Customer Reviews

Tech4o Traileader 1 - Watch

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am a HUGE fan of Suunto wrist computers (watches for the layperson), and I have owned several versions over the years, and my latest, the yellow Suunto Core is my new #1 favorite gadget--or rather WAS until I opened up my Traileader 1. Holy freakin' $#&*!! this watch does it all! It does basically everything my Core does, and goes even further with the addition of the incredibly useful Accelerometer, and tells me (accurately) just how FAR I've walked, hiked or ran. It gives me an approximation of my calorie expenditure, how fast my walk/run was and exactly how many steps I took on my trek. One additional handy item that the Traileader has that is missing from all Suunto models (at least that I am currently aware of) is similar to the HighGear Altimeter/Barometer watches, a visual representation of what the weather should be like depending on current barometric pressure. It'll have a sun for clear days, clouds, rain, or partly cloudy image on the top of the screen giving you an instant take on today's conditions. Where this is a great tool for outdoor people, it is sometimes incorrect and unlike my HighGear model, won't allow me the ability to correct the image if it is in fact incorrect. If they give me this option, then I honestly don't think I'd have pretty much ANY gripe about this watch whatsoever.

Sure, it's big--but name me another watch that packs as much as this one does and in a smaller package and I'll buy it. As big as the Traileader is, it isn't really any larger than other watches of comparable abilities available. It fits comfortably on my wrist and isn't terribly heavy or bulky, either. Still, you're going to want to see it in person before you make a purchase just in case. It IS a shade bigger than my Core, but not that you can tell without holding them both up at the same time. It isn't as 'visually friendly' as the Core, but man does it more than make up for that with what it CAN do.

It DOES take a bit to set up the functions that this watch is capable of performing. The Pedometer/Accelerometer takes a bit of time, but not much if you are even remotely tech-oriented. Just measure 10 steps (make sure to do each step the same as you would on a regular hike) and figure out how many inches you walked total, and divide that by 10 and you've got your "Stride". Put that into your watch, and the next thing is to set the sensitivity rating so it'll count properly as you walk. I measured mine with a local Jr. High track so I knew that walking around it once was exactly a quarter-mile, so it makes calibrating actually simple. It DOES take some time, though. But if you want the most out of your purchase, I recommend you take the time.

Setting up the altimeter is easy, and yet another feature the Traileader has that is absent in all the Suunto watches I've owned is you can record a Reference Altitude that you can store for whenever you finish or begin a hike that involves altitude changes. If the weather influences your altitude--which it eventually will do--it's nice to just go back to your Ref. Altitude and you don't have to play with it further.

The Sleep Mode is also particularly useful. When you are using the Pedometer function, if you happen to stop for a few minutes, you can set your watch to save battery power by going into Sleep mode until you are ready to get back to your hike. If you are familiar with how quickly these types of watches need battery replacement, you will immediately appreciate what a genius idea this really is...and wonder why nobody else has copied it.

The digital compass is also quite useful, and I particularly like how it looks on the oversized screen. This is one area where some digital compasses are all kind of unique in how the display works...my personal fav was the display on my Suunto X6HR model, but this one comes a close 2nd place.

Overall, this is a phenomenally useful tool for the person who loves the outdoors and wants to know where they are, and how far they've gone when doing it.

PROS: Pedometer is accurate--IF you take the time to set it up properly. Visual aid of weather is great--when it works. Altimeter is handy and far as I can tell, accurate as well. Barometer is also handy. Oh yeah, it also tells time!

CONS: Large, if you have a small wrist, or just dislike big watches, you're going to want to see it IN person before buying to make sure its what you want. Not as 'Pretty' as Suunto--but remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

For those die-hard Suunto fans, I say give this watch a SERIOUS look before spending the nearly twice what it'd take to get less features. I don't see me abandoning my Suunto products just yet, but if the Traileader is any indication, the company that gets me to do it will be called Tech 4O.

