A few months ago, I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing the Garmin vivofit fitness band and I fell madly, deeply in love with it. I know that's a bold statement since it's a fitness band and all, but we've been inseparable ever since... I think that counts for something. So, when Garmin asked me about checking out their new Garmin Forerunner 15 GPS Running Watch, how could I say no?!
Once I laid eyes on the Teal/White Forerunner 15, I longed for it. I thought it was adorable and fashionable, and would be perfect for me... BUT, I already had the vivofit, could I just cast it aside? Plus, my husband had been eyeing my vivofit and saying things like, "Boy, I wonder how many steps I take a day at work? I bet it's alot," and "I wonder how many calories I'm burning a day?". You see where I'm going with this? Being the awesome wife that I am, I chose the Black/Green Forerunner 15 so that my husband could help me review it. As you can see in the image above, the Forerunner 15 comes in two sizes, a smaller version (for the ladies, or men that might prefer a smaller watch overall), and a larger size.
We were sent a Black/Green Garmin Forerunner 15 with heart rate monitor (at no cost) to facilitate this review. Just as I thought I would, I loved this watch as soon as we unboxed it. It's fairly lightweight, yet sturdy . The Black/Green color combination is attractive and more gender neutral than I had originally thought.
Now, let's get down to business and talk about all of the fabulous features of this watch. The Garmin Forerunner 15 is GPS running watch that will capture all of the essential info from your runs, including time, distance and pace. If you have a heart rate monitor, which we do, it will also track your heart rate and heart rate zone so you’ll know precisely when you hit your mark. That's not all though - the Forerunner 15 will also keep track of your movement between runs. Like my wonderful, motivating vivofit, the Forerunner will count your steps and calories burned and even remind you when it’s time to move.
I'm going to preface this review by stating that I'm not an avid runner. I'm just starting to go for short runs again to train for the upcoming St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend, and when I do run I'm pushing a 30 pound toddler in a jogging stroller. I'm a mom, so this is going to be from a mom's perspective.
Once I unboxed the Forerunner 15, I slipped it on to check out the comfort level. The band on this watch is great because it has so many sizing options - both my husband and I can wear this watch without a problem. I was relieved the see that the watch has a traditional closure and there's even a "safety catch" so your watch won't come undone without you realizing it. The vivofit's closure system is simple to pop open accidentally, and I've almost lost it a few times.
Setting up the Forerunner 15 was easy and intuitive. I didn't even need to read the enclosed directions to figure out how to input my husband's information. I simply toggled through the buttons on the side of the watch and entered his gender, birth date, height, and weight. Once you set the watch, you'll need to charge it (up to three hours). The Forerunner 15 is said to have a great battery life and can last for about 5 weeks in watch/activity tracking mode without being charged. If you're utilizing the GPS mode then the battery will last about 8 hours. My husband has been wearing this watch for about 4 weeks at this point and we've had to charge it once so far, but that's with using the GPS function for outdoor runs.
The watch's charger will need to be plugged into the USB port of your computer. There is no wall charger, but the USB cable is compatible with our Apple iPhone wall chargers (just by plugging the USB into the Apple charger) so that works out perfectly. This USB cable will also function to download your workouts and daily data into the {free} Garmin Express app on your computer, and then you'll view that information with the {free} Garmin Connect app. This app is viewable on your smart phone and it's fabulous to have all the information at your fingertips. Although, the vivofit syncs wirelessly via Bluetooth to the Garmin Connect app, the Forerunner 15 does not and I'm left wishing that it did. I'd love to just be able to press a button to sync it wirelessly and skip the whole "plug it into the computer" routine.
Now, let's move on to functionality. The Forerunner 15 allows your to train indoors or outdoors, although if you'll be using a treadmill or indoor track you'll have to purchase the optional foot pod for your shoe (for $69.99, although you can often find it cheaper on Amazon). Since we don't have the foot pod, we stuck with using the Forerunner 15 outdoors in GPS mode. Although, I think the foot pod would be a very useful tool for us to have since my husband does a lot of running indoors during the summer months. This is probably something I'll purchase down the road. I'll also mention that I was relieved to see that the Forerunner 15 has a water rating of 5 ATM (50 meters), which means we won't ruin it on long SWEATY runs in Florida's high humidity.
