Adventure Tech: Garmin Introduces The Forerunner 220 and 620 GPS Watches

The competition in the GPS fitness watch market continues to heat up as Garmin introduces two new models to tempt runners. The company, which has a long history in both GPS devices and sports watches, has expanded its Forerunner line by creating the new Forerunner 220 and 620 models, both of which bring some nice new innovations to the product space.

The most notable addition to these new watches are the color screens which are vibrant, easy to read and make use of colors to provide information to runners. For instance, there are indicators on the screen that will turn green to let the user know that they are safe to workout while red indicators will tell them it may be time to take a rest day.

That's just the start of what these watches can do however. When paired with a heart rate monitor they can also estimate an athletes VO2 max to help train them more efficiently and track progress. That same estimate can be used to predict performance in a race as well and suggest options for recovery too. The watches can be paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth to help keep track of a variety or workout statistics, such as cadence, vertical oscillations and so on. It can even record the runner's position and relay live tracking to friends and family back home.

Both watches will begin shipping this fall with the 220 carrying a price tag of $249.99 for the watch only and $299.99 when bundled with a heart rate monitor. The 620, which features a touchscreen display that can be used through running gloves, will set you back $399.99 for the watch and $449.99 with the heart rate monitor. Those prices put them in the medium to high end of the market but competitive with similar products from competitors.