This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer. It's been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 245, you may want to check out that review instead.
The Garmin FR220 is the company’s latest mid-range (price-wise) running watch, which succeeds the older FR210 unit. The FR210 carved out the mid-range niche, ahead of a slew of competitors that have followed in its footsteps. But can Garmin jump ahead of all of these units with the Bluetooth connected FR220? Over the past month+, I set out to find out – one run after another.
Because I want to be transparent about my reviews – Garmin provided both beta and final production FR220’s, with this review being written on the basis of the final production hardware + software (some photos were taken during the software beta period of course). As always, in the next little bit I’ll be sending them back to Garmin and then going out and getting my own (to be able to support y’all in the comments section down the road). 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 or Clever Training 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:
The FR220 comes in a variety of flavors – including grape (aka purple), which is the review unit flavor I ended up with. Sometimes I think the Garmin folks just like to send me the girly colors merely so they can laugh at me.
Here’s the back of the box, in case you’re into that sorta thing:
After you’ve removed the outer shell, you’ll have three basic piles of stuff: Watch stuff, charger stuff, paper stuff.
Here we are, after having removed the plastic stuff:
Here’s the front of the watch itself. As I’ll cover in a little bit, the unit is notably lighter than other units (and visibly so on the scale). It’s also thinner a well as having a brighter screen. All things you’ll see over the course of the next few hundred photos.
And here’s the back of the unit. You’ll notice a new charging port, different from past Garmin products. Also, you’ll see the ANT+ logo as well as Bluetooth Smart logo on there.
Looking at other boxed content, we’ve got the ever-exciting Quick Start Manual. I suspect however by time you finish reading this post, you’ll ace the Quick Start Manual test.
Finally, we have the charging cable. While this may look like the Garmin Fenix charging cable, it’s actually slightly different. The pin-outs (little copper things) are arranged different such that you can’t interchange the two cables.
Here’s a closer look at how things line up:
And then snapped in:
The good news is that unlike some of the previous Garmin Forerunner charging cables – this one stays locked on very nicely. You can see it hanging here. I could easily hold onto one end of the USB cable and swing it around my head like a lasso and it won’t fly off.
I do want to briefly note that the FR220 comes in two color variations. The purple which you’ll see throughout this review, as well as a Red/Black variant, that I had at the beginning and end of my review cycle:
With our unboxing complete, let’s see how things size up to other units on the market.
Size Comparisons & Weights:
First we’ve got the standard rolling pin side view. You’ll notice that for the most part the GPS units these days are all roughly in the same size arena. It’s only the ones to the far left that are a bit bigger – the Adidas Smart Run GPS and the Suunto Ambit 2s. And, at the far right side you’ve got the lightest and smallest of the bunch, the Magellan Echo. Except that doesn’t have GPS in it but rather depends on your phone’s GPS. The FR220 feature-wise best compares to the TomTom, Timex Run Trainer 2.0, and Polar RC3 (the three units directly to the left of it).
(From left to right: Adidas Smart Run GPS, Suunto Ambit 2s, Garmin FR610, Garmin FR620, Polar RC3, TomTom Runner/Multisport, Timex Run Trainer 2.0, Garmin FR220, Magellan Echo)
Next, we can turn them up a bit and see the height of each one. The pattern is pretty similar here. The TomTom is a bit of an optical illusion because while the height looks thin on the display side, the button wraps down around the front and pops up a bit. The thickest units overall are the Adidas, Suunto and then the Timex Run Trainer 2.0 (3rd from right).
If I look at the three other units the Garmin FR220 tends to be compared to the most, you can see this a bit more clearly (Polar RC3, TomTom Runner, Timex Run Trainer 2.0, FR220).
The FR220 is of course the successor to the FR210. The most noticeable aspect (aside from weight) though is really thickness. In particular though towards the base of the unit. You can see how the first bit of the FR210 watch band as it leaves the display is still a portion of the unit and added bulk, whereas the FR220 doesn’t have any of that extra bulk.
In the below photo you’ll note that the bezel of the FR220 is actually slightly larger (diameter) than that of the FR210, though you’d likely never notice it outside of this picture.
If we look at how it compares to the $129 Garmin FR10, you’ll see that it’s a fair bit thinner. The 14-month old FR10 always was a bit chubby when it came to height, even though it had a fairly small width footprint:
Looking at wearing it, here’s what it looks like on my wrist, my wrist size is 17cm (or about 6.5 inches):
And, for all the smaller ladies in the house, here’s what it looks like on The Girl’s wrist, her wrist size is 14cm (or 5.5 inches) – and she’s tiny – 5’2” tall:
The Girl was quite happy with the watch – at least until I gave her the FR620, at which point she went for that. She much prefers the FR220 colors though over the FR620 colors.
Last but not least, here’s the weight situation. The FR220 weighed in at 41g:
Whereas the older FR210 came in at 52g:
Running Functionality and Features:
Now that you’re done looking at the thing, it’s time to actually run with it.
We’ll head outside and search for satellites. This process should be much quicker on the FR220 (as well as the FR620) as both these units introduced the ability to pre-cache satellite locations for the next week. These satellite caches are updated via Bluetooth Smart via your phone.
This tends to reduce the time to pickup satellite reception down to about 10-15 seconds – really scary quick. I’ve seen some reception times in as little as 4-5 seconds. The green bar along the top indicates satellite reception. Once it’s fully green, a second later it’ll be ready to go.
Here’s a short video of this. This particular unit hadn’t been turned on for GPS reception in about 14 hours:
Here we are, ready to go:
One really cool new feature on the FR220 (and the FR620) is the ability to set the auto-sleep setting to ‘Extended’. In the past, if you were at the start line of a race the unit would try to go to sleep every 5 minutes if recording hadn’t been started. Now, you can configure the ‘Extended’ option which gives you 25 minutes to do something (either start, or to tap a button).
Once that’s all done, it’s time to start running. To do so you’ll press the upper right button (colored button), which starts and pauses the run. It’s also used for resuming if you pause. Below that on the lower right you’ve got a lap button.
On the left side you’ve got an up/down set of buttons for navigating the menu and changing your display pages while running. And finally in the upper left you have the backlight button.
Once you’ve started running the FR220 will display the metrics which you’ve configured it to display. By default this will cover things like pace, distance, time, and heart rate. You can customize different pages with different metrics.
For example, I typically like to configure a page with all my lap stats – such as lap pace, lap time, and lap distance:
And then on another page I’ve got more general run stats (heart rate, overall run time, but still lap pace):
The FR220 also allows you to have a two-metric page with HR stats on it, so that’s displayed below:
In total the FR220 lets you configure two data screens (+ one HR screen and one screen for the clock). Each screen (page) can contain up to three pieces of data, either in a 1-metric, 2-metric, or three-metric configuration. You’ll change which metrics are shown within the Activity Settings area, and then Data Screens:
You can choose to enable the clock view, which will add a page just for the clock.
Here’s the full listing of data fields you can configure on the FR220 (Update: In the latest firmware version 2.80 and above, you can now add the ‘Elevation’ data field):
(EDIT: Note that for the %Max HR/%HRR, that’s to setup the zones, but the display itself doesn’t show %Max HR/%HRR while running).
Many people ask about pace stability while using GPS. Below is a short video I took while running with the unit. I’m not wearing any footpod, this is pure GPS pace. Sorry for the bumpiness. The bottom number is the pace number, shown in minutes/mile
Before you run you’ll want to pair the ANT+ heart rate strap if you purchased one. This will transmit your heart rate to the watch for display and later retrieval in the recording. It also greatly improves the calorie burn accuracy of the unit. In fact, you can use the HR strap indoors with the GPS off to get calorie burn metrics.
While running you’ll just press the up/down button to iterate forward or backwards through the data pages. You can also however use Auto Scroll to do it for you. This will simply scroll through the data pages automatically:
The unit can be configured for both metric and statute displays (i.e. miles or kilometers), and in fact, there’s actually settings to change any of the different fields (such as pace or distance) individually and independently of each other. So you could have pace in kilometer-related and distance in miles (as confusing as that would be).
While running you can configure the unit to automatically create laps, called Auto Laps. These can be setup based on a preset distance, such as 1 Mile. I tend to use this for longer runs, rather than shorter ones.
Also of note is that the unit supports Auto Pause, which will automatically pause the unit when you go slower than a certain threshold – such as stopping at a light for a crosswalk. You can customize the thresholds if they’re too high/low for you.
When it comes to alerting you’ve got a couple options. You can create alerts on a number of metrics such as pace or heart rate. These are both defined as high/low alerts, where you set a high value and/or a low value (both or individual) and then the unit alerts based upon crossing that threshold:
I’ve found the pace alerts though to be a bit finicky (on both the FR220 and the FR620), at least a bit hyper-sensitive. In trying to do a workout with them set on the FR220 for 5:50-6:20/mile, it never stopped beeping, despite having three other GPS watches tell me I was holding 6:05-6:10/mile quite nicely.
Note that the FR220 does not have a Virtual Partner feature. Rather, the pace alerts are your best option here.
You can also setup alerts such as the Run/Walk alert, which is common in a number of marathon training plans these days. In this case you setup a Run Time (i.e. 10 minutes), and then a Walk Time (i.e. 1 minute) and then the unit will simply repeat this duo forever until you tell it otherwise.
Once your run is done you’ll go ahead and tap the pause button to pause it, which then brings you to this screen where you can save the run (or discard it I suppose):
After which it’ll list off any PR’s that you’ve hit for that run. PR’s (Personal Records) are listed for distances from 1KM upwards to Marathon, as well as for records such as longest run. Here’s a few of them:
The only problem is that while it’s supposed to pull your previous PR’s from Garmin Connect, it doesn’t appear to be doing so. So in reality my PR’s are kinda skewed.
All of this information then ends up in the history section if you’d like to review it later from the watch itself.
And of course it’ll get uploaded online as I’ll cover in a bit.
Looking at GPS accuracy, I’m very happy with what I’m seeing with the FR220. It’s in line with a bunch of other GPS units I’ve paired it up against, always relatively close to each other. Given the accuracy of GPS technology in the consumer space, you’ll almost never get the same measurement from two units (even two like units), but in these cases you see very similar numbers across the board:
I’ll likely be doing accuracy tests again with the large batch of new running watches on the block, since it now makes sense to do so.
Treadmill Running & Internal Accelerometer:
The Garmin FR220 includes an internal accelerometer (in the watch) which enables the unit to measure both pace and cadence without the need for an external footpod (as most watches previously required).
This internal accelerometer is automatically configured while running outdoors with the GPS enabled (there’s no additional manual configuration). My ability to test this particular feature has been somewhat limited, as only the final firmware enabled my unit the ability to record this data (as opposed to just viewing it). That said, one of the easiest ways to test this is by simply running it through a straight forward pyramid test on a treadmill after a run outdoors (to get the unit calibrated via GPS).
For this test I did a very straight forward treadmill test after completing a short warm-up. The recorded test includes the following:
1 Minute @ 12KPH (it took about 15-20s for the treadmill to get to full speed)
4 Minutes @ 13KPH (7:26/mi, 4:37/km)
1 Minute @ 14KPH (6:45/mi, 4:17/km)
1 Minute @ 15KPH (6:26/mi, 4:03/km)
1 Minute @ 16KPH (6:02/mi, 3:45/km)
1 Minute @ 17KPH (5:41/mi, 3:32/km)
1 Minute @ 18KPH (5:22/mi, 3:20/km)
1 Minute @ 10KPH (9:30/mi, 6:00/km) with letting treadmill stop last 10 seconds.
After that first minute, the following 4-minutes at 13KPH provided a bit more variability than I expected actually. On previous tests where I couldn’t record the data (beta stuff), I did see much more consistency at these paces. So I’m not quite as concerned here because I know from other testing as well as what I saw on the FR620 that it tends to do well in most cases at my ‘normal’ paces.
Nonetheless, if you look at the FR610 using a standard calibrated footpod, the paces are spot-on what you’d expect for each ‘step’ (increase) in my workout. Or rather, more importantly – there are ‘steps’ at all!
In the case of the above FR220 data, it tops out at about 7:18/mile. Whereas in reality, the below FR610 tops out at 5:23/mile, which is within :01/mile of the specified treadmill speed (point scored for footpod!).
In short, what you see here is that the paces are a bit all over the map when it comes to paces outside my normal range. Which is pretty much exactly what I saw on my FR620 tests.
Next, we look at cadence provided by the internal cadence within the FR220 unit itself. In this case, it’s actually not too bad. What’s funny is that you can clearly see where I must have brushed sweat off my face around the 1:40 marker, as the cadence throws a dropout. Remember that since this is measuring cadence based on my wrist (and not a footpod), it’s going to be impacted by things like that.
Next is a graph from a FR220 on the same arm (another one) that was set to use a standard ANT+ footpod. In this case you can see how perfect the cadence is across each of the various steps. As you can see, both pace and cadence from the internal unit is overwritten by the external ANT+ footpod.
Nonetheless, the pattern I’ve seen both inside and outside is that the cadence information provided by the FR220 internally is actually quite accurate. I’ve put it up against really long 2hr runs and it’s within 1SPM for the entire run, which is pretty good considering I’m often grabbing gels, taking photos or the like.
Which, brings me to the last point that you’ve probably observed at this point in this section: The FR220 does indeed pair to a ANT+ footpod for pace and cadence.
While outdoors the unit will use the cadence from the footpod and GPS for the pace/distance. While indoors with GPS off it’ll use data from the footpod for both. The FR220 will not leverage the cadence information passed by the Garmin HRM-Run HR strap. Only the FR620 can utilize that.
To pair your footpod you’ll go ahead and dive into the sensors area, and then add a footpod sensor:
From there you can search for the footpod:
You can manually configure the calibration factor there, or just let it do it via GPS after your run.
At that point you’re pretty much good to go. Likely when in indoors mode you’ll want to switch off GPS, which you can access by pressing the ‘Up’ button from the home screen (the one that says “Run”). Then, select GPS to off. At this point it’ll provide pace, distance and cadence while indoors (either with footpod or internal unit accelerometer).
Workout Creation & Training Plans:
The FR220 supports the ability to create manual workouts that you’ll follow on your device and be prompted for each step of the workout. These workouts can have a variety of targets (such as pace, cadence, heart rate and speed), and can have preset durations such as time, distance or just simply pressing the lap button. This is new to this price point, as previously the FR210 did not have this capability (it had basic interval support)
The workouts are created on Garmin Connect and then transferred to the device via Bluetooth or USB.
Below, you can see my creating one of my workouts. You can create a multiple of steps, and include embedded repeating steps (such as Work + Rest intervals). The Garmin Connect workout builder is pretty much the easiest and most complete interval builder out there. Incredibly simple to use.
After you complete creating all your individual steps, you’ll be ready to save the workout (and name it). You can always come back to it and edit it later though:
Once you’ve saved it you’ll go ahead and send it to your device via Bluetooth Smart (phone) or USB). In my case, we’ll just go with USB:
At this point you can also add it to your Training Calendar. By adding it to your Training Calendar you can sync the calendar to your device which will in turn automatically make certain workouts show up on the device based on the day you’re planning to execute them:
To find the workouts you’ll scroll down on your device to ‘Training’, you can then select ‘My Workouts’, where you’ll see any workouts you’ve transferred listed:
Within this you can also preview the steps for a given workout:
In addition to creating your own workouts, Garmin Connect includes (free) training plans for a variety of goal races from 5K’s to Marathons to Triathlons. Each of these plans has various experience levels.
You can poke around at the different plans and decide which works best for you. Each plan includes specific workouts for certain days of the week. These workouts are based on the assumption of a known Start or End Date. Typically the Finish Date is your race day. You’ll just press ‘Schedule’ to add them to your Training Calendar.
Here you can see them in the Calendar View:
Back on the watch, these will show up within the Training > Training Calendar view.
Structured workouts will automatically walk you through each step of the workout, showing you how many minutes are left and the target for each step of the workout.
During the workout it’ll display a new page with each step (target) and the time remaining for each step:
If you exceed a threshold, it’ll alert you immediately. You can see this below:
In the case above, I completely stopped, which triggered the pace to show null (zero), and give me a pace alert for being too slow.
Though strangely, it doesn’t actually tell you whether you were high or low – just simply that you were out of bounds for that portion of the workout. (To clarify: It always shows you the view two photos above, but when the pop-up alert happens, it doesn’t say “High/Low” there). Update: It’s been explained to me that the border color of the alert will actually tell you if it’s high or low. For high, it’ll show orange. For low, it’ll show blue (as seen above).
Cycling Functionality:
The Garmin FR220 does not contain a cycling function, nor any way to connect to speed/cadence sensors while cycling. It does however contain the ability to switch the display metric from pace (usually displayed as minutes/mile or minutes/kilometer) to speed (i.e. MPH/KPH). You can do this via the the Settings > Activity Settings > Data Screens menu, and then within one of your data pages you can select the data field you want to change and change it to Speed.
At this point the unit will display speed (MPH or KPH depending on your preferences) as one of the data fields.
The only challenge with this particular workaround though is that by default the workout will still be uploaded to Garmin Connect as a ‘Run’, rather than a ‘Bike’ workout, which means that it’ll incorrectly trigger both PR’s on the unit (i.e. fastest 5KM) as well as incorrectly triggering those on Garmin Connect.
On the Garmin Connect side however you can go ahead and modify the workout type to be ‘Cycling’ which will then address the issue there. On a subsequent synchronization it’ll pull that PR information back down to the watch.
Navigation Functionality:
Like it’s older sibling the FR210, the FR220 doesn’t contain any form of navigational and/or course routing. Meaning that if you’re looking to use the GPS to get directions to somewhere, you’re better off taking a paper map for that. I call this out in a section specifically, merely to minimize the number of questions on it.
For users that need these functions, the better choice would be the Fenix/Tactix watch form-factor lineup, rather than the running-specific watches. The Fenix watches focus on navigation, running, and exceedingly long battery life (upwards of 55 hours). They do lack however areas such as training plans, interval, and workout functions. Though, they do contain a cycling mode with full support for ANT+ speed/cadence sensors.
Use as a day to day watch, backlight:
While the FR220 has 10 hours of GPS time, it can stay in standby mode for 6 weeks with GPS off. in this mode it acts as a day to day watch.
If you want to unlock you’ll press one of the buttons and then press the little runner man button again to unlock it:
The FR220 allows you to create a single daily alarm. You can’t configure said alarm for specific days of the week, nor can you create additional alarms.
Interestingly, in time mode you can configure the background to be black (with white text), or white (with black text).
By default the time on the unit will automatically come from the GPS, but you can manually override that if you wish.
Speaking of Time, you can also configure it for 12hr or 24hr mode:
Lastly, while running in the dark you can configure the unit’s backlight to remain on for a specified period of time. By default it’s only a handful of seconds. Thus I change it to simply ‘stay on’ until I tell it otherwise.
You can also select to have the unit automatically illuminate if/when you press any buttons or if any watch alerts pop-up, such as lap notifications, pacing alerts, etc…
ANT+ Weight Scale Connectivity:
While the majority of Garmin fitness devices used to support connecting to a small number of ANT+ enabled weight and body fat scales, the FR220 no longer continues that tradition. Based on my discussions with the product team, there are no plans to enable that functionality on the FR220 (or, the FR620).
I suspect the primary reason for this is simply the number of users using those weight scales today (unfortunately barely a rounding error on a tenth of a percent at best). Added to that the fact that most of the WiFi scales today far exceed the functionality provided by the ANT+ scales.
Of course, that doesn’t help users of past Garmin devices that have purchased those ANT+ scales solely for the purpose of connecting them to Garmin devices (the only company that truly ever lit up that scenario via ANT+ ). Given it would be Garmin’s goal to convert those users into FR220/FR620 users, I would think that it might benefit them as a gesture of goodwill to look at an update down the road to connect to the scale (it’s just a firmware change).
As a side effect, this pretty much kills any ANT+ scales going forward. Which, shouldn’t really be a major surprise. Even Bluetooth scales aren’t really a great solution. Neither protocol really fits the bill for scales compared to WiFi, especially since virtually nobody would travel with their scale – meaning that it’s always going to be hanging out in a single place with easy WiFi access.
Waterproofing:
The Garmin FR220 is waterproofed to a depth of 50 meters (150ft), which differs from many past Garmin running watches which only had IPX7 waterproofing (30 minutes at 1m/3ft deep). This means you can easily use it on your wrist while swimming without any concerns about killing it. It won’t capture any swim metrics (distance/stroke/etc…), but it’ll survive just fine.
During a recent work trip I spent considerable time submerging the FR220 in the open ocean water swimming around and spending a bunch of time underwater working on product shots for a different review. My wife also spent time with it in the water while I wasn’t in the water.
I’ve seen no ill effects as a result of that. Nor have I seen any issues with rain and/or sweat during my other runs over the past month+ with the unit.
As with most GPS units you won’t get accurate distance outside while worn on your wrist. This is because the FR220 isn’t designed to understand how to deal with the dropouts that occur when the watch goes under the water each time during the stroke. To demonstrate this, here’s a short swim workout I did. The FR610 was tracking distance in my swimcap and acting as a reference. The Suunto Ambit2 was tracking it on my wrist – and that unit understands how to track openwater swims correctly. You can see the FR220 is nearly double that distance.
Looking at the GPS tracks, you can see quite a difference:
Finally, for pure curiosity I was interested in what the cadence data looks like from the internal accelerometer. While the unit does measure ‘something’, it’s not 100% clear to me how that number correlates while swimming. Either way, it doesn’t appear to be strokes:
Going forward into December I’ll be bringing both the FR220 and the FR620 down to 33m (~100ft deep) in an indoor facility designed for exactly this sort of thing, to test out the waterproofing myself. Should be fun!
Live Tracking & Mobile Phone Upload Functionality:
The Garmin FR220 includes the ability to connect via Bluetooth Smart to your mobile phone to upload workouts immediately upon completion, as well as to provide streaming live tracking of your run to family and friends. You can share out the link automatically via e-mail or social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.
We first saw this technology in the Garmin Edge 510 and Edge 810 last January. In that case however, the units used older Bluetooth chips which meant compatibility with older phones. With Bluetooth Smart being used here in the FR220, you’ll need an iPhone 4s or newer in order to take advantage of the uploads and connectivity.
[Update]: When I originally published this review, the mobile app was not yet updated for the FR220. Since then, it has become available for iOS. I’ve added an updated section into my FR620 review showing how it works there, and I’ve used it on the FR220 (the usage/functions are 100% identical to the FR620) as well without issue, but just haven’t quite yet written it up here. I’ll be doing that shortly. In the meantime, check out the FR620 review to see how it works. Note that Garmin has not yet released the Android version, and has stated that’s coming in Q1 2014, so sometime between January and March 2014.
Computer (USB) Upload Functionality:
In addition to Bluetooth Smart uploading via your phone, you can also simply plug the FR220 into your computer via USB and upload the workouts that way. This allows you to not only send workouts to Garmin Connect, but to 3rd party sites as well.
When you plug the FR220 into your computer it enumerates as a standard USB mass storage device – just like a little USB thumb drive. This is best because it doesn’t require any special drivers and works on pretty much any device out there, as well as any operating system. All the workouts are found within the ‘Activity’ folder:
Once everything is plugged in you’ll go ahead and wander over to Garmin Connect and click on the ‘Upload’ button in the upper right corner. This brings you to the below page, where you can then select to ‘Upload All New Activities’, which is what I typically choose.
The upload process usually only takes a few seconds (.FIT files are small, about 100KB per hour of recorded data). Once the upload is complete you can click on ‘View Details’ to dive into the individual workout.
With that, let’s dive into things on Garmin Connect, which is Garmin’s free training log platform.
Garmin Connect Online:
Once the data is uploaded to Garmin Connect, you’ll be able to view information about your run. To start with, you’ve got the main overview page. This view shows your activity summary information along the left side, with detailed pods along the right side. At the top you’ve got the map, which you can swap between Bing, Google and OpenStreetMap as providers, and then views such as satellite or standard maps depending on the location and provider.
As I scroll down I get pods for each one of the key running metrics. Timing is what shows my pace, which is configurable as either minutes/mile or minutes/kilometer (or, in MPH/KPH if you switch to a speed mode). Then below that elevation data, which is automatically corrected after the fact. Then you have heart rate information below that. On the left side you see my different splits. These splits were manually created by me based on me pressing the button. But laps created by auto lap will show up here as well.
Finally, at the very bottom along the left side you’ve got the weather information that’s pulled from a nearby weather station (historical). And on the right you have cadence information. This information shows your running cadence displayed in SPM (Steps Per Minute), which is the sum total of both feet. Some sites display this as just one foot (i.e. 90SPM), and some sites display it as two feet (180SPM). In fact, Garmin Connect actually changed this last week to display it in sum rather than the previous one-foot.
Remember that this information comes from the internal unit within the FR220 (and the FR620), unless you have a footpod – in which case it comes from that instead (like all previous Garmin watches).
In addition to the activity view, there’s also a player view, which will replay back your activity with a moving dot on the map, showing the speed/cadence/HR/etc… at that given point in time.
Beyond this, Garmin Connect provides calendars and reporting, as well as the training plans that I discussed a bit earlier. Ultimately I find Garmin Connect a good option for runners wanting a simplistic online site that’s easy to understand. For more advanced users, you may want to check out some of the options in the 3rd party realm, shown next.
3rd Party Site Compatibility:
Like virtually all Garmin Fitness devices these days, the Garmin FR220 outputs files into the standard .FIT file format. This means that it’s compatible with pretty much every 3rd party site on the planet (and, if your 3rd party site/app doesn’t consume .FIT files it’s likely not worth using).
I’ve tested the FR220 files with the 3rd party apps I use most frequently, all with success: Strava, Training Peaks, and Sport Tracks.
For those developers in the house (or, just anyone who wants to test if their app can read FR220 files), feel free to use this small collection of files.
One change I dislike however is that Garmin has changed their naming scheme on these files to names that are basically entirely garbage. Previously the names were a combination of the date and time (which, you know, is logical). Now, it’s as if someone threw up a bit in their mouth and then spit out these file names:
The FR620 shares this awesome naming scheme. Hopefully they’ll change it in a firmware update.
Firmware Updating:
The FR220 supports firmware updating as Garmin releases new firmware versions for the watch. This is typically done to fix bugs and/or add new features (usually minor features).
To get new firmware for the FR220 you’ll connect it to Garmin Connect (via USB) or to the Garmin WebUpdater (also via USB). Additionally, you can do firmware updates via your phone as well (via Bluetooth Smart).
What’s interesting is the slight shift in how firmware updates work. Now, the update is downloaded to your unit but hangs out until you’re ready for the update to be applied. You can see this above where it shows a firmware update ready to be installed (along with the version).
Within that screen I have three options. The first being to simply install it right then, with the second being to ‘Remind Me’ – which simply reminds you the next time you turn the watch back into Run mode. And finally, the third being to dismiss the update entirely.
Assuming you press to install, it takes just 1-2 minutes (which was true to what it said it would take), and then shows you this small status bar along the edge as it updates.
In the updates that I’ve applied thus far to the unit, no settings were lost – it simply retained those (including workout history and customizations).
Traditionally speaking we tend to see Garmin release more updates shortly after a product is released as they address any issues found, and then those taper off the longer from release date. Further, you tend to see the more expensive products get feature enhancements (such as the FR910XT, Fenix, Edge 810, etc..) – rather than the less expensive products (i.e. FR10/FR210/etc…) – which may only see one or two tiny changes to the functionality.
Bugs and Miscellaneous:
In recent reviews I’ve been adding a bugs section to cover things that I stumbled upon. Because I’ve had the watch for a bit now, I’m really only focusing on bugs that I’ve seen on the final firmware. Remember a ‘bug’ is different than ‘by design’. For example, the lack of a feature is something I highlight within a given section is considered ‘by design’, whereas something not really working right is below.
In the case of the Garmin FR220, the issues I’ve seen are largely in the ‘annoyance’ category, rather than the show-stopper category.
– The internal accelerometer pace data while on a treadmill seems suspect at faster than your norm paces, and slower than your norm paces.
– The pace alerts (high/low alerts) seem overly sensitive to trigger, though I need to re-validate this after the Saturday firmware update (no release notes)
– Added: Calibration of footpod: In my testing, I had calibration values shown when I used the footpod. However, in recent builds, it doesn’t seem to be updating the calibration value from outdoor GPS runs. Thus you have to manually calibrate (a pain, involves math, kinda stupid). If you use the footpod in the current firmware with GPS, you’ll get inaccurate data because the footpod will be set for 1000 (likely incorrect for you), and will override GPS.
– The PR’s don’t appear to take into account existing Garmin Connect PR’s, rather, are only device specific.
– [New] In software version 2.20, if using a footpod (optional), the footpod will OVERRIDE the GPS for distance/pace outdoors, which will likely result in incorrect pace. I’d highly suggest disabling the footpod while outdoors if you have one. [Update: This has been fixed, but instead, you can’t use the footpod for instant-pace outdoors with the GPS on.]
Now, this doesn’t mean this is all the bugs out there. This is just the ones I saw during my running and/or use. As a single person I can’t possible test every possible feature in every possible combination to reproduce every possible scenario. Sure, I’d love to – but companies have entire teams of testers and they still miss things. So I do the best I can to note what I’ve seen above.
Pros and Cons:
While there’s a lot of text here that covers a lot of fairly important details, here’s the super-duper slimmed down version of that:
Pros:
– GPS accuracy seems to be quite good, unit finds satellites very quickly with pre-caching
– Customized workout function a nice add over the FR210 that didn’t have it previously
– Incredibly lightweight for a GPS watch (or any unit)
– Waterproof to 50m (finally!)
– Bluetooth Smart Live Tracking (once app is updated/released)
Cons:
– Not convinced the treadmill (internal accelerometer) paces are accurate at all pace ranges
– No cycling, navigation, weight scale functionality
– Some people dislike the color choices offered
– About $50 more than other mid-range running watches (though those don’t have any phone connectivity/Live Tracking)
Comparison Tables:
Before we wrap things up I’ve put together the comparison charts of all the features of the FR220, compared to the older FR210 and FR610 – as well as the new FR620. You can of course create your own comparison tables using this link with any of the products I’ve previously reviewed.
The tables are updated dynamically and thus if/when things change that’s represented automatically in this section.
Final Thoughts:
Over the past 30-40 days I’ve used the FR220 a lot. In fact, I’ve used it more than any other watch (even the FR620). And quite simply – I really like it. If it weren’t for the FR620’s ability to show four data fields concurrently over the FR220’s three data fields, I’d easily use the FR220 as my standard running watch (yes, even the purple color they sent).
The user interface is incredibly quick and simple to navigate, and the waterproofing is what I’d expect of an expensive GPS watch (read: it’s actually waterproofed unlike past watches). I love the fact that Garmin decided to throw in the custom workout functionality (creating workouts online and downloading them), which the predecessor to this unit didn’t have.
Now, I do have concerns about the treadmill pace functionality. Like the FR620 I’m seeing that it’s not quite as accurate at significantly faster or slower paces than my calibrated norm. That might be a problem for some, though, you can always add an ANT+ footpod to get spot-on pace (albeit at extra cost).
Like the previous Garmin FR210, I think that for 95% of runners out there, the FR220 covers everything you’d need in a GPS watch – from data tracking to easy uploading. It’s really only if you want a bit more data on the screen at once, or a bit more detail on things like Running Dynamics, that I’d recommend looking at the FR620 instead.
Found this review useful? Or just want a good deal? Here’s how:
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 exclusive benefits on all products purchased. By joining the Clever Training VIP program you get a bunch of money-saving benefits, which you can read about here. By doing so, you not only support the site (and all the work I do here) – but you also get to enjoy the significant partnership benefits that are just for DC Rainmaker readers. And, since this item is more than $75, you get free 3-day US shipping as well.
Additionally, you can also use Amazon to purchase the unit (all colors shown after clicking through to the left) or accessories (though, no discount). 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.
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.
Product
Street Price
Amazon
2013 Recommendations: Running GPS Watches
2014 Summer Recommendations: Running Watches
Garmin 220 Replacement Band (Purple/White, Black/Red) - Compatible with FR220/FR620 $25
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!
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.
So do I have to buy the heart rate monitor shown with the garmin220 or can I use other HRM provided by garmin ? Also do I need to get the foot pod ?
Thanks
I did a AIMS sanctioned half today with the 220 and foot pod. Even with 3 km of ducking and weaving the watch was 980 m short. Others watches beeped at the marking signs, my 220 slipped about 45m per km .
I have not done a long run without the pod but didn’t think it could pull the stats down that evenly each km.
The calibration is still 100.0. Does it auto calibrate as mentioned either in this or the 620 review ?
Thanks Rainmaker and Jeffp for your answers. I will look into the calibration issue. On my marathon. I ran in 3:32. No way I would have run 28.9 miles in that time!
I was using a footpod, and the GPS. I am so upset that I am thinking about returning my watch today. Oh well, Francisco
Finally got my FR220. Love the watch. Just what I was looking for in a running watch. Only issue I am experiencing is syncing with my phone via Bluetooth. It connects to phone and app ok, but won’t upload run data to phone/app. I have tried everything including removing device and repairing it. I even tried hard reset of watch. It worked the very first time but won’t work now. I have to use USB cable :-( I emailed support. Waiting to hear back but this is hopefully a bug that will be fixed in next firmware release.
I have had this exact same problem. Have you found out anything?
This is one of my favorite, and one of the most useful of features of the watch so I really hope this problem is resolved.
DC, do you know about this and have some advice?
I wish I had some suggestions beyond what was posted above. When mine got all hung-up back a while ago I just reset things a bit and it was all happy again (removed pairing on both watch and phone and re-did).
Sorry posted this under wrong reply. Here it is again:
Here is Garmin’s response. They apparently are aware of it but don’t seem to have a solution yet. I tried this but have not gone for a run yet to see if it fixed it. Worth a shot.
Garmin: I will be glad to assist you. Since your automatic upload is not working, we will want to verify that you are running the latest software version on your Forerunner 220. To resolve this issue I strongly recommend updating your unit’s software.
To update your unit to the latest software, you need to use the Garmin WebUpdater program. You can install and run WebUpdater any time that you need to update your unit. WebUpdater lets you connect with our server, download, and install the latest updates for your GPS unit.
To view the installation instructions, please click the link below:
link to garmin.com
If it states that you already have the latest software, please reinstall this.
Mine is still not uploading to my phone after the firmware update and after disconnecting and re-pairing the phone/watch. I have sent an email to support as well. Is yours working yet? If so what did you do to fix it? Any further news DC?
Thanks.
Ray, any idea what’s in the FR220 2.30 firmware update? I’m always curious about additions. Right now, all I can think of is a quick way to jump back to the main screen when you’re in settings. Like click and hold of the back button. Not keeping my hopes up, though.
Here is Garmin’s response. They apparently are aware of it but don’t seem to have a solution yet. I tried this but have not gone for a run yet to see if it fixed it. Worth a shot.
Garmin: I will be glad to assist you. Since your automatic upload is not working, we will want to verify that you are running the latest software version on your Forerunner 220. To resolve this issue I strongly recommend updating your unit’s software.
