Great Running Watch

I am more than a decade recreational runners, that I train 3-4 times a week. Now and then I also take part in competitions, but this is more than the rule. Nevertheless, I naturally fair like how far and how fast I run.

And since we not only runners Fashion conscious are (new Laufbekleidungnund shoes are seehr important :)), no new gadgets like to buy.

Thus solves the TomTom Runner Cardio think good five year old, Garmin Forerunner 305 from. The clock did not I buy from Amazon because it was just not available. Here is my first experience with the TomTom Runner cardio.

Packaging and delivery:

The clock is coming in a stylish, square, Vepackung, is easy to open and dispense with larger packaging waste. I like very well, is far away from any, annoying, blister packaging and makes an impression of quality and fits the product.

This includes the clock itself, a quick start guide and a small dock with a nice long cord.

Commissioning:

As simple as unpacking the works and the commissioning. The clock is connected to the USB port on the computer, it is recognized equal to and immediately starts charging. During this time, you download the TomTom MySports application and submit an account of all important data such as gender, height and weight. Even if the clock specifications miles or kilometers, pounds or kilograms to display, can be made right here.

If the registration process is complete and the clock detected by the program, an update will be played at the clock once. The data just mentioned are dubbed on the one hand to the other Quick GPS is updated on the clock. This makes for a faster connection to the clock with the satellites.

When charging is completed can be taken away from the dock the clock by pressing the black button below the display slightly and pull off the clock.

Then, various settings can still be made to you push the button during the clock display down. There you can clock settings, sensors, phone, flight mode, options and make the profile.

The settings themselves are virtually self-explanatory, an arrow always shows the direction in which you have to press.

Important for the battery performance, it is off the sensors when not in use (at least I have the understood). In my case, since I do not have the multi-sport variant, this is only the heart rate monitor. In addition, the bedside clock mode should be disabled, this shortens the battery life, please just the Sync function in the option off phone.

The first run

Well, as easy as adjusting the clock of course, is also the start of the first run unit.

Important: You can even configure the display. For this purpose you press from the time display to the right, then you go on running and pushes to the right again. The clock will then begin with the Satfix. You then press down, a menu with the points Training and data opens.

The clock displays on the screen to always three units. The large, primary, in the middle can not be changed. The smaller, the right and left above already. So you go on dates, pressing on the left or right and then sets what data you want to see. My attitude is, top left: distance right: speed and as the primary setting I use average speed.

Then off you go. The first Satfix took me about thirty seconds, my Garmin I had always previously put on the windowsill. But that was no problem. The new clock is as quickly paid.

The first run was no presets, so it's just the values ​​are recorded, there are no targets. And what can I say, the clock wears very comfortable, but should bear relatively firmly by the arm, because of the heart rate measurement on the wrist. I now have no comparisons made with chest strap, but I feel that the displayed frequency is probably true.

If you press during the run up or down, the primary display, the values ​​remain small changes as adjusted. Pressing the other hand to the right you can get an overview of the heart rates, distance traveled, etc.

Pressing to the left to get into the pause mode. Attention, you hold down the button to the left, the clock returns to the Activity mode and you start a new activity. Happened to me three times, cough :)

Addition:

Of course, also stored training programs can use. These watches from the menu press run right / downwards / training. Then you can choose whether you like to walk without specification, interval training, a warm-up program, stamina or want to train other.

The values ​​are freely configurable. Leaving the default values ​​during training you will be alerted by a vibrating alert on and can adapt the training way again.

Nice is also the race option, this can be run against himself and gets displayed how many meters ahead or behind you., Basis for this is the last training sessions, so you should remember just which route we went there :). That was my Forerunner but also

Evaluation:

One of my highlights. After the race you can couple the clock via Bluetooth with iPhone or iPad. If the phone or iPad, the clock is recognized appear on this a code. After entering Ipad / Phone communicate without problems with the clock and the data is transmitted to the MySports App. Super thing, boot no computer, no fiddling with USB cables, etc.

The app then all important data are displayed. Time, distance, speed, pace and elevation data. Add to that the distance traveled can be the change of course in a map.

