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Product Reviews
Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Garmin International is pleased to announce the new Forerunner 405CX GPS-enabled sport watch.
Average Customer Rating:
(21 Reviews) 21
Rating Snapshot (21 reviews)
5 stars
13
4 stars
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3 stars
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20 of 21(95%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Review 1 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
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Quality:
Avg 5
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Avg 5
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Avg 5
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DuncanBiscuit
City: Perth, Western Australia
Country:Australia
Age:35-44
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Featured Review
Triathlete
Date:April 6, 2010
amazing purchase
"I cannot speak highly enough of this product. This is my first Garmin purchase after 20 years of Polar HR monitors and it is easy to see the R & D in this product. Fit for purpose and just incredible to use. Great feedback and gives another whole dimension to running, regardless of ability or event. If you take your running seriously this is the tool for you."
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Review 2 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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StefanoKayak
City: Lausanne
Country:Switzerland
Age:35-44
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Featured Review
Date:February 23, 2010
Your Helpful Trainer
Pros: Adjustable, Comfortable, Durable, Good Fit, High Quality, Lightweight
Cons: Expensive, Limited Color Choices
"I am a professional paddler, and used to have the 405 (Black version) for training. I was already very happy with it, as it was analyzing and calculating all the data coming from your training sessions. However, last year I decided to buy the most advanced version of the 405, the CX (blue).
It is even more amazing the way the calories are calculated. It is very small but a highly sofisticated piece of machine. I could not train without it anymore especially if you have to push hard during your training session, this watch will monitor every single information that your body is producing during your race/training."
It is even more amazing the way the calories are calculated. It is very small but a highly sofisticated piece of machine. I could not train without it anymore especially if you have to push hard during your training session, this watch will monitor every single information that your body is producing during your race/training."
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
gottakeeprunning
City: Melbourne
Country:Australia
Age:25-34
Interest:Runner
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Date:June 18, 2011
Not a bad GPS watch
Pros: Lightweight, Good Fit
"I recently upgraded to a Garmin 610, as this watch lasted me just over 12mths. Overall a great product until the watch started turning on/off randomly during training runs. This once happened in a 30km trail race. I ran the rest of the run by feel. I still came 2nd overall.... I have heard from other runners that it can be slightly unreliable. I may of just bee unlucky."
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Review 4 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Tan27
Date:January 12, 2011
Training buddy
Pros: Attractive, High Quality, many functions
Cons: Expensive, easily scratched
"This watch makes a fantastic training aid for those who take their sessions seriously, or for those curious about reviewing and comparing statistics from different sessions. It's quite large, so not recommended for those with smaller wrists. The watch picks ups satellites quickly and is intuitive to operate. The supporting software and computer interface are fantastic, especially the link to Google Maps. The only cons are that it costs a lot to buy and the bezel scratches easily if it gets a knock."
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Review 5 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
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Avg 4
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craigmcf12
Date:January 3, 2011
Garmin Forerunner 405CX
Pros: High Quality, Adjustable
"Great GPS watch. The virtual training partner feature is really pushing me when training alone and not allowing me to slacken off.
Battery life is good, lasting me a week."
Battery life is good, lasting me a week."
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Review 6 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
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Quality:
Avg 4
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5
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gabe
City: melbourne
Country:Australia
Age:35-44
Interest:Runner
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Date:July 24, 2010
excellent training aid
Pros: Attractive, Comfortable, Good Fit, great relevant data
Cons: Limited Color Choices, cant use it for swimming
"as an exercise science student, and coach i have found this watch to be an excellent tool to assist me in improving the performance of my athletes . i used a polar HR monitor in my own athletic achievements but have found the data this watch provides to be very beneficial and provide far more superior data that has helped me to coach a DUEL australian masters champion and world masters bronze medalist in the 400m. it is a serious tool which helps guide my trainning as well as assist my athletes programing so that i can maximise the physiological benefits that i can possibly derive from each session.
i love the fact it has a backlight display as i have poor eyesight so it makes it easier to view my data particularly when going for a run in the evening. i find the strap of the HRM may be a bit soft and with use wear out quickly so i prefer to use the soft strap option."
i love the fact it has a backlight display as i have poor eyesight so it makes it easier to view my data particularly when going for a run in the evening. i find the strap of the HRM may be a bit soft and with use wear out quickly so i prefer to use the soft strap option."
