Product ReviewsGarmin Forerunner 305 Red GPS Watch

Skate Skiing

Garmin 305 is perfect for skate skiing. Compared to new GPS watches it is large. Wearing gloves, though rather thin ones, the size of the buttons is an advantage and makes it easier to push the correct one while skating. The menu is simple. The charging dock works well. The large face is easy to see at a glance. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: rar3116

good performance watch

well, it's good and accurate watch that entitle it's user the ability to keep track of his running and performance .
the downside of this watch is it's limited capacity to store data , count steps and sleep duration.
the other issue is synchronization with Garmin connect which is big trap and Garmin technical support need a lot of work to fix and update this issue.
The watch alert sound is sound able.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: vjbigdeals

Garmin 305 is a winner.

I bought the Garmin because I am currently training for my first Marathon, and I'm curious as to what my heart rate is doing. It's my first wrist GPS, so I have not suffered through past technologies and my backround is very shallow. If it is relevant, this one is a refurb that runs flawlessly.

The upside: It gets great signal just about everywhere outside. I once left it running in my luggage during a flight to Omaha and it managed to record movement data until the battery died. It reliably shows my drive to the airport, wandering around the airport, and zipping along at 400 mph at 40,000 feet. The software is easy to use, and the docking station makes uploading your data a breeze. It is also pretty darn water resistant, which is a big plus as I've put in about 40 miles in the rain this month. It also seems to be very accurate distance wise, as when my running group compares distances at the end of the run we're typically within a tenth of a mile or so of each other.

The downside: It's still a bit bulky. I would also like to have the option of displaying my heartrate more prominently. I also don't particularly like the map contained in the software, but if you're clever you can import it into google earth. Generally I don't because it's time consuming, and I pretty much know where I've been anyway.

Overall, the Garmin 305 is a fine product, that I will surely hold onto for years after its successor hits the market.Read full review...

Great product, minor caveat.

My wife had the 305 and she loved it. Last year running the Chicago Marathon she was hit hard by another runner, knocking the Garmin completely off her wrist, and down a storm drain. She was using the quick detach mount system. She runs triathlons and marathons, the reason she likes the 305 is because it works on her bike with the pedal sensor and wheel sensor accessories. She can easily track cadence, etc. Also, the quick detach mount lets her switch easily from the bike to the run. The watch clips onto a mount on the handlebars, and then clips onto the wrist strap. Only takes a second to transition. However! As she knows all too well, if you get hit too hard on the wrist, the 305 can get knocked off. If you are just running, use the standard watch style wrist strap.
The Garmin I ordered from Ebay was used, intended as a replacement for the one my wife lost. Garmin has discontinued the 305. The used one ended up not working properly and I had to send it back. Thank you Ebay Buyer Protection! When purchasing a used 305, be very careful that it powers up properly, charges properly, and will run for an acceptable length of time. There are several small holes on the base of the Garmin where the speaker is located. The holes allow the beeps to be heard. They also allow moisture, usually sweat, to infiltrate the unit, which causes corrosion over time. Once the corrosion is bad enough, the battery is compromised. Garmin charges about $80 to recondition the 305. So, beware of the condition of the battery. The unit will power on when it is connected to the charging unit, even though the battery won't actually charge. Make sure it stays on when it is off the charging unit. That was the problem with the used one we got from Ebay. It would power on only when attached to the charger. Other than a minor design flaw they are a great unit.Read full review...

Good running and biking tool. Room for Improvement.

I have had my Forerunner 305 for almost 3 weeks now. Previous to this I used a Polar S150 (wired bike mount) for several years and a entry level Polar before that, so I am used to basic heart rate monitor but not advance data recording or GPS.

I have tested the Forerunner 305 running, biking and swimming and have been generally very impressed.

