Don’t Know What to Get Dad For Father’s Day? These Running Watches Are Sure to Please!

Looking for a great gift for Father’s Day? Why not spoil Dad with an awesome new running watch! With all of the great new GPS enabled sports watches available today, there’s a watch that’s perfect everybody, even difficult to shop for Dad’s!.

If you’re shopping for a runner or jogger, a portable Global Positioning System on their wrist can pinpoint their location within 3 meters, and help Dad develop timed courses, set (and meet) exercise goals and gather and plot data for performance monitoring.

If your father likes to hike deep into the backwoods, a GPS watch can be an invaluable survival tool, as they can coordinate their exact location with downloaded maps of trails, etc. Getting lost in bad weather can become a thing of the past with one of these high-tech helpers.

So, what are some of the best watches to get for Dad? Here are a few of our favorites!

Garmin Forerunner 405

Here’s another super high-performance GPS sports watch.  The Garmin is more geared towards running, jogging and other more urban sports, as it does not allow maps to be downloaded to memory (for hiking). Take a look at what the Garmin Forerunner 405 includes;

• Heart Rate Monitor (optional)
• Computer synch
• Virtual Partner
• Advanced Workouts (Custom, goal-orientated exercise)
• Pace Alert (gives alarm if your pace changes)
• Time/distance alert (alarms when goals are met)

Although it may not have quite as many features as some others, the Garmin 405 is still a high-quality GPS watch that will serve well.

Timex Men’s Ironman 100-Lap FLIX System Watch

Out of the three running watches that are in consideration for the best running watch for 2010, the Timex Men’s Ironman 100-Lap FLIX System Watch is the one with the least features as it does not really have any data connectivity or GPS powered functionality.

It is a no frills running watch that would enable the runner to accurately check the basic things necessary for tracking their runs. It gives you easy access to checking you split and lap times, using a 100 hour chronograph, and storing up to 100 lap memory recall. It also has a training log that stores your workouts by date as well as best lap, or total running times.

Perhaps the best thing about the Timex Men’s Ironman 100-Lap FLIX System Watch is that you would be able to get all of these features without having to spend so much. You can get all of these functionalities, as well as the quality and durability that Timex is known for with just over 45 US$.

Another factor that puts this into consideration is that this is one of the best selling running watches in the market right now. Perhaps this is because of the strong combination of features that can be had at a very low price.

The Garmin Forerunner 305

The Garmin Forerunner 305 is a big step up from getting data through basic stop watches – such as GPS training capabilities to monitor your distance, pace and elevation!

Here’s what you would get out of the box:

• Forerunner 305
• Heart rate monitor
• Garmin Training Center® software
• Docking cradle
• Expander strap
• AC charger
• USB cable
• Owner’s manual
• Quick start guide

Like the previous Forerunner models, the Garmin Forerunner 305 would show your pace, speed, and distance travelled as you go along your track. The biggest addition to it is that it that the Forerunner 305 comes built in with its own heart rate monitor functionality.

Other notable features of the Garmin Forerunner 305 include the Virtual Partner. In the Virtual partner, a runner’s spirit of competition is ignited as he is provided with a virtual competitor on screen. In virtual partner mode, the Forerunner 305 displays how far ahead or behind you are compared to a competitor.

The Forerunner 305 also has easily customizable display screens that the Garmin Forerunner 305 has. This features means that the Forerunner 305’s  four quadrants that display training information can be customized to suit your needs. Beginning runners can just look at time, laps, or total training time, while those who want more data can opt for pace, heart rate (HR), distance and lap time or other data.

Packing intermediate to advance running features, and a highly affordable price, the Garmin Forerunner 305 is custom made for moderate to advanced runners who are searching for great GPS functionality and easy computer integration from their running watches.

Related posts:

1. Best Running Watches for 2010
2. Famous Brands in Running Watches