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Garmin Forerunner 610 In Depth Review

FR610

The Garmin Forerunner 610 represents the next generation running watch from Garmin.  The watch builds on many areas that the FR405 and FR410 carved out – including a slim profile and advanced workout features.  But it also adds a number of heavily requested features, including some functions that had long been cut out of other Forerunner models.  Even more, it’s the first Garmin touch screen running watch.  But is a running watch the right place for a touch screen?  And does this next version of the Forerunner meet the needs of the vast runner demographic?  Well, stick around and I’ll explain.

Like all my reviews, they tend to be pretty in depth (perhaps overly so) – but that’s just my trademark DC Rainmaker way of doing things.  Think of them more like reference guides than quick and easy summaries.  I try and cover every conceivable thing you might do with the device and then poke at it a bit more.  My goal is to leave no stone unturned – both the good and the bad.

Because I want to be transparent about my reviews – Garmin sent me the Forerunner 610 for a period of 45 days as a trial unit.  Once that period has elapsed, I send the whole package to the folks in Kansas.  Simple as that.  Sorta like hiking in wilderness trails – leave only footprints.  If you find my review useful, you can use any of the Amazon links from this page to help support future reviews.

Lastly, at the end of the day keep in mind I’m just like any other regular athlete out there.  I write these reviews because I’m inherently a curious person with a technology background, and thus I try and be as complete as I can.  But, if I’ve missed something or if you spot something that doesn’t quite jive – just let me know and I’ll be happy to get it all sorted out.  Also, because the technology world constantly changes, I try and go back and update these reviews as new features and functionality are added – or if bugs are fixed.

So – with that intro, let’s get into things.

Unboxing:

Once you’ve got the Forerunner 610 box in your posession it’ll be time to crack it open.  Interestingly, Garmin has changed up their standard packaging with the FR610, opting for a black box instead of the more traditional blue-colored ones

Garmin Forerunner 610 Box

From there we’ll go ahead and get all the pieces laid out on the table.  The pieces are all individually wrapped in some plastic bags, so I’ll walk through them one by one after this.

Garmin Forerunner 610 Box Parts Unwrapped

After you’ve removed the plastic bags, here’s the end resultant:

Garmin Forerunner 610 Box Parts Unwrapped

Let’s get the less exciting pieces out of the way first (save the best for last, right?).  For that, we’ll dive into the power block.  This connects to the charging cable and allows you to charge the watch without a computer’s USB port.  It’ll also charge any other USB gadget you happen to have.  The US version comes only with the US power clip, so if you’re elsewhere in the world you’ll need additional power clips or a standard adapter.

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Next we have the even less exciting manuals and CD’s.  It’s largely just a pile of paper stuff that you’ll probably never read.

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Then we’ve got the ANT+ USB stick.  This is where it starts gettin’ good!  This USB stick wirelessly communicates with the FR610 via ANT+ and downloads your workouts.  It works quite some distance away (a few rooms away).  We’ll talk about it more later on.

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Then we have the latest edition of the premium soft strap heart rate strap.  There are two versions of the FR610 – one comes with the heart rate strap, and one doesn’t.  This is the strap you’ll get if you get the bundle with the HR strap.  I’ll talk more about the strap options later on in significant detail.

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Now…the good parts! First up – the charging cable.  You’ll notice that it has changed from watches of the past.  Instead of being the FR310XT/FR405/FR410 dual-prong style clip or the FR110/FR210 quad-prong clip, they’ve moved to a magnetic latch style system.

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This new charging clip uses small internal magnets to secure itself against the back of the watch.  In many ways it’s actually kinda like the Timex Global Trainer charging clip where it straddles both edges of the watch (except that one lacks the magnets).

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I asked the Garmin team why exactly the change from the previous charging cables.  They said that one of the issues they found with the previous clips is that while they worked for most folks, they found that if the charging cable/watch got accidentally moved then the charging could be disrupted – leaving folks without a charged watch at runtime.  The new clip using the magnets ensures that even if it gets bumped, it will still hang on and charge the watch.

Outside of the charging clip, we’ve got the watch itself.  The back is metallic (and magnetic), and the front is glass that’s slightly inset to (hopefully) prevent glass cracking issues like the FR310XT and the Nike+ Sportwatch have occasionally seen.

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On the sides you have three physical buttons.  The left hand side is the power/light button, that also doubles to trigger connection to the Tanita BC-1000 scale.

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On the right you have your standard start/stop and lap/reset buttons.

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Then you have two touch screen buttons that are near the edge of the screen.  On the bottom of the watch where you see the three blue lines, this acts as a way to toggle the menu and home screen.

And to the left at the 9’oclock position you have what would be a blue arrow that essentially performs both confirmation and ‘back’ functions within the menu’s.  On mine the button isn’t visible, but it’s still functional.  It looks just like a little blue triangle on retail units.

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Finally, the band itself is a slimmer black band, similar to that on the FR110/FR210 and much nicer than the older and thicker FR405/FR410.  It’s also interchangeable with a fabric soft strap accessory that you can purchase.

Size Comparisons:

The FR610 decreases the size from the FR405/FR410’s primarily through a thinner watch body and strap.  It doesn’t appreciably change the actual watch diameter.  Personally, I think this is fine.  The FR610 manages to allow you to squeeze in four concurrent fields (compared to three with the FR405/FR410), all while maintaining roughly the same size.  I think if you went any smaller you’d have to sacrifice either information or readability.

Comparing it to other Garmin units, you’ll see that the majority of modern Forerunner units have pretty much the same watch face size now.  The one exception being the multisport focused FR310XT (orange one), which maintains a larger profile (and far more features).

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Looking from left to right, the watches are the FR60, FR110 (FR210 is identical body), FR405 (FR410 is identical body), FR610 and finally the FR310XT.

The area you most notice the sizes is in thickness, where you can see the bulk of the FR405/FR410 and the FR310XT rising above:

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In general though, you’ll see most of the watches have now stabilized in the size department.

Initial Setup:

The initial setup process has been further reduced with each new Garmin that’s been released.  It used to be that there were about 10 Monty Python style questions it would ask you. Now it’s down to just a handful, mostly used to ensure you’re not stuck with a watch reading out a display in Ellinika.  Cause that would just be Greek to me…

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After you answer time format, gender and a few others, then you’ll be all set and ready to gather satellite reception. I found the FR610 incredibly quick when it came to reception – even faster than my FR310XT.  The first time after turning it on it took maybe 20 seconds to find satellites.  Then subsequent times upon turning it on were always less than 10 seconds.  The FR610 uses Garmin’s Hotfix technology to remember where you were last time and thus be able to remember where the corresponding satellites were that it needs to talk to.

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Once you’ve completed initial setup, the last item would be pairing any additional ANT+ sensors you might have.  For example, depending on if you bought the FR610 package with the heart rate strap, you’d want to pair that piece.  Additionally, if you bought a separate footpod for indoor treadmill use – you’d want to pair that too.  And finally, if you have an ANT+ bike speed/cadence sensor – you guessed it, you’d want to pair that as well.

With that – we’re ready to get on outside!

The Touchscreen:

Before we go for a run though, let’s talk about the biggest change to the watch – which is the new touch screen.  The FR610 builds on technology used in the newly released Edge 800 cycling computer which now includes a touch screen display.  These screens are unlike your typical phone touch screen though, and are designed to handle everything from rain to gloves.  You may remember some of the videos I put together as part of the Edge 800 touch screen review (linked above).  I decided to do some of those same tests to see how it fared.  First up though, is a quick video to let you get the feel for the touch screen.  As you can see, it works pretty well.  Sure there’s a few times where either I or the touch screen made a mistake – but in general I didn’t have many issues.

Here’s the first video just showing some general use wandering in/around the various menus:

Garmin Forerunner 610 Touch Screen Demonstration

Of course, the most common question is how does it perform with gloves?  Well, no problem – here’s three pairs of gloves.  I would have done this in one take, but I simply lacked the ability to get one of the pairs of gloves off in a timely manner.  No retakes here, just the way it is.  The first pair of gloves you’ll see is a common $1.00 cheap glove that you’ll find at every running expo in the world.  Also happens to be my go-to gloves virtually all fall and winter.  Then I’ll transition into a stiffer glove that I primarily use for cycling.  And finally…I go into the giant mitten.  Yes, a mitten.

Garmin Forerunner 610 Touch Screen Glove Test

As you can see, I generally didn’t have any problems.  Also keep in mind that once you start your run, there really isn’t too much of a reason to wander aimlessly through the menus.  You’ll primarily just be swiping left/right to change already configured display pages.

Finally, last but not least is how water affects it.  This evening during my run in the 84*F weather I got plenty soaked, much of that water ending up on the FR610.  In general it didn’t affect use of the watch.  However, I figure there’s no better test than simply taking it into the shower with direct water pressure and using the touch screen.  So here ya go – with water cascading down onto the watch and actively using the touch screen without issue:

Using the Forerunner 610 in simulated ‘heavy rain’ conditions.

All in all I found the touch screen to generally work as expected.  While one can certainly debate the merit of having a touch screen at all, I didn’t find it to detract from the watch.  Previously I found the older touch bezel design of the FR405/FR410 to take away from the watch’s functionality.  In the case of the FR610, it all seemed to flow pretty well.

Running:

With running being the main focus of the FR610, it’s time we got out and ran with it!  After you turn it on you’ll either be at the menu screen or the main training screen, depending on how much touching you were doing while you were turning it on.  Here’s what the main menu looks like:

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One of the first things you’ll want to do is to pick out your data fields.  For me personally, I use Heart Rate, Pace, Distance and Time.

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With the FR610 you can have up to four different pages of data, each with up to four fields (or as few as one field).  This is an increase from the previous 3 fields on the FR405/FR410.

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As you run, the data is not only displayed, but also recorded for later analysis.  Everything from pace to distance to heart rate to elevation, and even running cadence if you have a footpod, is recorded.

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In addition to configuring data that you can glance at you can also configure the FR610 to simply beep/display/vibrate at you should you run afoul of your pre-determined goals.  These are called ‘alerts’, and with the FR610 you can setup alerts for distance, heart rate, time, calories or cadence.

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In addition to the alerts I just noted, they’ve added a new feature – which is the ‘Run/Walk’ alerts.  What this enables you to do is to follow one of the many run racing plans that have you running for a set period of time (such as 10 minutes), and then walk for another set period of time (1 minute).

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You can configure both the run and walk times from any number between 00:00 and 59:59.  It’ll simply alternate back and forth and beep/vibrate/display a warning as you hit the run/walk intervals.  Note that you cannot specify a distance, only a time.

On my long run tonight I actually used this feature to remind me to intake both nutrition/hydration but also to do some drills I had to do every 10 minutes.  While a typical time alert would also work, this is better in that it reminded me essentially twice – once at the beginning of my nutrition period, and again by time I should be done.  Pretty useful stuff, even if I’m not using it for its intended purpose.

Another commonly used feature of past Garmins is the Virtual Partner functionality.  This feature allows you to set a specific pace (i.e. 8:30/mile) and then it’ll show you how far ahead/behind you are relative to that given pace. You can customize the speed/paces for both bike and run. It uses a little stick figure man to represent both you…and the pacer:

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However, a new addition to the FR610 is the Virtual Racer functionality.  This takes the simple pacer concept a step forward and allows you to race against your previous runs.  For example, if you ran a specific 10K course last week in 45 minutes, it’ll have the little stick figure man run your 45 minute pace, while you try to just barely edge him out at 44:30.  You can select any previous run from the list:

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But it gets even better in that you can download any activity from Garmin Connect to the unit and race against that.  For example – you want to head to the Boston Marathon and beat your friends exact time from last year?  No problem, just download his workout from Garmin Connect onto your watch, and then attempt to best him as you virtually run ahead or (as it may be), behind him.

In addition to pacing you can download any workout you create from Garmin Training Center to the FR610 as well.  This allows you to create some pretty complex workouts on the computer and then quickly transfer them to the watch to execute:

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Once the ANT+ agent transfers them to your watch, you’ll be good to go!

Of course, if you don’t want the complexity of Garmin Training Center you can simply create basic interval workouts on the watch itself.  You just define key pieces like work and rest intervals and you’ll be good to go.

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Speaking of resting… If you run in the city quite a bit, you’ll probably end up using the Auto Pause feature.  This functionality automatically pauses your run when you come to a stop – or fall below a given threshold speed.  While you’ll want to be careful in using this functionality in a race (because the real clock doesn’t stop), it’s an easy way to keep from forgetting to start your watch again after that stoplight.

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[Updated Section]: In addition to the watch monitoring your run it can also act as a guide when you’re lost. It does this through the navigation and saved locations area.  It does not unfortunately however have standard Garmin Courses functionality.  This functionality allowed you to download breadcrumb style routes to the watch to follow along.

The functionality is slightly different on the FR610 compared to previous Garmin watches.  Instead of offering a straight course following option it offers that functionality within the confines of the Virtual Racer component.  Meaning, there is no separate courses functionality like most Garmin watches.  While you can download courses from Garmin Connect and other sources, you cannot follow them with the little compass/breadcrumb.  You can however still choose to track back to start – allowing you to navigate back to the start of an activity.

Navigation itself is from current location directly to a saved location.  Saved locations must be entered in on the watch itself. Once you’ve chosen a previously saved location (or create a new one on the watch with lat/long), then you’ll be available to follow along with the compass on the unit.  It’s not quite like a car GPS, but rather more boy-scout-esque.  But it gets the job done.

Lastly, you can go ahead and create waypoints for specific locations – such as common places like ‘Home’ or ‘Where I parked my car’.  That way if all else fails on a run gone wrong, you can simply tell the Garmin to get ya back home.

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One final newly added area I want to cover is the re-introduction of 1-second recording mode.  Back in the FR305 days you as a user had the option to either record activity data using Smart Recording mode, or 1-second recording mode.  In Smart Recording mode it would attempt to reduce the recording storage needed and take samples every 3-6 seconds (on average).  Whereas in 1-second recording mode (known as 1s), it simply recorded data points every second.

After the FR305, that option went away.  1s mode was only available if you connected an ANT+ cycling power meter.  This lead to a lot of problems for folks that were only recording heart rate data and ended up with files that often had very few actual data points in it due to Smart Recording removing many of those data points.

Well, I’m happy to tell you the option is now back!

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Yup, you can now turn on 1s recording mode for the watch as a whole and all activities will be recorded at the 1-second interval.  If you open up the raw files, you can see the 1-second recording is indeed now in effect:

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Hopefully we’ll see this ported back to other Garmin units via a firmware update, I know both myself and many others would love to see that.

Backlight:

The FR610 includes a high contrast backlight that is easily readable.  You can change how long you’d like the backlight to display once tapping the power/light button:

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I prefer the backlight setting of ‘Stays on’, as typically if I’m running at night I just want it to be on when I glance down.  As you can see below, it’s plenty bright:

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Heart Rate Training and Calories:

One of the most popular areas aside from using the GPS functionality is the ability to record one’s heart rate while exercising.  The FR610 uses an ANT+ enabled heart rate strap that wirelessly transmits your heart rate to the watch itself.  Depending on whether you buy the FR610 bundle with the strap or without you’ll have the ability to do that automatically.  Here’s what the strap looks like:

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Once you’ve got the strap on, you’ll want to go ahead and pair it.  It only takes a second for it to find your strap.  After pairing it’ll remember your specific strap forever, and won’t pickup other people’s straps – so you don’t have to worry about interference:

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While exercising you can setup either heart rate alerts or heart rate zones if you so choose.  You can also display your heart rate in a variety of ways, from instant display to averages or zones.  Or you can simply record the data for later evaluation.  This data is then transmitted to Garmin Connect as part of your activity file:

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By knowing your heart rate, the FR610 can determine your calorie burn by utilizing 2nd generation Firstbeat technology.  Firstbeat is a method to evaluate your heart rate and determine caloric burn based on known parameters about you including age, weight, height and fitness level.  With this information it can estimate calorie burn for your activity.