General: The concept of acquiring satellites before I get going took a little getting used to. After the first couple of times I generally get satellite acquisition within about 30 seconds as long as I am outside or in my enclosed front porch. I set the unit down so that it is completely stationary while acquiring satellites. I get spotty to no reception indoors. The heart rate monitor functions well in comparison to my Polars. I have only had erratic heart readings at the end of one bike ride (fixed by adjusting the strap), which is better performance than I generally would get with the Polars (Except for Swimming, see below). The grade measurements are so erratic as to be totally useless. I have had the grade measurement vary from 8% to 25% back down to 5% within one minute of sustained climbing on the bike. I believe this is due to a poor averaging algorithm (2 point average as opposed to smoother averages involving more points). This is something I intended to test once I figure out how to access the raw data. Data recording is interesting, but is highly dependent on the software used to analyze it. Training center software is decent but unsophisticated (lack of user configurable option is disappointing in a $300+ product). Motion Based has been fun to use, especially the map player. As noted in a previous post of mine errors in distance calculations arise due to Motion Based insistence on connecting erratic track points recorded when you are standing still.

Running: To this point I have done about half a dozen runs of 3-3.5 miles each on a couple of different courses. Mostly I run on trails with trees (no real leaves as of yet) with some street and open field running mixed in. Generally in the trees I average an accuracy of about 25 ft, which I consider to be pretty good. The tracks and distances are both reproducible to within this approximate 25 ft range. I have found the “instantaneous” pace to be somewhat erratic but generally within approximately 5% of the short term mean. The auto stop feature (I have it set to stop if pace falls below 30 min mile) working decently on the run but occasionally does not register that I am stopped. Overall I am very excited to easily track my running distance and have a pretty good idea of my pace.

Biking: Used for approximately 10 bike rides both on and off road. Despite some concerns that the antenna faces the wrong way when mounted on the handlebars (I mount mine by wrapping the monitor around a piece of foam) I generally get great GPS reception on the bike. Accuracy is generally about 15 ft on open road and 25-30 ft.on trails. The speed and distance seems to be very accurate and the precision (reproducibility) is within 1%. The auto stop feature works extremely well on the bike, starting and stopping the unit within 1 second. The one down side is that the buttons you are most likely to use for cycling are on the side of the unit (the up/down and occasionally the mode button).

Swimming: I have only tested in an indoor swimming pool, hoping to be able to record my heart rate. Unfortunately, unlike my Polar S150 the heart rate signal cannot be measurRead full review...

Excellent training tool, lots of data, easy to use

Bought a refurbished unit since this is my first sports GPS and did not want to spend $300+. Love the features, very easy to set up and customize. Love that you can see your route in google maps or bing. Heart rate monitor takes some getting used to (feels like it is going to slide down during running - but doesn't), but the data from this "tool" is amazing. I have had two workouts that would not upload to garmin website - not sure why, but I don't consider that a major issue. Still early in evaluation, but no regrets so far. May add foot pod so I can collect data from tread mill workouts as well.Read full review...

Garmin Forerunner 305

Primary reason for purchase was to track milage and monitor my heart rate. I chose the 305 after careful consideration and conversation with owners. I run in SW Oklahoma where GPS accuracy seems lower than other places I've been around the globe. The 305 has no problems with this situation and has proven accurate in recording distance as compared to a military surveyed 3 mile course. The light tree cover, occasional buildings and powerline do not seem to be a problem. The unit is easy to use and has adequate battery life even with the use of the backlight. Two negatives: personally wish heart rate reading was larger and as noted in other reviews, the altitude accuracy is at best marginal. I.E. indicated it was uphill both ways and significant differences in altitude at the same location. All and all it is a good tool that keeps me honest on mentally challenging days and I would not hesitate to purchase again.Read full review...

It works! And it seems durable.

I've previously owned a Polar 800sd which stopped working after about 18 months of usage. Before that it had problems connecting with the footpod for about 6 months. Another friend of mine had similar problems with his Polar watch, it stopped working after about 10 months. Polar watches are expensive, look cheap, and are obviously not very durable. And the accompanying software is a nightmare for first time users.

