About this item Premium GPS running/triathlon smartwatch with music Download songs to your watch, including playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music or Deezer (may require premium subscription with a third party music provider) Performance monitoring features include Vo2 Max and training status with adjustments for heat, altitude Acclimation status, training load focus, recovery time, and aerobic and anaerobic training effects Garmin Pay contactless payment solution (available for supported cards from participating banks) lets you make convenient payments with your watch so you can leave your cash and cards at home Full color, onboard maps guide you on your run so you never get lost during your workout Safety and tracking features include incident detection (during select activities) which sends your real-time location to emergency contacts through your paired compatible smartphone Battery life: Up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 10 hours in GPS mode with music or up to 60 hours in ultratrac mode. Display resolution – 240 x 240 pixels
Garmin 010-02063-00 Forerunner 945 Premium GPS Running
Product Dimensions 1.9 x 1.9 x 0.54 inches
Item Weight 1.8 ounces
Batteries 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included)
Wireless communication technologies Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Connectivity technologies Bluetooth, GPS
GPS True
Special features Wrist-Based Heart Rate Sensor; VO2 Max Monitoring and Pulse Ox Sensor
Display resolution 240 x 240
Other display features Wireless
Human Interface Input Dial
Scanner Resolution 240 x 240
Color Black
Whats in the box Forerunner 945 GPS Watch; Charging cable; Documentation
Department unisex-adult
Weight 1.8 Ounces
Standing screen display size 1.2 Inches
Memory Storage Capacity 8000 MB
Brand Garmin
Model Name Forerunner 945, Black
Style Device Only
Color Black
Screen Size 1.2 Inches
Special Feature Wrist-Based Heart Rate Sensor; VO2 Max Monitoring and Pulse Ox Sensor
Shape Round
Target Audience Unisex Adult
Age Range (Description) Adult
Compatible Devices Smartphone
About this item Premium GPS running/triathlon smartwatch with music Download songs to your watch, including playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music or Deezer (may require premium subscription with a third party music provider) Performance monitoring features include Vo2 Max and training status with adjustments for heat, altitude Acclimation status, training load focus, recovery time, and aerobic and anaerobic training effects Garmin Pay contactless payment solution (available for supported cards from participating banks) lets you make convenient payments with your watch so you can leave your cash and cards at home.
Full color, onboard maps guide you on your run so you never get lost during your workout Safety and tracking features include incident detection (during select activities) which sends your real-time location to emergency contacts through your paired compatible smartphone Battery life: Up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode, 10 hours in GPS mode with music or up to 60 hours in ultratrac mode. Display resolution – 240 x 240 pixels
You’re an athlete, and this is your watch. The forerunner 945 running watch lets you sync with premium music services to put your songs on your wrist when paired with a compatible smartphone (may require premium subscription). It also offers our most advanced physiological features, including training load balance and more.
Also enjoy the convenience of quick, contactless payments solution (available for supported cards from participating banks) from the wrist with Garmin Pay. With full color, onboard maps to guide you on your run, you’ll never get lost during a workout. Wherever you go, built in safety and tracking features — such as incident detection (during select activities), which sends you send your real time location to emergency contacts through your paired compatible smartphone.
| Product Dimensions | 1.9 x 1.9 x 0.54 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 1.8 ounces |
| ASIN | B07QTVMWVL |
| Item model number | 010-02063-00 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Customer Reviews | /* .cm-cr-review-stars-spacing-big { 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,149 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when('A', 'cf').execute(function(A) { 4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #4,837 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #5 in Running GPS Units |
| Wireless communication technologies | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Connectivity technologies | Bluetooth, GPS |
| GPS | True |
| Special features | Wrist-Based Heart Rate Sensor; VO2 Max Monitoring and Pulse Ox Sensor |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 |
| Other display features | Wireless |
| Human Interface Input | Dial |
| Scanner Resolution | 240 x 240 |
| Color | Black |
| Whats in the box | Forerunner 945 GPS Watch; Charging cable; Documentation |
| Department | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
| Date First Available | April 29, 2019 |
| Weight | 1.8 Ounces |
| Standing screen display size | 1.2 Inches |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 8000 MB |
| Brand | Garmin |
| Model Name | Forerunner 945, Black |
| Style | Device Only |
| Screen Size | 1.2 Inches |
| Special Feature | Wrist-Based Heart Rate Sensor; VO2 Max Monitoring and Pulse Ox Sensor |
| Shape | Round |
| Target Audience | Unisex Adult |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphone |
![Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 41mm]](https://bmielectronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/61lhNV3vDjL._AC_SL1500_-400x400.jpg)
CristianZ –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Baja resolución de pantalla
El reloj no es smart, es especialmente diseñado para deporte donde funciona muy bien, podría mejorar, con sensores de movimiento, mejor resolución, brillo y tamaño de la pantalla y que sea touch.
Hammertime –
5.0 out of 5 stars
A phenomenal tool taking my fitness to the next level.
I have had this watch for about 90 days now, and it has been absolutely crucial in helping me develop my level of fitness to levels not seen in since I was much younger. For background, I primarily use my Forerunner 945 with road cycling (outdoor and zwift) and running activities.If you enjoy metrics/data, this will be a game-changing tool for you. In particular, the metrics and measurements for FTP, Vo2max, and training load have helped me better focus my training in the areas that need it most while simultaneously helping me prevent over-training to the point of injury. I am able to push myself just to the precipice and walk the fine line that really allows me to improve without going over the edge. Using this watch in conjunction with structured workouts will really get you to the next level.Some of the features (at this point at least) are kind of gimmicky, like sleep monitoring, but they are still developing the watch and delivering updates so we will see how things improve over time. In all honesty though, I dont need a watch to tell me if I feel rested after a good or bad nights sleep. I also havent been able to get lactate threshold values to reflect properly, but I havent done the specific lactate threshold structured workouts yet… I had hoped they would calculate from my other workouts.One thing to look out for, if you use any other electronics while working out, such as a head unit for biking, make sure to record your activity on both devices. I also use a Garmin Edge 820 when biking, but I found out that it can not provide the same metrics as my watch can due to licensing issues with FirstBeat. Same goes with using the watch with Zwift. I have to record a ride within both Zwith and the FR945 because the FR945 cant act as a controller for Zwift, and uploading the ride data from Zwift into Garmin Connect doesnt give me access to the FirstBeat metrics. My solution to this was to connect my PC and FR945 to all my sensors and just delete duplicates from Strava (I delete the Garmin data) while not syncing Zwift data to Garmin Connect.
One person found this helpful
Justin Passaro –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not ready for market (broken in two weeks)
I’ve been a Garmin customer for the last four years starting with the Forerunner 235 up to the fantastic Forerunner 935, which I used for the last two years. The Forerunner 945; is not a worthy successor.In fact the 945 is currently on its way back to the vendor as I type this due to a laundry list of both physical issues and software problems so egregious I have to question just what the company was thinking in releasing this in an obviously rushed state.-Lets talk about the elephant in the room: the buttons. The 945 is supposed to have buttons that have a ‘click’ to inform the user that button has been compressed. It’s a satisfying little thing, but it doesn’t work. Now, the 935 also did this but after sometime, that stopped. The button still functioned but the click was gone. In less than two weeks the 945 ‘Down’ button (bottom left button on face) would click sometimes, and then not click and then finally; got stuck in the housing and had to be physically pried out of the unit (using my nails like tweezers to yank it out). The function of the button was also splotchy. Sometimes it worked, others it did not.-The battery life is the absolute worst I have ever seen in a Garmin watch since I began using theese watches. My over 2 years old 935 (which I returned to) is vastly superior. I had a never-ending 1.5-2.2%/per hour battery drain on the watch regardless to what I had running or not running. I ran the straight default settings and had the issue, I turned off sensors (PulseOX,see below), same drain, completely drained the battery hoping this would correct it, did not. I factory reset the watch numerous times and nothing fixed it. Either the software was killing the battery (via bug) hardware (too much of a energy hog, and a massive design flaw) or the physical battery itself was bad. Either way it rendered the watch useless.-PulseOx does not work as intended as of this writing. It seemed to work during sleep, the all day option does not with hours upon hours of missed reports happening. This most likely led to some of the battery drain. I had to force a reading via the widget all the time and even then it took a number of tries for it to work. This was not ready for market.-The optical heart rate monitor and PulseOx stays on while doing a tracked activity if you are using an external sensor for heart rate measurements. Garmin states this is needed for users to use Garmin Pay. Well I didn’t even have Garmin Pay set-up and it still ran. This is an unesscessary battery drain. Could they not just set the parameters to turn these on ONLY when the user is using Garmin pay? There’s also the psychological issue for the user. Is the watch actually getting a measurement from the external strap? Is it coming from the wrist? The watch infrequently would state “external HR connected” while in a tracked activity, but not all the time. A simple icon showing a heart with strap around it would have cleared up the confusion instead of sharing the exact same icon between the external and wrist.This watch was rushed to market and did not build upon it’s predecessor in any way. Garmin put out their luxury line with all the new bells and whistles and clumsily shoveled them onto the 935 successor with obvious poor manufacturing and the same run-of-the-mill shoddy software updates for a new device for the next six months. If you own a 935 and is thinking about upgrading, I’d hold off. If you’re thinking of moving up to the top tier, buy the 935, the 945 is a mess.
