# forerunner 410 vs 310 XT



## snack64 (Feb 19, 2008)

I tried a search to see if this has been covered but did not find much. Does anyone have experience with either, or preferably, both of these? 

I am looking at a watch style so that I can use it trail running as well as for biking.

From what I can tell with Garmin's comparison the only real difference is battery life. The 410's is listed as 8 hours but I did see from some previous threads that that may be optimistic. As I do some 100 mile MTB races and longer training rides (6-10 hours) that could be an issue for sure. I kinda liked the 410 as it looks more like a regular watch but in the end that is probably not a deal breaker.

So my questions are....

What is the actual battery life of each of these watches?
Are there other features that I did not notice that would be good to know of?
Is one more user friendly than the other?
Does Garmin back up their products well or should I make sure to buy through REI?


Thanks!


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## TwoWheelMan (Jan 5, 2009)

Snack,

Battery: My Forerunner 405 would reach 6hrs and not much more, at least reliably. The 405 is nearly identical to the 410, and Garmin says they have identical battery life, so I expect that duration applies to the 410 too.

Other features: 
-- The 310XT has better waterproofing. It is rated for continuous submersion to 50m. The 410 carries IPX7 waterproofing, which means it is rated to withstand "accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes".

-- The 310XT reads and records power measurements. The 410 does not, which is a dealbreaker for some.

User Friendliness:
-- I found the 405's touch bezel to be one of the most frustrating interfaces ever. It was very difficult to use during mtbing. Worse, it was nearly worthless when wet (it rains here ) and/or with gloves. Garmin says the 410 bezel is changed but... I wouldn't go there without a LOT of personal testing before purchase. In contrast, the push button Forerunners (I have a 305) work fine for me.

- The 310 XT has a bigger screen. The smaller two data fields on the 405/410 use tiny fonts, making the numbers difficult to read while bouncing around on a rocky trail in my experience. The 405/410 is svelte in appearance but that limits its readibility IMO.

In short, I used my 405 for about a half dozen 6, 12, and 24hr events. I ended up running it with GPS off in order to record my races -- which sort of defeats the purpose. I was happy to sell it. I'd suggest the 310XT. If I didn't have an FR60, FR305, and 60CSX already, I'd get one. I probably will when/if an update comes out in spring.


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