I went for the Garmin Forerunner 305 because it has a reputation for durability and I don't want to spend USD 500 every 18 months on a pulse watch. It cost me about USD 200 including freight, I've had it for 2 weeks now, and it has been working great.

A minor drawback is that it takes the device about 7 minutes to locate satellites when being in a new location for the first time. The software is easy to use, however I miss the ability to add qualitative comments to workouts, which I had with the Polar. The ability to see my run on Google Earth is fantastic.

For accurate instant speed measurement, the GPS is inferior to the Polar footpod (for averages over the run, I figure it is about the same). I've actually gotten readings of running 20 km/h when I was doing only about 11 km/h. I've now ordered the Garmin Footpod for an extra USD 80, it should improve the speed readings. The heart rate readings seem much more accurate than the Polar (the Polar had a "lag" compared to the threadmill, and was sometimes way off in terms of displaying accurate heart rate, especially if the heart rate strap was not sufficiently moist at the beginning of the workout).

One thing Garmin can improve is for the device to not look for satellites every time I turn it on. I will use it mostly indoors, and will most of the time not use the GPS function. Having to turn the GPS function off manually every time I use the watch should not be necessary.

Overall, I am very happy with the purchase. The watch feels durable, is easy to use, has a super-cool GPS/ google earth function, has better heart rate readings than Polar, and cost me less than half than the Polar branded piece of plastic that is now lying dysfunctional in my closet.Read full review...

I love to see what the next step will be for Garmin !

My sons gave me a Garmin 205, so I was quite familiar with the use of the 305. The reason I upgraded to the 305, was the capability to monitor the heart rate and the cadence.
I recently purchased a Trek road bycle and my friend and I like to ride medium to long distances. It is a blessing - after adding the Garmin 305 - I am able to keep track of so many things at the same time (attaching the Garmin is a snap with the small rubber holder; you really don't need any tie-ons!). Adding the cadence was easy, if you give yourself the time to install this device. After setup I calibrated my Trek computer with the 305, so speed and distance are the same.
Through the Trek Incite 9i computer I keep track of speed, time of day and temperature.
My main page on the Garmin 305 shows: triptime, distance, heart rate and cadence.
My second page is setup with the following: time of day, sunset, date and distance. This page is helpful in deciding when to turn around on a long run.
My third page is set up with lap information. This is helpful when we ride in our local park and do some practice laps.
Overall I am very pleased with the capabilities of the Garmin 305.
I read a lot about the maps and their quality, but what I usually do is upload the Garmin data into Google Earth and get a true reflection of our trips.
Finally, the Virtual Runner helps me in my running workouts to keep improving.

Thank you GarminRead full review...

Garmin 305

The receiver is more streamlined than past models and the GPS reception appears to be stronger as well.
Garmin still hasn't designed a GPS that you can fully customize the display. You can't move the heart rate icon and reading so that it's a large display within the receiver. The icon is just too tiny to read when you're moving. Since I use the Garmin 305 for conditioning endurance horses, it would be more helpful to have a much larger heart rate number or be able to make it larger when necessary. The increased reception distance between the receiver and the heart rate transmitter is very useful.
The fact that you can download a workout and project it into mapping programs to get elevation change etc of the workout along side heart rate readings is a great advantage.Read full review...

GPS RECEIVER GARMIN 305

I bought the GPS a month ago in order to improve my long distance running. The Heart monitor is exicellent. The display is very flexable allowing up to four parametors to be shown. However it is too small for more then three. Downloading of data into the computer is also very easy. On the down side it is a bit heavy and not suited to people with a small wrist. I found I had to use an arm band under the receiver for it to fit well. It has a time tisplay as well, but is too bulky to be used as a wristwatch. It is for sports use only. All In all it is a good product, value for money and I would recommond it for Runners and bikers.Read full review...