My Product Recommendations
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Review 7 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 4
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Runnermarathon
Date:July 17, 2010
Pros: High Quality
"I have just taken up marathon running. this watch is a great tool. This is the first Garmin watch I have bought. The Bezel on the watch is a little sensitive but I think you can change the sensitivity on it Great watch all round.
The other thing is I have not worked out how to down load info on my macBook????????
I could not run with out this watch from here on"
The other thing is I have not worked out how to down load info on my macBook????????
I could not run with out this watch from here on"
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Review 8 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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Avg 5
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Blondie47
City: Cairns
Country:Australia
Age:25-34
Interest:Runner
Level:Advanced
Gender:Female
Budget:Quality first
Date:June 25, 2010
Garmin 405
Pros: Comfortable, High Quality, Lightweight
Cons: Poor Fit, Limited Color Choices
"What a briliant watch. I use to run with the Timex Triathlon Watch which blew me away when I first bought it back in 2002. The technology and the features are very similiar however it's compact, USB chargable etc. And the Garmin website is fabulous. The screen is a little hard to read when in training mode as it displays a lot of information, but with some more practice I am becoming familiar with it. The virtual partner is great for long runs, although the fact there is only a visual guide and no noise indicator on this feature is a little dissapointing. I have only conquered about 30% of what it is capable of, so looking forward to a long relationship with this watch and being able to use all it's features. Definitely a tool to impress your friends, even the non runners."
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Review 9 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
James22
City: Canberra
Country:Australia
Age:45-54
Interest:Runner
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Date:June 16, 2010
GREAT TOY AND TRAINING AID
Pros: Attractive, Comfortable, Adjustable, Versatile
Cons: Expensive
"I recently bought the watch and have only used it a few times but have found it to be a great training tool and toy when running. It has many options to provide different information on the run.
It locks onto satellites quickly and provides accurate information. Some people have issues with the battery life but it lasts a number of hours which is not an issue for me. Having a complete GPS in a single watch is convenient rather than a watch and separate GPS pod. I guess this is the price for a shorter battery life.
I suggest that you watch the Garmin setup videos on Youtube as a quick and easy guide because the booklet that comes with the watch is insufficient."
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Review 10 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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Value:
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Har554
Date:April 26, 2010
Great Product
Pros: Adjustable, Comfortable, Good Fit, High Quality, Lightweight
Cons: Expensive, Limited Color Choices, does not work when wet
"Great product if a bit pricey.
Soft bands are great if a bit hard to put on withput instructions.
Only problem is the touch buttons dont work very well when you have wet hands. IE sweat from running,"
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Review 11 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 4
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5
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Value:
Avg 3
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Performance:
Avg 4
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cobradsk
City: Chiba
Country:Japan
Age:35-44
Interest:Runner
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Date:April 25, 2010
Good spec but poor battery control
Pros: Attractive, Lightweight
Cons: poor battery control
"I am satisfied with this product overall, though there are several things to point out:
1) The battery control is very poor. The indication of battery condition on the monitor is not accurate at all.
2) The most recent version of software (Garmin Connect) does not properly work on my Mac. I installed the previous version, which works with usual data uploading but not with updating firmware.
1) The battery control is very poor. The indication of battery condition on the monitor is not accurate at all.
2) The most recent version of software (Garmin Connect) does not properly work on my Mac. I installed the previous version, which works with usual data uploading but not with updating firmware.
I hope Gamin correct them as soon as possible."
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Review 12 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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5
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Value:
Avg 5
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Performance:
Avg 5
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IOGWFH
City: Sydney
Country:Australia
Age:19-24
Level:Regular
Gender:Female
Budget:Quality first
Date:April 24, 2010
Absolutely fabulous
Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Comfortable, Durable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality, Lightweight, Rugged
Cons: Expensive, Limited Color Choices
"This is a really simple one touch piece of equipment. Once you have it all set up all you have to do is press start stop and it just does it's thing. The ANT device is fabulous and the display of the data on Garmin Connect is concise and easy to read.
It does take a bit of getting use to working the bezel and the menus in menus can make set up fiddly however the choices you have for set up are boundless, right down to what you display on your screen and where it's situated on your screen, so if you are someone who likes full control of your gadgets this is it. Once it's all set up though you probably won't touch the menus again, well at least I haven't.