This is then shown on the display of the watch (and an alert can be setup when you reach a given level), and is also transmitted to Garmin Connect for record keeping purposes:

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I put together an in depth post on calorie burn calculations with different Garmin watches over in this post, which I highly recommend you check out.

Screen Lock:

The FR610 includes a screen lock that you can unlock simply by swiping after you tap the screen.  Essentially it works just like an iPhone/iPod would.  The screen lock is activated when the watch goes into power save mode.  You cannot however activate it yourself.

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But unlike the iPhone it includes a cute little animation that shows a runner ‘evolving’ from crawling to runner, and eventually to collapsing again.  Nice touch!

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Using the watch…as a day to day watch:

The FR610 can be used as a day to day watch as well, and given its size – it fits quite nicely.  I personally found the previous generation FR405/FR410’s too bulky for that.  But this one has been holding down the camp on my wrist constantly now.  In normal time mode it simply displays the date and time:

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You can also create an alarm, should you have a reason you want to wake up (not sure why you’d want to interrupt your sleep though…):

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Cycling:

To be clear upfront, this watch is primarily designed for the running crowd.  But Garmin added in a number of features to make the cycling piece work just fine if you happen to swing both ways.  One of the biggest changes you’ll notice over past Forerunner watches is that virtually every menu setting has a separate area for both cycling and running.  Meaning they no longer have to share many of the same settings.  You can see this below as an example in one area where you set training pages for both bike and run separately:

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In addition to all of the running features noted above, the FR610 also includes support for ANT+ speed/cadence sensors that allow you to gather speed information while indoors on a trainer (or outside if you’d like), as well as cadence information about how many times the crank arm rotates per minute (RPM).

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This of course requires an additional accessory, the roughly $35 GSC-10 (or any ANT+ compatible speed/cadence combo sensor).  The sensor looks like this:

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I’ll talk more about the sensor in a bit.

In addition to displaying speed/cadence sensor data, you can configure an entirely different set of data page views for just the bike.  This is pretty cool as it allows you to quickly swap back and forth without re-inventing the wheel data-field wise.  For example, while I’m riding I may be interested in both speed and cadence on one page, but more than two metrics on another.  You can mix and match just like you can on the running side.

Of course there comes the question of where exactly to place the unit.  Some folks prefer the simplicity of their wrist, but personally I like to have it mounted on the bike itself – mostly because that way I don’t have to constantly turn my wrist to see the data.

In that case Garmin sells a cheap little rubber mount kit that wraps around your bikes handlebars.  This works well whether it’s a road bike, mountain bike, or even a beach cruiser.  You can see the rubber mount kit here:

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And here I’ve got it wrapped around the bars:

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And finally, with the watch placed on the mount – just like you’d place it on your wrist:

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Note that because you have to wrap it around the rubber mount just like your wrist, it’s not super conducive to quick removal in places like a triathlon – so that’s something you might want to keep in mind.

Speaking of triathlons – if you happen to have a triathlon bike, you can still use the same rubber mount, except you may have to get creative about where you mount it.  For that there’s a few companies that make small arms that you can move watches onto.  FSA and UCM are companies that come to mind.  I quickly grabbed a slightly larger version of that mount, so it didn’t quite fit in between my aerobars (long about 2mm), so for the purposes of this photo I have it mounted to the side.  But it gives you an idea on the options there:

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As you can see, you’ve got a few options on a time trial bike.  In an ideal world Garmin would have created a quick release attachment kit for it that locks into the existing FR310XT and Edge 500/800 mounting systems…but, ya can’t win em’ all.

Side Note: Multisport mode/options:

Just as an ancillary note to the triathlon/cycling pieces above, it should be noted that the FR610 does not have a multisport mode like the FR305 and FR310XT do.  This means that you can’t do a swim-bike-run recorded event on a single file (including or excluding transitions).  Now they have improved this slightly over the alternative of ‘nothing’ by allowing you to quickly swap between running and cycling mode merely by holding the lap/reset button down to display a change sport dialog box:

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Swimming:

Despite the very protective looking metallic design, the Garmin Forerunner 610 is actually only waterproofed to IPX7 standards.  This means that it can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.  It also means that it’s not designed for active swimming on your wrist with constant pounding against the water.  The Garmin manual on page 39  warns against explicitly this task:

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I’ve previously killed IPX7 Garmin Forerunner watches due to wearing them on my wrist during an indoor swim (in less than 20 minutes).  If you’re looking for a fully waterproofed solution you’ll want to aim towards the FR310XT instead, which offers complete waterproofing down to 50 meters.

Now, just because it’s IPX7 doesn’t mean it can’t go out and play in the rain.  In fact, it’s more than fine in both the rain and casual water submersion (as you saw earlier with the shower video).  For example, I plunked it down in my bathtub for just under 10 minutes – and it came out just fine and dandy:

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If you’re looking to use the watch in a triathlon to measure the swim, you should leverage the swim cap method in order to gather accurate distance without killing the watch in the process.  Also, for more fun with IPX7 bathtub immersion of expensive gadgets, see this post.

Tanita Weight Scale Compatibility:

Like most of the modern Forerunner and Edge devices that Garmin has created lately, the FR610 supports ANT+ enabled scales.  At the moment, the only entrant into that category is the Tanita BC-1000 scale.  This scale measures your weight, body fat and hydration levels and then wirelessly transmits it to the waiting Garmin FR610.

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To trigger the two devices you simply hold the power button on the FR610 for a brief moment and it’ll go out and search for its ANT+ enabled scale friend.  Once it’s found the scale the BC-1000 will begin blinking, indicating its ready for you to step on.

Within about 5-7 seconds the scale completes the reading and transmits it back to the watch, where it appears on the screen:

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In addition to appearing on the FR610 screen, it then transmits that data to Garmin Connect the next time you upload data from your watch.  Once you’ve logged into Garmin Connect online, you’ll see your metrics within the health section:

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The two products together offer a fairly seamless way of gathering the data and tracking it within Garmin Connect.

Accuracy and Satellite Chip:

While I intend to put together a full accuracy report in the coming 4-6 weeks of all the new GPS fitness watch models out there (similar to before with precisely measured routes and varied conditions), I will say that I’ve seen no issues with satellite reception or accuracy on the FR610.  I’ve run on trails with fairly wooded tree areas on winding paths and it never dropped reception or produce weird paths showing loss of accuracy.

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The satellite chip itself is the the SiRF SiRFstarIV with the Instant Fix II technology, which makes the satellite acquisition process even faster than previous generations.  As I noted earlier, I’m finding that I can get satellite reception after turning on in less than 10 seconds in some cases.  Incredibly quick.

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Fitness Equipment (Gym) Compatibility:

While I don’t have a piece of gym equipment in my place that is ANT+ compatible, I have shown off this capability a bit in the past in previous posts.  What this functionality allows you to do is to link-up with ANT+ enabled gym equipment (typically Spin bikes and treadmills) and have it automatically and wirelessly transmit your performance data to the watch.

For example, on a spin bike it would transmit speed/cadence and even power (watts) – depending on the model. Note that it will record power, but won’t display it on the watch itself.  I demo’d a bit of this at Interbike this past year with the FR60 – one of the few watches that supports this functionality.

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While the number of gyms that have this equipment is incredibly small, it is pretty cool if you happen to stumble on it.  Here’s more information from my overview this past fall. Additionally, I spent some time at a local Gym using the FR610 to play with equipment there. For more information, see that post.

Accessories:

There are a number of accessories that can be purchased with the FR610 to extend its functionality.  Here’s a brief overview of all the options:

Running Footpod:

The footpod allows you to gather pace, distance and cadence data while both indoors or outdoors.  For example, if you’re running on a treadmill this would be required as GPS won’t show you moving.  Outdoors it’s useful if your route takes you through a tunnel where you’d lose GPS reception.

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The foot pod easily snaps right onto your shoelaces in a matter of a few seconds.  After which you’ll want to calibrate it on a track to ensure the highest level of accuracy.  I’ve found however that after correctly calibrating the footpod, I can actually get both GPS and footpod data to align exactly.  Pretty impressive.

You can pickup the footpod for about $50.  If you’re interested in learning more about the footpod, check out my ‘More than you ever wanted to know about the footpod post’.

Speed/Cadence:

If you plan to hook up the Garmin FR610 to your bike, you’re going to want to pickup the speed/cadence sensor kit to get speed, distance cadence while indoors on a trainer (and cadence outdoors).  The good news here is that these kits are relatively inexpensive (compared to the foot pod anyway), and they’re also fully compatible with every other Garmin fitness devices.

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This means that if you already have one for a different Garmin device – you’re good to go.  And if you get one now, and eventually upgrade your Garmin watch, then you’re still good to go. The speed/cadence kit can be picked up for about $35.

Heart Rate Strap:

Garmin introduced a slightly new heart rate strap with the Edge 800 – and that same strap has been carried through to the FR210, FR410 and now the FR610.  This new strap aims to reduce many of the spiking/dropout problems of some of the previous straps.  And based on my testing over the past 6 months – it does a pretty good job of this.  It’s reduced those problems for me by about 95%.  There’s still an occasional spike – but mostly they’re gone.

This new strap looks like this:

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However, be aware – there are still two older (more common) types out there, which compared, look like this:

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If you buy the bundled FR610 kit, you’ll get the fancy new strap 2010 automagically.  You can also pickup the 2010 premium version individually.

The previous heart rate straps can be bought individually for about $65 for the non-2010 premium soft strap version, and about $35 for the old school classic edition.

Tanita BC-1000 Weight Scale:

One non-Garmin accessory that integrates with the FR610 is the Tanita BC-1000 Wireless ANT+ Weight Scale.  This scale uses the ANT+ protocol to communicate with the FR610, allowing it to wirelessly record your weight and body fat readings, which are then transmitted to Garmin Connect.

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The scale retails for about $279, and you can find my full In Depth Review on the scale itself here.

FR610 Software:

The FR610 includes software that helps you analyze your activity after you’ve completed it.  Initially you’ll need to pair your FR610 with your computer using the ANT+ USB stick that’s included in the box.

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The pairing process only takes a second though and simply requires you to confirm the pairing on both the computer (PC or Mac) and the watch:

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Once that’s done it’ll automatically synchronize your workouts to your computer and to Garmin Connect (though you can disable the Garmin Connect piece if you choose).

FRDownload

Additionally, this same avenue is used for firmware updates – which occur usually a few times per year for most Garmin watches.  This allows them to deliver both bug fixes and feature enhancements.

IMG_0193

Once you’ve synchronized your watch, the data will be available on Garmin Connect to analyze:

Garmin Connect (free):

Garmin Connect is Garmin’s free web-based portal that allows you to manage and track all of your Garmin activity data.  Whether that be a run, a bike ride…or even flying in a plane.  If a Garmin created it – then you can pretty much see it on Garmin Connect.  Once your activity is uploaded, it’ll be available for detailed analysis here:

image

From here you can then scroll down and drill into many different metrics such as pace, heart rate, elevation and cadence:

image

In addition to the overview of each activity you can replay the activity, as if it were a short video:

image

The site also includes a larger calendar view that you can use to track your activities over time.  From here you can also switch to list view, if you just want a simple list of all your activities.

image

Garmin Connect has a number of other easy to use features such as setting up goals, tracking health information (as you saw in the Tanita Scale section earlier) and creating reports.  Perhaps the most useful aspect of Garmin Connect is the millions of activity files up there that you can search – allowing you to find routes anywhere in the world that you’ve travelled.  That’s how on a recent trip to the country of Jordan I found a workable cycling route…just by searching Garmin Connect.

In general Garmin Connect is targeted towards more casual users, whereas some of the next products I discuss are focused towards those wanting more analysis capabilities.

Training Peaks (3rd Party):

Training Peaks is one of the largest 3rd party software options.  They have two versions, one is free and one is subscription based.  Regardless of whether you pay, the entirety of Training Peaks is a website (except the device agent software you can install to upload files).  I use Training Peaks as my primary method of tracking my training efforts.  The major reason for TP over Garmin Connect is the advanced analytics.  Additionally, it provides a completely seamless conduit between myself and my coach – something that my other software favorite (Sport Tracks) can’t do.

While at the time of this writing Training Peaks doesn’t officially support the FR610 yet, it still works just fine.  I was able to simply select the watch from the right-side dropdown and it automatically grabbed the .TCX file to upload to Training Peaks (the FR610 creates both a .TCX and .FIT files, for backwards compatibility with older applications).

 

TPAgent

From there I was able to log-in and see my run without any issues at all:

image

If you’re looking for very advanced analytics in a web based form, there’s really no other option out there today that has as many features as TP and is completely web based.

SportTracks:

Another non-Garmin option is SportTracks.  SportTracks is a Windows only client application that allows you incredibly in depth analysis of your workouts.  Perhaps one of the biggest strengths though of SportTracks is the ability to allow community developers to extend the application with plug-ins.  As a result, there’s a ton of totally cool functionality that’s been added over the years (some for a fee).  SportTracks as an application has a free-mode with some limitations, and a paid mode for $35.

Because the FR610 exports out both .TCX and .FIT files, SportTracks has no problem consuming these files today:

image

Once imported, the files act just like any other activity within SportTracks – allowing you to slice and dice the data as you see fit:

image

If you’ve got a Windows based PC, I definitely encourage you to check it out (free or otherwise).

Summary:

The FR610 represents an update to the previous generation running focused FR405 and FR410 – but omits the troublesome touch bezel that both of those watches had.  The primary selling point of this series of device is the slim ‘watch-like’ design – effectively reducing the wrist footprint of the larger (and slightly more capable) FR305 and FR310XT.  With the FR610 maintaining that smaller form factor and moving to a much cleaner touch screen interface – it makes for a very compelling running watch.

When comparing the FR610 though to other running focused watches like the FR110 and FR210 though, you see a dramatic difference in features and functionality.  The FR110 and FR210 watches are designed for folks that want a simplified GPS-based running experience that essentially just tells you how far, how fast, how long.  Whereas the FR610 aims to offer advanced features like workouts, intervals and heavily customizable data fields.

To me perhaps one of the biggest (yet least noted) features is the re-inclusion of 1-second recording mode.  This has been a huge pain point for many Garmin users since it was removed after the FR305 back some years ago now.  I love the fact that they’ve listened and re-introduced this – and hope to see it return in the firmware for other watches.

So looking at who I’d recommend this watch for, you’ve got a few different categories:

1) The Triathlete: While the FR610 is certainly a great watch for the run leg, and a ‘good’ unit for the bike leg, I’d strongly recommend looking instead at the multisport FR310XT.  Yes, it’s a bit bulkier – but when it comes to the water (that’d be the first leg of the triathlon), there’s really only one option today in the Garmin lineup that’s completely waterproofed.  I know a lot of folks (including myself) were expecting this to be the FR310XT replacement, which it’s definitely not.  I don’t have a timeline for that unfortunately – but I’d be very surprised if we had to wait until next year – given the competition.  Given that tri season is upon us though – I’d just recommend picking up the FR310XT and not looking back.

[October 2011 update: The FR910XT was introduced as the new best of breed tri watch.]

