Review on Garmin Forerunner 225 Certified Refurbished by Drew Diaz

. Watch looks and works like new. For watches sold as refurbished, that's all you could ask for. As soon as I synced it with Garmin Express, the software automatically updated to version 2.90. Love that they were 100% charged when I took them out of the Garmin REFURBISHED box - thanks for that. I decided to buy them refurbished because the previous 2 hours from Garmin had taken so long. The first is 10 years old, the second 6 years old. After charging, they work perfectly. Both used chest straps for heart rate measurement. I'm glad the Forerunner 225 has its own onboard storage. Nothing to wear when I want to know how my heart is beating. I used it for a walk/jog with my dog the second night after I arrived. Why I used it of course - I wore it all day, of course. That in itself is a big advantage - you don't have to lug anything around in your pocket or in your hand. My phones are not too big but you can take them with you. The clock is already there. This is most beneficial in warmer weather when someone is doing something with their hands; As a rule, summer clothing has fewer pockets, if any. I'm really impressed with how easy it is to use. I've spent a few minutes over the last 3 days looking at Garmin's short videos and online guide and by my second night I was well acquainted with how to use it on my first real run. I ran the night before but it was only a mile, you could call it my "shake" run. For some odd reason, Garmin Connect didn't sync itself to three running websites: Endomondo, MapMyRun, and Runkeeper. I had to export and then upload the TCX files to each one individually. But the second night run worked the way Garmin Connect had always worked with my Forerunner 110: it just worked automatically via the cloud. The GPS is very accurate on this watch, at least as reported by what I believe to be the premium GPS tracking app, MapMyRun. He followed all the ups and downs of the nearby trail. I can see where I've driven faster and slower, and the little dips and "hills" I've driven over. I really like this watch. I used it to track 3 nights of sleep and it just works. For mileage tracking, it just works. Counting my steps or telling me to get up and move when I've been sitting too long - it just works. And for heart rate monitoring - as soon as I put the bracelet on, it works too. No more garbage readings like my first run when she hit 180 in the first 1/4 mile. All I had to do was move the tape one step closer and it tracked perfectly without missing a beat. The accuracy of the heart rate matches the readings from the Instant Pulse application on my phone. They're both slightly different when I watch them because I'm pretty sure my heart rate is actually changing - these devices measure that average. So for me, everything I read back and forth about staffing issues is a storm in the water. Like any sensor, it must have good enough data to provide an accurate result. My advice to those who can't get their watch to display an accurate heart rate is to tighten the strap a notch, maybe two if you're wearing it very loosely. [However, if you have a lot of dark hair on your wrist or tattoos, this might not be the best choice] as this watch can get software updates and Garmin is very good at releasing updates to their watches. For years now, I'm fairly confident that the Forerunner 225 can gain additional features over its lifetime, which I expect will continue after swapping out for another device that's even smaller but does even better. However, a small watch is of no use to me if I can't see the display or reach the controls with my fingers. The numbers displayed on this unit are larger and easier to read than any Garmin I've used, and the buttons are very easy to press, partly because the larger circle allows the buttons to be spaced farther apart. So this watch is a nice proportional size and I wouldn't want it to be much smaller. GPS syncs in a few seconds in this watch. I like this comfort very much. Both of my old Forerunner watches took about a minute or two to log in for GPS tracking to be available. One last thing: I'm glad the watch DOES NOT have a touchscreen. It would be too easy to ruin my workout if I only had to tap the screen once or twice during a run to change the setting. These buttons probably won't give me any trouble, especially since they're in the same location as my latest Forerunner 110. Damn, I love that.