I use this for tracking my exercise regimes and my weekend hikes and I've found it works well for both on road and off road sports, the gps is brilliant and very accurate. Though on Garmin connect when looking at the maps it is better to use the satellite version than the map version as this tends to be more true to life, this however is fault of Google maps and not Garmin."
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Review 13 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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Gazzable
Date:April 18, 2010
Excellent product
Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Comfortable, High Quality, Lightweight
Cons: Expensive
"Helps to have bought this in Aus so the cost is much cheaper. Takes a bit of getting used to not accidentally touching the bezel and don't get it wet. Works very well as a runners watch but not that great for more obscure activities. Battery life % left is very useful given the short life."
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Review 14 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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5
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Value:
Avg 4
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Performance:
Avg 5
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zentao
Country:Australia
Age:35-44
Interest:Runner
Level:Regular
Date:April 9, 2010
Love it !
Pros: Adjustable, High Quality
Cons: Expensive
"this does pretty much everything i want it to - apart from evevation which is a bit off ...."
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Review 15 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 3
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5
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Value:
Avg 3
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Performance:
Avg 4
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adefrutos
Date:November 25, 2009
Great gadget for running
Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Comfortable, Good Fit, Versatile
Cons: Expensive
"I have had 405 for almost a year, and I am very happy with it, it really helps me to track all daily training, besides it is really helpfull while you are training then you can use the mygarmin webpage to upload all your daily training and then spend a while looking at the results which help you to improve a lot your workout.
One of the cons would be that the sensor doesn't work very well with humidity and fails sometimes and that the battery is a bit short, but in general I think it is a great gadget."
One of the cons would be that the sensor doesn't work very well with humidity and fails sometimes and that the battery is a bit short, but in general I think it is a great gadget."
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Review 16 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 3
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Value:
Avg 2
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Performance:
Avg 3
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ThunderCat
City: Davenport
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Runner
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Date:November 20, 2009
Not for water babies!
Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Comfortable
Cons: Expensive, Low Quality, Not Enough Features, poor battery life, not waterproof
"I have the 310, but not the 405. However, I borrowed a friend's 405 for a week to compare it (and write this review).
i am a runner and biker, but not a triathlete. The instructions for this model say that it can only be submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. In my mind, that's not waterproof, so I wouldn't recommend this for triathletes. I think this is the case for all Garmin watches, but there are triathletes who I know who use it nonetheless.
On paper, this watch is excellent. It has a screen that is less than half the size of the 310. It has GPS and a lithium rechargeable battery. Many of the Garmin buttons are gone, and in its place is a touch bezel. But all these "improvements" have a price.
This watch is smaller than the 310, so the screen is smaller. I found it harder to see the details on the watch when I was running. The touch bezel was easy to navigate, but it was also very easy to accidentally knock. The manual says you can lock the bezel so that it doesn't respond to these knocks, but then you have to unlock it to use it again. Moreover, for those of you who want to use it in the water, be aware that you are advised to wipe the bezel dry before using it!
Because it's small, you can wear the 405 all the time. My 310 is strictly for workouts, and it's too bulky for day wear. The 405 could easily be worn as a normal watch, and the bezel works beautifully when you're using this in a casual manner... The 405CX comes with a heart rate monitor (HRM). However, if you already have one, then you should be able to just pair the two devices. Once you've done that, they work perfectly together.
Another downside is poor battery life. If you're using the GPS, you are sucking battery power, and the unit effectively needs to be recharged once a day. The stated battery life is 8 hours, but I was getting 4-5 hours with GPS and HRM. With previous Garmin Forerunners, you could turn the watch off to save power. With this watch, you can't but there is a power saver mode.
The USB ANT stick allows you to connect to the Garmin web site. From there, you can see your run on Google maps, and fine tune your run (as the watch will record info about your heart, speed, etc). If you wanted to, you can set up a run on the web and then send it to your watch, or other 405 users. That is, using just your watch, you can broadcast the run to other runners who are nearby and also have a 405 watch! My concern about doing this would be how much power this feature would use.
One of the really nice features of the 405 is the ability to rerun a race. That is, if you have a previous run stored, you can just recall it and run against yourself. This is a really useful feature, but it's only possible on GPS watches (ie, you can't do this on the FR60).
In short, I don't recommend it for the triathlete - it only gets 2 stars because of the dubious waterproofing and poor battery life. However, if you are using this for just running and/or cycling (you'll need to get the GSC10), then this gets 5 stars."