To update your unit to the latest software, you need to use the Garmin WebUpdater program. You can install and run WebUpdater any time that you need to update your unit. WebUpdater lets you connect with our server, download, and install the latest updates for your GPS unit.
To view the installation instructions, please click the link below:
Hi Ray. Thanks for another awesome review. I just got my 220 last weekend and I’m loving it, but I have a couple of questions. First, how do I preload satellite locations over USB? Second, is there any way (or any plans to include in future firmware updates) to add in my fitness level, VO2 Max, etc?
Here was a great post up above on how to pre-cache the satellite info, provided from Garmin Support:
/////
“At this time there is no indication from the watch or application that the data downloaded to the watch. To be specific here are the scenarios where the watch will be loaded with the satellite data:
– USB – connecting to the data cable which is plugged into your computer’s USB port and having Garmin Express Fit recognize the device should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update
– WiFi – Pressing the Connect button on the Forerunner 620 to check for files will facilitate a satellite data update
– BLE/Phone app – Connecting to the phone app should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update (We currently support the iPhone 4S and above at this time)
The above only occurs when the data is either not present on the watch or when the data on the watch is expired. Updating through your computer downloads 7 days worth of data and downloading via Bluetooth downloads 3 days worth of data.”
/////
Hi, just purchased FR220 but not tested while running for the moment. It looks really great compared to the 410 I tested months ago !
I have a question about alarm clock, how to customize system to only be alerted by vibration an alarm clock ?
I tried to desactivate “Key Tones” (button presses) and “Alert Tones” (notifications), but the alarm clock continue to bip and vibrate…
I read in a Ray comments (FR620 review) that it’s maybe possible to only use vibration for alarm clock… I hope it’s still possible after firmware evolution !
Any idea ?
I would like to thanks Ray for the amazing reviews!
thanks for the review and replies to all these questions! Perhaps it would be good to pin some of them to the top of the page or let people vote for them so they move up. Few readers will read all 260+ comments and questions might repeat after a while.
My question: Is it true that it’s impossible to skip (or add) a repetition of a predefined work-out? For example, if I planned to do 8x1k, but I don’t feel well after 7 (or I simply don’t have time), the watch would insist (through alerts) on doing another rep even if I’m already doing the cooling down part?
Related, general question from somebody who has never used predefined work-outs: When doing the analysis on the computer, the interface still shows in one way or another what was planned (compared to what was actually done)? Or does it only show what you’ve done?
Great review, thanks! I think this is a small revolution versus old FR210. I think it’s remarkable the improved water resistance. It makes it quite more attractive.
And there’s something about design. I still find it somehow a bit Suunto-style. I like it anyway though!
Great review, I purchased my 220 last week and was able to use it for a half marathon. I have had the 210 for almost a year and the upgrades are great. A couple of my favorites are the rapid satellite fix and the Bluetooth connection (I have an iphone). The color, multiple screens, and the light also – which stays on longer than on the 210. A definite improvement is the sync cord. On my 210 it was very difficult to secure and keep the connection – the watchband is a lot more user friendly too. Overall I love the 220 – as a matter of fact when I found it in the store was ecstatic – I’ve only seen it backordered until January and I got the last one (they had already sold 8 that week).
Again, great review of the watch!
Finally, as far as tracking for the half marathon, I lov
Hi Ray,
I read the BT upload part on the FR620 review. Can you confirm that it works on the FR220 too? I saw some disturbing comments on the BT upload so just checking.
Thanks for all the great work (again)!!!
Regards, Don
I am considering the FR220 or FR620 and have a couple of questions.
I currently use a FR205 and i like the fact that I can set it up to beep after every mile and also at a predefined time as well. Is this possible with both these watches?
Also, I would look to use this watch for running and when I go on holiday. Can you tell me if the watch can be used as an every day watch and that the time will be accurate whenever you move country?
Yes, auto-lap is available on virtually all Garmin units, including the FR220/FR620.
Yes, you can use it as an everyday watch, no problems. To pickup new timezones, you’ll simply get satellite coverage briefly, which will update the watch time. And then you can switch GPS off again.
I talked to Garmin this afternoon about my issue above on huge inaccurate measurement of my marathon and 5k times. Recall that I was also using a foot pod. They told me also to disable the footpod. Apparently, the watch takes the distance and speed from the footpod, instead of the GPS when the footpod is connected. This does not gel with the description in your review.
Just to let you know, and thanks for everything again,
I’ve reached out previously to try and get clarification on the ordering (Footpod, GPS, Internal), I don’t have an answer from them there.
That said, they have noted that they are investigating the footpod overwriting issues in the latest firmware edition. As noted by other people here, I’d also recommend disabling the footpod while outdoors for now.
Is there any benefit to getting the HRM-Run over a regular HRM other than having inbuilt cadence (ie not having to buy a footpod) when paired with a 220?
Does the 220 support the HRM-Run in this way (Garmin website on refers to the HRM-Run in reference to the 620).
So I placed my order for the FR 220 on the clever training site two days ago, I never got a conformation email and when to check my shipping status and it doesn’t recognize my email ? Any thoughts ? I will call just office is closed now
Thanks
Hi Ray,
D
Same thing for me. I have ordered the 220 on CT monday morning. Just had an email summing up the transaction, but nothing since. No débit, no email.
Can you help?
Just to circle back here. In your case, the unit showed as mid-December for a shipdate upon ordering. With ordering on Monday, you would have received your order confirmation (as you noted you did). The next e-mail you’ll recieve is a ship-notification (if it ships today), or, if not shipping today then you’ll receive the weekly FR220/FR620 update e-mail (which goes out on Friday).
And, literally no sooner did I post that than did I got a heads up from the CT folks, that your unit shipped out last night (and you were sent a tracking number with that e-mail). Enjoy, and thanks for the support!!
Thank you for the review. I got a new FR220 2 weeks ago and up till now I’m quite happy.
Just a question on HR display: I’m not able to set the HR view in % of maxHR. I see HR on the top of the screen and ZONE in the bottom (which I find not very intuitive, and I would like to change into %MAX HR). Thanks! Andrea
I have had my 220 for a few days now and I’m disappointed in the GPS accuracy. I went for a few runs wearing both the 220 and my 305. The 305 tracks show me running on the street, very clean, exactly where I went. The 220 has me running over houses and doesn’t follow the street. The 220 has reported a consistently lower distance than the 305. All of these runs have been in a suburban area – no tall buildings and not a lot of trees, either.
Are you recommending we reset the watch in this case? How do you do a reset?
I’m pretty bummed. I was expecting the same accuracy of the 305.
I’d recommend two items (either or both) at this point:
1) Resetting the watch
2) Next time when it receives signal, try for fun waiting an extra 45-60 seconds after it says it’s ready. I’d be curious if that fixes it.
Thanks, Ray. I spoke with Garmin support on the phone and I did a hard reset – I’ll have to test it out on my AM run.
At his suggestion, I emailed Customer Support with the Garmin Connect files from 3 of my runs where I wore both devices. I just received a reply email, which left me a bit frustrated. It said – try doing a hard reset of the watch (which I already stated I’d done in my 3 sentence email). Then, it said that the accuracy looks fine, because it’s within the stated 45 feet range for consumer devices.
I agree that the 220 is probably performing within the stated accuracy for the device. If I’d been using Runkeeper all along, or had never owned a GPS watch, I’d be fine with it. But I’ve been using my 305 for over 3 years, and I just didn’t expect a step down in accuracy. Zooming in on the maps, it’s VERY clear that the 305 is more accurate. Regardless of the stated accuracy, I’m not okay with my new device being less accurate than a 6 year old model made by the same company.
I’m going to try your suggestion of waiting longer for the satellite lock. I always start my 305 in a window while I get my running clothes on, and I’ve been starting the 220 outside and waiting for the “go” signal. I’ll see if they match up better if they both get the window startup. If not, I’m sending back the 220. I’m just not willing to go backwards with GPS accuracy for a shiny new package.
Since the issue with the foot pod and GPS in the 220, I’ve been running with the 220 unpaired and my FR60 paired with the foot pod. I’ve been getting a 3% difference in distance and a 10% difference in pace. I’m at a loss as to why. The 220 always shows the slower pace. SPM and stride are all withing 1% of each other so is elapsed time. The pace differential has got me worried.
Just an update for those who’ve ordered from Clever Training (this is in addition to any updates you’ll receive on Friday). Plus, any shipping notifications. A massive number of units went out today. If you ordered a while ago, and don’t receive a shipping notification today (check your junk mail), you may want to double-check the order status online (or call).
FR620’s:
Blue/Black Non-Bundle: All orders are caught up, stock available for immediate shipment
Blue/Black HR Bundle: Almost all orders are caught up, with the rest expected to catch up with next week’s arrival
Orange/White Non-Bundle: Units in stock.
Orange/White Bundle: They fulfilled all back orders up to this weekend, and was in-stock for a while. It’s now out of stock, with no new units expected till later this month (things could change of course, and likely will).
FR220’s:
Red/Black Non-Bundle: Looking like mid-December for any new orders (existing orders sooner of course).
Red/Black Bundle: All caught up, a handful of units in stock for new orders
Purple/White Non-Bundle: Looking like mid-December for any new orders (existing orders sooner of course).
Purple/White Bundle: Looking like mid-December for any new orders (existing orders sooner of course).
Thanks for the support, I appreciate it! And again, if you have any troubles with orders, please don’t hesitate to use the Contact Me link at the top of the page and I’ll be happy to quickly get it sorted out.
Thanks for all of the info, the review, and helping me to save 10% at clever training. I’m new to GPS watches, but I’m excited to make the FR220 my first.
Have you had any issues with the GPS being completely wrong? I’ve run a handful of times with the 220 and was loving it until today. I ran my usual mile loop and when I hit 3/4 of the way around, the watch beeped at me and said I had completed a mile in 8:30. Completely wrong and I don’t run that fast. I turned it off and back on, ditto GPS, it was saying my pace was 5:05. Restarted it completely and then it finally started acting a bit more normal but still seemed to think my pace was slightly faster than I would’ve expected.
Have you had that happen before? What’s that about and how do I prevent it/fix it? I’m worried about running with it now…
No. Some folks that have been having problems have been poking at the suggestion that waiting a few extra seconds before you start (perhaps 30-60s) increases GPS accuracy. Unfortunately, neither the FR220 nor FR620 have a GPS accuracy field like past watches, so it’s a bit hard to tell.
About 95 min is enough time for the accuracy of the first few minutes to be insignificant.
I am going to try to pair the same pod to the 220 and the 405 and see what the diff is.
I’ll also run the same track with and without the foot pod.
Glad to see I’m not the only one with GPS issues. I’ve only done three runs so far with the FR220. Two were perfectly accurate. The third was WAY off, and it’s a run I do often. A perfect out and back. The map looks ridiculous. But that time it took less than a minute to tell me to start. Next time if it’s that quick I’ll wait a minute or so.
Yes, my map was ridiculous… I apparently can fly over walls and water. I feel like mine took a regular amount of time to start, maybe even a bit longer than usual.. but I did turn my watch on while I was still inside and I wonder if that makes a difference.
I appreciate that the Android app support is still awaited for BLE. However, has anyone had any success plugging the 220 in via USB and accessing the run data as a mass storage device ? I use apps like ‘stickmount’ to access USB drives – anyone tested this with the 220 ?
I did a hard reset on my 220 yesterday. Today, I let it locate satellites on a windowsill while I put on my running clothes. It went into standby mode before I was ready, so I had to have it acquire them again (I need to change the time limit setting).
The 220 performed markedly better today than in the past. Granted, it was only a 1 mile run (I am a little injured) but the map was noticeably better. The 305 gave me 1.09 miles and the 220 1.11 miles.
I’m pleased that the solution to better accuracy may just be giving the watch more time to acquire satellites. BUT, that negates the “faster satellite acquisition time!”
Eh… I’m on the fence about whether to keep the 220. I like that it’s so much lighter than the 305, but with the lack of back to start navigation and the fact that I can’t use the Bluetooth uploads (I have a 2 year old Droid phone), maybe I’m better off just keeping the 305…
Garmin support wasn’t too helpful with my email, by the way. I sent them maps from 3 runs with the 220 having an inaccurate map and the 305 looking great, and the reply was that it looked within the stated accuracy of the device.
I’ve got a 410 but even with a new battery I have concerns that it won’t last a marathon. This talk of gps accuracy is worrying, and the lack of a gps accuracy measure on the device is a bad omission. My 410 is ready to go when the accuracy hits 50ft – but then usually ticks down to about 10ft. The 220 sounds way off this.
Hopefully though, if the solution is to wait for a better gps fix, the accuracy at which the watch gives a ‘go’ will be a simple software update. I can’t see any changes in the physical design that could cause this (other than a different internal antenna?), and surely it’s a newer gps chip set.
Any idea how backed up CT is? I ordered a violet bundle on Tuesday and I’m expecting mid December but I’m secretly hoping sooner. Thank you for the review! This will be my first GPS watch and your review helped sway me!
I couldn’t find an answer to this anywhere, but my wife and I are casual runners who run twice a week and every now and then participate in a competition. We now use our iPhone for running, but we want to switch to a running watch for those days with bad weather. But can we share one watch? Is it just as simple as uploading the file to our own Garmin Connect accounts or is there a catch?
If it doesn’t work for the 220 (or 620), are there any watches that this will work with?
Essentially, yes, you’ll just upload the files straight to your own accounts. No fancy solution on these watches, or any other watches. The companies somewhat want you to buy second devices…
Hmmm, maybe everyone having satellite issues should contact Garmin support. The more they hear the more they might actually consider there being an issue and hopefully release an update for it.
My run last night, which though the FR220 is supposed to pre-populate after a USB connection, took long time to acquire satellites. The run data looks much better than from Tuesday, but still weird in places.
Does pace/speed data look OK? I’m very close to ordering, but still not sure. Sounds like spending longer acquiring a good satellite lock helps the gps accuracy.
Will it now cache those satellites and get a better lock more quickly next time?
Looking at the map on my run it shows me running on open water on the lake? The accuracy of the 220 stinks and better be fixed soon by Garmin if they don’t want me to send it back because I will
Same thing happened to me today. I’ve got a pond about a block behind my house. All my data spikes as if about a block into my run i ran to the center of the pond and then back to where i really was. It only lasted about a second and was the first time I saw anything like that. I’m sure they’ll lock it down.
Ray next time you are talking to Garmin can you ask them if there is much free code space in the 220. It’s no point us requesting return home or other functionality if the device is already full.
I got my self really lost on a hot run today.
The red or green around the screen indicating that you are recording is not prominent enough.
I think a fatter flashing or revolving ring could show you if you have good or poor GPS signal.
The ability to display only 1 or 2 fields on a screen is a welcome relief. Does anyone else find the current km indicator on the ‘previous
autolap ‘ a little small?
Has anyone confirmed if the watch accelerometer auto calibrate is working?
Rainmaker, I am trying to decide if I should buy the Garmin 210 or 220. 210 heart rate monitor is $150. 220 with HR monitor is $300. If you were to choose between the 2, which one would you go with factoring in the price. I need heart rate monitor with simple GPS watch. Thanks!
I’d say the core things to determine if they’re useful to you are:
1) Live Tracking (on FR220, not on FR210)
2) Custom workouts (on FR220, not on FR210)
3) Display customization (on FR220, not on FR210)
4) Uploading via phone (on FR220, not FR210, USB there)
If those things aren’t of value, then the FR210 is definitely a steal these days.
Some other key things for me moving from the FR210 to the FR220:
1. Pre-population of satellites
2. Built-in accelerometer (this is an assumption that it will pick up in areas with loss of GPS)
3. Longer GPS timeout option
4. No “Use Indoors?” popup when turning on GPS
5. MUCH better USB charger clip (FR210’s is awful)
6. Second key press to unlock clock screen (I would often find the FR210 searching for satellites because I probably inadvertently hit a button)
7. Better UI and display
8. Vibrate mode – way handier than I thought; I now use it instead of audio alerts
The FR220 for me is everything the FR210 should have been, coming from a FR205.
I also need to decide between 210 and 220. Given what you have written I am leaning towards getting 210 for half the price of 220, however I am still worried about GPS accuracy and the accuracy of instant pace. Would you mind comparing these two features of 210 and 220? Many thanks!
I haven’t seen any recent (or really, any) complains about accuracy and/or instant-pace on the FR210.
As for the FR220, I personlly didn’t have any GPS accuracy or instant-pace issues. From what I can see, a small number of people have had issues with GPS accuracy (but not instant-pace) with the FR220. Garmin states they are working on a fix there.
FWIW, I just returned my 210 after a month’s worth of runs because the current pace was all over the place. I track my runs using Nike+ and have since its inception and wanted the watch to strictly show me my current pace without having to pull out my phone. Rarely did I find the current pace to be accurate with the 210. When I had to stop for traffic it could take up to .25 mile to recover to the current pace, only to fluctuate wildly. I just picked up the 220, and running the same exact route, the pace was right on. It didn’t fluctuate like the 210 at all. The satellite loading has been incredibly fast on the 220. Overall I find the 220 to be a huge upgrade over the 210.
Great review! Helped me make my decision to purchase the 220 for my wife as a Christmas gift. I tried to use the discount code DCRIOTXS through the link and it tells me the code is invalid. Keep up the awesome work and in depth detailed reviews.
I´m running with a FR 220, which is supposed to have the same chipset as the FR 620.
as I´m still taking my mobile with me, I compared the last few runs with my 220.
Left is the FR220, right is the Nokia Lumia 920 (Windows Phone 8 with the runtastic app, in a waist pouch), then the difference between the two.
All in kilometers
[FONT=Courier New]
7,03 to 7,01 = 0,02
10,07 to 10,02 = 0,05
5,17 to 5,16 = 0,01
5,15 to 5,11 = 0,04
6,63 to 6,67 = -0,04
10,22 to 10,02 = 0,2
9,89 to 10,04 = -0,15[/FONT]
I´m ok with those differences.
GPS tracks look pretty similar on the map, too. The longer runs are near a river or a lake, no high city buildings or wooded area – should be pretty easy terrain for aquiring a GPS signal.
the 9,89/10,04 are from yesterday´s “official run”, on a 5.023 IAAF Jonescounter roundcourse.
runtastic was almost spot on with the marked km signs (app talked to me via headphones), my Garmin vibrated a bit off, but still – it´s 150m difference on a 10km course = 1,5%
Herald’s experience of his new FR220 measuring short on an officail 10k course when his phone app measured him exactly confirms that there are ACCURACY issues. Add this to other mapping and accuracy issues from previous posts and I think I’ll steer clear of this device ….. at least until Garmin addresses the issue. I hope buyers of this who have accuracy issues will report them to Garmin.
DCR – I know it gets a mention in your reviews, I’d love to see a review where accuracy of distance recorded was the main topic. Thanks for doing what you do, this is a great site for information.
Harald’s case is one where the GPS of both units performed within bounds of GPS specifications for any consumer level unit, he noted that at 1.5%.
Noting the links the previous posted posted, I’d actually question the accuracy of the course. It’s virtually for GPS impossible to under-measure a course unless it’s cutting corners. Thus, when I see distances exactly equal or below, that implies (even a certified course), may not be perfect.
As for accuracy testing, I’ll be doing more in time, but keep in mind my reviews include numerous examples of accuracy tests from my units. If your having problems with accuracy (1.5% is normal), then I’d really encourage folks to open a ticket with Garmin support. Most folks aren’t seeing issues, some are though. Garmin doesn’t monitor these threads and can’t track down issues here and get fixes out for folks that are having issues. A support ticket does drive that.
The exact problem I’m having with the accuracy of my 220 is that it DOES cut corners. It consistently measures shorter than my 305, and the satellite maps indicate that the 305 is more accurate as far as where I was.
I haven’t done as much comparing as I’d like because I sprained my ankle last week, but I’ve had a 3 miler where the distance variance between the 2 was 3.33%. Again, looking at the maps, the 305 was more accurate.
I emailed my files to Garmin Support, and was basically told that the 220 is performing as expected and that was the end of that conversation. I asked if there are plans to include a satellite accuracy page for the 220 and 620, but got no answer.
I now let the 220 have more time to acquire satellites, but again due to that ankle sprain I’m only running very short distances and haven’t been able to do what I want to – which is run a longer course with many turns, after giving the 220 extra time at the beginning. I’m hopeful that will fix the problem, but if not, the distance should be way off because of that cutting corners phenomenon.
And I am not running in areas with dense tree cover or tall buildings.
One item to keep in mind is that the FR305 included the 1-second recording option, whereas the FR220 only includes Smart Recording.
Why Garmin has made that decision is beyond me, since it’s silly to not include the extra data. Even more so because it’s probably causing your corner cutoff issues (since smart recording only records every 4-7s).
Way late to this discussion, but if 1-second recording reduces battery life, maybe they’re tired of dealing with the perception that battery life isn’t up to spec. Since the unit’s not targeted to cycling, and there’s no support for power meters, the perception might be there’s no need for 1-second sampling (although it’s useful for Strava, which last I checked didn’t interpolate for segment times).
I got my FR 220 on Friday and take it for two rides.
For the first i took my EDE305 (old one but still fully functionnal) and compared the two trace.
I got 11.65 Km with the Forerunner and 11.75 Km with the edge, less than 1% difference while running in woods. For me it’s really correct. (I never see two GPS giving exactly the same output even with two Edge 305 making the same ride, always same differences).
I have an question about the Android issue. I’m curently looking to buy a new Smartphone and really interessed by the Galaxy S4 Active for the IP67 certification, but it’s running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2.
What i saw on different forum makes me think that it will not be compatible, not even the Sony XPeria Z1 wich also cost a bunch of euros. Can you tell me if i’m right?
Thanks in advance (and excuse my poor English, i’m a french speaker doing my best)
hi Rainmaker,
i didn’t understand very well the the ability to pre-cache satellite locations….
i want to use the fr 210 for triathlon and for the bike leg i use another garmin device but want to put the 210 in my transition bag and use it on the run..
i understand that if i turn on it before the swim, than it goes in stand by after 5 minutes, (than didn’t know if the gps stay on or off for battery lifetime).. than when i come in t2 i press the button unlock, i think, and it is ok with gps working or have to wait to cach the satellite? so didn’t know how to do, turn it off for battery time or turn it on before the swim and let it go in stand by for quicker find the satellite before the run..
thanks for the help..
matteo
GPS satellite cache means that it quickly gets satellite reception. Take for example last night, I walked out of my hotel and turned on the watch as I hit the hotel door turnstyles. By time I walked 10 more seconds it had satellite signal, ready to go.
You can ‘help’ the unit a little bit more by having turned on the unit in that location previously. So your plan of turning it on pre-swim works well.
thanks a lot….
one more question: in standby the gps is working?
it is better if i turn on and after a few minutes turn it off (for battery life) or i can leave the 210 in t2 bag on and let it goes in standby for quicker satellite aquisition ones i come back in transition?
I think that at this point the Polar RC3 while a great product, is no longer a realistic competitor to the FR220 (it was to the FR210). Check out the comparison chart for all the details as to why, but much of it comes down to full customization, ability to build out complete workouts, ability to upload via phone, amongst others.
I do interval run walking and have trouble hearing alerts. I can not hear the alert on the Garmin Forerunner 10 but I can hear my husband’s FR210 alert. Is the volume the same on the FR220?
Hi , Great review of this product. Thank you. Question. Will this FR220 take a portable USB charger and if so, will it still record the dstance while charging during a run? My current FR210 does not record distance/time etc., while using a portable USB charger on the run.
@Sundar
I don’t think you can charge and log.
As soon as the USB ( power only) is powered the watch shows only the charge status.
I have not powered it while logging bit that’s an easy test I’ll try for you later today.
I am undecided between these. I do really want a watch that will allow my husband to track my runs remotely but my phone is a blackberry so presume this functionality will not work with either model? Also I would like virtual pacer although it sounds like if I set up a workout online I can upload the data to the watch and it will tell me if I’m on target? Are there any other watches that offer the live tracking with a blackberry device?
Hi Ray.
Is that Q1 14 as in April, or January? (calendar vs fiscal year). I assume BLE support on Android is aligned to this for getting data off onto Android.
Great review. I bought one the other day from clever training. Do you know if you can download a workout you create on the garmin connect site, kick it off from the watch but use the run/walk ratio you set up on the watch? When I created a workout and downloaded to the watch and started it, the run/walk intervals set on the watch, didn’t work.
Thanks.
Scott
The best way is to set a high and low threshold. I’d suggest setting them about 20-30″ apart. So if you’re target was 7:15/mile, then set them at 7:00/mile and 7:30/mile.
Then, I’d also setup one of the data pages to show lap pace and another to show average pace (run).
If this was asked already, I’m sorry. I tried to read all the comments but WOW. Anyway, thank you for the amazing reviews. You really do an incredible job. I currently have the 410 although it no longer charges so I am looking at the 220/620. I will likely get the 220 but wanted to know if it has the ability to have folks live follow like the 620. I didn’t see it in the review but wanted to check. Thanks again for your help.
Ray, do you know how the FR220’s GPS sensor deals with the following situations?
1. I pop it onto the USB cradle to sync and charge. When I take it off, it starts looking for satellites. I have been manually turning GPS off. Do I need to? If I leave it alone or hit the Back button to go back to the time of day, will it turn off GPS automatically? I have it set for the 25-minute GPS timeout.
2. If I’m outside and am done with a run and go all the way back to time of day, will the GPS automatically turn itself off, much sooner than my set 25-minute timeout?
I’m still concerned that Harald and Maureen seem to get more accurate readings from a smart-phone and from a 5 year old watch. I’d like to try one of these FR220s. It seems to have the best set of features and functions for my uses, but I could not enjoy owning one if I didn’t feel comfortable/confident with it’s accuracy.
Any other comments or experinces or testing that people have done would be very interesting to me. Please share. Thanks!
Do you know if they plan to put a altimeter as an option like other watches, I have a FR220 and sometimes I use it for trail. I miss that option and it will be very usefull. I don’t want to wait till I connect my fr to the computer
I received my 220 last week and have been running with both it and my 310xt. One frustrating thing that you mentioned in the review is that the pace alerts seem very sensitive. While I can have a one minute window on my 310 and rarely trip the alarm, the 220 was alarming all the time, even with a wider window that I set up after my first frustrating run. In fact, it was telling me I was running nearly 2 min/mi slower than my pace was showing on either watch. I certainly wasn’t slowing this much. Have you heard of any solution to this? I checked the 220 forum and didn’t see anything.
Have you updated to the latest firmware version? I saw things get a lot better on the FR620 there with the latest firmware update, and at the same time the FR220 got one as well (second week of November).
Hi Don,
Were you able to solve your problem with alerts ? I have the same issue : I have started a 5k training plan, and follow pre-determined workouts. During these workouts, I am constantly reminded through alerts that my pace or HRM targets are either too high or too low, despite the fact that in the settings, all the alerts are off!!! This is kind of annoying.
Thanks for your help.
Emmanuel
Unless you need something specifically Garmin-branded, since the FR220 seems to use standard-looking wrist straps, I don’t see why you couldn’t just use some sort of NATO-style Velcro strap. Should be quite cheap, too.
Looking at the pictures on the review, it look like the pins are held in with some sort of torx screw.
Ray – would you mind taking a closer look please, and comment on the ability to use a generic wrist strap ?
No, the FR220 uses two screws on either side to screw into the band. It’s not a pin pop-out design.
The reason for this is that past Garmin watches had such a design (FR310XT), and the unit’s would pop-out in some cases during the swim on a triathlon. This resolves that design issue.
I just wanted to comment on Clever Training. My unit shipped on the 10th (from florida) and arrived (in Washington state) today. Free 2 day priority shipping? Awesome!!
Have had the watch a couple weeks now and like it apart from
1. Garmin connect on my iphone 4s does not pull up the data from the watch as promised. I can see on both the phone and the watch that they are ‘connected’ but when I look at the activities nothing is updating. I don’t think this is my fault as I see a lot of others are having this difficulty. Any advice other than awaiting a bug fix from Garmin?
2. Wish the data screens were a bit more customizable like my Edge 500. With my eyesight would like to have one data screen that I could have entirely for elapsed time. If I am in a race needing to know my elapsed time it would be easier to read. I don’t need the screen showing the time of day when I am racing so would would trade that.
Have your tried re-pairing you phone and watch? Many people seem have had luck with this, although for me sometimes the runs sync via the phone and sometimes they don’t. I have not bothered to figured out why. Also, I “re-booted” the watch (hold the light switch till the watch turns off) and that also seemed to help.
Yup, exactly. You can change each of the two data pages from 1-3 data fields. Going with one data field makes it much larger. Additionally, the time screen can be turned on/off as well, so you don’t have to see it in training/racing.
@Ronnie,
Unlock the watch.
Down arrow to settings.
Activity screens.
Screen 1 or 2…
From there choose the top, middle or bottom field data or select OFF.
Just as a (probably final) heads up on availability of the FR220/FR620 from Clever Training:
All FR220’s are in stock except for the Red/Black base (non-bundle)
All FR620’s are in stock except for the Orange/White HRM-Run bundle
As usual, first in, first out for orders. But if ordering one of the above non-in-stock units, they expect to have everyone caught up and delivered in time for Christmas.
I’ve only used it about 5x, three times on the treadmill… Sometimes, when I disconnect the watch from the charger or take it out of my bag, the image on the face of the watch is scrambled, and I can’t read anything because it’s so jumbled and looks frozen. After pressing the buttons a few times, it goes away… Is this normal?
I also noticed the mileage is way off when using on the treadmill. I ran about 5.5 mi on the Woodway treadmill today. The Garmin 220 barely broke 5 miles. On Tuesday, I ran about 4.4 mi on the LifeFitness treadmill, and the Garmin 220 was just over 4 miles. Is there a special setting on the watch for treadmill use? The pace was at least 15-45 seconds per mile off from what the treadmills read.
As for the mileage, as I noted in the review (Treadmill Section), I’m not seeing terribly accurate paces there. The treadmill mode is simply turning off GPS.
Great review. I am reading through this and really enjoy your in-depth view on the FR220 & FR620. Much more in-depth than I would have ever imagined. I have run with the 210 in the past and like you mention was not the biggest fan of the touch bezel. In all the watches you compared what would fit me needs best? What I really like from a gps which most runners look at is accurate distance, accurate current pace that doesn’t jump a minute in pace from second to second and overall time to be displayed. Since I run a lot in hilly areas and parks what GPS watch would you recommend of all you haves tested? I think an added bonus of this watch is being able to pre-program a workout. I run roughly 60-80 mpw. I am thinking about the 220 but wanted your opinion.
Extract of my exchange with Garmin support about the data fields shown after completing a lap. what do you think about this?
Hello I made suite to your answer below. I think it’s more a support problem because I can’t use the FR220 in training mode. For me in training mode the FR220 is equivalent to a simple watch (chronometer and countdown)… I hope you could improve this feature which seems to me easy to do (even the FR110 gives more informations on the end lap screen). Thank you in advance. Regards
Dear Gabriel, 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
Hello, I bought the Garmin Forerunner 220 last week and I’m pretty happy with it. It’s a really good product and the improvements in comparison to the previous models are really appreciables. The only thing which disturb me is about the shown screen when we take a lap manually. In fact we see only the time of the lap and not the distance (neither the pace but for me it’s less important). To know it I must to look at the screen just before to take the lap it’s not practical although feasible. But the real problem is the same during a training. If we plan a time interval when the FR220 bip the end of the interval we don’t know the distance traveled during the time of the interval… It’s a real problem to adjust our pace for the next interval or to know if we are too fast or too slow… Do you think it’s possible to improve this in a future update of the firmware What would be perfect would be to be able to choose the data fields which we want to see when a lap is taken and/or just after an interval in training mode. Thank you very much for your help. Best regards
It was originally discussed to be able to customize the lap banner screen. I don’t know where that is.
Note though that you can indeed show the lap time/pace/distance on any configured screen, which tends to be what I do – I just use that as my primary screen. I have a separate screen for total time/distance/etc… Which basically means that up until the exact second you trigger the next lap, you can always see how your trending on that lap.
Yes. If you look back at my original September preview of the FR220/FR620, I discussed it a bit, including I think one photo in there of the menu for it in an early beta release. I’ll be meeting with the folks in person at CES in a couple weeks and will probably get a better idea of where some of the potential adds stand.
Anybody else having trouble opening a support ticket? The support page logs me in as a random user (different with every attempt) and then gives me a 500 error message when I try to select my problem. Very strange.
Nobody would like to have the average speed as data field? For hiking or bike use?
I think it’s not normal to don’t have access to this information. I have the impression that Garmin limits the data fields of the Garmin 220 so as to the customers buy the Garmin 620.
For me, it’s not correct to limit the data fields that the watch could show.
I agree to not give informations linked to an hardware option, like “ground contact time”, “average vertical oscillation”, etc…
But for the average speed, it’s just a conversion of the pace.
I can’t buy the 620 and I don’t need all its options but I consider that I have the right to have access to information that the 220 is able to measure.
I hope Garmin will improve this in the next update of the firmware.
I agree with you. This seems basic information to me. I orderd the 220 which should arrive next week, but i am still thinking about upgrading to the 620 Because of that. I really don’t need all that special stuff but average speed i use a lot. To be honest i was shocked that it isn’t!
What do you think Ray? Will garmin fix this?
I’d suspect that since it’s a running watch, that’s why it’s not there. As for limiting the data fields on the FR220, yes, absolutely, that’s their goal of getting you to buy the FR620. I mean, just pointing out the obvious on how business works.
That said, I’d suspect that in the case of Average Speed, you could probably make a pretty solid case for inclusion, and I could see them adding that. I’d encourage you to file a support ticket for it (serious).
Thank you for your feedback regarding the Forerunner 220. Any ideas that could improve Garmin’s device are appreciated and should be submitted at link to Garmin.com.
Thank you for choosing Garmin.
With Best Regards,
Matthew
Customer Care – Fitness Team
Garmin International
913-397-8200
800-800-1020
913-440-8280 (fax) Att: Matthew 5944
I would like to buy the Garmin 220 but I have a question. It seems that it’s not possible to show “average speed” as data fields? I can’t buy the 620 (too expensive) and I don’t need all its options but I consider that I have the right to have access to information that the 220 is able to measure.
I have the impression that you limit the data fields of the Garmin 220 so as to customers buy the Garmin 620. For me it’s not correct to limit the data fields that the watch could show.
I agree to not give informations linked to an hardware option like “ground contact time” “average vertical oscillation” “altitude” etc… But for the average speed it’s just a conversion of the pace. I’m in the habit to reason in speed when I’m running. I hope you will add this in the next update of the firmware.
For me it’s really a blocking point to buy this watch and a reason to turn to the rivalry even if I love your product for many reasons.
Probably just me being a noob with garmin system but I bought the 220 on friday. Went for my first run on Saturday morning.
Uploaded by data today (sunday) to Garmin Connect but everything is in miles, wish i could change it to km.
Also there’s no map displayed with my run? Not sure why. Any insight would be helpful.