185 people found this helpful
Jeison Pino Posada –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excelente
Excelente producto y excelente servicio
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great smartwatch
Had the watch for a couple of weeks now and really enjoy it. Battery lasts a long time and charges pretty quickly. Lots of different categories to choose from in terms of recording your activities. The Connect App from Garmin is easy to use and provides lots of information on activities you specifically use the watch to record (a run, a walk, a swim, etc) and others the watch automatically keeps track of (sleep, steps, heart rate, etc). Lots of ability to customize the watch (watch faces, different events), including creating your own apps. Connectivity between my watch and phone via bluetooth is good–I like getting the occasional notification on my watch rather than my phone, actually.At this point, I think the only thing I’m slightly disappointed about is the built-in temperature sensor. Apparently you have to take the watch off for several minutes to allow the sensor to equilibrate to the environment, rather than your wrist temperature.Otherwise, I’m really happy with the purchase.
One person found this helpful
brent –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Aspirational Battery Life Statement
Does the watch have potential? Yes. Is it currently living up to that potential? Not even close. All the whiz-bang features do not matter if the watch can’t even come close to the stated battery life while using just a few of these featuresAs a longtime Garmin owner (910, 920, 935), I am seriously disappointed with the watch at this point. This disappointed seems to be a trend if you read Garmin forums. I became familiar with the forums while trying to troubleshoot a serious battery life issue; a watch that last about 3 to 4 days depending on GPS use. Like mentioned earlier, I have an understanding of Garmin products and the the typical functions that cause battery drain, i.e. GPS usage, heart rate, etc. I am not using the ox sensor, music, or maps. That is why I went to the forums to find a work-a-round. After not finding any workable solutions on the forums, I contacted Garmin directly via their chat service. The chat service was a waste of time. I really felt that I was getting ‘the run-a-round’ based off the questions and recommendations from the Garmin employee. This was topped off by this employee sending the stated battery life estimates by watch function usage. Really, do you think I would spend the money on the watch and the time trying to independently resolve the issue if I didn’t know this? How would I know that it is not meeting the stated battery performance if I didn’t have an expectation of this performance based off of Garmin’s claim?My advise is to read the forums for additional detail and wait until Garmin has a software update to resolve this as it seems it was a software update that is responsible for most of the issue.
4 people found this helpful
David A. Berrie –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Fantasic, when it works…
I’ve had this watch for just over a month. Mos of my running friends have a Garmin watch they use to trak thier running so I finally caved and purchased this for myself as a gift.I purchased this for two reasons. The long battery life, and the ability to play music. I plan to run a marathon in 18 months (if pandemic ever ends) and this watch has the battery life I sorely need.First, this watch almost didn’t last the first day I owned it. The configuration process was long, confusing, and painful. The software interface is poorly done, and the controls are many and confusing. I ended up going to Amazon and starting a return process. The only thing that saved it was the UPS store was closed when I got there with the package. After pondering it overnight, I gave it a second chance, and managed (after two hours) to get it configured and ready to go finally.It’s great when everything works. However, I have yet to go an entire week without some issue. One day, the bluetooth headphones will be unable to connect and I will have to go through the process of reconnecting them. Or, the music will not play, or the Livetrack will suddenly stop working.I have got into a routine where before I go for a run, I get the watch, power cycle it, open up the app on my phone, sync the watch, and then start my music to be sure it will actually play, and then start my run.Today a new issue was that I cannot connect to the GPS signal. It’s been an hour since I ran this morning and still no GPS connection when I try to start an activity.The battery life is not as advertised. This morning I ran for an hour and 10 minutes using the music only, as the GPS wass not working, and I went from 100% to 83%. It’ supposed to last for 10+ hours with GPS and music.I’m seriously considering returning this as this point and maybe trying something else, as I will be having to call their support line for the second time in the month that I’ve had this.I’m really disappointed in this product as this was a very expensive purchase and I feel like I should be able to just put it on and go run without having to run through the power cycle and sync process daily.If Apple ever gets the battery life on the Apple watch to 8-10 hours, I’ll go with the Apple watch instead. I have friends who have them and love them but the battery life isn’t there for me to run a Marathon.TLDR – Great, when it works as advertised.UPDATE: I did return this watch and get another. I upgraded to the Fenix 6x (similar features and battery life but larger screen) and it has made a big difference. I’m pretty sure the watch I had was just a bad one, as this new watch seems to work perfectly so far. So take this review with a grain of salt, as my experience may not be typical.
3 people found this helpful
Mark L. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
200 plus miles later – what do I think?
I purchased this watch and running/triathlon computer to replace a Garmin Fenix 3HR because the Forerunner 945 has many more bio-metric and fitness data fields and is considerably lighter and less cumbersome. Over the past month I have run with it for over 200 miles in hill repeats, speed work, long slow distance, two races, and baseline training runs. The amount of information that this unit provides during and after a workout is remarkable. It very quickly provides you with a summary of the workout across a number of parameters. When connected to the Garmin Connect on your smart phone, you can explore these fields in greater depth. In addition to the usual data fields, It tracks VO2 max, stress, training effect, and has an innovative body battery feature that measures net fatigue. I have found all of these parameters to be useful as well as the highly accurate sleep tracking and cardio data. I particularly like the fact that it is considerably lighter and less bulky than other instruments of its kind, including the Fenix series, which are too large and heavy for my wrist. One cool feature that I discovered when running in the predawn is that the watch face illuminates by itself when you pull your arm up to look at your distance, pace, and time, etc. No need for pushing a button in the dark. It syncs quickly and processes the data very quickly upon completion of the work out.
Forrest Kundert –
1.0 out of 5 stars
Podcasts feature really really really stinks!!!! And the watch and app are not at all intuitive
Great thing about this is the battery; far better that an Apple Watch and holds up much better in sub zero weather. Also seems to be lots of data points on your activities if you’re a data junky. But first of all I’m disappointed it’s not touch screen. I just assumed all expensive smart watches were touch screen now but not this one. And the watch and supported Connect app are not intuitive. I’m always spending way too much time having to google how to set up auto pause, load and sync podcasts, pair headphones…. And the podcast feature really really stinks!!!! It won’t sync with my podcasts on my iPhone. Instead you have install a 2rd app on phone (Connect IQ; this is in addition to the Connect app) then on that app you have download a 3rd app in the Connect app called Playrun. But you can’t even manage your podcasts on this app. Instead you to go on browser to the Playrun website where you have to subscribe to podcasts and add them to your “flow” and make playlists and then I had to spend another 30 minutes googling how then to sync them to the watch. They could hardly make this any more difficult. I’m sure there are many other cool features to this watch but can’t spend hours trying to figure them out. If you have an iPhone definitely stick to Apple Watch. Update. The more I use it the more dissatisfied I am
Seanbar –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy Upgrade from 935
I have found the overall speedier interface, music capabilities, emergency contact alert, improved VO2 max which now takes elevation/heat index in consideration worth the $100 price of admission over the FR935. I have no need for the Garmin pay and have found the pulse ox not worthy of the battery drain. I disagree with Garmin to not include a quick release band for the premium price paid for this watch. I don’t have an issue with the buttons, as some have. Enabling vibration with button push may alleviate some of those concerns. I found no improvement with GPS accuracy, which is overall good in my area with both watches. Satellites are picked up within 15 seconds or so in my area. Both ios and windows Garmin connect software is a data lover’s dream once you get familiar with the interface. Wi-Fi is an underrated feature. I found battery life no better (or worse) than the 935. I don’t have data to prove it, but Bluetooth seems much improved with phone connection, though not flawless with the Jabra elite active 65t earbuds I pair with the watch. I find that I need to wear the watch on my right wrist or there will be intermediate sound issues. I hope that will be alleviated with future software upgrades. Overall, about what I expected after two years of advancements over the 935.
