Details
Brand
TomTom
Model
Runner
Battery Life
10 hours (GPS)
Use
Tracking
Latest Version
TomTom Runner 3
Key Features
• Simple, Easy-to-use and Easy-to-read menu and easily navigable system• Highly accurate GPS capabilities for accurate distance and speed recording and mapping• Lightweight, minimalist design that’s only slightly larger than a regular watch• Affordable price that reflects its straightforward purpose• Works great in conjunction with the useful TomTom Sports mobile app
Comfort
With the main component being just slightly larger than a regular watch, the TomTom Runner is one of the less obtrusive fitness trackers on the market. Its band is made of perforated rubber that’s both slim and light, while the main component is housed in a raised support unit, which allows for the user to change out the color and style of the band while also allowing for easy access to the main unit. Since the Runner itself doesn’t sit directly on the skin, this makes it easy to slip off without discomfort. Weighing in at 1.75 ounces/50 grams, it’s a very lightweight fitness tracker.
Size
s;One great feature about the TomTom Runner is that it’s lightweight and just slightly bigger than a regular wristwatch. Another is that it’s slightly slimmer than many comparable fitness trackers, so even though the main unit is detachable from the band, it sits and fits closely on the wrist – although not too close, as the main unit is slightly raised off the skin. Its adjustable band makes this a one-size-fits-all fitness tracker.
Accessories
A number of accessories are available for the TomTom Runner, including a charging dock, dual charging dock, car charger, heart rate monitor, and bands that are available in a variety of colors. For such a straightforward fitness tracker, it certainly does have a versatile array of accessories.
Style
The TomTom Runner’s minimalist aesthetic allows for it to both look and function like an everyday watch, and runners will enjoy how this stripped-down approach to its design makes for a no-fuss wearing experience. While the main unit comes in only one color (black), there are a number of different colored bands available for those who demand color coordination. Like the tracker itself, the style of the TomTom Runner is straightforward and no-nonsense.
Activities
The TomTom Runner certainly says what it’s for: running. With just two options available to track – Run or Treadmill – this is certainly an easy-to-use and understand fitness tracker. Once the TomTom Runner acquires a GPS signal, the activities available for the runner include Goals, which tracks and compares time, distance, and calories burned, Laps, which tracks and compares preset times and distances, or manually inputted goals, Zones, which tracks pace and heart rate, and Race, which features predetermined times and distances the tracker then compares your performance against.;During a run, total time and distance of the run are displayed at the top of the screen. Using the external analog buttons, the runner can scroll through various dataset options – including duration, distance, pace, calories, stride length, time of day, and even heart rate – that the TomTom Runner calculates using the accelerometer in conjunction with the GPS. Visual feedback within these training modes provides the runner with feedback on their current status within their present goals, while the Runner also keeps track of and notifies the runner with audio and vibrating alerts when a milestone occurs (or if the runner falls behind in pace).
Basic Features
The TomTom Runner certainly says what it’s for: running. With just two options available to track – Run or Treadmill – this is certainly an easy-to-use and understand fitness tracker. Once the TomTom Runner acquires a GPS signal, the activities available for the runner include Goals, which tracks and compares time, distance, and calories burned, Laps, which tracks and compares preset times and distances, or manually inputted goals, Zones, which tracks pace and heart rate, and Race, which features predetermined times and distances the tracker then compares your performance against.;During a run, total time and distance of the run are displayed at the top of the screen. Using the external analog buttons, the runner can scroll through various dataset options – including duration, distance, pace, calories, stride length, time of day, and even heart rate – that the TomTom Runner calculates using the accelerometer in conjunction with the GPS. Visual feedback within these training modes provides the runner with feedback on their current status within their present goals, while the Runner also keeps track of and notifies the runner with audio and vibrating alerts when a milestone occurs (or if the runner falls behind in pace).
Advanced Features
The TomTom Runner is not a particularly advanced fitness tracker, instead, it is limited to basic running performance tracking. However, the watch stores the runner’s past five runs and after connecting the Runner to the computer, all previously stored runs are available, including maps, total distance, and average pace. Also, because the watch was made by a GPS company, it has an impressive built-in QuickGPSFix Technology, which is helpful for those who tend to get lost often. In addition, the TomTom Runner is waterproof up to 165 feet.
