Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Watch

I've had this unit for 6 weeks now and I like it. I bought it back at the start of February when my basic Polar unit finally gave up the will to be strapped to my chest and record my data. I was looking for something a bit trick but not really bike specific since I do quite enjoy the occasional run. I know that this Run Vs Ride debate has been the subject of many forum hours but you can't beat a hilly, muddy run in the depths of winter especially when you're short of time. This is the first time that I've owned any form of GPS unit and it is a brilliant piece of kit. One of the most talked-about features of this unit is its ability to locate the satellites so quickly. I now know why so many people at the start of a ride/run try to stay motionless whilst their GPS locates Apollo 13. This little black number though doesn't waste any time at all: it takes seconds in fact.

One of the things I was most worried about this watch was that for a complete and utter technophope I thought that it would be too much data for me and a complete nightmare to use. It isn't the case the unit is quite intuitive to use and once you've spent some time reading the manual (obviously) it's a breeze. 

Before opting for the watch I did a bit of internet research and one of the most controversial features of the 405 is the infamous bezel. It didn't put me off though.The dull grey bezel unit allows you to scroll through menus without pressing buttons. This is a bit of a Marmite feature with some people loving it and others finding it such a nuisance that they've quickly put the watch on Ebay. It can be a pain but not the way that I use it. The watch has a function where you can select what data you want to be displayed and obviously with it having a small face, only so much can be shown at any one time. So what I do is I have 3 separate displays which illustrate all sorts of data- you name it basically. Heart rate as a graph, HR %, current speed, average speed, gradient, calories, distance, time, time elapsed is what my watch is currently programmed to do. There are plenty more trust me. With these 3 separate displays I then press a button which makes the displays rotate automatically at a speed which suits me. This means that once I've started training I lock the bezel and the watch automatically displays all of the data that I want it to. I've found that if you don't lock the bezel then it is so sensitive that the watch acts a bit odd and flips through random pages which is a bloody nuisance. Select the data you want displayed and lock the bezel is the key to success! 

I suppose though that on a watch that costs over £300 it shouldn't be a nuisance. I probably have to agree with that argument. Although thanks to Amazon I paid less than £200. This watch was always going to be a compromise though. It tries to be a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades and because of that it will always struggle. I wanted something that you could wear out running, use on the bike and wear it to work since I train a bit during the day ( I have been known to wear my cycling gear under my suit so that I can get on the turbo more quickly)and couldn't have the faff of wearing 2 watches into work. I looked at the 310Xt but that looked like you were wearing an encyclopaedia on your wrist. I'm sure it doesn't feel like it though.

The 405 fits in with the look of other sports watches but does a lot more- better- than most. The 405 has a virtual training partner that means you can race yourself on a route and compete against yourself. If it wasn't bad enough being beaten by your fellow competitors you can now try and beat yourself thanks to this watch. The Ant+ feature works well. You plug in the USB stick and the watch 'talks' to the computer and downloads all of your data to the Garmin training centre and this has proved useful. No more worries, what with mobile phone, I pod dock, digital camera I've got too many wires as it is.

I tried using the watch without having to spend the extortionate £10 lump of rubber that safely straps the watch to your bars but I spent so much time looking at the unit that the inevitable happened and I almost fell off. You can add a cadence sensor if you like but as it stands the watch is spot on for my use on the bike. I'd accept that maybe the display is a little on the small side but it is a watch too don't forget. It is a jack-of-all -trades.

Would I buy this watch again? Highly likely, in a perfect world I'd have a Garmin for the bike with a power metre on the crank and a Garmin for my increasingly more frequent off-road runs and a Tag Heur for wearing around the classroom. But I don't and won't be able to afford it for a while. At the moment this does what I want without making me look like I have a Star Trek type laser gun attached to my wrist. Just whatever you do don't wear it in the shower- its waterproof to a point but that bezel is so sensitive the watch looks as if it's gone mental and flashes (thanks to the awesome back light feature) and scrolls through all of the displays. If you do jump in to the shower just lock the bezel before reaching for the soap on the rope. 

This bezel isn't the biggest problem for me though. Since I do use it as a watch, out running, on the bike and on the turbo I have to make sure that the battery is always sufficiently charged. Without ever engaging the GPS the battery lasts up to 2 weeks but I've found that I use the GPS most days out running or cycling and I constantly have to make a point of sticking it in the charging unit, to be fair though it does charge very, very quickly. But again it is a jack-of-all-trades and that is what this review boils down to. If you want a unit that is more than useful on the bike with all the data that you would need plus being able to wear it out running without looking silly this watch is worth a look. Just lock your bezel!

Score: On the podium (just!)

Reviewed by Matt Lewis 

Advertise your business/event here »