2) The Casual Runner: The casual runner will be happy with either the FR610 (this watch), or the cheaper FR210.  In general the FR210 is probably a better entry level watch – but both devices are simplified enough where you’d be comfortable either way.

3) The Advanced Runner: The FR610 is really aimed at this market.  If you were previously considering the FR405 or FR410 – just ignore those two now and go with the FR610 – you’ll be quite happy.

4) The Cyclist: You want the Edge series of devices, check out the Edge 500 – it’s the best bet here.  If you want a crossover device, than go with the FR310XT.  While the FR610 does have cycling functions – it’s twice the price of the Edge 500.  Compared to the FR310XT, it’s the same price.  The FR310XT has more cycling functions than the FR610.

5) Someone that doesn’t fit in the above five categories: Check out my post – covering all the major categories here.

There will be two bundles of the FR610 available:

A) One bundle for $349 will include the watch, USB ANT+ stick, charging cable and the exciting manuals.

B) The other bundle for $399 will include the watch and the ANT+ soft premium heart rate strap, along with all the other goodies that come with the cheaper version.

Given the $50 price differential, if you plan to buy the HR strap at any point – it’s best to save the $5 and pick it up ahead of time.  If cash is short though, you can always buy any ANT+ HR strap later on (including the new 2010 premium edition one – just see accessories above).

As for availability, the watch will be available in ‘very limited quantities’ at both the London and Boston Marathon expo’s this weekend.  Beyond that it won’t be until May 6th that it’s widely available.

Comparison Chart:

Over time this comparison chart has slowly grown.  Your best bet is to simply click it and view it in all its full screen glory.  The goal here being to compare the most popular GPS based running watches that I’ve reviewed thus far.

Function/FeatureGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Copyright DC Rainmaker - Updated March 24th, 2024 @ 12:39 pm New Window
Price$349.00$599$899/$999$799+$549
Product Announcement DateAPR 12, 2011March 2nd, 2023May 31st, 2023May 31st, 2023Oct 11th, 2022
Actual Availability/Shipping DateAPR 15, 2011March 2nd, 2023May 31st, 2023May 31st, 2023Oct 25th, 2022
GPS Recording FunctionalityYesYesYesYesYes
Data TransferANT+ WirelessUSB/Bluetooth Smart/WiFiUSB/Bluetooth Smart/WiFiUSB/Bluetooth Smart/WiFiUSB & Bluetooth Smart
WaterproofingIPX7Yes - 50mYes - 100mYes - 100mYes - 100m
Dive/Snorkel FeatureNoNoNoYes to 10m
Battery Life (GPS)8 HoursUp to 31hrs with GPS30 to 82 hours (depends on mode/model)37 to 122 hours (depends on model/mode)Up to 70 hours
Solar ChargingNoNoYes (all models)AMOLED
Recording Interval1-second & smart1S or Smart1S or Smart1S or SmartVariable
Dual-Frequency GNSSYesyes (all models)Yes (all models)No
AlertsAUDIO/VISUAL/VIBRATEVibrate/Sound/VisualVibrate/Sound/VisualVibrate/Sound/VisualSound/Visual/Vibrate
Display TypeAMOLEDAMOLEDTransflective MIPSMIPS
Backlight GreatnessGreatGreatGreatGreatGreat
Ability to download custom apps to unit/deviceNoYesYesYesYes
Acts as daily activity monitor (steps, etc...)NoYesYesYesYes
Voice IntegrationGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Has Mic/SpeakerNoNoNoNo
Can make/receive callsNoNoNoNo
Voice AssistantNoNoNoNo
MusicGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Can control phone musicYesYesYesYes
Has music storage and playbackYesYesYesNo
Streaming ServicesSpotify, Amazon Music, DeezerSpotify, Amazon, DeezerSpotify, Amazon, DeezerNo
PaymentsGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Contactless-NFC PaymentsYesYesYesNo
ConnectivityGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Bluetooth Smart to Phone UploadingVia Wahoo Fitness AdapterYesYesYesYes
Phone Notifications to unit (i.e. texts/calls/etc...)NoYes (with connected phone)YesYesYes
Live Tracking (streaming location to website)NoYes (with connected phone)YesYesNo
Group trackingYes (with connected phone)YesYesNo
Emergency/SOS Message Notification (from watch to contacts)NoYes (with connected phone)Yes (via phone)Yes (via phone)No
Built-in cellular chip (no phone required)NoNoNoNoNo
CyclingGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Designed for cyclingYesYesYesYesYes
Power Meter CapableNoYesYesYesYes
Power Meter Configuration/Calibration OptionsN/AYesYesYesYes
Power Meter TSS/NP/IFN/AYesYesYesYes
Speed/Cadence Sensor CapableYesYesYesYesYes
Strava segments live on deviceYesYesYesNo
Crash detectionYesYesYesNo
RunningGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Designed for runningYesYesYesYesYes
Footpod Capable (For treadmills)YesYesYesYesYes
Running Dynamics (vertical oscillation, ground contact time, etc...)NoYes (Built-in)Yes (natively)YesNo
Running PowerYes (Built-in)Yes (natively)Yes (native)With extra sensor
VO2Max EstimationNoYEsYEsYEsYes
Race PredictorNoYesYes, plus PaceProYes, plus PaceProNo
Recovery AdvisorNoYesYesYesYes
Run/Walk ModeYesYesYesYesNo
Track Recognition ModeYesYesYesNo
SwimmingGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Designed for swimmingNoYesYesYesYes
Openwater swimming modeN/AYEsYEsYEsYes
Lap/Indoor Distance TrackingN/AYesYesYesYes
Record HR underwaterNoYesYesYesYes
Openwater Metrics (Stroke/etc.)N/AYesYesYesYes
Indoor Metrics (Stroke/etc.)N/AYEsYEsYEsYes
Indoor Drill ModeN/AYesYesYesNo
Indoor auto-pause featureN/ANo (it'll show rest time afterwards though)No (it'll show rest time afterwards though)No (it'll show rest time afterwards though)No
Change pool sizeN/AYEsYEsYEsYes
Indoor Min/Max Pool LengthsN/A14M/15Y TO 150Y/M14M/15Y TO 150Y/M14M/15Y TO 150Y/M15m/y to 1,200m/y
Ability to customize data fieldsN/AYesYesYesyes
Captures per length data - indoorsN/AYesYesYesYes
Indoor AlertsN/AYesYesYesNo
TriathlonGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Designed for triathlonNoYesYesYesYes
Multisport modeNoYesYesYesYes
WorkoutsGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Create/Follow custom workoutsYesYesYesYesNo
On-unit interval FeatureYesYEsYEsYEsYes
Training Calendar FunctionalityNoYesYesYesYes
FunctionsGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Auto Start/StopYesYesYesYesNo
Virtual Partner FeatureYesYEsYEsYEsNo
Virtual Racer FeatureYesYesYesYesNo
Records PR's - Personal Records (diff than history)NoYesYesYesNo
Tidal Tables (Tide Information)NoNoYesNoNo
Weather Display (live data)NoYesYesYesNo
NavigateGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Follow GPS Track (Courses/Waypoints)NoYesYesYesYes
Markers/Waypoint DirectionNoYesYesYesYes
Routable/Visual Maps (like car GPS)NoYesYesYesNo
Back to startYesYesYesYesYes
Impromptu Round Trip Route CreationNoYesYesYesNo
Download courses/routes from phone to unitNoYesYesYesYes
SensorsGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Altimeter TypeGPSBarometricBarometricBarometricBarometric
Compass TypeN/AMagneticMagneticMagneticMagnetic
Optical Heart Rate Sensor internallyYesYesYesYes
SpO2 (aka Pulse Oximetry)YesYesYesYes
ECG FunctionalityNoYes (Oct 2023 Firmware Update)Yes (Oct 2023 Firmware Update)No
HRV RecordingYes (nightly and on-demand)YesYesNo
Heart Rate Strap CompatibleYesYesYesYesYes
ANT+ Heart Rate Strap CapableYesYesYesYesNo
ANT+ Speed/Cadence CapableYesYesYesYesNo
ANT+ Footpod CapableYesYesYesYesNo
ANT+ Power Meter CapableNoYesYesYesNo
ANT+ Lighting ControlYesYesYesNo
ANT+ Bike Radar IntegrationYesYesYesNo
ANT+ Trainer Control (FE-C)YesyesyesNo
ANT+ Remote ControlNoNoNo (can control VIRB though)No (can control VIRB though)No
ANT+ eBike CompatibilityNoNoNoNoNo
ANT+ Gear Shifting (i.e. SRAM ETAP)YesYesYesNo
Shimano Di2 ShiftingYesYesYesNo
Bluetooth Smart HR Strap CapableNoYesYesYesYes
Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence CapableNoYesYesYesYEs
Bluetooth Smart Footpod CapableNoYesYesYesYes
Bluetooth Smart Power Meter CapableNoYEsYEsYEsYes
Temp Recording (internal sensor)NoYesYesYesYes
Temp Recording (external sensor)NoYesYesYesNo
SoftwareGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
PC ApplicationGTC/ANT AgentGarmin ExpressGarmin ExpressGarmin ExpressPC/Mac
Web ApplicationGarmin ConnectGarmin ConnectGarmin ConnectGarmin ConnectSuunto Movescount
Phone AppGarmin FitiOS/AndroidiOS/AndroidiOS/Android/Windows PhoneiOS /Android
Ability to Export SettingsNoNoNoNoNo
PurchaseGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
AmazonLinkLinkLinkLinkLink
Backcountry.comLink
REILinkLinkLinkLink
TPCLinkLinkLink
DCRainmakerGarmin Forerunner 610Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin Epix Pro SeriesGarmin Fenix 7 Pro SeriesSuunto 9 Peak Pro
Review LinkLinkLinkLinkLinkLink

Note: I’ve also gone ahead and uploaded the manual in PDF form, until Garmin is able to add it to their site.  You can download it here.

Pro’s and Con’s:

Finally, no review would be complete without the infamous pro’s and con’s section:

Pro’s:

– A GPS watch…that looks like a regular watch
– Adds 1-second recording option for all workouts
– Adds Run/Walk reminder feature (which can be used for all sorts of other things, like nutrition)
– Adds Virtual Racer feature, ability to race past performances/others
– Accurately tracks distance, heart rate, pace and a ton of other metrics
– Ability to change data fields at any time by simply pressing and holding data field
– Touchscreen works as advertised – no issues
– Connects to ANT+ foot pods and speed/cadence sensors for indoor workouts
– Connects to ANT+ weight scales and gym equipment
– Works as a normal watch (time/date/alarms) when not being used for fitness
– Wirelessly downloads workouts via ANT+ to computer

Con’s:

– Battery life is still limited at 8 hours
– Doesn’t support ANT+ power meters (cycling)
– Not fully waterproofed for swimming
– Lack of standard ‘course’ download and follow/review option
– Changed charging connector (some might see this as benefit, but I’m not convinced)

As always, thanks for reading, I appreciate it.  If you have any questions – feel free to post them below, I try to answer as often as possible.  Thanks!

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 items).  You can pickup the Garmin FR610 either with or without HR strap (and accessories). 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.

Garmin FR610
Garmin FR610 in funky new electric boogaloo blue color

Additionally, you can also use Amazon to purchase the unit or accessories (though, no discount on either from Amazon).  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 most places 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.

ProductStreet PriceAmazon
2013 - DCR - Gear I Use: Run
Forerunner 610 Cloth Replacement Strap
$20.00
$20.00
Garmin ANT+ Heart Rate Strap (Classic Plastic Strap) - HRM1
$37.00
$37.00
Garmin ANT+ Heart Rate Strap (Premium Soft-Strap) - HRM2
$69.00
$69.00
Garmin ANT+ Heart Rate Strap (Premium Soft-Strap) - HRM3
$50
$50
Garmin ANT+ Replacement HR Strap (for HRM3/HRM-RUN - just the strap portion)
$28.00
$28.00
Garmin ANT+ Running Footpod (Mini)
$45
$45
Garmin ANT+ Speed/Cadence Cycling Sensor (GSC-10)
$35.00
$35.00
Garmin ANT+ Transfer USB Stick (large sized)
$38.00
$38.00
Garmin ANT+ USB Transfer Stick (mini sized)
$49
$49
Garmin Bike Mount Kit (for mounting any watch onto handlebars)
$10.00
$10.00
Garmin Forerunner 610 Charging Cable
$16.00
$16.00
Lifesource UC-324 ANT+ Enabled Weight Scale (My recommendation)
$109.00
$109.00
Motorola ANT+ Speed/Cadence Cycling Sensor (Quick Install) - BEST!
$55.00
$55.00
Suunto ANT+ USB Transfer Stick (mini sized)
$37
$37
Suunto ANT/ANT+ Running Footpod (good for both ANT types)
$70.00
$70.00
Tanita BC-1000 ANT+ Enabled Weight Scale
$215.00
$215.00
Wahoo Fitness ANT+ iPhone Adapter (for uploading workouts wirelessly)
$40.00
$40.00

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. 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!

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982 Comments

  1. Humberto Claudino

    Thank you for the information because I am looking for a clock with gps for use in endurance riding.
    Humberto Claudino
    Porto Alegre – Brazil
    humbertoclaudino@yahoo.com.br

  2. Your review on Garmin Forerunner 610 is really really awesome and details. I think there is no other review as complete as you do. Honestly, This is Great reviews!

  3. Last question, I promise ;=)

    You can get Timex Ironman Global Trainer for just 195 USD and you pay 400 USD for Garmin FR610!!!!

    I can not understand this.
    Will Garmin change its price policy after the entrance of Timex Ironman Global Trainer in the market? Otherwise I think they will loose many clients.

    Thanks again, Ray!!!
    Francisco

  4. Anonymous

    Re GPS accuracy:

    I ran with both my 305 and 610 today; GPS distance was off by .04 a mile, or 211 feet on the 610. Pace varied wildly from my 305, 10-20 seconds, even when walking. I could see the GPS accuracy causing the .04 off, as in you have to run more, but the pace should not be tht far off. I am keeping my 305 for the time being.

  5. Ray, I recently purchased the Garmin 610 based on some dialog with you and am very happy with the device.

    I primarily use this device for mountaineering workouts. The 4 field read out with Time, Distance, Speed, and Elevation is everything a climber could want.

    I have found the Garmin 610’s GPS elevation values to be very accurate (within 10-30′ on 1000’+ gain/loss).

    I live in mountainous region of Colorado and all my workouts involve 1000’+ gain/loss.

    I have a question about the GarminConnect website. I have noticed calorie calculations do not appear to include elevation gain/loss. But if the calc doesn’t include elevation gain/loss, then how can it possibly compute calories correctly? Calorie values for workouts at GarminConnect.com show fewer calories for an ascent than a descent. If this is true, I want to buy this formula and bottle it. Since when is climbing a mountain less work than descending it?

    GarminConnect shows an ascent of 1000′ consuming 170 calories, but for the same descent it shows calories as 230. This is ridiculous (again, since when does climbing a mountain take less effort than descending?)

  6. Anonymous

    Can the 610 show GPS position in UTM format?

  7. Hi Steven-
    RE: Longer strap

    Very cool!

    Hi troll-
    RE: Barometric Altimeter on new FR310XT

    I don’t think we’ll see it jump from the Edge cycling line to the Forerunner running line. It sounds like either the Edge 500 or Edge 800 may be better, but unfortunately neither has options for running (MPH instead of minutes/mile).

