This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer. It's been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 945, you may want to check out that review instead.
When the Garmin Forerunner 310XT was announced earlier this spring, it represented the next logical evolution from the Garmin 305. It promised many of the features triathletes were looking for, while also promising to still appeal to the single-sport crowds of runners and cyclists.
The big three features that most folks were excited about were:
1) Ability to go 20 hours on battery (compared to 10 previously)
2) New waterproofing (to swim with)
3) Integration with cycling power devices (to gather wattage)
Of course, that was just the tip of the iceberg. How would the 310XT actually stand up to a month of pounding through multi-workout days? And would it do all it’s promised?
Garmin sent me out a a trial unit for 30 days, and I went ahead and put it through it’s paces. I swam, cycled, and even ran an Ironman marathon with it. If you’ve read my review posts before, you know they are anything but short. I try to cover every conceivable function and feature, and then see how well it performs outside the envelope. I take a gazillion pictures along the way, record all the data and then try to offer the most comprehensive reviews possible. That’s just my DC Rainmaker trademark way of doing things.
As always, if you have any questions after reading it – feel free to post questions in the comments below, or e-mail me at the address on the right toolbar. With that…let’s get onto the action:
Unboxing/Package Contents:
When the box first arrives, it’ll look a lot like this. Well, actually, it should look exactly like this – unless the UPS man has already played with it.
Once you take all the parts out and spread them across a wide surface, you’ll have the following display of plastic baggies:
From there, you’ll spend a few minutes debagging everything, resulting in this fine collection of parts:
Now you’ll notice a bunch of different plug attachments on the lower right hand corner. This allows you to easily take the wall charger overseas (regardless of which side of the pond you started on).
But, let’s get all of the ancillary ‘stuffs’ out of the way, and focus on the things that really matter:
And there you have it – the pieces that you’ll actually use. You see four major items. Obviously the orange thing is the watch itself. And the strap-looking object is the heart rate strap. Next is the wall charger. Now, you’ll notice the wall charger is actually two pieces – a USB cable and a charger unit. This allows you to simply charge the unit via a USB port on your computer. Lastly, you’ll see the little stick at the bottom. This USB stick is an ANT+ wireless device that you plug into your computer to sync data back and forth. I cover this a bunch in the software section, so I’ll skip the details of it for now.
As I mentioned, to charge the device you’ll simply use the charging cable above, and then clip it onto the back of the 310XT, like below:
Also of note is the new heart rate strap. This new strap splits into two pieces like the old one – except that instead of being rubber like the old one, it’s a much more comfortable fabric design. I cover the new heart rate strap later on in the accessories section.
Finally, here’s a few size comparison shots when the 310XT is put next to the Garmin 405 and 305:
You can really see how much thinner it is than the 305 in this shot below:
Ok, let’s get on with the show. Time to power it up!
Initial Setup:
When you first power on the Garmin 310XT it starts by asking you a series of questions. The Garmin 305 did the same thing – though it only really asked three questions, Monty Python style. The 310XT however, asks more questions than an inquisitive three-year-old. Ten questions to be exact:
1) Language
2) Time Format (12/24 hr)
3) Distance format (Miles/KM)
4) HR Monitor (Yes/No)
5) Select gender (M/F/Confused)
6) Enter Age
7) Enter Weight
8) Enter Height
9) Specify Activity Class
10) Specify Lifetime Athlete
It’s those last two that are kinda interesting, specifically the “Are you a lifetime athlete?”. This question is aimed at folks who have resting heart rates of less than 60, or who have trained intensely for many years. Though the manual doesn’t clarify what this setting actually impacts, a bit of poking around reveals it controls some of the calorie calculations.
So, after you’ve given the 310XT your life history, you’re finally ready to use it – and it offers some initial tips along the way:
That’s it! Setup only takes a minute or two. Now that we have it all configured, let’s get on with using it.
Running:
The first thing you’ll notice when you go to put it on your wrist is that it’s smaller than previous Forerunners. And lighter. It’s also a bit more streamlined looking – it reduces the ‘running with a computer’ look some…though – let’s face it – you’re still running with a computer.
Once you turn it on you’ll be able to select which sport you’re doing (by holding down the mode button for a few seconds). This is nice in that it reduces the series of menus you used to have to navigate in past models. The device will start in the same mode you shut it off in last time, so if you’re just a runner – it will stay in running mode. This is also a great time to point out that the 310XT picks up satellite reception WAY faster than the 305 does. A much appreciated improvement!
Now that you’ve selected you want to run…it’s time to run. Simply press the start button, and off we go.
As you start running you’ll notice that the displayed pace starts to reduce down to your actual speed. This takes a few seconds, as the GPS calculation needs to essentially ‘catch up’ to the exact speed you’re going. This is important to call out though because many folks when they start using a GPS watch get really hung up on the fact that the speed fluctuates some. That’s alright though, because the averaging works out, plus, once you even out your instantaneous pace won’t fluctuate by a ton.
Now let’s skip forward a bit into the run. Perhaps it’s hot out, and your getting tired. This is where the 310XT can help keep your pace on track. Aside from the visual reminder that you’re slowing ‘off-pace’, you can also set audible and vibrating reminders. Those are controlled via two methods:
– Virtual Partner: This method allows you to configure the Forerunner to display ‘the little man’, which show shows you how far ahead or behind you are compared to a virtual person running the pace you specified. For example – say you set the pace for 8:00/mile – and then you go off and run two miles at an 8:10/mile pace (thus a time of 16:20 instead of 16:00), it will now show you as 20 seconds behind the little man, as well as how far behind you are (by distance). You can change the pace mid-run, though that will reset the counter.
– Pace alerts via workouts: The 310XT offers the ability to set alerts for a variety of categories – such as HR and distance. These alerts serve to remind you (audibly and via vibration, as well as a visual reminder) that you have reached a specific goal (such as 2 miles), or are over/under a given HR specification. However, what’s missing here is the ability to set a pace alert – such as maintaining an 8:00/mile pace (with a slight variance of course). It would be nice to have this feature built into the watch. But, as a substitute, you can actually create such alerts via workouts in Garmin Training Center (software that comes with it). It’s a bit roundabout, but you can do it:
Above, I set my speed zones (I can customize up to 10 of them with unique names/paces). And below, I create a ‘workout’. If I stray out of that specific zone, the 310XT will quite persistently remind me.
So before we got sidetracked into pace alerts, we were running along on a nice straight road. But what happens if we duck into the tress?
Well, generally – nothing much. The Garmin 310XT continues to work – even in the trees. The only issues I’ve ever seen are on super-quick switchbacks such as in certain trail running scenarios, where the unit might not catch the fact that you’ve done a quick out and back segment and instead short you the distance. Now interestingly, the 305 actually had an option to change recording rate but the 310XT does not (which, I’ll talk more about in the cycling section). But in general, running along a trail in the trees is no issue.
Next comes the buildings – how does it handle around those? In most cases it’s fine. The only issues I’ve ever seen were when I was running super-close to the edge of a tall set of buildings and it drops out temporarily. But the cool thing is that the 310XT will basically ‘draw a line’ between the two known points. So it’ll still capture the distance for you.
Same goes for tunnels. Near my home there are tunnels that pass under a set of major freeways, and the trail I often run goes under the tunnels. What happens in those cases is that signal is lost, the watch alerts me to this, and then I keep running. When I get back into the open and the signal is recaptured (usually a few seconds after exiting the tunnel), it does the the same as next to buildings and interpolates the data points. This is only problematic when the tunnels turn underground (as mine does), so I get shorted a tiny bit on distance on those runs. I suppose it’s extra credit in the bank of training…
As you can see above, it’s not quite a perfect match to the tunnel, but it picks up the signal on either side without too much issue and pretty quickly. The above is a screenshot from Sports Tracks (which I’ll talk about later in the software section).
Now that you’re running along, let’s talk about some of the buttons on the display – here’s the quick overview:
The two buttons you’re most likely to press are the Lap/Reset and Stop/Start. The Stop/Start button works to start your timer, as well as pause it (and stop it at the end of the workout). Whereas the lap button allows you to mark specific laps (and reset the workout). Now by default the 310XT will auto lap every mile, which means it automatically records one lap every mile. You can change the distance for auto lap, or just shut it off. I leave it off on mine, as I prefer to view all laps via software and can then view/filter them a million different ways. In addition, I generally set laps (via the lap button) when I change zones or make some pace/HR change per my workout schedule.
This allows me to do things like the above in Sport Tracks – where I manually recorded five different laps as part of my workout, with each lap representing a different heart rate (HR) zone I was targeting to hit. This way I can see my average split pace for each lap (and thus correlated to each zone).
The two up/down buttons on the side allow you to rotate through different screens. You can configure a number of different data fields per each screen, up to four fields (or as few as one). You can set to automatically rotate/scroll through the screens, or you can manually scroll through via the buttons. Also on the right side (lower) is the ‘Enter’ button to confirm setting choices.
Finally, on the left side we have the top left button to turn on/off the backlight, and the lower button to shift into a different mode and the menu system (to edit settings). The light will automatically shut off after 15 seconds, but you can set it to stay on longer, or just stay on permanently. When I do night runs, I just set it to stay on permanently. I have a few pictures at night in the cycling section.
Lastly, let’s talk about treadmills. The 310XT works just fine inside on treadmills – but it does require a small accessory – the foot pod in order to record pace (and thus distance). The food pod allows you to run in situations where GPS doesn’t function, like inside a gym. I have a whole bunch later in the accessories section on just the foot pod – so check out the details there.
Cycling:
Cycling is probably the most common sport outside of running that the 310XT will be used for. And based on all my cycling thus far – it works quite nicely. I’ve taken it on both my tri bike, as well as road bike – and it works equally as well on both bikes. Now, I’ll talk about how to mount it a bit later, so for now let’s focus on some of the core features.
First up – once you choose to select a sport, you’ll be given the option to choose one of three bikes to ‘program’ into the 310XT. This is useful if you have a mountain bike, a tri bike and a road bike. Why would it matter? Well, wheel size for one. If you use it on a trainer, by setting the wheel size with a cadence sensor (accessory below) you can actually get accurate distance indoors. So this allows easy switching between them. Outside…it doesn’t really matter so much.
Like running mode, you can select up to four screens to display at any one point in time, and you can also set to auto-scroll between the different screens. Auto-scroll is actually a pretty nice feature that I only really started using because of writing this review. Despite virtually all Garmin fitness devices having this, I never really found it practical. But after doing a ride with it – it’s actually fairly nice. You can set the scroll speed to display different screens at intervals of slow/medium/fast (2,4 and 5 seconds respectively). It then rotates continually through those screens, with each screen displaying up to the usual four pieces of data. Note this feature is offered in all modes (Running, Cycling, etc..).
One of the most common questions I get about the 305 and 405 is if you can make the text bigger. Like both of those watches, the 310XT allows quite large text by reducing the number of data fields per screen. Above you can see four data fields on a single screen and below is an example of just one data field. Interestingly, using just two data fields really doesn’t increase the size any more than four data fields. As you can see below though – the speed of 17.0mph is easily read from pretty far away in single data field mode.
Next up…Auto Pause:
Another feature that’s not specific to cycling but is probably most useful in cycling is Auto Pause. This tells the 310XT to automatically stop recording when you stop, and then resume when you start going again. This is based on speed, and the speed is configurable if you’d like to increase or decrease the tolerance. Now, a word of caution about this – in certain situations (like trail running or mountain biking), you may have more automatically paused points than you’d like. This is because sometimes in cases such as switchbacks the GPS signal doesn’t catch that you’ve gone ‘out and back’, and instead interprets it as standing still – thus shorting you on the distance. Generally not an issue on roads, but worthwhile pointing out.
Like when running, the Virtual Partner can be enabled while cycling as well. This would help you maintain above a given MPH (or KPH) speed for the ride, and show you how far ahead or behind you are in comparison to your goal pace:
Now, the 310XT records all sorts of interesting data about your ride: Speed, elevation, heart rate and distance to name a few. Further, if you add the cadence sensor – then it would record cadence as well. All of this information is stored on a per ride basis, and then is downloaded into any number of compatible software applications (which I cover later). From there you can slice and dice the data all sorts of interesting ways:
One new class of devices that the 310XT supports that previous Forerunner devices haven’t supported is power meters. Power meters are developed by 3rd party companies that measure how many watts a cyclist is outputting at any given time. This helps to give a truer picture of a cyclist’s given workout as it effectively accounts for speed-impacting variables like wind and terrain. I wrote up a good intro piece to Cycling with Power here.
(In the above photo taken while climbing, I have the data fields set to show power (watts) in the lower left corner, with grade in the upper right)
Since there is a ton of interesting little details about the 310XT and power meters, I ended up creating a full mini-section in this review under the accessories section. For most of you reading out there, power meters aren’t likely in your future (or budgets), but for competitive cyclists and triathletes, power meters are becoming more common – and understanding the pro’s and con’s of using the 310XT with one is important.
One area that’s often asked is how does the device do at night? This is one area that’s much improved since the 305. The screen is far easier to read at a quick glance than the 305 was, as the backlight color was changed and the overall feel of the display is much cleaner. Below are two photos – one from the saddle showing the brightness of the LCD (adjustable), and one closer up so you can actually read it. Now, as a human you can easily see the numbers while seated, but my camera…not so much…at least without making the rest of the picture pitch-black – hence the two separate pictures
An final area I want to briefly point out is a change made between the 305 and the 310XT around recording of data. In the past (i.e. 305), you can change the recording interval to be ‘Smart Recording’ (which saves battery life, but records less data, roughly about once every 4 seconds depending on a variety of factors), or you can set to ‘Every Second’, which…simply records every second. This mattered for folks who were looking for very precise data. One area that’s most common here is folks cycling with power meter devices. In the 310XT this option was removed and only ‘Smart Recording’ is available. This is a bit of an odd change given the longer battery life of the 310XT over the 305. What’s a bit stranger though is that if you connect a power meter, the device will automatically switch over into 1-second recording. Kinda odd to have the feature, but not allow you to manually enable it. So it’s something to consider if extremely precise data is of significant importance to you.
[Updated 8/6/2011: Note that as of late May 2011, Garmin has re-introduced 1-second recording to the FR310XT product for all sports, regardless of power meter. This can be enabled in the settings menu now for any activity. Enjoy!]
So in summary for cycling – the device by itself performs extremely well. There are however a lot of accessories (be it mounts, cadence meters, or power meters) that really help to gel the watch together. I talk through all of these in the accessories section later on.
Swimming:
One of the biggest reasons you’d look to pickup the 310XT over an earlier model (such as the 305) is it’s inherent waterproofing capabilities. While some earlier Garmin models had basic waterproofing, it was only to 3 feet and only for 30 minutes, further, it wasn’t designed to be warn on your wrist in the water – as the pounding action would effectively destroy the device over time. So upon initial announcement that the 310XT was waterproofed to 30m (94.4ft), most triathletes were thrilled. But Garmin soon made it clear that while the device was indeed waterproofed and could also be worn on your wrist while swimming – it wouldn’t accurately measure distance while swimming if worn on your wrist. Further, it wouldn’t record heart rate data due to the ANT+ signal not being strong enough to penetrate water.
Now, this doesn’t mean the new waterproofing is useless. In fact, far from it – it means that I no longer have to worry about my 305 in its Ziploc bag potentially dying an aquatic death because water got in for an extended period of time. To me, not having to worry about it is a huge advantage.
That said – what would happen if you wore it on your wrist? Well, I set out to find out and put together a simple test. I went to a nearby lake on one of my trips and made a simple triangular course between the boat ramp, and two docks at opposite sides of the lake. The loop is approximately a half a mile.
To ensure I had a ‘control’, I took along a Garmin Forerunner 305 in my swim cap – just as I always do. This would remain in the swim cap for the entire swim. Next, I added a Garmin 310XT to the swim cap as well, right next to the Garmin 305. Yes, I looked like a dork…thankfully nobody saw me. For the Garmin 310XT I didn’t have to worry about a Ziploc.
For the first lap, I’d just swim as usual with the two devices recording, here’s what the two tracks looked like:
Garmin 305 Track – Lap 1:
Garmin 310XT Track – Lap 1:
As you can see, they’re basically the same. The 305 (first one) probably made a slightly prettier track because I tend to breathe to my right, and the 305 was on the right portion of my head. For both devices though, I placed them towards the back of my head, to maximize exposure to the sky. And just to show you what would happen if you perfectly placed the 310XT alone – here’s one I did this past weekend with just the 310XT in a race – it’s pretty darn nice:
Next up, on the second lap I went ahead and removed the Garmin 310XT from my swim cap and placed it on my wrist, just as if I was wearing it running.
Now, the second I placed my arm into the water, the 310XT beeped and warned me it had lost satellite reception (below photo shows my arm just below the surface of the water):
Despite that, I pressed lap and went to town – swimming yet another loop of the circuit – with the 305 in the swim cap as a baseline, and the 310XT on my wrist:
Garmin 305 Track in swim cap – Lap 2:
Garmin 310XT Track on wrist – Lap 2:
Yikes! Not only does the 310XT track look like I’m drunk, but it also measures the distance at more than twice the actual length. This is because it’s losing reception each time it goes underwater, and only some of the time it gains the reception back during the stroke recovery. But, the actual GPS acquisition hasn’t completed, so the accuracy is still +/- a few hundred feet – thus incorrect data points.
So, to summarize that – you really don’t want to wear it on your wrist if you’re looking for a smooth data track (or any useful data). That said, it didn’t bother me with respect to my swim stroke at all, but I also wasn’t on an exact course trying to time-trial it either.
Next up – how does the heart rate strap pickup underwater? Well, Garmin says it won’t – and I had no reason to not trust them, but I’m always up for a little test. Now, I actually had the HR strap on the entire time for both laps. So what did it record?
Yes…basically nothing. The only time it appeared to pickup my HR was when I had put my wrist next to the HR emitter – the below picture is actually taken underwater, looking down from my perspective – with the black band you see being the HR strap. You can see the HR displayed in the lower right corner (along with the incorrect distance in the lower left corner).
I had wondered if it might actually pick it up occasionally during the stroke as when your core rotates, the wrist comes pretty close to your chest during the pull. You can see though that if you do place it close enough to the HR strap, it will pickup, but if you move it only about 6-8” further away (like below), nothing (I had HR configured to display in the lower right corner).
(Oh, in case you’re curious – all the water pictures were taken with an Optio W60 waterproof camera, which is what I use to take almost all the outdoors pictures I post. Most of the ‘pretty’ shots were taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XTi)
So, in summary – while the 310XT doesn’t quite offer the true triathlete/swimmers aquatic device paradise, it’s making steady improvements towards it. At the moment, I know of no device that can be worn on your wrist and track distance in an open-water situation – though the Polar’s can pickup heart rate while underwater because they use a different signal type. That said, for me the biggest advantage of the 310XT over the 305 with respect to swimming is just the simple fact that I don’t have to worry about it. I’ve killed a few Garmin 305’s in water due to prolonged exposure (multi-day sea kayak camping trip), and it appears this device would hold up much better – specifically the screen, which isn’t inset like the 305, so water can’t get in there.
Triathlon Notes:
I want to briefly touch on one area that’s unique to the 305 and 310XT – which is multisport mode. This mode allows for semi-automated shifting from one sport to the next, such as during a race. The 405 doesn’t offer this feature. What this allows you to do is to setup the different legs of the race and then by simply pressing the lap button it will automatically shift to the next stage of the race and change the display to that corresponding sport:
As you can see above, you can choose to add in transition time. Unlike the Garmin 305, the 310XT will now record transition times as well. Each portion of the race shows up in Garmin Connect as a separate activity, such as the below from one of my recent races:
As you press lap on each stage of the race the watch will helpfully remind you what event you are supposed to be doing, in the event you get confused after the swim and try to go running instead of cycling.
When combining this functionality with the quick release kit I talk about later, you really have the perfect triathlon watch all in one device.
Other random activities:
As with virtually all the Garmin devices – and pretty much all GPS devices in general, you can do quite a few fun and interesting things with them. For example, here’s a few quick ideas…
Tracking your flight route:
(Note the speed of 524MPH)
Here’s a portion of my flight from Seattle back to DC, the 310XT will easily capture the route, which you can then display in any of the software applications I note later on, or within applications like Google Earth.
Geotagging photos:
Geotagging is when you add GPS information to photos you’ve taken. Typically this is done by simply ensuring your camera’s date/time matches your 310XT. Then you can simply start a track (workout) on the 310XT and then later using Garmin Connect export out the GPX file. GPX files are the internet standard specification for sharing GPS data between applications. So once you have a GPX file you can do an unlimited number of cool things. For example, once you have it you can easily sync it up to photos to automatically geotag photographs exact locations. Applications like Picasa Web will automatically display your photos on a map. Here’s one I did at the Boston Marathon this past spring using the 305 – which works exactly the same as the 310XT in this manner:
Like all of the Garmin fitness devices, the 310XT is compatible with virtually every fitness accessory Garmin’s made thus far – including older model items as well. In addition, the 310XT is compatible with numerous ANT+ devices. ANT+ is the wireless protocol that the 310XT uses to communicate with accessories such as heart rate straps, but it’s also an industry standard, and a ton of sports-related companies are starting to come out with products that can pair up with the Garmin 310XT (as well as other Garmin’s).
Cadence/Indoor Speed Meter:
Perhaps the most well-known accessory for the Garmin fitness line, this small device fits onto your bike to offer cadence which is how often you turnover the pedals, in revolutions per minute (RPM). In addition, a small magnet affixes to a spoke on your bike wheel to give you speed if you’re indoors on a trainer (or if you’ve lost satellite reception in a situation like a tunnel).
You can see the black Garmin cadence/speed sensor, the small silver speed magnet on the wheel, and then out of view is an equally small magnet on my crank (where the pedals are).
The whole thing takes about 2 minutes to install with a few zip ties. There are basically three components – the crank arm magnet, the back wheel spoke magnet, and then the small wireless devices that transmits data to the 310XT.
The good news here is that if you already have one of these from a previous Garmin device – then you’re good to go. The ones that I bought originally for my 305 are compatible, as are virtually all of the ones Garmin has sold for any of its other watches/cycling computers. The cost to purchase the cadence/speed sensor is $60 on Garmin’s site (or $38 on Amazon).
Finally, see my massive Speed/Cadence sensor post, for more than you ever wanted to know about this little device.
Heart Rate Strap (included or separate):
Depending on which version of the 310XT you purchase, the heart rate (HR) strap may or may not be included. In the bundled version, the 310XT comes with a new fabric HR strap. At first I figured this was just another gimmick, but in reality – this strap is WAAAY nicer than the older style ones. So nice in fact that my girlfriend pretty much took mine hostage.
