nike+ sportwatch gps review

Default Clock Mode

This past April I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to get a Nike+ SportWatch GPS. They had underestimated the demand for such a product, so the watches were tough to get for the first couple of months on the market. Now they are readily available online or at your local running store.


Before getting the Nike+ SportWatch GPS I was using either RunKeeper or the Nike+ GPS App for my iPhone. These provided good statistics of my runs (mile by mile pace, elevation, GPS maps, average pace, etc.), but because they were running from my iPhone, the battery life was very short (you could probably do a 50k using the iPhone apps, but you better be running fast!). Another negative part of having to use my iPhone was that I couldn't use the GPS apps when it was raining since any water damage ruins the iPhone and voids the Apple warranty. One more negative, at least for me, is that I don't listen to music while I run so that was less motivation to strap an iPhone on my arm in order to head out for a run (another negative: having to buy an iPhone armband).


So, needless to say, when the Nike+ SportWatch GPS was announced, I was very excited. When it was announced that it was only going to be $199, I was even more excited. The only other watch I had considered was the Garmin Forerunner series which runs $399 for an entry model. I must admit, however, that the Garmin Forerunner 610 with the touch screen looks pretty sweet. Looks aside, however, I think the Nike+ SportWatch GPS beats it out on a number of levels (keep reading to find out!)

3 buttons

What I like most about the watch is the simplicity. There are only three buttons: up, down, and action. 


If you want to access the main menu, simply press the yellow action button and navigate the main menu by the up and down buttons. If you want a short cut to the run menu, simply press and hold the yellow action button for two seconds.

Main Menu

You'll notice from the run menu that you can use both GPS and a Nike+ food pod (included with the watch) to track your runs. I have never used the foot pod, but I have friends who have and they note that it does provide a little better accuracy. I've never had a problem with accuracy only using the GPS (save one exception, see below), so don't feel as if you need to use the foot pod.


The watch also includes a section that stores your run history and your records. This is great to keep track of your PRs and your training history.

Run Mode

Inside of the watch is stored a USB connector that you can connect to any computer (the Nike+ Software downloads automatically for Macs or PCs). Within the software you can set your statistics (age, height, weight) to better improve the accuracy of burned calories. You can also set the defaults for the watch while in running mode. There is one large section in the middle of the watch face for your "favorite" statistic (mine is "Total Distance") and there is a smaller section on the top of the watch face for your secondary statistic (mine is "Current Pace"). While in the middle of a run you can shuffle through secondary statistics using the up and down buttons (for instance, I can shuffle from "Current Pace" to "Average Pace" to "Time Elapsed" to "Time of Day" in the middle of my run).


The watch automatically syncs to your Nike+ profile where you can see the maps of your runs, all your stats, and your run history. It also includes different "levels" that are determined by the amount of miles you have run using Nike+ (I'm currently in the "blue" level). This is a fun, albeit arbitrary, way to see your running progress.

Run History

Some of the other features are: slapping the watch face illuminates the display (which is great for night runs), a stop watch, and constant updates that continue to make the watch better (the watch automatically updates if updates are available when you plug the USB connector into a computer).


The are only two slightly negative things about the watch. 

USB Connector

First: you have to connect it to a computer after every run. The Garmin Forerunner series includes a wireless USB chip that automatically uploads your runs wirelessly when you are in range of the chip. That would be nice. The Nike+ watch also will not upload multiple runs (Nike: PLEASE FIX THIS IN THE NEAR FUTURE), so if you log two or more runs on your watch without uploading your runs, only the latest run will be uploaded to Nike+.


Second: you cannot export your GPS data to upload to another website. So if you are attached to another website like RunKeeper, Daily Mile, or MapMyRun, you will not be able to upload a .GPX file for your runs (something the Garmin Forerunner series allows you to do).


With that said, I absolutely love the watch. The accuracy has been better than any iPhone app I have used (thanks Tom Tom!) and the battery life is fantastic. The only time I have had any problem with it was when it lost the connection to the GPS when I was at mile 18 of a 50k ultramarathon. Granted, I was in the middle of no where running through the woods, but it was still a bit frustrating.


So if you are in the market for a GPS watch, I would highly recommend the Nike+ SportWatch GPS (and, for the record, I did not get this watch free and am not getting anything from Nike or Tom Tom for writing this). It has great battery life, a simple interface, very good accuracy, and is $200 cheaper than the latest Garmin Forerunner model. You can find later Garmin Forerunner models for around $199, but the chances that you will be getting consistent updates and support for models that are 3+ years old are very slim. The Nike+ SportWatch GPS is the way to go.


Keep running!