For missing the map, any chance you accidentally disabled the GPS upon starting (went into indoor mode)? That’s what it looks like, though, it’s sorta hard to do accidentally on the FR220 (compared to the FR210/610).
As for KM, you’ll just set it in settings on the watch, and on Garmin Connect within settings up in the upper right corner.
Sounds like to started your run before the FR220 acquired its satellites and it never finished, probably because you were moving. Did you wait until it said it was ready and went to the timing screen?
I’d agree. You definitely need to wait for satellite coverage before starting a run. One of these days I’ll write up a post showing the impact of not waiting on a variety of watches from different companies (Spoler Alert: It’s really bad).
Well i’m back home with real internet access,
I logged a support/fault with Garmin from within my Garmin Connect account on the 8th.
I got a summary email the same day but it did not include a job/ticket number.
I have called Garmin support just now and been told by a Fillipino call centre person ‘Joshua <:-) that they have no way of seeing or dealing with GC support jobs.
Can anyone tell me how to keep the pressure on Garmin for the support email i sent from within GC ?
That sounds sucky. In general, my advice is always to call if possible, as opposed to e-mail. I know it can be a pain, but I also know that for most companies (Garmin included) they treat phone calls with higher priority than e-mails.
Thankx Ray , thats the exact opposite to what we do here in OZ. write/email first as you have proof. Phone last and if you do get a log number for the call.
When you are next talking with Garmin can you clear up the firmware version for the 220. Above You keep mentioning Ver 2.30 but we can only see the shipped 2.20.
Sorry, firmware 2.30 is the eqiuv version on the FR620. Keeps throwing me for a loop that the FR220 went from 2.10 to 2.20 while the FR620 went from 2.20 to 2.30. Sigh…
thanks for the super-detailed review! Really detailed, with great pics!
Bookmarked your site!
Can anyone tell me something about the GPS reception in a forest? I know trees don’t have much influence on my car/bike GPS, but just to be sure.
I ask this because I’m considering the FR220 as my first GPS runing watch, I often go running in the forest.
In my testing in the forest I didn’t have any problems. However, it will really depend on the tree types and heights to be honest. In my case, mine were more ‘normal’ trees. However, if you were out in the Redwood forest, or mountains with heavy trees as well as heavy dramatic terrain shifts, then it’s tougher.
If you’re more in city parks with tree cover, it’s easier. It’s pretty much true of most GPS units today.
In Garmin Connect the 220 put me on top of buildings often and yes i believe some corners look cutted. All the course was city with tall buildings everywhere and a big tunnel towards the end. Yet endomondo was spot on and friends sports tracker (nokia) gave it more than 10km.
After having great concerns over the accuracy (and price) of this watch, I pretty much decided to keep using my 410 and wait to see if the bugs could be worked out on the 220 and the price might come down in the coming months.
Saturday saw a new FR220 w/HRM on eBay with a best offer option, so I sent the guy a lowball offer. To my surprise, it was accepted. The watch arrived today, set up was easy. Despite being icy out and nearing dark, I couldn’t resist and went out for a quick 5k. The watch performed great, accuracy seems very good, GC map looks fine. I’m happy!
So, as I’ve posted here 3 or 4 times … I was anxious about the accuracy of the 220. But I got a great deal so I bought one. Coming from the 410, I really like the user interface of the 220 and it’s a more comfortable watch to wear also.
Today, I wore the 220 on my left wrist and the 410 on my right wrist and went out for a run. As I was running, I saw no discrepancy in the readings so a couple of miles in I switched the 410 to Virtual Partner, and toggled back and forth on the 220 between my heartrate screen and the main screen (time, distance, pace). I DO ENJOY the Virtual Partner, so I will miss that if I go to the 220 full time …. but the 220 is easier to use, lighter in weight, and the vibrate alerts are really nice to have.
My great concerns were about accuracy so I’m happy to report that after this run, my 410 read 6.27 miles and the 220 read 6.23 miles …. so that’s a good sign. For now I think I’ll keep both and keep tinkering ….. but at some point I’m going to have to refocus ON MY RUNNING as opposed to my new toy.
I have a son in 7th grade (12 years old) that runs cross country and track. He absolutely loves it and runs all of the time. His coach has encouraged the purchase of a GPS watch. I have looked around and am looking at the FR10, FR210, and the FR220. I am completely clueless as to what features would be useful/necessary at his age/level of training. He runs about 30-40 miles/week (all outside). His coach does not feel that the heart rate monitor is necessary at this point. Can you shed some light as to which might be a good choice? I am wondering if the additional cost of the FR220 would really be necessary at this stage in the game. I would assume that as he gets older and has more experience he will likely want a newer model thus will likely be purchasing a new watch several years from now. Would appreciate any info/advice you can provide.
In my opinion if there’s no interest in HR (or indoor treadmill use), then your best bet is really the FR10. You’ll save the cash, he’ll get a small watch that uploads well to lots of sites.
Thanks so much for your response (& time)! He trains with his team outside but there are occasions when he will run on the treadmill (traveling & bad weather, etc.). Is there a model that would work well to include use on the treadmill but not the top of the line?
In that case, check out the FR210. It’s been onsale lately for roughly $150-$170US the past few weeks, though some of those were black Friday deals. You can hook it up to a footpod down the line if you need to for indoor running.
Rainmaker, I just wanted to say thanks for the great in-depth reviews and solid information… I am not a dedicated runner, just trying to stay fit and in the game at 60+ … first to admit that some of what I read in the reviews and comments goes over my head. But I did ask Santa for and received the 220 for Christmas, based 90% on your review and 10% on the Amazon reviews. Still working thru setting it up, will take it out for a run this weekend. Again, thanks for the time and dedication you put into what you do, following on Facebook as well.
Hi Rainmaker,
great work- keep it up.
One point I want to share: I got my 220 about three weeks ago – 10 minutes into my first swim, it was gone. Got a new one the next day (thanks to my Austrian Dealer!) but right now I don’t feel good taking it into water. Probably just a bad one, but anyway… Otherwise its doing a fine job, as expected.
One question: If I use it on the dreadmill or indoorbike, I have problems getting the HR transmission intervall on a regular basis. Sometimes it’s 5-7 seconds (which I actually want), sometimes up to 40 seconds (not good at all). Have switched on/off GPS also indoors (seems to help, but not on a consistent basis). Any thoughts on that?
Looks like “smart” recording is a misnomer for me too. I have had the 220 out for multiple “spins” on non trail routes in Rock Creek Park (Washington DC) that have been previously “measured” by foot pods (Polar 625 SX and Suunto 6c), GPS (Garmin 305, Timex Run Trainer 1.0- set to 1 second recording) over the past 8 years.
And the results are… 220 is within 1.0-2.5% short of all the other watches and that includes waiting for 1 minute after the GPS turns green before hitting the start button.
Rest of watch is fine although I agree with an earlier comment about needing to clean the face of the watch too frequently.
Happy overall and can adjust my times etc. in my head if I want something more than 98% accurate.
Maybe someday Polar (may first love in sports watches) will come out with something new in 2014… given the RC3 is now “stale” something fresh should pop up soon.
Responce from Garmin:
To calibrate the foot pod:
1.Press and hold page/menu to access Menu
2.Select Foot Pod
3.Select Calibrate by pressing down
4.Enter in calibration factor
5.Select OK
Calibration Factor:
This is a way of adjusting the distance reading. The calibrate factor formula is: Actual Distance ÷ Distance Displayed on Watch x Current Calibration Factor
To illustrate, the Forerunner displays a 4 mile run when only 3 were traveled, and the calibration factor is 95. The calibration factor will be 71.25 (3 ÷ 4 x 95).
..continued..
My run was 4500m. The watch showed 4330m. thats a CF of .9873.
BUT i already had a CF in the watch of 104.7.
So i think i’m correct to multiply the 104.7 x .9873 to get a new CF of 103.37.
being only able to enter a whole 100th. i have entered a CF of 103.4.
I’ll let you know how it goes. then run the same track with the 220 with and with out GPS.
Something is not right.. The same run with the new CF gave EXACTLY the same total distance 4330.
I’ll have to put in a way off CF and see what it comes up with.
The final pace shown on the activity matches the runtime and distance ( 4:30) but the Current pace was still WAY out at 4:50s.
The 405 looks to have acted as expected showing 4:20 to 4:30 per km over its reported 4500m.
Can anyone share experiences with battery life? My 410 is very unreliable and goes from 50% to dead in 5 minutes – although I get 4 hours if I let it from from fully charged. This is about half of the ‘up to 8 hours’. I’m looking at the 220 – does anyone get anywhere near the 10 hours advertised?
I need to replace my Polar and the 220 is catching my eye. I’ve just started running and plan to continue but 80% of my runs would be on a treadmill for the time being. I also do indoor cycling and various gym classes. I am most interested in heart rate, zones, calories burned. The gps is just a bonus. Is this “too much” of a watch for me? If it is, what do you recommend?
note of caution. If you turn off the GPS to use pod or accelerometer the GPS will turn back on each time you change from watch/locked mode back to “Run ” mode.
I received the FR 220 in November and it worked fine for a few weeks. Now I appear to have a battery failure. I have charged it to 100% by the USB connection. Then when I attempt to use it I sometimes see a low battery message and it shuts down or it shuts down with no message within a minute of removing it from the USB. I purchased it from Clever Training. Can you provide direction to correct this problem?
Odd. I’d give a full reset a shot. Otherwise, ringing up Garmin support is your best bet. It sounds like it’s somehow got it’s charging state confused.
hello, very detailed review, thanks..
I have a couple of questions..
1 Does the Blootooth upload work with android phones, you mentioned iphone only in the review.
2 I like to use manual lap when doing Fartlek training. I have a 410. Does the 220 have this feature without having to programme it in the advanced training section.
I hope these questions have not been asked already but i do not have time to read each comment:) .
Can I add a little to Fred’s question please Ray ? I know that the Garmin Android app does not yet support the 220/620 (lots of bad reviews about this on Google Play), but it is expected in Q1. Have you tried to (or could you?) pair with Android using any of the other BLE apps that are available ? I would be very interested to see if you could use a third party app to download the data file and then upload to something like sporttracks without using the Garmin app or Garmin Connect. I have email Carlos (writer of Sportablet) to see if he will be trying to integrate BLE into his ‘Uploader for Garmin’ app. I assume he would need the equiv of the ANT+ Service app that provides the integration now.
1) No, not on Android today. Coming in “Q1 CY2014”, so anytime between January 1st and March 31st.
2) Yes, you can manual lap, I do it all the time when I’m separating workouts (I don’t always pre-create workouts, most times I don’t actually).
As for gingeneil’s question, no, there’s no API available for other apps to connect to the Garmin units. Thus, no method for Carlos or others to access the data.
From CSR homepage : “SiRFstarV chips are capable of tracking GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass …”
Why forerunner 220/620 use only GPS? … old chipset (SiRFstarIV) have no Wi-Fi connectivity ,)
software update == improved accuracy?
No, they haven’t/won’t say. I’ve asked. They seem to imply that it’s a custom shipset developed in-house (which started going into devices about a year ago). That’s consistent with the fact that CSR has stopped highlighting Garmin’s use of their chips in any recent devices (contrary to past devices).
seeing it does EPO and looking in the 220s memory my guess is a Media Tek 3300 series GPS chip or whole MT6500 series core. The 3300 can do all 5 GPS systems.
PLEASE log your faults with Garmin support and not rely on Garmin reading this or other blogs/forums.
Garmin Support Australia just told me that the Instant pace problem does not have an entry in their knowledgebase and inferred it was not a known problem.
It is now.
So is the Footpod problem, GPS accuracy, Lack of another method of uploading runs to GC from a mobile device until the Garmin Connect Droid app is updated ( None of our Droid browsers work with the GC page).
If I have an old HRM1G from the 405CX (battery just pooped out), with ANT+ logo on the back, will that work with the FR220 so I don’t have to buy the bundle? In other words, the FR220/620 with or without the bundle are the same watches, right?
Yes, your HR strap is compatible with either the FR220 or FR620. Note however that if you buy the FR620, you wouldn’t get any of the Running Dynamics feature with your older HR strap.
Odd request for you Ray… Is there any chance this watch will record distance while sitting and drinking a beverage (using the accelerometer in the watch for distance)? A friend indicated he will buy the watch if it does (personally, i doubt that it will) and I was wondering if you could find out?
Thanks for the review. I’m planning to use the FR220 for trail running. Can I depend just on the internal sensor alone or should I get the footpod for those GPS drop outs? (The trail is more than 40% in the forested area)
It’s largely going to depend on types of trees, density, and if there are other geographic things to block coverage (mountains/cliffs/etc…). If I was in your shoes, I’d try it without the footpod first, and then see how it goes.
Hello, I have 2 questions:
at this time I have a Timex GPS 1.0 and looking to buy a forerunner 220.
– Do you think the heart strap of my Timex is usable with the 220 ?
– I there any reasons to buy a 620 instead of a 220 ? I’m a mid age runner, 2-3 sessions a week, doing a bit of cycling and running some 10k and half-marathons (1h45) during the year.
Thanks for help
Joubex
Yes, the TRT1.0 is an ANT+ unit, and thus the strap will work perfectly with the FR220 – no problems there.
Given what you’re saying, I’d go with the FR220 over the FR620. Unless you find the additional FR620 Running Dynamics features, or the WiFi functionality critical, I think you’ll be pretty happy in the upgrade from the TRT1 to the FR220. Enjoy!
Anyone having issues with windows 8.1 and the FR220 connecting? I can connect my FR220 to my computer after I install the Garmin Express Fit program. Once I disconnect it I can not connect again unless I uninstall the software and reinstall it. Device manager shows it connecting each time I plug it in but the software doesn’t see it and it doesn’t show up as a drive in windows explorer. One thing I did notice device manager has this device listed as “Garmin FR620 Flash USB Device”. I have the software installed on a windows 7 machine and so far it works correctly. Any thoughts on this being a windows 8.1 bug?
No problems with 8.1 for me either. I assume you’ve tried different USB ports as well? Some laptops have a power in standby USB port (identified by the yellow plug), which, depending on your BIOS settings can have adverse devices on some USB devices. Though typically not Garmin devices, it’s worthwhile trying a few other ports.
Failing that, definitely give Garmin support a ring and they might have some ideas based on seeing it with other laptops.
Fixed my problem by making sure I properly dismount the 220 first before disconnecting. I always just yanked out my 210.
Took the 220 for a run this morning and it’s pretty nice. I really like the form factor over that super fat 210, and having proper replaceable watch bands is great.
I’m having a similar issue. Every time I’ve finished a run and attach it to the charger it charges fine, but the computer (Win7) doesn’t detect it and I have to unplug the usb and plug it in again into a few different usb ports before it finally works.
It might be something about me not disconnecting properly, or not switching the 220 off or on at the right times.
Does anyone have a sure fire way of making it work?
Thanks for the detailed review of the FR220. I have the 210. At the end of my run I can review the history and view my total elapsed time, total miles, and average pace. Then for each mile, I can scroll through average pace to see where I was faster or slower. Does the 220 also have the ability to review each mile’s average pace?
Thanks for your help.
ksrungirl
Evening all,
For a few minutes today I thought I found a way to plan a time for a long run using the Lap Pace field and setting the lap length to the race length ( 22 km). But Pace is always taken over the 1 km or 1 mile.
Would people prefer to keep this fields meaning or to be able to enter a distance to have a running average shown for ?
What would others call this function ?
I agree that the average pace is useful because it tells my my average pace for the entire workout. I can also view lap pace which lets me know the pace I’m on for the current mile. I kind of miss the “virtual partner”, but can get by by viewing average pace.
I’m getting confused. Are you talking about checking average pace for the whole run during or after the run?
For races, I think it’s important to be able to see average pace over the whole run at any moment in time. This is the easiest way to know if overall, you are on track or not for your target finish time. Ok, you could calculate (or write down beforehand) the intermediary target times, but who is able to use his brain 37km into a marathon?
FR220 without average pace view during the run would be a pity.
Dan, you can check the average pace (for the whole run) during the run, or after. On my 220, I only use 2 data fields most of the time, distance and average pace. For training runs or races, I usually set an average pace goal, and using that field lets me know if ‘m going too slow overall or too fast. If I’m doing intervals, I might add instant pace or lap pace.
Thank you fellas, yes average pace does the job without the footpod on.
With footpod its a mess on my 220 ,( yes I know.. Forget the pod until a new firmware is released).
I am having a problem with my new 220 and Garmin Connect. In keeping track of my Personal Records, the correct info is on the device, and shows up correctly on my dashboard too.
The problem arises when it will NOT let me ACCEPT or CONFIRM new records. It then comes up with incorrect information when I try to manually ASSIGN new records. Very frustrating. Can anybody help? Thanks
Hola, i’ve recently buy the Micoach Pacer from Adidas (the bundle with the HRM and footpod). I was using the mobile app but im a “stability freak” and don’t like the poor stability given by the GPS from the phone (the charts looks terrible even if the pace were under control and is almost impossible to run within training zones like the ones you describe in your example of your review).
When i bought the Pacer my objective was to have more stability with the footpod, which i did, but has being impossible to calibrate the sensor to match the same distance as the phone gps or the distance of a well know distance in the park where i train.
The device dont fill my expectations, and im looking to change to a Garmin 220, my question is:
– The GPS accuracy of the FR220 is good enough so i cant train with pace zones like 6:20-7:39 min/km or its the Footpod more accurate and reliable?
– Is the Adidas footpod good enough (is ANT+) or garmin’s are better?
– Can i also use the Adidas HRM (ANT+) with the FR220?
The ANT+ Adidas footpod will work just fine with the FR220. Today, there’s an issue in the current firmware however with the FR220/FR620 where it won’t use GPS for pace/distance and instead uses the footpod. While that may seem ideal in your case, historically, GPS has taken priority when outside (to skirt issues with incorrect calibration).
In any case, given the range you’ve specified, you’ll have no issues keeping within that using pace alerts, as that range is pretty broad (I was doing much smaller ranges in my training recently).
The ANT+ footpod from Adidas and Garmin are identical. No, really, they’re the same footpod with different branding – made in the same factory by the same people on the same reference design. :)
No problems with the Adidas ANT+ HRM either. Enjoy!
Got a 220 for Xmas (woohoo), but had an issue on the first run. Paired a foot pod, waited for GPS to acquire and headed off. However, the watch displayed distance and pace from the I calibrated footpod rather than the GPS. Pace was really quick and returned to an accurate number ( compared to my phone tracking app) after removal of the footpod halfway through the workout. How do I force the watch to use gps over the footpod? I thought it was supposed to do this automatically.
Correct. Per the bugs section in the review, the current firmware it is not using the correct source (GPS when outdoors). There isn’t a new firmware version yet.
Hi,
I was wondering what the shortest distance you can use for interval training is? I do a lot of shorter intervals (e.g. 20m) for Soccer (Football) and was wanting to know progressive/top speeds. Would you recommend this for such use? Thanks.
No, GPS won’t be good for that distance. About the shortest distance I’d use GPS for is 100m, beyond that, you’re going to get too slow of reaction time. No doubt, it’ll track your distance, but on a soccer field it won’t be as accurate since the GPS accuracy level just isn’t high enough to really capture that well.
Thank You for the great review. I purchased through CT using the discount so thanks greatly for that as well. Would you say after a couple of months this is still your recommended/go-to for the mid price range?
Great review as they all seem to be! I am new to your site and just getting into running. I have lost 77lbs and can now enjoy a 10k slow run. Suffice to say I am into my new hobby and have already damaged a perfectly good iphone 5 in the rain whilst using it to map my run with info. I have now decided to buy one of these watches and like the look of this one.
Does the phone link option allow me to sinc via my phone only, even for the satellite caching?
I have also looked at the fr10 as it seems to have everything I want info wise. His one appeals to me du e to the nicer look and phone linking. Basically I don’t want to boot the laptop up all the time to sinc and cache satellite possitions and so if the 220 will allow me to do this via the iphone app I will buy it!
If it doesn’t I guess the fr10 will suffice as long as the GPS reception is as good. I run in the countryside of the uk but also central Barcelona and some cliff side runs.
Any help or advice would be great. I just want time, distance and average time per mile/kilometer.
sat caching is nice, but not totally necessary… it just gets you a shorter time until the watch finds enough sats.
in post #457 Ray says this:
/////
“At this time there is no indication from the watch or application that the data downloaded to the watch. To be specific here are the scenarios where the watch will be loaded with the satellite data:
– USB – connecting to the data cable which is plugged into your computer’s USB port and having Garmin Express Fit recognize the device should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update
– WiFi – Pressing the Connect button on the Forerunner 620 to check for files will facilitate a satellite data update
– BLE/Phone app – Connecting to the phone app should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update (We currently support the iPhone 4S and above at this time)
The above only occurs when the data is either not present on the watch or when the data on the watch is expired. Updating through your computer downloads 7 days worth of data and downloading via Bluetooth downloads 3 days worth of data.”
/////
So it would seem that with the fr220 I can avoid the computer and use only my iphone 5 to sinc and cache satalites. The extra cash from the fr10 to the fr220 may be worth it to me after all! Is there a link to purchase this watch on this site to support it and or get a discount?
Yup, you can support the site through Clever Training or Amazon. The links are at the end of the review. With Clever Training you’ll get 10% off your purchase and free shipping.
Hi,
Just wondering what the minimum distance is for intervals? I do a fair bit of short intervals (e.g. 20m) and wanted to know progressive/top speeds.
Thanks.
Generally speaking I wouldn’t see terribly accurate max speeds below about 100m. You can probably get some trending that’s valid at 50m, but below that it’s going to be tough.
nice watch. i received mine from CT and i’m very happy with it. but aside the problem with footpod/gps what bother me is that it didn’t show lap number on any of the lap fields (lap time, lap pace, lap distance). Yes, it shows at the end of lap, but not during the lap, like fr 210. would be very easy for garmin to write “lap xx time” for example instead of just “lap time”
Yeah. I’d hope at some point we’ll see the Configurable Lap Banner feature that they showed early on in the beta but was apparently cut. That would have solved the problem. It’s something I’ll be bringing up at CES in 9 days.
Would the configurable lap banner solve that though? My understanding is that the lap banner is the one that flashes when you split off a new lap. I have the same concern as dragos: sometimes I need to see what lap # I’m on during a lap. For example, if I’m doing a track workout, split my watch at the end of an interval, but don’t catch the banner right away and need to double check what lap I’m on during my recovery (because when your in the midst of a hard workout it’s easy to miscalculate in your head).
Oh, so you’re looking for the ‘Lap number’ data field. Correct, the lap banner configuration option (if implemented) wouldn’t directly solve that if you missed which lap it was.
Rainmaker, I just wanted to say thanks for the great in-depth reviews and solid information… I am not a dedicated runner, just trying to stay fit and in the game at 60+ … first to admit that some of what I read in the reviews and comments goes over my head. But I did ask Santa for and received the 220 for Christmas, based 90% on your review and 10% on the Amazon reviews. Still working thru setting it up, will take it out for a run this weekend. Again, thanks for the time and dedication you put into what you do, following on Facebook as well.
Thanks for your terrific review and for the time your taking to answering all the questions!
I was wondering how accurate the smart recording is when running on the tracks (my training includes intervals on the tracks once a week). Is it accurate enough or should I buy a watch that has 1S recording?
Thanks again!
In general, Smart Recording is fine for most activities. Where you can see variation is in switchbacks and the like. Now, Garmin might say otherwise and that smart recording will be fine, but I just don’t always see that being the case. But, if you’re primarily road running, you generally don’t have to worry too much.
Thanks for the great review, gave me everything needed (and more) to settle on the FR220. Awaiting delivery…
Do you know what the operating temperature range of the FR220 is? I’m thinking it could be handy skiing but wonder how it would fair. Any thoughts on this matter?
Rainmaker, thank you so much for the detailed, easy to understand review of the 220. I am new to running (6 months) and received this as a Christmas gift after growing frustrated with the apps on my iPhone. The instructions that come with the 220 are sparse and seem to assume a previous understanding of GPS watches. You do not and I appreciate that. One question, in reviewing the different data screens and the various fields that you can add to the screen, I don’t see how to add calories to the data field. Is this something that will appear when I put on my HR monitor strap? Wasn’t sure about this. Otherwise, excellent review!
I opened this up for Christmas. What a great watch!! I have been using a 405 since it released and this is a much better product. No bezel which is great. I like the easier to read display and the vibratory alerts you can program in. Thanks for the review….it sealed the deal for me. By the way I ordered it from Clever Training and they did an adequate job with a nice discount. Great product!!!
I really appreciate your reviews and would like your opinion. I started running in early 2009 (I’m 38). I’ve since reached some goals like a sub 4hr marathon (3:57), 1:50 HM, and ran 1,200 miles in 2013. (For 104, I’m shooting for 1:45 HM time and a 3:44 full time with 1,500 mi/yr.) All this time, I’ve been a hold out on GPS watches but using RunKeeper very consistently to track all my runs. Now, though, the 220 and 620 have really piqued my interest. I’m struggling to justify the cost of the 620 (for me, the gain is a fourth item on the display and wi-fi connectivity). Finally, I’d likely wear this as a daily watch but the available colors are showstoppers.
Do I sound like a serious enough runner for this kind of GPS watch? If so, should I wait until after CES to see if new colors are coming soon? Thanks!
Given everything you’re looking at, I’d say the FR220 makes the most sense (instead of the 620). While Garmin could announce new colors next week, I don’t see that in the cards immediately. I’d suspect that the soonest we’d see that would be later in the early spring or so.
Thank you for your awesome reviews! I purchased the Garmin 220 primarily to log strava run segments; great motivational tool. For the most part, very happy. One problem, though. The heart rate strap seems to create a lot of friction; it leaves a sort of scar after nearly every use. Have you heard many other similar complaints w/Garmin’s HR strap? Is there an alternative?
Thanks — and keep up the great work!
So I tried the band-aid method and it actually was way worse! The chaffing was so bad, it bled through my shirt.
I saw your other link: link to dcrainmaker.com
– using the Polar Wearlink strap instead. Awesomely, my local fleet feet had one of these straps. Just hooked up the sensor and it works!
I’ll be running this Sunday; will let you know how it goes.
Freaking amazing review, as always! One question though… how would the 220 fair as a watch worn daily? I had a 210, and it died in the shower… that sucked. But, got it warrantied and gave it to my wife and went back to running with an edge 500. Now that the 220 is out, and I have been running more, I REALLY want one, but not if it will be that delicate. If it’ll survive an open water swim, it will survive daily wear, right?
Garrett I have been using the 220 as a day watch for a month now. It’s been fine. Showers, pool, plumbing, fire fighting.. No condensation or scratches.
The date is a little small for my eye’s and i often get asked if the watch has a fault due to the faint first digit when it’s in colored mode.
With a few 18 to 40 minute runs, 3 mornings of alarms I got only 3.5 weeks before I had to charge it. It will take a few months to get an idea of the mix of Watch time Vs Run time when it comes to battery life.
Another great review. I just did some research on a GPS watch for my bride’s birthday using your site and ended up going with the 220 through Clever Training (the only place I could find that would give a Garmin discount). Thanks again!
Ray, thanks for the excellent review. I only have one question on the 220: if I set the autolap on 1mi, have average pace displayed (for the entire run), at the end of the run can I review my lap splits on the watch or would I have to wait until I upload the workout to Garmin Connect?
Yes, you can view them within history on the watch (after the workout is saved/completed). You can also view them later on in Garmin Connect too. Enjoy!
Is there a max distance in which your phone needs to be from your watch in order for live track to work? I will be running an indoor marathon and was hoping that I could just leave my phone on the sidelines.
With Bluetooth, it’s about 1-2m at most, so in this case, yes, you’ll need to wear it on your body. If it was closer (such as on a treadmill), you’d be fine.
Thank you for the comprehensive review.
I decided to upgrade from my 405CX to the Forerunner 220, I received it at the end of November. I am an avid user of training plans, I set them up as workouts and then move across into the calendar (in Garmin connect). This has always worked well when using the 405. However I am experiencing problems with the 220 and I was wondering whether anyone else has the same issues that I have or this is an isolated case. When I click on send to device either through the calendar or through workouts it goes through the motions but nothing appears on my watch. I may get the odd workout transferred successfully but not my complete plan. I have reset my watch to see if that will work – didn’t. Uploads I have no problems.
I have contacted Garmin numerous times but keep getting fobbed off “my case is in a queue”, öur technical people are looking into it”etc etc. I asked today for my money back as I am not impressed by this lack of customer service. I was told that they will get back to me!!! By the way I originally sent emails through the Garmin Customer Support link and am still waiting for a response. maybe they should remove that form of communication from their website.
Very disappointed customer.
I don’t have any specific suggestion since it sounds like you’re already working with support. However, I would suggest if at all possible calling Garmin support, which is my general suggestion across the board for folks wanting faster resolutions.
I’ve noticed that if my workouts have similar titles (i.e sharing the first 10-12 characters) then only the first workout seems to come across on the watch via the “Send to Device” function.
The device itself can’t display titles that are as long as what can be entered in Garmin Connect. So perhaps the device truncates the Name and therefore can’t distinguish between the different workouts?
For me, once I renamed the workouts with unique prefixes, it seemed to fix the problem. Worth a try for others experiencing the same difficulties.
I’m a new user of 220. I’m going to use it in my coming Hong Kong Marathon 2014. Part of the race course is a cross harbour tunnel, which is around 3km. I’m pretty sure there won’t be GPS signal inside the tunnel. I don’t need to calculate my cadence but just not sure the internal accelerator can still measure the distance and average pace that I will run in the tunnel. Any thought?
There’s no problems there. As noted in the review, I often run through tunnels without issue on my running routes. The pace will automatically switch-over. Now, depending upon how accurate the internal accelerometer pace is for you, there may be some slight variations there, but otherwise, it’s fine.
Tony, my 220 with GPS off and no footpod is better than 30m in 4500m, time after time. Even when I mess with my stride. I have no idea how easy the calibration will get skewed by runs or rides that are not your normal action or when in and out of GPS signal.
Yes, TOD is a screen that can be included in the activity screens.
Screen 1 ( 1 to 3 datra fields).
Screen 2 ( 1 to 3 data fields).
Heart Rate ( on/off).
Clock ( on/off).
Garmin Support update:
38 minutes on the phone to AUS Garmin support.
Me- ” good afternoon, any progress on job number ###### please”
Support- ” Sir our level 2 has responded to all your 6 questions”.
Me- “Yes thankyou, but not with correct answers”
Support- ” sorry sir but level 2 support knows more than us, thankyou for passing on your concerns, it may help others in the future”.
Me- “Um.. How long can i hold out waiting for resolutions before i CANT return the watch any more , Easter ?”
Support- ” sorry Sir being more than 7 to 14 days you have to deal with the reseller, not Garmin as the watch should now be doing everything that was listed in the brochure.”
That’s 3 calls and 3 emails with only 1 partial email reply that was sent to a wrong 3rd person.
Just as a pure housekeeping item, if you have technical issues (problems), I’d really ask to please try and resolve the issues through Garmin support (via phone or e-mail, though I’d recommend phone). Or, additionally, through the Garmin Forums (http://forums.garmin.com).
The reason is relatively simple: Back and forth comments just aren’t an effective way to troubleshoot, and more importantly, at nearly 800 comments – it’s really tough for new folks to find answers to questions when there’s lots of troubleshooting going on for an individual issue.
Now, to be clear, I have no problems with questions around feature sets, or how a product works, or which-watch type questions. I’m also totally good with people posting their thoughts/mini-reviews of the watch (good/bad/etc…). But this just isn’t the best place to try and troubleshoot your current issues. Typically speaking, Garmin and/or the support forums can get answers much quicker. And more importantly, they can track issues and then prioritize fixes. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, then Garmin doesn’t know about it.
Thanks!
P.S. – Just to clarify, this is not a response to Jeff’s post above. In fact, Jeff has done everything right, and I completely agree that Australia support really seems to suck (seen other instances of the same).
Hi, I would like to know if the 220 watch can display both speed and pace on the same data screen? If not, do you know any watch who can display these metrics simultaneously? Thank you!
Maryse
Maryse: Yes, it can display both Speed and Pace at the same time on the same screen — just looked at the data fields on my 220 and I can configure it to do so.
I will say I’m impressed with the 220 thus far. I’m coming from a 205 (retired to my bike) and 110 (running). Although my 205 has a few more features (virtual partner and back to start), I’m super excited about the 220.
I find it rather stylish and much more comfortable than the 110. I was fed up with the lack of lap time on the 110, which made it useless for interval workouts (My $20 Timex has lap time…). Being able to create workouts online is pretty neat and will help a lot with winter fartleks. Also, I never imagined this, but the vibrate function is awesome. I frequently miss the tone for splits (especially if I run with music during the winter). Jury is still out on the built in pedometer though. I’ll do a few more runs outdoors to sync it (including a race). Hope it’s semi accurate. It would be nice to judge how long lane 3 of my local fitness center’s rectangle track actually is (they claim 6 laps to the mile in lane 1, but I somehow doubt that).
Only features I really want added in:
Either the ability to display 4 data fields at the same time or a third data screen
Back to Start function. This would have been especially helpful while running in Paris last month…
I did not read through all the comments so I apologize if this is redundant.
I was wondering if this can be used for indoor Insanity-type workouts? I have read mixed reviews by doing a general search and just don’t know what to do. I would like to purchase this for running, but also be able to use it for my Insanity workouts.
You can record them just fine (for HR data, which in turn gives you calorie data). While some folks don’t like the fact that you can’t turn off the accelerometer while indoors, ultimately, the only thing it does is put some low distance value in your workout file. It doesn’t have any bearing on calories though, since that’s HR driven.
Hi Kelly – I had the same issue because I also do indoor cardio, P90x and wanted to view my calorie burn. It just wasn’t working for me until I contacted Garmin Support at 1800 800 1020. The problem for me was that I needed to turn off my Auto Pause feature. Once that was done, I started the timer and got moving. The 220 soon began displaying my calorie burn. A simple fix, but it was driving me crazy. I hope this helps.
Thanks so much for an incredibly in depth review! I bought the 220 through your Clever Training link and can’t wait to give it a try. After years of running with smart phones this will be my first true GPS watch.
I was wondering if there is a way to set up workouts on Garmin Connect with metric intervals (i.e. 12 x 400M)? It seems possible to set your units of measure to metric but what does this mean if I also want to set up another workout that is 8 miles long? Thanks in advance!
When I tried setting up a workout via Garmin Connect it would only allow me to set distances in miles. Is it as simple as changing my default units to meters and then set up the workout? And then set it back to miles to create a miles-based workout?
I don’t think I did a straight 10hr test. However, I’ll do a standard ‘garden’ test tomorrow where I stick it in a window with GPS on and let it go till it does.
Ray: I think I “may” have some insight as to the internal pedometer of the watch and why it’s not that accurate at faster speeds.
I’m thinking the watch is basing the pace off of your cadence and possibly the amount of energy exerted during each stride from your arm. The issue is that I think more trained runners’ cadences don’t change that much while running.
