Last week I broke up with Phil, my Garmin 405. We had been together for over two years but I’ll be the first to admit that our relationship was never healthy. My main complaint with Phil was that he was unreliable and suffered from severe performance anxiety. The GPS was always about 10% off on my trail runs. He’d often black out or freeze in the middle of my runs. Sometimes I’d leave the house with a full charge only to find a totally non-functional screen within 30 minutes. WTF, Phil. Why so selfish? I took to the habit of wearing two watches. Phil would hang out on my right wrist and my regular Timex sports watch would ride on the left. And I never, ever ever wore him in races.
Things came to a head a few weeks ago and I decided to swap Phil the 405 for the Garmin 410. And I’m SO, SO, SO happy I did!
The Garmin 410 looks almost identical to the Garmin 405. The difference being a small red line around the face of the watch. I have called this the Red Circle of Truth.
There are a few other key differences in the Garmin 410:
1. Option to change out for a flexible watch band.
2. A smaller, more ergonomic heart strap
3. Better, faster satellite detection
4. More accurate GPS functionality
So in a nutshell the Garmin 410 is more accurate, more comfortable and more awesome than the 405. If you wear a HR monitor you will immediately notice and appreciate the improvements Garmin has made in this department. The old HR monitor consisted of a large stiff band that always felt too big and heavy. The new one features a small plastic rectangle and a softer elastic chest strap with small, flexible nodes/patches. Lick the nodes before putting on the HR and you’re good to go. It’s so much more comfortable, especially on those long, long runs or bike rides.
Another big improvement in my mind is the flexible velcro watch strap. I’m a small-wristed lady and the old watch always cut into my arm and felt simultaneously too loose and too tight. The Garmin 410 comes with two flexible watch bands (one large, one small) and the most adorable little tool to remove the hard plastic piece and to install the comfortable watch band of your choice. Huge improvement, Garmin! Well done.
Lastly, the Garmin 410 just seems more accurate and more reliable. I bought the first generation Garmin 405 and probably dealt with some of the issues that come with purchasing any first generation technology. It was frustrating but I stuck with it because it was so much better than anything else I could use. The Garmin 410 blows the 405 out of the water. It’s accurate, precise and locates satellites quickly. No more waiting around in the cold while the Garmin 405 locates, locates, locates the satellites. The Garmin 410 does it in a matter of seconds and most of the time seems to be able to do this if it’s near a window inside (score!).
Who Should Buy the Garmin 410 in my opinion:
- Serious runners who like to geek out over data
- Runners who are sick of wearing their iPhones on their arm
- Trail runners
- Enthusiastic runners like myself who can’t resist gadgetry
The ease in locating satellites alone is enough to make me want to switch! That and the uncomfortable band (I agree, mine is always too loose AND too tight) are such a pain.
my only complaint is the short battery life!
How long does it usually last for you?
Hard to say. I’ve taken it on 3 hour runs with no problem. I haven’t noticed a difference between the 405 and the 410 in terms of battery life. I’ve been charging it every 2 or 3 days.
Oh yeah, the second I read that about the satellites, I was sold
Totally agree about the wristband on the 405. Though it sounds like you may have gotten a bit of a lemon – I got my 405 2 1/2 years ago and apart from the slow satellite issue and occasional trail-run inaccuracy, never had any problems. It holds charge for 5-7 days and never goes blank in teh way you describe.
Anyway, doesn’t matter, you’ve got the 410 and it is clearly awesome. Thanks for the review!
This is so great! I need this kind of info, as I’m trying to pick a Garmin for my training!