I love Garmin fitness watches.  The features they pack in are mind-boggling!  I have used a Garmin 305 extensively even though it is, well, a little on the large size.  It originally felt like I had strapped an entire tracking satellite to my wrist until I eventually got used to it. The features, however, made it worthwhile as a very valuable training aid.  So, when I heard that Garmin were releasing a new designed women’s heart rate monitor watch I just had to take notice.

Garmin FR60 – Lilac Women’s Heart Rate Monitor

The Garmin FR60 was released in February 2009 featuring two separate designs for men and women.  It features ANT+ compatibility, which means that it is compatible with any other ANT+ wireless exercise device. The ANT+ logo on devices means that you can expect seamless interoperability, which helps to simplify your purchasing decisions.

In addition to the watch and the lightweight, flexible heart rate monitor strap, selected bundles also include a foot pod.  The foot pod is attached to the runner’s shoe to gather very accurate data about the speed and distance travelled.  It does not use GPS to measure this information, which is a feature of some other Garmin devices (such as the 305/405).  It is definately worth looking at a bundle with the footpod if you want to measure your distance and speed, as this is cheaper than buying separately.  It does take the guesswork out of how far you have run during training outdoors.  If you exclusively intend to train on a treadmill, then you do not really need the footpod.

The watch keeps track of the time spent working out, the distance travelled and calories burned and can store up to 15 hours, or 100 laps of detailed exercise data.  So you can review your runs on the watch itself to see how your heart rate changed during a workout.  The data can also be wirelessly transmitted to your PC (or Apple MAC).  This gives greater ability to analyze the post-run data using the “Garmin Training Center” software.

I should also mention that it is also great for other disciplines, such as cycling and swimming!

Garmin have once again included a “virtual partner”, which means that you can compete against a digital person.  This can help you to maintain your goal pace, by reference to whether you are in front of your virtual partner, or lagghing behind.

The battery is user-replaceable (CR2032), which is an important consideration.  Some other watches must have the battery professionally replaced – which adds to the long-term cost.

It is a very easy watch for setting up and customising the displays to your liking. I had no problem pairing the watch with the foot pod.  It is a very comfortable, lightweight watch and is also stylish.

In a nutshell, the Garmin FR60 women’s heart rate monitor is like a 305 without the GPS, which makes it less bulky while retaining all of the features you need to track a quality workout – as long as you utilise the footpod.  It is reasonably priced to reflect the lack of the GPS feature.  Crucially, for the ladies, it will fit small wrists and is very comfortable to wear.

www.womensheartratemonitor.com

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