I tested this with my 220 today on the treadmill at the gym near me (brand new, so let’s hope they are semi-accurate). I did 10 miles. First mile and a half were around a 7:10/mile pace. Watch said 1.48 for the treadmill’s 1.50. Not bad.
Then I started dropping down to 6:50s’, 6:40’s and the finally 6:20’s. I had a few accelerations of .25 miles at 12MPH (5:00 miles) to loosen up and to change it up.
What I found was my cadence at 7:10’s was the same as my cadence at 6:30 (about 177 or so). That being said, my quarter miles at 5/flat pace, I was around 192.
The fastest the watch had me was at 5:30/miles, but seemed to average around 7:30.
reading the Garmin FAQs for the 620/220 gives us a hit to how to make non GPS runs more accurate.
The FAQ used the word “TABLE”. This would indicate a 2 or 3 domentional array that will self poppulate as you run at DIFFERENT paces and strides. So before we give up on the accuracy of the accelerometer at different speeds and styles ( shoes ?) , we need to do quite a few steady runs outside with GPS on to generate a full table.
It also tells me that the custom ( read: many many hours of running ) table will be lost if we do a factory defaults.
Ray can you ask Garmin about my hypothisis when you speak with them next , and if there will be a way to export the custom table along with a users in watch profile ?
“The .. 620 and 220 has an on-board accelerometer that is pre-calibrated with a table of default values based on the averages of many runners. The watch refines this calibration every time you use the watch outdoors with GPS. In addition to built in table, the watch will also adapt to your specific running style to provide the best possible speed and distance when GPS is unavailable.
Therefore, the more frequently you perform an activity with a GPS signal, the speed and distance you receive will be more accurate when doing an activity indoors or have lost the GPS signal.
So if JeffP’s interpretation is correct, does that mean that my having used my Garmin 220 while taxiing on a commercial flight yesterday completely hosed my table and thus my accelerometer-based pace and distance calculations?
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the 220 lost GPS signal on the runway. My old 610 used to alert me when that happened, but with the 220, it just kept going, presumably trying to use the accelerometer.
I’ll find out. It’s interesting, because the ‘table’ method was also used for the new Fenix accelerometer stuff that’s in beta and was added a month ago. I explained in detail a bit on how that worked in that post, but I didn’t cover the airplane/bike/blimp/etc… scenario.
Any luck, Ray? I am going skiing next month and had planned on using the 220 to track my heart rate and speed. If that will mess up the accuracy of my cadence, though, I will skip it.
I used my FR220 for skiing this past weekend. I too am curious how or if this screws up cadence data for running. I did not wear my HR monitor. Another thing I’m curious about is the ‘Record’ data. Since my watch is fairly new, my skiing adventure set several new records: longest distance, fastest mile (GASP!) but I deleted them because they weren’t for running. Do I have to erase all records and start over or will my next longest run show up as a record now?
Hey man. I just found your site, but I’ve spent a solid six hours so far reading the different reviews and getting a feel for various Garmins. Thanks so much for all the work you put in. If I go with a new Garmin, I’ll be sure to use your links.
I like that the 610 could switch to cycling mode with a prolonged press of the lap (I think?) button. I know this doesn’t have a cycling specific mode, but can you automatically switch to a MPH display through some sort of shortcut? Or do you need to cycle through a few things?
I could probably just make one of the screens a cycling specific screen with distance, speed, and time, and then just switch to it somehow. I’m just thinking foreward. First tri is in June. I’m basically getting this as a training device since I’m new to this after a history in strength sports. I want to make sure I don’t overdo it and go out too fast during my first event.
My biggest complaint for the 220 is the Garmin app. I want to download wirelessly which was one of the main features I wanted but the app stinks. It downloads you history, then crashes, the downloads again and will work. If you wait a day and try it again, it does the whole thing all over again. Seems like they are selling the watch but that feature is a big disappointment. You would think that Garmin would read all the comments in the apple App Store. There are tons of complaints for the same thing.
What is the GPS sampling rate for the forerunner 220. I’m thinking of buying the 220 instead of run meter on my iphone 5. But I’m not sure if the accuracy of the 220 is better then run meter. With run meter I see a sampling rate between 5 to 7 seconds in the tcx files.
I don’t have any detailed specs but i saw my run was more accurate with the FR 220. With my iPhone i did cut some corners which my FR 220 doesn’t. With a 14K run the difference was about 4 to 5% less then the Garmin, and the FR 220 was the right distance. So i’m happy with the FR 220 after running for a long time with my iPhone.
Just switched from the 310XT to the 220. My color screen is not nearly as vibrant as the stock photos. The colors are dull. Pink, orange, red, and purple are very similar. Is this true in your experience too?
I’m curious if there’s any difference between hitting ‘Stop’ during a run/workout and the functionality of Auto-Pause (aside from the fact that auto- does it automatically). Is the same data recorded while stopped, etc though? I.e. if I go for a run, and just hit stop/start when I stop for lights, etc, will I end up to roughly the same info as if auto-pause had stopped/started it? I was a bit thrown off with them appearing to be different (i.e. it’s a stop symbol vs a pause symbol.
No technical difference. They’re identical. The main difference is that you vs the unit may decide differently when it pauses. For example, it could take the unit an extra 1-2 seconds vs what you’d decide.
Quick question When I run on the treadmill do I have to change my setting for distance? after 30min it only reads that I ran .3? I don’t have problem when I run outside but it’s -11 outside now and have been going to the gym!!
Just got the 220 and really loved it’s performance. Running a marathon this weekend and I thought it was infinite walk/run intervals on this one. Do I need to create a custom workout to accomplish getting past the 99 repeats so I don’t have to reset it mid-race? It’s been a pain point for me in my training with my 210. Would love for it to flow the entire time. Is there a trick to it? TIA !!!!!
I like the watch, hate the connectivity issues. The phone still won’t communicate via Bluetooth. It also won’t connect with Garmin Connect on my phone. When I sync it on the computer, it simply keeps sync’ing, over and over and over. I see on forums across the web that many people are having the same issues.
I’m not sure why you gave it such a great review when it only has 1 star on the App Store ratings. Apparently most people are NOT having a good experience with the connectivity. Very frustrating when you spend $250 on a watch.
Runner76, Not on my 220 running few v2.20 . you get sound and vibrate.
The Time Alarm is not controlled by the ‘Alerts’ setup that can have sound and / or vibrate.
I have a question about the “my workouts” feature. When i setup time intervals, is there anyway for the watch to keep the regular 1 mile “auto laps”? Instead of showing a bunch of quarter mile or half mile splits based on my time intervals? I don’t have a good way of knowing what my mile splits are when doing this.
Now that we’re into January, any new info. on when the FR220 will work with Android and bluetooth? I just got the FR220 this week and I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone (Android ver. 4.3) which it currently DOES NOT work with. The firmware on my FR220 is ver. 2.2. I hope I don’t have to get a new phone to get this feature to work! But I think I’m going to like the watch. My wife bought one just a few weeks ago and it works perfectly with her iPhone (of course!).
had two runs now with faulty or no GPS distance/pace at all
found, that on the Info Screen the Software Version was 2.20, GPS Version at 0.00
after a factory reset GPS Version was at 2.80 again – and GPS is working again.
so, just in old Windows times again: “doesn´t work? Did you try a reboot?” ;)
I have a Garmin Forerunner 210 that, together with a footpod, works almost flawlessly indoors (distance and pace are very close to those displayed by a calibrated treadmill). However, I’d like to upgrade to the FR220 (mainly for the customized workouts).
I am worried about what I read here both about the need of calibrating the footpod manually (I never did that with my FR 210. Auto-calibrated via GPS during my many runs outside) and about the fact that the footpod completely overrides the GPS outdoors (I want to use the footpod to record the run cadence when outdoors, and not the FR 220’s internal accelerometer).
Could someone give me updated info? Have these 2 issues been solved? They are a deal-breaker for me.
I don’t see where the 220 can upload via ANT Stick. Is that the case? Can it only upload via USB or Bluetooth (which is worthless to me with an android phone)?
Hi,
Thanks for the great reviews of Garmin’s new running watch lineup. I’ve been running with the 305 for years and haven’t really felt the need to upgrade thanks to its versatility and customization options. One function I’ve come to use frequently are time alerts, i.e. to remind me to take a gel and the likes. Is this a function that is offered for both the 220 and 620 models?
From what I understand, other than the HRM-RUN associated features on the 620 and the touchscreen, they seem to be pretty identical watches. Running dynamics aside, what would you say is a key feature of the 620 over the 220?
Yes, you can setup time alerts. Fwiw, I actually use the Run/Walk alert for my gel alert. That way it reminds me twice – once at beginning, once at ending. I give myself two minutes to do it.
As for the key features of 620 over 220, I’d say it’s three: WiFi, Running Dynamics, More fields per data page (4 vs 3).
How do you determine the calibration factor in order to calibrate the foot pod using the calculation? Is this something you have to tinker with until such time Garmin comes out with an update so it will determine it on it’s own using previous GPS runs? I’m doing mostly treadmill running due to the weather, and would like it to be much more accurate than it is (currently about 0.25 miles off per 1.0 miles ran [i.e. shows 0.75 miles vice 1.0]).
Also, I would like to thank you for your reviews. I find them quite helpful and assist me in determining equipment for my wife and I as we have very different needs. Your reviews are an excellent tool!
WOW! Great Review! I appreciate all of your hard work you put into this!
I do have a question, hoping you haven’t had to answer this already.
You mentioned the calorie counter on the 220– when you were programing all of your information at the start, did it have you enter your – hight / weight /resting hr / max hr / gender / bday ? I have the forerunner 410 from a couple years ago and that one had me enter all of that info for a better calculation.
Also, having to wear the pretty violet/white, did you find that the white showed dirt ?
Thanks again for your time!
Fellow 220 owners, are you having any luck with the automatic activity upload via smartphone? I’ve done two runs with my 220 paired with the phone and automatic uploads are enabled on the phone, yet nothing is ever uploaded to Garmin Connect. I have to use the USB cable and my computer to upload activities.
I’ve been using a 220 since late November paired with an iPhone 5. Automatic uploads *usually* work, but sometimes don’t — for no apparent reason. Sometimes just going into and out of run mode a couple of times works, but sometimes not. That’s clearly not helping you.
Assuming you’ve got your watch paired with your phone properly (and you don’t have an Android phone — they don’t upload data yet) and you’ve got the Garmin Connect on your phone and open (or at least running in the background), then the relatively simple solution is to just restart the 220. This does NOT erase any data or change any settings, so you can do it without worrying.
Hold down the backlight button (upper left button) for about 20 seconds or so until the watch turns off (a screen will come up asking if you want to “Power Off?”, but just keep holding the button down and the watch will turn off eventually). To turn it back on, hold down the backlight button again until the Garmin logo appears.
This seems to work for me — and also helps fix other oddities that come up from time to time with the 220. It is, after all, a little computer. Sometimes computers just need a good kick in the ass (aka a restart) to get working right. Good luck.
Hey Ray – huge fan of your site/reports/reviews.
Being of of the users who occasionally encounter oddities with the gps tracks of my FR 220, I curiously read about your CES news .
You mentioned, that there was a GPS chipset update for the FR 220 a few days ago, that might improve things. How can I transfer this update on my watch? The Garmin Homepage is quite confusing to me in this regard.
Will it be updated automatically when I use the Garmin Express Fit applications or can I update it after all?
It’s a bit unclear. Some people have reported seeing it pop-up for an update earlier this week, and others haven’t. I haven’t seen it on my unit yet. Typically though, either Garmin Fit Express or Garmin Webupdater would do the trick.
I haven’t seen any updates in the Express Fit, but just opened the Web Updater and though there was no firmware update (still at 2.20), there was a GPS Chipset update from 2.80 to 2.90.
Updated fine, but stupidly it could not update until after I pulled it out of the cradle. I only thought to try this after I re-ran the updater and it found the same update.
Thanks Ray and Martin – using the Web Updater did the trick!
Now let’s see if this update improves the GPS performance!
Thanks again for the promt replies!
Tom
I’ve been using the FR220 for a couple of months now and I have noticed in the last 3 weeks or so that it has been taking an unbelievable amount of time to sync up. 5-10 minutes seems to be the normal, sometimes it goes into power saving mode before it connects. I’ve had a FR210 for years and never had this type of issue?
Thanks for the fantastic anaylsis. I got the 220 yesterday and put it on my window for a GPS lockdown. I also pressed the run start button just to see the timer go….surprisingly in 5 min the distance has gone from zero to 1km with the watch being on the same spot at my window. Does this imply that the GPS is dodgy? once locked down is it possible for the watch to lose gps while in activity?
I’ve found the express fit software to not be so good, the watch now tells me it has an update which constantly fails, and the express fit software is caught in some sort of sync loop where it tells me it is syncing, and constantly restarts, even though there are no runs on the watch.
Hopefully clevertraining.com will take this thing back. I’m done with it. Back to my 305 which has never given me any issues
Had the same problem but installed an older version of the express fit software and it cured my loop and enabled me to install an update that previously kept failing.
Search “Endless loop in Garmin Express Fit 2.0.1” on the Garmin forum and someone has put a link to an older version. Worked a treat for me. It may for you.
Again, as a brief reminder this isn’t meant to be a troubleshooting forum. At nearing 1,000 comments in this post – it ends up being very difficult for folks to find answers to questions. If you’re having problems with your watch, I’d strongly recommend you check out the Garmin Forums (forums.garmin.com), or opening up a support ticket (phone tends to be best). Ultimately, Garmin doesn’t monitor these comments, and can’t fix issues if they don’t hear about them.
Ray,
Thank you soooo much for the awesome review. I just bought a FR 220 and by my question you will probably notice that I do not understand a lot about HR monitor watches :); but anyway, I did try to look on the internet for some guidance but I couldn’t find so I would like to ask you, is there a way that I can use FR 220 to count calories burned on a indoor stationary exercise such as a kickboxing class (I do have the Heart Rate Strap)? I am already using the FR 220 for my outdoor workouts and I am loving it; but I was wondering if I could use for counting my calories during a cardio class. Thanks in advance!
Bought the 220 today, did my first workout on it, read through the directions and found the mobile app. Low and behold the iOS is the only supported platform, android users beware!
I’m looking forward to if/when the Android gets bluetooth support for the FR220. In the mean time, I can’t believe how quickly the data gets uploaded via the cable! I barely have to get it connected and it’s there. Don’t even have to hit the upload button because the new activity is already there.
What are the main differences between the 220 and the 610. Do you have a recommendation between the two? I can get the 610 new (with hrm & footpod) for 310 or the 220 with hrm for 300 so price is essentially a non factor. I prefer the look of the 610 but am concerned that the footpad my fall off my shoe. I also have heard many concerns over the 610 in regard to glitches. Is the 220 a better buy sheerly on the basis of its being a newer release?
Thanks for your time.
Looking at the two (FR610/FR220), here’s reasons why you would want to purchase the FR610 instead:
1) You want some of the basic navigational features of the FR610
2) You want the cycling-specific mode (remember, you can still change the display to ‘Speed’ on the FR220), or you want ANT+ speed/cadence sensor support on the FR610
3) You want to display 4 customizable data fields instead of three, per page.
4) You want Virtual Partner (the FR220 has pace alerts, which is like a floor/ceiling instead)
5) You want weight scale support
Those are the main reasons. Personally, I’ll take the quicker satellite reception and upload of workouts through the phone, as well firmware updates that way (all FR220). Also remember that the FR220 has significantly more features than it’s older sibling, the FR210 (for example, advanced workout support). So it’s really more of a FR620 ‘Lite’ than it is a FR210 ‘Pro’…if that makes sense.
As for a footpod, in 7 years, I’ve never had a footpod fall off my shoe – nor ever heard of one falling off anyone’s shoe (in any comment, ever).
Hi Ray
Thanks for your patience with all of the comments.
How do you find the 5s/km (or mile) instant pace variation? I come from using a 310XT, which has 1s increments, so I’m finding it a bit strange. Has there been a change of policy from Garmin, e.g. does it think that the instant pace isn’t accurate enough for 1s increments?
Cheers
Bruce
I think the biggest reason for the shift is the success of the pacing platform in the FR10, which follows the same logic. I’ve heard no complaints there and people seem much happier with stability there. Ultimately, there’s obviously some smoothing going on (everyone does smoothing, it’s how visible they make it that matters). But I find it pretty easy to pace by, and doesn’t impact my ability to hit targets.
Hi Ray,
Sorry for yet another question on this post…. but can you tell me if the 220 will provide a 2 minute cool down heart rate recording / alert, or is this limited to the 620 along with its ‘recovery advisor’ ?
Hmm, I just checked and it worked for me. Once you add the FR220 to your cart, you’ll go and add the discount code “DCR10TXS” with a zero, which looks like you typed it correct. Then, if you click Update, it’ll show the ~$25off up above. Let me know if not, and I’ll be happy to troubleshoot more.
They had one of those fields (I’ve never had a Garmin before)? That would be super useful for track workouts. I’ve found that when doing a hard track session, I don’t always look at my watch in time after I’ve split for an interval, and the lap banner is already gone. My Timex would keep the lap split on for much longer. I’ve found that issue in combination with the lack of a lap count data field makes my Garmin almost useless for track workouts.
No, the FR210 (nor the FR220) never had a last lap field. It’s on other Garmin units, but not these two. I don’t expect to see it in the FR220. I expect that you’ll get some resolution via the upcoming configurable banner field, but I wouldn’t expect to see last lap make it (merely for product differentiation reasons).
Hi! I have some questions, btw sorry about my english, but I speak spanish so Im gonna try to be as clear as I can.
1- How can you update your firmware using bluetooth smart? I cant find anything on internet to do it with my smartphone (iphone 5s)
2- I chose a training plan for 10k on connect.garmin.com (starting 01/19/2014 to 04/12/2014) and I loaded it into the phone but not all 40 training sessions were uploaded, just 30 (to 03/22/2014). So I guess this is because the capacity of the watch memory, but how would I get those 10 sessions left? until I finish these 30 and in the calendar the day would be march 22, does it will only load the 10 left? or I’m screw and it will overwrite from the very beginning?
3- Is there any trick to load into the watch all training plan with those cycling sessions? I read that a cycling watch would not load running sessions and a running watch would not load cycling sessions. But I dont like this because there is a lot of missed days in my training plan because of these cycling sessions.
I am super-impressed with your reviews on the Garmin GPS watches. I am a triathlete and looking forward to my first IM 70.3 in Italy this year. I’ve taken on a coach to help me train, and he has asked me to send data from a Garmin GPS watch. I currently have a Karrimore HR monitor and watch, and I use run keeper to track my cycles and runs. The Karrimore is waterproof, but bulky.
I borrowed a friends Garmin forerunner 610 + HR for my initial speed tests last week, and apart from the HR dropping dramatically after 20 mins on two of the three sessions, I was very impressed at the ease with which I could see my HR as I ran, and the comfort of the HR band and watch.
I was all set to buy the watch and came across your review – which just backed my decision. Then I noticed there was a 620 – and it threw my decision in the air.
I started to read your review for that – and was convinced that was the better choice – particularly because I have a wrist the size of a small child!
Then came the deal clincher! No cycling functionality. I need this watch to monitor my training for my coach. I can accept that I won’t actually wear the watch in races – and therefore the water element is not an issue – but for my needs – would I be better off going for the 610? Will there be a 630 out soon that puts the cycling function back?
I have about four weeks to decide.
I even thought about the 220 – because I love the purple and white – but the cycle functionally has gone from that too!
Is there no work around? Should I look further than Garmin?
YMMV, of course, but I’d recommend restarting your FR220 after the latest GPS chipset update. First run after that, I found the timer was working, but distance was at 0.01 miles and the pace was blank. While running, I restarted it and no problem since. I’m pretty sure it restarted during its process up the update, but just a word of warning.
Hi! I´ve bought the 220, and noticed something weird: when I´m running laps (for example, in a 400 meter track), the distance it shows when I’m running clockwise is always about 10% higher than when I’m running counterclockwise, which is the correct one. Watching the map in the computer, the clockwise laps have a different (wrong) shape. I´ve asked Garmin Support, but got no answer so far.
Hmm, not sure why you’d have accuracy higher one way versus another.
10% is a bit high for a track (inaccuracy wise), but a track is one of the hardest things for any GPS to get right. I generally get about 4% (basically 1% off per loop).
i currently have a nike sports watch that just died on me, does the forerunner 220 have a simple stopwatch? instead of having to always connect to the GPS and/or shoe pod?
Yes and no. You can simply turn off GPS (and not use a shoe pod), and use the indoor mode as a stopwatch. But it doesn’t have a separate stop-watch mode.
It’s pretty much in line with specs, of approximately 9-10hrs with GPS on. And weeks with GPS off (watch mode). I know a few folks have posted battery run-down times with various tests in the comments section of this post and the FR620 post.
Awesome. I always assume real life battery of about 60%-70% predicted so this is great news. I never seemed to have to charge my 205, but the 410 has been awful. Hopefully the 220 will be as good as the 205.
Thank you for the great review!! I currently have the FR405 and it really drives me insane with the bezel with all of it’s different malfunctions! I’m a runner, but nothing longer than a half marathon. I also love working out indoor doing weights and various dvd workouts like P90X3 and so forth. I bought a HRM in hopes it would let me know how many calories I was burning during indoor workouts based on HR, but the 405 reported I burned like 13 calories doing 45 min of intense cardio. Someone advised me to try turning GPS off, in which I did, however it then stated 0 calories burned for a 30 min workout in which my HR was around 188 the entire time. Would the 220 be good for tracking workload in indoor WITHOUT having to purchase a foot pod? Sorry for the long post, just trying to figure out what would be best for me. By all means please let me know if a whole other brand would better fit me and I will check in to it.
It’ll definitely capture HR based on calories – so no problem there. There’s a number of folks further up in comments using it for cross-fit and similar activities today, no footpod required.
Thank you so much for great reviews on all watches I’ve considered going for. Think it’ll end up with the 220. Only one thing confuses me after thourough comparison of this and the 620; What makes your wife prefer the 620 over the 220 – is it because she use any of the few extra functions? I mean when she prefers the color of the 220 I just don’t see what specs makes her eager for using the other watch instead. Might seem like a silly question – I’m just not sure if there’s something I’ve overlooked.
For her, as with for me, it almost completely comes down to 4 data fields per screen rather than three. We both tend to use the same four fields as our main screen:
1) Lap Pace
2) Lap Distance
3) Lap Time
4) Current HR
We both use those primarily doing interval/repeats. She does use the FR220 from time to time however, when she forgets to charge the FR620. ;)
Ray, why do you check your current HR during intervals? Do you adjust your pace based on that? I always thought intervals are focusing above all on speed (even if you are about to vomit ;-)
Intervals are typically done against two ‘constants’:
1) Pace
2) HR (aka Effort)
Some intervals I’m doing at a given HR because I want time in that zone. Other intervals are done against a given pace. Tonight, I did 8×800 against a given pace. Yet, I have another run later this week that’s HR based, where the intervals are longer (miles).
Keep in mind that I often use the lap function as a way to seperate my workout segments for later analysis. So an ‘interval’ (aka lap) could be anything from 30″ (a short sprint) to 90 minutes or longer. For example, on some stepped long runs, I might do 90 minutes at one zone, then 30 minutes in a higher zone, and then the last 15 minutes at yet a further higher zone. Each of those would be a ‘lap’ for easy analysis later.
I’ve had the 220 for about 2 months now. I enjoy it and the only thing I miss a little is virtual partner.
I have mine set up to show me;
Screen one;
Time
Distance
Average Pace
Screen Two;
Lap Time
Lap Distance
Lap Pace
Screen 3;
Heart Rate
Time
In training for a half marathon, I’m trying to keep track of and to even out my split times. I’ll go back and forth between those first two screens.
I’d be interested to hear how others have set up their screens, and how they use them for training. To anyone who shares, thanks!
I really only use one screen – avg lap pace, distance and heart rate zone. I have auto laps sets to 0.5 moles. I don’t have a use for things like last lap pace (I can work that out from the banner), lap distance (I set auto laps according to the workout).
I have the others configured to show interesting things that I like to see easily after a workout like calories, overall avg pace and time.
Ray – ever thought about creating a discussion forum on the site? It’s would be hugely popular!!
I am thinking about buying this Forerunner 220, and the watch and its functionality looks great. My concerns are about “Garmin Connect”:
1) So it is basically impossible just to transfer the raw-data to my computer? (I’d like to play around with my own GIS application and statistic-programs)
2) As european: You made clear the watch is able to display SI units – but what about “Garmin Connect”? Will I (i) be bound to this online-application and then (ii) it will show my distances in silly american-miles? (b/c although the frontpage is translated into my language, it still displays the volume of sweat in “gallones” (WTF? – This word isn’t even translated correctly! Litre is SI!) and weight of candy in “lbs” (WTF? I’ve got no idea what kind of unit this is! Kilogramme is SI!)
1) To get the raw data simply plug the device in, and grab the .FIT file from the activity folder. Most apps today know how to do that automatically (i.e. Training Peaks device agent, Sport Tracks, etc…).
2) Garmin Connect can be changed into metric, just do it by clicking on your profile in the upper right corner.
Hey, Rainmaker! First i want to say thanks for the great review. I got a couple of questions for my upcoming purchase.
1. Is it possible to use the GF 220 as a HR-monitor under water if you buy the right HRM-strap? If so, what HRM-strap would it be?
2. I can’t decide between the Polar Rcx5 and the Garmin Forerunner 220. As you allready know, the Rcx5 does not have GPS, though it can be used for swimming. I sort of want both functions, but i don’t really need any of them. I don’t like to many gadgets, so additional GPS for the Rcx5 is not an option. My main focus is on the intervall function of the clock, where i can’t see much of a difference. I’ve got an offer held of until 22.01 on the Rcx5 going for 243$, versus the Forerunner 220 incl. HRM for 421$. Please let me know which of them you think are the better pick.
Hopefully you’ll give me a quick reply!
(If the prices seems a bit high … it’s probably because i’m buying in a norwegian store)
Aloha Ray “Rainmaker”,
Thanks for your world class review of the FR-220. After reading your review I’m trading up to the FR-220 from an FR-10 (I’m giving it to my son). I really like what Garmin has done with this model.
I also appreciate what you do on your webpage and blog. It’s hard to find in-depth, accurate, technical information about products online. Thank you and keep up the good work. I’ll do my part by visiting the sponsor links!
I’m training for a half marathon. Looking for a great GPS watch to use for both outdoor and treadmill use. I’ve read both your reviews on the 210 and 220 and don’t know why I would select the 220 over the 210. At this point i don’t need the downloaded training plans, and it also appears you still need the footpod on the 220 even though it says it has the technology built in… from your review it’s not accurate. is the 220 worth the extra money? especially for a newbie to the Garmin world.
Perhaps, my own reasoning could help you take a decision: I intend to shell out the additional 140$ to buy the 220 (instead of the 210) because of the improved intervall training plan functionality and the waterproofness (a number of 210 complained about the lack thereof).
For indoor use, if you want to measure distance with your watch (instead of reading it off the threadmill display), the GPS obviously doesn’t work, so yes, you need a footpod.
Slightly off topic:
I wonder at what level of performance (and experience) it actually starts to make sense to collect all the data from HRM and GPS and analyse it. Over years, I have used a HRM mainly to monitor my run during my run (check if I’m in the right heart rate zone and to see my pace). I didn’t do much analysis apart from counting the number of runs, weekly distance and duration. Just enough to keep me motivated. I managed to run a sub-3h marathon like this, and I’m happy with that.
How many of you guys are actually doing serious analysis of all the data? Shonda, you say that you’re training for a HM and it sounds like it’s your first. What do you intend to do with the variety of data the 220 collects? If you’re interested mainly in the distance run indoors, you could also take the threadmills display and enter this data manually to the garmin logbook.
I have to correct myself regarding the distance measuring indoors: The internal cadence sensor gives and indication of distance, but this requires you to keep swinging your arms. If you wipe off you sweat, adjust the threadmill settings, your mp3-player or whatever, you’re arm stops swining and without a footpod, the watch will think you stopped.
Ray or somebody else could perhaps say something about accuracy of cadence sensor vs footpod beyond the above mentioned issue.
Correct. I cover this a bit up above (arms swinging and water bottles, etc..).
Outside of that however, I did comparisons with footpods on cadence and found it spot-on both indoors and outdoors, usually either exactly the same as the footpod, or within 1RPM on a full run or any subsection.
Hi,
Great review but i have still two question; 1. Is there a built-in cadence meter like in the 620? 2. When you have got a foot pod, do you see the amount of steps on you’re 220 while running?
Thanx
Simon
I don’t find it accurate. Check out the treadmill section of the review for all the details. Thus, a footpod is best for accuracy indoors (though, it won’t auto-calibrate on the current firmware version, so you have to manually do that).
Depends what accuracy you’re referring to. I think Ray is making the point that speed/pace accuracy isn’t great; but if you don’t wipe sweat of your head too often, the cadence measure (number of foot strikes per minute) looks pretty good. Although I’ve not worked out how to make use of the data yet, but it does import into SportTracks fine.
I’m trying to get a measurement of the wrist band? What is the maximum wrist measurement it would fit? I saw it fit your wrist but is that the biggest size that is capable of fitting? Thanks
Hi Ray. I Was bought this Garmin for Christmas (after the gift buyer had read your very good review)
I love it, bug thumbs up all round, but I would really like to see if there was a way of resetting the average speed on each lap. So instead of an overall average of the whole run I would get average speed per lap. I have been resetting on each interval so that I know I am hitting the correct averages but it’s quite a lot of button pressing on short rest intervals. Any advice would be great and help to make my running sessions much easier and coach a lot happier as he has to trawl through all the recorded data on Garmin connect. Many thanks, Jinny Joe, Uk
The strap portion yes, but not the transmitter as the transmitter isn’t ANT+. To understand what I mean about strap vs transmitter, see this post: link to dcrainmaker.com
Ok, so I was all excited about this watch until I read that it only displays pace in 5 second increments. Pace to the second is crucial for me. I just returned my ambit 2S for this reason. Can you recommend a watch in the price range that can display pace to the second?
Thanks!
I’m sure Ray will be along to comment… but I cant see any consumer level GPS device being accurare enough to make 1s pace display worth while ? Why is this crucial (I’m interested) ? Such a level of accuracy would suggest you are using the watch for short intervals of ~20m. The resolution of GPS makes using a watch for things like that a little pointless.
Ultimately, what others have said is pretty much correct. No consumer-grade GPS today will give you truly accurate pace information to the second…without (and this is the important part)…heavy smoothing.
So basically, companies make a choice: Smooth the data a bunch (such as averaging over every 10s), or, smooth it a bit less and then round the data.
This comes about because companies hear loud and clear that people find GPS pace too jumpy, and then those that don’t make it too jumpy, people complain it’s too smoothed.
Now, what I do on my units is often pace by lap pace. Today for example, I was doing repeats at 6:25/mile. Two days ago, it was 5:54 a mile. In both cases, I’m using ‘Lap Pace’ – which does go to the nearest 1s – as my pacing guide.
I have to agree with ginger that it is possible to expect too much for under $250 and I’m not sure what we are all doing with this data we are assimilating.The first four letters of the word “analyze” are there for a reason. :) Don’t forget to have fun out there!
I really do have fun running, but when I compete, I really rely on the pace reading. If my watch indicates a pace of 8:30, it could mean that I am running an 8:27 mile or an 8:32 mile. The ability to make minor tweaks when competing is a valuable tool for me. My current Garmin is a Forerunner 305 and has always displayed the pace to the second. I don’t understand why this was changed. Unfortunately, my current Garmin is increasingly unreliable, needing frequent hard resets and with flagging battery life. I wouldn’t want to change it if I didn’t think it was on its last legs.
I compete at various distances but always base my pace on an average lap pave over 0.5 miles. Trying to control you pace more precisely, or even based on instant is impossible to do. You’ll never hit an exact pace for an entire race, you are far better off looking to maintain an average pace over a lap/segment.
They changed it because the instant pace was unreliable and inaccurate. Your present watch may show you a pace to the second, but it doesn’t mean much. Garmin tried to improve this on the 220 by giving users an approximation +/- 5 seconds.
I bought the FR220 through your web site (but didn’t notice the discount – doh!) and it arrived (in australia) within ten days – and that was ordering on 27 Dec. Fantastic.
The ipad / iphone app via bluetooth is FLAKY. This is a pity because it is a very convenient way of uploading records and quickly viewing them. The bluetooth upload to the ipad works for the first few sessions and then is useless. Any advice welcome.
There’s a thread on the Garmin Forums regarding the iPad Mini and some oddities there. Not sure if you have that or not, but may be worth looking into.
Hi, thanx for the review. I have a brief one; you did mention that the FR220 includes the ability to connect via Bluetooth Smart to a mobile phone to upload workouts immediately upon completion, as well as to provide streaming live tracking of your run to friends and that its possible to share out the link automatically via e-mail or social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. You said this requires an iPhone 4s or newer. Does it mean that this function only supports I phones (in other words, does it mean it cannot work with android powered smart phones??)
I’ve been enjoying my FR220 for a couple of months now. My question involves use of a footpod indoors on a treadmill. I did no calibration, just put the pod on my left shoe, turned off gps, allowed the watch to locate the footpod, and did an hour on the treadmill.
The distance reading from the footpod and on the treadmill itself were off by “only” about 5%, and my impression is that the footpod actually was the more accuarate of the two. I’ve been using the watch outdoors for about 100 miles and I have a feel for my normal pace. Does just using the watch with gps do anything to help with calibration?
Is it possible/likely that the footpod IS giving me a more accurate distance reading than my 11 year old mid-grade treadmill? I noticed the footpod was telling me my stride length is shorter on the treadmill than it is outdoors. Thoughts appreciated.
Right now, using the watch with GPS is producing ‘questionable’ calibration. Garmin says it is calibrating the tables for non-footpod, but not doing so well. It doesn’t appear to be calibrating the footpod tables – or if it is, it’s not surfacing that. Of course, it’s problematic because the footpod overrides the GPS outdoors, so nobody really wants to use it outdoors.
Yeah, treadmill accuracy is a really tough nut to crack. In general, if I get within 5% on a treadmill, I’m content.
I didn’t know what to expect, but I sense the footpod gave me reasonable accuracy on the treadmill. I’ll do a treadmill run again tomorrow and see if I get similar results.
I bought this watch today and I was told I can get a cadence sensor and use it for cycling, then I tead here that it does not work for cadence? Please clarify.
Also… How do I change from miles to km?
Thank you for all your help :)
There’s no way to get cycling cadence on the FR220 or FR620. You can get running cadence however, automatically, just by using the unit while running. But it doesn’t transfer over to cycling since you aren’t moving your arms while riding.
To change to kilometers, you can go into the settings and offhand (don’t have a unit in front of me), it should be System settings.
Being as it is dead of winter, I’m running more indoors than out. My 220 recognises my footpod, I turn off GPS and off I go. The treadmill readings are quite different from my watch/footpod readings sometimes 9-10% different. I believe the watch/footpod is closer to reality than the treadmill.