37 people found this helpful
Cameron Hubbard –
4.0 out of 5 stars
obnoxious start to exercise
I lost my 735 xt to battery woe so I upgraded to 945 ….first run I go on Ihad inadvertantly activated a workout I had been offered which caused my watch to go off every few seconds …had to stop and see it unilaterally just hijacked my own workout….it also unlike the 735 won’t allow you to start running but has warmup stuff….so my beef is they complicated the simple and charged me more ….but I will …to be fair ….acknowledge that it seems far more accurate than 735 on heart rate and running loops it seems better on gps accuracy so now I know to be aware that I have to ignore the workout I can see metrics far more advanced than the 735 like body battery and deeper sleep analysis….stuff I wouldn’t pay more for when they introduced it but stuff I’ll incorporate now I had to buy the 945 since 735 was no longer available …I’m a bit concerned that inserting charging cable hundreds of times will end up problematic too as it’s a tight fit so I hope it’s durable
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does what it says on the tin
Great. Favorite features are the stress tracking and the body battery. I also like that there are so many different activities it can measure.
T. BarrettaT. Barretta –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great features, but verify the region
The watch has so many features, it can get a little confusing on all its options. The assistance emergency option is great, garmin pay is nice, the music options are a little limited but not necessary. The garmin operating echo system is user friendly but not as good as Google wear os. I bought the Garmin 945 for its navigation options, create a round trip course, safety feature, and being able to add bike radar system to my forrunner 945. The issue I have is not the watch, but it’s region. The phone is preloaded with European maps so right now my navigation feature is limited. I wish the seller would list the region of the watch so I would be prepared for my purchase. Now I did purchase the watch at a serious discounted price with my Amazon gift cards and I have been told I am able to install and use USA maps. Garmin has options to purchase maps or you can install open street maps. It’s a great watch, and purchasing an out of region watch is NOT a deal breaker cause you can install other regions in your watch. If it’s a great deal than it may be worth doing a little homework.
Luis WilliamsLuis Williams –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Métrica y pantalla
Una cantidad de datos abrumadora, excelente para mejorar tu condición física y más si eres corredor. La pantalla al principio puede dejarte esperando más si eres usuario de smartwatches ya que no es AMOLED.
TengNP –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Sports watch at great value
The watch was received in good order within 3 days of ordering. TOPS!Although this FR945 is 2 seasons old watch it has more than enough features for my needs. The watch works great for my activities including walking g, hiking, running and pool laps swimming. The Spotify download and usage is easy and a welcomed feature.Easy to use and quite intuitive.TOPS again.
One person found this helpful
Kindle Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Used Goods
I love the watch but it appears to have been used as was supposed to be new. The watch clearly had been used to track cycling data. This should give anyone pause if dealing with this seller. An explanation is in order in my opinion.
Charles Edmundson –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice runner watch
Watch does everything you need. Perfect watch for runners.
One person found this helpful
Constanza –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excelente
Cumple todas las expectativas y más, excelente calidad. Muy buen producto
Socrates Munoz –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Muy buen reloj para running
Simplicidad al configurar, buenos materiales y muy funcional
Wesley –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Initial Assessment
The watch is good for exercising, but I am unsure about tracking my sleep data now.
Fernando Naranjo –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ligero.
Es ligero, útil, mide la calidad del sueño que es adecuado para tener en cuenta la recarga de la batería corporal
One person found this helpful
P. J. Hauser –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does everything and is rock solid.
I’ve had the 945 for 5 months and it has been fantastic. I’ve had several Garmin watches since 2003, including the Forerunner 201, 205, 305, 310XT, and now the 945. Every unit has always been a significant upgrade for me, with the 945 being a huge jump from 310XT. It does everything great and it’s slim enough to wear all the time. For exercise I mostly use it for biking (indoor and out) and running. When it’s warm enough, I just use the built in heart-rate sensor and it’s been very reliable. When it’s colder and I need to wear layers, I use a separate Scosche heart rate sensor under my long-sleeve shirt and wear the 945 on the outside, and that combo works great too. I have two bikes I use it with, my regular outdoor bike and an indoor bike mounted on a Kurt Kenetic trainer. Both bikes have their Garmin speed/cadence sensor on them and it works great with each of them. One advantage over the 310XT is the customized data fields are unique to each activity (e.g., “bike” versus “bike indoor”) which is handy. The 310XT shared the same data fields when used with two bikes.There is only one small negative, but it’s just a subjective thing and I suppose you can’t have everything. On the Garmin 310XT, the screen actually has a smaller area (593 square mm versus 726 for the 945), but the rectangular layout allowed seeing 4 data fields clearly, even without my bifocals on. With the 945, there’s more area but some of it is wasted due to being circular, so the fields are actually slightly smaller, even when arranged optimally (with top/bottom/left/right fields, versus 2 rows and 2 columns). Another factor is that the monochrome screen on the 310XT was easier to read in various lighting conditions, compared to the color screen on the 945. BUT… all that said, there are some pros that make up for what I consider negatives of the screen. The first is that having a color screen is just better for the many things this watch can do besides just tracking runs ((golf anyone?) . The second is that it’s possible to add extra data fields screens (not limited to 4 like the 310XT) so besides the usual screens with multiple fields, I also added some extra screens with just one big field for various things (one for distance, one for pace, one for heart rate, etc.). And that has worked very well for me.Overall I love this watch and have no hesitation in recommending. Of course if you really want to learn more, and you haven’t been there already, be sure to check out the DC Rainmaker website. That’s my first stop for anything related to fitness gadgets, and he has a TON of great reviews and information on just about everything out there!
3 people found this helpful
Annette D. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gift
This was a gift for my son. He is a runner and loves this watch. Easy to track his runs and stay on pace. He has not had any problems with the battery, but charges it often. Looks good too, not too bulky like some others I looked at.
Suyapa LaborielSuyapa Laboriel –
5.0 out of 5 stars
This smart watch does a lot!
I love this watch. It does so much. I’ve had it for over 3 months and I’m still learning new things. The battery life is much longer than my Fitbit. This Garmin is worth the investment and I highly recommend it.
One person found this helpful
M. Rigg –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive Sports Watch
I bought this watch to train for, and participate in, my first Ironman. My Apple Watch in exercise mode won’t last the entire Ironman event and I needed a watch that would. Beyond that simple requirement, here is what I found after using the Garmin Forerunner for the past month:- I use TrainingPeaks to perform scheduled workouts. I sync the run and bike workouts (not swim) directly with the watch. Each day’s workout is ready for me when I am ready to start. Then during the workout, it will tell me what to do (when each interval starts / counts down the time, what pace to maintain, what interval is next, when rest periods start / counts down the time, etc.). I don’t have to remember the workout sequence and times, as it does it all for me. I just do what the watch tells me to do. TrainingPeaks is really well integrated with Garmin Connect and the watch.- The swim watch face is much easier to read and to use in the water than the Apple watch (and I’ve had trouble with the Apple watch touch screen in the water – doesn’t register a tap). The Garmin buttons start/stop intervals easily and more swim information is available real-time on the Garmin.- The sleep, stress and “body battery” functions are nice ways to keep tabs on my overall readiness to do the next day’s workouts. More generally, the amount of data available both in Garmin Connect and in TrainingPeaks is terrific.Some other observations:I don’t have any issues with the buttons on my watch (as another reviewer did). They work as intended and seem well designed. The overall quality of the watch is excellent.- If you are a runner, this watch is much lighter than the Fenix series.- I can wear the Garmin watch for days without recharging, which allows me to collect sleep information.- I plan to use the maps and navigation/routing features when I start hiking again this winter. The number of sports and data on each sport is broader and deeper than what is on the Apple watch. These are nice features.- I like that I can pair a heart rate chest strap to this watch for better accuracy; I can’t do that, or if possible haven’t done that, on the Apple watch.- I like the Apple Watch wrist strap better; the Garmin strap is more traditional and harder to put on / take off.- I really like the Apple Watch for many of its best features, and probably would not be wearing the Garmin at all but for the training need. Still, I now enjoy wearing the Garmin. In fact, I’ve started wearing both (fashionistas be damned).
9 people found this helpful
Spiralduct –
3.0 out of 5 stars
For a $500 watch, I expected better.
