The FINIS TEMPO TRAINER PRO is a waterproof metronome for swim cadence/stroke-rate training that you put inside your swim cap.
Positives: It does the job. If you buy into the swimsmooth line then you’ll find that sorting your cadence out will play a key part to improving those stubbornly plateaud swim times. You can look at your average stroke-rate at the end of a lap or set or session: that won’t be anywhere near as helpful in enabling you to INSTANTLY maintain/change your stroke rate as the FINIS. The FINIS REALLY helps.
Negatives: It’s expensive for what it is and there are some people trying it on with SILLY prices (GBP/USD30 is about right). A metronome costs about GBP5 so you are paying the additional GBP25 for the waterproofing. It’s also a bit big and a re-designed one would easily be very significantly smaller. Whilst it is comfortable in your swim cap you need a big cap to ensure that you keep the FINIS in your cap and not have it floating around in a lake (you won’t find it even though it’s yellow and floats).
Comments: It’s very simple to use and it has 3 modes controlled from the 3-buttons, although MODE 1 is the only one I find useful for swimming where I set it to beat out every time my right arm needs to pull. Interestingly, you can time different aspects of your stroke to coincide with the beep and it really does help you focus on that one part of the cycle – I was surprised. It also helps to focus the beep on an aspect of asymmetry you might have and, again, I found it help me focus on changing that. Very fine levels of time difference can be set and the beep is easily heard. It’s actually a great thing to focus on sound and timing for once rather than that line on the bottom of the pool. It’s one of the more useful pool gadgets I have alongside pull buoy and paddles.
Alternatives: None that I know of.
Detailed Review: Maybe to follow. There is not that much detail to write.
Approximate prices are shown below
| FINIS TEMPO PRO | £32 | Link | $36 | Link |
Last Updated on 14 January 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