For those who have used the footpod:
Does it matter which shoe I place the footpod? I wear my watch on my left wrist.
Any tips or advice on treadmill and/or footpod useage appreciated.
Thanx Gingerneil, While updating to 2.50 i was notified that GC 2.01 was also being updated from 2.0.
I can’t see any change in menus or options after loading FW2.50 . I’ll try to go one of my regular logged loops tonight with and without footpod and GPS.
I dont think they have added any features etc – so dont expect the menus or options to change. Looks like its mainly bug fixes, prioritising GPS over footpod etc. Shame there is no banner config in this one – I am looking forward to that.
Nothing jumped out as different with FW2.50.
I did three 2400m laps of the lake. #1 with GPS and POD, #2 With GPS only, #3 POD only.
( i set calibration back to 1:00 for the runs).
Gps and pod looks to be ok now
.I’ll adjust the pod calibration and re run with pod only and then with no pod and no GPS to see how they compare. The graphs still show some differences.
I have a 405CX which needs replacing (battery issues!) and I’m looking at the FR220. I’m a once a week or so, run-for-fun kinda guy, who used to use the heart rate monitor, but nowadays I generally don’t bother. I do need the running watch functionality, and I do look at the time, pace etc on the computer afterwards.
Given the changes in the technology since the 405CX, should I stick with my classic HRM, and just buy the FR220 without the HRM, or a) does that mean I miss out on other stuff (I don’t think so, because I don’t think the 220 can utilise the 620, right? or will it in the future?) or b) there are other running watches without HRM which are better than the 220 without the HRM?
I used by 220 yesterday to so a 2x(6x800m) session. I’m not near a track, so chose a straight cycle path. I set up a customer workout on GC and transfered it to the watch. Can anyone help with a few questions?
1. I set the goal of each 800m interval as 6:22-6:22 pace (pretty exact, I know, but The Plan is master!). The watch beeped using ‘good’ and ‘bad’ tones when I was below or above this, but the frequency of the beeps seemed random. I wasnt really fluctuating around the target, but was generally consistently below it so the beeps weren’t happening when my pace went through the 6:22 mark. Does anyone know how the watch decided to beep ? The intervals were about 1:30 each and I got about 5 beeps per interval. I dont want a beep every 20 seconds on a 3200m interval!
2. Is the goal pace, and therefore the beeping, configured against average or instant pace ? I dont care too much about instant pace and focus on lap pace (although the two obviously converge as laps get shorted). I think the watch should treat the goal on the workout as the lap pace as this is logical to me – but can anyone confirm what it actually does ?
Hi Ray,
I’ve been using the 220 for a few weeks now and very pleased with it. However last 2 runs HRM has stopped reading once it has started getting to 165+. I’m baffled, have tried everything .
Thanks for your awesome and detailed review and your time to answer questions.
I purchased the Garmin 220 and a Foot Pod recently (via your link @ Clever Training) due to this review and took it for my first indoor treadmill run yesterday. The foot pod measured me running 0.25 miles more than the treadmill indicated, so I will need to calibrate the foot pod.
In your review, you initially indicated that when running outdoor with both GPS and foot pod turned on, the GPS will automatically calibrate the foot pod. However, with the firmware v2.20, you mentioned that if you have both the GPS and firmware turned on for outdoor run, the watch will pick up the pace/distance via foot pod and not GPS. Hence you should turn off foot pod when doing an outdoor run.
I’ve upgraded to firmware v2.50 and one of the fixes from this firmware is “Improvements to the interaction between foot pod and GPS.” I cannot find specifics of what this mean. Should I keep foot pod off for outdoor runs or should I keep the foot pod on so GPS automatically calibrates? I run indoor on treadmill for about 3 months out of the year due to weather, so I would rather use the foot pod for accuracy as opposed to the internal accelerometer.
With 2.50 you can run outdoors and it’ll use GPS over the footpod. But I’m not seeing it automatically configure the footpod calibration value (at least on my FR620, which got effectively the same update).
to Sam, I would ask “how do you know your treadmill is accurate and the watch is not?” I train like you do, indoors for the worst weather and outdoors whenever possible. And, like you, I need to figure out when to use the footpod and when not to ….. and how to set it up so that it is as accurate as possible.
My footpod readings are 10% different from my treadmill’s readings …. but I suspect my watch may be giving me more accurate readings than my treadmill.
Everybody – While we are on the topic of the footpod ……..
1. other than tunnels or areas of lost satellite reception, is there ANY need to use it outdoors?
2. for use indoors on treadmill runs, is it necessary to do any calibration first? I haven’t calibrated, but the readings I’m getting seem to be okay. The readings are 10% different from what the treadmill says, but I’m not sure which is off, the pod/watch … or the treadmill.
What would you do? What do you suggest? If you use the footpod outdoors, why do you? If you use it only indoors, did you calibrate? How should that be done. Thanks in advance for any opinions/advice.
I do not know that my treadmill is accurate. It’s all based on my own estimates.
I know that when I run outside using a GPS, my pace ranges from 7’20” – 7:40″ depending on the distance. For my first run using the 220 and foot pod, it was an “easy” run on the treadmill and I was clocked by the foot pod at 7’05” … at that pace, I should be gasping.
I don’t train competitively, so I don’t need the foot pod to be 99% accurate, but as long as it is reasonable to me, then I’m fine with it.
Hi Sam – I’ve had the opposite experience in that my outdoor runs seem to be at a faster pace (by about 30 seconds/mile) than my treadmill runs with footpod. Perhaps I should eliminate the 2.5% incline I run at indoors.
Does it matter which shoe we put the footpod on? Same foot as wrist, or opposite?
There’s no difference in which shoe it’s on, nor which direction it’s facing (technically, the arrow should face forward, but it doesn’t really matter). What does matter footpod wise is calibration and ensuring it stays in the same spot on your shoe.
For example, I did some tests recently with calibration and footpods where if I moved it up just one shoe-lace, it would swing my calibration value from 1.007 to 1.012 – quite a difference.
I’m very happy with my 220. Running both treadmill and outside. The accuracy on the treadmill is working very well I must say.
Now to the point, i’m thinking of using my watch to track my cross-country skiing. Will the calibration of indoor treadmill running data be messy combining two sports ?
No, mostly because I’ve that the end-resultant sucks either way. I’ve reset watches and used them strictly for running, and the calibration result sucked. And then I’ve tried others and mixed in some cycling in running mode (the only mode)…result on treadmill also sucked.
Everybody – While we are on the topic of the footpod ……..please help!
After running a 5k this morning and being seriously confused with the overall result – I’m now pretty sure that my Forerunner 220 is recording faster pace/longer distances. I have the footpod synced to the Garmin (I haven’t manually calibrated it as I wasn’t sure how to do this) So looking at my track workouts, 400m is reading 0.26, 1200m reading 0.79, 5k reading 3.33?
1. whilst running outdoors, will the footpod take over GPS?
2. Should I manually calibrate the footpod (how do I calibrate it?)
People, Read the FAQs for your device each wee yourself!
They are being added as Garmin resolve / work around support requests.
The foot pod works well now.
The Calibration FAQ is : link to support.garmin.com
Hi, I’m thinking of getting the 220, (never had a running watch before) reading your review is making me want it more! I read that you can set it to 10minute running:1minute walking, does this give you the vibration alerts?
Also with the heart rate monitor strap, where does this go? (Probably a silly Q!)
I’m trying to use the FR 220 as part running watch and part Fitbit. Specifically, I have been using the watch, with GPS activated, when I walk my dogs (My insurace pays me $2 a day for 20 minutes of activity and it’s an easy and fun way to track on non running days.)
However, since I’m walking and not running do you think this will throw off the accelerometer calibration?
Just a note: due to the Polar Vortex, I have been running exclusiviely on a treadmill. I’ve had the watch for 3 weeks and have not once had an outdoor GPS run (though I have walked the dogs a few times) The accelerometer is clocking me at 7 minute miles, 2 minutes faster than my usual pace. It will be interesting to see if this becomes more precise as I do more outdoor runs.
No, the accelerometer isn’t thrown off by walking, as it knows that’s a slower speed. My workouts include both walking and running – such as when I have 2-minute easy walks in between longer intervals.
Thanks for the confirmation about walking, Ray. How about faster uses, like tracking air travel or using the watch while downhill skiing? Will these activities affect the accelerometer pace table?
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So do I have to buy the heart rate monitor shown with the garmin220 or can I use other HRM provided by garmin ? Also do I need to get the foot pod ?
Thanks
No, you can use any other Garmin ANT+ HR strap (that’s all Garmin straps at this point).
You do not need to get the footpod, the unit will produce cadence data (fairly accurate), and do pace data on a treadmill (not as accurate).
I did a AIMS sanctioned half today with the 220 and foot pod. Even with 3 km of ducking and weaving the watch was 980 m short. Others watches beeped at the marking signs, my 220 slipped about 45m per km .
I have not done a long run without the pod but didn’t think it could pull the stats down that evenly each km.
The calibration is still 100.0. Does it auto calibrate as mentioned either in this or the 620 review ?
It should be auto-calibrating, but something seems off in both the 620 (2.30) and 220 (2.20). Garmin support is looking into it.
If it’s showing 100.0, then it didn’t auto-calibrate.
Thanks Rainmaker and Jeffp for your answers. I will look into the calibration issue. On my marathon. I ran in 3:32. No way I would have run 28.9 miles in that time!
I was using a footpod, and the GPS. I am so upset that I am thinking about returning my watch today. Oh well, Francisco
In short, in the meantime, just disable the footpod until they sort out the 2.20 (FR220) & 2.30 (FR620) firmware issues there.
I have the 2.2 firmware on my 220. Any idea when the new firmware is going to be released?
I have now disabled the footpod in the meantime to see if that was messing up the GPS reception.
Francisco
No idea. But I’ll poke this week as people will be back in the office.
Finally got my FR220. Love the watch. Just what I was looking for in a running watch. Only issue I am experiencing is syncing with my phone via Bluetooth. It connects to phone and app ok, but won’t upload run data to phone/app. I have tried everything including removing device and repairing it. I even tried hard reset of watch. It worked the very first time but won’t work now. I have to use USB cable :-( I emailed support. Waiting to hear back but this is hopefully a bug that will be fixed in next firmware release.
I have had this exact same problem. Have you found out anything?
This is one of my favorite, and one of the most useful of features of the watch so I really hope this problem is resolved.
DC, do you know about this and have some advice?
I wish I had some suggestions beyond what was posted above. When mine got all hung-up back a while ago I just reset things a bit and it was all happy again (removed pairing on both watch and phone and re-did).
Sorry posted this under wrong reply. Here it is again:
Here is Garmin’s response. They apparently are aware of it but don’t seem to have a solution yet. I tried this but have not gone for a run yet to see if it fixed it. Worth a shot.
Garmin: I will be glad to assist you. Since your automatic upload is not working, we will want to verify that you are running the latest software version on your Forerunner 220. To resolve this issue I strongly recommend updating your unit’s software.
To update your unit to the latest software, you need to use the Garmin WebUpdater program. You can install and run WebUpdater any time that you need to update your unit. WebUpdater lets you connect with our server, download, and install the latest updates for your GPS unit.
To view the installation instructions, please click the link below:
link to garmin.com
If it states that you already have the latest software, please reinstall this.
Mine is still not uploading to my phone after the firmware update and after disconnecting and re-pairing the phone/watch. I have sent an email to support as well. Is yours working yet? If so what did you do to fix it? Any further news DC?
Thanks.
Ray, any idea what’s in the FR220 2.30 firmware update? I’m always curious about additions. Right now, all I can think of is a quick way to jump back to the main screen when you’re in settings. Like click and hold of the back button. Not keeping my hopes up, though.
Strange, I’m not seeing 2.30 being offered yet on mine.
Sorry, I didn’t mean that it’s out. Just if you know what was coming.
Sorry all.
My 220 is few 2.20 not 2.30.
As Ken said we have not seen an update for the 220.
Here is Garmin’s response. They apparently are aware of it but don’t seem to have a solution yet. I tried this but have not gone for a run yet to see if it fixed it. Worth a shot.
Garmin: I will be glad to assist you. Since your automatic upload is not working, we will want to verify that you are running the latest software version on your Forerunner 220. To resolve this issue I strongly recommend updating your unit’s software.
To update your unit to the latest software, you need to use the Garmin WebUpdater program. You can install and run WebUpdater any time that you need to update your unit. WebUpdater lets you connect with our server, download, and install the latest updates for your GPS unit.
To view the installation instructions, please click the link below:
link to garmin.com
If it states that you already have the latest software, please reinstall this.
Hi Ray. Thanks for another awesome review. I just got my 220 last weekend and I’m loving it, but I have a couple of questions. First, how do I preload satellite locations over USB? Second, is there any way (or any plans to include in future firmware updates) to add in my fitness level, VO2 Max, etc?
Thanks
Here was a great post up above on how to pre-cache the satellite info, provided from Garmin Support:
/////
“At this time there is no indication from the watch or application that the data downloaded to the watch. To be specific here are the scenarios where the watch will be loaded with the satellite data:
– USB – connecting to the data cable which is plugged into your computer’s USB port and having Garmin Express Fit recognize the device should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update
– WiFi – Pressing the Connect button on the Forerunner 620 to check for files will facilitate a satellite data update
– BLE/Phone app – Connecting to the phone app should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update (We currently support the iPhone 4S and above at this time)
The above only occurs when the data is either not present on the watch or when the data on the watch is expired. Updating through your computer downloads 7 days worth of data and downloading via Bluetooth downloads 3 days worth of data.”
/////
There is no way to pre-cache the other metrics.
Hi, just purchased FR220 but not tested while running for the moment. It looks really great compared to the 410 I tested months ago !
I have a question about alarm clock, how to customize system to only be alerted by vibration an alarm clock ?
I tried to desactivate “Key Tones” (button presses) and “Alert Tones” (notifications), but the alarm clock continue to bip and vibrate…
I read in a Ray comments (FR620 review) that it’s maybe possible to only use vibration for alarm clock… I hope it’s still possible after firmware evolution !
Any idea ?
I would like to thanks Ray for the amazing reviews!
Hi Ray!
thanks for the review and replies to all these questions! Perhaps it would be good to pin some of them to the top of the page or let people vote for them so they move up. Few readers will read all 260+ comments and questions might repeat after a while.
My question: Is it true that it’s impossible to skip (or add) a repetition of a predefined work-out? For example, if I planned to do 8x1k, but I don’t feel well after 7 (or I simply don’t have time), the watch would insist (through alerts) on doing another rep even if I’m already doing the cooling down part?
Related, general question from somebody who has never used predefined work-outs: When doing the analysis on the computer, the interface still shows in one way or another what was planned (compared to what was actually done)? Or does it only show what you’ve done?
Thanks,
Dan
Great review, thanks! I think this is a small revolution versus old FR210. I think it’s remarkable the improved water resistance. It makes it quite more attractive.
And there’s something about design. I still find it somehow a bit Suunto-style. I like it anyway though!
Great review, I purchased my 220 last week and was able to use it for a half marathon. I have had the 210 for almost a year and the upgrades are great. A couple of my favorites are the rapid satellite fix and the Bluetooth connection (I have an iphone). The color, multiple screens, and the light also – which stays on longer than on the 210. A definite improvement is the sync cord. On my 210 it was very difficult to secure and keep the connection – the watchband is a lot more user friendly too. Overall I love the 220 – as a matter of fact when I found it in the store was ecstatic – I’ve only seen it backordered until January and I got the last one (they had already sold 8 that week).
Again, great review of the watch!
Finally, as far as tracking for the half marathon, I lov
Hi Ray,
I read the BT upload part on the FR620 review. Can you confirm that it works on the FR220 too? I saw some disturbing comments on the BT upload so just checking.
Thanks for all the great work (again)!!!
Regards, Don
It does work (for me). I just need to update/add the above section.
Thank you for that fast reply!
Really great review. Thnaks.
I am considering the FR220 or FR620 and have a couple of questions.
I currently use a FR205 and i like the fact that I can set it up to beep after every mile and also at a predefined time as well. Is this possible with both these watches?
Also, I would look to use this watch for running and when I go on holiday. Can you tell me if the watch can be used as an every day watch and that the time will be accurate whenever you move country?
Thanks in advance.
Robin
Yes, auto-lap is available on virtually all Garmin units, including the FR220/FR620.
Yes, you can use it as an everyday watch, no problems. To pickup new timezones, you’ll simply get satellite coverage briefly, which will update the watch time. And then you can switch GPS off again.
Any news with those fw update about support of ANT+ scale (like Tanita BC1000)?
Nothing new there.
Ray
I talked to Garmin this afternoon about my issue above on huge inaccurate measurement of my marathon and 5k times. Recall that I was also using a foot pod. They told me also to disable the footpod. Apparently, the watch takes the distance and speed from the footpod, instead of the GPS when the footpod is connected. This does not gel with the description in your review.
Just to let you know, and thanks for everything again,
Francisco
I’ve reached out previously to try and get clarification on the ordering (Footpod, GPS, Internal), I don’t have an answer from them there.
That said, they have noted that they are investigating the footpod overwriting issues in the latest firmware edition. As noted by other people here, I’d also recommend disabling the footpod while outdoors for now.
Is there any benefit to getting the HRM-Run over a regular HRM other than having inbuilt cadence (ie not having to buy a footpod) when paired with a 220?
Does the 220 support the HRM-Run in this way (Garmin website on refers to the HRM-Run in reference to the 620).
Thanks for the in depth review.
Zero benefit. The FR220 won’t leverage anything beyond HR in the HRM-Run.
Hi
So I placed my order for the FR 220 on the clever training site two days ago, I never got a conformation email and when to check my shipping status and it doesn’t recognize my email ? Any thoughts ? I will call just office is closed now
Thanks
Hi Mflagler-
I just sent you an e-mail to help out. Should be easy to sort out. If you didn’t receive the e-mail, let me know here or via the contact form.
Thanks!
Hi Ray,
D
Same thing for me. I have ordered the 220 on CT monday morning. Just had an email summing up the transaction, but nothing since. No débit, no email.
Can you help?
Hi Gaspard-
Just to circle back here. In your case, the unit showed as mid-December for a shipdate upon ordering. With ordering on Monday, you would have received your order confirmation (as you noted you did). The next e-mail you’ll recieve is a ship-notification (if it ships today), or, if not shipping today then you’ll receive the weekly FR220/FR620 update e-mail (which goes out on Friday).
Hope this helps!
-Ray
And, literally no sooner did I post that than did I got a heads up from the CT folks, that your unit shipped out last night (and you were sent a tracking number with that e-mail). Enjoy, and thanks for the support!!
Thank you for the review. I got a new FR220 2 weeks ago and up till now I’m quite happy.
Just a question on HR display: I’m not able to set the HR view in % of maxHR. I see HR on the top of the screen and ZONE in the bottom (which I find not very intuitive, and I would like to change into %MAX HR). Thanks! Andrea
I have had my 220 for a few days now and I’m disappointed in the GPS accuracy. I went for a few runs wearing both the 220 and my 305. The 305 tracks show me running on the street, very clean, exactly where I went. The 220 has me running over houses and doesn’t follow the street. The 220 has reported a consistently lower distance than the 305. All of these runs have been in a suburban area – no tall buildings and not a lot of trees, either.
Are you recommending we reset the watch in this case? How do you do a reset?
I’m pretty bummed. I was expecting the same accuracy of the 305.
I’d recommend two items (either or both) at this point:
1) Resetting the watch
2) Next time when it receives signal, try for fun waiting an extra 45-60 seconds after it says it’s ready. I’d be curious if that fixes it.
Thanks, Ray. I spoke with Garmin support on the phone and I did a hard reset – I’ll have to test it out on my AM run.
At his suggestion, I emailed Customer Support with the Garmin Connect files from 3 of my runs where I wore both devices. I just received a reply email, which left me a bit frustrated. It said – try doing a hard reset of the watch (which I already stated I’d done in my 3 sentence email). Then, it said that the accuracy looks fine, because it’s within the stated 45 feet range for consumer devices.
I agree that the 220 is probably performing within the stated accuracy for the device. If I’d been using Runkeeper all along, or had never owned a GPS watch, I’d be fine with it. But I’ve been using my 305 for over 3 years, and I just didn’t expect a step down in accuracy. Zooming in on the maps, it’s VERY clear that the 305 is more accurate. Regardless of the stated accuracy, I’m not okay with my new device being less accurate than a 6 year old model made by the same company.
I’m going to try your suggestion of waiting longer for the satellite lock. I always start my 305 in a window while I get my running clothes on, and I’ve been starting the 220 outside and waiting for the “go” signal. I’ll see if they match up better if they both get the window startup. If not, I’m sending back the 220. I’m just not willing to go backwards with GPS accuracy for a shiny new package.
Since the issue with the foot pod and GPS in the 220, I’ve been running with the 220 unpaired and my FR60 paired with the foot pod. I’ve been getting a 3% difference in distance and a 10% difference in pace. I’m at a loss as to why. The 220 always shows the slower pace. SPM and stride are all withing 1% of each other so is elapsed time. The pace differential has got me worried.
Hi All-
Just an update for those who’ve ordered from Clever Training (this is in addition to any updates you’ll receive on Friday). Plus, any shipping notifications. A massive number of units went out today. If you ordered a while ago, and don’t receive a shipping notification today (check your junk mail), you may want to double-check the order status online (or call).
FR620’s:
Blue/Black Non-Bundle: All orders are caught up, stock available for immediate shipment
Blue/Black HR Bundle: Almost all orders are caught up, with the rest expected to catch up with next week’s arrival
Orange/White Non-Bundle: Units in stock.
Orange/White Bundle: They fulfilled all back orders up to this weekend, and was in-stock for a while. It’s now out of stock, with no new units expected till later this month (things could change of course, and likely will).
FR220’s:
Red/Black Non-Bundle: Looking like mid-December for any new orders (existing orders sooner of course).
Red/Black Bundle: All caught up, a handful of units in stock for new orders
Purple/White Non-Bundle: Looking like mid-December for any new orders (existing orders sooner of course).
Purple/White Bundle: Looking like mid-December for any new orders (existing orders sooner of course).
Thanks for the support, I appreciate it! And again, if you have any troubles with orders, please don’t hesitate to use the Contact Me link at the top of the page and I’ll be happy to quickly get it sorted out.
Thanks!
-Ray
Thanks for all of the info, the review, and helping me to save 10% at clever training. I’m new to GPS watches, but I’m excited to make the FR220 my first.
Have you had any issues with the GPS being completely wrong? I’ve run a handful of times with the 220 and was loving it until today. I ran my usual mile loop and when I hit 3/4 of the way around, the watch beeped at me and said I had completed a mile in 8:30. Completely wrong and I don’t run that fast. I turned it off and back on, ditto GPS, it was saying my pace was 5:05. Restarted it completely and then it finally started acting a bit more normal but still seemed to think my pace was slightly faster than I would’ve expected.
Have you had that happen before? What’s that about and how do I prevent it/fix it? I’m worried about running with it now…
No. Some folks that have been having problems have been poking at the suggestion that waiting a few extra seconds before you start (perhaps 30-60s) increases GPS accuracy. Unfortunately, neither the FR220 nor FR620 have a GPS accuracy field like past watches, so it’s a bit hard to tell.
About 95 min is enough time for the accuracy of the first few minutes to be insignificant.
I am going to try to pair the same pod to the 220 and the 405 and see what the diff is.
I’ll also run the same track with and without the foot pod.
Remember that right now the footpod is overriding the GPS, so unless your footpod is calibrated on the FR220, that data will definitely be off.
Glad to see I’m not the only one with GPS issues. I’ve only done three runs so far with the FR220. Two were perfectly accurate. The third was WAY off, and it’s a run I do often. A perfect out and back. The map looks ridiculous. But that time it took less than a minute to tell me to start. Next time if it’s that quick I’ll wait a minute or so.
Yes, my map was ridiculous… I apparently can fly over walls and water. I feel like mine took a regular amount of time to start, maybe even a bit longer than usual.. but I did turn my watch on while I was still inside and I wonder if that makes a difference.
I appreciate that the Android app support is still awaited for BLE. However, has anyone had any success plugging the 220 in via USB and accessing the run data as a mass storage device ? I use apps like ‘stickmount’ to access USB drives – anyone tested this with the 220 ?
It’s identical to all other Garmin devices from a USB standpoint. Details on how others work here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Thanks Ray. Have you tested the 220 with sportablet / Garmin uploader in Android?
Thanks for the advice, Ray!
I did a hard reset on my 220 yesterday. Today, I let it locate satellites on a windowsill while I put on my running clothes. It went into standby mode before I was ready, so I had to have it acquire them again (I need to change the time limit setting).
The 220 performed markedly better today than in the past. Granted, it was only a 1 mile run (I am a little injured) but the map was noticeably better. The 305 gave me 1.09 miles and the 220 1.11 miles.
I’m pleased that the solution to better accuracy may just be giving the watch more time to acquire satellites. BUT, that negates the “faster satellite acquisition time!”
Eh… I’m on the fence about whether to keep the 220. I like that it’s so much lighter than the 305, but with the lack of back to start navigation and the fact that I can’t use the Bluetooth uploads (I have a 2 year old Droid phone), maybe I’m better off just keeping the 305…
Garmin support wasn’t too helpful with my email, by the way. I sent them maps from 3 runs with the 220 having an inaccurate map and the 305 looking great, and the reply was that it looked within the stated accuracy of the device.
I’ve got a 410 but even with a new battery I have concerns that it won’t last a marathon. This talk of gps accuracy is worrying, and the lack of a gps accuracy measure on the device is a bad omission. My 410 is ready to go when the accuracy hits 50ft – but then usually ticks down to about 10ft. The 220 sounds way off this.
Hopefully though, if the solution is to wait for a better gps fix, the accuracy at which the watch gives a ‘go’ will be a simple software update. I can’t see any changes in the physical design that could cause this (other than a different internal antenna?), and surely it’s a newer gps chip set.
Any idea how backed up CT is? I ordered a violet bundle on Tuesday and I’m expecting mid December but I’m secretly hoping sooner. Thank you for the review! This will be my first GPS watch and your review helped sway me!
I couldn’t find an answer to this anywhere, but my wife and I are casual runners who run twice a week and every now and then participate in a competition. We now use our iPhone for running, but we want to switch to a running watch for those days with bad weather. But can we share one watch? Is it just as simple as uploading the file to our own Garmin Connect accounts or is there a catch?
If it doesn’t work for the 220 (or 620), are there any watches that this will work with?
Essentially, yes, you’ll just upload the files straight to your own accounts. No fancy solution on these watches, or any other watches. The companies somewhat want you to buy second devices…
Hmmm, maybe everyone having satellite issues should contact Garmin support. The more they hear the more they might actually consider there being an issue and hopefully release an update for it.
My run last night, which though the FR220 is supposed to pre-populate after a USB connection, took long time to acquire satellites. The run data looks much better than from Tuesday, but still weird in places.
Does pace/speed data look OK? I’m very close to ordering, but still not sure. Sounds like spending longer acquiring a good satellite lock helps the gps accuracy.
Will it now cache those satellites and get a better lock more quickly next time?
Looking at the map on my run it shows me running on open water on the lake? The accuracy of the 220 stinks and better be fixed soon by Garmin if they don’t want me to send it back because I will
Same thing happened to me today. I’ve got a pond about a block behind my house. All my data spikes as if about a block into my run i ran to the center of the pond and then back to where i really was. It only lasted about a second and was the first time I saw anything like that. I’m sure they’ll lock it down.
Ray next time you are talking to Garmin can you ask them if there is much free code space in the 220. It’s no point us requesting return home or other functionality if the device is already full.
I got my self really lost on a hot run today.
The red or green around the screen indicating that you are recording is not prominent enough.
I think a fatter flashing or revolving ring could show you if you have good or poor GPS signal.
The ability to display only 1 or 2 fields on a screen is a welcome relief. Does anyone else find the current km indicator on the ‘previous
autolap ‘ a little small?
Has anyone confirmed if the watch accelerometer auto calibrate is working?
Rainmaker, I am trying to decide if I should buy the Garmin 210 or 220. 210 heart rate monitor is $150. 220 with HR monitor is $300. If you were to choose between the 2, which one would you go with factoring in the price. I need heart rate monitor with simple GPS watch. Thanks!
I’d say the core things to determine if they’re useful to you are:
1) Live Tracking (on FR220, not on FR210)
2) Custom workouts (on FR220, not on FR210)
3) Display customization (on FR220, not on FR210)
4) Uploading via phone (on FR220, not FR210, USB there)
If those things aren’t of value, then the FR210 is definitely a steal these days.
Cheers!
Some other key things for me moving from the FR210 to the FR220:
1. Pre-population of satellites
2. Built-in accelerometer (this is an assumption that it will pick up in areas with loss of GPS)
3. Longer GPS timeout option
4. No “Use Indoors?” popup when turning on GPS
5. MUCH better USB charger clip (FR210’s is awful)
6. Second key press to unlock clock screen (I would often find the FR210 searching for satellites because I probably inadvertently hit a button)
7. Better UI and display
8. Vibrate mode – way handier than I thought; I now use it instead of audio alerts
The FR220 for me is everything the FR210 should have been, coming from a FR205.
I would also say that the FR220 is waterproof whereas the 210 is not. Still, it’s a lot to pay extra for that.
I also need to decide between 210 and 220. Given what you have written I am leaning towards getting 210 for half the price of 220, however I am still worried about GPS accuracy and the accuracy of instant pace. Would you mind comparing these two features of 210 and 220? Many thanks!
I haven’t seen any recent (or really, any) complains about accuracy and/or instant-pace on the FR210.
As for the FR220, I personlly didn’t have any GPS accuracy or instant-pace issues. From what I can see, a small number of people have had issues with GPS accuracy (but not instant-pace) with the FR220. Garmin states they are working on a fix there.
FWIW, I just returned my 210 after a month’s worth of runs because the current pace was all over the place. I track my runs using Nike+ and have since its inception and wanted the watch to strictly show me my current pace without having to pull out my phone. Rarely did I find the current pace to be accurate with the 210. When I had to stop for traffic it could take up to .25 mile to recover to the current pace, only to fluctuate wildly. I just picked up the 220, and running the same exact route, the pace was right on. It didn’t fluctuate like the 210 at all. The satellite loading has been incredibly fast on the 220. Overall I find the 220 to be a huge upgrade over the 210.
Great review! Helped me make my decision to purchase the 220 for my wife as a Christmas gift. I tried to use the discount code DCRIOTXS through the link and it tells me the code is invalid. Keep up the awesome work and in depth detailed reviews.
It’s a 1 not and L….
Indeed, and a zero, like 10, the number ten. :)
DCR10TXS
I helped Leroy out via e-mail and he’s good to go. Thanks for the support all!
I´m running with a FR 220, which is supposed to have the same chipset as the FR 620.
as I´m still taking my mobile with me, I compared the last few runs with my 220.
Left is the FR220, right is the Nokia Lumia 920 (Windows Phone 8 with the runtastic app, in a waist pouch), then the difference between the two.
All in kilometers
[FONT=Courier New]
7,03 to 7,01 = 0,02
10,07 to 10,02 = 0,05
5,17 to 5,16 = 0,01
5,15 to 5,11 = 0,04
6,63 to 6,67 = -0,04
10,22 to 10,02 = 0,2
9,89 to 10,04 = -0,15[/FONT]
I´m ok with those differences.
GPS tracks look pretty similar on the map, too. The longer runs are near a river or a lake, no high city buildings or wooded area – should be pretty easy terrain for aquiring a GPS signal.
the 9,89/10,04 are from yesterday´s “official run”, on a 5.023 IAAF Jonescounter roundcourse.
runtastic was almost spot on with the marked km signs (app talked to me via headphones), my Garmin vibrated a bit off, but still – it´s 150m difference on a 10km course = 1,5%
Herald’s experience of his new FR220 measuring short on an officail 10k course when his phone app measured him exactly confirms that there are ACCURACY issues. Add this to other mapping and accuracy issues from previous posts and I think I’ll steer clear of this device ….. at least until Garmin addresses the issue. I hope buyers of this who have accuracy issues will report them to Garmin.
DCR – I know it gets a mention in your reviews, I’d love to see a review where accuracy of distance recorded was the main topic. Thanks for doing what you do, this is a great site for information.
link to dcrainmaker.com
link to dcrainmaker.com
You can see from this that the variations between Harald’s phone and 220 are in line with what you would expect.
GPS is never perfect!
Harald’s case is one where the GPS of both units performed within bounds of GPS specifications for any consumer level unit, he noted that at 1.5%.
Noting the links the previous posted posted, I’d actually question the accuracy of the course. It’s virtually for GPS impossible to under-measure a course unless it’s cutting corners. Thus, when I see distances exactly equal or below, that implies (even a certified course), may not be perfect.
As for accuracy testing, I’ll be doing more in time, but keep in mind my reviews include numerous examples of accuracy tests from my units. If your having problems with accuracy (1.5% is normal), then I’d really encourage folks to open a ticket with Garmin support. Most folks aren’t seeing issues, some are though. Garmin doesn’t monitor these threads and can’t track down issues here and get fixes out for folks that are having issues. A support ticket does drive that.
The exact problem I’m having with the accuracy of my 220 is that it DOES cut corners. It consistently measures shorter than my 305, and the satellite maps indicate that the 305 is more accurate as far as where I was.
I haven’t done as much comparing as I’d like because I sprained my ankle last week, but I’ve had a 3 miler where the distance variance between the 2 was 3.33%. Again, looking at the maps, the 305 was more accurate.
I emailed my files to Garmin Support, and was basically told that the 220 is performing as expected and that was the end of that conversation. I asked if there are plans to include a satellite accuracy page for the 220 and 620, but got no answer.
I now let the 220 have more time to acquire satellites, but again due to that ankle sprain I’m only running very short distances and haven’t been able to do what I want to – which is run a longer course with many turns, after giving the 220 extra time at the beginning. I’m hopeful that will fix the problem, but if not, the distance should be way off because of that cutting corners phenomenon.
And I am not running in areas with dense tree cover or tall buildings.
One item to keep in mind is that the FR305 included the 1-second recording option, whereas the FR220 only includes Smart Recording.
Why Garmin has made that decision is beyond me, since it’s silly to not include the extra data. Even more so because it’s probably causing your corner cutoff issues (since smart recording only records every 4-7s).
I thought of that but the 305 is set to smart recording also. :(
Way late to this discussion, but if 1-second recording reduces battery life, maybe they’re tired of dealing with the perception that battery life isn’t up to spec. Since the unit’s not targeted to cycling, and there’s no support for power meters, the perception might be there’s no need for 1-second sampling (although it’s useful for Strava, which last I checked didn’t interpolate for segment times).
Hello
I got my FR 220 on Friday and take it for two rides.
For the first i took my EDE305 (old one but still fully functionnal) and compared the two trace.
I got 11.65 Km with the Forerunner and 11.75 Km with the edge, less than 1% difference while running in woods. For me it’s really correct. (I never see two GPS giving exactly the same output even with two Edge 305 making the same ride, always same differences).