Have only had my watch for about a month, but am very satisfied so far. Band is comfortable but if it ever broke, it looks like it would have to be sent back to factory for replacement. Battery is easy replacement. Setup, as well as use, was almost intuitive, but do need the instructions for some functions setup. After measuring my pace and putting it in the watch, found the pedometer to be accurate to plus or minus .04 to.06 mile, depending upon how fast I am walking or how long my step is. The watch is comfortable, nice looking and although a big watch, not too big for my wrist. Altimeter seems to be as accurate as any barometric pressure meters that I have used. Compass certainly finds the general directions, but, as with most wristwatch compasses, is a little difficult to run a course with close accuracy, especially without taking it off. As with any wristwatch thermometer, you need to take it off for a few minutes to let it come to ambient temperature and then it is accurate. It actually has more functions than I need. Don't know why I would ever need dual alarms. I have hearing loss in the pitch of the alarm, so can't hear them, anyway...

This is a great watch for hiking. I was having trouble in deep woods trails with a gps and this watch solves all those satelite or lack there of problems. The pedometer is adjustable to pace/stride and the altimeter is a very nice feature. not sure of the current temperature as it seems to fluctuate too much. Only problem/concern is the crystal face appears to be a soft plastic and marks up pretty easy. Need to treat it tender for this. Overall I'm very pleased.

Excellent product especially considering the price. It performs exactly as advertised and as expected. So far it's proven "waterproof" to 12' several times for 10-30 minutes each time which is more than it's rated for (they say "water resistant" to 10 meters). The main reason I bought it was for the barometric pressure and last 48 hr. graph to predict potential storms when out kayaking. So far (2 months), it's performed great.

I recently purchased this watch for trail running, and backpacking. It's a little big for a female's wrist, but I'm only wearing it while out on the trail so it's ok. I found the instruction manual super easy to follow, and the large buttons on the watch with the functions easy to use. I set it up in under an hour. I've taken it out for a couple runs on trails that I know the distance on, and it's been accurate up to a tenth of a mile. Everything is just simple and easy to use. It takes seconds to set up for walking, or running. For the value I'm very pleased...

This product does it all, Altimeter, Barometer, Temperature, Laps, Timer, Speed, Pace, Distance traveled, as well as regular time/alarm features. It is sleek, light weight and looks cool.

My favorite feature is that you can accurately track your distance while doing hikes or trail runs.

This watch is phenomenal - especially considering the price. I would compare the quality of the Tech4O to those by Suunto, and easily given the price. Every feature of this watch works well and it's extremely well-built. It's a Swiss Army knife of watches and it's extremely accurate. I bought it for mountaineering but soon found that it works well as a regular watch (though a little bulky). I like to reference my altitude, distance and other features even as I go about my day. -Just nice to know. If you're looking for a great watch that has a ton of features, this is it. The altimeter is very accurate as long as you initialize it with a reference altitude prior to your climb/hike. The face does not fog at altitude. I have not found the forecast feature to be accurate most of the time, but who forecasts the weather accurately anyway? The temperature feature is relatively useless due to bodyheat and the fact that you may often have your hands in your pockets, gloves, etc., but that's normal for all these watches. If you get this watch for mountaineering or hiking, you WON'T be disappointed. This is a great value.

I also own a Suunto Vector and BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: This watch kicks my other one's butt... The assorted features, set up and aesthetics are second to none. This watch is also TOUGH. I am deployed, and this watch has stood up to every raid and patrol with no issues to date. If you want a watch that is both rugged and functional give this one a good hard look. It's price tag makes it a no brainer.

I do a lot running that was one of the main reason i bought this product and love every aspect of it also found to be accurate in all areas, will recommended this product to all friends,

Just got this for Christmas. I have to say that it is very easy to use right out of the box. Didn't really need the instructions other than to verify how to calibrate the compass and set declination.
Only tested in the house so far but the altimeter showed a 10-12 ft change when I went upstairs... i'd say that's pretty good.
Looking forward to testing it out in the field.