TFS Review: Garmin Forerunner 50
Posted January 22nd, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Paul Petersen
Section: Gear & Apparel, Gadgets & Acces., Product Reviews, TFS Reviews
Product: Garmin Forerunner 50
Prices: $200 (watch + HR monitor + food pod + USB ANT stick), $90-$100 (for other combinations without food pod OR without HR monitor)
Rating: Good 7.4/10.0
Pros: Easy-to-use watch interface. Less expensive than most of its competitors. Can purchase components “piecemeal”. Reliable HR monitor. Fairly accurate foot pod. PC upload with USB ANT Stick is VERY fast and easy. Work with free desktop software (Garmin Training Center) and/or free online community (Garmin Connect).
Cons: Fewer features than its competitors. Watch displays only two measurements at a time. Can find more advanced Garmin 305 units at comparable prices.
Overall: Compared to its peers (Suunto Running Pack, Polar RS800sd), the Garmin Forerunner 50 is a less expensive, relatively “no-frills” fitness device. The fact that it has fewer features than its competitors makes it a bit easier to use and also less expensive. All-around performance was solid.
When I think “Garmin“, I automatically think “GPS“. For this reason, I was a little surprised to find about Garmin’s latest fitness monitor, the Forerunner 50. It measures speed and distance NOT by GPS, but rather by a foot pod, similar to the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, Suunto Running Pack, and Polar RS800sd. This is a deviation in how most people perceive Garmin, but they are well-respected in general for all of their products. Would the Forerunner 50 follow suit?
Design - 7 - Out of the box, the Forerunner 50 consists of a sports monitoring watch, a USB ANT stick, a heart rate monitor (optional), and a foot pod (optional).
For those accustomed to the bulky Forerunner GPS units (201/301, 205/305), the Forerunner 50 watch is a “small” breath of fresh air. It is light-weight, yet feels sturdy. The unit is a similar size to a standard sports watch, and has a simple look to it with four buttons around the perimeter of the face:
- View: backlight; scrolls through data pages; confirmation
- Mode: changes watch modes; exits a menu or page
- Lap/Reset/-: creates new lap; saves workout; decreases value for settings
- Start/Stop/+: starts and stops timer; customizes settings; increases value for settings
The buttons are responsive and easy to push, even in cold weather with gloves on. Setting the time, alarms, and other settings is simple and intuitive, and the instruction manual is easy to follow.
The Forerunner 50 watch has several modes: Time Mode, Train Mode, Interval Timer Mode, and History Mode. Most runners will spend most of their workouts in Train Mode, and can easily review their training data (ave HR, pace, distance, laps, etc.) in History Mode. Within Training Mode, a user can adjust their settings: units, pace vs. speed, autolap triggers, pace and HR zones, weight, gender, and foot pod calibration. All of these settings are straight-forward to adjust, and outlined clearly in the manual. In particular, calibration is important for any foot pod, and the Forerunner 50 gives several options to do this and therefore ensure top accuracy.
While in Train Mode, a user can view their total time, lap split, current pace, total distance, current heart rate, and cadence (number of steps per minute). This is not an overwhelming amount of information available on the fly. It some ways it is limiting, as the Forerunner 50’s peers tend to exude a lot more data. On the other hand, it makes the unit easy to use, and help prevent “data overload”. (raise your hand if you look at your watch every minute…). Compared to the Polar RS800sd, the Forerunner 50 is almost a “barebone” unit.
By far what I liked least about the watch was its display, specifically the fact that the user can only view two types of data at the same time (ie - heart rate and pace, or time and distance). Although you can set which data types you want to display, I usually found myself itching for more information, and had to continually cycle through the displays using the View button in mid-stride. Perhaps I am just getting greedy, but the Forerunner 50’s peers, namely the Suunto Running Pack and Polar RS800sd, both show three or more simultaneous workout displays with essentially the same amount of watch face “real estate”.
As stated above, workout data is saved to the watch, and can be viewed in History Mode. Unfortunately, the Forerunner 50 only holds 100 laps and up to seven hours of exercise. For workout warriors, and for those who do not upload to a computer frequently, this could be a shortcoming. The key workaround to this low internal memory is to upload to the computer regularly, using the included ANT+Sport wireless technology.
Workout data are uploaded to a computer using the USB ANT stick that comes with the Forerunner 50. Users just need to go to http://my.garmin.com/forerunner to download the required USB drivers.
After that it is simply a matter of plugging in the ANT stick to a USB port, and bring the Forerunner within 5m of the computer. Garmin takes care of the rest. No cables or button-pushing required. Data can be uploaded to their free desktop software (Garmin Training Center) or their free online community (Garmin Connect).
The optional foot pod is similar to other external foot pods I have used. A light-weight, plastic fork is inserted through the shoelaces, and the pod is snapped into fork. The pod is low-profile and light, and I never noticed I had it on. Since my foot pod was bundled together with the watch, it just worked without any further steps. People who purchase the foot pod separately will need to perform a set of simple one-time steps to pair the units together.
Similarly, the optional heart rate monitor is similar to all other chest-strap monitors I have used. The band can be removed and replaced, but other than that, there are no features of note. Like the foot pod, it works instantly with the watch if purchased together, but will need to be paired if purchased separately.
Effectiveness - 7.5 - When I review anything, my main concerns are: “Does it work?” and “Is it easy to use?”. If a device is does what it is billed to do, and if I can do it without memorizing the instructions or calling tech support, then I generally deem it to be “effective.” The Garmin Forerunner 50 generally passes the test. Although it doesn’t exhibit a lot of flair, it got the job done and gave me numbers and feedback that I could trust.