The reason it’s so much nicer is that the fabric portion is now the majority of the strap – as opposed to the earlier models where a large chunk of it was rubber. You can see the two straps below in the picture:
The new model uses little buttons (like on a coat) to snap into place.
The only catch with the new HR strap is it’s pretty darn expensive. A bit overpriced in my opinion, at $70 on Garmin’s site – but it’s only $39 on Amazon. Again, the good news here is that if you have an older Garmin fitness device – the old HR straps work just fine. And the opposite is true as well (new ones work with old units). The new HR straps work just fine with older Garmin’s, like the 305. So that will save you some money.
Foot pod (for running indoors):
While the major draw of a device like a Garmin fitness watch is its GPS capabilities, the watch is still quite functional indoors. The only trick is that by itself, the watch can’t track distance or pace indoors on a treadmill. This requires a small foot pod accessory that you clip/tie to your shoe. There are a bunch of different Garmin versions of this accessory for sale out there…and basically all of them will work with the 310XT.
I originally had this one that I used with my Forerunner 305. Roughly the size of a beach ball, it certainly wasn’t inconspicuous. Given I often wear my running shoes in airports and places like that, I was looking for something smaller than the below (old school style):
Around the same time the 310XT released, Garmin also released a new – and dramatically smaller – foot pod. This foot pod is also backwards compatible with all previous Garmin devices, and the 310XT is compatible with all previous foot pods. That said, check it out – pretty darn small:
Unlike the previous one which requires you to interweave it into your running laces, the new one just snaps in place – taking all of 2 seconds to install. It’s fairly waterproof too, which means you can take it outdoors. Which is good – because that’s the easiest place to calibrate it. When you calibrate the device initially you run 800m (half a mile) so it can figure out your running stride. You can either use a track, or just have the Garmin use GPS technology to know when 800m is over. After which, you can take it indoors and it’ll know how far you’ve gone on the treadmill.
(Note, the little arrow on the top should point forward when ‘installed’)
I’ve found that typically the foot pods are within about 1-2% distance-wise on my treadmill runs. So if the treadmill says 1.00 miles, the foot pod may say .98 to 1.02 miles – well within the margin of error of the treadmill itself (yes, they aren’t perfect). Also, one interesting change is that the new ones don’t require you to remember to turn them on/off to save battery (which is a quick user-replaceable item when the time comes). They just automagically do it – which is nice.
One other item to note is that the foot pod measures running cadence (turnover) as well. This is true of both indoor and outdoor works (even when the GPS is used). Here’s what that looks like on a graph:
Anyway, the foot pods are a bit pricey as well – so if you’re looking for function over form, try to pickup one of the older styles off of eBay. Otherwise, the new versions are available for about $50 on Amazon. They do work with any of the Garmin running watches, so if you have one from those – you’re good to go, and vice-versa.
One of the huge draws to the 310XT for the cycling/triathlete crowd is the ability for the 310XT to accept power meter devices. These are devices that measure a cyclist’s true effort of work as they exert energy to move the bike. I wrote an introductory piece to cycling with power here.
The 310XT is compatible with virtually any ANT+ Power Meter. This includes models such as the Power Tap, SRM, and Quarq Cinqo. And, over the past few weeks at major bike shows, numerous other ANT+ power meters have been announced which will hit the market over the next 6-12 months. So expect this space to grow pretty significantly.
An example of one type of power meter is the Quarq Cinqo that I have, pictured below:
The Cinqo wirelessly transmits data to the 310XT, where it’s both displayed and recorded for later analysis. From there you can view the data on Garmin Connect, as well as any of the other compatible software applications. Here’s an example of the data in Garmin Connect:
Now this is where some of the 310XT’s weaknesses start to become apparent. Garmin Connect isn’t really a very useful tool when it comes to power analysis. Most folks who utilize power are really looking to get extremely detailed information, and Garmin Connect simply doesn’t deliver that.
[Updated 8/6/2011: Note that as of late May 2011, Garmin has re-introduced 1-second recording to the FR310XT product for all sports, regardless of power meter. This can be enabled in the settings menu now for any activity. I’ve kept the next section for historical context, and while it’s still accurate from a power meter standpoint, just be aware you can now enjoy 1-second recording in any mode.]
Further complicating the issue is how the 310XT works with Smart Recording. Here’s a little snippet from a Garmin engineer on how it works:
“During smart recording the power during these intervals is accumulated. When a point is dropped the accumulated power is divided by the time to get an average power over that time interval. The definition of smart recording includes many variables with power being one of the items that can trigger the code to drop a point (after the accumulated power has reached a threshold). Turning and distance are other variables that can affect when a point should be dropped in smart recording.”
Now, what’s interesting here is that the Garmin 310XT actually automatically goes into 1-second recording mode when a power meter is attached (thanks Lisa for pointing this out!), and if you go and check out the TCX files, you can see the 1-second increment in times:
Finally, the last area that the 310XT suffers in from a power perspective is the lack of ability to display what are called ‘Rolling averages’. These are numbers that are displayed on the screen to show you the average of the last few seconds of power data. When cycling with power, the actual power number is constantly jumping around (this is completely normal), one second it’s 258w, and the next it’s 198w. This makes it difficult to train/race based on real time data. So power meter companies instead offer a screen which ‘smooths’ this data into readable chunks – such as 5s and 30s views. And in fact, the Garmin Edge 705 recently had this feature added. But the 310XT did not, it only shows instantaneous power – which is much more difficult to read. This seems to limit some of the on-bike usefulness of the 310XT when it comes to power meters.
[Updated 8/6/2011: Note that as of late Winter 2011, Garmin has added 3-second and 30-second power averaging to the Forerunner 310XT as well as the additional zero-averaging options, thus making it largely even with the Edge series devices from a power meter standpoint…which is pretty awesome! I’ve left the rest of this text as is for historical purposes.]
In summary, while the 310XT is good ‘functional’ as a power meter recording device, it’s really not ideal as of today when compared to the 705/800 or other power meter devices. The good news here is that Garmin has added these features to the 705/800 line, which means that perhaps we’ll see them added to the 310XT line as well in the future (via free software upgrades, like the 705). And again, if you don’t have a power meter, then this whole section is moot for ya.
Quick release kit/Cycling Mount:
The quick release kit is targeted at triathletes that want to be able to quickly remove the 310XT from the bike and take it with them on the run. Now, you could do this all with the default wrist strap – but if you’re in the aero position for 5+ hours on an Ironman, the angle of your wrist makes it difficult to see the display at all times. So for both cyclists and triathletes, the quick release kit offers an easy way to mount it on your bike.
The kit comes with basically three major pieces:
1) A new wrist strap (kinda flimsy)
2) A mounting piece for your bike (not flimsy)
3) A new clip for the back of the Garmin unit
You simply use the little tool (included) to detach the existing orange wrist straps, and reattach a new (thinner) black wrist strap. Then you re-attach just the metal pins to the black mounting bracket (see above, left hand side of photo) to the Garmin itself.
One problem that plagued the 305 quick release kit is its desire to occasionally release the watch while cycling along at 20MPH, thus sending Mr. Garmin flying through the air. However, the 310XT does not have that problem. The new quick release kit requires a 90-degree twist to unlock – and it requires a fair bit of twisting force to do so. There’s no way in heck this thing is ever popping off. And, by using the quick release strap, it’ll fit much more comfortably in your swim cap if you use it during a race or training
The only minor complaint I have about the quick release kit is that I found during transition in a race, it can be a bit hard to quickly pop on/off if you’re a bit rushed. In addition, I think I prefer the orange wrist strap over the thinner but more flimsy feeling black one that’s included in the kit. Here’s it attached to both my triathlon bike, and my road bike (I included tons of mounting pictures in the gallery at the end):
That said, for triathletes, the quick release kit is a must. It’s priced at very reasonably at $25 on Garmin’s site, or $15 on Amazon.
Note: I’ve included a bunch more photos of the mounting bracket and mounting options for both tri and road bikes within the gallery at the end.
The Fabric Strap (well…sorta):
In the past the Forerunner 305 (different) quick release kit actually included a fabric strap (for the 305). This was probably the least known secret of the Forerunner 305 series, as the fabric strap was ten times better than the plastic strap. But, there doesn’t yet appear to be a fabric strap directly available for the 310XT. That said, after some curiosity I tried out the new 405/405CX fabric strap, and it kinda sorta works. By kinda sorta I mean that it’s clearly not designed for it, but could be used in a pinch. That said, I found it pops off quite easily (even if you use the right pins), so I wouldn’t really recommend it. But I wanted to include it here for now, since I know someone would be curious. You can see in the below photos how the strap is about a third of an inch too long, and bunches up below my wrist:
Tanita BC-1000 Scale:
The Tanita BC-1000 scale is a wireless ANT+ scale that synchronizes to both your 310XT as well as your computer – wirelessly sending your weight, body fat, and other health-related details right over just like red rover. I reviewed this scale recently and have now updated this review (the 310XT) to include details about it, since it’s one of the few devices that can interact with the BC-1000.
The Garmin 310XT acts as a data repository for the scale data, which is then transferred to your computer when you sync the 310XT with the little USB stick. Finally, that data is in turn sent to both Garmin Connect, and also the Healthy Edge software that comes with the scale.
You first need to enable pairing between the BC-1000 and the Garmin 310XT via the menu system, but it’s quick and only takes a second:
Once that’s done, your set for any future synchronization with the scale. With the latest 310XT firmware it’s super-easy to get your watch to see and talk to the scale (there were some earlier issues). All you do is just tap the power button once briefly and it goes off trying to find its floor-bound friend – the scale:
Once it’s found the scale, the scale will start blinking. Simply step on the scale and your weight information is automatically transmitted to the 310XT within about 2-3 seconds. Super quick.
From there on your next synchronization it will go ahead and automatically sync that data to your computer and in turn to Garmin Connect:
The Tanita BC-1000 is also compatible in much the same manner with the Garmin FR60 as well. The scale is available from a few places including Amazon and costs about $280. You can check out my full review of it here – complete with all the details you could ever want.
Summary of Accessories:
Here’s a quick table of all the accessories offered (or that work with) the Garmin 310XT:
The first software component that’s required with the 310XT is the wireless synchronization piece. Unlike the 305, this watch doesn’t actually sync with a USB cable (that’s only for charging now). Instead it uses ANT+ wireless technology to synchronize. You plug-in the little USB dongle into your USB port, and you’re good to go.
This in turn connects to the Garmin ANT+ agent software, which controls synchronization between your 310XT and your computer (as well as any other ANT+ devices, like the 405). The software has made some major improvements since I first reviewed it when the 405 came out, with a steady stream of updates over the past 18 months. The wireless experience is now basically seamless without any of the hiccups of the past, even on the newly released Windows 7. Initial setup is easy and only takes a few moments:
In addition, the ANT+ Agent helps to manage firmware updates. Firmware updates a pretty critical to ensuring your device is running the latest software. There’s already been quite a few updates for the 310XT – fixing a bunch of initial bugs – so by using the ANT+ Agent, you’ll ensure your device is up to date. Now, to be fair – you really don’t have a choice when it comes to using the ANT+ Agent software. It’s the only way to get files off your watch. You can decline firmware updates however.
Now, one interesting thing is that many ‘advanced users’ may want to access the TCX files directly. These are the files that can be loaded into applications like WKO+ and Training Peaks. One semi-undocumented feature is that all of these files are actually in a simple folder in your user profile, located here:
C:UsersrainmakerApplication DataGarminDevices3629010465History
(XP/2000 users just replace “Users” with “Documents and Settings”, also note your Device ID will differ from mine)
Oh, and on a Mac, it’s located here:
Macintosh HDUsersusernameLibraryApp SupportGarminDevices
Pretty cool, huh?
That reminds me…Mac software. The Garmin ANT+ Agent works just fine on a Mac, so you’ll be able to upload to Garmin Connect (below), without issue.
Garmin Connect:
Garmin Connect is essentially a web-based application that allows you to view your workouts, share them with others, and store them for late retrieval. Garmin Connect first launched when the Edge 705 and Forerunner 405 came out. And it was pretty rough at that point (and for quite a while afterwards). But Garmin has made a bunch of good strides with it, especially since transitioning everything over from Motionbased.com into Garmin Connect.
When you wirelessly sync your watch, one of the options is to send the data to Garmin Connect automatically. This is the easiest option, and it’s what I do.
From there you’ll login to Garmin Connect, which will display a basic dashboard of your most recent workouts. It’ll also alert you to any software updates for the device as well.
On the left hand side you’ll see your activities, which you can click on to display more information about each activity. You’ll see you can also share any given activity with friends (or the whole world, as I have done below).
From there you’ll notice along the bottom you can change to the different views – showing such detail as Heart Rate, Speed, and depending on the accessories you have – Cadence, Power Data, etc…
You can also click to display splits for each activity:
While showing you tons of cool screenshots is worthwhile, it’d probably be more fun for you to play with it yourself. So here ya go, three activities that I recorded this past weekend that you can interactively poke around at and play with all the features of Garmin Connect: Swim, Bike, Run.
Next up is the ability to see it all in a simple calendar format. This is useful if you’re trying to understand how your training flows from week to week:
Finally, you can generate reports, create goals and even track items like your weight and generate reporting based on that.
One recent addition (in the last few weeks), is the ability to manually add an activity not recorded on the Garmin. For example, if you go for a swim at the pool and just do laps. You can see a list of upcoming features to be implemented, as well as recently implemented features here. It’s pretty unusual for a software company to publish a list of features/fixes they are working on – so huge props to the GC team for doing it.
Now while Garmin Connect has made great strides as an all-purpose workout tool and putting it in the category of ‘good’, I still think it has a ways to go with respect to being a ‘great tool’. For example, when you look at swim workouts, the distance is in miles – not meters or yards. Nobody enters in swim workouts in miles.
Also, I find that the site is fairly slow in general. That said, as an all-around workout planner I think it hits the target for the vast majority of the population.
Garmin Training Center
Garmin Training Center (GTC) is Garmin’s old-school style tool for placing data on the Garmin devices. It also allows you to download data from it. But, the reality is this tool isn’t being updated any more by Garmin aside from critical changes needed to support new devices. And the reasons are plentiful – the tool is fairly antiquated and almost all of the functionality is on Garmin Connect, with the exception of loading workouts into the watch.
As you can see below, the map functionality within the tool is extremely basic when compared with Garmin Connect (above, earlier):
So, while you will probably install GTC, it’s unlikely you’ll use it much. That said, if you’re interested in learning how to download workouts to your watch – read through this post I wrote a bit back. It goes through how to download workouts to all the major watches (and the 310XT works identically to the 305 in this respect).
Training Peaks:
One of the most common applications used by endurance athletes and coaches is Training Peaks. Training Peaks is in many ways similar to Garmin Connect – with the exception that it’s designed to allow coaches and athletes to interactively review and analyze workouts. I use Training Peaks to upload my workouts daily so that my coach can then review and comment on them. They have both a free version, and paid versions.
Within each activity you can drill down and review detailed information about any section you choose:
From the above you can see the summary of the highlighted section at the bottom of the screen. As you can see, for detailed analysis of data – such as power data, TP is extremely helpful. The above is a screenshot of the same bike race as the earlier screenshot in the Power Meters section from Garmin Connect – you can see the significant differences in detail offered.
Training Peaks also has a pretty useful dashboard that you can customize to display pods of data:
Training Peaks has updated their device agent software to now support the 310XT directly, so you can easily upload right from your desktop to Training Peaks.
SportTracks:
Last but not least…SportTracks. SportTracks is another non-Garmin option available to users of the 310XT. It leverages the ANT+ Agent noted above to pull workouts into it. SportTracks is completely free and put together by a huge community of sports enthusiasts, designed to support the maximum number of devices – including the Garmin 310XT. Below is the main page of SportTracks.
Once you’ve selected a given activity, you can drill down into many of the different details of that given workouts, such as for example – power when cycling, like the below:
SportTracks also allows you to generate customized reports 18 different ways to Sunday:
Perhaps one of the coolest features of SportTracks is the ability to install free plug-ins. There are close to a hundred different plug-ins, offering all sorts of interesting features. For example, one that I use automatically corrects the elevation based on NASA data, as GPS-based elevation is often filled with errors. Check out all the plug-ins I use for Sport Tracks here.
Go give it a shot though. If you like the ability to endlessly analyze your data – I’d highly recommend Sport Tracks.
In summary, the Forerunner 310XT is a significant jump forward from the 305. In my opinion it offers compelling new features, while at the same time polishing much of the user interface of the 305. However, let’s go through a quick list of pro’s and con’s, before getting to the all important question of 310XT vs 305:
Pro’s/Con’s:
No review would be complete without this all important section, so let’s get on with it bubbling down many many pages of detailed information into about a dozen lines of text:
First up, the pro’s:
– Ability to last 20 hours
– Ability to stay underwater for extended periods of time
– Ability to connect to ANT+ Power Meters
– Smaller form factor (size)
– Wirelessly sync’s to computer (though, some also see this as a con)
– Cleaned up user interface
– Much faster satellite reception
And then the con’s:
– Waterproofing is more form than function
– HR, pace and distance don’t really work in the water
– More than double the price of the Garmin Forerunner 305
– Common power features missing [Update 8/6/2011: Addresses in Winter 2011 firmware update]
– No more fabric strap (though I see this likely changing)
But now the question everyone’s been waiting for – do you choose the 310XT or 305? The answer is…it depends.
See, it depends on how you’re going to use it. If you’re going to be solely using it for running and going less than 10 hours at a time, then there honestly isn’t a reason aside from cosmetics to purchase the 310XT over the 305 (or for that matter, instead of the 405/405CX – which are geared for runners). That said, check out my almost as long Garmin 305 review (updated just earlier this summer) to help get an idea of the features there.
But if you’re a cyclist, triathlete or multisport person, then you need to dig deeper into the ‘depends’ question. In particular – the following three items:
1) If you’re a cyclist/triathlete who uses power meters, then the 310XT, 500, 705, and 800 are your only choices, as those are the only current Garmin devices that can do ANT+ power meters.
2) If you’re a swimmer then I highly recommend looking at the 310XT merely for the convenience of not having to worry about the waterproofing. While I’m a huge fan of the 305 in your swim cap, it is susceptible to water damage for prolonged periods. The 310XT removes that worry from my life.
3) If you’re a runner who needs 10-20 hours of battery life, then the 310XT gives you that. Same goes for competitors in an Ironman needing more than 10 hours of battery life on one watch. Sure you can use accessories to extend that duration, but honestly, that’s kinda a pain long-term.
So with that, will I buy one? The answer is simple: Yes.
Even with having the Edge 500/705/800 for cycling with power, I like having the ability to switch to the 310XT when it seems appropriate. Further, I’ve found it’s so much easier to take it along on swims now that I don’t have to worry and fret about whether or not it will survive that aquatic adventure. Finally I’ve found the device just far more polished than the 305 – even despite many of the fumbles with initial firmware revisions on the 310XT.
Hopefully you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m an athlete just like you looking for the most detail possible on a new purchase – so my review is written from the standpoint of how I used the device.
I took a lot of pictures over the course of writing this review – 292 of them to be exact. And I know that a lot of folks (like myself) like to see different angles of the product used in different ways. So instead of just leaving them on my hard drive forever, I’ve taken a fair chunk of them and put them up in this little gallery above for you to be able to browse through.
Found this review useful? Here’s how you can help support future reviews with just a single click! Read on…
Hopefully you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m an athlete just like you looking for the most detail possible on a new purchase – so my review is written from the standpoint of how I used the device. The reviews generally take a lot of hours to put together, so it’s a fair bit of work (and labor of love). As you probably noticed by looking below, I also take time to answer all the questions posted in the comments – and there’s quite a bit of detail in there as well.
I’ve partnered with Clever Training to offer all DC Rainmaker readers an exclusive 10% discount across the board on all products (except clearance and deep sale items). You can pick up the FR310XT (without HR strap, or with HR strap). Then receive 10% off of everything in your cart by adding code DCR10BTF at checkout. By doing so, you not only support the site (and all the work I do here) – but you also get a sweet discount. And, since this item is more than $75, you get free US shipping as well. [Update: Currently the FR310XT is on deep sale, and doesn’t qualify for the additional 10% off, however, free shipping is still good!]
Additionally, you can also use Amazon to purchase the unit (all colors shown after clicking through to the left) or accessories (though, no discount). Or, anything else you pickup on Amazon helps support the site as well (socks, laundry detergent, cowbells). If you’re outside the US, I’ve got links to all of the major individual country Amazon stores on the sidebar towards the top. Though, Clever Training also ships there too and you get the 10% discount.
As you’ve seen throughout the review there are numerous compatible accessories for the unit. I’ve consolidated them all into the below chart, with additional information (full posts) available on some of the accessories to the far right. Also, everything here is verified by me – so if it’s on the list, you’ll know it’ll work. And as you can see, I mix and match accessories based on compatibility – so if a compatible accessory is available at a lower price below, you can grab that instead.
Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!
Finally, I’ve written up a ton of helpful guides around using most of the major fitness devices, which you may find useful in getting started with the devices. These guides are all listed on this page here.
Yes, thank you for the time you put into this. I do not have this fab toy yet so my eyes glazed over and my brain went fuzzy after the unpackaging since I did not have the actual item to play around with in my hands.
Oh, Polar has that great fabric chest strap and the Polar dudes call the actual heart rate transmitter the “peanut”. Ha, the first time I heard the Polar guys call it that last year it made me laugh. Now you have a “peanut” as well.
Thanks so much for the review. This is the best one I have found to date. I am debating between the 305 and the 310xt. I have just started training for a marathon and would like to do a half-ironman in the next year or so. Right now I am leaning towards the 305 because of cost and features.
Can you tell me whether there are different features on the watch itself (e.g. can the 305 do transitions? aside from power meter compatability is there anything the 310xt does that the 305 won’t).
Thanks for a great review – a lot of care and attention clearly went into this, it is wonderful! I had already decided that I wouldn’t get one – I am waiting for perfect 2-yrs-from-now future device where I can just leave the thing on my wrist for swim, bike and run and have it monitor HR throughout! I am not a data fiend, and I find the Polar set-up (with footpod) suits me very well – but I am really impressed with what you made this Garmin do for you…
Awesome review! The best I’ve found on the net! I’ve told all the people that are following me on twitter about it.
It would be interesting to do another swim switching the position of the 305 and the 310 in your swim cap to see if the 305 is still better at tracking the swim.
I’ve been very curious about this one since it was announced and it’s unfortunate that the swim piece is limited by losing signal when in the water … what’s the point?!
