Garmin Forerunner 220

So one of my essentials of running is my watch. I currently am using the Garmin Forerunner 220. I love it. Previously, I was using the Forerunner 10, but a few things went wrong, so I upgraded. Here is what I can tell you about the Forerunner 220.

My Forerunner 220

Accuracy. So far, I have found this watch to be extremely accurate. Yeah, you may run into an area where the satellites can't reach you as well, say under trees or under bridges, etc., but from what I have found, it is fairly spot on. 

Satellite connection. One thing with this watch, I have found that it is quick to catch a signal. I had some issues with this in my Forerunner 10, however the one nice thing that this watch does is when it is unlocked, it has a signal bar at the top of the display. This shows how connected you are, and as soon as you unlock it, it searches. This differs from the 10 and the 15 where you have to enter the run mode to start searching. 

Battery life. 6 weeks in watch mode, 10 hours in training mode. I have yet to have a problem with the battery here, I charge mine the night before I plan on using it, and I have no problems. Going along with the battery, the charging cable is nice. It has a latch that holds firmly onto the watch and you do not have to worry about it coming undone at all. 

Waterproof? Garmin has stated that this watch is waterproof up to 50 meters. I have yet to test this out myself, not being the best person to be in the water, but I would say as long as you are not doing any sort of deep-sea diving, you'll be alright. Yes, I have ran with this in the rain and snow, and have sweated with it on, and I will say that it works just fine. 

One perk of this watch is that it has a built in accelerometer. This feature tracks your cadence, using your arm swings, which allows you to get a somewhat-accurate reading while running indoors. I have used it a few times while I have ran on the treadmill and it has been close to what the treadmill said I ran (the furthest off was saying I ran .97 when I ran 1 mile). You can make it more accurate by entering your stride length within the settings of your watch. The cadence reading is also an interesting piece of information when looking at your records.

A Look at what the cadence/steps per minute looks like. 

This watch will also save your personal records, not only on the watch itself, but also sync them to Garmin Connect. The watch will also alert you after you run whether or not you have beaten one of your records or not. For many, this information is nice to have on hand. 

Talking about Garmin Connect, this watch is Bluetooth capable, which allows people who have a smart phone to sync their data wirelessly. I will say that this is my favorite feature of this watch. Previously, I had to find my cord and remember to sync my watch, then I got a new computer which no longer read my watch as a device. So having this convenience is something I adore. 

This watch also includes other features, including, Auto-Pause (the watch will pause when you stop running and pick back up when you do), Auto Lap (Automatically starts a new lap, which for many people this is a mile), Auto Scroll (Will scroll through different screens during a run), Advanced workouts (You can customize and add workouts to the watch through Garmin Connect), Pace Alerts (Will notify you if you stray from set pace), and Interval Training (You can set up exercise and rest times to alert you when to start and when to stop). 

Another feature, although separate, is that this watch is compatible with Garmin's foot pod, which would give you steps taken/cadence, and also with the chest heart rate monitor. Both of these pieces do come separate however, but for those that would like to add them, they are not super expensive. 

Now, I will say that this watch does cost a pretty penny, at $250, it is not one of the cheapest options on the market, however, it is worth it. All of the features combined can make things that more easier and more understandable to us runners.