3 of 5 found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 5
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5
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Value:
Avg 4
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Performance:
Avg 5
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Gribbo
Date:October 10, 2009
Excellent training gadget
Pros: Adjustable, Comfortable, High Quality
Cons: Expensive
"I have been using the Forerunner 405cx for about 3 months and have found it an invaluable training aid. I have not found it difficult to use and the initial setup and synch to my PC was relatively easy. I particularly like the ability to upload all the details of a run to Garmin connect where I can compare split times and max heart rates for hours on end!
The bezel does get a bit temperamental when wet but you can lock it or dry it off to solve the problem.
The one drawback is the cost."
The bezel does get a bit temperamental when wet but you can lock it or dry it off to solve the problem.
The one drawback is the cost."
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Review 18 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Hashiraw
City: Tokyo, Japan
Age:45-54
Interest:Runner
Level:New to sport
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Date:August 23, 2009
Good service and Good Item
Pros: Comfortable, Great Value, Lightweight
"I bought Garmin Forerunner 405CX from Japn.
Wiggle is very good shopping site because of the followings;
Wiggle is very good shopping site because of the followings;
1） The goods were reached within 4days including customs clearance. This is very fast, This is faster than Japanese web shopping site.
2) The price was 29% cheaper than price of Japanese shop. Of cause, that was depend on exchange rate between STP and J.Yen.
3) 406 CX is very convenience for training of jogging. It is very easy to check distance, time and cources."
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Review 19 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 1
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5
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Value:
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Performance:
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Enduro
Date:August 4, 2009
Garmin 405CX
Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Comfortable, Good Fit, Lightweight
Cons: Expensive, freezes up when it rains, only 8hr battery life in gps mode, garmin helpline not great
"Freezes up when it rains and has transfer problems"
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Review 20 for Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sports Watch with HRM
Overall:
Quality:
Avg 4
/
5
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Value:
Avg 4
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5
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Performance:
Avg 4
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5
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Pep1970
City: China
Age:35-44
Interest:Runner
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Date:August 2, 2009
Useful Running Partner
Pros: Attractive, High Quality, Versatile, very accurate
Cons: low battery capacity, bezel control not easy
"I had the for-runner 305 already for the last couple of years and I was quite happy with it. Now I have seen the 405CX and I thought I MUST have it. It really looks like a running watch and not like a computer you carry around on your wrist.
The 405 does not have the buttons anymore to select the functions but a iPod like bezel. This is one of the biggest changes and one of the disadvantages. Even now after 600km running and 1000km cycling I still have problems to get the correct function at the first attempt. On the other side – as soon as you have pre-selected all the functions you do not need to do anything else but start and stop – and this is done by one of the two remaining buttons.
The satellite reception is excellent. Even here in China I never lost the signal yet. The heart beat recording is good as well.
The functionality is great – training programs, virtual partner, auto stop, different speed units....all not much difference to the 305.
Really nice is the new wireless NNT+ connection. No USB interface needed anymore to transfer your data to your computer – just a memory stick like transponder and than your data get transferred from the watch automatically to the “Garmin Training Centre” Software. This is really a nice software to record and analyze your training progress.
Another down-side: the battery lasts only for about 8hrs. That is O.K. for most of my training activities but not for longer cycling trips.
All in all I really like this new “toy” – even if there is still some room for improvement."
The 405 does not have the buttons anymore to select the functions but a iPod like bezel. This is one of the biggest changes and one of the disadvantages. Even now after 600km running and 1000km cycling I still have problems to get the correct function at the first attempt. On the other side – as soon as you have pre-selected all the functions you do not need to do anything else but start and stop – and this is done by one of the two remaining buttons.
The satellite reception is excellent. Even here in China I never lost the signal yet. The heart beat recording is good as well.
The functionality is great – training programs, virtual partner, auto stop, different speed units....all not much difference to the 305.
Really nice is the new wireless NNT+ connection. No USB interface needed anymore to transfer your data to your computer – just a memory stick like transponder and than your data get transferred from the watch automatically to the “Garmin Training Centre” Software. This is really a nice software to record and analyze your training progress.
Another down-side: the battery lasts only for about 8hrs. That is O.K. for most of my training activities but not for longer cycling trips.
All in all I really like this new “toy” – even if there is still some room for improvement."
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