I do like the multi-sport function and wish the Edge 305 I use would do that. Instead you have to just manually note your activities in Garmin Connect.
So, you didn’t have an issue of your 310XT not being able to pick up the signal from your CinQo??
I did. Mine only works if it’s attached to my top tube, right above the crank. And I’m quite a bit shorter than you are.
But, my 310XT was one of the first to be released so perhaps they strengthened the device’s antenna and new ones now pick up power even if they are mounted in a visible and practical location?
Wow, you really put a lot of effort into that review. Thanks so much! Initially I thought you could wear the 310XT on your wrist for swimming and it would track your distance. So thanks for all of your data on why that doesn’t work as that because that would have been my primary reason to buy one. Right now the cost is just too prohibitive, but if the price were to come down in the next year I would go for it, mostly for the extended battery life on an Ironman. I’m pretty sure 10 hours for the bike and run for me might be pushing things.
This is sort of off topic, but is there a way to create a workout in SportTracks to upload to Garmin? I had tried to download a plug in about a year ago but it didn’t work, so I’ve been using GTC all the time to create workouts instead.
Here’s the answers to all the questions up until this point:
Anon re: Difference between 305 and 310 aside from power/waterproofing
In a nutshell, no fundemental differences. The 305 does transitions as well, it just doesn’t record the transition times – whereas the 310XT does. Many of the changes you’ll notice are more related to the user interface and the menu’s. The satellite does pick up quicker though. So really the big three changes are: Waterproofing, Power Meters, battery. Outside of that, the devices are pretty much the same.
triwithms re: Swim position on 310XT
I went ahead and updated the swim section with what it looks like if you perfectly place it. You’ll see it cleans it up a bit. I did that this past weekend as part of the Nation’s Triathlon, during the swim portion of the race.
Courtenay re: Cinqo dropouts and 310XT
I think there’s two possibilities here. From my understand what you’re seeing is fairly common with the Cinqo and the 310XT. My Cinqo is actually a compact version that just came out mid-August, so there may be a chance that they’ve increased the transmission output on the newer devices. I’ll check with them on that as I know those guys fairly well. The other option is a change in the 310XT hardware as far as picking up ANT+ signals – but I’m not aware of any changes there. That said, I didn’t experiance any dropouts once I updated the firmware to 2.6. I had a ton of dropouts on 2.4 and 2.5 – which was related to how the 310XT handled certain power meters (including the Cinqo). If you’re interested, ping me via e-mail and I can give you tons of details around it (I had long threads with Quarq about it).
Clint-Murphy re: Reviewing the S725x
Hi Clint. Sorry, I haven’t reviewed the S725x. Though, if Polar sends one to me, I’d be happy to review it.
Runner Leana re: Downloading workouts to Garmin’s without using GTC.
As always a great and detailed review, I was pondering getting one, batter life was appealing but I think I’ll liberate my wife’s unused 305 which has less than 50 miles on it!
thank you for potentially saving me a lot of money… for now 🙂 I had been pondering upgrading from the 305 to the 310XT with my newfound love of triathlon mostly for the waterproof features, but with the lost signal underwater, I’ll just stick with the 305 a bit longer, and my try your under the swimcap trick! Excellent review, thanks for all the pics and taking the time to post!
Your reviews are remarkable. You are such a gear hound! Thanks for doing all that work. Your comparisons are really helpful. I love having all the data but am not mechanically minded enough to find out on my own which gizmos will get me the data that I want to track.
Hey – great review! I was going to write up a similar one, but now I’m going to just point people to yours!! I’ve got mine paired with a SRM, and am getting similar results as you are wrt power. One thing to note – if you put the 310 in “Other” mode for swimming, it won’t try to record distance and mess up your totals. At least, that’s what I’ve seen so far. (I haven’t tried Other in multisport mode yet w/transitions though.) My plan for races will be to just put it on my wrist for the swim to catch time, then while I’m on the bike, take a moment to switch it to the frame. I am bummed about your review of the wrist strap with the quick release kit. I really like the original strap! The other thing I’m frustrated with is the speed data coming from the SRM when on a trainer. I originally had the 310 paired with a PowerTap and it took the PT speed data over the Garmin’s. But with the SRM it doesn’t. Maybe this winter I’ll break down and get the speed/cadence sensor. 🙁 Anyway, thanks again for this awesome review!!!
Do you have any knowledge it Garmin is going to update the 310XT’s software so that the user could set the Track Recording to every 1 second, like in 305? The Smart Recording has been a bit of a dissappointment to me, as I want to have very accurate route data of my orienteering trips. If not, how could a consumer suggest it to Garmin so that it will be effective…?
I’m not aware of any current plans to add 1s recording to the 310XT. However, I am aware that this review was passed around the Garmin engineering team, and it’s also an occasional request on the Garmin Forums.
My suggestion would be to tag on one of the existing threads (titled Wishlist) at Garmin Forums at http://forums.garmin.com
I tried it with it on my back (must have forgotten to mention that), but I found it dropped out near constantly. Though, if I correct my form – it does pickup. 😉 Gotta work on getting the ‘cool air across my back’. One of these day’s I’ll swim semi-well…
Thanks SO much. The battery on my 305 is dying and I am looking at another 305 or upgrading to the 310XT at considerably more expense. Your detailed review has given me ALL the information I need to make a decision.
Thank you for the very thorough review. I don’t have any of the cool ‘toys’ yet, and this has helped me in the decision-making process. I appreciate your efforts to write such a detailed review.
I wanted to know how much training you can keep this clock? For it is not always able to access your computer to transfer data, how much training do I keep a clock if training takes about one hour?
Have you tried and you know there are memory device?
The amount of training it will store isn’t exactly a per hour thing, as it depends on how much stuff you’re recording. It notes up to 1,000 laps, but that doesn’t mean much to most people. I havne’t had any problems it retaining about a month of training on it (5-7 activities per week recorded on it).
Just an FYI, on the 305 there is a check box in Multisport to include transitions. If you check it, when you hit lap coming in from the bike it will automatically go to “Transition” a tap of lap on your way out sends it to run.
With the 305 the only catch with that checkbox is that it doesn’t actually record the transition time in a data file. Never been a big deal for me, but for some it maters.
Re: Choosing between 305 and 310XT
If you’re primarily a runner (and not an ultra-runner), than realistically the 305 is the most economical choice. Ultra-runners would need the 20 hour battery life (310XT) for a 100m race, but for a few hours at a time, both the 305 and the 310XT can easily do that.
Both the 305 and 310XT have all the capabilities you describe (distance, time, speed, HR, computer connection, etc..). The 305 is simply a tiny bit bulkier, but it costs about 1/3rd as much. If someone were buying it for me, I’d happily say the 310XT. But if I were paying for it myself and *JUST* using it for the items you specified, then I’d likely choose the 305 given the cost differential. For the triathlete however, having the additional waterproofing, battery life, and power meter capabilities, the 310XT would be a better choice.
Thanks for this very helpful review. Quick question. In auto multisport mode, is it possible to display more than just time and distance (eg, can you get the 4 data fields that you have chosen, say, for running)?
I used my 305 for swimming/biking for a couple of years until one day my 305 popped off the bike mount. Tried backtracked to try and find it, but it was gone. Can you comment about the stability of the bike mount? How flimsy is the black wrist strap included with the quick release kit?
I too liked the black fabric strap from the 305, but am very concerned about having this one pop out of the strap on me again.
Thanks for a great review. Q: Is it possible for two persons to use the same watch (not at the same time…), like me and my wife or is it only possible to register one user profile?
Yes, you can modify the four data fields in autosport mode just as you do in regular mode. Note that you do have to simply scroll into those data fields from the default one. But that just takes about 1 second.
Lou-
RE: Bike mount durability
Without a doubt the most improved accessory compared to the 305 is the bike mount. I can’t emphasis enough how darn sturdy this thing is. I’m relatively certain I could throw my bike off a 10 story building, and the only thing still in one piece would be the Garmin attached to the new bike mount. It features a new twist-lock design which makes it very secure (actually, in my opinion, a touch TOO hard to get out). That said, it’s locked. The wrist strap that comes with the kit is a bit thinner, but no more so than any regular watch, just not as thick as the orange band in the default package. Neither of them popped out on me at any time, and I beat the crap out of that watch.
Svante-
Re: Two people using the watch
Yes and no. Two people can use it without issue, but you’d have to manually change the settings each time. There isn’t a second user profile. That said, the ONLY thing this really controls is calorie count, which you can easily tweak post-activity using something like Sports Tracks. For example, my girlfriend on occasion uses my watch and vice versa. At the end of the day she imports her data to her account, and I to mine. Works well
AWESOME review… I just wish I had read it before I bought the 310XT (I already had a 305). You went into so much detail – covering EVERYTHING. Excellent job and detail. I especially appreciate knowing where the TCX files are located so I can integrate the new device with the 3rd party software I am accustomed to using (Topofusion).
First of all, I found your blog while searching for Garmin 305 and 310XT reviews (the Garmin site should get an award for Least Amount of Useful Information). Your blog is amazing. I look at a lot of blogs for a lot of different things, and your blog is one of the best. An example of what a blog should be. Thanks to your review of the Garmin 310xt, I purchased one two days ago and I love it. I have my first triathlon (a sprint) coming up at the end of this month, and I am hooked already. Not only is physical side of it huge fun, but it is a great excuse to buy STUFF (example – the 310xt). You provided more detailed and important information about the 310xt than any other site (again, the Garmin site is a big sack of suck). Thanks, and keep on keeping on. The one disappointment – Sports Tracks is only PC compatible 🙁 Oh well, maybe they will see the error of their ways, and open it up to Mac soon!
Holy crap, that review is so detailed – you sure put alot of work and thought into it. I just got the 310xt and am completley relieved that I don’t really swim as crooked as it makes me look! Am trying to figure out if I need to let the battery completely drain before recharging (that’s how I came across your blog, searching on google for that!) Anyway, great blog!
Thanks! Nope, the 310XT remembers how much battery it is left, and will automatically charge from that point back to 100%. When you connect the charger you’ll note it’s current battery state and then it’ll count upwards to 100%. I’d be in trouble if I had to let it die everytime I wanted to recharge.
Hi, I read your review and learned a lot from it. One question please: can I have larger view on Lap’s info while running. I find myself looking at the data each mile but it is too small view. Thanks, Joel
Yup, you can indeed. You can change the display to show up to four fields, and if you show only one field – it will show it super-big. There’s an example photo about showing the super-large display on the bike showing MPH, but you can change that field to show anything – including lap times/splits/etc…
Hi Thank you, Great review. I am torn between which to pick. Its more for running long distances, my main goal in the watch would be calculating distance, heart rate, mins per mile and something in which would help you reach your target IN TRAINING. I would like something accurate and reliable. Do you think the 310xt is more for traitholons? i would like the best for distance running. Thanks a mil, catriona
I think it can go either way – but the 310XT is definitely a triathlon focused watch – but it still works equally as well for running. It’s just that it has extra features. You could look at the 405, which is more running focused – but many folks (including myself) find the touch bezel frustrating on the 405. The 305 is certainly an option – from a running perspective it’s really no different than the 310XT, just cheaper.
Thanks for this review. I just bought one of these online last night and was thinking of cancelling as I’d spent a lot of money, but after seeing what it can do I’m just going to take the financial hit. It’s going to be worth it 🙂
Hi Rainmaker This is a fab review, thank you. I am looking to buy a running watch like this for my husband and have narrowed down to the 305 vs 310xt vs 405cx and am stuck to decide between the three! He doesn’t do longer than marathon distance; he runs and cycles (doesnt swim); he is far more of an outdoor trainer than indoor (rarely trains indoor)… I have read that you recommend the 305 over 310xt for runners only on cost basis, but worry about the slow satellite pick-up and also want to get him the best! (loving wifey 😉 ) I havent seen a comparison with the 405cx, but you do mention that at the end of your summary… are you able to recommend anything to help me as a non-runner myself?! Thank you!
Fantastic review! Like many others, I’ve been trying to sort out the “do I upgrade from the 305?” question. The 305 is such an excellent GPS/training watch, but I’m just about ready to make the move to the 310XT. My reasons:
1) Vibrating alert on the 310: Didn’t see this in the review, but that is NOT a feature of the 305. Actually would find this very useful as I do use alerts on the 305.The 305 are only audible, and I miss a number of them depending on what I’m listening to on the Ipod. 🙂
2) “Better/quicker” satellite reception: Sometimes the 305 is a laggard in picking up a signal, even if I haven’t changed locations from my training area. I also travel and take the 305 with me, and if it’s a significant distance the 305 can take 5 mins or so to sort out the satellite situation
3) ANT/wireless data download: Not a big deal, but like the idea in concept. That it is fairly seamless with Garmin Connect is nice, as I do want to have a common server to upload my workout data to. That said, I think that SportTracks is heads and tails about Garmin Connect or Training Peaks.
4) New heart monitor strap: Again, not a big deal, but like the concept.
5) Better support for biking & swimming: Think the 310 does a nice job here. Like many others, I would love to have GPS and HRM for swimming. At least I don’t have to worry about the waterproofing though.
Again, great job on the review. I use Garmin’s in my car and in the plane I fly. They are a great company with great products. I’m not associated with them, but I have to say that I think they have one of the best customer support groups that I’ve dealt with. Another reason that I’m willing to make the investment in the 310.
Maybe you’d be willing to help me with my upcoming gear decision? Currently use SRM cranks with an SRM bike computer (powercontrol 5). That’s the model that still used wires. I am a heavy user of WKO+ . I have been considering going to new set of SRM cranks that are wireless – ANT+ – the question becomes, which computer do I want to use with them? I don’t see any particular advantage to paying the extra $$$ and going with the SRM powercontrol 6. I have been looking at the Edge 705 and then after your review the 310xt.
at the WKO+ compatibility site it says “* 310XT is NOT compatible with WKO+ at this time.” Yet in your review of the 310xt it appears you say it is compatible as long as you’re willing to copy over the files manually. Is that correct?
I realize the 705 offers all sorts of cool mapping features that the 310 doesn’t and perhaps even power readouts besides instantaneous (your 705 review was before you had power), but I’m pretty much used to what I would get out of the powercontrol 5 from SRM which was just instantaneous power and avg power over the whole ride. It wouldn’t be until I finished the ride and took the powercontrol data file into WKO+ that I could find normalized power and such. I’m ok with that limitation.
I guess my main questions are a) do you have the ability to manually import the power data from the 310xt into WKO+ and then have WKO+ calculate things like Normalized power? b) Whare the differences with power data collection / display between the 705 and the 310?
I’m a triathlete like you, focusing primarily on IM and 1/2 IM and would love to just go with the 310xt but being able to get reliable power data and calculate NP in WKO+ is essential for me.
Currently the 310XT files have some issues when imported into WKO – namely as you noted some of the normalized power functions. The next version of WKO is going to fix these, and I believe they are close to release (I know it has been released to beta testers and feature sets released to the media). I’d be relatively surprised if we don’t see a release in the next 4-6 weeks.
Do note however that WKO+ and Training Peaks have different engines. So while the 310XT compatibility in TP has been added, it has not for WKO+.
RE: Differences between 310XT and 705 from a power perspective
There is no difference in data collection, as both can do 1s recording, though you don’t have the ability in the 310XT to specify zero-averaging functions like the 705 does. From a display standpoint the big difference is the 310XT doesn’t have any ability to set 5s or 30s power averaging modes like the 705 does. So honestly, I find the 310XT kinda unusable from a power standpoint while on a ride since the instantaneous power fluctuates constantly even if you ‘feel constant’. That’s where the 5s and 30s mode is useful – because you can effectively see your real power without all the fluctuations that are normal in power meters.
So, in summary for your questions… I think very shortly here you’ll be able to use WKO+ 3.0 to do everything you want with the 310XT, just not as of today – Nov 22nd. The one piece from the 310XT that you really ideally want is the power averaging piece. I know that Garmin is planning on releasing some new firmware for the 310XT here shortly, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it added.
I’ve been putting off a GPS watch out of concern it would not work well in my running environment. I live and run in the dense and vast forest (the Pfalzerwald) that surrounds Kaiserslautern, Germany and represents the largest contiguous stand of forest in Germany. Much of my time is spent on single track trails and paths that wind their way for mile after mile through thick, tree covered terrain through valleys and along wooded ravines. I had always assumed no gps watch would be able to cope with the “cover”. Your in-depth review (excellent in all respects) has changed my mind and, just this morning, I have purchased a 310 XT from E bay (Belgium). Running in deep forests that are often heavily shaded by foliage should provide a real challenge for this watch and could provide a major analysis for the few runners who are faced with the same (so wonderful for running)situation. I’m anxious to see if the XT is up to the task and will let your readers know as soon as it is received and set up. I already have picked out one of the most thickly forested routes for the test. Thanks again for the great review. Garmin should have you on the payroll.
Thanks for the great review !! i am looking to buy either 305 or 310xT, just one thing i need to know is that !!
after how long does the battery die out and new one has to be replaced for these watches ?? are these easily available in normal electronic or watch stores?? and it can be done urself or have to be taken to a store??
2) any reviews coming up on polar or timex HRM watches??
You shouldn’t have any issues. I used mine just yesterday in some rather deep trees without a problem. Hope it goes well.
Hi Nik:
RE: Battery life
The battery lasts about 20 hours on a charge, and then you recharge it. I can’t remember where I saw how many times it will recharge before it dies – though for some reason I thought I heard 1,000 times – so that’d be three years if you charged it every day.
RE: Polar or Timex reviews
I don’t have either (well, I had a little cheap Timex watch, but I somehow killed it back two weeks ago). My girlfriend has some Polar ones, but they are a bit older. I’m working to get some Timex units to review. And meanwhile, Polar has some really cool new watches coming out early next year that should help bring them back into being competitive again. So I’m looking at that a bit (threads on Slowtwich from the Polar Rep).
Rainmaker, thanks for a very informative blog. I have a 305 and have recently experienced a loss of my audible alarms which make it difficult to monitor my auto laps. Through some internet homework, I found out that the 305 does not like the salt from your sweat, so after time, the tiny 305 speaker inside starts to corrode (behind the 4 small holes on the watch underside). I’m interested in replacing the 305 with the 310 for Christmas this year but I am somewhat gun-shy to pull the trigger if the 310 has (or eventually will have) the same 305 problem. Have you heard of this 305 problem and can you comment on the 310? Perhaps the 310 waterproofing is the answer?
First, I thought I’d extend my sincere gratitude for what I think is the best web review of the 310XT. I think your review is through and unbiased. No apologies should be made for having it too lengthy.
Your review has led to my purchase of the 310XT. (Yo! Garmin people… you reading this?)
The second is really more of a question.
I have the small (new)footpod with my 310XT. I alternate between 2 pairs of runners. I’m worried that alternating one pod will wear off the clip mechanism and it will end up as another trail donation.
Have you tried pairing 2 pods to one device? Will it work?
1)i would like to know if 310XT can be used as regular watch -time/date/alarm features??
2) once i set time is set according to GPS when i am outdoors, does the time needs to be re-adjusted to current time when i come back to indoors? or it tunes in automatically?
3) if i off the GPS and use it as regular watch (if it works i suppose), how many hours will the watch run with full single charge???
4) Are there any versions in 310XT like +elite and + pro versions?? if so, whts the difference??
I haven’t seen any issues with the waterproofing not holding up. I’ve swam with it a bunch (both on wrist and in cap), and then recently I used it while diving a bit and did 10 hours in the water submerged without any issues. So I think it’s MUCH improved in this area.
Hi Lesley-
RE: Switching between two footpods
Unfortunately, unlike multiple bikes – you can’t have multiple runners or different running equipment. In the case of bikes you can have different sensors, etc… But when in Running mode there’s only one person and just one set of equipment. You can only pair one footpod at a time. Fwiw however, I have both footpods and the little one hasn’t gone anywhere yet in probably a 1,000 miles of running. The little one uses a clip system – so it would be more suseptible to popping off I suppose, whereas the big one actually strings through your laces. So the big one most certainly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Hi Nik-
RE: Using 310XT as watch
Yes, you can use the watch as a watch, but it won’t show date – nor does it have any alarm features from a time management standpoint.
RE: Time adjustment when indoors
Nope, it remembers the time – you’re all good there.
RE: Hours w/o GPS
Hmm, this is a tough one – I’m not exactly sure. But, I did recently try this on a boat ride where I used it as a simple time keeping device after my wrist watch got flooded. I think I was around 30-ish hours before it gave me a low battery warning. My guess is I could have gone closer to 32-33 hours.
RE: Different version of 310XT
Essentially there are two versions – one with a HR and one without a HR strap. That’s it!
Great review. I’d buy one if the foot pod weren’t so overpriced. Nike foot pod: $19. Garmin foot pod: $99. They have the same features, but the Garmin is 500% more than the Nike, and Nike isn’t known for its low prices. Meh.
My name is Yesh Re, and I own an website that holds reviews for heart rate monitors, an argument I’m very interested in.
I’ve read your site and found it very professional and appealing. I would be grateful if you’d give me the permission to translate some reviews from your site into Hebrew and put it in the site with a credit link to your site, according to your choice.
Will be happy to talk to you. My site is well rated and I think this should be of a mutual benefit any way.
Another thanks for such a good review. I have owned my 310xt for several months now and your review was not only accurate but helpful for features and uses. Travel Safe
My name is Yesh, and I own an Israeli website that holds reviews for heart rate monitors, an argument I’m very interested in.
I’ve read your blog and found it very professional and appealing. I would be grateful if you’d give me the permission to translate some this review from your site into Hebrew and put it in the site with a credit link to your site, according to your choice.
Will be happy to talk to you. My site is well rated and I think this should be of a mutual benefit any way.
I sold my Suunto X6HR a week ago and I am planning to but a new HR monitor. I am hesitating between Polar RS400, RS 800 or any of the Garmins. What would you advise? I am a professional triathlete and the watch would be used mainly for running and cycling, I don’t really need to have the open water swim distance…Please let me know what you think would be the best choice.Thx.
This is a great review, thank you. I was really debating between the 305 or 310. I have read several reviews and your review is the most in-depth review and gives many reasons why a Tri-Athlete would want to go with the 310. Thanks again.
Do you have a problem with buttons being pushed on the 310 while in your swim cap? It looks really tight and I can’t believe that the buttons aren’t depressed during the swim.
I thought about wearing mine during the swim of my next Ironman (Louisville 2010) It isn’t a mass start so maybe the usual beating that comes with a mass start swim won’t be as bad and I will be less likely to have it sink to the bottom of the Missisip!
Hello. I own a number of electronic devices including a couple of Polar HR monitors and a Garmin 201. I am seriously looking at the 310XT due to the improved features.
