TomTom Runner Watch Review

I get asked frequently about which GPS watch I wear and the truth is that I rotate a lot..but one that you’ve seen on my wrist for at least 4 years now is the TomTom Cardio Runner.

First up, I have to say read this article on GPS watch mistakes most runners make because it will help ensure you aren’t spending more than necessary and then please read these 10 tips to actually get the most from your GPS watch.

Now onward to the TomTom Runner review….

TomTom Runner

As many of you know, I follow the Low Heart Rate training method, which means I want a watch that makes it extremely easy to track and see my HR throughout every run.

TomTom was one of the first to come out with the in wrist strap measuring technology. Yes, even before the beloved Garmin. And they got it right on the first try. I’ve had better luck with their heart rate monitoring than almost any other watch I’ve tested.

The Tom Tom Runner Cardio watch is indeed a different watch for many of us, so I wanted to break down some of the features and give you my thoughts and why it made the holiday must have list a few years ago.Even for those who don’t normally train with HR, but are curious I think this watch is great. Now you don’t have to remember any kind of strap and can simply get the information if you want it.

Starting the Watch

When you’re ready to get started you just click run, treadmill or stopwatch…which is fairly self explanatory. Run is going to connect to GPS and HR, while treadmill will be doing only your HR and stop watch well that’s just for time!

Heart Rate Wrist Tracking

I didn’t expect to love it. I didn’t really expect that a watch could truly get and accurate heart rate through a watch strap.

Yet, there I was head over heels after just a few weeks. No chest strap and I still get my much desired HR in a supremely easy to read screen?!

“Your heart rate is measured through a sensor in the watch that monitors changes in blood flow in your wrist. This is done by shining a light through the skin and detecting the changing light reflections.”

In order to get an accurate heart rate, you have to wear this watch fairly tight and just a little bit above your wrist bone. It took me a second or two to get used to this tighter feeling, but once I started running, I didn’t notice it at all.

All of my testing resulted in HR’s that appeared to be right on compared to recent runs with other HR monitors, so I give it a thumbs up for accuracy. As with all HR monitors I have noticed occassionally that it will show an incorrect spike in the first mile, which I think might be due to running in colder or hotter weather.

Initially, I wondered if the heart rate sensors would run into issues after being worn for a few months or not considering I had to constantly replace dead HR chest straps. Clearly the fact that I’m using it 4 years later means it kept right on working.

Watch Fit

The wide rubber feeling band was comfortable, unlike some that feel very hard or stiff.

I also liked that I wasn’t going to accidentally bump a touch screen and change my view. I had that issue with another watch and it made me batty.

Instead this one uses a small black button which you toggle to the right or left. In complete transparency I had both the Runner and Multisport version of this watch for my husband. The toggle on the runner version broke in year 4 and I took over my husbands watch.

Treadmill Tracking

You know I happen to love the treadmill for speed workouts and all kinds of things, so I was pumped to see what the treadmill function actually did here.

First it takes away the headache I have with other watches that keep trying to connect to GPS. Instead it just does HR and attempts to guess at mileage, but once you hit finish the watch allows you to adjust the total! A royal pain that other watches do not have that feature.

Now when you sync up the data you’ll still have your correct HR information with the miles!

Race Yourself Tools

Another fascinating feature is called “race yourself”. Again perfect for Maffetone {LHR} who tells you to test yourself every 4 or so weeks on the exact same course to see if you are getting faster at the same heart rate.

You pull up the previous workout and click race yourself, so while running you can see if you are ahead or behind. Love.

I hate track workouts, but I’m good with tempos or goal pace running and this is just another way to push that envelope a little bit without needing to run so hard my lungs are on fire and I want to heave.

Plus it has the added benefit of being fun.

Phone Sync

Since I am horrific at plugging my watch in to the computer to sync up data, I love that I can sync it to an app on my phone. That I can do while I’m walking to cool down and thus keep all my info…normally I just charge a watch from the wall and never do much with the data, whoops!

But you need to look at the data via your phone to see things like hills, elevation changes, etc.

Other Pros?

• Great battery life
• Obviously mine had a pretty great lifespan
• Tap the screen in darker settings for it to light up
• Vibration alerts (I love not hearing my watch chirp at miles)

Downsides?

If you want to having changing watch faces like the Garmin, not here.
If you want it to be a smartphone and take calls, not here.
If you want music storage, checkout the TomTom Spark reviewed below.

Basically it’s a solid, easy to to use GPS watch that’s going to give you pace, avg pace, lap pace, distance, HR and be very easy to read and to use!

Other GPS Watch Reviews

Still trying to decide which watch is worth your bucks? I get it, I’m always looking at gear. Here are a few other GPS watch reviews I wrote recently:

• Timex Ironman GPS Watch
• Epson Prosense GPS Watch
• TomTom Spark Music Player

What do you look for in a GPS Watch?