Customer Reviews

Garmin Foot Pod for Forerunner 305, 405, and 50

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have my Foot Pod paired with my Garmin Forerunner 305 and am very satisfied. The Foot Pod has a plastic bracket that fits under my shoe string, while the Foot Pod fits over my shoe string. It can be a little difficult to get the two pieces to click together, but when they do they form a secure arrangement. I followed the instructions in the Forerunner manual and paired the Foot Pod with the Forerunner on the first try. Once this is done it does not have to be repeated since the Forerunner automatically detects the Foot Pod from then on.

The Foot Pod measures my pace in strides per minute and also measures my distance traveled. I am a little disappointed that the Forerunner allows the distance measured by the Foot Pod to over ride the distance measured by the GPS in the Forerunner. I suspect the distance measured by the GPS is more accurate, but I can not find an option to force the GPS distance to be used while the Foot Pod is in use. Walking the same course results is a measured distance of 3.26 miles using the GPS and 3.30 miles using the Foot Pod, which I feel is good agreement. I did not have to follow the calibration instructions to achieve these results.

Overall I have found the Foot Pod a great addition to my exercise equipment, especially when I am inside and out of range of the GPS satelittes.

I recently replaced my Forerunner 305 with the 405cx and decided to replace the original version of the footpod (which I have reviewed on Amazon) with this newer model. I am happy with my decision.

Unlike the original version, this model is smaller, lighter (because it uses a "button" battery rather than an AA battery), and much easier to attach and remove from your sneakers.

However, as a practical matter, I leave it on my sneakers even when I run outdoors because I am not confident that the plastic clips that have to be detached to remove this unit will hold up (i.e. not break) under frequent usage, and if they do, then there is no way to attach the footpod to the laceclip that attaches to your sneakers. But this unit is so small and light compared to the original version (which I also ran with outdoors because it was such a pain to remove it since that required almost completely unlacing my sneakers), that I do not notice it.

The only downside to not removing it when running outside is that unlike the older version, which had an on/off switch, the new footpod is motion-activated, so its battery gets used whenever it is in motion. You can tell when it is activated because a red light will initially flash 3 times. When you initially pair it with your Forerunner, just shake it vigorously a couple of times.

This unit works perfectly with both my 405 cx and 50. With the 405cx I used the GPS calibration method, and with the 50 (which has no GPS) I used manual calibration by running a marked distance on a trail in a local park. Before calibration, I was getting inaccurate readings.


There is no battery indicator, so I keep an extra "button" battery (CR 2032) in my gym bag. The battery has already "died" on me once while I was running on the treadmill.

If you keep this unit on your sneakers when you run outside with a Forerunner that has a GPS, Garmin tech support has told me that if both the GPS and the footpod are activated, the GPS signal will override the footpod, though the battery in the footpod will still be used (however, I still disable the footpod when running outside; on the 405cx that is easily done by going into Accessories).

If you are considering purchasing this unit to use with the Forerunner 50 (which I have reviewed on Amazon), then buy it as part of a package. The unit alone costs about the same as such a package for the Forerunner 50.

Once calibrated, this unit works effortlessly and accurately with my Forerunner 405cx to track my distances and pace when I run on the treadmill. There really is no other way to upload this data onto a computer unless you use the footpod when running indoors on a treadmill. (Note for Mac users: I use a software program called Ascent, which is far superior to Garmin Connect and Garmin Training Center).

I am happy with this unit and recommend it. Once you put it onto your sneakers, pair it with your Forerunner, and calibrate it, there is nothing else to do except let it track your data for you.

Update August 21, 2009: I started removing this from my sneakers when I run outdoors and then reattaching it when I run on the treadmill indoors at the gym. The plastic clips are sturdier than I originally thought, though I handle them very carefully.

I recently got a Forerunner 405 and love it. I wanted to work on my cadence, and realized I could do that with this product. Quite simply, I put it on my shoe and can see my cadence at all times, just like my heart rate and speed. I've found it to be a great training tool for my running.

I have not tried using this on a treadmill or anything like that. I exclusively use this for cadence, and if you've been wanting to work on that, this is a great way to do it.

I was unable to pair the Foot Pod with my Forerunner 305 so arranged to return the unit to Amazon. Amazon was great...they sent a new unit out by overnight FedEx, even though my original unit was shipped using 2-day shipping.

Unfortunately, when I got the new unit I wasn't able to pair it either. Having read some of the other reviews here, I bought a new battery for the unit. Again, I was unable to pair it with the Forerunner.