    Hi Francisco-
    RE: Standard course following

    I don’t see them launching a new watch with just this one addition. I do see them probably adding it back in at some point, based on feedback from customers. It really does make a difference to send in a little note to support or the Garmin Twitter feet. Support makes a bigger impact though.

    In time I think you’ll see the next version of the FR310XT have most of what you want. Just guessing though.

    Hi Patrick-
    RE: Accuracy site

    See my earlier comments. In short, the more dramatic issues seem limited to just one user. There are some minor issues resulting in a few meters off here and there. Garmin commented yesterday they’re looking into them. I suspect we’ll simply see a minor software update (just like other updates) that will fix any outstanding bugs. I don’t see it as a major or critical issue for 99.99% of people at this point.

    Hi Humberto-
    Sounds like the right fit!

    Hi FR610-
    Thanks!

    Hi Francisco-
    RE: FR610 vs TGT

    The pricing difference reflects the quality of the products. The TGT simply isn’t at the same level as the FR310XT, or the FR610 – from a design standpoint. Over time I do suspect we’ll see the gaps close. Keep in mind the TGT started off another $150 higher. Also keep in mind the TGT suffers from some serious accuracy issues.

    Hi Anon-
    RE: Accuracy

    Thanks for the update. Just to let others know who may not be following, you’re behind the post noted above with the accuracy issues – and also Garmin is swapping out your watch for hopefully a non-defective one. Thanks!

    Hi Mike-
    RE: Calorie Calculations with elevation

    Unfortunately no Garmin devices account for elevation in calorie burn. Instead they focus on heart rate as the primary method, and failing that simple distance with weight calculations. See this for all the details:

    link to dcrainmaker.com

    Hi Anon
    RE: UTM format

    No, it does not show in UTM format.

    Thanks all!

  8. I’m buying a 610 tomorrow. What I NEED can be easily delivered by a 210 but then there is what I WANT. I’ve been using iMapMyRun but it goes wonky under tree cover. Last week it was stuck on 11.01 km even though I had run another km after that point. I will use the app & the 610 simultaneously & let’s see what the difference is.

  9. Julio

    DC,
    i am the anon poster…didn’t mean to cause the hate; I’m not the guy who has been all over Runners World and Garmin; I haven’t contacted Garmin, I’m just waiting on the update, but I wanted to share my experience with others.
    I am sorry for the confusion.

    Julio

  10. Ray,

    how do you get a Training Effect rating only with the Garmin device?
    On the workouts where I don’t use the Suunto memory belt I do it manually. Do you know of a way to get this automatically?

    Thanks

  11. Julio, I am the supposed person who is trying to get “revenge” from Garmin, because the GPS has accuracy problems and the start and occasionaly after laps.

    I am not out to get Garmin. I have been a customer of Garmin since 2008. It’s just that Garmin Customer Support and myself got off on a very bad foot when I asked them to look into the GPS accuracy problems I have noticed for the month that I had the watch. They basically first told me to accept it.

    However, after my initial push Garmin has been good to work with so far. I have sent my 610 back to Garmin and I am awaiting the new one to return.

    I have been contacted by other runners who have also experience the same problem with their 610 watch and other have posted on the Garmin forums as well.

    I just didn’t randomly go to Runnersworld and post about the Garmin. I post on the RW forum a lot, not just about the Garmin 610.

    I thought that it might be wise to just wait a while before purchasing the 610 (I did not tell people to not buy the watch, but to wait to buy the watch) until this GPS accuracy problem settles down and is fixed.

    Heck, it could be fixed tomorrow. Garmin already stated that if you tap on the screen to clear the Timer Started screen that shows up it seems to improve or remove the start bug. So at least they are getting somewhere.

    I am not on a mission to bring Garmin down or drive their sales down. My mission is that the 610, which when the GPS works, is a great watch. When it doesn’t work, it can be a rather frustrating experience (for me at least)….

  12. Julio

    DCV, I didn’t intend you to take it that way; I just didn’t want DC to think we were the same. I’ve read a lot of what you’ve posted and gained a lot of insight, so thanks for the tips.

  13. Anonymous

    Francis Bond ask about : FR610 Battery Life

    First, thanks to DC Rainmaker. Great reviews of Garmin product wich led me to buy my first GPS Watch, the Forerunner 610.

    While i am very impressed with all FR610 tools & options, the battery life tends to bother me quite a bit. Because of your review and Garmin statements about the battery life, i did know what to expect. Eight hrs of training seems short, but since I log only 4-5 hrs a week (4-5 trainings a week), I tought charging it once a week is not that bad.

    But, I opened up my FR610 last Saturday. I ran the three following days for a total of 2 hrs 30 min. The rest of the time the watch automaticly sets to energy saving mode and here I am on Wednseday (5 days from original purchase) with a battery level under 25 % and only 2hrs 30 min of training. I am afraid I won’t be able to get to my 8 km training of tomorrow which would led me well under 4 hrs of total training time.

    Should I turn of the “Vibrating’ feature ? As it vibrates to each laps, I suppose this will decrease battery life faster. I could use this option only on special events where it is very important to me to do not miss a split.

    Finally, Should I use the smart recording option instead of the 1’second option ? Here again, I suppose a big impact on battery life. Have you tried it ? Can you confirm ??

    Again thanks,

    Francis Bond
    bondf_007@hotmail.com

  14. Hi DCR,

    I’m stuck between the 610 and the 310. My running and cycling is just about split (Halfs,10ks, hopefully a few marathons soon, and PLENTY of century plus rides). What do you recommend?

    Thanks,
    Adam

  15. Bosse

    Do you recommend 310 or 610 for just running and what are the biggest reason for just “that” choice?

  16. To the person questioning battery life, why don’t you just charge it? When I had my watch when battery life got low I would charge it for an hour or two.

    To all others, there might be some sort of temporary fix for the start bug that seem to be in most watches. When the Timer Started window pops up on the screen, tap the screen to make it go away. Garmin has reported that this helps.

    link to forums.garmin.com

  17. 310 vs 610
    Thank you for the amazing review… what I was not sure about it “effectively reducing the wrist footprint of the larger (and slightly more capable) FR305 and FR310XT.” After reading both reviews, the only advantage that I see in 310xt is that you can swim with it… otherwise 610 seems more capable… are there other 310 functions that 610 can not match?

  18. Anonymous

    Does the 610 wear like the 210 or 410. (Is it as stiff as the 410 or less) Thanks. Great review

  19. Thanks, great review.

  20. Really enjoy reading your reviews. I currently have a Garmin FR60 I really like it. It has most features except GPS, since the 610 is a more streamline watch I’m hoping to update (can’t wait to try one on). Can I pair my current footpod & heart rate monitor with a new 610?
    Thanks
    r823

  21. Thanks for the great review. However I just got mine and having terrible problems with the touch screen. The screen does not recognize the right two menu options ‘training’ and ‘where to’

  22. Quick correction RE: UTM format.
    This can indeed be done – via the Units menu.

    Hi Julio-

    Thanks for the clarificaiton. I’m working to get official word from Garmin on a potential release date for a firmware fix.

    Hi Rodrigo-
    RE: Training Effect

    No, it’s only automatic on the Garmin’s. I don’t know of another way.

    Hi dcv2002-
    I look forward to you getting back your watch all fixed up, hopefully that resolves most of the issues, combined with a firmware update.

    Hi Francis-
    RE: Battery life

    Hmm, strange, mine lasts quite a while. I’ve done some two hours runs and then a week’s worth of other runs without issue. I’d ring up Garmin support and check. 1s shouldn’t have a substantial impact on battery life (based on previous conversations about it with them I’ve had).

    Hi Adam-
    RE: 610 vs 310XT

    Since you’re heavy on the cycling, the 310XT seems like a better fit.

    Hi Bosse-
    RE: 610 vs 310XT for running

    For just running, hands down the FR610. I haven’t used my FR310XT for running since the day the FR610 arrived.

    Hi Emil-
    RE: 310XT Capabilities

    For triathlests, the FR310XT has advantages in that it goes 20hrs vs 8-10, it has power meter support, and the openwater swim mode (usefullness is questionable). More importantly though, it’s fully waterproofed.

    See my slowtwitch post on more details between the two:
    link to slowtwitch.com

    Hi Anon-
    RE: FR610 band

    No, it’s soft like the FR210. Not like the FR405/410 which is annoyingly hard.

    Hi Rhonda-
    RE: Footpod & HRM

    Yup, the FR60 footpod and HR straps are ANT+ and fully compatible with the FR610. I use them interchangeably.

    Hi Irvine-
    RE: Calibration

    Try this out, it’ll allow you to recalibrate your screen:

    “When going through the screen calibration on the Forerunner 610, the user may need to use a stylus or other sufficiently accurate tool to perform the calibration. Touching the dots with your finger, or otherwise inaccurately will cause the calibration to fail and repeat from the beginning.

    Touchscreen calibration –
    Hold the start/stop key while you power the device on, until you see “SOFTWARE LOADER” on the screen. Continue holding it for about 10 seconds while this is on the screen, and it will eventually change to the splash screen on its own. Once the splash screen appears, release the button. The calibration page should appear after the splash screen.”

    Thanks all!

  23. Thanks again for amazing reviews and time you took to answer the questions

  24. Hi Ray,

    About the touchscreen of the 610, I’ve read the review, but it just came to mind after a half marathon on saturday, i realised i had difficulty using my iPod nano as the touch dial refused to sense my finger.. if you had sweaty fingers, would the response of the touchscreen on the 610 still work?

    cheers!

  25. MrT

    Hi,

    could you comment on the visibility in low light situations while running, especially compared to the 310XT and 305?

    What is the character size in 2/3 and 4 field view, again, compared to 305 and 310XT?

    Greetings

    Gerard

  26. Hi!

    Great review!
    Thinking about buying a Forerunner 610, but I have one big doubt:

    Is the FR610 display made of real, solid glass? It’s because I read the screen is resisitive, and all the common resistive touchscreens are made of acrylic layers, that have some degree of flex when pressed.
    Is the display solid when pressed? Is it real glass? This will be very important on the decision I will make!

    Thanks for your good work!

    Ricardo M
    Portugal

  27. Elissa

    Hi tx for great review. I am wondering if i can use the 610 as an activity monitor? Yes i want to use if for running but as i work up to “running” i need a pedometer and would like to monitor and track as much as my daily activity, or inactivity as possible to encourage me to keep going. Would the 610 work for me? I have tried the fitbit but it does not seem accurate.

  28. Thanks so much for the help. I tried to recalibrate but could not. Also did two runs and the GPS was totally off! I did a group run for 9 miles and it was .15 miles of at the end and the map on Garmin connect left out the second half of the run. I decided to return the watch today. I will try another just incase I got a defective one.

  29. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the Garmin 610. I’m female with very small wrists, wear it all the time (to work and work out). Its big but its not practical joke big. The only feature I wish this (or any gps watch) had was an embedded micro SIM (ala iPad) so that data can be uploaded/transferred from anywhere at any time — without necessarily having to be near my computer.

  30. Bobby

    Hi DC, amazing review!

    I’m just going to be blunt. I am purely a runner and just want the watch that will give me the best accuracy for my runs. What should I choose between these:

    305
    310XT
    610
    Nike Sportwatch+

    PS: I see the 610 is having accuracy issues for some people and that puts me off, but is it just on a couple units and/or will it probably be resolved

  31. I’m still choosing between Nike+ GPS sportwatch and the Garmin Forerunner 610. Started running and planning to enter competitions locally, then regionals. i think Garmin FR 610 is much more to offer than the Nike watch, but Nike offers excellent social n community content like the challenges n so on. Hmmm

  32. Thanks for a great review.

    Living in Europe I can see that there is 2 different article NOs of the FR610 and pricing.
    Will it work in EU if I purchased in US ????

  33. Battery life

    Is there anything wrong with just putting the watch on a charger like a cell-phone every night or will it run down the battery and I should charge it only when it’s low?

    Thanks

  34. Newbee

    Thanks for a really helpful review!

    Given a run strategy like this:
    Run 5km at 5.00 min / km
    Run 5km at 4.30 min / km

    Here the Virtual Partner cannot be used, since the run strategy is not at a constant pace.

    How can I program the Garmin FR610’s Virtual Racer to execute my run strategy (so that I can follow it and try to beat it)?

  35. Bobby,

    I am the one who first noted the accuracy problems. Looks like it will be a while until I find out if it was my watch of widespread because it seems I they will not ship me a new watch until June 22nd. So glad I spent $400 on this watch only to have it not work and be without it for over a month….

    For the person asking about the virtual pacer/trainer. You wouldn’t be able to try and beat it, because as you have noted you just stick in an overall pace for the run and that is what you are pacing against, not individual intervals. You can setup what you want to do as a workout, but thats it.

  36. Newbee

    dcv2002apv2005, thanks for your answer!

    Maybe it is possible to find or run a 10k activity, and then modify it with a software tool to adapt the activity to my race strategy before uploading it into the Garmin FR610..?

    I also have another question: How can the Garmin FR610 be used to find my “fitness index” of some sort, so that I can track my progress throughout the running season?

    I think Polar has something called “OwnIndex” – does the FR610 have something like this, or can the Garmin Training Center, Garmin Connect or other software calculate such an index based on training data from the FR610?

  37. Jeanette

    Hi,

    Thanks for another great review!

    I was wondering, can you change the pace of the Virtual Partner of FR610 while running, like on the 310xt?

    I can’t find anything about it in the manual..

  38. Hello!

    First of all I want to thank you for the in depth information that you have posted on your blog.

    I have been an on and off runner for about 5 years and recently I have started training for my very first 21Km run (Amsterdam Marathon in October).

    Currently I am using the Nike+ wrist watch and foot pod, and although the flashy Nike+ site is really nice to watch and to have “challenges” but it is quite dissapointing that whenever you are on the run the watch tells you have run 10Km when in reality you only ran 8Km, even my body tells me that I need to run more because I don’t feel like I would feel with that distance… keeping a story short, I then proceeded to investigate GPS watches…

    After reading upon Suunto’s and Polar’ possibility I concluded that I wanted a watch that would allow me to control my heart rate, distance, pace, tell how long/far I still need to run, where I’m going, calories burned… this how I came upon the Garmin 610.

    After doing more research I found out that another nice watch is the Garmin 310xt (even though I have extremely small wrists I really do not care so much about looks).

    Now I am in a “dilemma”. I love biking as well, and do plan to do some thriatlons, but that will be in the future, I’m also a diver and it would be kind of cool if you could take the watch for dives.

    So if money, size are not issues, which one should I buy when the only things I want are:

    – accurate distance reading during and after the run (sometimes I like to simply just run 10Km without planning the route before hand, with the Nike+ you really can not do that!)
    – accurate calories burnt
    – accurate heart rate (even when you are running with other people that have heart rate monitors as well, aka no interference from other monitors)
    – accurate interval training (alarms for that?)

    I hope that I am not asking too much information here, but these are few things that are holding me back from making a decision. Even though money is not an issue, it is still quite a price…

    Last question: the touch screen, are there guarantees on that? in your opinion will it break easily?

    Thank you so much beforehand

    cheers

    Ariana

  39. Anonymous

    Great review! One thing I am really surprised though is you don’t mention that you have to view the “std date/time/day of week watch screen” as one of your screens when in training mode. Such a stupid thing to not be able to turn off. Garmin told me that they didn’t thInk it was that big a deal. Give me a break!