I am wondering whether I need to purchase the HR monitor with 310XT. You already mentioned the 310XT will work with the 201 HR transmitter.
Question: will the 310XT pick up from a Polar HR Transmitter – the new ones look very similar to the 310XT HR transmitter.\\thanks Teresa.
Yes, it is unfortunate that they are so expensive. I agree it’s kinda sucky.
Yesh-
RE: Translating it into Hebrew
Thank you for the kind words. While I appreciate the offer, I think it might be best to forward them here. I often update content here as new changes occur. Thanks though!
Messec-
RE: Polar or Garmin
Unfortunately I’ve never used either the RS400 or RS800. Though if Polar wants to send me a demo unit, I’d be happy to write-up some comparisons. I think the 310XT gives you quite a bit more flexibility though with just having a single unit. Also, the $50 rebate currently offered is a pretty good deal.
Mark-
RE: Buttons being pressed by swimcap
Surprisingly, I’ve never had a button being pressed by the tightness of the swim cap. I’ve been kinda amazed by that to be honest. But neither the 305 or 310XT has ever caused me any isues there with that.
TIPitek-
RE: Polar HR strap with Garmin
Unfortunately the Polar’s and Garmin straps/monitors are not interchangeable. Though, fwiw – if you had a PowerTap strap/monitor, they are interchangeable. Sorry!
Thanks for the thorough review. My husband bought me a 310XT for Christmas, but I already had bought myself a 305, at a much much lower price. Now I know he has to find me another gift 😉
Two weeks into my 310XT and there’s good and bad. The GOOD is the GPS works like a charm. As stated in my original post I was concerned the GPS would be unable to cope with the densely forested areas in which I run to include some deep, narrow ravines with heavy growth above. I was shocked the 310XT didn’t even blink and never once lost satellite. I was also impressed that I could turn on the GPS on the way over to my starting point and it would pick up the satellites while I was driving.
The BAD?? You guessed it – the heart rate monitor. I am unable to “pair” it with the “watch”. Tried “wetting”, changing position on my chest, using my back, tightening the strap until I winced, NOT using the strap and taping the “monitor” itself to my chest without the strap- NOTHING!! I am so disappointed. I’m unsure where the “contacts” actually are as the black round shiny doohickey that is situated at each end of the strap opposite the snap is obviously plastic and presumably NOT a “contact”. Am I missing something? Omitting a “step”? Ignoring a “trick” someone else has discovered? Even cursing didn’t work!!
Maybe I should just use the warranty and send it back to the factory?? Anyone have some advice – tips??
I am about to buy a new FR310XT, but I really want to know if I can set a specific workout/race pacing. I read many articles but didn’t find anyone with the same question. – I know that we have the multisport function. – I know that we can create advanced workouts in GTC, with interval, negative spliting and fartlek training for individual sports, run and bike. – I know that Virtual Partner can be set up to pace yourself with the “advanced workout” min/max speed/pace for that interval.
I was wondering if I can just put all this together. For exemple: I have a 90km cycling/21km running for a Half Ironman race/training. I want to ride a sub 2h20min bike and a sub 1h30m half-maraton. It is not smart to just set up an average pace for each sport. It must be splitted: A certain avg speed for the first 45km riding and another for the last 45km and so one. The same for the run. Is it possible to create 2 advanced workouts, 1 for bike and 1 for run, with all the intervals you want, and then use multisport function to change sport with just a button press? Is it possible to set a Virtual “Multisport” Partner to pace you through the entire race/training?
I paddle a surf ski, ocean swim & hike/run mountains on the east coast of Australia in and north of sydney.
I found your reviews of the Forerunner 305, 405 & 310xt far more helpful than their owner manuals: thanks!
I am trying to decide between the 305 & 310. I know of ocean paddlers using the 305, but I am inclined to but the water proof 310xt.
I have one nagging question regarding swimming and heart rate (this is really important to me as I do the same 6km bay swim).
As swimming heart rate is so important for me, do you think I could attach (eg: tape/velcro) the 310xt wrist watch onto the heart rate monitor? I don’t care about added resistance…
When you held the 310xt next to your chest underwater (and it read 81bpm) was it accurate?
Reference my 30 December comment concerning my non-functioning 310XT HRM. On a lark I checked the battery compartment of the HRM and found the negative (on the side) contact was bent back from the battery. With (very) careful use of a jeweler’s screwdriver I managed to coax it back to its designed location and POW! – HRM was immediately paired with my 310XT. Would seem the problem came from the factory so perhaps others with similar problems can take heart.
Great review I would be lost without it after purchasing the 310Iam currently on a mac using bootcamp and was hoping to keep all my training files on windows I am having trouble downloading the windows plug in. Is that because it is still using a mac usb. is there a workaround solution? Thanks
I’ve occasionally seen transiet issues with the straps. I do know there was a manufactoring issue with some of the earlier straps and not being able to pickup signal. I would just give Garmin a quick ring and get it replaced. Sounds defective to me. Their service is super-quick and simple.
Hi Murray:
RE: Keeping all training files on the watch
Yes, one option here is to simply tell the ANT+ agent software to not delete any of the files after it copies them from the watch to the computer. THis is under the options when you right click on the ANT+ settings. I’m not exactly sure where the option is on a mac, as I don’t have one – but I suspect it’s there somewhere. This will allow the PC to then also get the files without the Mac side erasing them.
Hi Hathi:
RE: Using the 405 mount instead of 305 mount
That mount is indeed for the 405, and isn’t ideal for the 310XT. That said, the way it’s designed, it will actually work, though it’s not really the best solution. In a sense, it basically just acts as a bigger handlebar to wrap the 310XT around. Hope this helps!
I think you could get HR if it’s literally within an inch or so, and it was accurate. But, what I’ve found with HR and swimming is that the second you stop swimming, the HR drops – so it’s kinda hard to monitor continously. That said, the Polar’s do support this, and perhaps your best option is to wear a Polar on your wrist for HR, and then a Garmin on your head for GPS.
Hi Ulisses:
RE: Multisport and Advanced workouts
Unfortunately you can’t mix the two. So you’d have to basically start a advanced workout for the bike, and then switch to one for the run. While I’ve done similiar things in T2, it’s not entirely ideal. You can certainly quickly run through the buttons if you’re familiar with them though.
The virtual partner mode is essentially just like a data field, so you can display it whenever you’d like. 🙂
I bought the 310XT a week ago and wore it today for its first triathlon. I have not seen anything from Garmin or other reviews explaining the swimming issue with the distance & GPS inaccuracy. Thank you for explaining this, and the swim cap solution sounds like its worth trying.
Thanks Ray, that’s a really excellent review and I may well upgrade my 305 when the outdoor swimming season begins.
A couple of small things… From my experience, the 305 actually DOES record Transition data in MultiSport mode. Time, Distance and even GPS info etc. were all there, in the same way as the bike/run sections. I don’t doubt your findings, so maybe it was dealt with in a software or firmware update?
The other thing for me is I wish they’d recessed or flattened the buttons as IMHO it’s too easy (and frustrating) to accidentally press the buttons e.g. when removing a long sleeved top on a winter multisport event. …or as I found, even scratching my back on the start line!
RE: Differences between Aussie version and rest of world
I’m not aware of any differences. In fact, when you pickup the 310XT you’ll notice it comes with adapters for a number of countries. That said, I know there are some folks who in the comments are from the land down under and may be able to expand a bit.
Hi Dom-
RE: 305 recording splits
Interesting, I’ll have to check it out. You may be right, it may have been added recently to the 305 – which would be a nice addition. If I can verify it, I’ll update both this and the 305 review.
Great review. Recently purchase one. Had a couple questions.
1. I used it for the first time on a bus trip I was on. I had it record while riding the bus. I noticed when the info was shown on garmin connect, it never showed the bus going 0 mph when I know the bus stopped a few times. Any idea why?
2. The first time I used the heart rate monitor, it seemed to be displaying my heart rate at 6-10 bpm below my normal that was on another HRM watch I have. So I checked it a number of times with the pulse on my neck and each time it was 6-10 bpm less than what I counted. Have you heard of that happening at all?
To me this sounds like the Autopause feature was enabled. This pauses the recording below a specified speeds, and thus removes any stops. You can disable this in the menu.
RE: Displaying different numbers than other HRM’s
I haven’t seen this as an issue before. I have both a Polar and a CompuTrainer HR strap (different), and when I’ve used them together, they are identical +/- a beat (which would be expected as they update at slightly different rates).
Thanks for great review and continued info. I’ve now gone out and purchased one. I’m in NZ and have got the 310XT,AUS model mentioned in previous post. Only comes with Aus/NZ power plug, not global, can’t see any other difference. New footpods out of stock in NZ. How do you upload to SportTracks, 310XT not in list of models, do you use another model, or plugin or by .tcx file?
From one techno/tri geek to another…awesome review. Just purchased my 310XT and can’t wait to put it to use. You site will help ease the transition from my Polar 725X which has worn out from use. One question, I have a Powertap which relays power data as well as cadence data without the cadence sensor. It has a built in cadence sensor in the hub, which understandably is not as accurate as one mounted to pedal crank/rear triangle. Since everything is supposedly ANT+, will the 310XT pick up the cadence info from the hub? Thanks again for the great review. Keep up the good work.
While I don’t have a PowerTap, I do have a Cinqo (which also includes cadence, though via the hub). On the Garmin Edge’s you can deselect that cadence meter (the power meter will overwrite it otherwise). I just checked, and I don’t see an option to de-select it on the 310XT unfortunately.
So yes, it will pick it up from the hub – though that may not be what you want if you have a cadence sensor already installed. Someone with a PT may be able to provide more info here.
thanks for a great review. It has answered most of my questions. I am thinking of upgrading mainly for the battery life as I do a lot of endurance mountain bike racing.
But the one other thing I want to know and I haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere is about navigation. I often plot a route using an online mapping tool and then send it to my 305 as a course. I can then follow the route. I like to use the “map” screen which has the route as a line, so I can see it is going to turn left ahead and look for the road turning. The 405 doesn’t have this screen, just an arrow. The problem with that I find if I go off course on th 305 I can zoom out and just head back to it. Does the 310 have this screen?
Yup, no issues with multiple watches and one computer. You can simply name the watches to whatever you’d like. I have a bunch of watches paired on one computer (FR-60/FR405/310XT), no issues.
Wow. Incredible work and the passion shows through. I have the 705 but need something also for running. If I don’t want to shell out another $350 for another unit, is the 310XT suitable for the bike (using Peaks, coaching, and need power meter data) and then I could sell the 705. That leave out the mapping. Anything other major drawbacks (you mentioned the data smoothing on power data). Thanks much. Keep up the good work.
I love your review! I admit I was really drooling over your Garmin collection. Thank you for that really detailed review and the nice pictures. Now I want to have a 310XT more than ever! 🙂
Aside from power data smoothing (which I belive is huge), there’s no major drawback of the 310XT. I use it as my backup bike computer when my Garmin 500 or 705 is on the fritz (like today ironically enough). Personally I rarely use mapping on the Edge 705.
Thanks again. So if I kept the 705, would the 305 be a suitable unit for my running? Or would you recommend not buying “old technology” a spend the extra $100 for the 310xt. No Tris in my future yet.
Yes, absolutely. For me, it’s still my backup watch if I forgot to charge my 310XT. And my girlfriend still users hers daily. The Edge 705 + Forunner 305 is a great combo.
When you take out the pins from the original grey/orange band and hook up the quick release portion, is it possible to still reinstall the original band?
I want to use the quick release bike mount on my stem but I also like the original watch band better, but when I read amazons quick explanation on the kit, it said it “permanently” replaces the original band.. Hopefully this is not the case and they can be switched back and forth..
Fantastic work, very thorough and concise. I paddle ocean racing surf skis and after Waterlogging my second 305, I am going to switch to a 310xt. The waterproofing credentials of the 305 are greatly over rated as mine went down with little more than splashing over an extended period. I also think the saltwater has an effect on the contact pins on the back of the unit as they become increasingly less functional over exposure to sea water. Question. If I were to buy and attach a foot sensor to one end of my paddle, would it record my stroke rating (cadence)? Thanks, Roger Shipton
Funny you mention it. They sent me out a unit to review back about a week ago, and I’ve been playing with it since. Expect a review in 3-4 weeks. I agree that I would expect to see this in future editions of the 310XT (or similiar watches from other vendors). See this post on my thoughts there: link to dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
Hi Kyle-
RE: Quick Release kit
Yes, you can swap back and forth. However, I’d highly recommend limiting it. The pins are fine, but you can very easily weakend the rubber portion (holes) they stick into on the watch, to the point where it won’t click in tight anymore. I found this in my demo unit after doing it a few times – and a number of other folks have found the same issue. Garmin will fix the watch though if this happens, as a number of folks have reported.
Hi Roger-
RE: Ocean Paddling
I’ll pull down a paddel from my kayak tomorrow and tape a cadence sensor on there. I can’t think of a reason it wouldn’t work, but I’ll double check it. Thanks!
Hi: Thanks very much for your very informative and “real world” review of the Garmin 310XT. I have an older SRM powermeter on my bike now and just began running. Can you tell me if the 310XT can be set up to show elevation real time? I know that the GPS calculations are less accurate than an altimeter but it would be great to see elevation gain as you are riding or running. Any experience with the Suunto line as a comparison? Thanks for your reply.
Yup, you can add the data field called ‘Elevation’ to any data screen you choose to see instant elevation data. You can put up to four data fields per data screen, and there are up to four data screens.
Wow, found this blog quite by accident. Have had the 310XT and cadence for 2 months and love it but your blog taught me so much (I never read instructions, prefer to teach myself) but hadn’t stumbled across the autopause function (no more having to manual stop at lights (and forgetting!). Off to buy a bike mount today (thanks for showing a stem mount as well; I was only going to buy if i could stem mount). This was an very interesting read. Thanks for your efforts!
Also – for mac users I highly recommend RubiTrack as software in lieu of Garmin own software. Much more accurate as well.
One “regression” Garmin has made with the change from 305 to 310XT is the loss of the barometer! Without it, the altitude readings on the 310XT are mostly junk compared to the 305. The 310XT frequently tells me I gained hundreds of feet of elevation while running around a perfectly flat section of beach. If altitude is important to you, the 310XT might not be a good choice
I have read a LOT of bad reviews (not about fit or feel though) about the new soft HRM strap that comes with the 310xt, spikes in HR etc that seem to go away if you have the older style strap. Can you say anything about your experience with it? Have you seen any odd HR charting with the 310xt’s new strap vs using the older one (even if it is comparing older 305 data to 310xt HRM data?) Thanks.
Hi There, Great Post. Convinced me to buy one and have been suitably impressed. One thing though is that I can’t seem to find the .tcx Files for transfer/upload to Training Peaks. I have done a search right accross my c: drive and nothing comes up? Using XP Professional if it makes a difference. Did I miss something? Any advice?
Both the 305 and 310XT share using a GPS-based altimeter (whereas the cycling computers like the Edge 500/705 use a barometric altimeter). In both cases, they have their pro’s and con’s. I talk about this a TON in my Edge 500 review and comments.
Hi Greg-
RE: Soft strap HRM
I haven’t had any problems with the soft strap, and personally love it. I know there were some initial production run issues that in theory have been corrected. Also, winter tends to bring out the biggest issues with HRM straps in general due to the cool dry air and lack of moisture. This combined with the tech fabric on many shirts makes the situation worse. Personally, I can’t recommend the soft strap enough – especially since the prices on Amazon are identical.
Hi Privateer-
RE: Location for TCX files to TP
Two things – the good news is that TP also now accepts the native .FIT files during file upload, as well as the TCX files. Check out this post on the Garmin forums for the exact location of these files, this should help as they are otherwise hidden from searches:
Hi. Great review; I’m thinking about the purchase!
I currently use the Edge 305 for my cycling which is great. One of the main features I use is planning routes by mapping them online (e.g. BikeRouteToaster) and then uploading the .tcx file to my 305. I then “Do Course” on the 305 and it gives me a trace to follow (just a black line on the screen but good enough).
It’s not clear to me if this is possible with the 310XT. The literature says that Routes are not possible but Courses are??
I could use a little help with my 310XT because I’ve had two major problems.
I have a lot of problems getting an accurate heart rate. I’ve changed the battery in the soft heart rate strap as well as re-positioned the device. It seems to be overly sensitive and will often give heart rate readings between 200 and 220 when I know I’m not working out that hard. I think part of the problem of the problem is that it picks up my clothing hitting against the sensor if it is really windy. Especially true on the bike.
I’ve also had a problem with the GPS in the pool saying that I completed a 28 mile swim in 18 minutes. I never thought of putting the device in my swim cap so I’ll have to try that.
However, is there a way to set the device in multi-sport mode so that the GPS stays off when you start your swim and then turns on when you exit the water and hit the lap button to enter the transition 1?
Appreciate any help because while I really want to like the 310XT I find some aspects of it very frustrating.
There’s a few things leading to this. Typically when I see this it’s due to dryer air (usually colder), where there’s very little moisture to help the contact pass the HR through. This is made worse by the fabric’s most of us use when running now – Drytech/Technical – that actually generate additional static electricty that rubs off on the sensor giving it false readings. Interestingly, Polar has actually reduced this problem a bit using a piece of material to distribute that away from the sensors – unfortuntaely Garmin doesn’t have that.
What I typically do to resolve this problem is to ensure the little band portion where the sensors are is wet (I’m lazy and just lick it). During the winter I’ll also use standard HR gel, which you can get at any running/bike shop. That really solves the problem for me. Also, if you see spikes on the bike due to the wind, try turning the strap a bit such that the sensors are more on your side or back. It’ll still pickup the HR, and work better.
RE: GPS during swimming
I covered the GPS piece in a fair bit of detail above with respect to swimming. But in short, it won’t really do very well in the water – especially in a pool situation given all the constant turning back and forth.
As for turning off GPS as part of multi-mode, unfortunately, you’ll have to manually turn it back on. It is very much an interesting concept though – I like the idea!
Another possibility on Dillon’s heart rate issues – I have noticed that my HRM can be affected by overhead power lines. Specifically, I often get spurious readings in the vicinity of a rail line that uses overhead electric lines to provide power for the engines. It’s not a 310XT, but I suspect the problem would impact most HRMs.
For what it is worth, I truly appreciate your in-depth review. Unless Garmin is paying you, the time to put this together for the general public is much appreciated. In your opinion, I run a lot and have destroyed two 305 in pouring rain. Do you think for that reason I should step up to the 310xt or just keep sending my 305’s back to garmin and continue with my new practice, which is plastic bag with the 305 in it during long runs with heavy rains?
I’ll try some of the transmission gel especially since I train in Las Vegas where the air is especially dry. I let you know if this helps.
For instance I was running down a long hill today where my heart rate naturally has a chance to drop, but the 310XT was reading 200-210 BMP. My 6 second heart rate was no where near this high.
Come to think of it there are some power lines that run above the sidewalk as well so that makes for a double wammy.
Thanks! Garmin is definitely not paying me (and if they are, then I need to find out where that check is going!). The only support I get is if folks use the Amazon links to purchase anything, then I get a small bit back from Amazon.
RE: RAIN
That in my mind is probably the greatest hidden asset about the 310XT – it’s waterproofing. Many folks will complain (rightly so), that it’s useless in a tri in the water. Which is true. But what I really like is that I just don’t have to worry about it in the water – period. Meaning, I can swim without a baggie for a long time in the water, go for hours in the rain, and never worry. The sealing (and IPX spec) are just so much better.
As for whether to get a 310XT over the 305, I guess it just depends really on budget. I love the feel of the 310XT from a usability standpoint, and the extra battery life is handy. But for me, on the bike having the ability to get Power information is very useful.
Hi Dillon-
RE: HR
Certainly sounds like HR gel as a solution. I know when I go to Vegas I usually have to use it, especially in the cooler winter months where it can take a while to workup a sweat.
Ray – awesome review as per the norm. Have read your site before, but this is the first time I really needed the review. Just picked up my 310XT and your review was extremely beneficial during my decision-making process. Thanks again, and please let us know if you hear anything on the 3s/5s/etc averaging – that would be huge. Keep up the excellent work. -Rob
Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful review. I will be sticking with my 305 for now, but this was still useful for talking a bit about the software available on line for analyzing the data? What’s your short take on which of those is best, or what their relative strengths and weaknesses are? (I find TC next to useless.)
hi, what I noticed in my training today, if i take very wind(so the hrm also take wind), hrm values rise much, upwards of 200 bpm. in descent the same thing happens. why?
I find it considerably faster, usually a few seconds to acquire at most. Often times my girlfriend (who has the 305), will still be waiting long after I’m already ready.
Hi Robert-
RE: 3s/5s averaging
I too hope something will show up in that area…but thus far, nuttin! I’ll definitely update here when it occurs.
Hi LDT-
Thanks!
Hi Will-
RE: Software options
I in general find Sport Tracks and Training Peaks as the two best software options out there today for detailed analysis. There’s a lot of good middle-tier applications that can do more generic analysis (like Garmin Connect), but nothing to the level of TP/ST for all sorts. (Golden Chetah comes close, but is primarily focused on cycling today).
Hi Anon-
RE: Top of forerunner material
It appears to be glass from what I can tell. But, I’ve dropped, thrown and just about everything else mine without any issues. I’ve had it fly off multiple times from my bike handlebars onto the road at 20MPH+. No issues.
Ni Nobrega-
RE: Fluctuations with HR
This is due to lack of good contact with the sensors on the strap. Try both using HR gel, or also twisting the HR strap more towards your side. The Garmin straps don’t have any static electricity anti-buildup strips like the Polar’s due, so some of the newer fabric tech shirts (quickdry) tends to buildup static electricity quicker and cause issues. Generally just keeping things wet (via gel or sweat) will fix the issue.
It would probably work, though – HR gel is sooo cheap (about $5-7), and lasts forever. I’m still using the little bottle I picked up at my local running shop two years ago.
how do I turn off the hrm, just off one connector, or should I disconnect the two, to stop sending the signal, and save battery life? (I usually just disconnect one) thanks
Ray, I am hooked on your blog its like crack. I am thinking of upgrading from the 305 to the 310XT (largely based on your website’s review). Does the 310XT display cadence during the ride, or can it only be recorded and downloaded?
