Gear Bag: Garmin 910XT

The Garmin Forerunner 910XT uses rapid-reading GPS technology to measure swim, bike and run distance and speed. This is nothing new. So what separates the 910XT from the competition?

It’s smaller
Garmin crammed all the features typically found in a GPS triathlon watch into the smallest package yet. No other GPS watch capable of tracking swim, bike and run is remotely this svelte, although it does still sit slightly wider than the average wrist.

It’s a cycling altimeter
Instead of relying on notoriously unreliable GPS altitude, the 910XT has a built-in barometer to read altitude and slope. We found the slope function able to accurately measure total slope of a climb but not short, individual segments.

It dissects swim performance
Using accelerometers, the watch counts strokes to create many useful pieces of information about your efficiency and technique. In open water, this feature generates average stroke distance over a swim or between splits. In a pool, the 910XT can divide distance-per-stroke down to each individual lap to create an ideal measure of pacing and efficiency during a workout.

The battery lasts
With a battery life of up to 20 hours, it can last for several days if turned off between training sessions.

It plays nicely with others
ANT+ connectivity allows the 910XT to display data collected by other devices, such as power meters and heart-rate monitors. All info can be uploaded to a computer and Garmin’s social platform, Garmin Connect.

Garmin.com $400

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