Review on 🧡 Garmin Forerunner 310XT: Waterproof USB Stick and Heart Rate Monitor in Gray/Orange - The Ultimate Fitness Companion by Kyle Herrera

I bought it to use as a small waterproof GPS for swimming. Considering it's designed for triathlon, I was a little surprised at how well the device adapts to other uses. They are not, and never will be, dedicated sailing watches, unable to detect your approach to your destination, but there really is nothing more versatile at this price point, let alone waterproof. The map mode, along with info pages showing knot speed and distance traveled, are more than adequate for basic navigation when I'm on my boat, while still being great for cycling or running. The device supports three different sports: cycling, running and others. Each "Sport" is a template and each template has a unique data element that is unique and cannot be changed; but they all support up to 16 data items that you can iterate over. The number you want to display on each screen can be customized. The data items themselves are pre-programmed into the block and as far as I know you cannot add others. I found it versatile enough to adapt to sailing. The only indication I feel is missing and would like is my heading in degrees instead of vague compass directions (NW-N-NE). It also has customizable alarms that will notify you when you hit time, distance, or heart rate. It tracks laps well. The device can sync with laptops through the Garmin website, and you both can upload your workouts to the site to share. and create routes or download pre-made routes from a website that others have created. You really need a PC to sync (I've heard Macs don't work with this), and ANT+ sync means you can only use it with phones that support the protocol, including some Samsung phones and most Sony phones. There are reports that pairing a phone to a computer can be difficult and they are NOT unfounded, but I still haven't been able to pair it to a computer, it just takes more than one try sometimes. GPS works accurately. , although he may have trouble acquiring a satellite while traveling in the woods or under cover. I suggest turning it on before leaving and letting it lock first. You don't have to worry too much about battery life, it lasts over 20 hours with GPS on and even longer without it, and it charges quickly. I usually only have to charge it once a week. The included heart rate monitor is a bad joke and that's why I give it 4 stars. According to him, my resting heart rate is always above 100 beats per minute and always deviates from reality by at least 30 beats per minute. I don't recommend getting it. I've heard that some Polar branded monitors work with this device and they work fine, but I haven't tried it yet. What it's NOT: It's not a smartwatch, it's a standalone fitness device. You most likely can't sync it to your phone, and even if you can, you won't be able to check messages or install apps or music on it. For me that's a plus. I no longer need distractions when I'm working out. Overall I found it extremely versatile and pretty much everything I was looking for. There really isn't anything else in this price range that does what it can. The fact that it's still in production despite its release in 2009 is a testament to its design.