  40. Koz

    Amazingly in depth reviews… you should be getting paid to do these. I am super-psyched I stumbled upon your site. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put all this information together in one place!
    Ironically, reading the reviews for comparison has confirmed what I suspected…the unit I really want to replace my 305 that bit the dust(b/c of me, not the watch itself!) still doesn’t exist…

    I thought the 410 sounded sweet but the consistent complaints about bezel issues are a deal breaker…

    Then I thought the 210 was where it was at b/c I like the simplicity idea but I’m a mountain runner and no elevation data, real-time or otherwise, is a definite deal breaker…

    The 610 sounds awesome but I’m really skeptical about a touchscreen on a running watch.

    If the 210 had elevation as a data option or the 610 had good old-fashioned reliable buttons I’d be flipping a coin but it looks like I may come full circle and end up with another 305. It would just be great to not have a red and silver “brick” on my wrist, but I had one for over 3 years and it NEVER let me down.

    Decisions, decisions…

    Thanks again for these in-depth reviews!
    – Jeff K

  41. I got my new 610 on Friday. I have run with it three times (along with my 305).

    Here is what I have seen:

    1. The start GPS accuracy bug is probably in every watch. It was in my new watch. Show the GPS accuracy field on your watch when you run, see if it occurs after you press Start.

    2. The bug fix that Garmin mentioned on their forums actually works. You need to clear the Timer Started screen (by tapping on it) when it appears. Maybe even clear the Lap screens also to be safe.

    3. So, when I cleared the screen my distances between the 305 and 610 basically agreed.

    4. It would be good if Garmin could address this in a software update.

    5. As Anonymous posted above, having the time-of-day screen in Auto Scroll is utterly useless and annoying.

    6. There are some uploading issues to Garmin Connect with ANT+ I encountered these also this weekend.

    So, in the end, I would say my 2nd experience with the 610, after knowing what to look for, and how to fix it, it better but not 100% great. The issues should be able to be handled by software updates.

    garmin610problems.blogspot.com

  42. Hi, just another great review.

    It looks like a …Suunto…

  43. Anonymous

    thanx for final words : “no screen option follow the course”! Dont want it even for 1 buck!

  44. Amir

    Amir
    thanks for great reviews. which product would u recommend for road cycling and running (unfortunately not much of a swimmer). i want it to have gps guide.

  45. Anyone buy the velcro wrist strap kit? link to buy.garmin.com
    Curious as to how it looks and feels. I have the velcro strap for the 305 and thought it was much more comfortable, although made the watch look bulkier too. If so be great to see a picture. Thanks!

  46. Anonymous

    Just wondering if this watch is compatible with MapMyRun application?

  47. Great Review, very detailed, love it.
    I’ve a Garmin 305, which does a good job for me. But I’d like to replace the old heart rate monitor with the new one (the new premium).
    I wasn’t able to find it online. All products on amazon show the old premium and even your link to the Garmin shop (link to buy.garmin.com) leads to a product with pics of the old premium strap.
    Would you know where to get it?

  48. Lukas

    Thanks for this great review! =)
    I’m an orienteer and want to buy either a Forerunner 410 or a 610. Do you know which of them has the better GPS reception? Or do they have the same receiver?

  49. JSBar

    Hey, DC Rainmaker,

    thanks for the thorough review. I just bought the 610!

    I will use it for running and measuring my heartrate while lifting weights at the gym.

    I have a question. I want to get the most realistic average calories burnt for the whole work out, not just the running. Should I leave the timmer on after I switch activities? Should I create a new work out?

    On the other hand, I want to keep an accurate track of the running only data?

    Any suggestions on how I can use the 610 to do this?

    Thanks.
    Keep up the good work. This blog is INSANE!

  50. For those of you that want to see the accuracy error on the 610. try this.

    Set to 1 sec mode. TUrn OFF autolap. Do a 800m on track. The watch will probably tell you 0,80 or 0,81 or whatever. Thats normal.

    Then turn on autolap every 0,1m. Do the same run on a 800m track, and suddenly it will measure 710meters. thats over 10% error.

  51. Anonymous

    First of all, thanks for taking the time and energy to provide us with so much detailed information!

    My FR 305 died on 6/13/2011 and Garmin wants $79 to replace the battery. Even the resets didn’t revive it. I was all set to get a new 305 from Amazon until I came across your blog. Now I’m not so sure. I’m a runner only. No serious biking or swimming. I might just have to get myself an additional Father’s Day gift.

  52. Larry

    I got the 610 a few weeks ago and have started to get used to running with it.

    I bought the velcro wristband kit but one wristband is too long for me and the other one is too short. Luckily, the original 405 wristbands work with the 610, although the colors don’t match.

    I am also annoyed by the fact that the date/time screen comes up as part of the Auto Scroll functionality. I configured one training page to display during my race and I look down to see the date/time, absolutely useless information. I have posted on the Garmin site asking them to give us an option to turn it off.

    I haven’t been bothered by the GPS inaccuracies because I run with the foot pod, although it looks like I have to use a different calibration factor than the one I used with 405. Why? All of my miles seem to be coming out to 1.02. This is from manually splitting yesterday’s 5 mile Portugal Day run in New York. Ok, 4 out of 5 were 1.02, 1 mile was 1.01. Am I that bad at running the tangents?

    I have enabled 1 second recording but Garmin Training Center seems to display the activity in 2 second increments, unless I am missing something. Is there a new version of Garmin Training Center to go with the 610?

    Here is a quirk. I believe you have to make sure you tab out of both the high and low pace zone limits when creating a custom workout or the pace zone will not get transferred correctly to the watch. I have seen 6:46/min come across as 2:59/min.

    Overall, I like the watch. I think the display is a lot easier to read than the display on the 405, a big plus for me. The touch screen takes some getting used to, but it’s faster to use than the touch bezel. With a few firmware fixes, I’ll be happy. Please, please, please get rid of the date/time page.

  53. Larry

    One other thing, where can I see the training effect in Garmin Training Center? I see it on the watch but not after I upload the workout. Yesterday’s race gave me a training effect of 4.9. I am happy to have the training effect as an indicator of my training load. Using mileage as an indictor of training load, without taking into account intensity, is pretty much useless, in my opinion.

    Larry

  54. Thanks for a detailed, and enjoyable, review, which convinced me to buy this model.

    Unfortunately, within the first week of use I had three issues: black lines appearing in TIME OF DAY/LOCK mode, satellite acquisition taking minutes, switching itself off and restarting when pressing the LAP/RESET button. Today it died on me with a blank screen.

  55. Thanks for this really exhaustive review which will help me to decide between Garmin 610 and Suunto T6d

  56. Thanks for the review, it convinced me to pick up the 610 to replace my old timex kit with the separate GPS, data recorder, HRM, etc.

    I’ve enjoyed the simplicity of this unit. There are two minor flaws in my opinion:
    1) I wish that the USB charging cable would also work as a data connection cable – it would make travelling easier, as there would be once less piece you could forget. It would also be nice if they could find a way to use a standard USB style cable, like the new mini-standard for cellphones, although I guess this might cause water-resistance issues.
    2) Why oh why did they switch to using tiny screws on the battery compartment for the HRM! The battery on mine has died after just a week of operation, and now it has been sitting idle for a week because I don’t have the necessary jeweler’s screwdriver to get the darn thing open. The old style compartment that could be opened with a dime was perfection – why did they mess with that!
    Cheers, and keep up the great writing!

  57. Wez

    Hi

    just bought a foredunner 610 and really impressed. downloaded a run and all over the stats! i have a question though; you show a view of the raw data to show it is recording in 1s, how do i view this information?

    Thanks for the great review helped me make my mind up to buy one

    Ian West

  58. Just FYI: The last Firmware Update to the Edge 500 added 1s recording.

    I’ve been running/training with the FR60 for about 4 years now and The new FR610 looks like the next watch to add to my GPS lineup. Totally happy with the durability. The Touch Screen still has me spooked though. (BB Torch User :P)

  59. by7

    When taking a split, does the screen offer a FULL summary of the split (Time, Distance, average pace, average HR) ??

    I ask this because I am baffled by my 405: when I take split, it only gives you the time !! So it is impossible to know your actual pace and distance for that split

    (in comparison the Polar RS800 display a nice summary of the split (distance, time, speed, HR, etc)

  60. Anonymous

    Have had nothing but trouble with the Garmin connect website. Watch does not come with software. I like the watch but the Garmin website and support are rubbish. Only purchase if you want a watch and not the features online. Knowing what i know now i would not have purchased this watch.

  61. Anonymous

    Garmin needed to do 4 things for this watch
    1. Get training effect , which thankfully they have as this is a fantastic tool for your training and is one of the most important results you need for your training
    2. make the dam thing water tight so you can swim in it, which they have not done.
    3. Make the belt a duel belt so it does both digital and anolog signals as this would be very usefully in most if not all gyms.
    4. make it a bit smaller , as it only looks just a bit smaller than a 405 and they are just no good for training in the gym .
    If they manage to get all them things done then i would consider parting with my sunnto T6

  62. miki269

    Thank you for your professional review.Two questions: 1. Do the 610 and the 210 allow repetitive daily alarms 2. Is it possible to use the 210 intervals as a run/walk function’ and if so-how

  63. In your review, you show SportTracks importing data from the 610, and the import dialog lists three devices. How did you get SportTracks to display that dialog. The only thing I found on their site showed how to import files (link to zonefivesoftware.com), not devices.

  64. Matt K.

    Great review BTW!
    Did the watch you tried have a glass screen as stated in the review. Mine is plastic….. I would have rathered had glass. That’s the only thing I dislike about the watch.

  65. Anonymous

    Hello Ray,I’ve been reading your reviews for some time now. They were very helpfull to me. I decided to order the Forerunner 610. Today I ran with it the first time. It’s everything I want in a sportswatch.
    Just want to say thanks!

    regards,

    George,

    Rotterdam, Netherlands

  66. Jason

    Fantastic post. Thanks for everything. I have loved mine so far.

    I went for a ride but recorded it as a run. I know how to change this in the software after the workout is transferred to my computer but is there a way to change it on the unit itself?

  67. Got the 610 after agonising over whether to invest in it as a replacement for my TGT…

    It works perfectly for me, no regrets..

    GPS acquisition is miles ahead of TGT, vibration alerts are helpful and the overall implementation is pretty slick..

  68. Hey all Garmin 610 owners, I was wondering if anyone has had any problems or issues with the battery posts/connectors on the watch itself – with any corrosion of those posts? I had to already send one watch back for a replacement…I am worried that this will happen to my new one. Has this happened to anyone or does anyone have any thoughts of how I can prevent this from happening again????

    • melissa

      Not sure if anyone’ still reading this but I’m on my 3rd FR610 with corrosion on the posts. It prevents the charger from attaching to the watch properly and so you’re never able to charge it again. I’ve been getting replacements from the store where I bought it but now I”m going to send back to Garmin and see what they can do. I read on some other forums that people were getting their watches back from Garmin with a fix for this so maybe I”ll be able to as well, otherwise time for a different model. I’ve had too many problems with this model. (I”m on my 4th!)

    • Hi Melissa-

      As noted above, Garmin is replacing (free of charge) any FR610’s experiancing corrosion/discoloration issues. Just ring up Garmin Support. While working with your local store is normally the best bet, they’ll likely keep giving you FR610’s with metal backing, vs the new ones with a plastic backing.

  69. Run4MS,

    I’ve had mine for about a month and a half. No issues with corrosion of the posts. After a workout, I briefly rinse the watch off under the faucet and then dry it with a towel. So far, so good.

    I hope you have better luck with your replacement.

  70. Great writeup… Answer me this, is is possible to set something such that the unit stops recording when it detects you are stopped? This isn’t so much an issue running unless I guess you are stopping at a lot of stop lights, but you are likely doing that on the bike – I want to record ride time not elapsed time, there is a clock for that…
    thanks

  71. I am going on a 7 day Belgium bike trip (about 300 miles) and will not have a laptop to upload GPS data, but will be able to charge the Garmin battery. Is there a way to have the whole trip covered without losing data? Can I transfer GPS data to a memory card? What Garmin model would be best? Thanks!

  72. kontiky

    Ray, thanks for great review.
    But I have a different question. How do you avoid melancholy during long races? Do you have mp3 player with your or something like this?

  73. zkaizen

    Hi ray
    Thanks for the great review, about to replace my 310xt (end of life), I do triathlons, is the 610 a good replacement or should I wait for the successor of the 310xt? Any updates on the timeline of the possible 310xt replacement?

  74. k05

    I just got my 610 and am trying to charge it but it won’t charge. Do you know of any troubleshooting issues. The cradle clicks on but nothing happens.
    Also your reviews are awesome.

  75. I am just curious as to why yours looks totally different than mine. I just purchased it and am having a hard time figuring it out and I found your blog and was so excited to finally see how it works and boom, your is different. Mine has a bezel touch, not touch screen.

  76. (Part 1 Answers)

    General Note Regarding comments about accuracy-

    Back in June Garmin released a new firmware that significantly improves GPS accuracy substantially on the FR610. I re-did a number of my GPS accuracy tests and found it scary-accurate. You can read all about here:

    link to dcrainmaker.com

    While answering comments I’ll skip over any comments about the accuracy previous to that point since I believe it to be resolved. Thanks!

    Hi Ouch-
    RE: Touchscreen

    It’s very different, super easy to use while wet. I’ve had tons of wet runs since without any issue. Especially once I realized you can just tap the screen in the center to change data fields. Much eaiser than swiping.

    Hi MrT-
    RE: Low light

    You can turn on the light and it’s on par with the FR310XT, and better than the FR305.

    RE: Character fields

    It’s smaller than the FR305/FR310XT in most cases, except if you just put one data field up – in which case it’s equal.

    Hi Ricardo-
    RE: Display material

    It looks glassy to me and doesn’t depress when I press. But others have said it’s plastic. Personally, plastic would be preferred from a breakage standpoint.

    Hi Elissa-
    RE: Activity monitor

    If you put on a footpod, yup, it’ll work – at least until the battery dies about 8-10 hours later. The FitBit is in some ways better here.

    Hi Alex-
    Thanks!

    Hi Bobby-
    RE: Which watch

    Choose the FR610 as a pure runner.

    Hi Digital-
    RE: Nike+ or FR610

    Go with the FR610, vastly better than the Nike+ if you want the additional features.

    Hi Lars-
    RE: Whether it works in Europe

    Yup, no issues there – I’ve taken a number of trips thus far over with it without issue.

    Hi Emil-
    RE: Charging

    No issues, I do that often.

    Hi Newbee-
    RE: Race Strategy

    You’ll want to use the Workouts feature and create a workout on Garmin Training Center (or Garmin Connect soon), to do this.

    Hi Jeanette-
    RE: Changing virtual partner pace

    Yup, just hold down the screen for a second and it’ll adjust.

    Hi Ariana-
    RE: Which watch

    Given everything you’re saying with doing triathlons, I’d go with the FR310XT.

    Hi Anon-
    RE: Date/Time as non removable field

    I asked the Garmin folks about this last week – they said it’s high on the list of feedback they’ve heard and are looking into it.

    Hi Koz-
    RE: Which watch

    I think you’ll find the touch screen really easy to work with. The buttons you use on a day to day standpoint (Start/stop/lap/light/etc…) are all still there. Which are really the only buttons you use in a workout aside from changing the page, in which case you can just tap the screen to go to the next data field.

    Hi Amir-
    RE: Road cycling and running

    If you’re a casual rider, I’d go with the FR610. If you’re more serious and still want a crossover device, the FR310XT may be better. If you’re far more into cycling than running, than the Edge 500/800 may be better for you for cycling.

