Customer Reviews

FINIS Tempo Trainer

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I got this product because I swim laps twice a day for exercise and I need something to help me pace myself. This product does that (it does exactly what the literature says it will do) - for that I would give it an A+.

HOWEVER, when I first opened it up and looked at it, I thought the weak point is the holder used to attach it to the goggles. It is plastic, has three prongs to hold the Tempo Trainer, and a clip on the other side to hold it on the goggle strap. I was right. After using it two months, I noticed I couldn't keep it on my goggles without it slipping off and falling to the bottom of the pool. The clip had fatigued and stretched so that it is no longer tight enough to stay on the strap. I jerry-rigged it with some electrical tape to keep it on, and that works after a fashion. The clip gets a D.

I got the idea I could contact Finis the manufacturer and see if they would sell me extra clips, so I looked them up on the Internet - not very hard to do. I e-mailed my inquiry to them (to two of their contact addresses) and both my e-mails were returned, so I decided to contact them by phone. After several unsuccessful attempts on one day to get anyone but an automatic answering system, I gave up. (This includes trying to get someone to talk to me in sales).

The second day I tried several times again and got someone. The representative said they don't sell clips separately and I'd have to buy a whole new Tempo Trainer (approx. $30) if I wanted to get a new clip. She added that they had had other problems with this item - mainly the electronics die after several uses. This hasn't happened to mine, I can only go by the company representative's word.

SO - great idea - substandard manufacturing. Unless you have electrical tape and are one of the lucky ones to get one that works - maybe you should think of something else if you need this kind of timer.

The timing works well. It's easy to set the pace. The beep is clear and loud enough. Also the display is well readable.

Considering what it does, that is beeping at the set pace, that's it, one would say it's also rather expensive.

It is easy to notice how cheap it is in its construction. The clip part that is supposed to clip it to the goggle's band is just a weak piece of plastic and very soon it falls apart. After that one has to figure out how to attach it to your head.

After that my clip broke (that happened only four weeks), I ended up wearing it under my swimming cap. Good enough, not a big deal.

But bad things happen and these kind of objects should be designed to be resistant enough. So, the first time it inadvertently dropped on the floor, the liquid crystal screen broke.

It should be designed to be sport resistant, it's actually very weak.

So if you really need it, buy a dozen and expect to ned a new one after a few weeks

My daughter uses the tempo trainer and likes it. Other reviewers said that the clip is weak and breaks. This might be true but my daughter and other swimmers on her club do not use the clip. They place the tempo trainer under their swim cap.

I love what the Tempo Trainer does. However my first unit got condensation on the inside and stopped working after the first week of use. But I was pleasantly surprised, when I contacted the factory directly. They said that the batch could have been defective and have sent a brand new unit at no cost to me. I've been using it for the last several months no problem. The supplied plastic clip is useless. I put the Trainer under my swim cap. Also, the factory has confirmed that the battery can not be replaced. After a few initial hick-ups I love the product and would highly recommend it for the swimmers.

This product does exactly what it says, so I was happy with it while it worked. My fault though - I didn't realize that there is no ability to change the battery once it dies. I left it in my gym bag (where it got bumped and turned itself on) where I found it dead after only using it twice. Disappointed to say the least. Upon complaining to the company about their lack of transparency with this fact, they did offer to send me a new one if I sent the old one back and had the new one shipped at my own expense. I share in the blame here, but the product still seems impractical and needs to be advertised as 'disposable'.

I ordered a Tempo Trainer in June. By September, the battery had died. The battery is not customer-replaceable, so I will need to replace the device. After only 3 months. Needless to say, I am not happy.

I'd read the previous review noting that the clip (used to hold the timer onto the goggles) weakened with use. But I thought that, knowing this was the case, my daughter (for whom I purchased the gadget) could be extra careful to not 'stretch' the clip.

However, we didn't even get that far with it. As she was removing the timer from the package (hard-shell clear plastic), one of the three prongs that holds the timer itself into the clip snapped off. Meaning, of course, that the timer will not stay on her goggles because it falls out of its holder.

We will try gluing it in place and see how that works. (To be honest, I can see no reason that the clip couldn't just have been permanently affixed to the timer itself in the first place.)

But really ... the quality control on this (the only gadget of its type, so far as I can tell) is horrible. For an extra nickle they could probably have used a better quality, less brittle type of plastic for the casing.

Another minor annoyance is that there is no way to control the volume, and the beep is rather loud.

Great idea though! If we can repair it, it should help her swimming alot.

I would agree with one of the other reviewers who gave this product an A+. For those who had trouble with the clip, I initially had the same problem. If the clip is placed on the side of the head, when pushing off the wall the water drag is high enough to pull the Tempo Trainer out of its clip. However, I solved this by simply placing the clip on the inside of the goggle strap, so the goggle strap holds the Tempo Trainer in place. I had thought that it might be annoying pressed against my head, but I actually couldn't even feel it. After simply putting it on the inside of my goggle strap, it hasn't ever come off, even when I have fins and paddles on.

And for the other reviewer who complained that the two parts should be integrated, the current design is actually the best way to go about this type of product. If they were integrated, each time a different interval was desired, the person would have to remove the goggles. With a clip, the goggles can be left in place and slip just the Tempo Trainer out to adjust the time.

The Tempo Trainer was purchased for triathlon training. It has been used for 3 months and the battery has died. There is no way to replace the battery. This is not a product that is made with quality and customer service in mind.

Shortly after reviewing the Tempo Trainer, mine died. Not just the clip. The whole thing. I imagine water got into its water-proof case.

Still a great IDEA, but a lousy PRODUCT.

I think TT has quit making them. Perhaps they were losing money on all the returns.