TECH SPECS
Display: 144 x 168 pixels
Water resistance: 50m
Heart-rate monitor: Built-in optical
Weight: 63g
RATING
Features 4/5
Design 3/5
Value for money 4/5
Overall 4/5
The
TomTom Runner + MultiSport Cardio is the only one of the running
watches we tested that works without a heart-rate monitor chest strap -
great news for runners who just hate to wear one.
Instead of that, the device uses an optical probe, which is at the bottom of the module of watch. This supervises your blood flow while shining a light by your skin and on your blood-vessels. All the GPS running of the watches should be built in this way.
MultiSport Cardio is composed of a module of watch and a bracelet which can easily be changed.
Contrasted posting is clear and can be read easily even out of luminous sun. The night, type posting to make it ignite. Sometimes, it required several taps to function.
There is just one button, a large square four-way button just below
the display. This is not a watch to wear for weddings and dinners out.
The Cardio can be used for jogging on the treadmill, cycling and
swimming. To start, install the TomTom MySports Connect programme on
your computer. Enter your age, weight, height and gender, and sync the
programme with the Cardio via the USB connector, which is included.
You will need to input all this information into the watch as well.
You can also sync the Cardio's workout data with your smartphone via
Bluetooth using the TomTom MySports app (Android and iOS).
To pick your workout, hold down the right side of the button to get
to the options for run, cycle, swim, treadmill and stopwatch.
In an HDB surrounding, the Cardio took nearly 30 seconds to get a
GPS lock. But on a stadium track, the Cardio secured a GPS fix in under
10 seconds - a little slow, but not bad.
The readings of the Cardio's heart-rate monitor varied from the
other device's readings by no more than five to eight beats per minute.
But if the device is too loose on your wrist, the readings might go
haywire. Also, the heart-rate monitoring does not work when you are
swimming.
The Cardio's GPS distance tracking was fairly accurate. On both HDB
and stadium routes, the margin of error is around 3 per cent.
After syncing, the data displayed on the TomTom MySports website is easy to read and the interface is intuitive.
You can layer your speed/pace graph over your heart-rate graph to see how they change during the workout.
If you hate wearing a heart-rate monitor chest strap, this affordable and convenient running watch is your best bet.
