TomTom Multi-Sport Review – Is it Worth the Price?

TomTom’s goal is to design products that help people move towards their own goals, in a very literal way. This company is famous for its GPS navigation systems and its GPS sports watches. They are always right at the edge of new technological advances and continue to impress their fan base by producing impressive tech.

One example of their skill is the TomTom Multisport GPS watch.

Unlike other watches that miss the mark when it comes to combining usability with a variety of features, this one is ahead of the competition. The Multisport GPS is loaded with everything you could want in a watch – a multitude of tracking options, compatibility with different sport types, and even training options.

If you’re someone that really loves to do a little bit of everything, like cycling or swimming, along with running or gym time on the treadmill, the TomTom will be one tool you’ll want to be strapped to your wrist.

Specs and Features of the TomTom

tomtom multisport watch

If you’ve been let down before by so-called multi-sport watches that seem to lack those important little features that should be mandatory, you’ll be impressed with the feature list of TomTom.

Design:

  • LCD display with high res, high contrast graphics
  • Display screen resistant to scratches and is weather- and waterproof (to 40m)
  • At-a-glance display for on the go check-ins
  • A lightweight device with a super-thin wristband for comfort
  • QuickGPSFix keeps your watch connected to satellites to offer your watch the most precise tracking
  • GPS + GLONASS location technology

Tracking Abilities:

  • Tracks time, distance and pace while running with settings for outdoor jaunts or time on the treadmill
  • Tracks swolf, stroke type, total lengths, distance, and speed while swimming
  • Tracks speed, front-and-center, and distance when biking (option cadence sensor also tracks pedals)

Three training modes

  • Zone – keep you in a training zone for improvement
  • Goal – focus on reaching goals
  • Race – compares current stats with past data

Other Details:

  • Single-button control for menu navigation
  • Vibration + beep alerts for laps, distance, and other milestones
  • Compatible with a wide range of apps and other fitness platforms
  • Up to 10 hours of battery when using all features and GPS
  • Option to purchase with Bluetooth chest monitor for heart rate

With the specs out of the way, let’s get into some reasons why you may (or may not) want to invest in the TomTom Multisport.

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02/18/2024 12:04 am GMT

Advantages of the TomTom

The TomTom has numerous positive reviews backing it, with these three main advantages being most commonly praised.

Intuitive Design and Bold Display with One Button Touch

The TomTom is just plain simple to use, which makes this watch great for those who are new to wearable devices. There is one large button on the device which is all you need to move through various menus and to check in on your progress while exercising.

Aside from the button setup, the LCD display is also made to be user-friendly. When you’re running, biking or swimming you don’t want to have to squint just to check your stats. There isn’t much of a learning curve when it comes to understanding how this watch works.

Looks-wise, this watch continues to impress. Sport watches are notoriously bulky and unattractive, yet this one is quite sleek while still maintaining a sporty vibe. It is also available in three color options – Dark Grey, Dark Pink and Turquoise.

Can Handle Tracking 3 Major Sports/Activities

This watch is made for people that don’t like to limit themselves to just one sport or activity. The three most popular activities are accurately tracked by this watch – Running (treadmill or free), cycling, and swimming (open or pool).

For running you can expect this watch to keep tabs on how long, far, and fast you ran. You also have the option of tracking while on a treadmill or while you are free running outside or on a track.

The cycling setting tracks similar stats plus front-and-center as well as an optional accessory to count your pedal strokes. Finally, the swimming setting recognizes stroke type, swolf or swimming efficiency, total laps/lengths, distance, and speed. Since it has GPS you can wear it out of the pool in an open environment as well.

This watch also has three different training modes – Goal, Zone, and Race. This allows you to choose what you want to focus on to ensure you get the most from your time spent on the bike, on the track, or in the pool.

GPS Tracking is Highly Accurate

Having actual GPS in the watch instantly ensures pinpoint accuracy compared to other watches that rely on built-in accelerometers and another tech to calculate the distance traveled. The TomTom has both GPS and GLONASS location technology to ensure the data you see is as true as possible.

Their QuickGPSFix also helps to keep your watch connected to satellites consistently to minimize pauses in tracking.

Not all GPS technology is made equal and with TomTom’s previous reputation for excellence in this field, it goes without saying that their watches are right up there at the top. If you haven’t yet switched to a GPS-capable fitness watch, this one is sure to impress when compared to non-GPS wearables.

Disadvantages of the TomTom

tomtom watch

As you’d expect, not all customers are 100% happy with their TomTom watch. Despite all the benefits, here are two downsides to consider when doing comparison shopping between fitness watches.

Basic All-Day Wear Features Missing

Now, the TomTom is sold as a multi-sport watch and it does handle three major sports – running, cycling, and swimming. Unfortunately, it does lack fitness tracking of other popular activities. For example, walking and exercises in the gym aren’t counted. Many fitness watches can at least handle step counting or total distance covered through the day, but this one does not.

This is disappointing since this watch has such high-tech, sensitive tracking already that adding a couple of basic features like a pedometer seems fairly easy. If you are looking for a fitness watch that will track your movement all day, this is not the one for you.

Heart Rate Monitoring Sold Separately

This downside isn’t a total disadvantage but it is still worth mentioning. Many of the newer fitness watches have a built-in heart rate monitor right in the wristband.

This is useful for obvious reasons but it seems TomTom left it out due to lack of room because of the built-in GPS. Even though there is no in-band heart rate monitoring, TomTom does sell a separate monitor in the form of a classic chest band.

The chest band syncs wirelessly to the TomTom watch via Bluetooth and is quite accurate. It is sold separately, however. If you haven’t yet purchased the watch you can buy a combo pack with the watch + chest band to save money.

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02/18/2024 12:04 am GMT

Overall Assessment

Overall the TomTom Multisport GPS watch is one of the most accurate GPS-enabled fitness wearables currently available.

It is tough, scratch-resistant, and looks just as nice as it performs. If you are wanting a watch that can handling running, exercise on a treadmill, swimming in a pool or open water, and be able to track your bike rides, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one as versatile as this.

TomTom Multisport

7.9

Quality of Design

8.2/10

Battery Life

5.5/10

Processing Power

8.5/10

Extra Features

9.0/10

Reliability

8.1/10

Pros

  • Great for dedicated fitness activities
  • Comfortable design
  • Smart intuitive design
  • Industry leading GPS accurate tracking

Cons

  • Not meant to be warn all day
  • Heart rate monitor sold separately