TomTom Runner Cardio
£220

 

TomTom Cardio black back front

 

When TomTom stepped into the running GPS market on its own (it had previously partnered with Nike), the result was the impressive TomTom Runner. This latest offering – the Runner Cardio – combines the GPS capabilities of its predecessor and adds a wrist-based based HRM that uses sensors to track the blood flow in the wrist that calculates your heart rate.

So far, so good. Joining the likes of adidas’s MiCoach Smart Run and the Samsung Gear 2 might seem like an unnecessary step up, but bear with it – the Runner Cardio is more intuitive and easy to use than either of these. In fact, when it comes to functionality of the hardware, it’s pretty impressive stuff.

In design terms, TomTom Runner Cardio has had a significant makeover. It now comes in red on black or red on white models; the plastic strap is now gone, replaced with a flexible rubber watch strap that holds the GPS module and watch display in place. It’s not exactly subtle, and runners with smaller wrists might find it a little heavy. Compared with the streamline Garmin 620 (and the original Runner), it’s less comfortable to wear all day. However, the detachable GPS module now feels very secure in the body, a criticism of the previous model that’s definitely been addressed.
At the back of the Runner Cardio is where you’ll find the most notable new addition: the built-in heart rate sensor. It’s actually the same technology included in the adidas MiCoach Smart Run watch and, as the Mio logo indicates, is also included in Mio Alpha’s own running watches.

Without doubt its simplicity is the best feature of the Runner Cardio. Underneath the face of the watch there is four-way cursor on the strap where most of the input is done. Click on the right to activate the ‘Run’ feature; click down for ‘Options’, ‘Profile’ and other settings, such as pairing with an iPhone. Click left to show battery life, storage, whether the QuickGPS is up-to-date and what software version you are running. All very simple.

When it gets to actually running you still have the option to choose from Run, which covers running outdoors, and treadmill, which uses the built-in accelerometer to track distance and progress. The Runner Cardio is geared towards zone training with five levels of intensity, from sprinting to marathons to basic warm ups. It’s also waterproof up to 50m so its perfect for swimmers and those crazy triathletes out there.
This is an impressive update to the previous model. You don’t have to carry around an additional heart-rate strap, the functionality is excellent and it’s a smart-looking product. GPS can take a while to connect and the TomTom website (to which the watch can be connected) is not as sophisticated as others on the market.
• Men’s Running will be talking about the TomTom Runner Cardio in an online ‘tech hangout’ hosted by Argos. The event takes place at 7pm on January 6th (details here). You can find more information about wearable technology at Argos.