Thank you so much Rainmaker!! I really appreciated having such a great review/tutorial. I was so frustrated by purchasing and trying to calibrate the Polar RS300X SD Heart Rate Monitor Watch with S1 Foot Pod that I returned it after 3 days. After reading your review I purchased tne 310XT even though it’s more than I need..but the ease of operation is worth it. thanks abiquiudesertflower
One thing to point out to anyone planning on buying one and using some of their other Garmin kit is that only the Premium Soft Heart Rate Strap is waterproof. The standard strap that comes with the Edge 305, 705 etc isn’t. I made this mistake last year when I wore it under my wetsuit so that it was on and ready for the bike. After a rinse in fresh water and a couple of days drying out it started working again. Regards Dan
Awsome post mate. This just made my mind up… I dont want a 405 because of the touch bezel (apparently stuffs up when wet) The 305 is the younger brother you want to go to bed!! Good post… You’ve obviously got talent in the reviewing of techno gadjets!
As the others have said, thank you so much for taking the time to take pictures, review the 310XT and state your thoughts. As an ultrarunner I need the long battery life and am tired of the Forerunner 50 not having enough of the bells and whistles. I will be spending my REI dividend on the 310. Thanks!
Very odd. The normal heart rate strap is perfectly fine in the water, as both myself and many others wear it all the time under their tri suits during the swim leg. I’ve probably done this 40-50 times between racing and training, easily. Odd.
Hi I have been looking into purchasing this watch for over a year. I stumbled across your brilliantly detailed review. I was sold before I had got half way through reading all the information! Excellent work. I really hope you have Garmin eating out of your hand and your place is full of other stuff to review with similiar high quality. Once I get my hands on the watch I will aquire the optional bits. I look forward to coming back here time and again to extract the full potential out of the kit. Fingerscrossed that I don’t have a dud which will take the shine off the expectation and exploitation! Please do keep up the great good work. Kind regards Charlie
I was wondering about miles vs kilometres.. which does the 310xt use? can you choose? are there region specific versions? I’m looking at ebay for a good price but don’t want to buy one if it won’t do kms
and I also saw your technology forecasts page: if I’m not into triathlons like kah-razy yet and I think the FR60 would be fine for the time being should I wait a year for the 310xt 2.0 or will I regret it within this year.. and I know you have already told me to probably just go for it, but does your crystal ball say the next version will be flippin awesome compared to the current model or just a small but steady step up the ladder?
Thanks for this great review, it helps me a lot. I downloaded “Sport Tracks” but cannot select the corrrect device, the 310 XT is not in the list. am i doing something wrong ?
The 310XT can be switched back and forth to use either one.
RE: Region specific
There are not any region specific versions that I’m aware of, as the box ships with the power adapters for just about everything.
RE: 310XT next version
I think it would make sense to get the 310XT now. Based on some of the new products this spring, and talking to some folks, I’m not expecting any giant leap of technological significance next year. Garmin is pretty much in the mode of incremental product releases as opposed to being a game changer product.
Hi Anon-
RE: Finding the 310XT in Sport Tracks
You need to use the Garmin Communicator option within Sport Tracks in order to see the 310XT. Here’s more details on it:
Please can you tell me if the watch can go easily from the watch with the original strap to a bike computer and then back to the original strap? Or do you need to purchase the Tri strap kit as you mention in your extensive blog?
I’d highly recommend the quick release kit in this case. The pins on the 310XT are kinda problematic and after many changeovers can affect the plastic mounting holes on the watch itself (by many I mean…like twice). Fwiw, there’s a new orange-banded quick release kit that’s making it’s way into reseller channels as we speak. It’s available in the UK, and a few vendors in the US – but I haven’t quite seen it hit any retailers on Amazon (or other major location).
Hi Vincent-
RE: Virtual Partner Previous Track Racing against yourself
Sorta. You can race against an older ‘Course’ you have completed – which is accomplishign what you want, which is the best bet. The Virtual Partner is a specific pace without the ability to vary it depending on where you are in the course.
Hi, Here is something recent that I learned from Garmin’s customer services. The 310xt HR strap (the soft strap) reacts to most running shirts. I found this out because while running and ridding the HR showed a pulse that is physically impossible for me… 220? When I contacted Garmin they said it is a know problem and that the old ugly HR strap does not have that problem. so FYI! Great blog. I recently started a blog also for my training to IM Brazil next month… yaiks Feel free to drop by and say hi http://www.the3rdwheel.com Thanks for all the information. Tamir
Hello and great review. I have problems such on a few cases my workout its not uploaded and disappears from the 310 XT. Its annoying such I’m waiting to get it uploaded and this never happens (Even worst makes the SYNC and delete it from the watch which its not a problem if it uploads to my computer). Not sure how could i Kix this……
Thanks for all the useful information and for the incredibly in depth review.
I’ve been deciding between a Garmin 305 or 310. I use a Forerunner 301 at the moment but as my main run routes take me through woods the GPS accuracy is awful.
As I only use the Garmin for running and an occasional cycel I see little benefit of the 310 particulary given the fact it is twice the price. Your review has helped a lot though.
I just picked up a 310XL to replace a 305 whose battery isn’t lasting long enough for 50k races. I’ve been testing it over the last week and wondered if the 310 is like the 405 in that you can never fully turn it off? I charged it fully, drained it completely, then charged it again to calibrate the meter. With the watch “off”, twelve hours later I was a bar down on the power meter, and connecting the charger showed 79% charged. Should it really be losing that much juice in 12 hours when it’s “off”? Perhaps the %charged doesn’t directly correspond to battery condition?
Awesome and thorough review…but one of the links for the garmin 310 accessories is incorrect. Your link is for a quick release mounting kit that is not compatible with the 310.
The only thing I can recommend is to double-check the firmware. I know there are supposedly some issues on the latest edition, but I haven’t run into any. The previous edition though I did run into some of the issues you noted with workouts disappearing.
Hi Ping Pong Boy-
RE: 305 vs 310XT accuracy
The 310XT has a more accurate GPS chip than the 305, so you’ll see some improvement there – especially compared to the 301, whose chip is roughly the equivelent of buying a original Volkswagon Beetle. 🙂
That said, the 305 is much more accurate than the 301 – so you’ll probably be happy there at half the price.
Hi Gunk!
RE: Battery draining
Nope, I haven’t seen that at all. In my case it’s maybe a percent or two – but what you’re noting is not the norm. The 405 is indeed always on, but the 310XT goes more or less completely off. I’d recommend calling support to get it swapped out.
Hi SteelStatue!
RE: Recording interval
On the 310XT you can only change the recording interval to 1s recording if you have a power meter attached, and then it does it automatically. This is a change from the 305, which you can change manually. There’s a lot of folks posting to the Garmin Forums asking for the ability to set it back to 1s recording…but so far no luck. 🙁
Hi Anon-
RE: Link incorrect
I’ve double-checked them all, and they seem correct. I had one link to the older 305 that I was specifically trying to explain how it was a nice soft strap compared to the 310XT. I’ve cleared up the language there a bit to ensure there’s no confusion. Thanks though for mentioning it!
Great review, thanks. I bought my 310x about a week ago and am still trying to get it dialed in. The other day I went for what I know to be a 25 mile ride and it said I only did 21.8 miles. I did have the auto pause on and noticed it paused on several occasions, especially when hill climbing. I checked out my old 205 and it’s on smart recording as well. So, I think the difference is the auto pause is not as accurate on the 310x. Besides taking it out of auto pause what else can I do… besides ride faster? 🙂
This review was extremely helpful, and I purchased the 310xt and am very happy with it. “Anonymous” above is right, however. The link to the quick release kit from Amazon is incorrect and does not work with the 310xt. I know this because I ordered it and found out the hard way. No worries, though. This is the correct one:
I’d be curious if turning off Auto-pause solves it. I’m wondering if it’s triggering on/off and not correctly getting turned back on – and thus loosing chunks of mileages. Note that you can indeed modify the exact pace that it triggers, which may help.
Hi Stuvera-
RE: Wrong 310XT kit.
Very interesting… Thanks for the exact link it should be, as both seemed right. Weird. I’ve gone ahead and used the link you sent over. Thanks again!
thanks. I’m driving my mates mad trying to work out 305 v 310xt. One of them posted up your link after he said I had just made him pull out his remaining stand of hair. I do a lot of off road running and love the bits where you have to run through streams and the uk weather of downpours so I’m going with the 310xt ………… mostly due to the waterproof feature where I dont have to worry when I get into the bath with it on too lol. My friends and their hair thank you x
Heard that you took quite the fall at the Rev3 in Knoxville Tennessee. The ride was a little technical but awesome.
Next time you are in/near the Knoxville area contact me should you and your friends require housing. I have 6 extra rooms about three miles from the transition area.
RE: Mac software… Ant Agent only works if you are running a 32 bit kernel. If you are running in 64 bits, you have to switch back to 32. A 32 bit kernel can run 64 bit apps just fine, though…
I might just take you up on that next year! Thanks for the thoughts, we may be in touch!
Hi Frenchman-
RE: 32bit vs 64bit on Mac
Hmm, every interesting, I didn’t know that – not the same as the PC. Bummer.
Hi MC-
RE: Durability of the screen
There has been a slightly higher number of people reporting 310XT screen breaks than 305. I suspect this is because in the 305 the screen was just slightly inset, whereas the 310XT it is not. That said, Garmin’s pretty good about replacing them, fwiw.
Hi Tacho-
RE: KM
Yup, you can change to KM mode easily across the watch in one easy setting.
With the 50 dollar rebate about to expire, which should I get – the 405cx or the 310xt? I primarily run, but want to bike more, and I considered the 110 but have yet to see a single positive review about it. I know you like the 310xt, but for someone in my situation, is the 405cx a good choice? or is the bezel still an issue?
Or should I just wait till June and get the timex???
Note: A new firmware update (2.9)was released for the 310XT in the past few days that in theory will now allow you to more accurately track distance while swimming with the watch on your wrist (through some data point post processing).
I already have the quick release kit for the 310XT and need to get a mount for my new bike. If I were to buy the bike mount kit for the Edge 500, would it engage with the mount already on the back of my 310XT?
I think I’d prefer the rubber band option (and lower price) of the Edge 500 bike mount.
Like just about every other person who has posted here, I want to thank you for a really well done review. After experiencing some problems with my 305 that Garmin tried, in vain, to fix, I decided to get the 310. A couple of issues though that I’m wondering if you (or others) can shed some light on: 1) There seems to be a discrepancy between time of work-out and time “moving,” even if I turn the auto-pause off. Every single workout I’ve done shows a difference from 5 to 30 seconds. 2) The 310 recognizes the speed/cadence sensor, but somehow is reading the magnet on the crank as the speed when I’m outside, so if I stop pedaling, it briefly shows my speed as zero. Then I think the GPS kicks in and shows the true speed. I also can’t get it to show cadence, which is pretty annoying. I even removed the magnet from the wheel, but still no luck. 3. Not an issue, but a comment. I like the old HRM strap better. The new one, with that plastic piece held on by snaps (just waiting for those to fail), isn’t as comfortable. Thanks again for the tremendous work and time you’ve put in here.
Yup! Just use the 310XT Quick release kit (which you have) with the Edge 500 mounts. Nothing more, super easy.
Hi IronUmp-
Thanks!
RE: #1: Time differences between moving and workout
Typically when I see the differences it’s if you ever pressed stop in the workout itself (such as at a stop-sign), but I’ve never seen them before if I never pressed stop.
RE: #2: Cadence/Speed
Hmm…strange. Try re-pairing the sensor and see if that resolves it. Otherwise, to be honest it sounds like the sensor is dorked up given all the symptoms. You could try swapping the battery first, but I’d just call Garmin support on the sensor. Quick and easy fix.
OK, I’ve got to ask. I tried swimming with the Garmin 310XT under my swim cap and I got a total distance of about 15 feet. The timer still ran, but no real distance registered. So how did you do it? A clear swim cap?
Very very informative posting here. Thanks for this.
Since a couple of days I too own a FR310XT HRM version. Happy as a bug on a rug 🙂 I also managed to add some custom workouts in GTC. Very easy to use software.
Just one problem remains that I can’t seem to tackle. I hope you can help me with this.
How can I manage to get the following type of workout into GTC and the FR310? What concerns me the most is when do I get a vibrating signal from the FR310. A, what I call, a linear interval, is easlily programmed into the FR310. No problem and reacts as one would expect. I got to ‘training->workouts->interval’. A training such as this looks like so: 8 x 4 min. with 1 min. active recovery. Very straight forward.
The ‘problem’ (example) training concerning my question goes like this:
10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2 min. (accelerations) active recovery in between = 2 min. (calm jogging pace)
You’ll notice that I don’t practise HR zone-workouts. I train more or less on the principal ‘go-faster’, ‘go-slower’ kind off workout. What I want is that I get 2 vibrating signals per block of my training (go-faster bit followed by go-slower bit) to give my the notification when to go faster i.e. slower.
To put it more short and sweet: What’s the (criterium) moment for the Garmin to give a vibrating signal? Does it do that per set ‘goal’, like in the Training Center or in a different way?
1. I understand the 205/305s had a helpful audible alert when you dropped below a set pace/speed. You suggest a ‘work around’ for the 310XT for this issue by using the “workout” feature. My question is: can you use this same workaround for the 405/405CX models? Or, do they have a proper pace alert, or are you stuck with no options?
2. Can you make the 310XT show a clock (eg time of day) in one of the 4 squares? Or, indeed, as one big main square (as if it was a watch)?
For what you want to do, you’ll want to simply setup Speed Zones within GTC for your user profile. Then create a workout (from below) based on those speed zones. You can create as many steps as you’d like. Should work perfectly. Just make your speed zones as wide as you want them to be specific to your workout plan – perhaps even changing them from workout to workout.
Yup, the workout feature works with the 405. Just use the steps in the lin kabove.
RE: #2) Showing clock in one of the squares
Yup, you can show it in any one of the squares, or as one big ole square. Most of the time I have a square with it in one of the data fields, but occasionally I’ll end up having it in one big old square if I want to basically ignore all data for a run/bike.
you said a while ago that there was a new software upgrade that makes it better during the swim or something – is there an update based on this new software?
I’m a new triathlete and LOVE the sport I’ve been training now for about 2 1/2 months and have done one sprint. I’ve been using Nike+ system for running which is getting annoying now so I’m looking to upgrade. The problem I’m facing is I love the FR60 cause i can be an everyday watch to replace my old ironman timex. It can do what I need for tri’s I just have to practice switching modes. However in the future the 310xt looks to be the best solution just for what I’m getting into and the fact it has GPS. But the price and the fact is not an everyday watch are my drawbacks. What do you think will happen with the price over the next 1-2 years. I’m thinking of getting the FR60 now for a birthday gift, then waiting to get something GPS based. fyi the reason I don’t like the 305 is cause I’m fairly small and think it would be annoying. Thoughts?
Thank you very much for the review. Truly awesome. Just a quick question. In “History” when I look at data of previous “runs” I got the pace/km (average and max). However I would be more interested in getting the AVG speed and Max speed rather than “pace”. Is there a way to change this setting. Thank you very much for your help.
I’d really look at the FR305. I know it seems big, but many many people who are small use it and love it. My girlfriend is quite small, yet she uses it without even noticing it every day. I promise you won’t notice it past the first 30 seconds of running.
You could look at the FR110, but compared to the features on the FR60, you’re taking a step back – so that’s something to consider.
Hi Anon/GMC-
RE: Pcae vs Speed
The history should show based on whether you were in run or bike mode at the time of activity. You may want to check which mode you were recording it, so that it shows up right. Hope this helps!
excellent reviews and based on yours i bought my first garmin and know we are going to best friends. i want to workout just so we can hang out. now i dont want to lose my new friend and recall reading that there can be issues with the pins and band coming apart. was this the 310xt or another product ? thanks muchly :).
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You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
thank you. I found your blog about 15 days ago and i think it’s awesome.
Thanks for taking the time to write this review. You brought up some great points that have impacted my decision to purchase.
Yes, thank you for the time you put into this. I do not have this fab toy yet so my eyes glazed over and my brain went fuzzy after the unpackaging since I did not have the actual item to play around with in my hands.
Oh, Polar has that great fabric chest strap and the Polar dudes call the actual heart rate transmitter the “peanut”. Ha, the first time I heard the Polar guys call it that last year it made me laugh. Now you have a “peanut” as well.
Thanks so much for the review. This is the best one I have found to date. I am debating between the 305 and the 310xt. I have just started training for a marathon and would like to do a half-ironman in the next year or so. Right now I am leaning towards the 305 because of cost and features.
Can you tell me whether there are different features on the watch itself (e.g. can the 305 do transitions? aside from power meter compatability is there anything the 310xt does that the 305 won’t).
Thanks in advance.
Excellent review. I only recently discovered your blog and have enjoyed all of your posts.
Thanks for a great review – a lot of care and attention clearly went into this, it is wonderful! I had already decided that I wouldn’t get one – I am waiting for perfect 2-yrs-from-now future device where I can just leave the thing on my wrist for swim, bike and run and have it monitor HR throughout! I am not a data fiend, and I find the Polar set-up (with footpod) suits me very well – but I am really impressed with what you made this Garmin do for you…
Awesome review! The best I’ve found on the net! I’ve told all the people that are following me on twitter about it.
It would be interesting to do another swim switching the position of the 305 and the 310 in your swim cap to see if the 305 is still better at tracking the swim.
Again, great job!
Cheers,
Rob.
http://www.triwithms.com
link to twitter.com
Terrific review – as always!
I’ve been very curious about this one since it was announced and it’s unfortunate that the swim piece is limited by losing signal when in the water … what’s the point?!
I do like the multi-sport function and wish the Edge 305 I use would do that. Instead you have to just manually note your activities in Garmin Connect.
So, you didn’t have an issue of your 310XT not being able to pick up the signal from your CinQo??
I did. Mine only works if it’s attached to my top tube, right above the crank. And I’m quite a bit shorter than you are.
But, my 310XT was one of the first to be released so perhaps they strengthened the device’s antenna and new ones now pick up power even if they are mounted in a visible and practical location?
Great review! Now I can’t wait for my 305 to die – I can’t justify purchasing another toy until the old one’s gone.
DC,
First, Great Review!
Second, Have you reviewed the Polar S725x?
I still have yet to see a good direct comparison between the two products, and I’m torn on which to purchase.
Cheers,
Clint
Wow, you really put a lot of effort into that review. Thanks so much! Initially I thought you could wear the 310XT on your wrist for swimming and it would track your distance. So thanks for all of your data on why that doesn’t work as that because that would have been my primary reason to buy one. Right now the cost is just too prohibitive, but if the price were to come down in the next year I would go for it, mostly for the extended battery life on an Ironman. I’m pretty sure 10 hours for the bike and run for me might be pushing things.
This is sort of off topic, but is there a way to create a workout in SportTracks to upload to Garmin? I had tried to download a plug in about a year ago but it didn’t work, so I’ve been using GTC all the time to create workouts instead.
Great review. Thanks for taking all the time and effort to do it! 🙂
I have the 310XT and love it. It’s my first Garmin so I have nothing to compare it to but for triathlon it is almost perfect.
Thanks again for such an interesting and informative post.
As always Ray, great review! Have you seen or read anything about Timex new watch system?
great post I might get 1
Here’s the answers to all the questions up until this point:
Anon re: Difference between 305 and 310 aside from power/waterproofing
In a nutshell, no fundemental differences. The 305 does transitions as well, it just doesn’t record the transition times – whereas the 310XT does. Many of the changes you’ll notice are more related to the user interface and the menu’s. The satellite does pick up quicker though. So really the big three changes are: Waterproofing, Power Meters, battery. Outside of that, the devices are pretty much the same.
triwithms re: Swim position on 310XT
I went ahead and updated the swim section with what it looks like if you perfectly place it. You’ll see it cleans it up a bit. I did that this past weekend as part of the Nation’s Triathlon, during the swim portion of the race.
Courtenay re: Cinqo dropouts and 310XT
I think there’s two possibilities here. From my understand what you’re seeing is fairly common with the Cinqo and the 310XT. My Cinqo is actually a compact version that just came out mid-August, so there may be a chance that they’ve increased the transmission output on the newer devices. I’ll check with them on that as I know those guys fairly well. The other option is a change in the 310XT hardware as far as picking up ANT+ signals – but I’m not aware of any changes there. That said, I didn’t experiance any dropouts once I updated the firmware to 2.6. I had a ton of dropouts on 2.4 and 2.5 – which was related to how the 310XT handled certain power meters (including the Cinqo). If you’re interested, ping me via e-mail and I can give you tons of details around it (I had long threads with Quarq about it).
Clint-Murphy re: Reviewing the S725x
Hi Clint. Sorry, I haven’t reviewed the S725x. Though, if Polar sends one to me, I’d be happy to review it.
Runner Leana re: Downloading workouts to Garmin’s without using GTC.
Yes! You can do that with Sports Tracks actually. Check out this plugin here:
link to zonefivesoftware.com
Nat re: Timex watch system
I haven’t looked too closely into it yet, sorry!
—–
Thanks all for the comments thus far, hope this helps!
As always a great and detailed review, I was pondering getting one, batter life was appealing but I think I’ll liberate my wife’s unused 305 which has less than 50 miles on it!
thank you for potentially saving me a lot of money… for now 🙂 I had been pondering upgrading from the 305 to the 310XT with my newfound love of triathlon mostly for the waterproof features, but with the lost signal underwater, I’ll just stick with the 305 a bit longer, and my try your under the swimcap trick! Excellent review, thanks for all the pics and taking the time to post!
Your reviews are remarkable. You are such a gear hound! Thanks for doing all that work. Your comparisons are really helpful. I love having all the data but am not mechanically minded enough to find out on my own which gizmos will get me the data that I want to track.
Hey – great review! I was going to write up a similar one, but now I’m going to just point people to yours!! I’ve got mine paired with a SRM, and am getting similar results as you are wrt power. One thing to note – if you put the 310 in “Other” mode for swimming, it won’t try to record distance and mess up your totals. At least, that’s what I’ve seen so far. (I haven’t tried Other in multisport mode yet w/transitions though.) My plan for races will be to just put it on my wrist for the swim to catch time, then while I’m on the bike, take a moment to switch it to the frame. I am bummed about your review of the wrist strap with the quick release kit. I really like the original strap! The other thing I’m frustrated with is the speed data coming from the SRM when on a trainer. I originally had the 310 paired with a PowerTap and it took the PT speed data over the Garmin’s. But with the SRM it doesn’t. Maybe this winter I’ll break down and get the speed/cadence sensor. 🙁 Anyway, thanks again for this awesome review!!!
Cheers mate,
Thanks for your efforts. I really appreciate that you took the time to post this.
Outstanding review — thanks so much for the time and effort that went into this!
Thanks for the review. I was on the fence about upgrading immediately and your review convinced me to wait until my 205 device breaks down.
For transitions with my 205 I always set up an “other” activity between the biking and running that way I get a measurement.
Thanks for you wonderful review, so great!
