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How To Properly Select A GPS Watch For Fitness Posted on August 23, 2012 by hrwcblog The GPS watch has risen to prominence in endurance sports over the past decade with brands like Garmin leading the way. Other manufacturers include brands like Polar, Timex, Suunto and, most recently, Magellan, which was a company that helped pioneer the use of GPS. SELECTING THE RIGHT GPS WATCH The Sport - Selecting the appropriate GPS watch needs to first and foremost be driven by the type, or types, of activities you will be participating in � cycling, running, rowing, mountaineering, mountain biking and dozens of other outdoor sports all have various watch units that are best suited to the sport. If you have a list of three sports then simply prioritize that list so you can classify your sports in order of importance. The Output - The types of metrics or things you would like to measure are also important to consider. These items would include things like speed (running minutes per mile and cycling miles per hour), distance, total time, stopwatch, calories, run cadence, pedal cadence, barometric altimeter, compass, heart rate zones, ease of switching between sports with a good interface, training load measurement and a host of other considerations that may, or may not, be important based upon your sport. A good example of this is mountain biking you want speed, distance, heart rate, post-ride maps and perhaps even during ride maps depending upon how adventurous you are, but pedal cadence is often meaningless when compared to road biking. The Use Factor - Perhaps you are a triathlete and want heart rate in the water, bike and swim. You use Training Peaks XO software. This pretty quickly narrows your selection down to the Polar RCX5 but there are 4 different units for cycling, running, GPS etc, so which one do you choose? It all depends from here on what you want to measure � bike cadence, run cadence and other factors. If heart rate in the water is less important you might add the Garmin Forerunner 910XT into the mix. Selection is all driven by capabilities and priorities. The Software - Software compatibility often plays a huge role in device selection. Some athletes like to use the manufacturers� software and others prefer third party software like Training Peaks or Strava. A good example is our sponsored bike team where many of the members use Garmin Edge 500 head units but prefer to use Strava software as opposed to Garmin Connect. Fortunately it is compatible but it is always worth checking. The Size � Especially for smaller women, size does indeed matter. Most GPS watches are just too big. Fortunately, Polar came out with the new women�s RCX3 which has the smallest wrist band, lightest weight and most compact size we have ever tested. Knowing your wrist and chest measurements will always help us fit you better. Battery Life - Most GPS watches claim to have 8 to 20 hours of battery life. In our experience, after a little use and a few recharges, this is more like a 6 to 17 hour battery life. Of course if you are an ultra-runner or someone who requires all day battery then this can make a big difference in the watch you select. Magellan just came out with the first-ever user changeable lithium-ion battery that can be changed on the fly so small 16 hour GPS replacement batteries (weighing a little over 1 ounce) can be carried for significant battery life extension during an event. GPS watches use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries which must be recharged every 6 to 17 hours. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Some of the other considerations we often discuss with customers include unit mounting location. Some athletes like runners wear them on their wrists, cyclists on the handlebars or stem and then boaters can choose many alternative mounting locations. Plug accessories that work in foreign countries for travelers can also be an important consideration. OUR BEST ADVICE Our best advice is to simply call us here at the Heart Rate Watch Company. We have the kind of experts that you can�t find at REI, Amazon, Dick Sporting Goods or elsewhere. People like world-class ultra endurance athlete John Yarington, our chief product tester. People like three-time All-American and world record holder Rusty Squire. Call us at our national toll-free line at 866-586-7129 and we�ll walk you through the selection process to help get the GPS watch that is just right for you. We love talking to our customers and don�t avoid the phone like most of our competition does.

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