Garmin Forerunner 10 vs. Nike + Sportwatch GPS

Nike GPS. Very simple and easy to use. Has a USB built in and automatically uploads runs to Nike's website so she can track her mileage. Doesn't have all of the bell and whistles of the Garmin watches, but it does the job pretty well. I got one after running with a Forerunner 305 for three years and I like it. Being able to tap the screen to take laps makes workouts a lot easier.

Humanoids that come equipped with a vaginal feature will prefer the Garmin. Good luck

The Nike watch has a really cool program for tracking everything. It's got a really nice interface and all. Check it out.

Here's a guy reviewing the Nike watch... jump to 8:17 for a little look on the software (Nike+ Connect)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziCsrpqlkLA

The Nike is more like the Forerunner 210. The 10 is pretty basic.

I use the Nike now, and I used the Forerunner 610 for a while. Nike is easier.

does the nike sportwatch acquire satellites within seconds like the garmin?

and is it just as accurate as the 610 over runs, or is the garmin better with accuracy?

Never had a GPS watch (past 40 here) but why are they so big? T tried on the Nike GPS and I think it was actually bigger than my wrist. It feels cumbersome and uncomfortable. Do you get used to this after while? I have a very thin wrist maybe but the screen is tiny bigger than the wrist.

shoenewb wrote:

does the nike sportwatch acquire satellites within seconds like the garmin?

and is it just as accurate as the 610 over runs, or is the garmin better with accuracy?

the Nike has been just as accurate as a Garmin Forerunner 305 that i've had for nearly four years (not sure about the 610). its lot more comfortable to wear though because of its smaller design. As far as acquiring satellites goes, the Nike GPS loads up in the time it takes for me to walk down two floors from my apartment to the ground to run. I've never had to stand around and wait for it to acquire the satellites

Timely thread. I was just looking for a simple gps watch to give somewhat accurate distance and pace. Anyone have experience with the New Balance GPS watch? Don't really care about all the other bells and whistles.

thanks Darwinian.

The sportwatch doesnt have a vibrate feature though does it?

if not, can you at least silence it instead of making it beep when scrolling through menus and stuff or does it have to make noise?

glad to hear its accurate. do you run in an urban area or open roads?

only thing im worried about now is it might be too big for me (6" wrist)

Darwinian,

How long have you had the watch? Seems a lot of reviews says the watch is useless and a year of use.

Rolex ftw

What do you mean why are they so big? Do you think the tracking technology is made out of paper? They need to fit the gps technology in the watch.

I love my Nike watch, but after almost two years the band at the connecting point is starting to crack. I am worried that the Nike watch will have to be replaced due to this simple failure of the band.

I have an FR 10. But you're buying this for a woman...so Nike is the way to go.

I've had the Nike watch for over 6 months at this point and I have a very love-hate relationship with it. Here's a long-*ss review I wrote on Amazon that sums up my feelings for it:

After a fantastic two years with a Nike Triax watch, I decided to stick with Nike when I upgraded to a GPS watch around eight months ago. I was mainly looking for a good-looking watch I could wear casually with basic GPS functionality. Overall this watch definitely met my expectations, which were admittedly skewed since I knew I was paying half of what most of what my teammates paid for their GPS watches. However, I cannot recommend this to other buyers because it simply fails at so many fundamental levels.

First off, let's talk about the good. The watch looks GREAT. The screen is thick, moreso than you'd think looking at pictures, so it might look a bit awkward on lanky arms, but overall the design of the clock and the overall look is very striking. You'll definitely get a lot of comments from people who aren't even aware of its GPS functionality, just on the basis of its appearance. Compared to other GPS watches, I find this watch actually is a bit larger, but it certainly does not have the bulky look of Garmin watches.

For the watch to connect in a reasonably short amount of time, you'll need to connect it to the computer regularly to update its satellite data. If I've updated recently (within two days), it'll usually connect in under 10 seconds in decent weather; when it's overcast I might have to leave it stationary for 20 seconds or more before it can get a signal. Overall though I usually do not have to hold up the group much if at all, even when none of them have GPS watches that need to connect. But good luck if you put off updating for a couple days, as the watch can really struggle, taking over a minute at times, to get a signal that I frankly don't trust much at that point. Of course you'll be connecting it regularly to charge the battery and upload your workout info, so updating shouldn't be a hassle (it only takes a couple seconds and occurs automatically when you plug the watch in). On that note, the battery is pretty good. Last week I didn't run at all and the watch lasted all week. On a normal week when I run 5 days a week for 30-40 minutes on average, I could probably get away with charging twice, but since the watch charges quickly you'll often find it's fully charged by the time you've uploaded your workouts and updated the satellite info. The connection to the computer occurs by a USB that is hidden in the strap. It looks decently protected, and Nike provides a USB extension cord to make connecting the watch easier. Unfortunately you don't get a USB-to-socket convertor though, so you'll have to charge exclusively through the computer if you don't have one of your own.

