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How does the Garmin 305 compare to the Garmin 310XT?

Training Functions on the 305
The 305 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's worthless. When it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the 305 -- this device is successful where many other devices fail.

The heart and soul of the 305 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as well as multiple lap and pace modes. The 305 adds the ability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also track bike performance data.

Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it. The ability to display heartrate is a big plus, too, as it's a fairly good indicator of excercise output, fatigue, and fitness level. The 305 has all the heartrate functions you'd expect from a full-function monitor, including the ability to set target zones and alerts to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.

Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the 305. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.

If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against your best time last week, the 305 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and pace of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they allow you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get fancy with your exercise, you can step up to advanced workouts, which include goals for each workout step, as well as varied distances, times, and rest periods. You can use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts and then upload them to the device.

Price - about $150

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

Garmin Forerunner 310XT is the undisputed winner if you are looking for a great triathlon watch and recent firmware improvements to show distance while swimming make it even better. As customer Mat Fischer of the Richmond Triathlon Club in Virginia wrote, "The Forerunner 310XT is the bomb". We couldn't have said it any better ourselves Mat.

For triathlon you need a watch that has 1 second recording intervals and you want accurate power output data on the bike. The Garmin 310XT has this and the competition does not.

For the swim most triathlon watches have been rendered useless for measuring heart rate and distance. The Garmin 310XT has solved the distance problem with recent firmware updates and you can now measure distance via GPS, which is way cool. Prior to this time GPS lost its signal when it penetrated the water, but no longer is this true. Heart rate is a different solution requiring a higher transmission signal from the chest strap, generally around 5KHZ, and hopefully that will be forthcoming as well.

A lot of people comment on the large size of the Garmin Forerunner 310XT but you know what - it weighs almost no more than a standard watch once you put it on your wrist and you'll appreciate that size of the display screen during the bike and the run so you can display three or four metrics.

Our bottom line assessment of these triathlon watches still has not changed from over one year ago - the Garmin 310XT is still the best triathlon watch out there, period.

GPS has become a phenomenon in the world of outdoor sports. What is so cool about a GPS watch is that it does not care what sport you are doing, all that matters is that you are outdoors and in a state of motion. If so, it serves up speed, distance, pacing, heart rate, calories, power output and much more. This watch is a ripping watch for kayaking and rollerblading just to mention a few other sports, but it rules outdoors.

The Forerunner 310XT is awesome for mountain biking too. Just get a handlebar mount and it will record your ride which you can download later to Google Earth or Map My Ride, plus it serves up accurate speed, distance, pedal cadence and more throughout the duration of your ride. It is a killer way to catalog your favorites in all their mapping glory and share it with friends.

At the Heart Rate Watch Company we have a favorite saying - "once you go GPS you will never go back". It ends the cycle of antiquated sensors and extra gear - just put on the watch and go.

If there is any downside to the Garmin 310XT it is the inability to record heart rate during the swim. We have only found two solutions to this issue - the Suunto Memory belt and Polar watches with the regular Wearlink chest strap that send signal a 5KHZ. Downside to the Suunto is that it gathers data but there is no real-time reporting. The Polar watches transmit to the watch but you need to avoid button depression while in the water or you could jeopardize the water-resistant integrity of the watch.

When it comes to measuring data for triathlon the Forerunner 310XT is a watch without peers at this time, it is the triathlon watch at the cutting edge of data measurement. You can set up to four screens per sport with four measurements per screen, so lacking data will never be a concern.

If you would like some help discussing a triathlon watch, like the Garmin Forerunner 310XT or others, then just give us a call here at the Heart Rate Watch Company at 866-586-7129 and we will carefully listen to your needs and find the product that is just right for you.

Price - about $399

Sources: Amazon.com & heartratewatchcompany.com