I have an question about the Android issue. I’m curently looking to buy a new Smartphone and really interessed by the Galaxy S4 Active for the IP67 certification, but it’s running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2.
What i saw on different forum makes me think that it will not be compatible, not even the Sony XPeria Z1 wich also cost a bunch of euros. Can you tell me if i’m right?
Thanks in advance (and excuse my poor English, i’m a french speaker doing my best)
hi Rainmaker,
i didn’t understand very well the the ability to pre-cache satellite locations….
i want to use the fr 210 for triathlon and for the bike leg i use another garmin device but want to put the 210 in my transition bag and use it on the run..
i understand that if i turn on it before the swim, than it goes in stand by after 5 minutes, (than didn’t know if the gps stay on or off for battery lifetime).. than when i come in t2 i press the button unlock, i think, and it is ok with gps working or have to wait to cach the satellite? so didn’t know how to do, turn it off for battery time or turn it on before the swim and let it go in stand by for quicker find the satellite before the run..
thanks for the help..
matteo
GPS satellite cache means that it quickly gets satellite reception. Take for example last night, I walked out of my hotel and turned on the watch as I hit the hotel door turnstyles. By time I walked 10 more seconds it had satellite signal, ready to go.
You can ‘help’ the unit a little bit more by having turned on the unit in that location previously. So your plan of turning it on pre-swim works well.
thanks a lot….
one more question: in standby the gps is working?
it is better if i turn on and after a few minutes turn it off (for battery life) or i can leave the 210 in t2 bag on and let it goes in standby for quicker satellite aquisition ones i come back in transition?
sorry..
i mean the 220…. not the 210
In standby the GPS is turned off.
Can you help me chose between the FR220 and the RC3 GPS (both with HRM)?
After reading the reviews, I believe that the Polar is better managing the HRM data, right? But does the Garmin much worst?
Thanks!
I think that at this point the Polar RC3 while a great product, is no longer a realistic competitor to the FR220 (it was to the FR210). Check out the comparison chart for all the details as to why, but much of it comes down to full customization, ability to build out complete workouts, ability to upload via phone, amongst others.
I do interval run walking and have trouble hearing alerts. I can not hear the alert on the Garmin Forerunner 10 but I can hear my husband’s FR210 alert. Is the volume the same on the FR220?
It’s pretty similar to the FR10. The one exception though is that the FR220 includes vibration alerts.
Vibration is one of the key selling points for me. I did intervals today with my 410 but had to go without music as I couldn’t here the beeps.
Hi , Great review of this product. Thank you. Question. Will this FR220 take a portable USB charger and if so, will it still record the dstance while charging during a run? My current FR210 does not record distance/time etc., while using a portable USB charger on the run.
@Sundar
I don’t think you can charge and log.
As soon as the USB ( power only) is powered the watch shows only the charge status.
I have not powered it while logging bit that’s an easy test I’ll try for you later today.
Hi Jeffp,
Thank you for your help.
Sundar
I am undecided between these. I do really want a watch that will allow my husband to track my runs remotely but my phone is a blackberry so presume this functionality will not work with either model? Also I would like virtual pacer although it sounds like if I set up a workout online I can upload the data to the watch and it will tell me if I’m on target? Are there any other watches that offer the live tracking with a blackberry device?
Correct, it won’t connect to a Blackberry, only iPhone (and iPad) today, as well as Android in Q1 2014.
Correct on Virtual Pacer, or on workouts with pace targets, and you could download that ahead of time via USB.
There’s no devices on the market today that integrate with the Blackberry.
Hi Ray.
Is that Q1 14 as in April, or January? (calendar vs fiscal year). I assume BLE support on Android is aligned to this for getting data off onto Android.
Calendar, so anytime between January and March 31st.
Great review. I bought one the other day from clever training. Do you know if you can download a workout you create on the garmin connect site, kick it off from the watch but use the run/walk ratio you set up on the watch? When I created a workout and downloaded to the watch and started it, the run/walk intervals set on the watch, didn’t work.
Thanks.
Scott
I haven’t tried doing both, but it makes sense, because those two are basically conflicting each other a bit (from an alerting standpoint).
Hi,
How to use the pace alert as an effective vitual partner ?
Thanks
Ronnie
The best way is to set a high and low threshold. I’d suggest setting them about 20-30″ apart. So if you’re target was 7:15/mile, then set them at 7:00/mile and 7:30/mile.
Then, I’d also setup one of the data pages to show lap pace and another to show average pace (run).
Hi,
If this was asked already, I’m sorry. I tried to read all the comments but WOW. Anyway, thank you for the amazing reviews. You really do an incredible job. I currently have the 410 although it no longer charges so I am looking at the 220/620. I will likely get the 220 but wanted to know if it has the ability to have folks live follow like the 620. I didn’t see it in the review but wanted to check. Thanks again for your help.
Yup, the FR220 supports live tracking just like the FR620. Enjoy!
Ray, do you know how the FR220’s GPS sensor deals with the following situations?
1. I pop it onto the USB cradle to sync and charge. When I take it off, it starts looking for satellites. I have been manually turning GPS off. Do I need to? If I leave it alone or hit the Back button to go back to the time of day, will it turn off GPS automatically? I have it set for the 25-minute GPS timeout.
2. If I’m outside and am done with a run and go all the way back to time of day, will the GPS automatically turn itself off, much sooner than my set 25-minute timeout?
Thanks again!
-Ken
GPS is turned of as soon as Watch Mode is active
so yes to both questions.
Thanks, Harald.
I’m still concerned that Harald and Maureen seem to get more accurate readings from a smart-phone and from a 5 year old watch. I’d like to try one of these FR220s. It seems to have the best set of features and functions for my uses, but I could not enjoy owning one if I didn’t feel comfortable/confident with it’s accuracy.
Any other comments or experinces or testing that people have done would be very interesting to me. Please share. Thanks!
Great web and awesome review.
Do you know if they plan to put a altimeter as an option like other watches, I have a FR220 and sometimes I use it for trail. I miss that option and it will be very usefull. I don’t want to wait till I connect my fr to the computer
Many thanks in advance.
Not in the FR220. We tend to see it on higher end Garmin watches, like the FR910XT, Fenix, and Tactix.
I received my 220 last week and have been running with both it and my 310xt. One frustrating thing that you mentioned in the review is that the pace alerts seem very sensitive. While I can have a one minute window on my 310 and rarely trip the alarm, the 220 was alarming all the time, even with a wider window that I set up after my first frustrating run. In fact, it was telling me I was running nearly 2 min/mi slower than my pace was showing on either watch. I certainly wasn’t slowing this much. Have you heard of any solution to this? I checked the 220 forum and didn’t see anything.
Have you updated to the latest firmware version? I saw things get a lot better on the FR620 there with the latest firmware update, and at the same time the FR220 got one as well (second week of November).
I did not check for the firmware update. Also, I saw on the forum about autoscroll causing issues with GPS signal and pace. Is it related to my issue?
I have not seen that issue, and would honestly be pretty surprised that there’s any correlation between screen display and GPS signal/pace.
Your issue is really more with alerts being overly sensitive, which I saw on earlier firmware updates.
I just checked and I have 2.20 which apparently is the latest version for the 220.
Hi Don,
Were you able to solve your problem with alerts ? I have the same issue : I have started a 5k training plan, and follow pre-determined workouts. During these workouts, I am constantly reminded through alerts that my pace or HRM targets are either too high or too low, despite the fact that in the settings, all the alerts are off!!! This is kind of annoying.
Thanks for your help.
Emmanuel
I didn’t see it mentioned in the accessories list. But does anyone know if there is/will be a fabric wrist strap option for the 220 model?
+1 for this too – I’ve always gone for the soft straps on my Garmins – far more comfortable and adjustable. Hoping one will be available for the 220.
Unless you need something specifically Garmin-branded, since the FR220 seems to use standard-looking wrist straps, I don’t see why you couldn’t just use some sort of NATO-style Velcro strap. Should be quite cheap, too.
Looking at the pictures on the review, it look like the pins are held in with some sort of torx screw.
Ray – would you mind taking a closer look please, and comment on the ability to use a generic wrist strap ?
No, the FR220 uses two screws on either side to screw into the band. It’s not a pin pop-out design.
The reason for this is that past Garmin watches had such a design (FR310XT), and the unit’s would pop-out in some cases during the swim on a triathlon. This resolves that design issue.
I just wanted to comment on Clever Training. My unit shipped on the 10th (from florida) and arrived (in Washington state) today. Free 2 day priority shipping? Awesome!!
Have had the watch a couple weeks now and like it apart from
1. Garmin connect on my iphone 4s does not pull up the data from the watch as promised. I can see on both the phone and the watch that they are ‘connected’ but when I look at the activities nothing is updating. I don’t think this is my fault as I see a lot of others are having this difficulty. Any advice other than awaiting a bug fix from Garmin?
2. Wish the data screens were a bit more customizable like my Edge 500. With my eyesight would like to have one data screen that I could have entirely for elapsed time. If I am in a race needing to know my elapsed time it would be easier to read. I don’t need the screen showing the time of day when I am racing so would would trade that.
Have your tried re-pairing you phone and watch? Many people seem have had luck with this, although for me sometimes the runs sync via the phone and sometimes they don’t. I have not bothered to figured out why. Also, I “re-booted” the watch (hold the light switch till the watch turns off) and that also seemed to help.
Here is the link to the discussion on the Garmin Forum – link to forums.garmin.com
Good luck.
Turn off the other two fields and you can have just the elapsed time.
Yup, exactly. You can change each of the two data pages from 1-3 data fields. Going with one data field makes it much larger. Additionally, the time screen can be turned on/off as well, so you don’t have to see it in training/racing.
Hi,
Please advise how to change the default items in the data pages. Whether it can be done in the watch, via PC or both?
Thanks
Ronnie
@Ronnie,
Unlock the watch.
Down arrow to settings.
Activity screens.
Screen 1 or 2…
From there choose the top, middle or bottom field data or select OFF.
Hi All-
Just as a (probably final) heads up on availability of the FR220/FR620 from Clever Training:
All FR220’s are in stock except for the Red/Black base (non-bundle)
All FR620’s are in stock except for the Orange/White HRM-Run bundle
As usual, first in, first out for orders. But if ordering one of the above non-in-stock units, they expect to have everyone caught up and delivered in time for Christmas.
Thanks for the support all!
Garmin 220 Issues:
I’ve only used it about 5x, three times on the treadmill… Sometimes, when I disconnect the watch from the charger or take it out of my bag, the image on the face of the watch is scrambled, and I can’t read anything because it’s so jumbled and looks frozen. After pressing the buttons a few times, it goes away… Is this normal?
I also noticed the mileage is way off when using on the treadmill. I ran about 5.5 mi on the Woodway treadmill today. The Garmin 220 barely broke 5 miles. On Tuesday, I ran about 4.4 mi on the LifeFitness treadmill, and the Garmin 220 was just over 4 miles. Is there a special setting on the watch for treadmill use? The pace was at least 15-45 seconds per mile off from what the treadmills read.
Thanks for the help!
Tommy, how many km had you done with GPS on before you used the mill ?
I did 45+ in 3 runs.
The scrabbled isn’t normal. Odd.
As for the mileage, as I noted in the review (Treadmill Section), I’m not seeing terribly accurate paces there. The treadmill mode is simply turning off GPS.
Great review. I am reading through this and really enjoy your in-depth view on the FR220 & FR620. Much more in-depth than I would have ever imagined. I have run with the 210 in the past and like you mention was not the biggest fan of the touch bezel. In all the watches you compared what would fit me needs best? What I really like from a gps which most runners look at is accurate distance, accurate current pace that doesn’t jump a minute in pace from second to second and overall time to be displayed. Since I run a lot in hilly areas and parks what GPS watch would you recommend of all you haves tested? I think an added bonus of this watch is being able to pre-program a workout. I run roughly 60-80 mpw. I am thinking about the 220 but wanted your opinion.
Thanks.
Extract of my exchange with Garmin support about the data fields shown after completing a lap. what do you think about this?
Hello I made suite to your answer below. I think it’s more a support problem because I can’t use the FR220 in training mode. For me in training mode the FR220 is equivalent to a simple watch (chronometer and countdown)… I hope you could improve this feature which seems to me easy to do (even the FR110 gives more informations on the end lap screen). Thank you in advance. Regards
Dear Gabriel, 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
Hello, I bought the Garmin Forerunner 220 last week and I’m pretty happy with it. It’s a really good product and the improvements in comparison to the previous models are really appreciables. The only thing which disturb me is about the shown screen when we take a lap manually. In fact we see only the time of the lap and not the distance (neither the pace but for me it’s less important). To know it I must to look at the screen just before to take the lap it’s not practical although feasible. But the real problem is the same during a training. If we plan a time interval when the FR220 bip the end of the interval we don’t know the distance traveled during the time of the interval… It’s a real problem to adjust our pace for the next interval or to know if we are too fast or too slow… Do you think it’s possible to improve this in a future update of the firmware What would be perfect would be to be able to choose the data fields which we want to see when a lap is taken and/or just after an interval in training mode. Thank you very much for your help. Best regards
It was originally discussed to be able to customize the lap banner screen. I don’t know where that is.
Note though that you can indeed show the lap time/pace/distance on any configured screen, which tends to be what I do – I just use that as my primary screen. I have a separate screen for total time/distance/etc… Which basically means that up until the exact second you trigger the next lap, you can always see how your trending on that lap.
Thank’s for your reply.
When you said “it was originally discussed”, you mean with Garmin?
Your soluion is feasible but it’s not always easy to look at the watch during an interval (even if it’s just before the end).
Yes. If you look back at my original September preview of the FR220/FR620, I discussed it a bit, including I think one photo in there of the menu for it in an early beta release. I’ll be meeting with the folks in person at CES in a couple weeks and will probably get a better idea of where some of the potential adds stand.
Anybody else having trouble opening a support ticket? The support page logs me in as a random user (different with every attempt) and then gives me a 500 error message when I try to select my problem. Very strange.
I have the same problem with Firefox so I use internet explorer.
Nobody would like to have the average speed as data field? For hiking or bike use?
I think it’s not normal to don’t have access to this information. I have the impression that Garmin limits the data fields of the Garmin 220 so as to the customers buy the Garmin 620.
For me, it’s not correct to limit the data fields that the watch could show.
I agree to not give informations linked to an hardware option, like “ground contact time”, “average vertical oscillation”, etc…
But for the average speed, it’s just a conversion of the pace.
I can’t buy the 620 and I don’t need all its options but I consider that I have the right to have access to information that the 220 is able to measure.
I hope Garmin will improve this in the next update of the firmware.
I agree with you. This seems basic information to me. I orderd the 220 which should arrive next week, but i am still thinking about upgrading to the 620 Because of that. I really don’t need all that special stuff but average speed i use a lot. To be honest i was shocked that it isn’t!
What do you think Ray? Will garmin fix this?
I’d suspect that since it’s a running watch, that’s why it’s not there. As for limiting the data fields on the FR220, yes, absolutely, that’s their goal of getting you to buy the FR620. I mean, just pointing out the obvious on how business works.
That said, I’d suspect that in the case of Average Speed, you could probably make a pretty solid case for inclusion, and I could see them adding that. I’d encourage you to file a support ticket for it (serious).
Always the same answer from Garmin:
Dear Laurent,
Thank you for contacting Garmin International.
Thank you for your feedback regarding the Forerunner 220. Any ideas that could improve Garmin’s device are appreciated and should be submitted at link to Garmin.com.
Thank you for choosing Garmin.
With Best Regards,
Matthew
Customer Care – Fitness Team
Garmin International
913-397-8200
800-800-1020
913-440-8280 (fax) Att: Matthew 5944
http://www.garmin.com
Additional solutions may be found at link to garmin.com
Hello,
I would like to buy the Garmin 220 but I have a question. It seems that it’s not possible to show “average speed” as data fields? I can’t buy the 620 (too expensive) and I don’t need all its options but I consider that I have the right to have access to information that the 220 is able to measure.
I have the impression that you limit the data fields of the Garmin 220 so as to customers buy the Garmin 620. For me it’s not correct to limit the data fields that the watch could show.
I agree to not give informations linked to an hardware option like “ground contact time” “average vertical oscillation” “altitude” etc… But for the average speed it’s just a conversion of the pace. I’m in the habit to reason in speed when I’m running. I hope you will add this in the next update of the firmware.
For me it’s really a blocking point to buy this watch and a reason to turn to the rivalry even if I love your product for many reasons.
Laurent
Probably just me being a noob with garmin system but I bought the 220 on friday. Went for my first run on Saturday morning.
Uploaded by data today (sunday) to Garmin Connect but everything is in miles, wish i could change it to km.
Also there’s no map displayed with my run? Not sure why. Any insight would be helpful.
link to connect.garmin.com
For missing the map, any chance you accidentally disabled the GPS upon starting (went into indoor mode)? That’s what it looks like, though, it’s sorta hard to do accidentally on the FR220 (compared to the FR210/610).
As for KM, you’ll just set it in settings on the watch, and on Garmin Connect within settings up in the upper right corner.
the satelllite icon was blinking during the run.
does that mean anything?
Sounds like to started your run before the FR220 acquired its satellites and it never finished, probably because you were moving. Did you wait until it said it was ready and went to the timing screen?
I’d agree. You definitely need to wait for satellite coverage before starting a run. One of these days I’ll write up a post showing the impact of not waiting on a variety of watches from different companies (Spoler Alert: It’s really bad).
Damn. Thanks for ruining the ending, Ray. :)
Well i’m back home with real internet access,
I logged a support/fault with Garmin from within my Garmin Connect account on the 8th.
I got a summary email the same day but it did not include a job/ticket number.
I have called Garmin support just now and been told by a Fillipino call centre person ‘Joshua <:-) that they have no way of seeing or dealing with GC support jobs.
Can anyone tell me how to keep the pressure on Garmin for the support email i sent from within GC ?
That sounds sucky. In general, my advice is always to call if possible, as opposed to e-mail. I know it can be a pain, but I also know that for most companies (Garmin included) they treat phone calls with higher priority than e-mails.
Thankx Ray , thats the exact opposite to what we do here in OZ. write/email first as you have proof. Phone last and if you do get a log number for the call.
When you are next talking with Garmin can you clear up the firmware version for the 220. Above You keep mentioning Ver 2.30 but we can only see the shipped 2.20.
Sorry, firmware 2.30 is the eqiuv version on the FR620. Keeps throwing me for a loop that the FR220 went from 2.10 to 2.20 while the FR620 went from 2.20 to 2.30. Sigh…
Hi,
thanks for the super-detailed review! Really detailed, with great pics!
Bookmarked your site!
Can anyone tell me something about the GPS reception in a forest? I know trees don’t have much influence on my car/bike GPS, but just to be sure.
I ask this because I’m considering the FR220 as my first GPS runing watch, I often go running in the forest.
Thanks in advance.
In my testing in the forest I didn’t have any problems. However, it will really depend on the tree types and heights to be honest. In my case, mine were more ‘normal’ trees. However, if you were out in the Redwood forest, or mountains with heavy trees as well as heavy dramatic terrain shifts, then it’s tougher.
If you’re more in city parks with tree cover, it’s easier. It’s pretty much true of most GPS units today.
I think as some people suggested, the gps in the watch has some problems.
I ran 10km yesterday in a official race and it clocked 9.78km. It’s not much but in an official race it should never be less.
Endomondo on smartphone clocked 9.99km, spot on.
Hi Gustavo-
Have you looked at the GPS tracks to see if the FR220 cut any corners? Or conversely, if Endomondo had any non-perfect lines? (Satellite view)
In Garmin Connect the 220 put me on top of buildings often and yes i believe some corners look cutted. All the course was city with tall buildings everywhere and a big tunnel towards the end. Yet endomondo was spot on and friends sports tracker (nokia) gave it more than 10km.
After having great concerns over the accuracy (and price) of this watch, I pretty much decided to keep using my 410 and wait to see if the bugs could be worked out on the 220 and the price might come down in the coming months.
Saturday saw a new FR220 w/HRM on eBay with a best offer option, so I sent the guy a lowball offer. To my surprise, it was accepted. The watch arrived today, set up was easy. Despite being icy out and nearing dark, I couldn’t resist and went out for a quick 5k. The watch performed great, accuracy seems very good, GC map looks fine. I’m happy!
So, as I’ve posted here 3 or 4 times … I was anxious about the accuracy of the 220. But I got a great deal so I bought one. Coming from the 410, I really like the user interface of the 220 and it’s a more comfortable watch to wear also.
Today, I wore the 220 on my left wrist and the 410 on my right wrist and went out for a run. As I was running, I saw no discrepancy in the readings so a couple of miles in I switched the 410 to Virtual Partner, and toggled back and forth on the 220 between my heartrate screen and the main screen (time, distance, pace). I DO ENJOY the Virtual Partner, so I will miss that if I go to the 220 full time …. but the 220 is easier to use, lighter in weight, and the vibrate alerts are really nice to have.
My great concerns were about accuracy so I’m happy to report that after this run, my 410 read 6.27 miles and the 220 read 6.23 miles …. so that’s a good sign. For now I think I’ll keep both and keep tinkering ….. but at some point I’m going to have to refocus ON MY RUNNING as opposed to my new toy.
Hi,
I have a son in 7th grade (12 years old) that runs cross country and track. He absolutely loves it and runs all of the time. His coach has encouraged the purchase of a GPS watch. I have looked around and am looking at the FR10, FR210, and the FR220. I am completely clueless as to what features would be useful/necessary at his age/level of training. He runs about 30-40 miles/week (all outside). His coach does not feel that the heart rate monitor is necessary at this point. Can you shed some light as to which might be a good choice? I am wondering if the additional cost of the FR220 would really be necessary at this stage in the game. I would assume that as he gets older and has more experience he will likely want a newer model thus will likely be purchasing a new watch several years from now. Would appreciate any info/advice you can provide.
Thanks!
In my opinion if there’s no interest in HR (or indoor treadmill use), then your best bet is really the FR10. You’ll save the cash, he’ll get a small watch that uploads well to lots of sites.
Thanks so much for your response (& time)! He trains with his team outside but there are occasions when he will run on the treadmill (traveling & bad weather, etc.). Is there a model that would work well to include use on the treadmill but not the top of the line?
Thanks again!
In that case, check out the FR210. It’s been onsale lately for roughly $150-$170US the past few weeks, though some of those were black Friday deals. You can hook it up to a footpod down the line if you need to for indoor running.
I agree with the FR210 suggestion. Nice device at a nice price these days
Rainmaker, I just wanted to say thanks for the great in-depth reviews and solid information… I am not a dedicated runner, just trying to stay fit and in the game at 60+ … first to admit that some of what I read in the reviews and comments goes over my head. But I did ask Santa for and received the 220 for Christmas, based 90% on your review and 10% on the Amazon reviews. Still working thru setting it up, will take it out for a run this weekend. Again, thanks for the time and dedication you put into what you do, following on Facebook as well.
Hi Rainmaker,
great work- keep it up.
One point I want to share: I got my 220 about three weeks ago – 10 minutes into my first swim, it was gone. Got a new one the next day (thanks to my Austrian Dealer!) but right now I don’t feel good taking it into water. Probably just a bad one, but anyway… Otherwise its doing a fine job, as expected.
One question: If I use it on the dreadmill or indoorbike, I have problems getting the HR transmission intervall on a regular basis. Sometimes it’s 5-7 seconds (which I actually want), sometimes up to 40 seconds (not good at all). Have switched on/off GPS also indoors (seems to help, but not on a consistent basis). Any thoughts on that?
Chris
Looks like “smart” recording is a misnomer for me too. I have had the 220 out for multiple “spins” on non trail routes in Rock Creek Park (Washington DC) that have been previously “measured” by foot pods (Polar 625 SX and Suunto 6c), GPS (Garmin 305, Timex Run Trainer 1.0- set to 1 second recording) over the past 8 years.
And the results are… 220 is within 1.0-2.5% short of all the other watches and that includes waiting for 1 minute after the GPS turns green before hitting the start button.
Rest of watch is fine although I agree with an earlier comment about needing to clean the face of the watch too frequently.
Happy overall and can adjust my times etc. in my head if I want something more than 98% accurate.
Maybe someday Polar (may first love in sports watches) will come out with something new in 2014… given the RC3 is now “stale” something fresh should pop up soon.
Responce from Garmin:
To calibrate the foot pod:
1.Press and hold page/menu to access Menu
2.Select Foot Pod
3.Select Calibrate by pressing down
4.Enter in calibration factor
5.Select OK
Calibration Factor:
This is a way of adjusting the distance reading. The calibrate factor formula is: Actual Distance ÷ Distance Displayed on Watch x Current Calibration Factor
To illustrate, the Forerunner displays a 4 mile run when only 3 were traveled, and the calibration factor is 95. The calibration factor will be 71.25 (3 ÷ 4 x 95).
..continued..
My run was 4500m. The watch showed 4330m. thats a CF of .9873.
BUT i already had a CF in the watch of 104.7.
So i think i’m correct to multiply the 104.7 x .9873 to get a new CF of 103.37.
being only able to enter a whole 100th. i have entered a CF of 103.4.
I’ll let you know how it goes. then run the same track with the 220 with and with out GPS.
Something is not right.. The same run with the new CF gave EXACTLY the same total distance 4330.
I’ll have to put in a way off CF and see what it comes up with.
The final pace shown on the activity matches the runtime and distance ( 4:30) but the Current pace was still WAY out at 4:50s.
The 405 looks to have acted as expected showing 4:20 to 4:30 per km over its reported 4500m.
Can anyone share experiences with battery life? My 410 is very unreliable and goes from 50% to dead in 5 minutes – although I get 4 hours if I let it from from fully charged. This is about half of the ‘up to 8 hours’. I’m looking at the 220 – does anyone get anywhere near the 10 hours advertised?
I need to replace my Polar and the 220 is catching my eye. I’ve just started running and plan to continue but 80% of my runs would be on a treadmill for the time being. I also do indoor cycling and various gym classes. I am most interested in heart rate, zones, calories burned. The gps is just a bonus. Is this “too much” of a watch for me? If it is, what do you recommend?
Likely, if you’re primarily indoor, then honestly pickup the FR210 these days at about $75-100 cheaper.
note of caution. If you turn off the GPS to use pod or accelerometer the GPS will turn back on each time you change from watch/locked mode back to “Run ” mode.
I received the FR 220 in November and it worked fine for a few weeks. Now I appear to have a battery failure. I have charged it to 100% by the USB connection. Then when I attempt to use it I sometimes see a low battery message and it shuts down or it shuts down with no message within a minute of removing it from the USB. I purchased it from Clever Training. Can you provide direction to correct this problem?
Odd. I’d give a full reset a shot. Otherwise, ringing up Garmin support is your best bet. It sounds like it’s somehow got it’s charging state confused.
Mine’s doing the same thing! I also got it off Clever Training. Did you hear anything from Garmin Support?
hello, very detailed review, thanks..
I have a couple of questions..
1 Does the Blootooth upload work with android phones, you mentioned iphone only in the review.
2 I like to use manual lap when doing Fartlek training. I have a 410. Does the 220 have this feature without having to programme it in the advanced training section.
I hope these questions have not been asked already but i do not have time to read each comment:) .
Regards
Can I add a little to Fred’s question please Ray ? I know that the Garmin Android app does not yet support the 220/620 (lots of bad reviews about this on Google Play), but it is expected in Q1. Have you tried to (or could you?) pair with Android using any of the other BLE apps that are available ? I would be very interested to see if you could use a third party app to download the data file and then upload to something like sporttracks without using the Garmin app or Garmin Connect. I have email Carlos (writer of Sportablet) to see if he will be trying to integrate BLE into his ‘Uploader for Garmin’ app. I assume he would need the equiv of the ANT+ Service app that provides the integration now.
1) No, not on Android today. Coming in “Q1 CY2014”, so anytime between January 1st and March 31st.
2) Yes, you can manual lap, I do it all the time when I’m separating workouts (I don’t always pre-create workouts, most times I don’t actually).
As for gingeneil’s question, no, there’s no API available for other apps to connect to the Garmin units. Thus, no method for Carlos or others to access the data.
Thanks Ray. That’s a shame – I was hoping there’d be a way to mount or read the device over BLE.
Hallo,
From CSR homepage : “SiRFstarV chips are capable of tracking GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass …”
Why forerunner 220/620 use only GPS? … old chipset (SiRFstarIV) have no Wi-Fi connectivity ,)
software update == improved accuracy?
MfG
You’re assuming that the FR220/FR620 uses a SiRFStar chipset.
Does anybody here know what chipset the 220/620 uses?
No, they haven’t/won’t say. I’ve asked. They seem to imply that it’s a custom shipset developed in-house (which started going into devices about a year ago). That’s consistent with the fact that CSR has stopped highlighting Garmin’s use of their chips in any recent devices (contrary to past devices).
seeing it does EPO and looking in the 220s memory my guess is a Media Tek 3300 series GPS chip or whole MT6500 series core. The 3300 can do all 5 GPS systems.
PLEASE log your faults with Garmin support and not rely on Garmin reading this or other blogs/forums.
Garmin Support Australia just told me that the Instant pace problem does not have an entry in their knowledgebase and inferred it was not a known problem.
It is now.
So is the Footpod problem, GPS accuracy, Lack of another method of uploading runs to GC from a mobile device until the Garmin Connect Droid app is updated ( None of our Droid browsers work with the GC page).
Hi Ray:
Thanks for your review, as always.
If I have an old HRM1G from the 405CX (battery just pooped out), with ANT+ logo on the back, will that work with the FR220 so I don’t have to buy the bundle? In other words, the FR220/620 with or without the bundle are the same watches, right?
Thanks!
Yes, your HR strap is compatible with either the FR220 or FR620. Note however that if you buy the FR620, you wouldn’t get any of the Running Dynamics feature with your older HR strap.
I skimmed the previous comments and didn’t really see this so I’ll ask just to make sure…
Can the 220 USB be plugged into the 210 wall charger?
I would think so considering the 210 wall charger takes the 210 USB cord…Just making sure. Thanks!
Yup, no problem at all.
Odd request for you Ray… Is there any chance this watch will record distance while sitting and drinking a beverage (using the accelerometer in the watch for distance)? A friend indicated he will buy the watch if it does (personally, i doubt that it will) and I was wondering if you could find out?
Thanks!
Thanks for the review. I’m planning to use the FR220 for trail running. Can I depend just on the internal sensor alone or should I get the footpod for those GPS drop outs? (The trail is more than 40% in the forested area)
It’s largely going to depend on types of trees, density, and if there are other geographic things to block coverage (mountains/cliffs/etc…). If I was in your shoes, I’d try it without the footpod first, and then see how it goes.
Just got the 220… I was able to transfer my Records to it, but I had to do it manually from Garmin Connect.
Do you know if there is a way to transfer my totals from my previous watch to it?
No way to transfer odometer-style totals back to the watch unfortunately.
Hello, I have 2 questions:
at this time I have a Timex GPS 1.0 and looking to buy a forerunner 220.
– Do you think the heart strap of my Timex is usable with the 220 ?
– I there any reasons to buy a 620 instead of a 220 ? I’m a mid age runner, 2-3 sessions a week, doing a bit of cycling and running some 10k and half-marathons (1h45) during the year.
Thanks for help
Joubex
Hi Joubex-
Yes, the TRT1.0 is an ANT+ unit, and thus the strap will work perfectly with the FR220 – no problems there.
Given what you’re saying, I’d go with the FR220 over the FR620. Unless you find the additional FR620 Running Dynamics features, or the WiFi functionality critical, I think you’ll be pretty happy in the upgrade from the TRT1 to the FR220. Enjoy!
Thanks for your quick :) answer
Unfortunately your link to Amazon Canada shows that the 220 is out of order so far….
Anyone having issues with windows 8.1 and the FR220 connecting? I can connect my FR220 to my computer after I install the Garmin Express Fit program. Once I disconnect it I can not connect again unless I uninstall the software and reinstall it. Device manager shows it connecting each time I plug it in but the software doesn’t see it and it doesn’t show up as a drive in windows explorer. One thing I did notice device manager has this device listed as “Garmin FR620 Flash USB Device”. I have the software installed on a windows 7 machine and so far it works correctly. Any thoughts on this being a windows 8.1 bug?
my 220 runs with Windows 8.1 (Enterprise 64bit) without problems
listed in the Device Manager as “Garmin FR620 Flash USB Device”
No problems with 8.1 for me either. I assume you’ve tried different USB ports as well? Some laptops have a power in standby USB port (identified by the yellow plug), which, depending on your BIOS settings can have adverse devices on some USB devices. Though typically not Garmin devices, it’s worthwhile trying a few other ports.
Failing that, definitely give Garmin support a ring and they might have some ideas based on seeing it with other laptops.
I’m having the same issue under 8.1 x64. The 220 mounts normally once, but then fails each time after until I restart the machine.
Fixed my problem by making sure I properly dismount the 220 first before disconnecting. I always just yanked out my 210.
Took the 220 for a run this morning and it’s pretty nice. I really like the form factor over that super fat 210, and having proper replaceable watch bands is great.
I’m having a similar issue. Every time I’ve finished a run and attach it to the charger it charges fine, but the computer (Win7) doesn’t detect it and I have to unplug the usb and plug it in again into a few different usb ports before it finally works.
It might be something about me not disconnecting properly, or not switching the 220 off or on at the right times.
Does anyone have a sure fire way of making it work?
Thanks for the detailed review of the FR220. I have the 210. At the end of my run I can review the history and view my total elapsed time, total miles, and average pace. Then for each mile, I can scroll through average pace to see where I was faster or slower. Does the 220 also have the ability to review each mile’s average pace?
Thanks for your help.
ksrungirl
Yes, you can review your run on the watch, including mile/split times. No need to upload to your phone/comp 1st.
Does the FR220 come charged in the box, or do you have to charge it when you open it?
Mine was fully charged out of the box.
Evening all,
For a few minutes today I thought I found a way to plan a time for a long run using the Lap Pace field and setting the lap length to the race length ( 22 km). But Pace is always taken over the 1 km or 1 mile.
Would people prefer to keep this fields meaning or to be able to enter a distance to have a running average shown for ?
What would others call this function ?
Just to clarify, why not use the Average Pace function to see your average pace over the entire run?
I agree that the average pace is useful because it tells my my average pace for the entire workout. I can also view lap pace which lets me know the pace I’m on for the current mile. I kind of miss the “virtual partner”, but can get by by viewing average pace.
I’m getting confused. Are you talking about checking average pace for the whole run during or after the run?
For races, I think it’s important to be able to see average pace over the whole run at any moment in time. This is the easiest way to know if overall, you are on track or not for your target finish time. Ok, you could calculate (or write down beforehand) the intermediary target times, but who is able to use his brain 37km into a marathon?
FR220 without average pace view during the run would be a pity.