Do you have any knowledge it Garmin is going to update the 310XT’s software so that the user could set the Track Recording to every 1 second, like in 305? The Smart Recording has been a bit of a dissappointment to me, as I want to have very accurate route data of my orienteering trips. If not, how could a consumer suggest it to Garmin so that it will be effective…?
Hi Pellon,
I’m not aware of any current plans to add 1s recording to the 310XT. However, I am aware that this review was passed around the Garmin engineering team, and it’s also an occasional request on the Garmin Forums.
My suggestion would be to tag on one of the existing threads (titled Wishlist) at Garmin Forums at http://forums.garmin.com
Great review!! That was very thorough and covered more than what I was looking for.
Great detailed review.
If you really want HR for the swim, put the 310 under your cap and the HR strap backwards so the trasmitter is on your back.
Thanks Chris!
I tried it with it on my back (must have forgotten to mention that), but I found it dropped out near constantly. Though, if I correct my form – it does pickup. 😉 Gotta work on getting the ‘cool air across my back’. One of these day’s I’ll swim semi-well…
Very comprehensive review. Pushed me up the learning curve significantly.
Thanks SO much. The battery on my 305 is dying and I am looking at another 305 or upgrading to the 310XT at considerably more expense. Your detailed review has given me ALL the information I need to make a decision.
Excellent. Have been looking for decent reviews on Garmin watches and don’t think I can beat this. Will pass it on – really well done!!
Thank you for the very thorough review. I don’t have any of the cool ‘toys’ yet, and this has helped me in the decision-making process. I appreciate your efforts to write such a detailed review.
I wanted to know how much training you can keep this clock?
For it is not always able to access your computer to transfer data, how much training do I keep a clock if training takes about one hour?
Have you tried and you know there are memory device?
The amount of training it will store isn’t exactly a per hour thing, as it depends on how much stuff you’re recording. It notes up to 1,000 laps, but that doesn’t mean much to most people. I havne’t had any problems it retaining about a month of training on it (5-7 activities per week recorded on it).
Just an FYI, on the 305 there is a check box in Multisport to include transitions. If you check it, when you hit lap coming in from the bike it will automatically go to “Transition” a tap of lap on your way out sends it to run.
Would you please advise:
I actively ran the day I’m running from an hour to three.
I decided to buy the company Garmin products, but neišsirenku to buy?
Maybe you can recommend?
I choose from two models: GARMIN FORERUNNER 305 or 310xt
Do I need to: monitor nubėgtą distance, running time, speed, and monitor the heart, as well as analysis of training on your computer.
Your opinion is important: the product and if you have any advice argumentuokite why one or the other.
I would be grateful 🙂
Hi Krista and Viktoras:
RE: Transitions
With the 305 the only catch with that checkbox is that it doesn’t actually record the transition time in a data file. Never been a big deal for me, but for some it maters.
Re: Choosing between 305 and 310XT
If you’re primarily a runner (and not an ultra-runner), than realistically the 305 is the most economical choice. Ultra-runners would need the 20 hour battery life (310XT) for a 100m race, but for a few hours at a time, both the 305 and the 310XT can easily do that.
Both the 305 and 310XT have all the capabilities you describe (distance, time, speed, HR, computer connection, etc..). The 305 is simply a tiny bit bulkier, but it costs about 1/3rd as much. If someone were buying it for me, I’d happily say the 310XT. But if I were paying for it myself and *JUST* using it for the items you specified, then I’d likely choose the 305 given the cost differential. For the triathlete however, having the additional waterproofing, battery life, and power meter capabilities, the 310XT would be a better choice.
Good luck!
Thanks for this very helpful review. Quick question. In auto multisport mode, is it possible to display more than just time and distance (eg, can you get the 4 data fields that you have chosen, say, for running)?
Cheers
David
Great review.
I used my 305 for swimming/biking for a couple of years until one day my 305 popped off the bike mount. Tried backtracked to try and find it, but it was gone. Can you comment about the stability of the bike mount? How flimsy is the black wrist strap included with the quick release kit?
I too liked the black fabric strap from the 305, but am very concerned about having this one pop out of the strap on me again.
Thanks for a great review.
Q: Is it possible for two persons to use the same watch (not at the same time…), like me and my wife or is it only possible to register one user profile?
br
David-
Re: Auto Multisport mode
Yes, you can modify the four data fields in autosport mode just as you do in regular mode. Note that you do have to simply scroll into those data fields from the default one. But that just takes about 1 second.
Lou-
RE: Bike mount durability
Without a doubt the most improved accessory compared to the 305 is the bike mount. I can’t emphasis enough how darn sturdy this thing is. I’m relatively certain I could throw my bike off a 10 story building, and the only thing still in one piece would be the Garmin attached to the new bike mount. It features a new twist-lock design which makes it very secure (actually, in my opinion, a touch TOO hard to get out). That said, it’s locked. The wrist strap that comes with the kit is a bit thinner, but no more so than any regular watch, just not as thick as the orange band in the default package. Neither of them popped out on me at any time, and I beat the crap out of that watch.
Svante-
Re: Two people using the watch
Yes and no. Two people can use it without issue, but you’d have to manually change the settings each time. There isn’t a second user profile. That said, the ONLY thing this really controls is calorie count, which you can easily tweak post-activity using something like Sports Tracks. For example, my girlfriend on occasion uses my watch and vice versa. At the end of the day she imports her data to her account, and I to mine. Works well
Great! Greate Review))))!!!
AWESOME review… I just wish I had read it before I bought the 310XT (I already had a 305). You went into so much detail – covering EVERYTHING. Excellent job and detail. I especially appreciate knowing where the TCX files are located so I can integrate the new device with the 3rd party software I am accustomed to using (Topofusion).
Great job. I frequent your site and often recommend it to others. Thanks for the thorough review.
First of all, I found your blog while searching for Garmin 305 and 310XT reviews (the Garmin site should get an award for Least Amount of Useful Information). Your blog is amazing. I look at a lot of blogs for a lot of different things, and your blog is one of the best. An example of what a blog should be. Thanks to your review of the Garmin 310xt, I purchased one two days ago and I love it. I have my first triathlon (a sprint) coming up at the end of this month, and I am hooked already. Not only is physical side of it huge fun, but it is a great excuse to buy STUFF (example – the 310xt). You provided more detailed and important information about the 310xt than any other site (again, the Garmin site is a big sack of suck). Thanks, and keep on keeping on. The one disappointment – Sports Tracks is only PC compatible 🙁 Oh well, maybe they will see the error of their ways, and open it up to Mac soon!
Holy crap, that review is so detailed – you sure put alot of work and thought into it. I just got the 310xt and am completley relieved that I don’t really swim as crooked as it makes me look! Am trying to figure out if I need to let the battery completely drain before recharging (that’s how I came across your blog, searching on google for that!) Anyway, great blog!
Hi Carol!
RE: Battery drain before recharging
Thanks! Nope, the 310XT remembers how much battery it is left, and will automatically charge from that point back to 100%. When you connect the charger you’ll note it’s current battery state and then it’ll count upwards to 100%. I’d be in trouble if I had to let it die everytime I wanted to recharge.
Thanks for reading!
Hi,
I read your review and learned a lot from it.
One question please: can I have larger view on Lap’s info while running. I find myself looking at the data each mile but it is too small view.
Thanks,
Joel
Hi Joel (anon)
RE: Larger display of lap while running
Yup, you can indeed. You can change the display to show up to four fields, and if you show only one field – it will show it super-big. There’s an example photo about showing the super-large display on the bike showing MPH, but you can change that field to show anything – including lap times/splits/etc…
Hi Thank you, Great review. I am torn between which to pick. Its more for running long distances, my main goal in the watch would be calculating distance, heart rate, mins per mile and something in which would help you reach your target IN TRAINING. I would like something accurate and reliable. Do you think the 310xt is more for traitholons? i would like the best for distance running. Thanks a mil,
catriona
Hi Caitriona-
RE: 310XT for running or tri’s
I think it can go either way – but the 310XT is definitely a triathlon focused watch – but it still works equally as well for running. It’s just that it has extra features. You could look at the 405, which is more running focused – but many folks (including myself) find the touch bezel frustrating on the 405. The 305 is certainly an option – from a running perspective it’s really no different than the 310XT, just cheaper.
Hope this helps!
-Ray
Thanks for this review. I just bought one of these online last night and was thinking of cancelling as I’d spent a lot of money, but after seeing what it can do I’m just going to take the financial hit. It’s going to be worth it 🙂
Well, you just sold me – thanks!
Nice, balanced review – I appreciate the time and effort put into it.
Roger. Raleigh, NC
Hi Rainmaker
This is a fab review, thank you. I am looking to buy a running watch like this for my husband and have narrowed down to the 305 vs 310xt vs 405cx and am stuck to decide between the three! He doesn’t do longer than marathon distance; he runs and cycles (doesnt swim); he is far more of an outdoor trainer than indoor (rarely trains indoor)… I have read that you recommend the 305 over 310xt for runners only on cost basis, but worry about the slow satellite pick-up and also want to get him the best! (loving wifey 😉 ) I havent seen a comparison with the 405cx, but you do mention that at the end of your summary… are you able to recommend anything to help me as a non-runner myself?!
Thank you!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fantastic review! Like many others, I’ve been trying to sort out the “do I upgrade from the 305?” question. The 305 is such an excellent GPS/training watch, but I’m just about ready to make the move to the 310XT. My reasons:
1) Vibrating alert on the 310: Didn’t see this in the review, but that is NOT a feature of the 305. Actually would find this very useful as I do use alerts on the 305.The 305 are only audible, and I miss a number of them depending on what I’m listening to on the Ipod. 🙂
2) “Better/quicker” satellite reception: Sometimes the 305 is a laggard in picking up a signal, even if I haven’t changed locations from my training area. I also travel and take the 305 with me, and if it’s a significant distance the 305 can take 5 mins or so to sort out the satellite situation
3) ANT/wireless data download: Not a big deal, but like the idea in concept. That it is fairly seamless with Garmin Connect is nice, as I do want to have a common server to upload my workout data to. That said, I think that SportTracks is heads and tails about Garmin Connect or Training Peaks.
4) New heart monitor strap: Again, not a big deal, but like the concept.
5) Better support for biking & swimming: Think the 310 does a nice job here. Like many others, I would love to have GPS and HRM for swimming. At least I don’t have to worry about the waterproofing though.
Again, great job on the review. I use Garmin’s in my car and in the plane I fly. They are a great company with great products. I’m not associated with them, but I have to say that I think they have one of the best customer support groups that I’ve dealt with. Another reason that I’m willing to make the investment in the 310.
Tom
Rainmaker, what a great blog, many thanks
Thank you for an excellent blog! Very professional and hands-on reviews!
Regards
// Thomas, Denmark
Great review. Thanks for that. Just one question: Does the 310 provide the ability to switch to 1s recording for running or swimming?
you review is amazing
Can this watch be used as a regular watch to tell time and date on the display?
Also, how do you change the setup to organize different info on a screen?
Thanks for the great review!
Hi Tim:
Re: Time display-
Yup, you can set any field as the time. However, date/day is not an option.
In fact, in the below post while diving you can see where I’ve setup just the time:
link to dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
To change the display fields click: Settings > Run Settings > Data Fields > (Run 1/2/3/4) > And then edit the fields.
Super simple and easy.
Maybe you’d be willing to help me with my upcoming gear decision? Currently use SRM cranks with an SRM bike computer (powercontrol 5). That’s the model that still used wires. I am a heavy user of WKO+ . I have been considering going to new set of SRM cranks that are wireless – ANT+ – the question becomes, which computer do I want to use with them? I don’t see any particular advantage to paying the extra $$$ and going with the SRM powercontrol 6. I have been looking at the Edge 705 and then after your review the 310xt.
at the WKO+ compatibility site it says “* 310XT is NOT compatible with WKO+ at this time.” Yet in your review of the 310xt it appears you say it is compatible as long as you’re willing to copy over the files manually. Is that correct?
I realize the 705 offers all sorts of cool mapping features that the 310 doesn’t and perhaps even power readouts besides instantaneous (your 705 review was before you had power), but I’m pretty much used to what I would get out of the powercontrol 5 from SRM which was just instantaneous power and avg power over the whole ride. It wouldn’t be until I finished the ride and took the powercontrol data file into WKO+ that I could find normalized power and such. I’m ok with that limitation.
I guess my main questions are
a) do you have the ability to manually import the power data from the 310xt into WKO+ and then have WKO+ calculate things like Normalized power?
b) Whare the differences with power data collection / display between the 705 and the 310?
I’m a triathlete like you, focusing primarily on IM and 1/2 IM and would love to just go with the 310xt but being able to get reliable power data and calculate NP in WKO+ is essential for me.
Thanks!
Hi Effendi-
RE: WKO Compatibility
Currently the 310XT files have some issues when imported into WKO – namely as you noted some of the normalized power functions. The next version of WKO is going to fix these, and I believe they are close to release (I know it has been released to beta testers and feature sets released to the media). I’d be relatively surprised if we don’t see a release in the next 4-6 weeks.
Do note however that WKO+ and Training Peaks have different engines. So while the 310XT compatibility in TP has been added, it has not for WKO+.
RE: Differences between 310XT and 705 from a power perspective
There is no difference in data collection, as both can do 1s recording, though you don’t have the ability in the 310XT to specify zero-averaging functions like the 705 does. From a display standpoint the big difference is the 310XT doesn’t have any ability to set 5s or 30s power averaging modes like the 705 does. So honestly, I find the 310XT kinda unusable from a power standpoint while on a ride since the instantaneous power fluctuates constantly even if you ‘feel constant’. That’s where the 5s and 30s mode is useful – because you can effectively see your real power without all the fluctuations that are normal in power meters.
So, in summary for your questions… I think very shortly here you’ll be able to use WKO+ 3.0 to do everything you want with the 310XT, just not as of today – Nov 22nd. The one piece from the 310XT that you really ideally want is the power averaging piece. I know that Garmin is planning on releasing some new firmware for the 310XT here shortly, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it added.
Hope this helps some!
I’ve been putting off a GPS watch out of concern it would not work well in my running environment. I live and run in the dense and vast forest (the Pfalzerwald) that surrounds Kaiserslautern, Germany and represents the largest contiguous stand of forest in Germany. Much of my time is spent on single track trails and paths that wind their way for mile after mile through thick, tree covered terrain through valleys and along wooded ravines. I had always assumed no gps watch would be able to cope with the “cover”. Your in-depth review (excellent in all respects) has changed my mind and, just this morning, I have purchased a 310 XT from E bay (Belgium). Running in deep forests that are often heavily shaded by foliage should provide a real challenge for this watch and could provide a major analysis for the few runners who are faced with the same (so wonderful for running)situation. I’m anxious to see if the XT is up to the task and will let your readers know as soon as it is received and set up. I already have picked out one of the most thickly forested routes for the test. Thanks again for the great review. Garmin should have you on the payroll.
Hi,
Thanks for the great review !! i am looking to buy either 305 or 310xT, just one thing i need to know is that !!
after how long does the battery die out and new one has to be replaced for these watches ?? are these easily available in normal electronic or watch stores?? and it can be done urself or have to be taken to a store??
2) any reviews coming up on polar or timex HRM watches??
thanks !!
Hi Plumto!
RE: Deep woods
You shouldn’t have any issues. I used mine just yesterday in some rather deep trees without a problem. Hope it goes well.
Hi Nik:
RE: Battery life
The battery lasts about 20 hours on a charge, and then you recharge it. I can’t remember where I saw how many times it will recharge before it dies – though for some reason I thought I heard 1,000 times – so that’d be three years if you charged it every day.
RE: Polar or Timex reviews
I don’t have either (well, I had a little cheap Timex watch, but I somehow killed it back two weeks ago). My girlfriend has some Polar ones, but they are a bit older. I’m working to get some Timex units to review. And meanwhile, Polar has some really cool new watches coming out early next year that should help bring them back into being competitive again. So I’m looking at that a bit (threads on Slowtwich from the Polar Rep).
Rainmaker, thanks for a very informative blog. I have a 305 and have recently experienced a loss of my audible alarms which make it difficult to monitor my auto laps. Through some internet homework, I found out that the 305 does not like the salt from your sweat, so after time, the tiny 305 speaker inside starts to corrode (behind the 4 small holes on the watch underside). I’m interested in replacing the 305 with the 310 for Christmas this year but I am somewhat gun-shy to pull the trigger if the 310 has (or eventually will have) the same 305 problem. Have you heard of this 305 problem and can you comment on the 310? Perhaps the 310 waterproofing is the answer?
Regards,
Schwitzkopf
Good day mate.
2 things mainly:
First, I thought I’d extend my sincere gratitude for what I think is the best web review of the 310XT. I think your review is through and unbiased. No apologies should be made for having it too lengthy.
Your review has led to my purchase of the 310XT. (Yo! Garmin people… you reading this?)
The second is really more of a question.
I have the small (new)footpod with my 310XT. I alternate between 2 pairs of runners. I’m worried that alternating one pod will wear off the clip mechanism and it will end up as another trail donation.
Have you tried pairing 2 pods to one device? Will it work?
Les
thanks for answering my previous question !!
1)i would like to know if 310XT can be used as regular watch -time/date/alarm features??
2) once i set time is set according to GPS when i am outdoors, does the time needs to be re-adjusted to current time when i come back to indoors? or it tunes in automatically?
3) if i off the GPS and use it as regular watch (if it works i suppose), how many hours will the watch run with full single charge???
4) Are there any versions in 310XT like +elite and + pro versions?? if so, whts the difference??
thanks
Nik
Thanks all for your comments – I appreciate them!
Hi Schwitzkopf-
RE: Issues with waterproofing and 310XT
I haven’t seen any issues with the waterproofing not holding up. I’ve swam with it a bunch (both on wrist and in cap), and then recently I used it while diving a bit and did 10 hours in the water submerged without any issues. So I think it’s MUCH improved in this area.
Hi Lesley-
RE: Switching between two footpods
Unfortunately, unlike multiple bikes – you can’t have multiple runners or different running equipment. In the case of bikes you can have different sensors, etc… But when in Running mode there’s only one person and just one set of equipment. You can only pair one footpod at a time. Fwiw however, I have both footpods and the little one hasn’t gone anywhere yet in probably a 1,000 miles of running. The little one uses a clip system – so it would be more suseptible to popping off I suppose, whereas the big one actually strings through your laces. So the big one most certainly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Hi Nik-
RE: Using 310XT as watch
Yes, you can use the watch as a watch, but it won’t show date – nor does it have any alarm features from a time management standpoint.
RE: Time adjustment when indoors
Nope, it remembers the time – you’re all good there.
RE: Hours w/o GPS
Hmm, this is a tough one – I’m not exactly sure. But, I did recently try this on a boat ride where I used it as a simple time keeping device after my wrist watch got flooded. I think I was around 30-ish hours before it gave me a low battery warning. My guess is I could have gone closer to 32-33 hours.
RE: Different version of 310XT
Essentially there are two versions – one with a HR and one without a HR strap. That’s it!
Hope this helps!
-Ray
Great review. I’d buy one if the foot pod weren’t so overpriced. Nike foot pod: $19. Garmin foot pod: $99. They have the same features, but the Garmin is 500% more than the Nike, and Nike isn’t known for its low prices. Meh.
Request for Possible collaboration
Hi!
My name is Yesh Re, and I own an website that holds reviews for heart rate monitors, an argument I’m very interested in.
I’ve read your site and found it very professional and appealing. I would be grateful if you’d give me the permission to translate some reviews from your site into Hebrew and put it in the site with a credit link to your site, according to your choice.
Will be happy to talk to you. My site is well rated and I think this should be of a mutual benefit any way.
Here is the link for my site.
So Thanks ahead!
link to שעוןדופק.com
Great review; thank you! I really appreciated the depth, images and ending comments pro/con analysis. Truely superb!
Another thanks for such a good review.
I have owned my 310xt for several months now and your review was not only accurate but helpful for features and uses.
Travel Safe
Hi DC Rainmaker!
My name is Yesh, and I own an Israeli website that holds reviews for heart rate monitors, an argument I’m very interested in.
I’ve read your blog and found it very professional and appealing.
I would be grateful if you’d give me the permission to translate some this review from your site into Hebrew and put it in the site with a credit link to your site, according to your choice.
Will be happy to talk to you. My site is well rated and I think this should be of a mutual benefit any way.
Thanks!
Yesh
Hello!
I sold my Suunto X6HR a week ago and I am planning to but a new HR monitor. I am hesitating between Polar RS400, RS 800 or any of the Garmins. What would you advise? I am a professional triathlete and the watch would be used mainly for running and cycling, I don’t really need to have the open water swim distance…Please let me know what you think would be the best choice.Thx.
Michal
Really excellent review. Thanks!
Thomas
This is a great review, thank you. I was really debating between the 305 or 310. I have read several reviews and your review is the most in-depth review and gives many reasons why a Tri-Athlete would want to go with the 310. Thanks again.
Great stuff rainmakeer. Really enjoy your site.
Do you have a problem with buttons being pushed on the 310 while in your swim cap? It looks really tight and I can’t believe that the buttons aren’t depressed during the swim.
I thought about wearing mine during the swim of my next Ironman (Louisville 2010) It isn’t a mass start so maybe the usual beating that comes with a mass start swim won’t be as bad and I will be less likely to have it sink to the bottom of the Missisip!
Hello. I own a number of electronic devices including a couple of Polar HR monitors and a Garmin 201. I am seriously looking at the 310XT due to the improved features.
I am wondering whether I need to purchase the HR monitor with 310XT. You already mentioned the 310XT will work with the 201 HR transmitter.
Question: will the 310XT pick up from a Polar HR Transmitter – the new ones look very similar to the 310XT HR transmitter.\\thanks Teresa.
Thanks for sharing this useful information.
Hello All!
Anon-
RE: Expensive foot pods
Yes, it is unfortunate that they are so expensive. I agree it’s kinda sucky.
Yesh-
RE: Translating it into Hebrew
Thank you for the kind words. While I appreciate the offer, I think it might be best to forward them here. I often update content here as new changes occur. Thanks though!
Messec-
RE: Polar or Garmin
Unfortunately I’ve never used either the RS400 or RS800. Though if Polar wants to send me a demo unit, I’d be happy to write-up some comparisons. I think the 310XT gives you quite a bit more flexibility though with just having a single unit. Also, the $50 rebate currently offered is a pretty good deal.
Mark-
RE: Buttons being pressed by swimcap
Surprisingly, I’ve never had a button being pressed by the tightness of the swim cap. I’ve been kinda amazed by that to be honest. But neither the 305 or 310XT has ever caused me any isues there with that.