Full disclosure, I ended up returning this watch but want to explain why.I purchased both the Garmin Marq Advenutrer and this Forerunner watch to see whether The Marq was worth the extra money and it definitely was…to me. I decided to keep the Marq after experiencing both watches for over a month.First, the most annoying thing for me was the Forerunner often lagged a half second after each press of the buttons. It felt like it wasn’t responding so I would often press the buttons multiple times and then it caught up and jumped menus on me. This is unacceptable for a $500 watch.Second, which is related to number 1 above, the buttons on the Forerunner was not responsive and did not give much tactile feedback. The buttons felt mushy and lack feedback and so it contributed to multiple button presses because I wasn’t sure the press was accepted and with the time lag it would jump menus on me. The buttons on the Marq gave you a nice click so you know you’ve depressed the button.Third, after comparing the build quality of the heavy, solid, and beautiful titanium watch body of the Marq, there is no way I would accept the plastic, light weight toy like body of the Forerunner. I do understand that the point of the plastic body was to save weight for Iron Man races but it really felt like a kid’s watch to me. And the plastic feeling Gorilla glass does not compare to the quality domed sapphire crystal of the Marq.Forth, the screen on the Marq has a really crisp resolution so the hands don’t look like a digital watch’s hands while the screen on the Forerunner lack the pixel density so it looked like a “cheap” digital watch for $500. The Marq’s digital hands really looked like real needles. The Forerunner’s definitely did not.Fifth, the Marq consistently lasted 8-9 days between charges while the Forerunner lasted about 5 days with the same features turned on.Sixth, the factory watch faces on the Forerunner lacked a classic analog face with editable data fields. I did download a few aftermarket watch faces but they were poor quality graphically. Most of the factory faces were too cartoonish for me. The Marq came with one factory watch face in particular that had a classic analog face with 6 customizable data fields which is beautiful and would look great with a suit or shorts.Function-wise I think both watches are similar and generally meets my needs. The Spec sheets of both watches looked similar but the menus are slightly different though and you can tell they reduced some _valuable_ features on the Forerunner to make the Marq more premium. The graphics and icons are so much more beautiful on the Marq too.Honestly, if I didn’t wear both watches at the same time and have the two watches side by side for comparison for over a month, I probably would have liked the Forerunner except I’m not sure if I can deal with the lack of button feedback and the half second delay with each press. For a $500 watch, I expected better.
4 people found this helpful
Fred Coulter –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Make sure it’s a US Watch
I really like this watch. It is keeping me very motivated when I’m running, and helping me scout out new runs. It also lets me know how I’m improving. The other reviews do a great job of explaining what’s great about the watch.HOWEVER, there is a potential problem with buying this watch on Amazon. You may end up with a watch that isn’t meant for the United States. And if it’s not meant for the United States, then all the extra money you spent for its mapping features have been wasted. (Unless you happen to spend a great deal of time wherever the maps are.)So what do you do? The first thing you need to do when you get the watch is have it generate a course for you. You do this from the start activity screen. The steps vary a little depending on which operating system you’ve got, but the online manual will help you find that part of the command tree. Once you’ve made it there, have it generate a course for you. It won’t matter what direction or what distance you choose. If you have the US edition, there will be a lag while it calculates a potential run. But if you have an edition for somewhere else, you will be told that there are no routable maps for your area.At that point, CALL AMAZON. (Don’t try to go through the web site. That doesn’t help you replace something, just return it.) The friendly Amazon customer service representative will arrange for a replacement to be sent to you within a couple of days. There will be no charge for the replacement, and there will be no charge for shipping back the original watch. (Unless you don’t ship back the original. Then you’ll have to pay for two watches.)Even better, you can continue to use the original watch to track your runs while waiting for the replacement. (Don’t break it.) The information it gathers will transfer to your new watch, assuming you’re using the Garmin Connect Mobile App. So you have no justification to not exercise while waiting for your watch.There is a time limit. Amazon won’t replace the watch after thirty days. But don’t hold off until the last minute to check your watch. You might as well get the right watch as soon as possible. In addition to having local maps, you’ll also get the more recent software updates. (For some reason, the overseas editions of the watch get updated later than the US version.)Enjoy your watch, and beat yesterday.
11 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
More amazing than I thought
The media could not be loaded.
Nothing to dislike. So many features and uses.
Kayaker –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Only real issue is the lack of a touch screen everything else is amazing
Ive been using it now for about 8 months and its perfect. I would give it 5 stars but I liked the touch screen on my vivoactive 3 better. Many people don’t like touch screens since they don’t work well with large or wet fingers. The 5 buttons, with some long and some short pushes however, is also a bit problematic especially with all the functions. That is therefore a preference.I love the find my phone options and the find my watch option. I love the battery life. I kayak and really like that it has that as an activity. I swim and that too works great. The music feature has been great and though it took a bit getting used to it sets up with lots of headphones and speakers easily. My daughter gets alerted when I chop wood since it thinks I was in an accident, but I like that too. I thought a lot before buying this watch and I love it.This is an update — now have the watch about 20 month. The battery is still perfect! It never runs out of power. It charges very quickly. The GPS is still good to a few feet on each workout. The buttons all work. Swimming it doesn’t fog on the inside like some of my old watches did. The buttons rarely get hit by mistake and that is even true with my bulky biking gloves on.The negatives are still that it is a bit bulkier than my vivoactive 3 and therefore not comfortable at night for sleep activities. The touch screen would be really helpful with maps pan/zoom. The Vivoactive used a different algorithm for VO2 max and for physiological age. I lost less then 1L/min VO2 max with the new algorithm, but Vivo3 used to give me a benefit of about 30 years (which I knew is wrong but I liked it). The 945 only gives me about 8 years benefit.
Pete Bolen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Garmin 945
I have used pool swim, bike, and run mode so far. All seem to measure accurately. I like the suggested workouts Garmin occasionally throws at you as well.
Justin Goudreau –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Recieved a Non-USA version and now Garmin won’t warranty
The watch was fine until I needed help from Garmin. I had an issue with the front glass fogging and Garmin told me my serial number is not a US serial number and can’t help me. I had no idea. I’m from FLorida and order on Amazon, I don’t recall seeing anything about this. The seller is: All n’ Home
5 people found this helpful
Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
good upgrade from the 235 (1 month in)
Like many people I switched from fitbit to garmin about 4 years ago. I had a garmin 235 and loved it, but i wanted to see what else I could get if i upgraded. I run around 20-30 miles per week and this was worth the upgrade.big pros vs 235 (2016 version):+ 7 day training load feature+ more accurate race prediction times (all are slightly faster than PRs)+ more data screens during run+ golf (yards to front/back/middle of green is great!)+ music (good for track workouts, but i usually run with my phone, so pretty neutral)+ higher quality display+ body battery (interesting feature that measures energy levels)stayed about the same features:- recovery time data- VO2 max data- battery life (both very good unless you run ultra marathons then 945 excels)- interval training (run / walk features)underwhelming features:- maps, I need more practice, but after 1 month it does not seem intuitive- screen durability, scratched easier than expected in the first week (keys, dog, door, or something)
5 people found this helpful
SusanRachel –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome multipurpose watch
I originally got this for working out, mostly running and swimming, then I discovered everything else it does. Now it is on my wrist or ankle 24/7. I absolutely love it. Best features – it keeps track of multiple things every day and motivates me to do better – take more steps, sleep better, watch my weight, get in another workout. Worst feature by far is sleep tracking. It often thinks I’m asleep when I am reading a book before bed and refuses to give me a green check mark for sleeping anything less than 8 hours. I am a 7 hour, 15 minute kind of person and wish it gave me credit for when I sleep what my body needs, but it won’t allow that to be adjusted. I found the watch uncomfortable on my wrist at night because it often wound up under me. Being small, I switched it to my ankle and have had no problems since.In addition to life monitoring, it also syncs with your phone and acts like a smart watch, telling you about phone calls, texts, etc. Oh, and it is fantastic at tracking running and swimming as well.
2 people found this helpful
Amac –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great so far
Originally I ordered the 235 but canceled it because it does not have open water swimming. I also like the Assistance feature which would alert your designated person and/or 911 that you are hurt, lost or in dangerThe size of the watch face seemed pretty big at first but I’m glad it’s easy to ready and it is very comfortable on the wrist, even sleeping. I got screen savers to avoid scratches. The band also comfy but wish more colors available. The buttons are great, not sure why people say they stick etc. I used to have Garmin 920XT the square face.Absolutley love the music function. Used Spotify premium free trial. Will try others if free. My generic wireless Bluetooth earbuds paired easily but didn’t control volume despite trying. So I will buy some that have volume control on the earbuds.There are so many features haven’t explored all of it yet. Love the body battery but if you take watch off it affects it even for 10 minutes. I’m not a fan of how you charge the watch though. Wish it was a cradle vs plug in. I hope that doesn’t break.
One person found this helpful
AZ Cactus RunAZ Cactus Run –
1.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievably Complicated to Operate
I am so disappointed with Garmin Forerunner 945. I was beyond excited to upgrade and purchase what seemed like a dream fitness watch. What no one says is how incredibly complicated this watch is to 1) set-up 2) operate. I initially spent 4+ hours just setting this watch up. Updating, syncing, connecting to my lap top for music files required a little over 4 hours.Since then, I have spent over 5 hours reading the manual just trying to figure out how the darn thing works. It is NOT intuitive at all. It’s been three days since the watch arrived & I’ve yet to be able to use it for a work out.This watch is NOT touch screen. It has 5 function buttons that are clumsy to use and operate.The order of the functions are difficult to follow. Other than a running option I can’t find any other activity to track or add such as swimming, cycling or weightlifting – I’m a triathlete.The music option is useless unless you have a paid subscription to Spotify. You cannot use the Garmin Connect phone app as an interface to download music files. You must download Garmin Express to a laptop to set-up.Garmin Pay is not compatible with any of the three debit or credit cards I use.About the only thing I was able to do easily is add emergency contacts under the Safety & Tracking feature. Once you select a contact they’ll receive a link by text to be confirmed as an emergency contact.I am college educated, technology competent and it should not take me hours to figure out a fitness watch.I currently have a Garmin Vivioactive that I was able to immediately use out of the box without ever consulting the manual. I’m sadly and ever so disappointedly, returning the Forerunner & sticking with my Vivoactive, touch screen, intuitive, simple to operate fitness watch.