Next, I went to the Garmin support site (which is really poorly designed) and found an article saying that if you swap batteries, you must wait at least one minute after removing the old battery before you put the new one in. Apparently, this is true even if the original battery is weak (as was the one I got new with the unit.) Alas, after pulling the new battery out for a couple of minutes and then reinserting it, I was able to pair the Foot Pod with the Forerunner.

My experience appears to be common, and IMHO, is unacceptable. The Foot Pod should be shipped with the battery not inserted (or with an insulating material blocking it from making contact) so that the unit isn't dead on arrival. For this reason, and also because the Garmin support site is so lousy, I've given my review just three stars. I'll also note (as others have) that the instructions Garmin provides in the support section is very difficult to find, and omits the necessary step of having to shake the unit for it to be found by the Forerunner.

I also think this is overpriced for what you get. Before I bought the Forerunner I used a Nike+iPod sending unit that was a) much smaller; b) much cheaper. (I wanted the integration with the Forerunner, though.)

This is really a great addition for people who want to track ALL of their workouts on Garmin Connect or Garmin Training Center. Like most, I personally prefer outdoor workouts on my Garmin Forerunner 405. With a busy work and travel schedule, I find myself on the treadmill at least a couple of times a week and with the foot pod accessory I can keep track of those workouts along with my outdoor workouts, which is great.

I highly suggest calibrating the unit. I calibrated 3 different times, took the average of all 3 and use that as my permanent calibration. I compared a short foot pod jog to a GPS jog outside, and found that calibration pretty accurate. I think the pace is also more accurate using the foot pod vs. the treadmill.Only con would be the price. After paying $350 for the watch with heart rate monitor, I wish the accessories were a little more affordable. Overall, a great product to enhance your use of the Forerunner 405.

After reading the reviews I decided to make the purchase and I do no regret it. I paired my foot pod with a forerunner 305 and I was recognized as soon as I moved my foot. I need it because it got cold and had to result to a treadmill for running.

Pros:
Easily synced with the forerunner 305
Easy to install, it clips on the shoe laces and is secure


Cons:
Well not major but I think Garmin make it possible to walk outside and be able to calibrate the unit using the GPS. To calibrate my unit, I ran a marked 1/8 of a mile and I did that way.

I lucked out when i ordered the first generation model and found out two weeks later after wondering why it was taking so long that they were out of stock. I ordered this one and i'm glad because the other one looked way too bulky in comparison.

For the most part, this foot pod is great. i do a lot of treadmill work and not too much outdoor running. I find the treadmill is an easier way to push myself during interval training. The problem you run into is "do i calibrate the pod to the treadmill or to an actual measured distance outdoors" as treadmills can be inaccurate (so i'm told, how would i check). I calculated it to the treadmill because i'm going off what the treadmill says for the entirety of the workout. It may be just as easy to look at my watch and see how much further i have to run, but i find it easy to just look at the treadmill. So when i download the data into the garmin program sometimes i'll have .98 miles for laps but i know that i was doing 1 mile and i can calculate my mile pace off of that assumption and my lap time.

A tip on that. I noticed that the footpod said i was running approx. 30 seconds slower on a per mile pace than what the treadmill said (after calibration). I quickened my step (treadmill speed remained the same) and my pace on the garmin dropped to near what the treadmill reported. When i calibrated the footpod it was at the beginning of a workout and so i was only doing a warm-up speed so my turnover was a little slower than what i usually run at. You should calibrate the footpod at the upper end of your aerobic pace or wherever you do the bulk of your running. It takes a little trial and error.

I love the foot pot and it works great with the Garmin Forerunner 50 I purchased. The only problem is the battery was DOA. I was getting frustrated with not being able to get it to pair with the watch. Then I recalled reading a review on the foot pod saying it worked great once they put a new battery in it. So I took the battery out of the heart rate monitor and put it in the foot pod. No issues since.

The foot pod is great. Unfortunately, it arrived with a DEAD battery - really not cool considering how much money it cost. BUT less than $4 later for a new battery (CR2032), the foot pod worked perfectly! It is super accurate and even let me know the degree of inaccuracy of my gym's treadmills.

I live in Rio de Janeiro and when I run in the forest my Garmin Forerunner 405 it doesn't receive the sign of the satelite. Now I use the Garmin foot pod and and I can check my pace, traveled distance and my time during the race in the forest. It is my great partner.