Running Watch Manufacturers Compared

Each running watch manufacturer has its own level of charm and appeal. For instance Timex are generally more intuitive than other watch systems, whereas Polar are reknown for their high level of sophistication, but may require you to bury your head in a complex manual to use their best features to your optimal advantage.

Here is a brief summary of the leading running watch watch manufacturers: Timex, Polar, Suunto and Garmin. In this article we generalize to a certain degree, so keep it in mind that your mileage may vary depending on which individual watch model you are using. On the other hand there tend to be common attributes present in watches of the same brand, which we do our best to summarise here.

Timex

As mentioned, Timex watches tend to be intuitive to use right out of the box, so to speak. They also deliver a lot of functionality for a very cheap price. While they produce more complex watches that cost more, the basic ease of use tends to show even at a higher level of sophistication. In Timex Ironman watches you will find distinct common elements such as lap memory, a 100 hour chrono with lap and split recording and the famous Indiglo lighting system. Essentially Timex watches are great, pick-up-and-use watches that are suitable for beginners to the elite.

Polar

Polar is the company that invented the heart rate monitor device and so as you might expect, it's running watch range tends to lean towards heart rate monitor features. Polar watches tend to be designed with your complete fitness program in mind, many of their watches feature fitness coaching with pre-installed fitness tests. Polar watches display a weekly summary of your progress and are capable of being programmed to perform complex training sessions. They can be a tad hard to figure out, but if you invest a little time they can be a great training tool for your program.

Suunto

The Suunto "Training Series" is a collection of running watches that offer more advanced ways of mesuring your performance and fitness level. For instance, they are the only running sports watch that offers "Training Effect" a more accurate way of measuring the effectiveness of a workout. The t6c is a highly sophisticated sports watch capable of measuring things like EPOC, and beat-to-beat R-R capacity. The Suunto watches also come with some highly sophisticated software. These watches are good for running or all round fitness. Some models even offer coaching features that guide you through a workout plan.

Garmin

Garmin have developed a GPS watch from the ground up that features just about every feature a runner could require. Garmin's complex menu system makes them somewhat unintuitive, but the powerful features will more than make up for this failing. Expect to spend a little time reading the manual, but less time than a Polar or Suunto running watch.

For a much more thorough overview of running watch manufacturers, and for coverage of specific models from each of these watch makers, visit the sports watch informant website.