TIPitek-
RE: Polar HR strap with Garmin
Unfortunately the Polar’s and Garmin straps/monitors are not interchangeable. Though, fwiw – if you had a PowerTap strap/monitor, they are interchangeable. Sorry!
Thanks for the thorough review. My husband bought me a 310XT for Christmas, but I already had bought myself a 305, at a much much lower price. Now I know he has to find me another gift 😉
Two weeks into my 310XT and there’s good and bad. The GOOD is the GPS works like a charm. As stated in my original post I was concerned the GPS would be unable to cope with the densely forested areas in which I run to include some deep, narrow ravines with heavy growth above. I was shocked the 310XT didn’t even blink and never once lost satellite. I was also impressed that I could turn on the GPS on the way over to my starting point and it would pick up the satellites while I was driving.
The BAD?? You guessed it – the heart rate monitor. I am unable to “pair” it with the “watch”. Tried “wetting”, changing position on my chest, using my back, tightening the strap until I winced, NOT using the strap and taping the “monitor” itself to my chest without the strap- NOTHING!! I am so disappointed. I’m unsure where the “contacts” actually are as the black round shiny doohickey that is situated at each end of the strap opposite the snap is obviously plastic and presumably NOT a “contact”. Am I missing something? Omitting a “step”? Ignoring a “trick” someone else has discovered? Even cursing didn’t work!!
Maybe I should just use the warranty and send it back to the factory?? Anyone have some advice – tips??
Hi Rainmaker,
Wonderful post!
I am about to buy a new FR310XT, but I really want to know if I can set a specific workout/race pacing. I read many articles but didn’t find anyone with the same question.
– I know that we have the multisport function.
– I know that we can create advanced workouts in GTC, with interval, negative spliting and fartlek training for individual sports, run and bike.
– I know that Virtual Partner can be set up to pace yourself with the “advanced workout” min/max speed/pace for that interval.
I was wondering if I can just put all this together. For exemple:
I have a 90km cycling/21km running for a Half Ironman race/training. I want to ride a sub 2h20min bike and a sub 1h30m half-maraton. It is not smart to just set up an average pace for each sport. It must be splitted: A certain avg speed for the first 45km riding and another for the last 45km and so one. The same for the run.
Is it possible to create 2 advanced workouts, 1 for bike and 1 for run, with all the intervals you want, and then use multisport function to change sport with just a button press? Is it possible to set a Virtual “Multisport” Partner to pace you through the entire race/training?
Thank you
Ulisses
SWIMMING, KAYAKING & HR
I paddle a surf ski, ocean swim & hike/run mountains on the east coast of Australia in and north of sydney.
I found your reviews of the Forerunner 305, 405 & 310xt far more helpful than their owner manuals: thanks!
I am trying to decide between the 305 & 310. I know of ocean paddlers using the 305, but I am inclined to but the water proof 310xt.
I have one nagging question regarding swimming and heart rate (this is really important to me as I do the same 6km bay swim).
As swimming heart rate is so important for me, do you think I could attach (eg: tape/velcro) the 310xt wrist watch onto the heart rate monitor? I don’t care about added resistance…
When you held the 310xt next to your chest underwater (and it read 81bpm) was it accurate?
If this works I will be one happy chappy…
Thanks again.
Andrew.
IT WORKS!!!
Reference my 30 December comment concerning my non-functioning 310XT HRM. On a lark I checked the battery compartment of the HRM and found the negative (on the side) contact was bent back from the battery. With (very) careful use of a jeweler’s screwdriver I managed to coax it back to its designed location and POW! – HRM was immediately paired with my 310XT. Would seem the problem came from the factory so perhaps others with similar problems can take heart.
Great review. Thanks!
Great review!!!!
The 500 is now out might update that there is not another option for powermeters beyond the 310xt and 705
Great review I would be lost without it after purchasing the 310Iam currently on a mac using bootcamp and was hoping to keep all my training files on windows I am having trouble downloading the windows plug in. Is that because it is still using a mac usb. is there a workaround solution? Thanks
Thanks for that awesome review.
I was wondering if you had any experience with this bicycle mount:
link to amazon.co.uk
Is it any good with the Forerunner 310XT? With that mount it’s possible to keep on the nice orange straps, instead of changing it too the black ones.
Thankx in advance
310XT
Hi Plumto1:
RE: HR Strap being a PITA
I’ve occasionally seen transiet issues with the straps. I do know there was a manufactoring issue with some of the earlier straps and not being able to pickup signal. I would just give Garmin a quick ring and get it replaced. Sounds defective to me. Their service is super-quick and simple.
Hi Murray:
RE: Keeping all training files on the watch
Yes, one option here is to simply tell the ANT+ agent software to not delete any of the files after it copies them from the watch to the computer. THis is under the options when you right click on the ANT+ settings. I’m not exactly sure where the option is on a mac, as I don’t have one – but I suspect it’s there somewhere. This will allow the PC to then also get the files without the Mac side erasing them.
Hi Hathi:
RE: Using the 405 mount instead of 305 mount
That mount is indeed for the 405, and isn’t ideal for the 310XT. That said, the way it’s designed, it will actually work, though it’s not really the best solution. In a sense, it basically just acts as a bigger handlebar to wrap the 310XT around. Hope this helps!
Whoops, missed two:
Hi Anon:
RE: Swimming, Kayaking and HR
I think you could get HR if it’s literally within an inch or so, and it was accurate. But, what I’ve found with HR and swimming is that the second you stop swimming, the HR drops – so it’s kinda hard to monitor continously. That said, the Polar’s do support this, and perhaps your best option is to wear a Polar on your wrist for HR, and then a Garmin on your head for GPS.
Hi Ulisses:
RE: Multisport and Advanced workouts
Unfortunately you can’t mix the two. So you’d have to basically start a advanced workout for the bike, and then switch to one for the run. While I’ve done similiar things in T2, it’s not entirely ideal. You can certainly quickly run through the buttons if you’re familiar with them though.
The virtual partner mode is essentially just like a data field, so you can display it whenever you’d like. 🙂
Hi!
Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the Australian 310xt and the version for the rest of the world?
Thanks
I bought the 310XT a week ago and wore it today for its first triathlon. I have not seen anything from Garmin or other reviews explaining the swimming issue with the distance & GPS inaccuracy. Thank you for explaining this, and the swim cap solution sounds like its worth trying.
Thanks Ray, that’s a really excellent review and I may well upgrade my 305 when the outdoor swimming season begins.
A couple of small things…
From my experience, the 305 actually DOES record Transition data in MultiSport mode. Time, Distance and even GPS info etc. were all there, in the same way as the bike/run sections.
I don’t doubt your findings, so maybe it was dealt with in a software or firmware update?
The other thing for me is I wish they’d recessed or flattened the buttons as IMHO it’s too easy (and frustrating) to accidentally press the buttons e.g. when removing a long sleeved top on a winter multisport event.
…or as I found, even scratching my back on the start line!
Cheers,
Dom
Hi Anon-
RE: Differences between Aussie version and rest of world
I’m not aware of any differences. In fact, when you pickup the 310XT you’ll notice it comes with adapters for a number of countries. That said, I know there are some folks who in the comments are from the land down under and may be able to expand a bit.
Hi Dom-
RE: 305 recording splits
Interesting, I’ll have to check it out. You may be right, it may have been added recently to the 305 – which would be a nice addition. If I can verify it, I’ll update both this and the 305 review.
Thanks!
Great review. Recently purchase one. Had a couple questions.
1. I used it for the first time on a bus trip I was on. I had it record while riding the bus. I noticed when the info was shown on garmin connect, it never showed the bus going 0 mph when I know the bus stopped a few times. Any idea why?
2. The first time I used the heart rate monitor, it seemed to be displaying my heart rate at 6-10 bpm below my normal that was on another HRM watch I have. So I checked it a number of times with the pulse on my neck and each time it was 6-10 bpm less than what I counted. Have you heard of that happening at all?
Hi Pete-
RE: Not showing 0 mph when stopped
To me this sounds like the Autopause feature was enabled. This pauses the recording below a specified speeds, and thus removes any stops. You can disable this in the menu.
RE: Displaying different numbers than other HRM’s
I haven’t seen this as an issue before. I have both a Polar and a CompuTrainer HR strap (different), and when I’ve used them together, they are identical +/- a beat (which would be expected as they update at slightly different rates).
Thanks for great review and continued info. I’ve now gone out and purchased one. I’m in NZ and have got the 310XT,AUS model mentioned in previous post. Only comes with Aus/NZ power plug, not global, can’t see any other difference. New footpods out of stock in NZ.
How do you upload to SportTracks, 310XT not in list of models, do you use another model, or plugin or by .tcx file?
Hi U10Manager-
RE: Uploading to Sports Tracks
I just import the TCX file in via the Text file importer.
I highlighted it here:
link to dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
And it’s available directly from here:
link to zonefivesoftware.com
That way I just point it directly at the directory with the TCX files in it, and you’re good to go!
Outstanding, incredibly detailed review! Thanks for helping me make up my mind.
From one techno/tri geek to another…awesome review. Just purchased my 310XT and can’t wait to put it to use. You site will help ease the transition from my Polar 725X which has worn out from use. One question, I have a Powertap which relays power data as well as cadence data without the cadence sensor. It has a built in cadence sensor in the hub, which understandably is not as accurate as one mounted to pedal crank/rear triangle. Since everything is supposedly ANT+, will the 310XT pick up the cadence info from the hub? Thanks again for the great review. Keep up the good work.
Hi TriDoc-
RE: Cadence sensor options with power meter
While I don’t have a PowerTap, I do have a Cinqo (which also includes cadence, though via the hub). On the Garmin Edge’s you can deselect that cadence meter (the power meter will overwrite it otherwise). I just checked, and I don’t see an option to de-select it on the 310XT unfortunately.
So yes, it will pick it up from the hub – though that may not be what you want if you have a cadence sensor already installed. Someone with a PT may be able to provide more info here.
Thanks!
Hi there,
thanks for a great review. It has answered most of my questions. I am thinking of upgrading mainly for the battery life as I do a lot of endurance mountain bike racing.
But the one other thing I want to know and I haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere is about navigation. I often plot a route using an online mapping tool and then send it to my 305 as a course. I can then follow the route. I like to use the “map” screen which has the route as a line, so I can see it is going to turn left ahead and look for the road turning. The 405 doesn’t have this screen, just an arrow. The problem with that I find if I go off course on th 305 I can zoom out and just head back to it. Does the 310 have this screen?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Tri-
RE: Course/Route functionality
Yup, the 310XT is like the 305 in this respect – much better than the 405. Hope this helps!
Thnk you
Now I just have to persuade the better half that it is an ideal birthday present!
On last question. My partner has a 405, that won’t be a problem using the ANT+ agent for uploading, it can cope with two devices on one computer?
Hi Trio-
Yup, no issues with multiple watches and one computer. You can simply name the watches to whatever you’d like. I have a bunch of watches paired on one computer (FR-60/FR405/310XT), no issues.
Wow. Incredible work and the passion shows through.
I have the 705 but need something also for running. If I don’t want to shell out another $350 for another unit, is the 310XT suitable for the bike (using Peaks, coaching, and need power meter data) and then I could sell the 705. That leave out the mapping. Anything other major drawbacks (you mentioned the data smoothing on power data). Thanks much. Keep up the good work.
I love your review! I admit I was really drooling over your Garmin collection. Thank you for that really detailed review and the nice pictures. Now I want to have a 310XT more than ever! 🙂
Hi Tim!
RE: 310XT suitable for biking
Aside from power data smoothing (which I belive is huge), there’s no major drawback of the 310XT. I use it as my backup bike computer when my Garmin 500 or 705 is on the fritz (like today ironically enough). Personally I rarely use mapping on the Edge 705.
Hi Runningpinoy!
Thanks!
Thanks again. So if I kept the 705, would the 305 be a suitable unit for my running? Or would you recommend not buying “old technology” a spend the extra $100 for the 310xt. No Tris in my future yet.
Hi Tim-
RE: 305 still suitable for running
Yes, absolutely. For me, it’s still my backup watch if I forgot to charge my 310XT. And my girlfriend still users hers daily. The Edge 705 + Forunner 305 is a great combo.
I just ran across this
link to swimovate.com
swim-oriented gadget and thought two things:
1. Wouldn’t it be cool if this technology could be incorporated into a 310XT follow-on. That would be a real 3-sport capability.
2. DC Rainmaker would be the perfect guy to review this.
No personal financial interest in the company. Just trying to figure out where to spend my limited fitness-gadget resources.
Question on quick release kit..
When you take out the pins from the original grey/orange band and hook up the quick release portion, is it possible to still reinstall the original band?
I want to use the quick release bike mount on my stem but I also like the original watch band better, but when I read amazons quick explanation on the kit, it said it “permanently” replaces the original band.. Hopefully this is not the case and they can be switched back and forth..
Thanks.
Fantastic work, very thorough and concise. I paddle ocean racing surf skis and after Waterlogging my second 305, I am going to switch to a 310xt.
The waterproofing credentials of the 305 are greatly over rated as mine went down with little more than splashing over an extended period. I also think the saltwater has an effect on the contact pins on the back of the unit as they become increasingly less functional over exposure to sea water.
Question. If I were to buy and attach a foot sensor to one end of my paddle, would it record my stroke rating (cadence)?
Thanks,
Roger Shipton
Hi Dan-
RE: Swimmovate
Funny you mention it. They sent me out a unit to review back about a week ago, and I’ve been playing with it since. Expect a review in 3-4 weeks. I agree that I would expect to see this in future editions of the 310XT (or similiar watches from other vendors). See this post on my thoughts there: link to dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
Hi Kyle-
RE: Quick Release kit
Yes, you can swap back and forth. However, I’d highly recommend limiting it. The pins are fine, but you can very easily weakend the rubber portion (holes) they stick into on the watch, to the point where it won’t click in tight anymore. I found this in my demo unit after doing it a few times – and a number of other folks have found the same issue. Garmin will fix the watch though if this happens, as a number of folks have reported.
Hi Roger-
RE: Ocean Paddling
I’ll pull down a paddel from my kayak tomorrow and tape a cadence sensor on there. I can’t think of a reason it wouldn’t work, but I’ll double check it. Thanks!
Hi:
Thanks very much for your very informative and “real world” review of the Garmin 310XT. I have an older SRM powermeter on my bike now and just began running. Can you tell me if the 310XT can be set up to show elevation real time? I know that the GPS calculations are less accurate than an altimeter but it would be great to see elevation gain as you are riding or running. Any experience with the Suunto line as a comparison? Thanks for your reply.
Joe A.
Palo Alto, CA
Hi Joe-
RE: Elevation data
Yup, you can add the data field called ‘Elevation’ to any data screen you choose to see instant elevation data. You can put up to four data fields per data screen, and there are up to four data screens.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, found this blog quite by accident. Have had the 310XT and cadence for 2 months and love it but your blog taught me so much (I never read instructions, prefer to teach myself) but hadn’t stumbled across the autopause function (no more having to manual stop at lights (and forgetting!). Off to buy a bike mount today (thanks for showing a stem mount as well; I was only going to buy if i could stem mount). This was an very interesting read. Thanks for your efforts!
Also – for mac users I highly recommend RubiTrack as software in lieu of Garmin own software. Much more accurate as well.
Thanks for the excellent and detail actual usage review. As i just got one, trying to figure out all its functions and uses.
One “regression” Garmin has made with the change from 305 to 310XT is the loss of the barometer!
Without it, the altitude readings on the 310XT are mostly junk compared to the 305. The 310XT frequently tells me I gained hundreds of feet of elevation while running around a perfectly flat section of beach.
If altitude is important to you, the 310XT might not be a good choice
I have read a LOT of bad reviews (not about fit or feel though) about the new soft HRM strap that comes with the 310xt, spikes in HR etc that seem to go away if you have the older style strap. Can you say anything about your experience with it? Have you seen any odd HR charting with the 310xt’s new strap vs using the older one (even if it is comparing older 305 data to 310xt HRM data?)
Thanks.
Hi There, Great Post. Convinced me to buy one and have been suitably impressed. One thing though is that I can’t seem to find the .tcx Files for transfer/upload to Training Peaks. I have done a search right accross my c: drive and nothing comes up? Using XP Professional if it makes a difference. Did I miss something? Any advice?
this is got to be one of the most in depth reviews of the watch I have seen. thanks
Hi All-
Thanks for the comments!
Hi Chris-
RE: The altimeter
Both the 305 and 310XT share using a GPS-based altimeter (whereas the cycling computers like the Edge 500/705 use a barometric altimeter). In both cases, they have their pro’s and con’s. I talk about this a TON in my Edge 500 review and comments.
Hi Greg-
RE: Soft strap HRM
I haven’t had any problems with the soft strap, and personally love it. I know there were some initial production run issues that in theory have been corrected. Also, winter tends to bring out the biggest issues with HRM straps in general due to the cool dry air and lack of moisture. This combined with the tech fabric on many shirts makes the situation worse. Personally, I can’t recommend the soft strap enough – especially since the prices on Amazon are identical.
Hi Privateer-
RE: Location for TCX files to TP
Two things – the good news is that TP also now accepts the native .FIT files during file upload, as well as the TCX files. Check out this post on the Garmin forums for the exact location of these files, this should help as they are otherwise hidden from searches:
link to forums.garmin.com
Hi. Great review; I’m thinking about the purchase!
I currently use the Edge 305 for my cycling which is great. One of the main features I use is planning routes by mapping them online (e.g. BikeRouteToaster) and then uploading the .tcx file to my 305. I then “Do Course” on the 305 and it gives me a trace to follow (just a black line on the screen but good enough).
It’s not clear to me if this is possible with the 310XT. The literature says that Routes are not possible but Courses are??
Please could you clear this up for me?
Thanks, Roly
Hi Roly, hopefully noone minds if I answer this. Yes it is possible! that is how I do my bike routes as well.
Great review Rainmaker!
It convinced me in buying one,
keep up the good work
Runningjan-Belgium
Hi Roly and others:
RE: Courses to follow
You’re in luck – I just posted an article on exactly that:
link to dcrainmaker.blogspot.com
I could use a little help with my 310XT because I’ve had two major problems.
I have a lot of problems getting an accurate heart rate. I’ve changed the battery in the soft heart rate strap as well as re-positioned the device. It seems to be overly sensitive and will often give heart rate readings between 200 and 220 when I know I’m not working out that hard. I think part of the problem of the problem is that it picks up my clothing hitting against the sensor if it is really windy. Especially true on the bike.
I’ve also had a problem with the GPS in the pool saying that I completed a 28 mile swim in 18 minutes. I never thought of putting the device in my swim cap so I’ll have to try that.
However, is there a way to set the device in multi-sport mode so that the GPS stays off when you start your swim and then turns on when you exit the water and hit the lap button to enter the transition 1?
Appreciate any help because while I really want to like the 310XT I find some aspects of it very frustrating.
Hi Dillon-
RE: Heart Rate issues
There’s a few things leading to this. Typically when I see this it’s due to dryer air (usually colder), where there’s very little moisture to help the contact pass the HR through. This is made worse by the fabric’s most of us use when running now – Drytech/Technical – that actually generate additional static electricty that rubs off on the sensor giving it false readings. Interestingly, Polar has actually reduced this problem a bit using a piece of material to distribute that away from the sensors – unfortuntaely Garmin doesn’t have that.
What I typically do to resolve this problem is to ensure the little band portion where the sensors are is wet (I’m lazy and just lick it). During the winter I’ll also use standard HR gel, which you can get at any running/bike shop. That really solves the problem for me. Also, if you see spikes on the bike due to the wind, try turning the strap a bit such that the sensors are more on your side or back. It’ll still pickup the HR, and work better.
RE: GPS during swimming
I covered the GPS piece in a fair bit of detail above with respect to swimming. But in short, it won’t really do very well in the water – especially in a pool situation given all the constant turning back and forth.
As for turning off GPS as part of multi-mode, unfortunately, you’ll have to manually turn it back on. It is very much an interesting concept though – I like the idea!
Good luck!
Another possibility on Dillon’s heart rate issues – I have noticed that my HRM can be affected by overhead power lines. Specifically, I often get spurious readings in the vicinity of a rail line that uses overhead electric lines to provide power for the engines. It’s not a 310XT, but I suspect the problem would impact most HRMs.
Hello,
I was trying to do some searching but couldn’t find this –
Has Garmin put in an “Average over 3s” or 5s or whatever power reading in any of the firmware updates since this was released?
I tried the ‘instant’ reading on my 705 today and really didn’t like it, but I would like a device I could take on all three legs of a tri.
Hi Dan-
RE: Power Lines
Funny, someone I work with had made that exact comment earlier this week. May be onto something….
Hi Steve-
RE: 3s/5s averaging for Power Meters
Nope, still not there. I keep hoping for it – and will update as soon as/if it changes. It is of course offered on the Edge 500/705, as noted.
For what it is worth, I truly appreciate your in-depth review. Unless Garmin is paying you, the time to put this together for the general public is much appreciated. In your opinion, I run a lot and have destroyed two 305 in pouring rain. Do you think for that reason I should step up to the 310xt or just keep sending my 305’s back to garmin and continue with my new practice, which is plastic bag with the 305 in it during long runs with heavy rains?
Thanks for the help!
I’ll try some of the transmission gel especially since I train in Las Vegas where the air is especially dry. I let you know if this helps.
For instance I was running down a long hill today where my heart rate naturally has a chance to drop, but the 310XT was reading 200-210 BMP. My 6 second heart rate was no where near this high.
Come to think of it there are some power lines that run above the sidewalk as well so that makes for a double wammy.
Hi Anon-
Thanks! Garmin is definitely not paying me (and if they are, then I need to find out where that check is going!). The only support I get is if folks use the Amazon links to purchase anything, then I get a small bit back from Amazon.
RE: RAIN
That in my mind is probably the greatest hidden asset about the 310XT – it’s waterproofing. Many folks will complain (rightly so), that it’s useless in a tri in the water. Which is true. But what I really like is that I just don’t have to worry about it in the water – period. Meaning, I can swim without a baggie for a long time in the water, go for hours in the rain, and never worry. The sealing (and IPX spec) are just so much better.
As for whether to get a 310XT over the 305, I guess it just depends really on budget. I love the feel of the 310XT from a usability standpoint, and the extra battery life is handy. But for me, on the bike having the ability to get Power information is very useful.
Hi Dillon-
RE: HR
Certainly sounds like HR gel as a solution. I know when I go to Vegas I usually have to use it, especially in the cooler winter months where it can take a while to workup a sweat.
How much faster is the GPS acquisition compared to the 305? The 305 would take minutes for me sometimes.