Connectivity
The TomTom Runner is Bluetooth Smart enabled so data can be transferred wirelessly to your smartphone and synced to the TomTom Sports mobile app for more complex renderings and calculations of your overall runs over a length of time. The TomTom can also be connected to your computer via USB to download the stored data sets for compilation and comparison.
Ease of Use
With a straightforward onscreen menu and intuitive controls and options, the TomTom Runner is a very easy-to-use fitness tracker. Since it is only made to record running data, and its options are limited, the runner can set their desired option and start running without having to navigate through a barrage of menus and options.
Power Source
Coming with a USB cable that’s used for both transferring data and charging, the TomTom Tracker’s charging capabilities are as modern and straightforward as its overall design and function: plug it into your computer or USB charging station and let it charge. With a battery charge that lasts for 10 hours of continuous use.
Accuracy
Drift is a major problem with many fitness trackers: it seems that the built-in sensors that track distance tend to either slow down or speed up based on calculating the runner’s arm movement rather than calculate actual distance. While the GPS tracker on the TomTom Runner eliminates this problem on an open run, there is a noticeable drift when using it on a treadmill, with one reviewer calculating a the drift on an 11-mile treadmill run between the actual distance as recorded on the treadmill versus the TomTom Runner’s calculation, with the error adding a ⅓ of a mile on the TomTom. This may lead to having to recalibrate the TomTom significantly before receiving accurate recordings on a treadmill. But on the streets and track, its GPS capabilities help retain accurate recordings of distance and speed.
Face
The face of the TomTom Runner is a scratch-resistant 1.5-inch monochrome LCD display. The system of navigation is interesting, as instead of a touchscreen or analog buttons, the user navigates the system using a D-pad that’s attached to the main unit and has a separate access opening on the band. However, tapping the right-hand of the screen turns on the backlight. Its easy-to-read displays may be simple, but this is in line with the TomTom Runner’s “no frills, no nonsense” approach.
Band
The TomTom Runner’s band is made of lightweight rubber that’s slim and perforated for adjustability. These perforations may leave small indentations on the skin if worn for long enough. The default band colors are black and gray, although other colors are also available.
Apps
There’s one major app related to the TomTom Runner, and that’s the TomTom Sports mobile app, which provides a larger overview of the compiled data your TomTom Runner uploads to it. This provides the runner with performance analysis, personal insights, 24/7 activity tracking, activity summary, social sharing, and more. While the TomTom Runner is a somewhat basic fitness tracker on its own, when combined with the Sports mobile app, it becomes a powerful tool for performance analysis and goal setting.
Durability
While built solely for running in mind, this fitness tracker is waterproof up to 165 feet/50 meters, which means whether you forget to take it off before a swim or find yourself in a downpour, it will continue to function without missing a beat. Its scratch-resistant face and long battery life ensure that the TomTom Runner will keep working even after a nasty spill or if the runner forgets to turn it off after use.
Price
The TomTom Runner has dropped in price since its initial release and now it’s one of the more affordable fitness trackers on the market. This may be due to its lack of versatility compared to other fitness trackers (and a Multisport version is also available at a slightly higher price), but for the runner who wants a straightforward sports watch that performs well and provides the data they’re looking for, the TomTom Runner is quite affordable and functional.
Bottom Line
For runners who may be hesitant to invest in more complex and expensive fitness trackers – especially ones that have features that they will never use – the TomTom Runner is a perfect fit. While it’s basic in function, it also has the functions that runners desire most in a fitness tracker – mainly accurate recordings of their pace, speed, distance, and time. When used in conjunction with the TomTom Sports mobile app, the runner is provided a more comprehensive and complex data compilation of their stats, which are useful when training or monitoring one’s progress. Although its calculation of distance on a treadmill tends to drift, when running outdoors or on a track its GPS and motion sensors provide highly accurate readouts. No fuss, no complex menus, and no extraneous features, the TomTom Runner is for one purpose only: running.