Dan, you can check the average pace (for the whole run) during the run, or after. On my 220, I only use 2 data fields most of the time, distance and average pace. For training runs or races, I usually set an average pace goal, and using that field lets me know if ‘m going too slow overall or too fast. If I’m doing intervals, I might add instant pace or lap pace.
Thank you fellas, yes average pace does the job without the footpod on.
With footpod its a mess on my 220 ,( yes I know.. Forget the pod until a new firmware is released).
I am having a problem with my new 220 and Garmin Connect. In keeping track of my Personal Records, the correct info is on the device, and shows up correctly on my dashboard too.
The problem arises when it will NOT let me ACCEPT or CONFIRM new records. It then comes up with incorrect information when I try to manually ASSIGN new records. Very frustrating. Can anybody help? Thanks
Hola, i’ve recently buy the Micoach Pacer from Adidas (the bundle with the HRM and footpod). I was using the mobile app but im a “stability freak” and don’t like the poor stability given by the GPS from the phone (the charts looks terrible even if the pace were under control and is almost impossible to run within training zones like the ones you describe in your example of your review).
When i bought the Pacer my objective was to have more stability with the footpod, which i did, but has being impossible to calibrate the sensor to match the same distance as the phone gps or the distance of a well know distance in the park where i train.
The device dont fill my expectations, and im looking to change to a Garmin 220, my question is:
– The GPS accuracy of the FR220 is good enough so i cant train with pace zones like 6:20-7:39 min/km or its the Footpod more accurate and reliable?
– Is the Adidas footpod good enough (is ANT+) or garmin’s are better?
– Can i also use the Adidas HRM (ANT+) with the FR220?
Best regards
The ANT+ Adidas footpod will work just fine with the FR220. Today, there’s an issue in the current firmware however with the FR220/FR620 where it won’t use GPS for pace/distance and instead uses the footpod. While that may seem ideal in your case, historically, GPS has taken priority when outside (to skirt issues with incorrect calibration).
In any case, given the range you’ve specified, you’ll have no issues keeping within that using pace alerts, as that range is pretty broad (I was doing much smaller ranges in my training recently).
The ANT+ footpod from Adidas and Garmin are identical. No, really, they’re the same footpod with different branding – made in the same factory by the same people on the same reference design. :)
No problems with the Adidas ANT+ HRM either. Enjoy!
Tried using the code DCRIOTXS at clever training but it does not seem to work. Has the discount expired? Thanks and Merry Christmas.
Hi Gordon. Simply change that IO to 10 (as in, the number ten). Thus, currently DCR10TXS. Enjoy!
Got a 220 for Xmas (woohoo), but had an issue on the first run. Paired a foot pod, waited for GPS to acquire and headed off. However, the watch displayed distance and pace from the I calibrated footpod rather than the GPS. Pace was really quick and returned to an accurate number ( compared to my phone tracking app) after removal of the footpod halfway through the workout. How do I force the watch to use gps over the footpod? I thought it was supposed to do this automatically.
Thanks
Correct. Per the bugs section in the review, the current firmware it is not using the correct source (GPS when outdoors). There isn’t a new firmware version yet.
Hi,
I was wondering what the shortest distance you can use for interval training is? I do a lot of shorter intervals (e.g. 20m) for Soccer (Football) and was wanting to know progressive/top speeds. Would you recommend this for such use? Thanks.
No, GPS won’t be good for that distance. About the shortest distance I’d use GPS for is 100m, beyond that, you’re going to get too slow of reaction time. No doubt, it’ll track your distance, but on a soccer field it won’t be as accurate since the GPS accuracy level just isn’t high enough to really capture that well.
Thank You for the great review. I purchased through CT using the discount so thanks greatly for that as well. Would you say after a couple of months this is still your recommended/go-to for the mid price range?
Yes, definitely. Enjoy! And thanks for the support!
Great review as they all seem to be! I am new to your site and just getting into running. I have lost 77lbs and can now enjoy a 10k slow run. Suffice to say I am into my new hobby and have already damaged a perfectly good iphone 5 in the rain whilst using it to map my run with info. I have now decided to buy one of these watches and like the look of this one.
Does the phone link option allow me to sinc via my phone only, even for the satellite caching?
I have also looked at the fr10 as it seems to have everything I want info wise. His one appeals to me du e to the nicer look and phone linking. Basically I don’t want to boot the laptop up all the time to sinc and cache satellite possitions and so if the 220 will allow me to do this via the iphone app I will buy it!
If it doesn’t I guess the fr10 will suffice as long as the GPS reception is as good. I run in the countryside of the uk but also central Barcelona and some cliff side runs.
Any help or advice would be great. I just want time, distance and average time per mile/kilometer.
Cheers,
Lloydy
sat caching is nice, but not totally necessary… it just gets you a shorter time until the watch finds enough sats.
in post #457 Ray says this:
/////
“At this time there is no indication from the watch or application that the data downloaded to the watch. To be specific here are the scenarios where the watch will be loaded with the satellite data:
– USB – connecting to the data cable which is plugged into your computer’s USB port and having Garmin Express Fit recognize the device should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update
– WiFi – Pressing the Connect button on the Forerunner 620 to check for files will facilitate a satellite data update
– BLE/Phone app – Connecting to the phone app should be enough to facilitate a satellite data update (We currently support the iPhone 4S and above at this time)
The above only occurs when the data is either not present on the watch or when the data on the watch is expired. Updating through your computer downloads 7 days worth of data and downloading via Bluetooth downloads 3 days worth of data.”
/////
Thanks Harald.
So it would seem that with the fr220 I can avoid the computer and use only my iphone 5 to sinc and cache satalites. The extra cash from the fr10 to the fr220 may be worth it to me after all! Is there a link to purchase this watch on this site to support it and or get a discount?
Lloydy
Hi Lloydy-
Yup, you can support the site through Clever Training or Amazon. The links are at the end of the review. With Clever Training you’ll get 10% off your purchase and free shipping.
Enjoy!
Do you know if the 220 is going to be able to give you instantaneous elevation or elevations gain/loss?
Thanks!
No, not on the unit itself. Afterwards when you upload to Garmin Connect it will however.
Hi,
Just wondering what the minimum distance is for intervals? I do a fair bit of short intervals (e.g. 20m) and wanted to know progressive/top speeds.
Thanks.
Generally speaking I wouldn’t see terribly accurate max speeds below about 100m. You can probably get some trending that’s valid at 50m, but below that it’s going to be tough.
nice watch. i received mine from CT and i’m very happy with it. but aside the problem with footpod/gps what bother me is that it didn’t show lap number on any of the lap fields (lap time, lap pace, lap distance). Yes, it shows at the end of lap, but not during the lap, like fr 210. would be very easy for garmin to write “lap xx time” for example instead of just “lap time”
Yeah. I’d hope at some point we’ll see the Configurable Lap Banner feature that they showed early on in the beta but was apparently cut. That would have solved the problem. It’s something I’ll be bringing up at CES in 9 days.
Would the configurable lap banner solve that though? My understanding is that the lap banner is the one that flashes when you split off a new lap. I have the same concern as dragos: sometimes I need to see what lap # I’m on during a lap. For example, if I’m doing a track workout, split my watch at the end of an interval, but don’t catch the banner right away and need to double check what lap I’m on during my recovery (because when your in the midst of a hard workout it’s easy to miscalculate in your head).
Oh, so you’re looking for the ‘Lap number’ data field. Correct, the lap banner configuration option (if implemented) wouldn’t directly solve that if you missed which lap it was.
Rainmaker, I just wanted to say thanks for the great in-depth reviews and solid information… I am not a dedicated runner, just trying to stay fit and in the game at 60+ … first to admit that some of what I read in the reviews and comments goes over my head. But I did ask Santa for and received the 220 for Christmas, based 90% on your review and 10% on the Amazon reviews. Still working thru setting it up, will take it out for a run this weekend. Again, thanks for the time and dedication you put into what you do, following on Facebook as well.
Hi Ray,
Thanks for your terrific review and for the time your taking to answering all the questions!
I was wondering how accurate the smart recording is when running on the tracks (my training includes intervals on the tracks once a week). Is it accurate enough or should I buy a watch that has 1S recording?
Thanks again!
In general, Smart Recording is fine for most activities. Where you can see variation is in switchbacks and the like. Now, Garmin might say otherwise and that smart recording will be fine, but I just don’t always see that being the case. But, if you’re primarily road running, you generally don’t have to worry too much.
Thanks for the great review, gave me everything needed (and more) to settle on the FR220. Awaiting delivery…
Do you know what the operating temperature range of the FR220 is? I’m thinking it could be handy skiing but wonder how it would fair. Any thoughts on this matter?
Many thanks in advance.
Rainmaker, thank you so much for the detailed, easy to understand review of the 220. I am new to running (6 months) and received this as a Christmas gift after growing frustrated with the apps on my iPhone. The instructions that come with the 220 are sparse and seem to assume a previous understanding of GPS watches. You do not and I appreciate that. One question, in reviewing the different data screens and the various fields that you can add to the screen, I don’t see how to add calories to the data field. Is this something that will appear when I put on my HR monitor strap? Wasn’t sure about this. Otherwise, excellent review!
I opened this up for Christmas. What a great watch!! I have been using a 405 since it released and this is a much better product. No bezel which is great. I like the easier to read display and the vibratory alerts you can program in. Thanks for the review….it sealed the deal for me. By the way I ordered it from Clever Training and they did an adequate job with a nice discount. Great product!!!
Thanks for the support via Clever Training, I appreciate it!
I really appreciate your reviews and would like your opinion. I started running in early 2009 (I’m 38). I’ve since reached some goals like a sub 4hr marathon (3:57), 1:50 HM, and ran 1,200 miles in 2013. (For 104, I’m shooting for 1:45 HM time and a 3:44 full time with 1,500 mi/yr.) All this time, I’ve been a hold out on GPS watches but using RunKeeper very consistently to track all my runs. Now, though, the 220 and 620 have really piqued my interest. I’m struggling to justify the cost of the 620 (for me, the gain is a fourth item on the display and wi-fi connectivity). Finally, I’d likely wear this as a daily watch but the available colors are showstoppers.
Do I sound like a serious enough runner for this kind of GPS watch? If so, should I wait until after CES to see if new colors are coming soon? Thanks!
Hi Clay-
Given everything you’re looking at, I’d say the FR220 makes the most sense (instead of the 620). While Garmin could announce new colors next week, I don’t see that in the cards immediately. I’d suspect that the soonest we’d see that would be later in the early spring or so.
Enjoy!
Thanks! I guess I can deal with black/red.
Thank you for your awesome reviews! I purchased the Garmin 220 primarily to log strava run segments; great motivational tool. For the most part, very happy. One problem, though. The heart rate strap seems to create a lot of friction; it leaves a sort of scar after nearly every use. Have you heard many other similar complaints w/Garmin’s HR strap? Is there an alternative?
Thanks — and keep up the great work!
Yup, start here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Awesome! Thank you! That high-tech band aid solution may be perfect :-)
So I tried the band-aid method and it actually was way worse! The chaffing was so bad, it bled through my shirt.
I saw your other link:
link to dcrainmaker.com
– using the Polar Wearlink strap instead. Awesomely, my local fleet feet had one of these straps. Just hooked up the sensor and it works!
I’ll be running this Sunday; will let you know how it goes.
Thanks so much!
The polar strap didn’t help much afterall. I’m using a band aid on my chest.
Going to try the “hard” strap and will let you know how it works
Freaking amazing review, as always! One question though… how would the 220 fair as a watch worn daily? I had a 210, and it died in the shower… that sucked. But, got it warrantied and gave it to my wife and went back to running with an edge 500. Now that the 220 is out, and I have been running more, I REALLY want one, but not if it will be that delicate. If it’ll survive an open water swim, it will survive daily wear, right?
Garrett I have been using the 220 as a day watch for a month now. It’s been fine. Showers, pool, plumbing, fire fighting.. No condensation or scratches.
The date is a little small for my eye’s and i often get asked if the watch has a fault due to the faint first digit when it’s in colored mode.
With a few 18 to 40 minute runs, 3 mornings of alarms I got only 3.5 weeks before I had to charge it. It will take a few months to get an idea of the mix of Watch time Vs Run time when it comes to battery life.
Where did the actual review go? I can only see the title and the comments section..
It’s available here: link to dcrainmaker.com
I don’t know why Google is randomly directly some users to the comments page.
Another great review. I just did some research on a GPS watch for my bride’s birthday using your site and ended up going with the 220 through Clever Training (the only place I could find that would give a Garmin discount). Thanks again!
Thanks David for the support!
Ray, thanks for the excellent review. I only have one question on the 220: if I set the autolap on 1mi, have average pace displayed (for the entire run), at the end of the run can I review my lap splits on the watch or would I have to wait until I upload the workout to Garmin Connect?
Thanks
Yes, you can view them within history on the watch (after the workout is saved/completed). You can also view them later on in Garmin Connect too. Enjoy!
Great, thanks!
just ordered by 220 (through your site) and wanted to say thanks again for the great reviews!
Thanks Cheryl for the support!
Is there a max distance in which your phone needs to be from your watch in order for live track to work? I will be running an indoor marathon and was hoping that I could just leave my phone on the sidelines.
With Bluetooth, it’s about 1-2m at most, so in this case, yes, you’ll need to wear it on your body. If it was closer (such as on a treadmill), you’d be fine.
Thank you for the comprehensive review.
I decided to upgrade from my 405CX to the Forerunner 220, I received it at the end of November. I am an avid user of training plans, I set them up as workouts and then move across into the calendar (in Garmin connect). This has always worked well when using the 405. However I am experiencing problems with the 220 and I was wondering whether anyone else has the same issues that I have or this is an isolated case. When I click on send to device either through the calendar or through workouts it goes through the motions but nothing appears on my watch. I may get the odd workout transferred successfully but not my complete plan. I have reset my watch to see if that will work – didn’t. Uploads I have no problems.
I have contacted Garmin numerous times but keep getting fobbed off “my case is in a queue”, öur technical people are looking into it”etc etc. I asked today for my money back as I am not impressed by this lack of customer service. I was told that they will get back to me!!! By the way I originally sent emails through the Garmin Customer Support link and am still waiting for a response. maybe they should remove that form of communication from their website.
Very disappointed customer.
Hi Sylvia-
I don’t have any specific suggestion since it sounds like you’re already working with support. However, I would suggest if at all possible calling Garmin support, which is my general suggestion across the board for folks wanting faster resolutions.
The support number for Garmin AUS is listed here: link to garmin.com
I’ve noticed that if my workouts have similar titles (i.e sharing the first 10-12 characters) then only the first workout seems to come across on the watch via the “Send to Device” function.
The device itself can’t display titles that are as long as what can be entered in Garmin Connect. So perhaps the device truncates the Name and therefore can’t distinguish between the different workouts?
For me, once I renamed the workouts with unique prefixes, it seemed to fix the problem. Worth a try for others experiencing the same difficulties.
I’m a new user of 220. I’m going to use it in my coming Hong Kong Marathon 2014. Part of the race course is a cross harbour tunnel, which is around 3km. I’m pretty sure there won’t be GPS signal inside the tunnel. I don’t need to calculate my cadence but just not sure the internal accelerator can still measure the distance and average pace that I will run in the tunnel. Any thought?
There’s no problems there. As noted in the review, I often run through tunnels without issue on my running routes. The pace will automatically switch-over. Now, depending upon how accurate the internal accelerometer pace is for you, there may be some slight variations there, but otherwise, it’s fine.
Tony, my 220 with GPS off and no footpod is better than 30m in 4500m, time after time. Even when I mess with my stride. I have no idea how easy the calibration will get skewed by runs or rides that are not your normal action or when in and out of GPS signal.
Do you know I you can scroll to or display time of day while in running mode?
Yes, TOD is a screen that can be included in the activity screens.
Screen 1 ( 1 to 3 datra fields).
Screen 2 ( 1 to 3 data fields).
Heart Rate ( on/off).
Clock ( on/off).
Garmin Support update:
38 minutes on the phone to AUS Garmin support.
Me- ” good afternoon, any progress on job number ###### please”
Support- ” Sir our level 2 has responded to all your 6 questions”.
Me- “Yes thankyou, but not with correct answers”
Support- ” sorry sir but level 2 support knows more than us, thankyou for passing on your concerns, it may help others in the future”.
Me- “Um.. How long can i hold out waiting for resolutions before i CANT return the watch any more , Easter ?”
Support- ” sorry Sir being more than 7 to 14 days you have to deal with the reseller, not Garmin as the watch should now be doing everything that was listed in the brochure.”
That’s 3 calls and 3 emails with only 1 partial email reply that was sent to a wrong 3rd person.
I hope others are faring better.
Hi All-
Just as a pure housekeeping item, if you have technical issues (problems), I’d really ask to please try and resolve the issues through Garmin support (via phone or e-mail, though I’d recommend phone). Or, additionally, through the Garmin Forums (http://forums.garmin.com).
The reason is relatively simple: Back and forth comments just aren’t an effective way to troubleshoot, and more importantly, at nearly 800 comments – it’s really tough for new folks to find answers to questions when there’s lots of troubleshooting going on for an individual issue.
Now, to be clear, I have no problems with questions around feature sets, or how a product works, or which-watch type questions. I’m also totally good with people posting their thoughts/mini-reviews of the watch (good/bad/etc…). But this just isn’t the best place to try and troubleshoot your current issues. Typically speaking, Garmin and/or the support forums can get answers much quicker. And more importantly, they can track issues and then prioritize fixes. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, then Garmin doesn’t know about it.
Thanks!
P.S. – Just to clarify, this is not a response to Jeff’s post above. In fact, Jeff has done everything right, and I completely agree that Australia support really seems to suck (seen other instances of the same).
Hi, I would like to know if the 220 watch can display both speed and pace on the same data screen? If not, do you know any watch who can display these metrics simultaneously? Thank you!
Maryse
Maryse: Yes, it can display both Speed and Pace at the same time on the same screen — just looked at the data fields on my 220 and I can configure it to do so.
I will say I’m impressed with the 220 thus far. I’m coming from a 205 (retired to my bike) and 110 (running). Although my 205 has a few more features (virtual partner and back to start), I’m super excited about the 220.
I find it rather stylish and much more comfortable than the 110. I was fed up with the lack of lap time on the 110, which made it useless for interval workouts (My $20 Timex has lap time…). Being able to create workouts online is pretty neat and will help a lot with winter fartleks. Also, I never imagined this, but the vibrate function is awesome. I frequently miss the tone for splits (especially if I run with music during the winter). Jury is still out on the built in pedometer though. I’ll do a few more runs outdoors to sync it (including a race). Hope it’s semi accurate. It would be nice to judge how long lane 3 of my local fitness center’s rectangle track actually is (they claim 6 laps to the mile in lane 1, but I somehow doubt that).
Only features I really want added in:
Either the ability to display 4 data fields at the same time or a third data screen
Back to Start function. This would have been especially helpful while running in Paris last month…
I did not read through all the comments so I apologize if this is redundant.
I was wondering if this can be used for indoor Insanity-type workouts? I have read mixed reviews by doing a general search and just don’t know what to do. I would like to purchase this for running, but also be able to use it for my Insanity workouts.
Any help is appreciated!
You can record them just fine (for HR data, which in turn gives you calorie data). While some folks don’t like the fact that you can’t turn off the accelerometer while indoors, ultimately, the only thing it does is put some low distance value in your workout file. It doesn’t have any bearing on calories though, since that’s HR driven.
Hi Kelly – I had the same issue because I also do indoor cardio, P90x and wanted to view my calorie burn. It just wasn’t working for me until I contacted Garmin Support at 1800 800 1020. The problem for me was that I needed to turn off my Auto Pause feature. Once that was done, I started the timer and got moving. The 220 soon began displaying my calorie burn. A simple fix, but it was driving me crazy. I hope this helps.
Thanks so much for an incredibly in depth review! I bought the 220 through your Clever Training link and can’t wait to give it a try. After years of running with smart phones this will be my first true GPS watch.
I was wondering if there is a way to set up workouts on Garmin Connect with metric intervals (i.e. 12 x 400M)? It seems possible to set your units of measure to metric but what does this mean if I also want to set up another workout that is 8 miles long? Thanks in advance!
Yes, no problems with creating metric intervals, nor with creating ones that are 8-miles long instead.
When I tried setting up a workout via Garmin Connect it would only allow me to set distances in miles. Is it as simple as changing my default units to meters and then set up the workout? And then set it back to miles to create a miles-based workout?
Yes, under Settings > Display. Then the workout creator will be in metric.
Alternatively, you can just go with .5 miles for 800m. Given the accuracy of GPS, it’ll work out the same.
Thanks as always for the detailed review. Did you test the watch through to (or beyond) the limit of its stated 10 hour battery life?
I don’t think I did a straight 10hr test. However, I’ll do a standard ‘garden’ test tomorrow where I stick it in a window with GPS on and let it go till it does.
Ray: I think I “may” have some insight as to the internal pedometer of the watch and why it’s not that accurate at faster speeds.
I’m thinking the watch is basing the pace off of your cadence and possibly the amount of energy exerted during each stride from your arm. The issue is that I think more trained runners’ cadences don’t change that much while running.
I tested this with my 220 today on the treadmill at the gym near me (brand new, so let’s hope they are semi-accurate). I did 10 miles. First mile and a half were around a 7:10/mile pace. Watch said 1.48 for the treadmill’s 1.50. Not bad.
Then I started dropping down to 6:50s’, 6:40’s and the finally 6:20’s. I had a few accelerations of .25 miles at 12MPH (5:00 miles) to loosen up and to change it up.
What I found was my cadence at 7:10’s was the same as my cadence at 6:30 (about 177 or so). That being said, my quarter miles at 5/flat pace, I was around 192.
The fastest the watch had me was at 5:30/miles, but seemed to average around 7:30.
Anyways, it’s just a guess.
My garmin info for the run is here;
link to connect.garmin.com
reading the Garmin FAQs for the 620/220 gives us a hit to how to make non GPS runs more accurate.
The FAQ used the word “TABLE”. This would indicate a 2 or 3 domentional array that will self poppulate as you run at DIFFERENT paces and strides. So before we give up on the accuracy of the accelerometer at different speeds and styles ( shoes ?) , we need to do quite a few steady runs outside with GPS on to generate a full table.
It also tells me that the custom ( read: many many hours of running ) table will be lost if we do a factory defaults.
Ray can you ask Garmin about my hypothisis when you speak with them next , and if there will be a way to export the custom table along with a users in watch profile ?
“The .. 620 and 220 has an on-board accelerometer that is pre-calibrated with a table of default values based on the averages of many runners. The watch refines this calibration every time you use the watch outdoors with GPS. In addition to built in table, the watch will also adapt to your specific running style to provide the best possible speed and distance when GPS is unavailable.
Therefore, the more frequently you perform an activity with a GPS signal, the speed and distance you receive will be more accurate when doing an activity indoors or have lost the GPS signal.
So if JeffP’s interpretation is correct, does that mean that my having used my Garmin 220 while taxiing on a commercial flight yesterday completely hosed my table and thus my accelerometer-based pace and distance calculations?
link to connect.garmin.com
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the 220 lost GPS signal on the runway. My old 610 used to alert me when that happened, but with the 220, it just kept going, presumably trying to use the accelerometer.
I’ll find out. It’s interesting, because the ‘table’ method was also used for the new Fenix accelerometer stuff that’s in beta and was added a month ago. I explained in detail a bit on how that worked in that post, but I didn’t cover the airplane/bike/blimp/etc… scenario.
Any luck, Ray? I am going skiing next month and had planned on using the 220 to track my heart rate and speed. If that will mess up the accuracy of my cadence, though, I will skip it.
Oops, forgot to ask on that specific item at CES. I’ll try and track down someone.
I used my FR220 for skiing this past weekend. I too am curious how or if this screws up cadence data for running. I did not wear my HR monitor. Another thing I’m curious about is the ‘Record’ data. Since my watch is fairly new, my skiing adventure set several new records: longest distance, fastest mile (GASP!) but I deleted them because they weren’t for running. Do I have to erase all records and start over or will my next longest run show up as a record now?
Here’s the link to my skiing adventure: link to connect.garmin.com
Just commenting to say thank you so much for your reply!!
Hey man. I just found your site, but I’ve spent a solid six hours so far reading the different reviews and getting a feel for various Garmins. Thanks so much for all the work you put in. If I go with a new Garmin, I’ll be sure to use your links.
I like that the 610 could switch to cycling mode with a prolonged press of the lap (I think?) button. I know this doesn’t have a cycling specific mode, but can you automatically switch to a MPH display through some sort of shortcut? Or do you need to cycle through a few things?
I’m learning as I go, here :)
I could probably just make one of the screens a cycling specific screen with distance, speed, and time, and then just switch to it somehow. I’m just thinking foreward. First tri is in June. I’m basically getting this as a training device since I’m new to this after a history in strength sports. I want to make sure I don’t overdo it and go out too fast during my first event.
My biggest complaint for the 220 is the Garmin app. I want to download wirelessly which was one of the main features I wanted but the app stinks. It downloads you history, then crashes, the downloads again and will work. If you wait a day and try it again, it does the whole thing all over again. Seems like they are selling the watch but that feature is a big disappointment. You would think that Garmin would read all the comments in the apple App Store. There are tons of complaints for the same thing.
Hi Thx for all your great reviews,
What is the GPS sampling rate for the forerunner 220. I’m thinking of buying the 220 instead of run meter on my iphone 5. But I’m not sure if the accuracy of the 220 is better then run meter. With run meter I see a sampling rate between 5 to 7 seconds in the tcx files.
Regards Robert.
I don’t have any detailed specs but i saw my run was more accurate with the FR 220. With my iPhone i did cut some corners which my FR 220 doesn’t. With a 14K run the difference was about 4 to 5% less then the Garmin, and the FR 220 was the right distance. So i’m happy with the FR 220 after running for a long time with my iPhone.
Just switched from the 310XT to the 220. My color screen is not nearly as vibrant as the stock photos. The colors are dull. Pink, orange, red, and purple are very similar. Is this true in your experience too?
yes
I’m curious if there’s any difference between hitting ‘Stop’ during a run/workout and the functionality of Auto-Pause (aside from the fact that auto- does it automatically). Is the same data recorded while stopped, etc though? I.e. if I go for a run, and just hit stop/start when I stop for lights, etc, will I end up to roughly the same info as if auto-pause had stopped/started it? I was a bit thrown off with them appearing to be different (i.e. it’s a stop symbol vs a pause symbol.
No technical difference. They’re identical. The main difference is that you vs the unit may decide differently when it pauses. For example, it could take the unit an extra 1-2 seconds vs what you’d decide.
Quick question When I run on the treadmill do I have to change my setting for distance? after 30min it only reads that I ran .3? I don’t have problem when I run outside but it’s -11 outside now and have been going to the gym!!
Thank you
You need to disable GPS, and go into indoor mode.
Hi,
After some thoughts 610 vs 220. I’m a basic runner, 10-20km fun runs so far – this year my goal is a marathon.
Always loved your reviews, as confusing / desireable you make almost everything sound!
thanks
Just got the 220 and really loved it’s performance. Running a marathon this weekend and I thought it was infinite walk/run intervals on this one. Do I need to create a custom workout to accomplish getting past the 99 repeats so I don’t have to reset it mid-race? It’s been a pain point for me in my training with my 210. Would love for it to flow the entire time. Is there a trick to it? TIA !!!!!
Just to clarify, did you utilize 99 run/walk repeats during the race? If so – what was your run/walk settings?
I like the watch, hate the connectivity issues. The phone still won’t communicate via Bluetooth. It also won’t connect with Garmin Connect on my phone. When I sync it on the computer, it simply keeps sync’ing, over and over and over. I see on forums across the web that many people are having the same issues.
I’m not sure why you gave it such a great review when it only has 1 star on the App Store ratings. Apparently most people are NOT having a good experience with the connectivity. Very frustrating when you spend $250 on a watch.
Can the daily alarm be set to vibrate only? So it can be a silent alarm like the fitbit?
Runner76, Not on my 220 running few v2.20 . you get sound and vibrate.
The Time Alarm is not controlled by the ‘Alerts’ setup that can have sound and / or vibrate.
I have a question about the “my workouts” feature. When i setup time intervals, is there anyway for the watch to keep the regular 1 mile “auto laps”? Instead of showing a bunch of quarter mile or half mile splits based on my time intervals? I don’t have a good way of knowing what my mile splits are when doing this.
Thanks!
No, there’s only one lap ‘system’ that can work at any point in time.
Now that we’re into January, any new info. on when the FR220 will work with Android and bluetooth? I just got the FR220 this week and I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone (Android ver. 4.3) which it currently DOES NOT work with. The firmware on my FR220 is ver. 2.2. I hope I don’t have to get a new phone to get this feature to work! But I think I’m going to like the watch. My wife bought one just a few weeks ago and it works perfectly with her iPhone (of course!).
Thanks for the great review.
Garmin had stated Q1 for Android support, so that could be anytime up until the end of March.
had two runs now with faulty or no GPS distance/pace at all
found, that on the Info Screen the Software Version was 2.20, GPS Version at 0.00
after a factory reset GPS Version was at 2.80 again – and GPS is working again.
so, just in old Windows times again: “doesn´t work? Did you try a reboot?” ;)
I have a Garmin Forerunner 210 that, together with a footpod, works almost flawlessly indoors (distance and pace are very close to those displayed by a calibrated treadmill). However, I’d like to upgrade to the FR220 (mainly for the customized workouts).
I am worried about what I read here both about the need of calibrating the footpod manually (I never did that with my FR 210. Auto-calibrated via GPS during my many runs outside) and about the fact that the footpod completely overrides the GPS outdoors (I want to use the footpod to record the run cadence when outdoors, and not the FR 220’s internal accelerometer).
Could someone give me updated info? Have these 2 issues been solved? They are a deal-breaker for me.
Thank you advance!
The situation is as you described until a firmware update is released . currently we have 2.20.
I don’t see where the 220 can upload via ANT Stick. Is that the case? Can it only upload via USB or Bluetooth (which is worthless to me with an android phone)?
That’s correct. Android upload support is expected sometime this quarter (before the end of March basically).
Hi,
Thanks for the great reviews of Garmin’s new running watch lineup. I’ve been running with the 305 for years and haven’t really felt the need to upgrade thanks to its versatility and customization options. One function I’ve come to use frequently are time alerts, i.e. to remind me to take a gel and the likes. Is this a function that is offered for both the 220 and 620 models?
From what I understand, other than the HRM-RUN associated features on the 620 and the touchscreen, they seem to be pretty identical watches. Running dynamics aside, what would you say is a key feature of the 620 over the 220?
Thanks for your help!
erik
Yes, you can setup time alerts. Fwiw, I actually use the Run/Walk alert for my gel alert. That way it reminds me twice – once at beginning, once at ending. I give myself two minutes to do it.
As for the key features of 620 over 220, I’d say it’s three: WiFi, Running Dynamics, More fields per data page (4 vs 3).
How do you determine the calibration factor in order to calibrate the foot pod using the calculation? Is this something you have to tinker with until such time Garmin comes out with an update so it will determine it on it’s own using previous GPS runs? I’m doing mostly treadmill running due to the weather, and would like it to be much more accurate than it is (currently about 0.25 miles off per 1.0 miles ran [i.e. shows 0.75 miles vice 1.0]).
Also, I would like to thank you for your reviews. I find them quite helpful and assist me in determining equipment for my wife and I as we have very different needs. Your reviews are an excellent tool!
Garmin support told me to follow the FAQ for calibrating the footpod on the FR210.
New calibration number = actual distance ÷ displayed distance x old calibration number.
WOW! Great Review! I appreciate all of your hard work you put into this!
I do have a question, hoping you haven’t had to answer this already.
You mentioned the calorie counter on the 220– when you were programing all of your information at the start, did it have you enter your – hight / weight /resting hr / max hr / gender / bday ? I have the forerunner 410 from a couple years ago and that one had me enter all of that info for a better calculation.
Also, having to wear the pretty violet/white, did you find that the white showed dirt ?
Thanks again for your time!
Yup, you’ll need to enter in similar info for better accuracy.
On wearing the purple/white for about a month, I didn’t notice any dirt pile-up or discoloration.
Sounds great!
Thank you for your time :)
Fellow 220 owners, are you having any luck with the automatic activity upload via smartphone? I’ve done two runs with my 220 paired with the phone and automatic uploads are enabled on the phone, yet nothing is ever uploaded to Garmin Connect. I have to use the USB cable and my computer to upload activities.
Thanks in advance.
I’ve been using a 220 since late November paired with an iPhone 5. Automatic uploads *usually* work, but sometimes don’t — for no apparent reason. Sometimes just going into and out of run mode a couple of times works, but sometimes not. That’s clearly not helping you.
Assuming you’ve got your watch paired with your phone properly (and you don’t have an Android phone — they don’t upload data yet) and you’ve got the Garmin Connect on your phone and open (or at least running in the background), then the relatively simple solution is to just restart the 220. This does NOT erase any data or change any settings, so you can do it without worrying.
Hold down the backlight button (upper left button) for about 20 seconds or so until the watch turns off (a screen will come up asking if you want to “Power Off?”, but just keep holding the button down and the watch will turn off eventually). To turn it back on, hold down the backlight button again until the Garmin logo appears.
This seems to work for me — and also helps fix other oddities that come up from time to time with the 220. It is, after all, a little computer. Sometimes computers just need a good kick in the ass (aka a restart) to get working right. Good luck.
Hey Ray – huge fan of your site/reports/reviews.
Being of of the users who occasionally encounter oddities with the gps tracks of my FR 220, I curiously read about your CES news .
You mentioned, that there was a GPS chipset update for the FR 220 a few days ago, that might improve things. How can I transfer this update on my watch? The Garmin Homepage is quite confusing to me in this regard.
Will it be updated automatically when I use the Garmin Express Fit applications or can I update it after all?
It’s a bit unclear. Some people have reported seeing it pop-up for an update earlier this week, and others haven’t. I haven’t seen it on my unit yet. Typically though, either Garmin Fit Express or Garmin Webupdater would do the trick.
I haven’t seen any updates in the Express Fit, but just opened the Web Updater and though there was no firmware update (still at 2.20), there was a GPS Chipset update from 2.80 to 2.90.
Updated fine, but stupidly it could not update until after I pulled it out of the cradle. I only thought to try this after I re-ran the updater and it found the same update.
Thanks Ray and Martin – using the Web Updater did the trick!
Now let’s see if this update improves the GPS performance!
Thanks again for the promt replies!
Tom
I’ve been using the FR220 for a couple of months now and I have noticed in the last 3 weeks or so that it has been taking an unbelievable amount of time to sync up. 5-10 minutes seems to be the normal, sometimes it goes into power saving mode before it connects. I’ve had a FR210 for years and never had this type of issue?
Has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks for the fantastic anaylsis. I got the 220 yesterday and put it on my window for a GPS lockdown. I also pressed the run start button just to see the timer go….surprisingly in 5 min the distance has gone from zero to 1km with the watch being on the same spot at my window. Does this imply that the GPS is dodgy? once locked down is it possible for the watch to lose gps while in activity?
Have had this watch since december.
