Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Heart Rate Monitor

The Garmin Forerunner 305 is a GPS-enabled heart rate monitor primarily intended for outdoor running. It adds heart rate monitoring capabilities to the existing features of the Forerunner 205. It is one of the most popular and most highly rated sports watches/heart rate monitors on Amazon, with an average of 4.5 stars out of over 1400 reviews!

So here are the main features of the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Heart Rate Monitor are:

• GPS-enabled heart rate monitor: It keeps track of distance and pace/speed, monitors heart rate, and offers a host of navigation features
• Heart rate zone with alerts can be set. You can choose from one of the 5 heart rate zones (calculated automatically based on your maximum heart rate) or customise your own heart rate alert limits
• The wrist watch can show up to 3 data pages. Each page can have up to 4 fields. Therefore while you are running, you can examine in real time up to 12 pieces of data.
• Data that can be shown include e.g. various cadence data (if using optional cadence sensor), calories, date, various distance data, elevation, grade, heading, various heart rate data, heart rate zone, laps, various pace data, pace zone, various speed data, speed zone, sunrise, sunset, various time data, current time
• Autoscroll - if this is turned on, the data pages are shown one after the other automatically.
• Calorie counter: It is based on distance and user profile data.
• 10 pace/speed zones which you can customise to be used in conjunction with pace/speed alerts.
• There are 3 sport modes: Running, Biking and Other.
• Time alert: Beeps when you have trained for a specific time.
• Distance alert: Beeps when you have travelled a specific distance.
• Pace/speed alerts: The watch beeps when you have gone above or dropped below your set pace/speed zone.
• Cadence alerts: This feature is available if you use the optional Garmin GSC 10 cadence sensor for bikes.
• Auto Pause: the timer is automatically paused and restarted depending on your speed/pace
• Auto Lap: laps are marked automatically when you have travelled a certain distance or passed certain points during the run.
• Virtual Partner: Competes against you while you run. The wrist watch display will show whether you are ahead or behind.
• You can now set up 3 types of workouts (if you wish): quick, interval, advanced. See below for more information.
• Quick workout: You can set one of 3 goals: 1. distance and time, or 2. time and pace, or 3. distance and pace. A Virtual Partner will race you to help you achieve your goal.
• Interval workout: First you set the time (or distance) you want to run and the time (or distance) you want to rest. This defines your intervals. You then decide how many times you want these to be repeated. This sets up your complete interval workout.
• Advanced workout: You can set up multiple intervals, with each interval having a different time duration or distance. You may also set goal (speed, heart rate, cadence or none) for each interval individually. You can use the included Garmin Training Center software to set up the workout on a computer and then download that to the wrist watch.
• Course: You can set up a course based on a previous recorded run. Then you can race against the course, and see if you can better your previous performance/goal. You can use a Virtual Partner to help you with that.
• You can do a multi-sport workout, without resetting the stop watch timer. Simply change the sport mode while doing the workout. This way you will get the totals and the averages of the entire workout.
• Stop watch with up to 1000 laps.
• 1000 laps of history data is saved for review. The data includes time, distance, average pace, best pace, calories and detailed lap information.
• There are various GPS navigation features: Viewing your path on a map, marking locations, finding your way to the starting point, and creating and using routes.
• Date and time
• Backlight
• Wireless heart rate monitor composed of a chest strap transmitter and a wrist watch receiver
• Waterproof i.e. splash/rain proof. It is NOT intended to be used while swimming.
• The wrist watch unit uses an internal rechargeable battery. It comes with its own special charging cradle. Battery life is about 10 hours when fully charged.
• The chest strap uses a CR2032 user-replaceable battery.
• A special USB cable is provided to transfer data to a computer.
• Foot pod (optional): It can be used if you are running on an indoor track or on an indoor treadmill when GPS signal is not available.
• GSC 10 speed and cadence sensor for bikes (optional)
• Use the Garmin Training Center desktop software to analyze or store your history data, or use it to create an advanced workout or a course.
• You can also upload data to Garmin Connect, an online software, for analysis, mapping, and route sharing.

The main differences between Garmin Forerunner 305 and Forerunner 210 are highlighted in bold in the list above. Compared to the 210, the Garmin Forerunner 305 clearly has a lot more features.

Note: On Garmin web site or manuals, the words "heart rate monitor" are used to denote the chest strap transmitter. This is in contrast to standard usage where "heart rate monitor" either refers to the wrist watch unit or to the combination of both the wrist watch unit and the chest strap transmitter. So please be aware of the difference to avoid confusion.

What are the differences between Garmin Forerunner 305 and 205?

Garmin Forerunner 305 and 205 look very similar externally. So what are the differences? In a nutshell, they are:

Forerunner 305 = Forerunner 205 + Heart Rate Monitoring + Ability to add the optional Cadence Sensor for bikes or the optional Foot Pod

Otherwise the two models are almost identical. In other words, Garmin Forerunner 205 does NOT have heart rate monitoring capabilities! However, it is a very good GPS running watch, if heart rate monitoring is not required.

Summary

The Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Heart Rate Monitor goes one step further than the Forerunner 205, by providing the heart rate monitoring facility. It is now not only a great runner's watch, but also a great heart rate monitor too. You can now combine your speed and distance training while watching your all important heart rate!

Just like the Forerunner 205, the Garmin Forerunner 305 also offers a host of very useful navigational features. For example, you can race against your past record over a particular route or ask Forerunner 305 to help you find your way back home if you happen to get lost!

Amazon is currently doing a deal on the Garmin Forerunner 305, offering a heavy discount. Don't miss it.

This takes you to Amazon for some of the best selections for this model. Certain selections come with FREE Super Saver Shipping.

Useful Information

The next model up is the Garmin Forerunner 405. The Garmin Forerunner 310XT is not so much a model up, but more like a model "sideways", as its features are very close to that of Garmin Forerunner 305, except that it is now swim-proof, hence suitable for triathletes. The 310XT also has better calorie computation based on exercise heart rates.

Not sure which heart rate monitor is right for you? Take a look at the Which Heart Rate Monitor page.