Review on 🏃 Garmin Forerunner 220 - White/Purple by Bennie Wilks

I am a runner who uses the Galloway method (run/walk) for sprints, half and full marathons, and trail races. I've been using my old Garmin 201 continuously for a little over 10 years and I broke it and only ordered this watch as a replacement after my old 201 had serious problems getting a charge (and in fact I suspect the old stand for Charging is the real culprit). The 201 has served me so well that I just couldn't find a new GPS running watch. Wow I can't believe how AWESOME this new Garmin 220 watch is! I personally like the aesthetic (I bought red and black). The LCD screen has options to show parts of the numbers in colors to choose from - blue, red, orange, green and purple I think those are options. That looks very cool! Also, it's shaped more like a watch than the old rectangular 201 form factor, making it more realistic to wear on the go. But in terms of performance, I was impressed here too. My old 201 often took quite a while to find and triangulate GPS satellites. Basically, it took a while to get going. The 220 seems to pick up GPS signals MUCH faster, which is a huge improvement. It also has a vibration as an option, which is great when I'm listening to music and might not hear the beep as easily when running/walking. The vibration can be switched off if desired. The new Garmin also effortlessly uploads my running history when I connect it to my computer via the USB charging cradle. It's so cool how seamless it works. It can be uploaded directly to your Garmin online account and shows you the route you've traveled while running, cycling, hiking, etc. cool Finally, the most important thing for me: running/walking. This watch has the usual features you're probably used to from a Garmin GPS watch, including intervals (that's how I ran/walked on the old 201). You can still do interval training on this watch, but you can also set the default "main" workout function to run/walk. It even shows a little person walking or running while it beeps/vibrates to let you know it's time. Nice little gesture that makes me smile. The watch also offers many features that I didn't use. For example, Bluetooth allows you to pair the watch with a smartphone and use the Garmin app to perform certain "smartwatch" functions, such as: B. reading text messages and showing caller ID (I think). You can also pair it with a "pedestrian," which can help the watch determine distance traveled even if you're indoors, or calculate your cadence. They can also be paired with a heart rate monitor (a version of the watch comes with HRM). A good thing, even if I don't currently use it. Battery life has been excellent so far, but I'll admit it's still brand new. My old 201 had some loss of battery life (quite a lot actually), but I've been using it several times a week for over 10 years. Show me ANY battery (including lithium) that lasts this well! Overall, I cannot recommend this Garmin 220 GPS watch enough. It has all the features, aesthetics and functionality I expected and more. If your needs and expectations are the same as mine, this watch will not disappoint!