As I mentioned earlier, the Forerunner 15 pulls double duty as a step tracker and GPS watch. From what I've read about the previous version of this watch, the Forerunner 15 is basically a cross between the Forerunner 10 and a vivofit... and you know how much I love my vivofit. What does this mean for you? The Forerunner 15 will keep track of how many steps you take each day and the calories you've burned. Not only that, the Garmin Connect app will set a goal for you each day (based on your track record over the previous days) and it will tell you how many steps you need to take to achieve your goal. It will then gently inch you towards a healthier lifestyle by increasing your goal when needed. Like the vivofit, it will also give you a gentle reminder when you've been idle too long. The Forerunner 15 will "beep" at you to let you know when it's time for you to get up and move. You'll then have to walk for a short period of time to reset the inactivity indicator.
Using your Forerunner 15 to monitor your progress while on runs couldn't be easier. Once you're outside, simply press the larger button on the upper right hand corner of the watch face (next to the icon of the running figure) to pick up the GPS signal. This can take up to 30 seconds or so, but we've had good luck with it so far and it usually picks up the location within about 10 seconds. If you're wearing the heart rate monitor, this is also when it will locate it. Once you're GPS is loaded and the display turns to 00:00, you're ready to run. Press that big button again and it will start tracking your run. By pressing the button on the lower right hand corner of the watch you can toggle through difference display screens to see your overall time, lap time, distance, pace, calories, heart rate, and heart zone. You'll notice on the image above that you can make a "new lap" by pressing the button on the lower left corner of the watch face. Forerunner 15 has an auto lap function that automatically alerts you when you complete each mile, again giving you a little "beep" and a backlit screen that flashes your time for that mile.
Once you've finished your run, you can then choose to "Save" or "Discard" the data. The Forerunner 15 will also tell you if you've set any personal records, which is a pretty nice feature. You'll also see a summary of your total time, distance, average pace and calories burned.
Okay, let's talk about Garmin Connect. I mentioned earlier that this is an app where you can view your saved data and progress over time. In order to do this, you'll need to download Garmin Express {for free}, then you'll plug your Forerunner 15 into your computer and download the data. You'll also need the Garmin Connect app to view that information. You can access Garmin Connect on your computer, smart phone, or tablet and there is a wealth of information available.
Since I already had a Garmin Express account from my Vivofit, I just synced to my existing {free} account. Once you've connected, your dashboard will appear and you'll be able to see all the details you'll want about your activity, calories burned, and it will even map out your runs if you've activated the GPS function on that run.
That's not all though, Garmin Connect is really so much more. It's also a virtual community where you can connect with your friends to track and analyze your data and challenge each other. I've got a bit of a competitive edge, so this is a really helpful tool for me. My friend Lindsey recently purchased a vivofit and we track each other's progress daily and have friendly competitions to outstep each other. We're using the Garmin Connect app along with My Fitness Pal and we've both shed a few pounds, but more importantly we both feel better. You can also earn badges for hitting milestones. Just recently I earned my "500,000 Total Steps" badge and that felt pretty awesome.
Overall, both my husband and I have been very pleased with the performance of the Forerunner 15. It's seemingly very accurate and packs a big punch by offering a lot of information on a relatively compact unit, all for a reasonable for a price of $169.99 ($199 with the heart rate monitor bundle). Being able to use the Forerunner in conjunction with a heart rate monitor is a fantastic feature, and I'm sure that avid runners are stoked to see this upgrade from the Forerunner 10. Personally, I also love the integration of the activity tracker so you can count your daily steps. Wearing a tracker has motivated me to be much more active on a daily basis. My only {very minor} complaint is the lack of wireless syncing, but that's really not even close to a deal breaker for me. I would recommend this watch without a doubt.
If you're looking for a super in-depth review of the Forerunner 15 from an athlete's perspective, make sure you check out this review from DC Rainmaker. It's pretty amazing.
Connect: You can connect with Garmin on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Buy it: You can purchase the Garmin Forerunner 15 on Amazon, along with their accessories like the heart rate monitor.
Disclosure: I received these products at no cost to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Amazon links are affiliate links.
Lindsey G says
So you have already sold me on a Vivofit and I LOVE it and the Forerunner sounds like a FAB option for my husband. He uses his cell phone to keep track of GPS when he runs and it's just NOT accurate. I think this might be something I invest in for him! Thanks for sharing both you and your husband's view of the watch.
Ruth V. says
Thanks Lindsey! I think your husband would definitely like this watch! It's so much easier than bringing your phone with you, especially when you want to "disconnect" and just run.
Amber Ludwig says
I cannot begin to start on how much I love this review!! My hubby and I (me being more active than he) are realizing our age is creeping up on us fast!! Both of us decided we need to get more active! This is such an amazing tool to keep track of progress and maybe compete a little 😉
Ruth V. says
Yes, Amber! We came to this conclusion recently too! Man, I still feel like 1995 was just yesterday. We're trying to get more active and stay more active. Our Garmin products are helping with that for sure. Good luck to you and your hubby!!