Now for my gripes, of which there are many. Probably the most offensive thing about this watch is the lack of basic functionality that I had in my 30-dollar Triax watch. The clock doesn't show seconds, for one. Even worse, the stop watch is useless because it cannot save splits to the memory, which is a pain when I'm doing intervals indoors and need a way to record them. The backlight is accessed by a strong tap of the screen (note it is not a touchscreen, it just responds to shock), which means you can expect it going off at random times when you don't want it to and failing to go off when you are not deliberate in your tap. Even worse is that this same mechanism functions as the lap button when you're using the stopwatch or run functions, which means that: A. to turn on the backlight you are forced to start a new lap, and B. you will start new laps ALL THE TIME because your watch lightly tapped your hip or something. This function is not even a simple gimmick as I first thought, it is an outright defect. There is plenty of room on the right side for two more buttons, and I'd imagine that would be cheaper to implement than a shock sensor. Huge flaw right there.

Other lesser flaws abound. The Nike+ website that has a monopoly your workout info is pretty useless. I use another site as my running log so it's annoying that I can't upload run data to it like you could with a Garmin. The instantaneous pace shown by the watch might as well be randomly generated for how inaccurate it is. Stay away from it and use the average pace display instead, which is obviously a pain if you're doing a workout that involves switching between paces, like a fartlek, but otherwise gets the job done. The nike connect software is good, but it's a pain that I need to use it to program interval workouts into my calculator (i.e. customizing the length of the on and off periods). As a result I have not gotten to use it, it's just too inconvenient. My Triax watch let me edit them right then and there, why can't this watch?

Now all of the above is what any customer can expect from this watch. In addition, I've been having issues that may or may not apply to your purchase. As with another reviewer's watch, my watch became prone to condensation appearing under the glass, and that ended up messing up the screen. At one point, the middle 50% of the screen was all dead pixels, although this hole has bizarrely receded to just a small hole near the top. It doesn't necessarily impede function, but this watch is supposed to be waterproof. I haven't pursued a replacement because I don't have my receipt from eight months ago which I'd need as proof of purchase, so I can't speak to the quality of Nike's customer service, but this was quite disappointing.

Overall, I'm giving this an okay rating of three stars. As an absurdly cheap GPS watch, this fits the bill. I do think it's worth it for that, but I'd recommend having a backup ironman watch or something for intervals and daily use (better yet, get a Triax watch if you can find one on eBay. That was by far my favorite "regular" watch that I've ever used). I should reword what I said earlier in the review: I don't recommend against buying this watch, but I do recommend you consider all I've said here so you know what you're in for. Apart from the condensation issue I'm happy with the watch because I sort of knew what to expect, so potential buyers would be wise to follow the same approach.

dsfdsfgdf wrote:

I have an FR 10. But you're buying this for a woman...so Nike is the way to go.

Can you speak to how much you like or dislike the FR 10?

I had the Nike GPS Plus Sportwatch and it died (wouldn't connect via USB) after a few months. Nike sent a replacement after moderate amount of hassle with their customer service and that one died the same way within six months.

I haven't visited the Nike web tool since the watch died last summer, but at that time it was visually impressive but nearly useless at providing any meaningful information to even a moderately serious runner.

I don't have any experience with Garmin, but, unless Nike has improved their product I would recommend going with something else.

I went from the Garmin Forerunner 205 to the Nike Sportwatch.

Pros:

Not nearly as bulky as a Garmin. Fits nicely on my (small) wrist.

Big numbers for blind old men like me.

Pretty accurate if used with the Nike+ sensor.

Great Nike+ software that automatically maps your routes, mile splits and history.

Very quick to find a signal (as long as you update the GPS every 2-3 days).

Cons: Questionable accuracy if running on GPS only.Trees especially interfere with the signal, although that's probably true with any GPS watch.

To the prior poster who complained about the touch screen "lap" function repeatedly going off, that can be disabled and you would actually have to hit the button to record a lap.

All in all I've been pretty happy with it. I'd give it an 8 out of 10 rating and have no desire to go back to the Garmin.

Have both the Nike watch and the Garmin 405. Here's how I'd score it:

Weight - Nike wins big

Display - Nike wins big

PC Connection - Love the wireless feature on the Garmin, just walk in the room, lay the watch on the table, and it's done.

Accuracy - for long segments, they're about the same, on shorter stuff, Nike's terrible. If I do a 1x1 fartlek, the Nike will show I was going 1:00-1:30 slower than actual pace. Anything longer than 1k and it's a tie.

Construction - Garmin by far. Nike watches have ALWAYS had problems with the bands breaking - and not being replaceable - and this one is no different, unless maybe a little worse than usual.

Charging - do love that the Nike plugs directly into any USB charger - the car, the computer, the plug-in charger for the Garmin, doesn't seems to matter and no cable to lose. Nike also charges much faster.

That's my take on it - have used both for over a year, and each has its place in my training.