I’ve found the express fit software to not be so good, the watch now tells me it has an update which constantly fails, and the express fit software is caught in some sort of sync loop where it tells me it is syncing, and constantly restarts, even though there are no runs on the watch.
Hopefully clevertraining.com will take this thing back. I’m done with it. Back to my 305 which has never given me any issues
Version 2.0.1 pf GarminExpress Fit has a bug causing an endless loop of transfers. Find version 2.0 to fix it. link to forums.garmin.com
Had the same problem but installed an older version of the express fit software and it cured my loop and enabled me to install an update that previously kept failing.
Search “Endless loop in Garmin Express Fit 2.0.1” on the Garmin forum and someone has put a link to an older version. Worked a treat for me. It may for you.
Hi All-
Again, as a brief reminder this isn’t meant to be a troubleshooting forum. At nearing 1,000 comments in this post – it ends up being very difficult for folks to find answers to questions. If you’re having problems with your watch, I’d strongly recommend you check out the Garmin Forums (forums.garmin.com), or opening up a support ticket (phone tends to be best). Ultimately, Garmin doesn’t monitor these comments, and can’t fix issues if they don’t hear about them.
Thanks,
Ray
Ray,
Thank you soooo much for the awesome review. I just bought a FR 220 and by my question you will probably notice that I do not understand a lot about HR monitor watches :); but anyway, I did try to look on the internet for some guidance but I couldn’t find so I would like to ask you, is there a way that I can use FR 220 to count calories burned on a indoor stationary exercise such as a kickboxing class (I do have the Heart Rate Strap)? I am already using the FR 220 for my outdoor workouts and I am loving it; but I was wondering if I could use for counting my calories during a cardio class. Thanks in advance!
Yup, the FR220 will use the HR strap for calorie burn information, so as long as you’re in indoor mode (GPS off), you’re good to go.
Enjoy!
Thank you soooo much Ray.
Paula C.
Bought the 220 today, did my first workout on it, read through the directions and found the mobile app. Low and behold the iOS is the only supported platform, android users beware!
Correct, Android is scheduled for “Q1 2014” according to Garmin.
this should not be a surprise to anybody
I’m looking forward to if/when the Android gets bluetooth support for the FR220. In the mean time, I can’t believe how quickly the data gets uploaded via the cable! I barely have to get it connected and it’s there. Don’t even have to hit the upload button because the new activity is already there.
Tnks for the complete review. I just want to know if the 220 has a touch screen
Best regards
No, it does not.
What are the main differences between the 220 and the 610. Do you have a recommendation between the two? I can get the 610 new (with hrm & footpod) for 310 or the 220 with hrm for 300 so price is essentially a non factor. I prefer the look of the 610 but am concerned that the footpad my fall off my shoe. I also have heard many concerns over the 610 in regard to glitches. Is the 220 a better buy sheerly on the basis of its being a newer release?
Thanks for your time.
Looking at the two (FR610/FR220), here’s reasons why you would want to purchase the FR610 instead:
1) You want some of the basic navigational features of the FR610
2) You want the cycling-specific mode (remember, you can still change the display to ‘Speed’ on the FR220), or you want ANT+ speed/cadence sensor support on the FR610
3) You want to display 4 customizable data fields instead of three, per page.
4) You want Virtual Partner (the FR220 has pace alerts, which is like a floor/ceiling instead)
5) You want weight scale support
Those are the main reasons. Personally, I’ll take the quicker satellite reception and upload of workouts through the phone, as well firmware updates that way (all FR220). Also remember that the FR220 has significantly more features than it’s older sibling, the FR210 (for example, advanced workout support). So it’s really more of a FR620 ‘Lite’ than it is a FR210 ‘Pro’…if that makes sense.
As for a footpod, in 7 years, I’ve never had a footpod fall off my shoe – nor ever heard of one falling off anyone’s shoe (in any comment, ever).
Hi Ray
Thanks for your patience with all of the comments.
How do you find the 5s/km (or mile) instant pace variation? I come from using a 310XT, which has 1s increments, so I’m finding it a bit strange. Has there been a change of policy from Garmin, e.g. does it think that the instant pace isn’t accurate enough for 1s increments?
Cheers
Bruce
I think the biggest reason for the shift is the success of the pacing platform in the FR10, which follows the same logic. I’ve heard no complaints there and people seem much happier with stability there. Ultimately, there’s obviously some smoothing going on (everyone does smoothing, it’s how visible they make it that matters). But I find it pretty easy to pace by, and doesn’t impact my ability to hit targets.
Hi Ray,
Sorry for yet another question on this post…. but can you tell me if the 220 will provide a 2 minute cool down heart rate recording / alert, or is this limited to the 620 along with its ‘recovery advisor’ ?
can’t get the discount code to work? I typed in the DCR10TXS and it says its invalid.
Hmm, I just checked and it worked for me. Once you add the FR220 to your cart, you’ll go and add the discount code “DCR10TXS” with a zero, which looks like you typed it correct. Then, if you click Update, it’ll show the ~$25off up above. Let me know if not, and I’ll be happy to troubleshoot more.
Ray,
Why did they remove the last lap datafield? Do you think they can push an update to bring that data field to the device?
They had one of those fields (I’ve never had a Garmin before)? That would be super useful for track workouts. I’ve found that when doing a hard track session, I don’t always look at my watch in time after I’ve split for an interval, and the lap banner is already gone. My Timex would keep the lap split on for much longer. I’ve found that issue in combination with the lack of a lap count data field makes my Garmin almost useless for track workouts.
No, the FR210 (nor the FR220) never had a last lap field. It’s on other Garmin units, but not these two. I don’t expect to see it in the FR220. I expect that you’ll get some resolution via the upcoming configurable banner field, but I wouldn’t expect to see last lap make it (merely for product differentiation reasons).
Hi! I have some questions, btw sorry about my english, but I speak spanish so Im gonna try to be as clear as I can.
1- How can you update your firmware using bluetooth smart? I cant find anything on internet to do it with my smartphone (iphone 5s)
2- I chose a training plan for 10k on connect.garmin.com (starting 01/19/2014 to 04/12/2014) and I loaded it into the phone but not all 40 training sessions were uploaded, just 30 (to 03/22/2014). So I guess this is because the capacity of the watch memory, but how would I get those 10 sessions left? until I finish these 30 and in the calendar the day would be march 22, does it will only load the 10 left? or I’m screw and it will overwrite from the very beginning?
3- Is there any trick to load into the watch all training plan with those cycling sessions? I read that a cycling watch would not load running sessions and a running watch would not load cycling sessions. But I dont like this because there is a lot of missed days in my training plan because of these cycling sessions.
thx for all your help!
Ray, do you think that virtual partner will be added in future firmware updates?
Thanks!
No, that’s one I would definitely not expect to see. Mostly because Garmin sees that as a product differentiator between the FR220 and the FR620.
I am super-impressed with your reviews on the Garmin GPS watches. I am a triathlete and looking forward to my first IM 70.3 in Italy this year. I’ve taken on a coach to help me train, and he has asked me to send data from a Garmin GPS watch. I currently have a Karrimore HR monitor and watch, and I use run keeper to track my cycles and runs. The Karrimore is waterproof, but bulky.
I borrowed a friends Garmin forerunner 610 + HR for my initial speed tests last week, and apart from the HR dropping dramatically after 20 mins on two of the three sessions, I was very impressed at the ease with which I could see my HR as I ran, and the comfort of the HR band and watch.
I was all set to buy the watch and came across your review – which just backed my decision. Then I noticed there was a 620 – and it threw my decision in the air.
I started to read your review for that – and was convinced that was the better choice – particularly because I have a wrist the size of a small child!
Then came the deal clincher! No cycling functionality. I need this watch to monitor my training for my coach. I can accept that I won’t actually wear the watch in races – and therefore the water element is not an issue – but for my needs – would I be better off going for the 610? Will there be a 630 out soon that puts the cycling function back?
I have about four weeks to decide.
I even thought about the 220 – because I love the purple and white – but the cycle functionally has gone from that too!
Is there no work around? Should I look further than Garmin?
Who’d have thought it would be this difficult!
Thanks for listening…
Enya
YMMV, of course, but I’d recommend restarting your FR220 after the latest GPS chipset update. First run after that, I found the timer was working, but distance was at 0.01 miles and the pace was blank. While running, I restarted it and no problem since. I’m pretty sure it restarted during its process up the update, but just a word of warning.
Hi great review ….new 220 …how to show time for when 1 mile complete to show it on screen inside of 1k …..
Simply change the Auto Lap distance to 1 Mile. If you’re in metric right now, you’ll want to change to statute (US) in the settings. Enjoy!
Hi! I´ve bought the 220, and noticed something weird: when I´m running laps (for example, in a 400 meter track), the distance it shows when I’m running clockwise is always about 10% higher than when I’m running counterclockwise, which is the correct one. Watching the map in the computer, the clockwise laps have a different (wrong) shape. I´ve asked Garmin Support, but got no answer so far.
Hmm, not sure why you’d have accuracy higher one way versus another.
10% is a bit high for a track (inaccuracy wise), but a track is one of the hardest things for any GPS to get right. I generally get about 4% (basically 1% off per loop).
Wife just got this one- can’t seem to change auto lap to miles. Everything is in statute but I only have the KM option for auto lap
Try switching to KM for settings, then saving, then going back into menu and setting statute.
Worked! Thanks man! (ps: love the awesome, quick response!)
hi ray, thanks for the review.
i currently have a nike sports watch that just died on me, does the forerunner 220 have a simple stopwatch? instead of having to always connect to the GPS and/or shoe pod?
thanks
Yes and no. You can simply turn off GPS (and not use a shoe pod), and use the indoor mode as a stopwatch. But it doesn’t have a separate stop-watch mode.
and what is the battery life like?
greatly appreciated.
It’s pretty much in line with specs, of approximately 9-10hrs with GPS on. And weeks with GPS off (watch mode). I know a few folks have posted battery run-down times with various tests in the comments section of this post and the FR620 post.
Awesome. I always assume real life battery of about 60%-70% predicted so this is great news. I never seemed to have to charge my 205, but the 410 has been awful. Hopefully the 220 will be as good as the 205.
Thanks. On my 210, I begin to get low battery warnings at around 5:30, and the maximum track I’ve ever gotten was only 7 hours.
Thank you for the great review!! I currently have the FR405 and it really drives me insane with the bezel with all of it’s different malfunctions! I’m a runner, but nothing longer than a half marathon. I also love working out indoor doing weights and various dvd workouts like P90X3 and so forth. I bought a HRM in hopes it would let me know how many calories I was burning during indoor workouts based on HR, but the 405 reported I burned like 13 calories doing 45 min of intense cardio. Someone advised me to try turning GPS off, in which I did, however it then stated 0 calories burned for a 30 min workout in which my HR was around 188 the entire time. Would the 220 be good for tracking workload in indoor WITHOUT having to purchase a foot pod? Sorry for the long post, just trying to figure out what would be best for me. By all means please let me know if a whole other brand would better fit me and I will check in to it.
It’ll definitely capture HR based on calories – so no problem there. There’s a number of folks further up in comments using it for cross-fit and similar activities today, no footpod required.
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for great reviews on all watches I’ve considered going for. Think it’ll end up with the 220. Only one thing confuses me after thourough comparison of this and the 620; What makes your wife prefer the 620 over the 220 – is it because she use any of the few extra functions? I mean when she prefers the color of the 220 I just don’t see what specs makes her eager for using the other watch instead. Might seem like a silly question – I’m just not sure if there’s something I’ve overlooked.
For her, as with for me, it almost completely comes down to 4 data fields per screen rather than three. We both tend to use the same four fields as our main screen:
1) Lap Pace
2) Lap Distance
3) Lap Time
4) Current HR
We both use those primarily doing interval/repeats. She does use the FR220 from time to time however, when she forgets to charge the FR620. ;)
Ray, why do you check your current HR during intervals? Do you adjust your pace based on that? I always thought intervals are focusing above all on speed (even if you are about to vomit ;-)
Intervals are typically done against two ‘constants’:
1) Pace
2) HR (aka Effort)
Some intervals I’m doing at a given HR because I want time in that zone. Other intervals are done against a given pace. Tonight, I did 8×800 against a given pace. Yet, I have another run later this week that’s HR based, where the intervals are longer (miles).
Keep in mind that I often use the lap function as a way to seperate my workout segments for later analysis. So an ‘interval’ (aka lap) could be anything from 30″ (a short sprint) to 90 minutes or longer. For example, on some stepped long runs, I might do 90 minutes at one zone, then 30 minutes in a higher zone, and then the last 15 minutes at yet a further higher zone. Each of those would be a ‘lap’ for easy analysis later.
I’ve had the 220 for about 2 months now. I enjoy it and the only thing I miss a little is virtual partner.
I have mine set up to show me;
Screen one;
Time
Distance
Average Pace
Screen Two;
Lap Time
Lap Distance
Lap Pace
Screen 3;
Heart Rate
Time
In training for a half marathon, I’m trying to keep track of and to even out my split times. I’ll go back and forth between those first two screens.
I’d be interested to hear how others have set up their screens, and how they use them for training. To anyone who shares, thanks!
I really only use one screen – avg lap pace, distance and heart rate zone. I have auto laps sets to 0.5 moles. I don’t have a use for things like last lap pace (I can work that out from the banner), lap distance (I set auto laps according to the workout).
I have the others configured to show interesting things that I like to see easily after a workout like calories, overall avg pace and time.
Ray – ever thought about creating a discussion forum on the site? It’s would be hugely popular!!
I am thinking about buying this Forerunner 220, and the watch and its functionality looks great. My concerns are about “Garmin Connect”:
1) So it is basically impossible just to transfer the raw-data to my computer? (I’d like to play around with my own GIS application and statistic-programs)
2) As european: You made clear the watch is able to display SI units – but what about “Garmin Connect”? Will I (i) be bound to this online-application and then (ii) it will show my distances in silly american-miles? (b/c although the frontpage is translated into my language, it still displays the volume of sweat in “gallones” (WTF? – This word isn’t even translated correctly! Litre is SI!) and weight of candy in “lbs” (WTF? I’ve got no idea what kind of unit this is! Kilogramme is SI!)
directly on the watch are the .fit files, which can be read by most sports tracking programmes
from Garmin connect you can export .tcx, .gpx and .kml
you can of course change everything to kilometer and kilogramm
Harald is correct on both.
1) To get the raw data simply plug the device in, and grab the .FIT file from the activity folder. Most apps today know how to do that automatically (i.e. Training Peaks device agent, Sport Tracks, etc…).
2) Garmin Connect can be changed into metric, just do it by clicking on your profile in the upper right corner.
Thank you very much!
I’d say Garmin has got a new customer (as soon as they are in the stores here…).
Hey, Rainmaker! First i want to say thanks for the great review. I got a couple of questions for my upcoming purchase.
1. Is it possible to use the GF 220 as a HR-monitor under water if you buy the right HRM-strap? If so, what HRM-strap would it be?
2. I can’t decide between the Polar Rcx5 and the Garmin Forerunner 220. As you allready know, the Rcx5 does not have GPS, though it can be used for swimming. I sort of want both functions, but i don’t really need any of them. I don’t like to many gadgets, so additional GPS for the Rcx5 is not an option. My main focus is on the intervall function of the clock, where i can’t see much of a difference. I’ve got an offer held of until 22.01 on the Rcx5 going for 243$, versus the Forerunner 220 incl. HRM for 421$. Please let me know which of them you think are the better pick.
Hopefully you’ll give me a quick reply!
(If the prices seems a bit high … it’s probably because i’m buying in a norwegian store)
Cheers,
Håkon
Ray, it’s possible to have only to screens with heart rate like:
Screen one;
Time
Distance
Average Pace
Screen Two;
Speed
Heart Rate
???
If I enable the heart rate, automaticly put me the screen 3: heart rate, average heart rate
Thank you!
Aloha Ray “Rainmaker”,
Thanks for your world class review of the FR-220. After reading your review I’m trading up to the FR-220 from an FR-10 (I’m giving it to my son). I really like what Garmin has done with this model.
I also appreciate what you do on your webpage and blog. It’s hard to find in-depth, accurate, technical information about products online. Thank you and keep up the good work. I’ll do my part by visiting the sponsor links!
I’m training for a half marathon. Looking for a great GPS watch to use for both outdoor and treadmill use. I’ve read both your reviews on the 210 and 220 and don’t know why I would select the 220 over the 210. At this point i don’t need the downloaded training plans, and it also appears you still need the footpod on the 220 even though it says it has the technology built in… from your review it’s not accurate. is the 220 worth the extra money? especially for a newbie to the Garmin world.
Perhaps, my own reasoning could help you take a decision: I intend to shell out the additional 140$ to buy the 220 (instead of the 210) because of the improved intervall training plan functionality and the waterproofness (a number of 210 complained about the lack thereof).
For indoor use, if you want to measure distance with your watch (instead of reading it off the threadmill display), the GPS obviously doesn’t work, so yes, you need a footpod.
Slightly off topic:
I wonder at what level of performance (and experience) it actually starts to make sense to collect all the data from HRM and GPS and analyse it. Over years, I have used a HRM mainly to monitor my run during my run (check if I’m in the right heart rate zone and to see my pace). I didn’t do much analysis apart from counting the number of runs, weekly distance and duration. Just enough to keep me motivated. I managed to run a sub-3h marathon like this, and I’m happy with that.
How many of you guys are actually doing serious analysis of all the data? Shonda, you say that you’re training for a HM and it sounds like it’s your first. What do you intend to do with the variety of data the 220 collects? If you’re interested mainly in the distance run indoors, you could also take the threadmills display and enter this data manually to the garmin logbook.
I have to correct myself regarding the distance measuring indoors: The internal cadence sensor gives and indication of distance, but this requires you to keep swinging your arms. If you wipe off you sweat, adjust the threadmill settings, your mp3-player or whatever, you’re arm stops swining and without a footpod, the watch will think you stopped.
Ray or somebody else could perhaps say something about accuracy of cadence sensor vs footpod beyond the above mentioned issue.
Correct. I cover this a bit up above (arms swinging and water bottles, etc..).
Outside of that however, I did comparisons with footpods on cadence and found it spot-on both indoors and outdoors, usually either exactly the same as the footpod, or within 1RPM on a full run or any subsection.
Hi,
Great review but i have still two question; 1. Is there a built-in cadence meter like in the 620? 2. When you have got a foot pod, do you see the amount of steps on you’re 220 while running?
Thanx
Simon
Yes, and yes.
Thanx! And is it accurate? When it isn’t, i will probably buy a foot pod. Is it worthwhile it’s money?
I don’t find it accurate. Check out the treadmill section of the review for all the details. Thus, a footpod is best for accuracy indoors (though, it won’t auto-calibrate on the current firmware version, so you have to manually do that).
Depends what accuracy you’re referring to. I think Ray is making the point that speed/pace accuracy isn’t great; but if you don’t wipe sweat of your head too often, the cadence measure (number of foot strikes per minute) looks pretty good. Although I’ve not worked out how to make use of the data yet, but it does import into SportTracks fine.
Did you hear anything about the Configurable Lap Banner at CES (you said you’d bring it up)?
Sorry, just saw the answer in your CES roundup :)
Yup indeed – coming this spring to both the FR220/FR620.
I’m trying to get a measurement of the wrist band? What is the maximum wrist measurement it would fit? I saw it fit your wrist but is that the biggest size that is capable of fitting? Thanks
The largest it will fit is 20.5cm, measured on the inside of the watch on the very last clasp hole.
Thank you so much! And awesome review btw.
Hi Ray. I Was bought this Garmin for Christmas (after the gift buyer had read your very good review)
I love it, bug thumbs up all round, but I would really like to see if there was a way of resetting the average speed on each lap. So instead of an overall average of the whole run I would get average speed per lap. I have been resetting on each interval so that I know I am hitting the correct averages but it’s quite a lot of button pressing on short rest intervals. Any advice would be great and help to make my running sessions much easier and coach a lot happier as he has to trawl through all the recorded data on Garmin connect. Many thanks, Jinny Joe, Uk
You can set it to Lap Pace which should give you what you are looking for.
Great advice Bob. I can’t believe it was that simple – easy when you know how! Thank you for your help
Can I use the polar T31 belt with the Forerunner 220? Thanks in advance for any info!
The strap portion yes, but not the transmitter as the transmitter isn’t ANT+. To understand what I mean about strap vs transmitter, see this post: link to dcrainmaker.com
Ok, so I was all excited about this watch until I read that it only displays pace in 5 second increments. Pace to the second is crucial for me. I just returned my ambit 2S for this reason. Can you recommend a watch in the price range that can display pace to the second?
Thanks!
I’m sure Ray will be along to comment… but I cant see any consumer level GPS device being accurare enough to make 1s pace display worth while ? Why is this crucial (I’m interested) ? Such a level of accuracy would suggest you are using the watch for short intervals of ~20m. The resolution of GPS makes using a watch for things like that a little pointless.
Ultimately, what others have said is pretty much correct. No consumer-grade GPS today will give you truly accurate pace information to the second…without (and this is the important part)…heavy smoothing.
So basically, companies make a choice: Smooth the data a bunch (such as averaging over every 10s), or, smooth it a bit less and then round the data.
This comes about because companies hear loud and clear that people find GPS pace too jumpy, and then those that don’t make it too jumpy, people complain it’s too smoothed.
Now, what I do on my units is often pace by lap pace. Today for example, I was doing repeats at 6:25/mile. Two days ago, it was 5:54 a mile. In both cases, I’m using ‘Lap Pace’ – which does go to the nearest 1s – as my pacing guide.
I have to agree with ginger that it is possible to expect too much for under $250 and I’m not sure what we are all doing with this data we are assimilating.The first four letters of the word “analyze” are there for a reason. :) Don’t forget to have fun out there!
I really do have fun running, but when I compete, I really rely on the pace reading. If my watch indicates a pace of 8:30, it could mean that I am running an 8:27 mile or an 8:32 mile. The ability to make minor tweaks when competing is a valuable tool for me. My current Garmin is a Forerunner 305 and has always displayed the pace to the second. I don’t understand why this was changed. Unfortunately, my current Garmin is increasingly unreliable, needing frequent hard resets and with flagging battery life. I wouldn’t want to change it if I didn’t think it was on its last legs.
I compete at various distances but always base my pace on an average lap pave over 0.5 miles. Trying to control you pace more precisely, or even based on instant is impossible to do. You’ll never hit an exact pace for an entire race, you are far better off looking to maintain an average pace over a lap/segment.
They changed it because the instant pace was unreliable and inaccurate. Your present watch may show you a pace to the second, but it doesn’t mean much. Garmin tried to improve this on the 220 by giving users an approximation +/- 5 seconds.
Great review, thanks!
I bought the FR220 through your web site (but didn’t notice the discount – doh!) and it arrived (in australia) within ten days – and that was ordering on 27 Dec. Fantastic.
The ipad / iphone app via bluetooth is FLAKY. This is a pity because it is a very convenient way of uploading records and quickly viewing them. The bluetooth upload to the ipad works for the first few sessions and then is useless. Any advice welcome.
thanks again!
There’s a thread on the Garmin Forums regarding the iPad Mini and some oddities there. Not sure if you have that or not, but may be worth looking into.
Hi, thanx for the review. I have a brief one; you did mention that the FR220 includes the ability to connect via Bluetooth Smart to a mobile phone to upload workouts immediately upon completion, as well as to provide streaming live tracking of your run to friends and that its possible to share out the link automatically via e-mail or social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. You said this requires an iPhone 4s or newer. Does it mean that this function only supports I phones (in other words, does it mean it cannot work with android powered smart phones??)
Correct. Official plan is Q1 2014 (so till March) for Android app update/release. However, it sounds like it’ll probably be around mid-February.
No wireless Android connectivity at this time, but should be available very soon.
I’ve been enjoying my FR220 for a couple of months now. My question involves use of a footpod indoors on a treadmill. I did no calibration, just put the pod on my left shoe, turned off gps, allowed the watch to locate the footpod, and did an hour on the treadmill.
The distance reading from the footpod and on the treadmill itself were off by “only” about 5%, and my impression is that the footpod actually was the more accuarate of the two. I’ve been using the watch outdoors for about 100 miles and I have a feel for my normal pace. Does just using the watch with gps do anything to help with calibration?
Is it possible/likely that the footpod IS giving me a more accurate distance reading than my 11 year old mid-grade treadmill? I noticed the footpod was telling me my stride length is shorter on the treadmill than it is outdoors. Thoughts appreciated.
Right now, using the watch with GPS is producing ‘questionable’ calibration. Garmin says it is calibrating the tables for non-footpod, but not doing so well. It doesn’t appear to be calibrating the footpod tables – or if it is, it’s not surfacing that. Of course, it’s problematic because the footpod overrides the GPS outdoors, so nobody really wants to use it outdoors.
Yeah, treadmill accuracy is a really tough nut to crack. In general, if I get within 5% on a treadmill, I’m content.
I didn’t know what to expect, but I sense the footpod gave me reasonable accuracy on the treadmill. I’ll do a treadmill run again tomorrow and see if I get similar results.
I bought this watch today and I was told I can get a cadence sensor and use it for cycling, then I tead here that it does not work for cadence? Please clarify.
Also… How do I change from miles to km?
Thank you for all your help :)
They were mistaken.
There’s no way to get cycling cadence on the FR220 or FR620. You can get running cadence however, automatically, just by using the unit while running. But it doesn’t transfer over to cycling since you aren’t moving your arms while riding.
To change to kilometers, you can go into the settings and offhand (don’t have a unit in front of me), it should be System settings.
I wonder if it would capture cycling cadence if you strapped it to your ankle instead of your wrist?
FOOTPOD use?
Being as it is dead of winter, I’m running more indoors than out. My 220 recognises my footpod, I turn off GPS and off I go. The treadmill readings are quite different from my watch/footpod readings sometimes 9-10% different. I believe the watch/footpod is closer to reality than the treadmill.
For those who have used the footpod:
Does it matter which shoe I place the footpod? I wear my watch on my left wrist.
Any tips or advice on treadmill and/or footpod useage appreciated.
Heads up – firmware update available from Garmin… Installed fine, but not yet tested. link to www8.garmin.com
Just saw the firmware update, but am going to wait to see how well it’s working for others.
Thanx Gingerneil, While updating to 2.50 i was notified that GC 2.01 was also being updated from 2.0.
I can’t see any change in menus or options after loading FW2.50 . I’ll try to go one of my regular logged loops tonight with and without footpod and GPS.
I dont think they have added any features etc – so dont expect the menus or options to change. Looks like its mainly bug fixes, prioritising GPS over footpod etc. Shame there is no banner config in this one – I am looking forward to that.
Nothing jumped out as different with FW2.50.
I did three 2400m laps of the lake. #1 with GPS and POD, #2 With GPS only, #3 POD only.
( i set calibration back to 1:00 for the runs).
#1, link to connect.garmin.com
#2, link to connect.garmin.com
#3, link to connect.garmin.com ( distance adjusted up from 2220 to 2400m in GC).
JeffP – assume you are happy with these ? Distance is bang on.
Gps and pod looks to be ok now
.I’ll adjust the pod calibration and re run with pod only and then with no pod and no GPS to see how they compare. The graphs still show some differences.
I have a 405CX which needs replacing (battery issues!) and I’m looking at the FR220. I’m a once a week or so, run-for-fun kinda guy, who used to use the heart rate monitor, but nowadays I generally don’t bother. I do need the running watch functionality, and I do look at the time, pace etc on the computer afterwards.
Given the changes in the technology since the 405CX, should I stick with my classic HRM, and just buy the FR220 without the HRM, or a) does that mean I miss out on other stuff (I don’t think so, because I don’t think the 220 can utilise the 620, right? or will it in the future?) or b) there are other running watches without HRM which are better than the 220 without the HRM?
I used by 220 yesterday to so a 2x(6x800m) session. I’m not near a track, so chose a straight cycle path. I set up a customer workout on GC and transfered it to the watch. Can anyone help with a few questions?
1. I set the goal of each 800m interval as 6:22-6:22 pace (pretty exact, I know, but The Plan is master!). The watch beeped using ‘good’ and ‘bad’ tones when I was below or above this, but the frequency of the beeps seemed random. I wasnt really fluctuating around the target, but was generally consistently below it so the beeps weren’t happening when my pace went through the 6:22 mark. Does anyone know how the watch decided to beep ? The intervals were about 1:30 each and I got about 5 beeps per interval. I dont want a beep every 20 seconds on a 3200m interval!
2. Is the goal pace, and therefore the beeping, configured against average or instant pace ? I dont care too much about instant pace and focus on lap pace (although the two obviously converge as laps get shorted). I think the watch should treat the goal on the workout as the lap pace as this is logical to me – but can anyone confirm what it actually does ?
I like the design and the feature offered, sad that it doesn’t offer cycling feature,but does it still recommended to be used in cycling purpose?
Hi Ray,
I’ve been using the 220 for a few weeks now and very pleased with it. However last 2 runs HRM has stopped reading once it has started getting to 165+. I’m baffled, have tried everything .
Anyone else having this problerm?
K
Hi Ray,
Thanks for your awesome and detailed review and your time to answer questions.
I purchased the Garmin 220 and a Foot Pod recently (via your link @ Clever Training) due to this review and took it for my first indoor treadmill run yesterday. The foot pod measured me running 0.25 miles more than the treadmill indicated, so I will need to calibrate the foot pod.
In your review, you initially indicated that when running outdoor with both GPS and foot pod turned on, the GPS will automatically calibrate the foot pod. However, with the firmware v2.20, you mentioned that if you have both the GPS and firmware turned on for outdoor run, the watch will pick up the pace/distance via foot pod and not GPS. Hence you should turn off foot pod when doing an outdoor run.
I’ve upgraded to firmware v2.50 and one of the fixes from this firmware is “Improvements to the interaction between foot pod and GPS.” I cannot find specifics of what this mean. Should I keep foot pod off for outdoor runs or should I keep the foot pod on so GPS automatically calibrates? I run indoor on treadmill for about 3 months out of the year due to weather, so I would rather use the foot pod for accuracy as opposed to the internal accelerometer.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again.
With 2.50 you can run outdoors and it’ll use GPS over the footpod. But I’m not seeing it automatically configure the footpod calibration value (at least on my FR620, which got effectively the same update).
to Sam, I would ask “how do you know your treadmill is accurate and the watch is not?” I train like you do, indoors for the worst weather and outdoors whenever possible. And, like you, I need to figure out when to use the footpod and when not to ….. and how to set it up so that it is as accurate as possible.
My footpod readings are 10% different from my treadmill’s readings …. but I suspect my watch may be giving me more accurate readings than my treadmill.
Great. Thanks for the quick response. I’ll manually calibrate the foot pod then.
Everybody – While we are on the topic of the footpod ……..
1. other than tunnels or areas of lost satellite reception, is there ANY need to use it outdoors?
2. for use indoors on treadmill runs, is it necessary to do any calibration first? I haven’t calibrated, but the readings I’m getting seem to be okay. The readings are 10% different from what the treadmill says, but I’m not sure which is off, the pod/watch … or the treadmill.
What would you do? What do you suggest? If you use the footpod outdoors, why do you? If you use it only indoors, did you calibrate? How should that be done. Thanks in advance for any opinions/advice.
@oldrunnerdude,
I do not know that my treadmill is accurate. It’s all based on my own estimates.
I know that when I run outside using a GPS, my pace ranges from 7’20” – 7:40″ depending on the distance. For my first run using the 220 and foot pod, it was an “easy” run on the treadmill and I was clocked by the foot pod at 7’05” … at that pace, I should be gasping.
I don’t train competitively, so I don’t need the foot pod to be 99% accurate, but as long as it is reasonable to me, then I’m fine with it.
Hi Sam – I’ve had the opposite experience in that my outdoor runs seem to be at a faster pace (by about 30 seconds/mile) than my treadmill runs with footpod. Perhaps I should eliminate the 2.5% incline I run at indoors.
Does it matter which shoe we put the footpod on? Same foot as wrist, or opposite?
There’s no difference in which shoe it’s on, nor which direction it’s facing (technically, the arrow should face forward, but it doesn’t really matter). What does matter footpod wise is calibration and ensuring it stays in the same spot on your shoe.
For example, I did some tests recently with calibration and footpods where if I moved it up just one shoe-lace, it would swing my calibration value from 1.007 to 1.012 – quite a difference.
I’m very happy with my 220. Running both treadmill and outside. The accuracy on the treadmill is working very well I must say.
Now to the point, i’m thinking of using my watch to track my cross-country skiing. Will the calibration of indoor treadmill running data be messy combining two sports ?
Rgs
If you manage to find an answer to this question please let me know. I am interested in how other activities affect the calibration as well.
No, mostly because I’ve that the end-resultant sucks either way. I’ve reset watches and used them strictly for running, and the calibration result sucked. And then I’ve tried others and mixed in some cycling in running mode (the only mode)…result on treadmill also sucked.
Everybody – While we are on the topic of the footpod ……..please help!
After running a 5k this morning and being seriously confused with the overall result – I’m now pretty sure that my Forerunner 220 is recording faster pace/longer distances. I have the footpod synced to the Garmin (I haven’t manually calibrated it as I wasn’t sure how to do this) So looking at my track workouts, 400m is reading 0.26, 1200m reading 0.79, 5k reading 3.33?
1. whilst running outdoors, will the footpod take over GPS?
2. Should I manually calibrate the footpod (how do I calibrate it?)
Thank you in anticipation.
Could someone give a quick, simple explanation on HOW TO CALIBRATE YOUR FOOTPOD?
People, Read the FAQs for your device each wee yourself!
They are being added as Garmin resolve / work around support requests.
The foot pod works well now.
The Calibration FAQ is : link to support.garmin.com
Hi, I’m thinking of getting the 220, (never had a running watch before) reading your review is making me want it more! I read that you can set it to 10minute running:1minute walking, does this give you the vibration alerts?
Also with the heart rate monitor strap, where does this go? (Probably a silly Q!)
Thanks!
Yes, it’ll vibrate for those alerts.
As for the HR strap, it goes on your chest. Here’s some images: link to google.com
I’m trying to use the FR 220 as part running watch and part Fitbit. Specifically, I have been using the watch, with GPS activated, when I walk my dogs (My insurace pays me $2 a day for 20 minutes of activity and it’s an easy and fun way to track on non running days.)
However, since I’m walking and not running do you think this will throw off the accelerometer calibration?
Just a note: due to the Polar Vortex, I have been running exclusiviely on a treadmill. I’ve had the watch for 3 weeks and have not once had an outdoor GPS run (though I have walked the dogs a few times) The accelerometer is clocking me at 7 minute miles, 2 minutes faster than my usual pace. It will be interesting to see if this becomes more precise as I do more outdoor runs.
No, the accelerometer isn’t thrown off by walking, as it knows that’s a slower speed. My workouts include both walking and running – such as when I have 2-minute easy walks in between longer intervals.
Thanks for the confirmation about walking, Ray. How about faster uses, like tracking air travel or using the watch while downhill skiing? Will these activities affect the accelerometer pace table?