Garmin FR10 or 110?

[littlehelen20]

Hey all. I've been using a little pedometer that i got given but as its now died i'm looking to get something wiv a bit more detail to see what i'm doing wiv a bit more accuracy. Have read many posts on her bout both the FR mentioned above being good. I do quite like the idea of the FR10 having an intervals option and stuff so am tempted. Just wanted people on here's opinions first? Am frustrated as well cos was waiting for my bday to get 1 but now have nothing and thats all the way in July!!

[Beads Graduate]

It depends on what you want to do. The difference between them is that the FR10 is the basic one, the FR110 is the next one up. What the FR10 can do the FR110 can also do, but you can add a HR monitor, I think it may actually map the height and weather (I've got a feeling the the FR10 gets altitude and weather from the net when you upload your data). Basically the more you pay (FR10, £80 to £90, FR110 £100 to £110ish) the more features you get to play with and the more data you can record to fiddle with in your spare time. Oh and better battery life, FR10 is about 5 hours (they quote, but possibly closer to 4 hours in real life) and I'm sure I read somewhere recently that the FR110 has about 8 hours of tracking life (this may seem a massive amount just for running but if you're out for a weekend and can't recharge it and want to track a couple of 30 minute runs and a couple of 1-2 hour dog walks/cycles then the 4-5 hour battery life of the FR10 isn't enough).

Basic features of the FR10 (that's what I have) are distance, time, pace, calories burnt, time of day (you can use it as a watch), these are all available to look at while you're running.

You can set intervals so it beeps when you need to run/walk or sprint/jog.

You have a virtual pacer which you can set for lap time to keep you on track for a PB or keep you slow on a recovery run.

You can set auto pause, so it stops automatically when you have to wait the interminable time for the traffic lights to change so the cars stop and let you cross the road, it will then re-start when you do (usually with a lag, tip: turn off if you're going to have to stop frequently).

It will store a week's worth of data (so you need to upload at least once a week).

It will track where you've been by GPS (one of the chaps on the tri course had a cycle one which told him where he was, I had Garmin geek envy, but he didn't like it because it meant he had to 'lead' the cycle club rides as he had the map).

It comes in pink (and purple, lime green, blue, boring black....)

You can set the length of your laps, it will beep at you and tell you the pace for the last lap at the end of each.

You can choose how the data is displayed (from set choices, my Edge 500 cycle garmin is fully customisable with me able to choose what I want to be displayed and where) during your run.

You can choose between pace and speed (pace is time per k, speed is k per time).

It will hold a week's worth of data and records on your fastest 1k, mile, 5k 10k and longest run. It may give you your fastest HM and marathon, but I've not got there yet.

You can use it as an alarm clock (though only has a quiet beep) and as a normal watch.

So the FR110 will do all that (apart from it doesn't come in the fancy colours) and more.

Hope that helps.

[crox Graduate in reply to Beads]

I'm going to have to disagree with you slightly, the 110 is an older generation. Whether it's better than the 10 I couldn't say. I had the 210, same era as the 110 (sent back because it was unreliable), my friend has the 110, sitting a draw because it's unreliable. Though different people have other experiences. The data clip was my biggest bug bear, it wouldn't always connect to the pc via it.

[Beads Graduate in reply to crox]

Back from a couple of days away. I didn't realise the FR110 was an older version, they're still being sold as 'current' but there do seem to be different versions of them. I do like the fact that I just clip the FR10 into its dock and upload with no playing about with cables or anything (it seems to be the one thing that's permanently plugged into the computer).

I have had problems today, for some reason the computer wouldn't detect the FR10 but would find the Edge. I re downloaded and reinstalled the software and eventually got it working again, but not before a panicked email to Garmin saying 'Help!'

And as a result I've just discovered something. Although all the info you get with it says it only stores the last 7 day's data, I'm in the process of uploading 77 workouts to the Garmin site! That's February onwards, so raspberries to their claim of 7 days. Though I'm not going to chance it with the mapmyrun site (as that's the one I usually use).

[nrg_girl Graduate]

Check out this thread:

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

I don't have one yet, but planning on the F10 as it seems to have all I want.

[Magnetix101 Graduate]

I actually have both - so have been able to compare the two (I bought myself the FR10 before I even started the programme as my way of pushing myself into starting and then got the FR110 as a Christmas present. As for which is better, it depends on what you want. The one main advantage of the FR110 is that it can come with a heart rate monitor, a belt you can wear around your waist, which if you want to get into the technical business of training plans with heart rate zones and all that jazz may be of interest. For me I use it sometimes and it was very interesting at the beginning to have another number to track, but after a few months I do not use that feature that often any more as I can not be bothered to put the belt on each time I go out. If you are not interested in this feature though, I personally prefer the FR10. It is a bit simpler to use, with a clearer display. It also tracks your PRs on the device which my FR110 does not (and even does not seem to do very well when I upload to the website, but perhaps it is just how mine is set up). The other difference I have found (and again it may be how I have set it up) is with the pace. The FR10 gives me my average pace over the whole run, while the FR110 give me the pace over my current lap (KM), although here I find advantages and disadvantages to both systems. Overall if I was just having one and did not want the heart rate monitor I would keep the FR10 (even if it was not cheaper, which is an added bonus), but I am glad to have the heart rate monitor to track the odd run now and again and see my progress over time.

[nrg_girl Graduate]

Just got a FR10 (from Amazon for £78 for the green colour). All charged up and ready to go for tomorrow. Can't wait to have a bit of data to look at.

[cathryn14 Graduate]

How big are your wrists is also relevant - forerunner 10 for women is slightly smaller which would suit a lot of women more than a chunkier version. Really like mine- can give extra encouragement seeing the times go down or distances go up!

[revruns Graduate]

I got the FR10 a week ago (I have an April birthday!) and am loving it. I decided I wasn't interested in the heart rate monitor, and all the reviews I read put the FR10 ahead of other basic GPS watches. I've found it really easy to upload data to my MacBook, and it's easy to wear too. I haven't worn a watch for years, and worried that having something on my wrist would be annoying, but it isn't.

I wore it when I was cutting the grass yesterday and now know that I walk a mile when mowing the lawn and have a map showing red lines up and down in my garden!