Conclusion:

I am very, very happy with the TomTom cardio. The scope of services is right and the clock can be operated very easily. The highlight is, for me, quite clearly, the heart rate measurement without chest strap. That was my primary reason to buy.

TomTom has succeeded a very good product with the Runner cardio. A clock that should appeal to both the amateur athletes and professional athletes well.
Speaking against the still fairly tight price. 269 ​​for the running version and 299 for multisport're ne pretty announcement.

To be fair, of course, should also be mentioned that the competition is also not much cheaper.

So buy recommendation for athletes who want to train with heart rate measurement without chest strap. Makes you not disturbed by the chest strap or does not need, it is well served with the predecessor models.

Small supplement at the end, the clock can also shop at the outlet, which a normal plug with USB connection.

Sorry for the length of the review

A request to have the software division of TomTom. One thing I miss sorely. Namely, the auto pause feature, which saves a really annoying printing house at traffic lights. Also nice would be the possibility of a long press to the left in the clock mode to come back, the multiple clicking to the left to return to the starting position is no longer appropriate

Nevertheless, there are five stars

Update 1, 09:05:14

My rating is for the time being as the most important features for me are still met. The pulse measurement is still, awesome and also appears to be accurate. For this operation while running is ingeniously simple. Because it bothers me not that there are only three, instead of four in my Garmin, are.

Where there is light, but it also gubt Schattten. What bothers me at the moment really is the battery indicator. I have in this the problem that after loading the battery status is reported as full. After one hour, the battery shows but only a battery level of 3/4 full. This remains a few workouts so steheh, then, suddenly, the battery level is before the next training session almost empty. It is only a small scrap of rest appears. I then went on the off chance a fast lap of 7km. That was no problem, the clock has therefore persevered.

When stopping the unit a crossed battery icon is displayed, I have the data then sent via Bluetooth to my iPad and the clock is still on. Utilized time until then for five hours heart and heart rate mode to rumgespiele at the beginning and it was each workout uploaded individually via Bluetooth in the MySports App. There are also nearly two weeks standby. In the first week five times has been trained in the second, because young, only once. So I'm assuming that you definitely comes with regular usage to eight hours of battery life.

Despite all, battery indicator, for me, is unacceptable. Finally, the clock during training, not just to go out. However, I do not know if the problem only affects my clock. Also, the support could not help because the man was on the phone very surprised that I have this clock already :). With TomTom this is the end of May available since advance some watches are probably geflutscht in trade.

So it would be nice if I could describe his experiences with the battery indicator, another owner of the clock.

On the TomTom development team:

It would still be desirable if one were to rework the software side, namely

- Battery indicator is too imprecise or not really acceptable. A display in percent could help as well
- I wish other users certainly that the clock goes off completely. So you could reach the optimum battery charge.

About more experience I will, of course, report. It remains, for now, with five stars

Update 2, 06:06:14

Have worn the Mannheim Marathon last weekend the clock. GPS Fix in the city in about ten seconds and otherwise the clock has also done a good service. Especially the touch field has proved to be very useful in the dark. The values ​​obtained after the run were consistent.

A big minus there nonetheless. We runners values ​​so happy right after running our performance. For this, stored in the clock protocol is simply her too little. The evaluation in my case with car round 1 kilometers.

Total time, total distance, average pace and calories burned.

TOMTOM,

Why is there in the protocol is not the way to retrieve the Rounds (in MySports app is this point, incidentally, also not present). That, dear TOMTOM TEAM, Basics are each clock can and a trash from the table, at least for me, very important point for competitions.

It would be very nice if someone could express part of the manufacturer to the negative Rezis TomTom expresses so well.
Otherwise, I'm still happy.

Update 3, 6/30/14

The TomTom still does its job perfectly for me. However one reads more and more often from the fact that the heart rate display is defective or quasi absent will soon sweating. Fortunately, this is not so with me and I sweat quite strong. Here, too, the manufacturer could speak, it would certainly be in everyone's best interest if you know where the problem lies, or whether only a certain series of watches is concerned.

I recommend here are reluctant someone a product with a five star rating if there is such a large problem, although I have no reason to complain.

I make the clock also not too tight wrist and orient myself to the LEDs if I do not see this sit illuminate the clock quite perfectly without being too tight.