    Hi Anon-
    RE: MapMyRun App

    No, it’s not.

    Hi Schadix-
    RE: Premium HR monitor

    All heart rate straps purchased individually off of Garmin’s site will ship the new premium edition (2010 version). Unless you purchase the old school classic edition.

  77. (Part II Answers)

    Hi Lukas-
    RE: Orienteer-

    For that, since the FR610 doesn’t support courses, I’d actually look at the FR310XT as your better bet. Otherwise, the FR610 has the better GPS chip, the FR410 shares the chip with the FR405, which is a bit older.

    Hi JSBar-
    RE: Most realistic calories

    You’ll want a heart rate stap, and the Garmin FR610 supports heart rate burn based stats. Additionally, you can get a New Leaf test done to increase accuracy.

    Hi Espen/Larry-
    RE: New Garmin Training Center

    Yes, you can download the newest version from the Garmin site. There’s a beta link also in the forums with a bunch more features. I don’t believe Training Effect is there yet (based on my version anyway).

    Hi Eric-
    Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying it!

    Hi Wez-
    RE: Raw data

    I used a program called XML Marker (free, just google it) and then I opened up the TCX file, which is just an XML file.

    Hi Shadow-
    Thanks!

    Hi By7-
    RE: Split info

    No, just the split time, that’s it. Later in software it shows it, but not on the display during the run.

    Hi Anon-
    RE: Watch coming with software

    You can download the Garmin Training Center software, which is free and also available.

    Hi Miki-
    RE: Alarms

    Yes, both do.

    RE: 210 intervals for walk/run

    Not really unfortunately. You can create an interval for the rest to simply be for walking, which would work – but you’d have to set it for a really high number of intervals to make it work.

    Hi Jim-
    RE: Importing from Sport Tracks

    To do so you’ll navigate to the Garmin folder holding your workouts, which would be something similiar to this:

    C:\Users\rmaker\Application Data\Garmin\Devices\3660261241\History

    Just swap out username and the device ID.

    Hi Anon-
    Thanks!

    Hi Jason-
    RE: Changing ride to run

    In Garmin Connect on the activity you can change the dropdown box to show sport and simply change it. But on teh unit itself, there’s no way to change it afterwards. Sorry!

    Hi Ouch-
    Good to hear!

    Hi Run4MS-
    RE: Corrosion

    I’ve had no issues thus far, nor have I heard of any.

    Hi Peter-
    RE: Stops recording when you’re stopped

    Yup, this is the autopause feature. Does exactly as you described. Enjoy!

    Hi LeonidG-
    RE: 7 days of data

    You should be good with 7 days of data on the watch without downloading

    Hi Kontiky-
    RE: Avoiding getting bored during long races

    Not really sure actually, no MP3 player or the like. I guess I just watch the world go buy and focus on executing my race plan. Except in the Ironman races, in which case I focus on the moment when the darn thing is over.

    Hi Zkaizen-
    RE: Replacing FR310XT

    I’d wait two months…but that’s just me.
    link to dcrainmaker.com

    Hi K05-
    RE: No charge

    Hmm, haven’t heard of this. Every once in a while it gets fussy and won’t set right but usually I just readjust and it gets going ifne. I’d definitely ring up Garmin support!

    Hi Jennifer-
    RE: Watch looks different.

    It sounds like you’ve got the FR405 or FR410, and definitely not the FR610. I’d highly suggest returning it for the FR610 over those two. I’m not a huge fan of the FR405/FR410.

    Thanks all, and sorry for the delay here – been a bit of a crazy few months with wedding and honeymoon, just getting a chance to catchup on all the past comments.

  78. Awesome… still waiting for Nike+ Sportwatch GPS features (water, battery life, etc.) with Garmin accuracy and reliability.

  79. Ben

    great review, you really helped me alot.
    the garmin 610 is the first garmin watch to have “training effect”,this technology is made by a company named firstbeat (and is used a lot on suunto watches). i’ve been on their website (firstbeat.fi) and they state there that they are working on a new firstbeat athlete version to be compatible with the garmin 610. and estimate the release to be in july-august. do you know anything more accurate about the release date?

    also, is it possible to track data without using a computer and how many runs can be remembered on the watch?

  80. Fred

    Thanks DC Rainmaker. Based on your review I bought the FR610 and have been very happy with it. So far I never had the watch switch to footpod, even in a valley forrest it kept locking on to GPS. I love the interval training feature and custom screens as well. Keep up the good work!!

  81. CTR

    Thanks DC Rainmaker for your thorough reviews.

    However I’m still hesitating between the FR610 and RCX5.

    I’m looking for a personal trainer watch that will guide me through each workout. I need that extra incentive 😉

    I would like to be able to have training sessions were I can have or set specific targets.

    Let’s say I would like to setup a workout that starts with a target of 75 BPM for 10 min and then prompts me to go to 115 e.g and would allow to set up as many targets per session as possible. And if I’m not in the target zones the watch should start beeping.

    I know the FR610 as the virtual partner. Is it possible to customize the speed/distance of the VP in order to speed up the pace after 1 km, e.g?

    Another feature I’m looking for are pre made programme. Like the FT60, which has goals such as to lose weight or improve fitness (but with a guidance per training session as described above).

    For a PT watch which one is more comprehensive?

    Thanks, very much appreciated
    CTR

  82. Would you recommend this watch to a beginner? I am also wondering if it can be used to connect/sync with Runkeeper without my iphone and on a treadmill?

  83. Great review – thanks for the detail.

    Wondering if with the 610 it is possible to have 2 profiles? So I can allow my wife to use the watch for her trainning – and not mix up our numbers. Thanks for any info.

  84. Urbanite

    “BarborkaOnTheRun May 21, 2011 8:56 AM

    Thanks to the comments of other readers, I realized that one can actually load Garmin data to Nike+ (even though they don’t have public API, so who knows how long is this going to be possible).”

    Does anyone have any more information on this? I’m a Nike+ user, but would really like to have more precise measurements. Is it possible to use the Garmin data (from 610) for the nike+ website and challenges?

    Thanks. Urb

  85. Hello, Im using Garmin 110 for a long time and Im thinking about buying 610 your review is really good! I find great informations thanks! Also can’t decide between 405 or 610. I was using 610 few days and I can say its very nice and clean design with everything you need!

  86. I’ve been using the 305 for a few years (including replacing it once while Garmin repaired the original which stopped working). Anyway, after reading this post I thought I’d give the 610 a try. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite stack up to the 305 in my opinion.

    The primary drawback of the 610 is screen size and the fact that it’s a touch screen. Though the screen isn’t particularly hard to use, I find that it is slower to navigate that the physical push buttons on the 305. As for the screen, I find it much more difficult to read than the 305 (when cramming 4 fields onto a single screen … which is how I use the 305).

    I did a few trial runs with both watches and got essentially identical readings for distance (including a bridge underpass and running alongside a row of tall buildings for a fair bit of the run). Based on the review, perhaps the 610 would do better when running obstructed trails or in the middle of a city, but this didn’t outweigh the screen size and touch screen aspects for me. Oh, the price (3x a 305) didn’t help either.

    It’s going back. When Garmin updates the 305 (or 310XT) with an improved GPS chip I’ll upgrade.

  87. Anonymous

    Hi DC Rainmaker,
    Thanks for you great reviews and congrats on your recent wedding!

    I currently a 5k/10k runner, who loves the technology and information the GARMIN provides. I have a 210 right now, but have been thinking about upgrading to the 610 for a few reasons. 1. I run with headphones on and often do not hear the beeps for my interval warnings, etc. The vibration feature on 610 seems like it would solve that so I am not constantly checking the watch 2) like the ability to display 4 items 3)like the new charger and automatic syncing. However, I am concerned about the touch screen and WONDERING IF YOU THINK WEARING A JACKET OR LONG SLEEVE SHIRT OVER THE WATCH WOULD AFFECT THE WATCH. IN THE COLDER MONTHS HERE I OFTEN RUN WITH A JACKET THAT WOULD RUB ON THE SCREEN. Given my reasons for upgrading are fairly minor, I am not sure if I should updgrade at this point.

  88. Hi
    Following your amazing quality review of the Garmin 310XT I bought the watch. I wasn’t disappointed with what it can do, only in it’s non-every day wear size.
    You have exceed your usually quality in-depth (amazingly free) review with the Forerunner 610. From what I read, I bought this watch, following your Amazon link. I have used this watch. I was not let down or disappointed. It is a daily wear watch with benefits! Having it on my wrist all the time allows for spontaneous fun exploitation of it’s capabilities as well the familiarity to use it for it’s main purpose.
    Please carry on doing what you are doing and, doing it so well.
    Kind regards
    Charlie

  89. Hi,
    thanks so much for the review of the FR610, Just got it from a local store in Montreal. I’m at work, can’t wait to get home and go running.
    Sunday we should get some big wind, and i am goind Catamaran with my budy. This watch rock, and your reviews are awsome.
    Thanks a million

    Jeff Montreal

  90. Anonymous

    can you change the distance and speed from miles to kilometers

  91. just received my 610 but unfortunately I’m using Ubuntu OS, can you help me by finding a way to sync?

    believe as a geek, you will help me :-))

  92. Hi Andrew-
    RE: Nike+ with FR610

    …or, the other way around. Either way, a combination of some of the features would be key.

    Hi Ben-
    RE: New Firstbeat algorithm

    I haven’t heard of anything to date, but I’ll add it to my list to discuss with the Garmin Engineers when I see them in person in late September.

    Hi Fred-
    Thanks! Great to hear!

    Hi CTR-
    RE: Customized workouts

    Yes, you can do that via Garmin Training Center and then transfer it to the watch – or shortly via Garmin Connect.

    RE: Personalized Coach

    Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a personalized coaching system or platform behind it – though many coaching sites will create workouts that are compatible with Garmin watches. I believe TrainingPeaks has this option.

    Hi Trond-
    RE: Beginner watch

    I’d recommend the cheaper FR210 watch. It works with a treadmill and footpod and it’ll cost you about $200 less (right now on sale with the HR strap for $185 at both REI or Amazon). Both will allow you to upload to RunKeeper afterwords.

    Hi Bill-
    RE: Two Profiles

    Unfortunately none of the watches allow two profiles on the device itself. However, what you can do is simply create two Garmin Connect accounts and then just pickout the activities individually to your own account. It’s what most folks do and works fairly well.

    Hi Urb-
    RE: Garmin Data to Nike+

    I too would love to hear more about this, as I haven’t seen it myself.

    Hi Runner001-
    RE: FR405 or FR610

    Go with the FR610. The FR405 touch bezel drives me nuts. The FR610 touch screen just works.

    Hi David-
    RE: Comparison to FR305

    Yeah, in this case the FR310XT is really the upgrae for the FR305 in that it has the bigger display fields your looking for. The FR310XT does have a much newer chip than the FR305.

    Hi Anon-
    RE: Jacket

    I haven’t seen any issues with it. I’ve been to some colder climates since then and haven’t had any long sleeve problems. Actually just a few weeks ago I was up in northern Canada with both a long sleeve coat and a long sleeve shirt on and neither caused any weirdness. Of course, you can always just lock the screen too.

    Hi Charlie Brown-
    Thanks!

    Hi Jeff-
    Enjoy!

    Hi Anon-
    RE: Distance/Speed to Metric

    Yup, no problems at all – takes just a second in the watch settings and the display will be in metric instead (KPH and Minutes per Kilometer)

    Hi Pelitawan-
    RE: Ubuntu

    There isn’t a support way…but no fear, check out this thread on getting the ANT+ agent to work on Linux variants. If you can get the ANT+ agent working, you’re likely golden as that’s what connects to the FR610 (though some folks are having issues with the FR310XT). Failing that, if you by chance have an iPhone/iPad, you could pickup the Wahoo Dongle to download workouts from it.

    link to forums.garmin.com

    Thanks all!

  93. Anonymous

    DC Rainmaker :

    Can you go over in some detail the “navigation” features….what is the difference of back to start and go to locations..

    Seems like back to start processes tracks and tries to direct you exactly reverse order of the workout- step by step with prompts and turns ? Does this work ?

    “Go to location” just gives you a compass and direction of start ?

    Thanks- sammywoof

  94. Urbanite

    Hi,

    Did a little research on the Garmin to Nike+ and found this: link to awsmithson.com

    Haven’t tried it yet, but I sure will be 🙂

    Thanks for a great review.

    Urb

  95. Thank you, your reviews by far have been the most helpful. I have been addicted to my Forerunner 305 since I started running and bought it as a training tool. Saw some adds on the 610, lots of ohh and ahh factors. I wanted it but couldn’t justify buying it when my 305 worked fine. Thanks to my new puppy who has an affliction for electronic devices, that is no longer an issue. Now I have taken up mud runs and potentially looking at paddle boarding so I have been torn between the 310 xt and 610 – you helped me decide on the 310 but I am going to wait to see if there is a new release coming soon 🙂 Apple has broken me in on the wait before you buy…even though I will be missing out on the trade in ending today – I will be keeping my fingers crossed to see if a new 310 comes out before I really need it in December – in the meantime I am substituting iPhone with run keeper – Thank you for all of the time and detail – I have been undecided until I read your two reviews 🙂

  96. According to Garmin you cannot force the watch into screen lock manually (as you wrote).

    link to buy.garmin.com

  97. Like many others I’d just like to thank you for a great and ambitious review. Actually, when reading it yesterday before I purchased the watch, I thought it overly ambitious. However, after uploading the first recorded run and tampering a bit with the watch interface, it gives me exactly what I need. Time-saver and very clever. Thanks a bunch!

  98. I was looking at this watch… but I currently have a 305, been doing triathlons and am more than likely going to the 310xt next. Not have the auto multi-sport is a game changer for me.

  99. Anonymous

    Thanks,

    Your reviews made me choose for a 610 over one of the 4xx series.

    I only can say that I am very happy with the 610. Very accurate, easy to easy. Nice web based Garmin Connect.

    This ‘tool’ made running even more fun to me.

  100. Corey

    Great review. Just to throw another data point out there, I picked up one these just under 3 months ago and have had some issues with it.

    The magnetic charging clip was a nice idea in theory, but it works about as well as the charging cradle on the 305. By that I mean you have to make sure its actually charging before you walk away from it. It’s pretty easy to dislodge the clip just enough that it doesn’t charge when you sit it down. A minor issue I know but it kinda sucks to get ready for a run and find it still has an empty battery.

    I’ve also started having issues with it locking up/randomly rebooting on me. This morning I took it off the charger with 100% in the battery and it immediately locked up, rebooted 10 minutes later, and then said the battery was empty.

    All in all I like it when it works, but it just seems a little buggy to me. If I had to do it over again I would go with the 310xt instead.

  101. Ian

    Using my 610 today it bleeped and printed the message “Tip: Oldest activitives will be deleted soon”.

    After finishing my ride I checked out my history totals and have about 26 hours of runs and 22 hours of riding. I’ve been using the 1s recording interval from the start so recording capacity on that setting is about 50 hours.

    Nice feature by Garmin to tell you its going to start deleting things before it actually does!

  102. Alison

    Just one query, if you have the watch on, but in indoor mode, ie satellites not connected, but screen lock has not been initiated how can you connect to satellites?

  103. Anonymous

    the battery needs to be zero % to charge again or i can recharge any time ? Thank you

  104. Anonymous

    #304

    You can charge anytime.

    I purchased mine 1.5 months ago and use it every single day. I track my runs and also my commutes by bike. I love the damned thing.

