Great Personal Trainer for the wrist - compared with older Garmin

1. Appearance / Equipment

The TomTom Multi-Sport cardio consists of two parts. The housing is high-quality and robust. It can be combined with bracelets of different sizes and colors and personalized or be strapped by bike mount on the handlebar. The TomTom is waterproof to a depth of 50 meters. The clock comes in a small package cube along with a Quick Start Guide, a bike mount and a docking station home.

The battery life in GPS Betreib is according to the manufacturer about 10 hours. The battery is charged via the included USB charging cable to the PC. A Bluetooth module, the clock in addition to the smartphone / tablet to connect to the training data upload.

2. The operation

The clock can be operated intuitively. Every sport mode has the same structure. Navigation is via four-way button below the screen. The TomTom shows in training mode three values ​​simultaneously: time (better than the Garmin), exercise time, distance traveled, current pace, average speed, calories burned and pulse current.

The associated software you can download on the TomTom site. In the packing cube clock is a Quick Start Guide with Link. Unfortunately, the link to the software in the German version is incorrect. I'm only a little desperate, but then had the eureka moment while looking a YouTube Help Tip: Easy to browse ner different language and come directly to the software the rest is intuitive ;-)

3. Heart Rate Monitors

The annoying chest strap is omitted, the TomTom measures the pulse directly on the wrist. Two LEDs at the bottom of the clock by light skin and calculate the pulse on the volume of blood flow. Usually works, from time to time appear, however, three dashes instead of the readings.

The pulse is per average or individual setting in stress zones divided (speed, endurance, fat burning,). Those who wish can thus adapt his speed to the desired result.

4. The GPS module

The clock measures distances and pace using GPS. This TomTom relies on the so-called QuickGPSFix that stores the positions of the satellites and to find them as quickly. I have started the clock in parallel with my Garmin and found no time savings. Both watches are sufficiently fixed.

A joint operation with Garmin and TomTom shows: Distance measurements (measured Mesgenauigkeit in 10m increments, at 10km) in two equal watches.

5. The running mode

Treadmill and running mode differ only in the use of GPS. I use the clock out.

The GPS module provides the ability to record the route and later to look at a map in the app. Very nice, I know from Garmin and do not want to do without it ;-)

Similar to the Garmin TomTom can also be coaches. Acoustic, optical or via Buzz (Jogging in the clock), there is feedback, whether it is running too slow or too fast and how it compared with an earlier run looks. The cute male of Garmin is here replaced by arrows, but the function is the same.

The recording can pause if you go to the bakery or is at a traffic light.

6. The evaluation of the data

When setting the clock, you can make a lot of settings. The communication PC clock does not work absolutely: I had set in PC km / kilo, the traveling distance of the clock spat miles from (frustrating when you suddenly super lame by new measurement is ;-)) when uploading to the PC were the 6th xx but then 10 km

The evaluation of the training data can be made directly to the GPS clock, for a clearer view I transfer the training data but via Bluetooth or cable to the TomTom MySports App on your smartphone or tablet, or on the software at the desktop PC.

A map shows the distance traveled, three graphs show pace and pulse rise. Here the cards interact with each other: If you tap, for example on the highest point of the pulse wave, the app displays on the map exactly where the pulse rise was. Overall, the analysis software from TomTom but not enough to connect with the functionality of Garmin Connect.

Only the German translation of the captions is adventurous, burning down fat can be read there, or see bpm pity that is unnecessary.

6. Conclusion

Recommended with little improvement! 5 star - despite minimal blemishes.