One of the latest “Forerunner” editions to the Garmin lineup of sports watches is the Garmin Forerunner 210. This model comes standard with GPS but it also comes WITHOUT a heart rate monitor in a separate model. Of course, the one without the heart rate monitor is cheaper but I would think that this watch is incomplete without the heart rate monitor function. What’s particularly striking about this Forerunner 210 is that it is small enough to fit onto a girl’s wrist without looking too clunky or big. It’s round cute looking appearance also make it more likeable amongst females.
That being said, most of the newer Forerunner models are more aesthetically pleasing. Let us examine this watch further in this review…
Garmin forerunner 210 GPS watch With Heart Rate Monitor
Garmin Forerunner 210 Features
So what does this sports watch come with?
In terms of features it is pretty similar to the other garmin Forerunners.
- GPS feature built-in (standard..DUHHH!) If your Garmin forerunner does not have GPS, it is most likely NOT A GARMIN!
- GPS feature is quicker to lock in to satellites. It is also more sensitive in picking up GPS signals even under trees and amongst buildings.
- Heart rate monitoring feature (for certain models)- tracks your HR, displays it, HR zone alerts; that can be preset by the user.
- Also comes with a calorie counter
- Track your workout data – Share them on GarminConnect
- Also comes with a body composition scale – tracks water content, fat content, weight and a whole lot more while sharing it with users online via GarminConnect.
- Compatible with gym equipment as well (not all gym equipment though…)
- USB Connector for recharging, AC cable etc
- Manual
- Compatible with a lot of Garmin accessories – foot pods, bicycle mount kit etc
There are a bit more features you will find if you purchase this heart rate monitor
What I Like About The Garmin Forerunner 210
1. Easiest Garmin Watch To Use
Garmin watches are not the easiest watch to use but neither are they the hardest to use. Their recent Garmin Forerunner 610 and 110 models are a step above the older forerunners in terms of ease of use. This Forerunner 210 is pretty similar to the 610 and 110 in terms of operating but I still find that this sports watch easier to use. Even newbies who’ve never used a GPS watch can use it!
When I got this on my front door, I allowed it to charge for a few hours and it took me a couple of minutes after that to set everything up including the GPS feature. You have to go outdoors to be able to play around with the GPS settings. As for the other functions, all you got to do is fiddle with 4 buttons on the front to navigate around the settings and functions of this watch.
What you see on the front digital display are the elapsed time, your speed or pace and the distance travelled on the top. This is pretty much what I wanna see in a sports watch. Relevant and easy to see bite-sized info without unnecessary information.
Remember that I mentioned that this watch stores your running stats, well all that can be easily retrieved and uploaded online via Garmin Connect. Viewing and comparing your training stats with others is one effective way to measure your training and fitness. The other thing that I really like about it is the Garmin Connect feature is much better here. It seems that Garmin has made some improvements with it.
2. Better GPS Locking and Sensitivity
As mentioned earlier, the GPS feature here is more sensitive and locks in much faster to satellites. The old Garmin Forerunner 405 is fast but still not as good as this watch. Actually, most of the newer Garmin Forerunners have better GPS locking and sensitivity; even under trees.
Although Garmin is well known for its GPS sports watches, the GPS readings can be pretty inaccurate and sometimes it gives you the wrong distance travelled. I tested the Garmin Forerunner 210 outdoors and found it to be significantly more accurate and tallies with the actual distance on the road. I’m pretty praticular about this and I’m glad that I find no issue with this.
Annoying Things That Can Be Improved
1. Finicky USB connector
The USB connector in the Forerunner 210 can be quite a pain sometimes. It seems to be that the slightest dust can cause problems with data transfer or chargin. I think this is one of the biggest issue that Garmin should address if they want this to be the perfect GPS sports watch. I would suggest that they replace it with a simple plug-and-play USB connection that solves the problem straightaway. I don’t think this is a very complicated problem to fix…
My Final Verdict
I haven’t found anything else that is annoying about this watch. I will update this review if I find another issue. The bottomline is, this watch is great for both male and female users. It is one of those sleek and nice looking sports watch that will look great on a girl’s wrist. I would think that the colour choices are not too feminine though although colour preferences are very subjective. But, I would think the more important issue is the watch’s function. I would say that it is a great GPS sports watch.
If you are considering a GPS sports watch that has good GPS features, easy to use functions at a reasonable price, the Garmin Forerunner 210 is the heart rate monitor to consider.
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