  105. Anonymous

    @303
    Go to Settings, GPS -> On

  106. Anonymous

    Fantastic review.

    I was slightly put off by the battery life. But I I was not doing any 4-5 hour runs so it would not impact me.

    Bought my FR610 a week ago. All I can say is GR8 watch.

    I’ve used it for a 5k run, interval training and other short runs over the last 5 days and still plenty of battery life left. Mind you each exercise period is about an hour or so.

    Looks great as an everyday watch although I like the thinnest of the RCX5 – the FR610 is just as nice.

    I shower but don’t swim so the minimum waterproof is no issue.

    I found the HRM worked better than my old Polar.

  107. [

    Hi,

    I just tried out my Garmin 610. I ran and then kept it on for a weight training class. Can the 610 be used as a regular heart rate monitor and calorie burn calculator while indoors and not running?

    Thanks!

  108. Anonymous

    Hi. All i can say is wow. These reviews are incredible. I shall definitely remember this site for future running product reviews. You thought of EVERYTHING. And because of that, I’m confident I’ll love my 610…which should be arriving in 6-10 business days(:

  109. Hi, I just bought the fr610 through your link on amazon. I am have a hard time looking for how to use the courses I have created on garmin connect to be used on the watch. I cant seem to find them even after my pc screen shows transfer is successful..Appreciate your help please.many thanks…

  110. Tobs

    Hi mate, I’m amazed that you have time to answer these questions on your reviews too, but it’s great if you do. I have an FR110 but it’s been in the rain and starting to mist up. With the prospect of a wet winter ahead is it worth buying an FR610 instead? Can this withstand being worn in heavy rain without getting water inside? It would seem so from your submersion test.
    Thanks,
    Tobs.

  111. Since firmware version 2.60 (link to buy.garmin.com )
    >> Added a setting to allow the removal of the clock page from the training page loop while the timer is running (see Setup->Training Pages->Clock Page). short video about it: link to youtu.be

  112. Anonymous

    Thanks so much for best reviews I have found. It helped me choose best model as present for my casual running, technophobe husband. (the 210.) I found reference to your reviews from a customer review on Amazon. I could go straight back to my open tab and buy directly, but I am so appreciative I will click on yur Amazxon link. 🙂 CHeers.

  113. gianlu.carbone@tiscali.it

    Thanks! Very usefull and congrat for your passion…really well done!
    ciao

    Gianluca

  114. Jordan

    Hello, just wondering when you will be reviewing the October 2011 release of the new Timex Ironman® Run Trainer™ with GPS Technology?

    Thanks!

  115. Hi,
    Thanks for your review, and for answering all of the many questions!! I was wondering if you ended up getting the garmin extender battery and how it worked. Thanks!

  116. Anonymous

    Thanks a lot.
    I just run and mountain bike.
    What i want is to register the tracks in the garmin 610, 910 or 310 in order to find out all.
    David

  117. Does anyone of you have / had problems with the backside coating?
    I just got my FR610 replaced without any issues because the copper surface at the backside was visible.
    I wonder if this is a common issue.

  118. anto1980

    Is the accuracy of the altimeter appreciable???

  119. The review is great, I agree with the conclusions.
    Wandering if the reviewer has something to add on the build quality after some usage.
    After 2 month usage I’m experiencing the same problem described by droffen, copper on backside.
    Called Garmin support in my country (Switzerland) and after 10 days no answer so far.

  120. Ben

    Hi Ray,

    I’ve misplaced my charging cable for my 610 (bummer!)

    I can’t seem to find anywhere to get a spare one from… do you know of anywhere?

    Thanks,
    Ben

  121. Ben

    Hi Ray,

    I’ve misplaced my charging cable for my 610 (bummer!)

    I can’t seem to find anywhere to get a spare one from… do you know of anywhere?

    Thanks,
    Ben

  122. Ben

    It’s ok, I found out how to get one from Garmin now! Sorry for that!

  123. Great review. How is it compared to suunto m5 gps? Looks more friendly to use and the Movescount.com looks useful. Need to decide which one to buy. Thanks.

  124. Anonymous

    @droffen. Yes I had a similar corrosion problem with the watch after 2 runs. I straight up returned mine. This is inherent to the design of the back, which features a metallic plating/coating over a base material. If the plating is compromised, either through poor manufacturing quality or normal wear and tear, it will expose the base material to sweat, resulting in corrosion. Garmin would have to make a design change to remedy the issue. More instances of this problem showing up over on the Garmin forums.

  125. After 4 months of owning an FR610, I think it is an amazing running watch except for one BIG flaw: the pin design for holding on the wrist strap. I have now gone through TWO FR610’s, and both of them have had problems with the pins falling out mid-run after 6-8 weeks of medium use (around 30 miles/week running). I took it back to the running store that sold it to me, they said it is a very infrequent problem, but it has happened before. If it wasn’t for that, I’d probably be staying with it, since it looks great and works really well. That’s been my experience with this watch. Have you heard of any solution for this?

  126. Thx for a great review, and a great blog!

    Could you maybe take a minute to answer a questions i have regarding the 610? Im looking into upgrading my old trustworthy 305 that I have been using for 3 years now. Im a pretty competetive runner, I run a couple of marathon and ultras per year. I think the training effect feature will be good at helping me pace my training runs better. I read that the more data the 610 has the better it works, so Im wondering if it’s possible to upload my old runs from my 305 (got 411 runs logged) to be able to use the feature correctly just out of the gate.

    Again, thx for a great blog!

  127. i bought mine about less than a month ago but i see some rusting forming at the back of my FR610. WTF?! i also saw a thread in the garmin forum that a few FR610 owners are experiencing the same thing (or even worse). What to do? Will Garmin service center take it back and replace it? (i’m in the Philippines, but we have a service center)

  128. GV

    Hey buddy, great reading and thnx for helping me to choose a device! Just used it in Amsterdam halfmarathon and it is amazing how accurate is in tracking the position in parks etc. Keep it up! Thnx GV

  129. This comment has been removed by the author.

  130. Great review, as usual. Thanks!

  131. This comment has been removed by the author.

  132. This comment has been removed by the author.

  133. Re: Connecting to ANT+ stick. Had the same problem on my MacBook Pro. Worked fine after I turned off Bluetooth, which apparently can interfere (also microwaves, wireless networks, etc.). Also needed to bring the watch closer to the stick.

  134. Anonymous

    What happens when the watch runs out of batteries? Is any data lost?

  135. Fabricio Portela

    Hello from Brazil…

    Thanks for the excellent review.

    I´ve read some negative reviews about charging problems with the GARMIN 610 and I´d like to know if this is something I should worry about before buying this Garmin.
    Sorry about my English.

    Thank you very much.

    Fabricio

  136. Request for Rainmaker or who has an answer.
    Is there a way to enhance the sound of the tones of the Forerunner 610?
    with Rasta.

  137. Geoffrey

    Many thanks for the in-depth review!

    As a current FR305 owner, I’m hesitating between FR610 and FR910XT. I like the altimeter and the possibility to prepare a route on Garmin Connect and follow it via my screen. Can I do that kind of thing with the FR610? Isn’t the screen too small to display my path on a map?

    Many thanks!
    Geoffrey

  138. Anonymous

    Sidenote: The 310XT replacement, the 910XT, will be available before Christmas. I confirmed with the Fleet Feet in my neighborhood. The watches are not in the store yet, but they will be in time for Christmas.

  139. Hi Rainmaker,

    Excellent reviews. It was really helpfull…..

    I just bought FR 610. A state of art watch.

    Only thing missing is that intervals/split times are not recorded in history, but only lap time. surprisingly, since during the race most runners are interested in their split time at 5km, 10km, 15km etc.. therefore, in races I use FR 305 again.

    Frank van Eldik
    Fveldik@quicknet.nl

  140. Chelle

    Thanks for the review, I bought my 610 this weekend. I did notice your screenshot of Sporttracks import you have a Forerunner 610 entry. How do you configure Sporttrack to get the 610 in the menu? In my Sporttracks I only have “Garmin Unspecified GPS [Communicator Plugin API]”

  141. Anonymous

    Awesome review, very comprehensive!

    I’m considering buying this as I used to use a polar heart rate monitor with footpod. I’m primarily wanting something to give me more feedback on my workouts. I not only run but would like something I can use for roller skating workouts as well. Would this work for roller skating or does it rely on “footstrike” to calculate distance etc?

  142. Hi, I´m Franco from Argentina, congratulations for your site, is really excellent !!!
    I only have one question: for run 10km or 21km, wich recommend me: FR910xt or FR610 ? (I am not swimmer or cycler).

  143. andy

    Hi Rainmaker, thanks for a great review, its very useful.

    I bought a 205 a couple of years ago, and it has been an excellent buy and is still working fine. It has helped focus my training a lot.

    I decided to invest in an upgrade, mainly due to 1) its ugliness (this is very vain I know) and 2) the delay in locating satelites and 3) just the fact its so old now presumably there are much better models out there.

    I’m a semi-serious runner and about to start training for london marathon. I’ve never really used hr for training, have always preferred to go by pace/distance as I find it easier to track progress.

    After reading your review, I’ve come to the conclusion that its a case of upgrading to 610 or sticking with the 205. I really like the virtual partner feature which I’m surprised has been omitted by many of the models.

    I suppose I am trying to justify splashing out on the 610 as I really like the look of it, but given the price and the fact the 205 is doing the job, I’m struggling. Whats your opinion on it?

    Thanks

    Moocher

  144. Anonymous

    Thanks for the review.I get the impression that the screen is very small,making seeing the data clearly snd quickly while running pretty difficult.Am I right?

  145. Tamara

    Thanks for your review(s)…I looked at both the 410 and 610. They were both VERY in-depth and informative.

    I am looking for a watch for my son. He is a Frosh in high school and has become a very serious runner; he also runs both XC and track & field. He is very good…making varsity for XC (track has not started yet, but coach seems to think hey will be on varsity). He is wanting to improve pace time and speed. Also, he hates “bulky” watches. Some of his teammates have the FR305/FR310XT, and they complain about the “bulkiness”…they have suggested he go for slimmer model. He has asked for a “running” watch for Christmas. That lead me to the 410 and 610…and your reviews.

    Looking for a watch that can “alert” when he falls behind a set pace…and record the distance. By doing this we are hoping to increase distance each time.

    With this info…

    Can either (410 or 610) set an alert for pace in this fashion?

    Do you feel this watch “too much” for a young high school student? Is there a more suitable watch in your mind? He will continue throughout high school and (hopefully) has a very good chance in running in college. So, he should be running for a long time…again, hopefully.

    Thank you for your time.

  146. Anonymous

    Many of the reviews on Amazon say that their units stopped charging after a couple months. According tot the reviews, Garmin is not giving acceptable customer support. This sounds very, very bad for such an expensive watch. Do you have any updates?

  147. Really great review. I have this watch, love it. I got it in part because I run ultra marathons and being able to use the foot pod means I can extend battery life by not using the satellites on long run days. Still not long enough life for a full on 100K or 100 miler but I get the market is in the tri and marathon or less crowd.

  148. Hi all. I have the FR60 and have been holding onto it because it’s so full featured and I LOVE the instant pace being..well..instant. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 610 (or the 210) to add GPS and vibration alerts, better light and training effect.

    My question is how good is the 610 with instant pace? I’ve read up and see that 1 sec data recording seems to make the data smoother and not as jumpy as in other Garmin Forerunners, but won’t it still be delayed 8-10 seconds because it’s based on GPS (although smoother)? I’m also looking at the 210 because it has instant pace over then 110, but if that instant pace is jumpy AND delayed, then why bother. I’d either run with the FR60 also or just use lap pace and make laps like ever .25/mi and it would be “sort of instant pace over the last two minutes”

    My next question then would be about using the footpod for instant pace on the 610. I see that there is a setting for “speed source” and you can set that to footpod. This is a better setting than “indoors” because the GPS stays on and records everything else. It also looks like the data for lap pace and average pace is still based on the GPS and not the pod, but the pod is only used for instant pace (which sounds like a perfect setup) but has anyone officially confirmed t hat with Garmin or do Garmin folks pop in here and have said that is correct? I can’t find anything definitive.

    My final question (ok I’m a bit OCD, but I suspect anyone in this forum or using one of these devices has traces of the same!) is on the footpod use itself. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the FR60 with a track calibrated footpod for instant pace and have always found it very accurate with distance when running a similar pace. The only negative you ever here from folks who have actually calibrated it is that the pace/distance can be “off” if you run at a pace different than you calibrated it at. I’ve always wondered if any of you have calibrated it at different paces, noted the calibration factor, and manually adjusted accordingly based on the run you’re about to do. For example my 1/2 marathon/tempo training pace is 9:00/mi. and my easy/long run pace is 10:30/mi. Couldn’t I calibrate it while running a 9:00 pace and note the calibration factor and then calibrate it again at 10:30/mi and note that one? Then once I have the data I would leave it calibrated for a 10:30 pace since most of my training is at easy/long pace. Every other week when I do a tempo run or during races I could manually change the calibration factor to that pace to have better instant pace. Is all this going overboard and it’s “close enough” or do any of you bother with something like this?

    Thanks and sorry about the long posting 🙂

  149. Anonymous

    Hi Ray,

    Thanks for a great writeup. I’m confused about one thing, though: In the section titled “Fitness Equipment (Gym) Compatibility,” you write “[O]n a spin bike it would transmit speed/cadence and even power (watts).” But in the “Cons” section at the end, you write “Doesn’t support ANT+ power meters (cycling).”

    So which is it — can the 610 support power readings from ANT+ power meters (Garmin or others), or not?

    Thanks in advance,

    –Grant

    p.s. Sorry if this is covered in the questions above, but I scanned through all ~350 and didn’t see it addressed…

  150. Steamed in Hermosa Beach

    Have had the 610 for 3 months and still not performing properly. Source of absolute bitter frustration and am furious to have wasted $400. I am supposed to be out running 8 miles. But because there is a bit of cloud cover the GPS cannot maintain its connection to the satellites and “auto pauses” every 5 seconds and buzzes. Hateful! Had to come all the way home to drop off this piece of dog poo to prevent me from hurling it to the ground and stomping it to pieces which would be extremely satisfying if not for the $400 loss. P U !!!!!

  151. My FR610 lost the signal during a marathon and never recovered until I finished. The signal was recovered only after I stopped. Later it happened once again during a training. Is there any trick that I could do to get the lost signal when it’s impossible to stop (e.g. during a race)?

  152. Anonymous

    I’ve been using a Forerunner 305 for over three years and am extremely happy with the watch.

    Would you recommend going to a FR610?

  153. Alvin

    Hi Rainmaker,

    I’ve seen a few forums where a common problems people seem to encounter is the battery power diminishing when on the charger. Have you heard about this? Have you any knowledge on the problem or are you aware if garmin is intending to fix this?

    cheers

  154. Anonymous

    Awesome review, thanks for taking the time. Definitely influenced my buying decision to pick up the 610.

  155. Awesome review, sir. Thank you!

    Is there a way to silence alerts after they have been triggered? I was on a run recently and set the alert to trigger after I exceeded a specific heart rate BPM. Unfortunately, once I exceeded the alert heart rate it kept sounding alerts throughout the duration of the run…highly annoying. I couldn’t get it to stop.

  156. Marathoner

    One comment: I don’t know if you tested it, but the auto-pause feature does NOT work.

    When you come to a stop, the pace slowly declines, increasing by about 30 seconds every two seconds. So, if you are running 6 minute miles and stop, after two seconds it will read 6:30, then 7:00 after another two seconds and so on (this is of course approximate).

