Garmin Forerunner 310XT (GPS receiver)

If you can get it to work then it is indeed a great watch with good battery life and satellite pickup on the road or run. However the wireless ANT connection is very problematic, incredibly slow and dropping out on a regular basis. The mapping of your track on the watch often fails too, and history is not always successfully downloaded despite being in the watch history. I would not recommend this watch - go back to the forerunner 305 for fully functioning and good data transfer if you can cope with the poorer battery life and slightly less comfortable fit.

A product designed for multi-sport training and racing is going to cop a few knocks, so when I sent my 6 week old 310XT in to Garmin support here in Sydney to have the cracked screen replaced I assumed they could handle that with ease.

Of course I expected to pay for a new screen and labour costs, but to receive a response back from the technician that Garmin have not yet supplied parts for the 310 XT as the product is so new, and therefore I will need to purchase a new unit speaks volumes for Garmin's disregard for the customer once they have purchased.

I'm no pro triathlete, but plenty of people at training and races have asked me about my 310XT. When I first purchased it I was an extremely satisfied customer and a strong advocate of Garmin. My interactions with Garmin support have changed that view and I now strongly advise anyone looking at this unit to consider the Suunto or Polar alternatives if they value good after-sales service.