At a Glance: Quick Ratings
Heart Rate Functions
Fitness / Sport Features
Ease of Use
Battery Life
Where To Get It
A Deep Dive Into The Garmin Forerunner 910XT
NOTE : If you’re new to these products you might like to know that there is a NEWER version of this great multisport GPS watch – the Forerunner 920XT and the 735XT with wrist based heart rate.
The main difference is a COLOUR SCREEN, Activity Tracking, Recovery metrics, Running Dynamics, Race Finish Predictor, Smartphone notifications etc. The Forerunner 910XT is still for sale and offers good value of money for those looking to save a few pounds. The newer 920XT review can be found here and the Forerunner 735XT here
We’ve been selling the Garmin Forerunner 910XT GPS heart rate monitor since it came out in 2021, and we have a lot of friends who love them and use them for everything from Triathlon,
Duathlon and Track running, to Paddle Boarding, Sailing, Windsurfing and Horse Riding. As users of this great all round GPS sports watch we like to think we are in a prime position to review it and feedback to our readers the result of our tests.
When we say “Garmin Forerunner 910XT review” – what we mean is strap it on our wrists, take it for a run, bike ride, swim (and even a horse ride and windsurf) and see what we liked, what we didn’t like, what could be improved and what is pretty much perfect with this watch.
We’re not anything like as technical as some of the other websites that review these GPS speed and distance watches, but we certainly know what works and what to look for in a test.
The feedback given in this review is written for 95% of the users who will probably only ever us 50% of the functions…. THANK YOU for taking the time to read another Heart Rate Monitor review
Video Review
We’d happily recommend the Forerunner 910XT to anyone who either runs and bikes, bikes and swims, runs and swims or any combination of running, swimming and cycling.
- MultiSport MODE. The 910XT has a very handy MultiSport mode. You define the multisport segments i.e. Swim – Bike – Run or for a Duathlon Run – Bike – Run. Then you define if you want to include transition times, yes or no. During your triathlon / duathlon you simply press the LAP button as you enter and leave each transition.
It changes your SPORTS VIEWS modes from Swim to Bike to Run (so you can see what you want to see during each segment). At the end of the session you have total time, swim time, bike time and run time, with related transisition times. Brilliant – Simple !
If you prefer, as I did in the example I will link to below, to do the MultiSport MODE changes manually, you can do this easily. Press and hold the MODE button of the Garmin 910XT, and select your SPORT MODE i.e. run.
Then press the start button… do the segment.. then just before you start the next segment, press and hold MODE button again and select the new SPORT MODE i.e. bike. Do this as many times as you like. The 910XT will give you a TOTAL TRAINING time, the overall training time of the entire session, and a breakdown of each segment – almost as a separate run/bike/swim or other.
The Forerunner 910XT is for anyone who wants to know they are doing everything right while preparing for and racing in triathlon. It has been designed to help you plan your training programs, train, recover and analyse training data.
The new Forerunner 920XT is now available, but the 910XT is still a great buy and will probably remain available for the next 6 – 12 months (written Nov 2021) If you’d like to read a more detailed review then you might want to take a look at DC Rainmaker’s review, he evaluates them in a very detailed manner, sometimes he’s a bit wordy, but nonetheless a good reviewer.
The 910XT online experience
We have used the 910XT for pretty much all “regular” sports and have downloaded it to both Strava and Garmin Connect. With the new microUSB ANT+ dongle (smaller than your finger nail) it should be a pretty seamless experience. We had a few problems with the new version of Garmin Express taking over … but we got their in the end.
The way I have mine set up downloads all my training wirelessly and without doing anything to both Gamin Connect AND Strava. The only problem with this is that sometime I have to go in to Strava and DELETE rides/runs that I really don’t want my friends and followers to see ! Anyway, enough about my rotten running routes, here’s a couple of sessions downloaded from the Foreunner 910sxt to Strave and Garmin Connect
Which Forerunner is for YOU?
If you are confused by the number of Garmin Forerunner models, don’t be. There are more than 15 models in this popular GPS running watch so we generated a short history of the Forerunner Running Watch reviewing the main differences between all the models. We’ve gone from the original Garmin Forerunner 101 in 2003 to the latest products.
Here is a download from my 910XT during the bike section of a Duathlon. This first one is in STRAVA. Strava is a great team / friends based GPS application that lets you download directly from your GPS heart rate monitor in to Strava
Here is one of my MTB Enduro races at Thetford Forest – but this time downloaded from my Garmin 910XT GPS straight in to Garminconnect.com
Personally, I like both softwares for different reasons. The GarminConnect site allows you to compare similar runs and rides, for example, all your 10K runs one against another. Whereas Strava is great for team building and motivating your mates.
Sorry, we’ve gone a bit off topic here.. back to the 910XT GPS heart monitor.
Key Features
Run
The Forerunner 910XT is the perfect GPS heart rate monitor watch for the athlete who runs, bikes and swims. It’s very popular with RUNNERS who sometimes bike or swim. Having the ability to switch between different displays makes the 910XT. Realtime PACE, DISTANCE and STOPWATCH time are just three of the many display parameters available in RUN MODE.
Bike
The 910XT can either be wrist worn or mounted on a twist lock Garmin Bike mount if you choose the optional bike mount kit.
There are a couple of varieties of forerunner 910xt bike mount including a wrist worn strap that the 910XT can be twisted on and off as you come in transition. You do need to remove the regular strap from the 910XT and clip on the bike mount adaptor.
The watch unit can then be swapped between wrist strap and bike mount.
Swim
The 910XT has SWIM-METRICS similar to the Poolmate watches. They take the hassle out of lap swimming by counting your laps and much more. After the swim it is possible to recall number of lengths swam, average speed, average time per lap, total distance and the Garmin SWOLF swim efficiency score. All this data can be uploaded to the Garmin Connect site or shared with a coach
Multisport
The key feature of the Forerunner 910XT is the MULTISPORT option. A single button press between transitions will change the watches display from SWIMMING settings to BIKE settings including pedal cadence and heart rate (if selected).
Following the bike, a singe button press and the 910XT will switch from bike to RUN mode, changing from SPEED to PACE. All this is recorded for download and analysis post race.
Review Summary
The Forerunner 910XT is 100% water resistant and can be used while open water swimming or any other total immersion sport.
It will track an open water swim so you can see precisely how far you have swam (note, the heart rate monitor will NOT work while swimming, but the strap will not be damaged while under water, so you can wear it during a triathlon).
Not only will the 910XT tell you how far and how fast you have swam in the open water, it will also tell you which stroke you were using, and how efficient your swimming style it – Garmin call it a SWOLF score. It relates to strokes per distance and speed.
want something else? Check out the 630 here: cardiocritic.com/fitness-watches/garmin/forerunner-630-review/