2 people found this helpful
John –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great watch
This watch is perfect for anyone trying to gather detail on their workout progress. Battery life is amazing. I’ll charge mine for maybe 25 minutes and will have a charge that’ll last a whole week.This watch tracks anything from your body battery, sleep, resting metabolic rate, stress, steps and much more. I don’t find this watch to be the best at determining your body battery or sleep. It doesn’t account for any naps that you may take. Oura ring does a much better job of sleep tracking and body readiness.Based on the totality of everything this watch can do, I highly recommend it.
N. Warren –
1.0 out of 5 stars
The watch has issues, but the customer service is horrible.
The good. GPS worlds well and it integrates well with the Garmin Connect app. The watch is comfortable and not too bulky for all that it has to offer. Used it mainly for mountain biking and gym workouts and for a while it worked pretty well.The bad. The watch started having issues within a few months of ownership. Heart rate is all over the place, altimeter / stairs climbed is way off, step counter is out to lunch. Since the heart rate is used for sleep, stress, and body battery it makes it so those are all incorrect. Contacted Garmin multiple times. The first time I went through a series of normal IT type of steps like resetting, verifying software versions, restoring to factory settings. Initially this seemed to fix at least the heart rate issue, but after a couple months it’s worse than ever. Contacted Garmin again, but this time rather than “ sorry to hear our product isn’t working please ship it back and we’ll get it fixed up in no time” I get a list of items they want answers to. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to see that this is a hardware issue, but they want irrelevant information, plus remote access to my account, plus app logs (that have location and a host of other data) and a bunch of other things. I said no to providing my personal data, and they told me they require that data to build their Case file and if I wouldn’t provide the account access and the data that they wouldn’t help me. Hopefully people aren’t just forking over their accounts and data for issues like this to total strangers. At the end of the day I’m not happy to throw away a 500 dollar watch, but I’d rather do that than deal with such unreasonable customer service.
3 people found this helpful
Wyatt Mullen –
1.0 out of 5 stars
Amazon may send you the wrong geographic version!
The watch seemed awesome the two days I wore it, but don’t bother buying from Amazon! Right now (I purchased it on May 23, 2022) the price is the same across the web and you will have a smaller chance of getting the wrong version especially if you purchase directly from Garmin.Each watch is formatted for a specific part of the world. If you live in the US you must get the North American version to have the maps on the watch function correctly. Despite what this product page says, confirming you will receive the North American version (Model number 010-02063-00), it’s likely you will not receive that version. I received the Southeast Asian version which means I would only have maps of Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, etc. I contacted Garmin customer support and they confirmed that my watch was the incorrect version. Having the wrong country version also means that you will not qualify for additional updates the watch may receive in coming years.If you decide anyways to purchase from Amazon, you should check which version you received when it arrives. One way to do this is to check the languages on the quick start guide included. There will be English, but if you see Vietnamese and other SE Asian languages you’ve probably received the wrong watch. You can also check on the watch by looking at the maps. If it appears largely blank for your area except for large scale details (such as major highways, cities, bodies of water) you’ve probably received the wrong watch.I returned this watch (currently waiting for my refund) and immediately purchased a new one from the official Garmin store. And yes I did see the other negative reviews about this happening, but I thought because it explicitly stated it was the American version I thought it would not happen to me. So yes, this review applies to you.
7 people found this helpful
StephenC –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best watch ever for runners and a potential life saver
Incredible device! More data than I know what to do with. I paired it with the running pod and now I can track everything imaginable. The GPS accuracy is phenomenal as I often run a measured course and it is never more than .01 of a mile off. The heart rate monitor is much more accurate than my FitBit ever was. Personal Story: I had donated blood and decided to go for a long run three days later. Because of having fewer RBC my heart was pumping harder to meet my oxygen needs. I was at mile 9 and heading into a lonely area with rarely anyone else when my watch told me I was in the No Zone because my heart rate was over 180 (normally under 140 during heavy exercise). I immediately ended my run and went into a cool down.The battery has a very long life even when using GPS and Amazon music during long distance runs. I had a FitBit Versa before this and the Garmin is on a whole different level.
7 people found this helpful
Jorge Scoobs Sanchez –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great watch and fitness tracker .
Love the watch. All features work as described.The battery life , at least for what I use it for, needs more. I’m a coach and use the timers, stop watch quite often (everyday multiple times In an hour, amongst the triathlon features and music.If you’re going for use it for runs , swim and bike you won’t have a problem with battery life.Sleep tracking, heart rate working out features are excellent.Again , great watch and will be replacing it with the Fenix 7X for more battery life.
soostibi –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Motivating to move when having such a gadget
I have multiple Garmin devices for different activities: Montana 600 for hiking, Edge 810 for mountain biking and now this Forerunner 945 for running. I was a little bit afraid of the battery life as some reviews mentioned issues with that, but for me the battery lasts approx. 8-10 days, which is more than I expected.This watch is a good alternative for the other two when I don’t want to bring a bulky Montana 600 or the Edge with me. And now I started running which I haven’t liked, but after installing a good app on the watch to achieve 6 mins pace on 5 kms as a start is very motivating.I selected this device because of its light weight (as opposed to Fenix), I need the mapping capabilities when hiking and running in the mountains. As I already use Garmin devices I’ve got used to the maps and the PC and mobile companion apps.So I highly recommend this all-in-one wrist computer for gadget fans and pro athletes.
One person found this helpful
Justin Carrington –
1.0 out of 5 stars
It would be worth it for about $200
I’ve had it for about 1 week. I am a long-time Garmin user, having gone through two Garmin heart rate chest straps, the original Vivoactive and Vivoactive HR watches, and a Garmin Edge 520 Plus bike computer. This is by far the most expensive Garmin I have purchased, yet the worst quality.Battery Life: Advertised 2 weeks in smartwatch mode. This is misleading. With Pulse Ox turned off, Smart data recording on, watch face that doesn’t update every second, backlight on only 20%, no notifications turned on, and no activity tracking, it will get about 7 days. If all these features are turned on/up, it might get a couple days at max. Maybe if I turned off every feature except the time-keeping aspect it would get 2 weeks, but who would buy a $600 Garmin if that was their goal?Sensory accuracy: Heart rate is alright, the new Garmin Elevate V3 has paid off and gives much more accurate readings than the Garmin Vivoactive HR. GPS accuracy is terrible, worse than Garmin Vivoactive original, Vivoactive HR, Vivoactive 3 music, and the very old Garmin Forerunner 405. They switched to the Sony GPS chip to saved battery. It has improved battery life compared to lower end Forerunners but at the cost of worse GPS accuracy–which is a terrible move considering people purchasing these high-end Garmins are typically fitness-inclined and crave data accuracy. I will note that the accuracy is a little better on open, flat county roads. Pulse OX seems to work decently, but I’m not entirely sure how to read it.Connectivity: Terrible. Constantly disconnects from my iPhone 8. Did two factory resets. It appears once it’s disconnected, the only reliable way to re-connect is to power cycle the watch. That’s annoying when you want to upload your run to Strava after finishing the workout. The Bluetooth connection issues with earbuds still exist as with all other music models, although I haven’t tried using the Garmin-approved devices. Does not work well with AirPods.Activity tracking: Seems pretty decent so far. Tracks sleep and steps decently, and heart rate data throughout the day. It gives you a neat display of the types of activity you have engaged in throughout the week and then provides training tips.Hardware: Buttons have little clicks when pressing but these feel very fragile and I’m sure they’ll break in no time. Just by repeatedly pressing in messing around with the menu screens they start to loose the crisp feeling.Overall, not worth the high price. I will be testing out a Garmin Fenix 5 plus, which comes in at the same price.
29 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tech Pro!
I purchased the garmin forerunner 945 for my son’s 21st birthday through Amazon from TECH PRO! We were enjoying a wonderful birthday dinner out with family and friends, my son opened the box and discovered a used garmin forerunner 935. I immediately reach out to the the seller through Amazon and am nervously waiting on a response.Update 9/14/2020 TECH PRO! Contacted me this morning and repeatedly apologize for the issue. I sent them the above picture clearly showing a 935. They are shipping a new watch. I will update when it is received and add the product review.Update 9/16 recieved a new and correct watch from Tech Pro! Thank you for your prompt attention to my issue.
