One of the biggest frustrations with GPS running watches has always been battery life. These devices are great for recording workout data, but with satellite tracking turned on they can run out of juice pretty quickly. This has made it especially tough for the ultramarathon crowd, which often runs for extreme distances. Those athletes struggle to find a device that can stay powered on for an entire race while still offering all of the metrics they need. But now, Epson has introduced a new line of run-focused watches that offer an array of great features, including outstanding battery life.
The newly launched Epson ProSense series of watches vary in price from as low as $99 for the entry level ProSense 17 up to $399 for the top of the line ProSense 367. Each of the timepieces offer GPS functionality, activity tracking, notifications from a paired smartphone, and onboard music controls. Starting with the ProSense 57 ($149), each of the models also has a built-in heart rate sensor as well, while the top three watches – the ProSense 307 ($249), ProSense 347 ($349), and the aforementioned ProSense 367 – add multisport capabilities for tracking swimming, biking, and other activities, too.
While those features are all impressive on paper, they are also fairly standard fare for a fitness watch these days. Where the ProSense family begins to truly stand out from the crowd is in its battery life, particularly in the three top-tier models. For instance, the ProSense 307 offers an impressive 20 hours of continuous GPS tracking, which is already above and beyond what most other running watches can offer. But the ProSense 347 and 367 take things to an entirely new level, providing 46 hours of battery life with satellite tracking activated. In comparison, the ProSense 17 can provide up to 13 hours of tracking, while the 57 clocks in at about 10 hours.
Most runners will probably think that 46 hours of GPS tracking is complete overkill, and unless they run extremely long distances they’d probably be correct. But when taking part in events like the Badwater 135 Ultra or Western States 100 it is not uncommon for competitors to be out on the course for 25-30 hours or even longer. For those types of endurance athletes, Epson’s new line of watches could be a godsend.
The entire line of watches is available now. To find out more, visit the official Epson ProSense website.
