workouts with other community users.
The new GPS SIRF 4 chip sets are tack sharp on signal and do well around tall buildings and in the deep trees, much more so than earlier versions
of the technology.
Between ease of use, better reception, and great features the new Garmin Forerunner 210 really does bring the power of GPS to the mainstream.
If you'd like help selecting the GPS watch that is right for you just call the real experts here at the Heart Rate Watch Company at 866-586-7129.
Physical & Performance:
- Unit dimensions, WxHxD: 1.8" x 2.7" x 0.6" (4.5 x 6.9 x 1.4 cm)
- Display size, WxH: 1.0" x 1.0" (2.5 x 2.5 cm) diameter
- Display resolution, WxH: 52 x 30 pixels
- Touchscreen: no
- Weight: 1.8 oz (52 g)
- Battery: rechargeable lithium-ion
- Battery life: 3 weeks in power save mode; 8 hours in training mode
- Water resistant: yes (IPX7)
- GPS-enabled: yes
- High-sensitivity receiver: yes
Maps & Memory:
- Basemap: no
- Ability to add maps: no
- Accepts data cards: no
- Lap history: 1000 laps
- Way points/favorites/locations: 0
- Routes: 0
Features:
- Heart rate monitor: yes
- Bike speed/cadence sensor: no
- Foot pod: yes (some versions)
- Automatic sync (automatically transfers data to your computer): no
- Garmin Connect compatible (online community where you analyze, categorize and share data): yes
- Garmin Training Center software compatible: yes
- Virtual Partner (train against a digital person): no
- Courses (compete against previous activities): no
- Auto Pause (pauses and resumes timer based on speed): no
- Auto Lap (automatically starts a new lap): yes
- Auto Scroll (cycles through data pages during workout): no
- Multi-sport (changes sport mode with a press of a button): no
- Advanced workouts (create custom, goal-oriented workouts): no
- Simple workouts (input time, distance and calorie goals): no
- Pace alert (triggers alarm if you vary from preset pace): no
- Time/distance alert (triggers alarm when you reach goal): no
- Vibration alert: (choose between alert tones and/or vibration alert): no
- Interval training (set up exercise and rest intervals): yes
- Heart rate-based calorie computation: yes
- Customizable screen(s): no
- Barometric altimeter: no
- Unit-to-unit transfer (shares data wirelessly with similar units): no
- Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible 3rd party ANT+-enabled power meters): no
- Temperature (displays and records temperature while you ride): no
- Sport watch: yes