2 people found this helpful
Eduardo Mena –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Un reloj para corredores serios
Este reloj tiene la capacidad de analizar la dinámica de carrera para aquellos corredores que desean mejorar su técnica. Hay que usarlo con una banda HRM Pro o el Running Dynamics Pro para tener estos datos, pero vale la pena la inversión. El seguimiento del sueño ahora tiene una puntuación que ayuda a evaluar la calidad del sueño. Y algo que me gustó es el body battery un indicador de las reservas de energía del cuerpo que ayuda a planear tu día.
Peter T. Knight, PhDPeter T. Knight, PhD –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great watch, but watchband loop broke after 13 months use
I love the watch, use it permanently for health and SUP race training, and found it to be a big improvement on my previous Gramin Forerunner 920 in functionality, appearance, and in the more flexible and supposedly durable watchband. But thirteen months later, a month beyond the warranty period, the loop that secures the end of the band when worn broke and I now am left with either a dangling band or use of a plastic tie (see photo). I am stuck in Brazil because of Covid 19 (I purchased the 945 last year during my normal vacation in Maine after the 920’s band broke for the second time). I have no idea of how to replace this small loop of soft black plastic.
One person found this helpful
Brazilian Rockstar –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elite watch
Fantastic piece of technology. It is expensive but it is simply a superb tool to get you to your next fitness level. I started training again 6 months ago with an Apple Watch Series 5 and in the 4th month I realized I needed something more complete. Compared to the Apple Watch, the 945 is simply much better in all aspects of monitoring your running.Pros- multi sport- lightweight- all the analytics you get- display is awesome day or night- battery lifeCons- watch faces are cool, but the design is not as elegant as an Apple Watch- Indoor running tracking is not super accurate, but this is probably not a con since I couldn’t find an affordable alternative yet- Charger is in an awkward position, no wireless charger support- plastic case (still premium, but not like the Apple Watch)Overall, it is easy to recommend the 945!
6 people found this helpful
aoeu –
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Triathlons
I got this to train with for triathlons. I was using a FR 235 before, and wanted to get swimming tracking (I was doing other on the FR 235 before). I’m really impressed with the watch especially for swimming with the auto-lap feature. This makes following a workout really easy, and removes the need to manually count laps.I’ve also done a number of workouts with the bike, run, and multisport activities, and it works very well in all of them. It does take a bit of time for the initial setup. I haven’t tested the music or navigation yet, and am very excited for the latter.Overall, this is an excellent sports watch, and I’ve been able to track/follow my training much better than I was with the earlier model.
One person found this helpful
Kautilya –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good accuracy, moderate usability, poor customer service
Like all Garmin watches, this is a great watch when it comes to accuracy of sensors. I use it mostly for my runs when I am training for marathons. In general, the distance is much more accurate than what I get with other watches and my phone. Sleep tracking, HR and other metrics are pretty good too.Also, like most Garmin watches, it’s hard to use. So although I’ve paid for features like maps, music and payments, I rarely end up using these features. So buy this watch and pay all the extra money only if you need all those features.My biggest problems with this watch -1. There is no easy way to track gym activities like HIIT workouts.2. Garmin support is pathetic. My watch got scratches through some regular use. When I contacted Support, they asked for $130 to replace the glass, even if the watch is under warranty. Of course, I can get a good watch with similar features for about $200-300 now, so I’m not spending $130 + shipping for glass. And for sure, my new watch (and those of others in my running group) isn’t going to be Garmin.
One person found this helpful
Larry J –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don’t Hesitate If You Get After It
Tried the whoop strap to help optimize workouts, recovery and overall well-being, but what I got for the monthly cost didn’t feel like I was getting enough. After a long internal debate, I pulled the trigger on the Garmin and immediately saw what I was missing out on. One flat fee for top of the line metrics and more features than I know what to do with. If you’re already working out consistently and you’re just looking for something to guide you, don’t hesitate on getting the Garmin. I’m a data junkie and the Garmin delivers.
3 people found this helpful
Alex manning –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lightweight and a great running watch
I personally enjoy the Garmin Running workout plans they have. It has helped me tremendously in staying motivated on my running goals. Plus the ability to track steps, calories burned/consumed, sleep and heart rate all in one app is super helpful. Add in the ability to listen to music without strapping my phone to my arm or having it weigh me down in my hand or pockets and this watch is a blessing.
DJ –
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Garmin Coach?
After more than 10 days of use, I now refer to my Garmin 945 as the Garmin “Coach” because it is the closest thing to an actual coach. Although I’ve purchased many products on Amazon over the years, this is the first time I’ve felt compelled enough to write a review. In short, this thing is absolutely phenomenal. However, it’s not for everyone. I’ll explain why later in this review, but first, let’s get to the good stuff. Throughout this review I’ll mostly refer to the 945 as the “coach.” Just thought I should mention that so people aren’t confused.My first Garmin device was the Vivoactive HR. Then I upgraded to the Vivoactive 3. And now the FR945, which is a big jump. The reason I made the leap (after weeks of extensive research) is because I need more granular metrics for my training. With the VA3 I used the stress metric to decide when and how hard to train, which was ok for a while but now I’m training for a major event in combat sports and I need a coach. In the last 10 plus days, the FR945 has been eerily accurate in predicting my performance and recovery requirements. I’ve also learned that my training is unbalanced and may very well account for my high incidents of sports injuries.For example, the body battery and recovery. I woke up one morning with a pretty low body battery after a brutal workout the night before. I also had a terrible late-night meal before going to bed. The “coach” said I had another 18 hours of recovery remaining and suggested an easy or recovery workout. I still felt the previous night’s workout, but I was at least good enough for morning yoga, right? Well, halfway through what is typically a moderate yoga class, my body felt miserable. I struggled throughout the class and couldn’t believe how difficult everything felt. This is the same class I attend twice a week, every week. And my day didn’t get better. I felt like crap the rest of the day. What I really needed was plenty of rest and a good night of sleep. This is a case where I was in one place psychologically and a totally different place physically. This is where injury happens, at least in my case. The “coach” tried to advise me, but I ignored it.Another example, the performance condition. After about 90 minutes of late afternoon drilling, I decided to go for a run. I was pretty pumped and felt great. Yet, the “coach” said my drilling workout was a lot tougher than what I had planned. The training effect was in the “VO2 Max” category with an aerobic effect of 4.1 and anaerobic effect of 3.5. Translation? It was time to chill. Instead, I decided to go on a short 2.5 mile run and to beat my previous time. Then, about 20 minutes into my run this thing pops up on my watch screen called “Performance Condition” with a value of -3. I had no idea what this was and decided to look it up later. Well, I completed my 2.5 miles and beat my previous time by 2 full minutes. But to my surprise, the “coach” suggested a 4-day recovery window, which sounded absolutely ridiculous until I woke up the next morning. Everything hurt and I was exhausted. And I looked up the “performance condition” later that day and smacked myself in the forehead. The “coach” was trying to tell me to stop and get some rest.So, the “coach” has shown me that I tend to do too many hard workouts without enough recovery time in between. Sometimes the mind wants to do what the body is not ready for, but how can you really know? It was mostly guesswork before I bought the FR945. And since I’ve been an athlete my entire life, pushing through pain has always been part of the lifestyle. Now I can finally focus on training smarter, not just harder. The only thing better would be an actual coach who reviews your stats in real time and plans your workouts accordingly. Such a coach costs far more than $600, so I consider the FR945 to be a damn good bargain.Now I will very briefly go over some of the features of the watch1. Battery life – With regular use including all-day activity tracking I get about 7 days. This is even with the sleep pulse ox on for a couple of nights just to try it out. I didn’t do much with GPS during this time but used it quite a bit for music playback and several workouts.2. Music – Next to the advanced metrics, this was a major motivator for the purchase, and it’s fantastic. At first, I had lots of trouble getting my Jabra Elites to work consistently but I think I accidentally fixed it by solving a separate problem. The watch kept crashing whenever I launched the strength app. I saw in the Garmin forum that someone fixed this by deleting outdated .FIT files on the watch, so I decided to do a full factory reset and the strength app stopped crashing. I