Garmin recently announced the Forerunner 110 sports watch, marketed as a lower-cost, fully functional watch for runners and endurance athletes.
Unlike the Forerunner 305 and 405 models from Garmin, the company tried to keep the watch as simple as possible. It offers distance and time elapsed, and also shows the wearer’s current HR and HR-based calories burned during exercise.
The 110 is able to operate up to three weeks in power-save mode, or up to eight hours maximum when used in GPS/training mode. Garmin makes it easy to transfer training information to a PC using Garmin Connect, and the 110 supports up to 200 hours of saved data.
"Within seconds of stepping outside, you simply press start and instantly know your distance, pace and time -- all without any complicated setup or excessive accessories," said Dan Bartel, Garmin VP of sales.
Any Garmin HR monitor will work with the Forerunner 110 -- a very nice touch added by Garmin, as some companies force you to upgrade -- keeping this an entry-level product.
The watch will be available by itself for $99.99 MSRP, with a $249.99 price tag for the bundled watch and HR monitor. It will be available in the colors: charcoal/red, gray/pink, and black/gray.
As an endurance athlete who uses a GPS and heart rate monitor when training, using a simple product that doesn't have too many buttons and features is extremely appealing.
I've used HR and GPS products from Garmin, Polar, and other companies over the years, but still believe the Garmin running and cycling products lead the industry. I have a continued love-hate relationship with the 405, as it offers an excellent number of features, but can be extremely difficult to learn to use properly.
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