    If you want the watch to auto pause, then you need to set a low pace threshold, say 7 or 8 minute pace. But that won’t work because then when you hit a staircase or a steep hill it will pause.

    No big deal, you say, just hit the start/stop button to override the auto-pause (it vibrates so you know it has paused). But when you hit start-stop, it does *not* resume the workout, it stops it! (“Stopping” is apparently different from “pausing.”) Then you hit the start/stop button again to start the workout, and it will start—just in time for the auto-pause feature to trigger again. And Garmin isn’t smart enough to realize that if you’ve hit start/stop twice (or four times…) to override the auto-pause, then it should STOP PAUSING.

    I found this really annoying, since this and the pacing partner were two of the features that convinced me to go with the 610 over the 2xx, and neither of them works! (The pacing partner screen is too small and not customizable, unlike every other field.) Either Garmin should have added an accelerometer so it can pause based on a lack of motion (instead of GPS signals), or, if the technology doesn’t work, then it shouldn’t have included it.

    I feel like an idiot right now. I was holding off on GPS watches until the technology matured, but finally went for it—only to discover that on an Apple scale of polish it still feels like iPod version one.

  157. Anonymous

    Hey, I know it’s been a while since you posted this, but just thought I’d say thanks! This writeup led to me purchasing the Garmin 610 and I couldn’t be happier. Its been my daily run partner for about 3 months now. Really an excellent addition to the Garmin GPS watches. Thanks for all the info you give!

  158. Ray-appreciate all your great reviews! Can you tell me how the size of the readouts with 4 on screen compares to the 310xt? This would be an addition to my running arsenal if text size is same or close to that of the 310xt in 4x mode. Thanks!

  159. Thanks for the great review Ray!! One question, does the 610 show you gradient and total meters climbed during your run or only after?
    Thanks.

  160. link to egalaxy.co.uk

    Amazing price and free 24h delivery! Just got it! It’s a masterpiece! Tank you Garmin

  161. Fantastic website, Ray (and 610 review)! When you speak to the Garmin Team, see if you can get an AUTOMATIC BACKLIGHT option where it is automatically on 30 min before sunset and turns off 30 minutes after sunrise. That would rock! Thanks.

  162. MsGreta

    I just got my Garmin 610, cadence attachment for my bike, and shoe pod today. Your write up is amazing and so very helpful! Thank you so very much. I will read it several time I am sure!

  163. Anonymous

    Based on recs from the forum on Runner’s World, I got sent over here to pick out my first running watch. It was hard!!
    I went back n forth from entry level FR60 to deciding I wanted GPS for sure(so then the 210 topped my list) but I just kept going back to the 610. Right now, it’s more watch than I need but I figure I won’t outgrow it anytime soon & it might push me to go father & faster since I can do so much more with it.
    Your reviews are super helpful & make it seem like I was actually the one trying them all out & testing them. How awesome is that?
    I bookmarked this page so that when my 610 arrives next week, I can reference the info & hopefully get any issues resolved since the info is so helpful & instructional.
    Thanks!

  164. Anonymous

    @Steamed in Hermosa Beach: Sorry to read about your issues with the watch. You may want to contact Garmin since your problems suggest that your watch may well be defective. I can tell you with 100% certainty that clouds have NO effect whatsoever on GPS reception. (Well, technically there is an effect — group delay due to the troposphere — that can only be corrected for by a dual-frequency GPS receiver, but that effect is totally negligible in this context.) And the auto-pause is likely kicking in due to the GPS flakiness, so I suspect if you can fix the former issue, the latter will go away on its own.

    @Marathoner: This sounds obvious and silly, but you might want to check to see if you’re running with the watch in cycling mode, and vice versa. I’ve been playing with the 610 for the past few weeks on the bike, and the auto-pause feature has worked flawlessly so far. Also, see my comment above — if the GPS is having issues, that will almost certainly affect the auto-pause functionality (since the receiver relies on a “pinning” threshold to figure out when you’ve stopped and then started moving again).

    –Dave

  165. Jamie

    Ray,
    I have the 610 & love it. Seems like I get about 9 hours GPS enabled running out of it. Curious though….
    Have you tested how long it can record with indoor mode(no GPS data) but just footpod & hr monitor sensing? I’m just wondering if an ironman type event or Leadvile 100 miler might be possible.

  166. FR610, i have been wearing for a day or so, how do i know if there is enough power to do a training session, is there a battery usage percentage display without connecting it to its charger? thanks, chris y.

  167. Excellent in-depth review. Thanks!

  168. hi ray,

    really² love your details reviews + comments here (although its kinda tired too read it all), really useful!…

    before this i was torn between FR610 vs RCX5, but now i made the decision to choose FR610 instead.

    main reason b’cuz i like FR610 compare to RCXf:-

    1)vibration alert,
    2)details custom workout,
    3)built-in GPS,
    4)small form foot pod,
    5)touch screen (cool features!)

    since currently i’m using Nike+ Sportband to measure my run, really appreciate that u can make comparison of size & accuracy of all available foot pod in store:-
    1.Nike+ sensor
    2.Adidas MiCoach foot pod (old & new)
    3.Garmin foot pod
    4.Polar S3 sensor
    5.Suunto foot pod

    p/s: i just wondering whether Garmin foot pod can fit in my Nike+ shoes. at the same time, can measure the accuracy of the sensor.

  169. MAN, WHAT A NICE WORK…. CONGRATULATIONS

  170. Anonymous

    Hi, nice review.

    Does anyone have gps sync times between the garmins and other similar watches. Does the 110 conenct much faster than the 610?

  171. The FR110 and the FR610 find satellites with about the same speed, usually within 30-seconds at the high end, depending on any obstructions in the way and whether or not the unit recently acquired a satellite from that location.

  172. Anonymous

    Nice review. Great detail.

  173. Anonymous

    Hi Rainmaker,

    Great reviews you provide, respect.

    Also based on these I purchased a 610 Nov ’11. Did have few, if any regrets on functionality (triathlete, use 3-5x per week & upload data to Garmin Connect).

    Three issues:
    – Paint came off casing within three weeks (live in tropics, maybe in combination w copious amounts of sun screen becomes corrosive?), cosmetic but for that amount of money…

    – Wrist band came off (pin got ben during normal usage it appears)

    – Most disconcerting, the GPS (software) appears to have failed (saw some similar comments on blog); it seems to lose the ability to calculate dynamic data (e.g. speed, distance; still shows static GPS location) and hence goes to Autopause/you have gaps in your trail, VERY annoying (and of course happens during epic ride 🙁

    Garmin indicated can sent it in under warranty to Taiwan but bit dodgy they ask me to cover the shipping, which adds insult upon injury.

    Any more experiences w these faults & how Garmin responded?

    Kind regards,
    Bjorn

  174. Anonymous

    did Lance Armstrong wear a Garmin Forerunner 610 at Panama 70.3 Triathlon???

    link to farm8.static.flickr.com

  175. Anonymous

    So I upgraded to a 610 from a 110 based partly on your review. Coincidently, I bought on the same day Garmin decided to remove average moving pace data field from MyConnect, which Support informed me when I complained. There is considerable angst being demonstrated on the Garmin forums which I understand as I can now no longer compare against two years of data I have tracked on my own spreadsheet. I’d like to hear you thoughts on this stealthy change…

  176. really great review Ray!
    your deep review helped me to choose between RCX5 and FR610, and YES, i choose FR610 and bought i it, used it, and love it!

    after discover that the workout can be export to Endomondo, its just make it more great…

    the only function i still need more review are the “Where To?” functions

  177. Anonymous

    How about something useful, like programming the interface screens?
    some of them are useful and some are totally useless….

    But what I’d like to know is how to CHANGE the data that’s displayed on each interface. I found how to change the NUMBER of items displayed, but they display useless stuff (I don’t need it to tell me what ZONE I’m in if I can see the HR itself, D’UH!)

    What I’d like to do is create a custom display, for example one that has current HR and speed and maybe some lap data…

  178. Anonymous

    As far as the Timex products go…
    Why buy a cheaper unit if they don’t have Training software that was made less than 7 years ago?
    (Check the latest release date on Timex Trainer…. and you just TRY to copy your workouts from one PC to another, it’s IMPOSSIBLE!)

  179. Anonymous

    Hi,

    Have you found a way to delete multiple activities from device?

    It seems that you can either delete those one by one or delete all activities.
    Garmin Connect could be right place for this but no, no delete button there…

    I also asked this from Garmin and they didn’t found any help to this.
    They only asked me to send development suggestion.. so I did and got rather funny response:

    Dear xx xx,
    Thank you for submitting your idea to Garmin!

    Whether it was feedback about how to make a current feature better or an idea for a brand new product, we’re excited you took the time to share with us.

    As happy as we are to hear from you, it’s unlikely that you will hear back from us. If you have any questions about how the idea submission process works, please refer back to the Terms of Use agreement.

    Best regards,
    Garmin

  180. Anonymous

    Hello. This model can be charged while it is running?
    Thanks

  181. Hi,

    I am a long distance-runner/infantry officer in the military. I am going on a 3-months course this summer, so I am looking for a running watch that will be suitable for military purposes as well.

    The main concern is not the GPS (since, especially when evaluated during a course, we are restricted to map and compass), but battery life; I would not like to have to borrow one of my buddy’s watch in the middle of a mission.

    Is there a way to lock it on non-gps mode that will allow for a battery life of 8 days or more?

    I was told that FR210’s gps can be switched off and then the watch’s battery may last more than 20 days… anything similar with FR610?

    Thanks a lot!

    fklavoie@gmail.com

  182. Oh and also, is the screen easy to scratch?

    Thanks again,

    Frédérick.

  183. I had the same issue with the paint coming off/rust issues. I got it in the US so I sent them the old one and they sent me a new one.

    >>This is an issue that we ran into with some of the earlier Forerunner 610 units, and it has been corrected. At this point your device will need to be brought in for an exchange.

  184. Phil, Huddersfield UK, I have had a 405 for 5 years or so, the 610 looks like a real improvement, thanks for the review. How well does the 610 work for left handers who wear the watch on their right wrist? Some phone touch screens are geared only to right handers, is this so with the 610?

  185. hey ray,

    just to check with u, does the “blue ring” on your FR610 button seem loose or break? cuz mine seem like the circle are apart and sometime the “blue ring” will stuck inside the button holes.

    i afraid the water might get in the unit.

  186. No, definitely not. Sounds like something less than ideal is about to happen. I’ve used mine pretty hard now for about a year, any it’s holding up well.

    • Ted Teague

      The blue ring on mine is broken as well, any update on whether this is a critical issue (water intrusion) or just cosmetic?

  187. brucelan

    I find the wireless connection to be “hit or miss”. It seems to connect when it feels like connecting. There appears to be no way to tell it to “connect now”.

    Sometimes it connects immediately when I return from a run other times I just have to wait until its d@mn well ready.

    I also find that the Garmin Connect website is pretty lame (just my opinion).

  188. Hi,

    I am very confused reading at Garmin’s docs: what is the name of this feature ,allowing to upload a route and follow it waypoint by waypoint with a compass ? it is called “Waypoint” ?

    What models currently support that ? I think the 410 and above

    Thanks !

  189. John M.

    A lot of people online — including me!! — have had the 610 stop uploading any data to the website. The problem seems to be that it records a corrupt workout. This stops every upload. There is no way of deleting the corrupt workout on the watch, except by reformatting everything.

    I’m really tired of the poor software on this watch, and wish that your reviews were more balanced and less promotional.

  190. Hi Loic-

    Within Garmin lingo, this is referred to as a ‘course’ normally – where you predefine the path before starting out.

    Hi John-

    Have you contacted Garmin support? I haven’t seen a stuck workout on my watch yet, and a quick glance at the Garmin Forums doesn’t reveal many people seeing stuck workouts on the FR610 (certainly not recently anyway). So I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s a lot of people, but, there’s no doubt that I’ve seen it happen on other Garmin watches.

    My typical fix for this when I see it on other watches is to simply leave the watch and computer by themselves for a while – typically it will eventually transfer, though it may takes hours to clear the backup. Again, it’s a pretty big rarity that this happens – but it may help out.

  191. This comment has been removed by the author.

  192. Great review, but as such, it has made my choice harder to make. Right now, I am considering the Timex Run Trainer and the Garmin 610. I know the TRT is meant to compare to the 210, but it seems that your wonderful comparison tables don’t quite match the 610 to the TRT. I will try to get my hands on both watches at the local DC stores for more comparing, but I think the TRT will be much harder to find. What would you say are the major differences between the two? Thanks.

  193. I finally got a chance to see both the units together and I think I am going to try for the 610. Great, helpful review. I was overly well informed when I went there.

  194. it started with 1 ring, the “light” button, but now i notice, all the button’s ring seem to be break and loose….

    i ask my local Garmin dealer, and they said need to send back to Taiwan and took at least 1 month for checking and repairing…. demm, that a long time for me without my FR610…

    • firr

      hi pojie,

      the same thing happened to mine after using it for around 18 months (30+ hours run). then the start/stop button came off and im stuck with a watch i cannot use. contacted the local garmin distributor and they offered to send it to taiwan for repairs but it will cost me almost half the price of the watch. demm indeed.

  195. Anonymous

    Hi DCrainmaker

    Wanna ask if the power saving mode can be customized or deactivated? I heard review that you have to either press button or swipe the screen to prevent the power saving mode in about 3min time of inactivity.

    IMO this is gonna be irritating if say i want to have an interval break of 5min but must worry about going into power saving mode.

    Pls advice

  196. Any idea how Lance Armstong is using a Garmin 610 for S/B/R in his races? If you check out his Strava file from 70.3 Hawaii it recorded the entire course almost perfectly. From the pictures posted on Triathlete.com it appeared he wore it the entire time on his wrist including the swim.

  197. I’ve been using my 610 for about 9 months, mostly running but also on while biking and as my everyday watch.

    I left it home on the charger for a few days of travel, and when I returned my screen was chipped! It was fine when I left it, nobody touched it, but it looks like a chunk of the face just crumbled away.

    Researching it online, I found this on Garmin’s forums:

    link to forums.garmin.com

    What’s amazing is that the two pictures embedded in that thread show EXACTLY the same chunk of screen missing, same as each other and same as mine (in fact, I was so stunned by the precision of the match in the first one that I thought maybe I had somehow already uploaded a picture of my watch months ago.) At least one other participant reports the same, without pictures – so this makes four of us with a screen failing essentially on its own in exactly the same place and way.

    The sorta good news is that this seems to be covered under warranty. The not as good news is that it isn’t a recall or in the FAQ, so I worry about what will happen to ones that reveal this flaw just beyond the warranty period.

  198. I have found this particular fitness watch in the best price online so I share it with you.

    link to egalaxy.co.uk

    Enter this voucher code for an £8 off: grmnfrnr610hrmeglxcouk

  199. Hi, I currently use a garmin edge 500 for running (I bought the 500 for cycling mainly), I bought a garmin wrist strap that works well with the edge.

    When looking at my route after the run my map can be way off (like 20 – 30 meters off)

    I wear the watch on the inside of my wrist due to the size…LOL

    I am thinking of going for the 610 as this is a proper running watch, I take it the accuracy will be well more accurate.

    One thing that I haven’t tried is wearing the edge the correct way up on my wrist, would this improve accuracy?

    I am also considering a footpod but I wouldn’t buy one if the edge 500 was as accurate as a 610 for running, I would just buy one if I was getting a 610.

    Thanks for any input.

    Mark