concluded the problem had to do with me copying data from my VA3 to the FR945. Once I reset and did not copy the data back, everything ran smoothly. Then I noticed the headphones consistently connected as well. However, they still won’t auto connect. Once the headphones are on and I click “connect” from the watch, I have to give the power button on the headphones a single push. Then, they connect and stay connected. So, it’s still not as seamless as other headphones but I’m not sure if that’s a problem with Garmin, Jabra or a mix of the two.There is no music “streaming” though. I use my Spotify account to download the playlists to the watch, which can take a while for a large playlist, but it’s still an awesome feature. The first time I went into the gym without my phone, I was like a kid with a new toy. It was just freakin’ awesome. Some people complain that the sound is not as good as coming from a phone, and this is true but only barely noticeable. The music playback still sounds pretty damn good.3. Wrist HR – It’s awesome for daily activity tracking and all-day HR, but it sucks for any type of gym or strength training workouts. This is true for all devices like this though. But if you’re spending $600 on a watch like this, I suspect you’re also wearing an external HR during workouts. If not, you should.4. Sleep tracking – It’s decent enough for tracking trends but sometimes needs adjusting. Although the FR945 does better than my VA3, I still need to adjust the sleep start from time once in a while. There are also times when it does not calculate my “awake” minutes correctly. For example, it might say I was “awake” during my sleep window for 10 minutes when I know for a fact it was more like 40 minutes. And the REM vs deep sleep I take with a grain of salt. Again, great for tracking trends but I’m not confident in the absolute numbers. So, this is still a good feature but far from perfect.5. Buttons – It took me a day to get used to the buttons after coming from touch screen watches but now I could never go back to touch screens. I lost at least one workout on the VA3 due to inadvertent screen touches. There have also been complaints of the buttons losing their “springiness” and feeling mushy, but so far, I have not experienced this. Maybe it takes more time to manifest itself. However, I use the vibration feedback feature so that each button push gives off a vibration. I suspect this could be a good solution to those experiencing mushy buttons.6. Sports (lots and lots and lots of them!) – There are tons of sports categories on this thing, most of which I will never use. The level of customizable data screens for each sports category is just mind-boggling. There’s is something here for just about everyone. Honestly, this category alone requires a separate review. And configuring activities from the watch itself is very intuitive and user friendly.7. Maps and navigation – I haven’t used either of these beyond playing around with them at home but I have a couple of big hikes coming up. So, I’m really looking forward to trying these out and maybe I’ll update this review.8. Training metrics – This is another one that needs a separate review. The FR945 accurately tells me when to train, how hard or how little, and when to take it easy. It also tells me how long to rest. The training load and training focus features are amazing and will help keep my training more balanced. I haven’t even gotten to the lactate threshold or FTP because I haven’t been using the device long enough for that data to be available yet. And the body battery is so accurate it’s almost creepy. I’ve learned the hard way to listen to it.9. Garmin pay – Set up is really easy but I have not actually used the feature in a store yet. I’ve never been super excited about contactless payments anyway.10. Other stuff – Ok this includes heat acclimation, altitude, etc., etc. So, far I have 19% heat acclimation.11. Look and feel – Despite being jam packed with incredible hardware and a slew of amazing features, the watch is so light weight that I barely notice it’s there. And on top of that it looks great too. Although I liked the VA3, I wanted a more rugged, sturdier looking watch. I can take the FR945 out for a 10-mile hike or just as easily wear it to a business meeting. It has both the sleekness of Bruce Wayne and the utility of Batman.12. Smart watch features – This is not a smart watch. It’s a sports watch with some smart watch features. In contrast, the Apple watch is a smart watch with some sports features. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the smart watch stuff. So, I turned off all smart features except phone calls. While I find it convenient to reject calls without pulling out my phone, the text and other iPhone alerts are just annoying. It would be more useful if I could customize text alerts to receive them only from a select group such as my wife and kids.So, who is the FR945 for? In short, the very serious athlete. If all you are interested in is daily activity tracking, sleep tracking and recording short runs or Zumba classes, get something in the sub $300 range. This watch is for the person who trains for rigorous events such as Spartan races, marathons, triathlons, ultras, serious cyclists, combat sports and so on. In other words, the person who, despite having a day job, thinks about their event for much of the day. They get up to train early in the morning 5 to 7 days a week. They train in the evening and put away ridiculous amounts to calories to keep up. Or if you just want to splurge on a really nice sports watch, go for it. It’s no one’s business. But make no mistake about it. This watch is for serious, data-hungry athletes.This watch is now my daily driver, so I’ll be collecting lots of data and feedback over the next several weeks. If I experience anything significant whether positive or negative, I will update this review. In the meantime, however, I find it difficult to give this product anything less than 5 starts.
288 people found this helpful
Ironman&Ultrarunner –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the Upgrade from Fenix 3!
this is my third garmin watch as i have graduated from one to the next with latest being the fenix 3. the differences between the two is big enough for me to sink in $600 for this watch. for me, the most important functionalities are battery life on gps, music, and wrist based hr monitoring….but it offers so much more!!! i really like the design of this watch. it is a lot lighter than the fenix and slimmer. fenix was not a watch that i could wear to sleep but this forerunner makes it easy for me. there are so many added features since the fenix 3 that i feel like a kid in a candy store. although not needed, i added my credit card to the watch…so if you want to go on a shopping spree, all you have to do is lift my watch!😂 syncing my airpods 2 was a breeze. have i mentioned that this watch is awesome! the built in heart rate monitor surpasses my expectations. although the wrist type monitors are not as accurate as a chest strap, i am willing to give up that accuracy for something that puts me in the general neighborhood of how my ticker is doing. it certainly does that! as far as the battery life claim of 36hours….i have not had a chance to test that yet but will have a chance toward the end of this year. generally, i can get pretty close to the number that garmin publishes but i do have to turn off almost everything to achieve that number. although i could have continue to charge the watch on the run believe it or not, my mind was too foggy in survival mode of a 100 mile run to want to worry about that. i really like the layout of the user interface on this watch. if you are coming from a garmin watch, it is similar and the learning curve is not too steep. i was able to navigate it within a few hours for the most part. i know someone stated in a review they didn’t like the buttons….i love the buttons! they are responsive and get me from me place to another quickly. it is true that not as much pressure is required to do that but that is my preference. the display is very very good. it is crisp and bright. oh….the watch face is very nice. one of the things that i didn’t like about the fenix was that i could never get the second hand to move like an analog watch. this one does. as far as fit, it feels so light on my wrist that i noticed it for the first day but now is just there. overall, i love the added functionalities of thhhis watch and will come back to provide a more in depth review once i have a chance to swim, bike and run with it. first impression is that this is a solid well bought out watch with everything i need! highly recommend!8/10/2019i have had this watch now for about two weeks. it is awesome. here are some things that i have done with it that i haven’t done previously:- sync my apple airpods and a generic earbuds to the watch. both worked although the apple airpods worked more flawlessly.- loaded spotify and my music onto the watch. very easy to do.- the built in hr monitor is awesome! i don’t even wear my strap anymore….it gives me a rash so glad to be rid of it!- i love all the health readings! it is awesome!- i love the strength app. it actually counts your sets and reps. still has a little bit of work to do but pretty cool.- i got all my external devices like hr strap, foot pod and power meter connected to the watch- it uses about 15% per day of battery although i have everything turned on. once i am in race mode i will turn everything off to save on battery- i bought a couple of extra cables. they charged the watch pretty well.- i love the voice alerts while running. it gives pace distance and lactate readings- the watch analog face is pretty good. i especially like the red second hand.. it does eat a little more battery.- gps is quick to sync!- the apps and widgets are awesome. well thought out.that’s all i have for now as i am training for 100 miler and hasn’t had a chance to swim or bike. i am pretty sure i won’t be disappointed there either. will update once i log some distance for those activities.
10 people found this helpful
D. Matusiak Jr.D. Matusiak Jr. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
A paranoid schizophrenic’s worst nightmare.