My first time using it, I was able to just put on the HR monitor, secure the foot pod to my shoe, and enter Train Mode on the watch. The watch immediately sensed the other components, and I was out the door running. No waiting for anything to boot up, no need to turn on anything.
I ended up never having to calibrate the foot pod. Whenever I ran on my marked routes, the Forerunner 50 gave me the correct distance to within a few hundredths of a mile at various checkpoints. In general, foot pod calibration varies with individual runners and their distinct strides, and apparently this particular foot pod liked me. In any case, its measurements were always consistent and reliable.
Similarly, the heart rate monitor never gave me any problems. Like all monitors, I would make sure to wet the sensor before putting it on, and after that I would get steady, reliable values. While I was using it, I did not observe any spikes or obvious errors in the monitor.
As I mentioned above, I was little annoyed that I could only view two measurements at the same time during a workout. Fortunately, I had full power over which measurements the watch was showing. I ended up using heart rate and current pace as my default, and settled for hitting the “View” button whenever I wanted to see my time or total distance.
I also felt limited at times in that I couldn’t find a way during my workouts to display stats such as average pace (overall or lap), average HR, max HR, and others that I was accustomed to seeing on some of my other fitness monitors.
However, getting this information after the workout was no problem, by either browsing through History Mode on the watch or by uploading the data to Garmin Connect using the USB ANT stick. Gleaning information from History Mode was fast and easy to do, but I really enjoyed Garmin Connect. In fact, I feel that one of the real standouts about the Forerunner 50 is how well the ANT stick works, and how user friendly and informative Garmin Connect is. I really liked these features.
Here how the ANT sticks worked for me:
- Follow the instructions for downloading drivers, etc. (easy)
- Go for a run.
- Come back and get near my computer (assuming its on).
- My data magically appeared on Garmin Connect.
I mean it; it’s really that easy. Most of the time I wouldn’t even think about it. I would sit down on my computer after a run, still wearing the watch, and the next thing I know I’m being informed that my workout data has been uploaded. Don’t I need to at least push a button or something? Or have a tangle of cables somewhere? Pretty slick.
And as I mentioned, I really enjoyed Garmin Connect. (The Forerunner 50 also works with Garmin Training Center). Garmin Connect is an online training log that allows you to view detailed data for individual runs through various reports and graphs. It can also aggregate reports to summarize your workouts in terms of weeks, months, or years. The graphics are very clean and sharp, and the site is very easy to navigate. I found that it conveyed information very well, and I could get at the more detailed data, such as lap stats, all sorts of averages, and maximums. At the same time, I was never overwhelmed with the amount or complexity of data it presented, which I thought kept the interface clean and intuitive.
Value - 7.5 - In general, I am attracted to the idea of a “budget” sports monitor. Virtually all watch + GPS/foot pod + HR monitor devices cost over $200, and usually offer more features than I could handle. Given that the Forerunner 50 is relatively “stripped down” in features compared to many of its peers, I would be very excited to see the full package somewhere in the $150 range. What could be better than a minimalist fitness tool at a minimalist price? It would surely fill a niche in the industry, and allow people on a budget to get their hands on a quality tool.
However, this is not quite the case. The full Forerunner 50 package (all components) prices out at around $200. In my opinion, this is a good value, but not a great value. After all, these days you can find the Forerunner 305, with its glut of mapping and other features, for pretty much the exact same price. (it’s true, I found the 305 on Amazon.com the other day for $205, plus free shipping; now that’s a good deal!)
That being said, the Forerunner 50 is a bit cheaper than the Suunto Running Pack (and easier to use), and a lot less expensive than the costly Polar RS800sd unit. The Forerunner 50 is the most cost-effective foot pod/HR combo that I have seen to date. If you don’t need all of the features found in the Suunto or Polar products (and many people don’t!), then going with the Forerunner 50 will definitely save a few bucks, while still giving you a product that works.
Although the Forerunner 50 doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as some of its competitors, the foot pod accuracy and HR monitor reliability is on par with every other product I have tested. In addition, the USB ANT Stick is pretty slick, and its compatibility with two free software packages for data storage and analysis adds value as well. On a side note, I do think Garmin has a winner with both the ANT Stick and with Garmin Connect. With all this in mind, the Forerunner 50 will give you solid performance at a solid price.
Editor’s note - The overall rating was calculated by weighing Effectiveness as 70%, Design as 20% and Value as 10%.
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: ant stick, Foot POD, foot podt, forerunner, forerunner 50, Garmin, garmin forerunner 50, gps, heart rate monitor, HRM, Nike+ipod, nike+ipod sportkit, polar rs800sd, speed distance, sports monitoring watch, sports watch, suunto, training device, usb, watch
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January 5th, 2008 at 2:19 amYou should mention that Garmin does not support Mac with its Connect website, nor does their Training Center software for the Mac seem to work properly. Unfortunately, none of this is disclosed on the packaging, so buyers who use a Mac OS are SOL and end up stuck with a overpriced heart rate monitor that’s not even as good as POLAR.
March 16th, 2008 at 1:37 amGarmin now supports Mac. GTC exist for Mac OS X.
April 4th, 2008 at 1:10 amEven if GTC exists for Mac, ANT drivers do not exist - yet. So Forerunner 50 is still useless with a Mac
April 9th, 2008 at 11:40 amAre there any good HRs that are Mac compatible. I was told by my local running shop that it was Mac compatible with a patch but I have not been able yet to find said patch.
April 20th, 2008 at 5:19 pm