Ray – awesome review as per the norm. Have read your site before, but this is the first time I really needed the review. Just picked up my 310XT and your review was extremely beneficial during my decision-making process. Thanks again, and please let us know if you hear anything on the 3s/5s/etc averaging – that would be huge. Keep up the excellent work. -Rob
Thanks. Just rec mine yesterday and its a great training tool. Also, thanks for the sports track info. That was a nice post as well.
Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful review. I will be sticking with my 305 for now, but this was still useful for talking a bit about the software available on line for analyzing the data? What’s your short take on which of those is best, or what their relative strengths and weaknesses are? (I find TC next to useless.)
Impressive review, I would like to know if the top of the forerunner is made of glass or some kind of plastic.
I’m worry about breaking the top of the watch if I make the mistake to let it fall on the ground during transitions.
hi,
what I noticed in my training today, if i take very
wind(so the hrm also take wind),
hrm values rise much, upwards of 200 bpm. in
descent the same thing happens. why?
Hi Anon-
RE: 310XT GPS Aquisition compared to 305
I find it considerably faster, usually a few seconds to acquire at most. Often times my girlfriend (who has the 305), will still be waiting long after I’m already ready.
Hi Robert-
RE: 3s/5s averaging
I too hope something will show up in that area…but thus far, nuttin! I’ll definitely update here when it occurs.
Hi LDT-
Thanks!
Hi Will-
RE: Software options
I in general find Sport Tracks and Training Peaks as the two best software options out there today for detailed analysis. There’s a lot of good middle-tier applications that can do more generic analysis (like Garmin Connect), but nothing to the level of TP/ST for all sorts. (Golden Chetah comes close, but is primarily focused on cycling today).
Hi Anon-
RE: Top of forerunner material
It appears to be glass from what I can tell. But, I’ve dropped, thrown and just about everything else mine without any issues. I’ve had it fly off multiple times from my bike handlebars onto the road at 20MPH+. No issues.
Ni Nobrega-
RE: Fluctuations with HR
This is due to lack of good contact with the sensors on the strap. Try both using HR gel, or also twisting the HR strap more towards your side. The Garmin straps don’t have any static electricity anti-buildup strips like the Polar’s due, so some of the newer fabric tech shirts (quickdry) tends to buildup static electricity quicker and cause issues. Generally just keeping things wet (via gel or sweat) will fix the issue.
Thanks all!
hi, thanks for your response. can i use body glide (as used inside wetsuit)?
It would probably work, though – HR gel is sooo cheap (about $5-7), and lasts forever. I’m still using the little bottle I picked up at my local running shop two years ago.
Basically, like this stuff: link to amazon.com
how do I turn off the hrm, just off one connector, or should I disconnect the two, to stop sending the signal, and save battery life? (I usually just disconnect one)
thanks
Great review. Did you ever try the foot pod on your kayak paddle, and if so, how was it at recording cadence?
Ray, I am hooked on your blog its like crack. I am thinking of upgrading from the 305 to the 310XT (largely based on your website’s review). Does the 310XT display cadence during the ride, or can it only be recorded and downloaded?
Thanks,
Rob
Hi Nobrega-
RE: Turning off connector
You can simply disable that particular sensor, such as the HRM or cadence, by selecting “No” in the menu system.
Hi Jam-
RE: Kayaking
Sorry ’bout that, slipped my mind. I’ll add it to my list.
Hi Rob-
Thanks!
RE: Display of cadence
Yup, shows it in realtime. In fact, check out what I do on my day to day training with cadence here:
link to dcrainmaker.com
I use it on both the run and the ride – and in both cases on the 310XT it shows it realtime, instantly.
Thank you so much Rainmaker!!
I really appreciated having such a great review/tutorial.
I was so frustrated by purchasing and trying to calibrate the Polar RS300X SD Heart Rate Monitor Watch with S1 Foot Pod that I returned it after 3 days.
After reading your review I purchased tne 310XT even though it’s more than I need..but the ease of operation is worth it.
thanks
abiquiudesertflower
Great review thanks for all the info.
One thing to point out to anyone planning on buying one and using some of their other Garmin kit is that only the Premium Soft Heart Rate Strap is waterproof. The standard strap that comes with the Edge 305, 705 etc isn’t. I made this mistake last year when I wore it under my wetsuit so that it was on and ready for the bike. After a rinse in fresh water and a couple of days drying out it started working again. Regards Dan
Awsome post mate. This just made my mind up… I dont want a 405 because of the touch bezel (apparently stuffs up when wet) The 305 is the younger brother you want to go to bed!! Good post… You’ve obviously got talent in the reviewing of techno gadjets!
As the others have said, thank you so much for taking the time to take pictures, review the 310XT and state your thoughts. As an ultrarunner I need the long battery life and am tired of the Forerunner 50 not having enough of the bells and whistles. I will be spending my REI dividend on the 310. Thanks!
Hi Seashell-
Thanks for the comments!
Hi Anon-
RE: Heart Rate Strap in water
Very odd. The normal heart rate strap is perfectly fine in the water, as both myself and many others wear it all the time under their tri suits during the swim leg. I’ve probably done this 40-50 times between racing and training, easily. Odd.
Hi Anon-
RE: Younger brother in bed as the 305
Hmm…
Hi Julie-
Thanks!
Hi
I have been looking into purchasing this watch for over a year. I stumbled across your brilliantly detailed review. I was sold before I had got half way through reading all the information! Excellent work. I really hope you have Garmin eating out of your hand and your place is full of other stuff to review with similiar high quality. Once I get my hands on the watch I will aquire the optional bits. I look forward to coming back here time and again to extract the full potential out of the kit. Fingerscrossed that I don’t have a dud which will take the shine off the expectation and exploitation! Please do keep up the great good work. Kind regards Charlie
Hi Ray,
I was wondering about miles vs kilometres.. which does the 310xt use? can you choose? are there region specific versions? I’m looking at ebay for a good price but don’t want to buy one if it won’t do kms
and I also saw your technology forecasts page: if I’m not into triathlons like kah-razy yet and I think the FR60 would be fine for the time being should I wait a year for the 310xt 2.0 or will I regret it within this year.. and I know you have already told me to probably just go for it, but does your crystal ball say the next version will be flippin awesome compared to the current model or just a small but steady step up the ladder?
thanks heaps (again!)
Mike
Thanks for this great review, it helps me a lot. I downloaded “Sport Tracks” but cannot select the corrrect device, the 310 XT is not in the list. am i doing something wrong ?
Hi Charlie-
Thanks!
Hi Keys-
RE: KM vs Miles
The 310XT can be switched back and forth to use either one.
RE: Region specific
There are not any region specific versions that I’m aware of, as the box ships with the power adapters for just about everything.
RE: 310XT next version
I think it would make sense to get the 310XT now. Based on some of the new products this spring, and talking to some folks, I’m not expecting any giant leap of technological significance next year. Garmin is pretty much in the mode of incremental product releases as opposed to being a game changer product.
Hi Anon-
RE: Finding the 310XT in Sport Tracks
You need to use the Garmin Communicator option within Sport Tracks in order to see the 310XT. Here’s more details on it:
link to www8.garmin.com
champion! cheers mate!
Hello and great review!!
Please can you tell me if the watch can go easily from the watch with the original strap to a bike computer and then back to the original strap? Or do you need to purchase the Tri strap kit as you mention in your extensive blog?
Many thanks Adam
Hi,
Is it possible to set the Virtual Partner as the best trip, and race against it ?
Race against a previous track.
Thanks
Vincent
Hi Adam-
RE: Switching back and forth the straps
I’d highly recommend the quick release kit in this case. The pins on the 310XT are kinda problematic and after many changeovers can affect the plastic mounting holes on the watch itself (by many I mean…like twice). Fwiw, there’s a new orange-banded quick release kit that’s making it’s way into reseller channels as we speak. It’s available in the UK, and a few vendors in the US – but I haven’t quite seen it hit any retailers on Amazon (or other major location).
Hi Vincent-
RE: Virtual Partner Previous Track Racing against yourself
Sorta. You can race against an older ‘Course’ you have completed – which is accomplishign what you want, which is the best bet. The Virtual Partner is a specific pace without the ability to vary it depending on where you are in the course.
Hi,
Here is something recent that I learned from Garmin’s customer services. The 310xt HR strap (the soft strap) reacts to most running shirts. I found this out because while running and ridding the HR showed a pulse that is physically impossible for me… 220?
When I contacted Garmin they said it is a know problem and that the old ugly HR strap does not have that problem.
so FYI!
Great blog. I recently started a blog also for my training to IM Brazil next month… yaiks
Feel free to drop by and say hi http://www.the3rdwheel.com
Thanks for all the information.
Tamir
Hello and great review.
I have problems such on a few cases my workout its not uploaded and disappears from the 310 XT. Its annoying such I’m waiting to get it uploaded and this never happens (Even worst makes the SYNC and delete it from the watch which its not a problem if it uploads to my computer). Not sure how could i Kix this……
Thanks for all the useful information and for the incredibly in depth review.
I’ve been deciding between a Garmin 305 or 310. I use a Forerunner 301 at the moment but as my main run routes take me through woods the GPS accuracy is awful.
As I only use the Garmin for running and an occasional cycel I see little benefit of the 310 particulary given the fact it is twice the price. Your review has helped a lot though.
Cheers
PPB.
I just picked up a 310XL to replace a 305 whose battery isn’t lasting long enough for 50k races. I’ve been testing it over the last week and wondered if the 310 is like the 405 in that you can never fully turn it off? I charged it fully, drained it completely, then charged it again to calibrate the meter. With the watch “off”, twelve hours later I was a bar down on the power meter, and connecting the charger showed 79% charged. Should it really be losing that much juice in 12 hours when it’s “off”? Perhaps the %charged doesn’t directly correspond to battery condition?
Garmin 310XT satellite check in’s.
I notice on a lot of rides and some runs that the device does not show exact lines of where i have run or biked. It cuts off curves and corners.
I think i read somewhere on your review that you could set the watch to check in more frequently with the satellites. How?
Thanks
Awesome and thorough review…but one of the links for the garmin 310 accessories is incorrect. Your link is for a quick release mounting kit that is not compatible with the 310.
Hi Standing tall-
Thanks!
Hi Emilio!
RE: Workouts disappearing
The only thing I can recommend is to double-check the firmware. I know there are supposedly some issues on the latest edition, but I haven’t run into any. The previous edition though I did run into some of the issues you noted with workouts disappearing.
Hi Ping Pong Boy-
RE: 305 vs 310XT accuracy
The 310XT has a more accurate GPS chip than the 305, so you’ll see some improvement there – especially compared to the 301, whose chip is roughly the equivelent of buying a original Volkswagon Beetle. 🙂
That said, the 305 is much more accurate than the 301 – so you’ll probably be happy there at half the price.
Hi Gunk!
RE: Battery draining
Nope, I haven’t seen that at all. In my case it’s maybe a percent or two – but what you’re noting is not the norm. The 405 is indeed always on, but the 310XT goes more or less completely off. I’d recommend calling support to get it swapped out.
Hi SteelStatue!
RE: Recording interval
On the 310XT you can only change the recording interval to 1s recording if you have a power meter attached, and then it does it automatically. This is a change from the 305, which you can change manually. There’s a lot of folks posting to the Garmin Forums asking for the ability to set it back to 1s recording…but so far no luck. 🙁
Hi Anon-
RE: Link incorrect
I’ve double-checked them all, and they seem correct. I had one link to the older 305 that I was specifically trying to explain how it was a nice soft strap compared to the 310XT. I’ve cleared up the language there a bit to ensure there’s no confusion. Thanks though for mentioning it!
Thanks all!
Great review, thanks. I bought my 310x about a week ago and am still trying to get it dialed in. The other day I went for what I know to be a 25 mile ride and it said I only did 21.8 miles. I did have the auto pause on and noticed it paused on several occasions, especially when hill climbing. I checked out my old 205 and it’s on smart recording as well. So, I think the difference is the auto pause is not as accurate on the 310x. Besides taking it out of auto pause what else can I do… besides ride faster? 🙂
This review was extremely helpful, and I purchased the 310xt and am very happy with it. “Anonymous” above is right, however. The link to the quick release kit from Amazon is incorrect and does not work with the 310xt. I know this because I ordered it and found out the hard way. No worries, though. This is the correct one:
link to amazon.com
Hi Anon-
RE: Oddities in distances
I’d be curious if turning off Auto-pause solves it. I’m wondering if it’s triggering on/off and not correctly getting turned back on – and thus loosing chunks of mileages. Note that you can indeed modify the exact pace that it triggers, which may help.
Hi Stuvera-
RE: Wrong 310XT kit.
Very interesting… Thanks for the exact link it should be, as both seemed right. Weird. I’ve gone ahead and used the link you sent over. Thanks again!
thanks. I’m driving my mates mad trying to work out 305 v 310xt. One of them posted up your link after he said I had just made him pull out his remaining stand of hair. I do a lot of off road running and love the bits where you have to run through streams and the uk weather of downpours so I’m going with the 310xt ………… mostly due to the waterproof feature where I dont have to worry when I get into the bath with it on too lol. My friends and their hair thank you x
Heard that you took quite the fall at the Rev3 in Knoxville Tennessee. The ride was a little technical but awesome.
Next time you are in/near the Knoxville area contact me should you and your friends require housing. I have 6 extra rooms about three miles from the transition area.
Go Vols!
Dave
tnvolls@hotmail.com
RE: Mac software… Ant Agent only works if you are running a 32 bit kernel. If you are running in 64 bits, you have to switch back to 32. A 32 bit kernel can run 64 bit apps just fine, though…
Hi,
great site and reviews.
just a question on the 310xt.
thinking of getting it but have read other reviews / forums on the durability (or lack of it) of the 310xt screen.
do you have any issues with that/baby it alot?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Stupid question…does it works in Km…thanks you…greeting from Argentina
Hi Hightops-
Thanks!
Hi Dave!
I might just take you up on that next year! Thanks for the thoughts, we may be in touch!
Hi Frenchman-
RE: 32bit vs 64bit on Mac
Hmm, every interesting, I didn’t know that – not the same as the PC. Bummer.
Hi MC-
RE: Durability of the screen
There has been a slightly higher number of people reporting 310XT screen breaks than 305. I suspect this is because in the 305 the screen was just slightly inset, whereas the 310XT it is not. That said, Garmin’s pretty good about replacing them, fwiw.
Hi Tacho-
RE: KM
Yup, you can change to KM mode easily across the watch in one easy setting.
With the 50 dollar rebate about to expire, which should I get – the 405cx or the 310xt? I primarily run, but want to bike more, and I considered the 110 but have yet to see a single positive review about it. I know you like the 310xt, but for someone in my situation, is the 405cx a good choice? or is the bezel still an issue?
Or should I just wait till June and get the timex???
The 405 Bezel is primarily a personal thing, some people like it – and some hate it. I tend to fall in the ‘dislike’ camp.
To me, the 310XT is pretty much perfect – and I haven’t seen anyone disappointed yet with the 310XT from a functionality/day to day use standpoint.
Good luck, and enjoy the rebate!
Hi all-
Note: A new firmware update (2.9)was released for the 310XT in the past few days that in theory will now allow you to more accurately track distance while swimming with the watch on your wrist (through some data point post processing).
link to www8.garmin.com
I’ll be testing it out this weekend in openwater (May 29/30th) and look for an update to the review early next week (and a new post about it).
Thanks!
I already have the quick release kit for the 310XT and need to get a mount for my new bike. If I were to buy the bike mount kit for the Edge 500, would it engage with the mount already on the back of my 310XT?
I think I’d prefer the rubber band option (and lower price) of the Edge 500 bike mount.
Thanks!
Like just about every other person who has posted here, I want to thank you for a really well done review. After experiencing some problems with my 305 that Garmin tried, in vain, to fix, I decided to get the 310.
A couple of issues though that I’m wondering if you (or others) can shed some light on:
1) There seems to be a discrepancy between time of work-out and time “moving,” even if I turn the auto-pause off. Every single workout I’ve done shows a difference from 5 to 30 seconds.
2) The 310 recognizes the speed/cadence sensor, but somehow is reading the magnet on the crank as the speed when I’m outside, so if I stop pedaling, it briefly shows my speed as zero. Then I think the GPS kicks in and shows the true speed. I also can’t get it to show cadence, which is pretty annoying. I even removed the magnet from the wheel, but still no luck.
3. Not an issue, but a comment. I like the old HRM strap better. The new one, with that plastic piece held on by snaps (just waiting for those to fail), isn’t as comfortable.
Thanks again for the tremendous work and time you’ve put in here.
Hi Rob-
RE: Quick Release Mount and Edge 500 mount
Yup! Just use the 310XT Quick release kit (which you have) with the Edge 500 mounts. Nothing more, super easy.
Hi IronUmp-
Thanks!
RE: #1: Time differences between moving and workout
Typically when I see the differences it’s if you ever pressed stop in the workout itself (such as at a stop-sign), but I’ve never seen them before if I never pressed stop.
RE: #2: Cadence/Speed
Hmm…strange. Try re-pairing the sensor and see if that resolves it. Otherwise, to be honest it sounds like the sensor is dorked up given all the symptoms. You could try swapping the battery first, but I’d just call Garmin support on the sensor. Quick and easy fix.
Thanks for the comments!
OK, I’ve got to ask. I tried swimming with the Garmin 310XT under my swim cap and I got a total distance of about 15 feet. The timer still ran, but no real distance registered. So how did you do it? A clear swim cap?
Nevermind. I just found your link to “How to swim with your Garmin…” (Geez. You covered everything!) I must have had bad placement.
Hi DC Rainmaker,
Very very informative posting here. Thanks for this.
Since a couple of days I too own a FR310XT HRM version. Happy as a bug on a rug 🙂 I also managed to add some custom workouts in GTC. Very easy to use software.
Just one problem remains that I can’t seem to tackle. I hope you can help me with this.
How can I manage to get the following type of workout into GTC and the FR310? What concerns me the most is when do I get a vibrating signal from the FR310. A, what I call, a linear interval, is easlily programmed into the FR310. No problem and reacts as one would expect. I got to ‘training->workouts->interval’. A training such as this looks like so: 8 x 4 min. with 1 min. active recovery. Very straight forward.
The ‘problem’ (example) training concerning my question goes like this:
10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2 min. (accelerations)
active recovery in between = 2 min. (calm jogging pace)
You’ll notice that I don’t practise HR zone-workouts. I train more or less on the principal ‘go-faster’, ‘go-slower’ kind off workout. What I want is that I get 2 vibrating signals per block of my training (go-faster bit followed by go-slower bit) to give my the notification when to go faster i.e. slower.
To put it more short and sweet: What’s the (criterium) moment for the Garmin to give a vibrating signal? Does it do that per set ‘goal’, like in the Training Center or in a different way?
Hope you can help me out here…
Tx a lot in advance!
BTW I use firmware 2.9
Thanks so much for this and other reviews.
I have two questions if I may:
1. I understand the 205/305s had a helpful audible alert when you dropped below a set pace/speed. You suggest a ‘work around’ for the 310XT for this issue by using the “workout” feature. My question is: can you use this same workaround for the 405/405CX models? Or, do they have a proper pace alert, or are you stuck with no options?
2. Can you make the 310XT show a clock (eg time of day) in one of the 4 squares? Or, indeed, as one big main square (as if it was a watch)?
Thanks heaps
Scott
Great review. I am debating which one to get and you totally provided me with the answer.
Great review. I am debating which one to get and you totally provided me with the answer.
Hi IronUmp-
RE: Swimming with swimcap
Glad ya got it sorted out, for others, see here:
link to dcrainmaker.com
Hi Martin-
RE: Workout creation for paces
For what you want to do, you’ll want to simply setup Speed Zones within GTC for your user profile. Then create a workout (from below) based on those speed zones. You can create as many steps as you’d like. Should work perfectly. Just make your speed zones as wide as you want them to be specific to your workout plan – perhaps even changing them from workout to workout.
See this guide for how to create workouts:
link to dcrainmaker.com
Hi Scott/Anon-
RE: #1) 405 workout feature
Yup, the workout feature works with the 405. Just use the steps in the lin kabove.
RE: #2) Showing clock in one of the squares
Yup, you can show it in any one of the squares, or as one big ole square. Most of the time I have a square with it in one of the data fields, but occasionally I’ll end up having it in one big old square if I want to basically ignore all data for a run/bike.
Hi Jen-
Thanks!
I love the watch. But today the watch will not locate satelites. Tried it several times but it does not work. Do you have any idea what i can try?
hey RM,
you said a while ago that there was a new software upgrade that makes it better during the swim or something – is there an update based on this new software?
thanks
Mike
I truely can’t decide FR60 vs 310xt.
I’m a new triathlete and LOVE the sport I’ve been training now for about 2 1/2 months and have done one sprint. I’ve been using Nike+ system for running which is getting annoying now so I’m looking to upgrade. The problem I’m facing is I love the FR60 cause i can be an everyday watch to replace my old ironman timex. It can do what I need for tri’s I just have to practice switching modes. However in the future the 310xt looks to be the best solution just for what I’m getting into and the fact it has GPS. But the price and the fact is not an everyday watch are my drawbacks. What do you think will happen with the price over the next 1-2 years. I’m thinking of getting the FR60 now for a birthday gift, then waiting to get something GPS based. fyi the reason I don’t like the 305 is cause I’m fairly small and think it would be annoying. Thoughts?
Thank you very much for the review. Truly awesome. Just a quick question. In “History” when I look at data of previous “runs” I got the pace/km (average and max). However I would be more interested in getting the AVG speed and Max speed rather than “pace”. Is there a way to change this setting. Thank you very much for your help.
GMC
Hi Lilbutch-
RE: Not locating satellites
Assuming you’re outdoors, and it’s not locating them, I would try a soft-reset. Otherwise, call Garmin and get it swapped out. That’s not normal.
Hi Keys-
RE: Openwater swim mode
Yup, check it out here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Hi Andy-
RE: Which watch
I’d really look at the FR305. I know it seems big, but many many people who are small use it and love it. My girlfriend is quite small, yet she uses it without even noticing it every day. I promise you won’t notice it past the first 30 seconds of running.
You could look at the FR110, but compared to the features on the FR60, you’re taking a step back – so that’s something to consider.
Hi Anon/GMC-
RE: Pcae vs Speed
The history should show based on whether you were in run or bike mode at the time of activity. You may want to check which mode you were recording it, so that it shows up right. Hope this helps!
excellent reviews and based on yours i bought my first garmin and know we are going to best friends. i want to workout just so we can hang out. now i dont want to lose my new friend and recall reading that there can be issues with the pins and band coming apart. was this the 310xt or another product ?
thanks muchly :).