It tracks everything about you and broadcast it to the internet. If you cool with that, then its a lot of fun.Tldr; its great. All the features work so well. I do use a chest strap heart rate monitor during my heavy workouts, but the one built in is just fine for daily and sleeping. Sleep tracking is pretty good, its picked up pretty accurately for me, and i work nights, so my schedule sucks. You have to set your sleep tracking time from 00:01 to 23:59 for it to pick up day sleeping. Battery is amazing if you turn off everything. I keep heart rate, pulse ox, and activity tracking running 24hrs, and i can go a few days before it hits 40%.First off, I bought a refurbished/used 945. I was anxious to see if any scratches or issues. None at all, watch is in perfect condition with all the packaging and parts. Now to the watch.It is amazing. I recently got back into working out, and wanted a way to measure my metrics, to see if I’m making progress. It does that amazingly well. I use zwift for cycling, and wanted a way to track my time off the bike. It does everything, and it tells me how im feeling, amd its spot on. When my body battery hits 9, i know i feel like a 9. Its like it gets me, and i have something that knows how i feel lolThe sleep tracking is a big selling point for me because i work nights, and my sleep schedule is just so bad, i needed a visual way to display to others so they believe me. It does do that, but you need to put in a little effort to keep the results accurate. First if you sleep during day for night shift, you want to change the sleep window to encompass the entire day to “watch” for signs of sleep: 00:01(to sleep) to 23:59(wake up). This will allow you to fall asleep at any time. However, it only tracks one sleep event, so if you end up falling back asleep later, it will alter the original time’s wake up, to this new wake up, and instead of being a cumulative 7hrs, it will count the awake time between, and come up with a total of say 15hrs. It will display the awake time during the sleep, but i like my times to show the actual hours of sleep, so i edit it to add in the correct time. Not sure if thats correct or not, but i dont know another way.The workout tracking is so cool. It has nearly every sport, and if you go into connect iq app, you can download more. You can also create your own. The data screens for the workouts are so customizable, you can change anything to how you want. When i run, i like to have the 6 field layout with all the quick info: timer, heart rate, cadence, pace, and distance. For cycling, i have all that plus my power meter connects and i have that data as well.It keeps tally of everything you do, and gives you a body battery score. I found this to be extremely accurate. When its a high number, i do feel good, and when its a low number, i definitely feel exhausted. Its a good measure of your fatigue, and that helps you rest knowing you are following your plan without regret.I really like how Garmin Connect app connects to other apps. So many workout apps are an island to themselves with the data they collect. Garmin shares with everything, and doesnt cost a subscription. Get the watch, join the garmin ecosystem. Its great.I ordered cheapo pack of watch band colors. To get the original band off, you need to use 2 tiny star tools to twist them off. Blue locktite secures the threads. Take the original band off, the put the crossbar back on. The new watch bands clip on to it, and make swapping different colors easy.The battery life is kind of a different story. Its really what do you want to compromise? If you want gps on all the time, expect the be recharging by the afternoon. If you turn everything off, including heartrate, pulse ox, activity tracking, gps, it will last quite a few days. I have tested it out fully. You should really make a good decision to what you put on the watch face. Having all the up to date metrics displayed 24/7 will be the biggest drain to your battery. I put mostly weather and step tracking on my watch face, because it doesnt update every second. That saves a ton of battery. Even having the second hand displayed drains battery. Most of the good watch faces you download will tell you that, and its very true. During workouts, i havent had issues with the battery even getting close to dying during an hour long workout with gps and connected to hr strap. I do my workout, and never worry about the battery. Maybe if you were doing ultra distance that takes over a day, i wouldnt worry. Its good, especially for all it does.The phone controls work well. Its conveniet to see who is calling, and i wear my headphones a lot, to just hit the button on the watch to connect me to the call without ever pulling out my phone. I can use simple customizable messages to reply to texts. Anything else and i need to break out my phone for that.All in all 10/10 experience. I hope the devolpment for the sleep tracking continues to get better, but this thing rocks
14 people found this helpful
Bob K –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I’m still finding new things about this smartwatch
I had a Forerunner 405 that I used for many years to track my runs. It was a single purpose device and the battery didn’t last very long. So… if I wanted any other sort of fitness tracking, or smartwatch capabilities, I had to wear a separate device. Getting this 945 has been a game changer.First, it’s battery seems to last a long time. That’s great because you don’t want to have to charge the battery often.The number of widgets and applications is awesome. I don’t know what the difference is between a widget an an application. There seems to be an overlap between the two groups.I really like that it automatically tracks step and floors.Unlike some other sleep and heart rate tracking devices, this one doesn’t have a bright light that wakes you up in the middle of the night.Being able to select the “perfect” watch face is also very nice. I’m sure everyone has their favorite bits of information they want when they look at their watch. Being able to customize pretty much every field on the screen is great.I love that I can pare my earbuds and listen to music or podcasts without having to drain the battery on my phone.
2 people found this helpful
Jason Pietroski –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Watch!
I got it on sale for $300 and it is worth so much more! I use it for tracking my runs and all my health metrics. The battery lasts many days and works great as a smart watch by connecting to my phone and giving me notifications. Would buy again for sure!
John S. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great watch for multi-sport athletes.
This is a fantastic watch. I had the Garmin instinct and upgraded to the 945 as I’m training for an ultra and needed longer battery life. While on the subject of the battery life, it’s freakin’ amazing. I was even down to 15% and was still able to use GPS tracking for 3 hours. We hiked in Utah with poor maps, but luckily the watch had color trails on it and we knew exactly where we were and if needed how to track back. It picks up satellites quickly and is pretty accurate in open spaces, it does seem to make distances longer. There are multiple watch faces you can install depending on needs and preferences. I can download music, connect to Bluetooth and not have to carry my phone. There is a learning curve with the watch, but the manual and Youtube videos help figure things out. Don’t try to figure it all out in one setting. The watch is not too big, able to sleep with it when monitoring sleep, nor noticeable when running. As a multi-sport athlete the 945 meets all my needs. It is expensive with most features seen in less expensive watches. For my needs, I love this watch. I would recommend purchasing a screen saver. Scrambling around rocks, I got a small scratch…super bummer.
2 people found this helpful
Troy A. Miller –
4.0 out of 5 stars
ALMOST as good as it gets… almost…
I bought this 945 on Prime Day (nice sale!), as an upgrade to the 935 that I’ve been using for a little over 4 years. I probably don’t use even 20% of capabilities of these watches, but as a triathlete, I sure enjoy the data that they provide… and the 945 provides even more than the 935. Nice.The biggest things that I’ve noticed over my 935 are (again) the increased amount of data that this watch provides. I particularly like the significantly more detailed sleep tracking, as well as the ‘body battery’, which I find to be QUITE accurate for how I’m feeling at any given moment. Further, I’m especially loving that the heart rate sensor works in the water – not having to wear a heart rate strap when I’m swimming to get my heart data is wonderful!The bad stuff… the buttons. The buttons just suck. Where my 935 buttons are smooth with a nice, single tactile click, the buttons on the 945 feel coarse and grainy – and the top left button got mushy and actually stopped clicking at all within the first 30 days. Further, the bottom right button would kind of catch on the way in, then click – rather like a double click. I contacted Garmin support, and they were wonderful – though they did initially try to just tell me that this was just they way they felt on this new model now, and as long as they worked, everything was fine (but it wasn’t fine, because the buttons suck). Even so, at my request, they did offer to replace it, which was awesome. I received the replacement… and it’s better than the first one. All of the buttons click, though they are still rather grainy, and the top right has that double clicky feel to it – but it’s better. Not better than my 935, but still better. It will get a lot of use with me before the warranty runs out, so I’m just going to keep an eye on it. (Regarding those buttons, after a lot of reading, I found that the buttons were improved thru different revisions of the watch – currently on Rev. D, as stamped on the box. Both my first and replacement watch were Rev. D, so apparently, there are still issues within the revision.)My only other observation with this watch has been battery life. I’m an Ironman athlete, so I need a watch that will make it all the way thru a full IM race. I did a couple of fulls with my 935 with no issue – but when I began to watch battery life on this unit, I was doubtful whether it would make it thru a race – battery was dropping quickly, even with no GPS based activity. Then I remembered… I get a TON of notifications thru my phone, so that had my watch active a lot. I went into Garmin Connect and turned off ALL phone notifications, then just turned on the notifications for calls and texts (because that’s all I want to see on my watch)… and the battery life improved dramatically. Still too soon to make the final call, but I think it’s good now. Just something to be aware of.The long and short of it?… excellent watch with crummy buttons. If I hadn’t caught it on sale, I think I would’ve regretted the purchase, as I would’ve just gone straight for the 955 (which is current right now). However, if you find this watch for a nice price (like I did), it’s worth it… crummy buttons and all.
12 people found this helpful
ihab –
5.0 out of 5 stars
light weight and durable
this Garmin watch very light and like very durable . fast GPS signal received and accurate hart rate and GPS position . i like Really .
Mandela ManMandela Man –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible watch with a MAJOR flaw
I want to make it clear at the beginning of this review that I am a Garmin fanboy. I have been using Garmin watches since 2018 and will never change if I can help it. I think they are great products and they have significantly contributed to my exercise levels.But there is a major design flaw that has now taken out TWO of my watches. As seen in the picture, that is the plastic arm that holds the band in place. It doesn’t matter how smart the watch is or how good the battery life is if the body itself breaks.Now I am going to say that Garmin is replacing this watch under warranty which is why the score is not lower, but I can’t believe this flaw has not been corrected. Hoping my replacement watch doesn’t suffer the same fate.Otherwise, if you don’t care about that, then this watch is a must have. I can’t believe the app is free to use.
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best training partner ever.
It blows my mind how much this watch can do. I run and bike and this watch is perfect. The maps and navigation is amazing. It also hooks up to my saris h3 trainer and can control workouts and resistance. Awesome watch.