Advanced Performance Analytics What amount of training is right for you? Forerunner 245 offers personalised training and recovery insight for smarter training decisions, helping you prepare for your next race. It keeps tabs on your VO2 max and understands how heat and altitude impact your performance. The higher your VO2 max, the higher you can expect to perform, which is exactly what is shown by the performance condition metric. Training status evaluates your recent exercise history and performance indicators to let you know if you’re training productively, peaking or overreaching. See how your workouts influence the development of endurance, speed and power with aerobic and anaerobic training effect feedback. Recovery time helps you maximise your efforts by predicting when you will be ready for your next tough challenge. You can view your overall training load, which measures your exercise volume from the last 7 days and compares it to the optimal range for your fitness and recent training history. | More Ways to Work Out Running is what you do, so train smarter with the tools available from our Garmin Connect online fitness community. Create your own custom workouts, or download free ones that sync right to your watch. Or, if you’ve got a specific goal in mind for your next 5K, check out Garmin Coach. Featuring guidance from expert coaches and free training plans that adapt to you and your goals, it’s a foolproof way to get to the finish line. As part of your training plan, it can even help you predict your race time. What about when you want to switch it up? Forerunner 245 also has activity profiles for cycling, pool swimming, indoor rowing and even for using the elliptical or stair-stepper. | Analyse Your Running Form The Forerunner 245 GPS smartwatch also has the tools you need to improve your running form. The watch measures crucial running metrics such as cadence, stride length, ground contact time and balance, vertical oscillation and vertical ratio. These measurements are the key to understanding your form, so you can bring your best on every run and at every race. Your Forerunner 245 can start tracking these metrics with the addition of a compatible heart rate strap or the compact Running Dynamics Pod, which clips right onto your waistband. | Stay Connected on the Run Forerunner 245 makes it easy to run without leaving important smart features behind. Once paired with your compatible smartphone, you’ll be able to receive text messages and see social media updates, emails and more right on your wrist. And new safety and tracking features make it easy to share your location with chosen contacts in case you need assistance — manually, or automatically with built-in incident detection (when paired with a compatible smartphone), if needed. So, lace up your shoes, and head out with a little extra peace of mind. |
I’ve had a Fitbit for several years, it’s started to disconnect from the app a lot. Read reviews for a new fitness/running watch and the Forerunner 245 got a lot of good reviews, I’ve only had it for 3 weeks but find it comfortable, easy to use and accurate on mapping my runs.
This watch is accurate, lightweight and easy to use. Coupled with the app, it makes a user friendly way to track your fitness progress. A bit of an industry standard.
Great colour and easy to use. Clear details of how to set up with phone & on line with garmin. Charges well and doesn’t take forever. Nice touches with training suggestions and you can track HR, O2 sats. ( but obviously you know how your feeling in terms of breathless, even with a pulse oxymeter they are not 100% accurate)
Great up grade from a 235.
This watch does everything I need it to! It’s great but the only thing I found strange for a new watch is that it had previous recorded workouts???
omtom sparks finally died so replacement needed .. well what can i say about this forerunner 245 that hasnt been said before .. charge it up and put it on erm and go..easy peasy lemon squeezey.. just buy one its now under 200 get i
Hi
Love this watch it’s been superb for my running stats and loads more , the battery life is incredible . Would recommend to any serious runne
Brilliant gadget. Absolutely love the coaching programme, body battery stats, sleep data. Reliable, great GPS and battery life (nearly a week and I run most days). No regrets buying this at all.
Great bit of kit to get me out and running!
Great running watch to help with your training.
Easy to use, accurate GPS, long lasting battery, with training programs available via the app
Charges really quick also and doesn’t need charging every day like my Apple Watch. Personally I find this helps with my training, not only running but also strength and gym work. Find it syncs well with the app and so far no issues
Charges really quick also and doesn’t need charging every day like my Apple Watch. Personally I find this helps with my training, not only running but also strength and gym work. Find it syncs well with the app and so far no issues
Charges really quick also and doesn’t need charging every day like my Apple Watch. Personally I find this helps with my training, not only running but also strength and gym work. Find it syncs well with the app and so far no issues
Amazing running watch with a huge number of features and great battery life. It is great for tracking other sports as well. I have used this watch for a year now to track everything from running, MTB, swimming, kayaking, strength workouts etc. and it has worked flawlessly.
Great all round runners watch, good battery life, plenty of features. Love this watch
Now a happy bunny after receiving my watch.
First ‘watch box’ yestersay actually arrived empty. Shocked!! Contacted amazon straight away and they sent a replacement which arrived today. Not amazon delivery man issue-delivery box untouched and undamaged.. This was a warehouse fault. Either garmin accidentally sent amazon an empty box by mistake or someone in the warehouse got away with a free watch
Great watch all works perfectly
Great watch! Worth every penny! Love the features and for someone who has very small wrists I was greatly surprised as clock faces are always an issue. Brought a pack of 3 protective screens with it!
Battery life is good on long runs, as long as you are not using all the alerts . Really comfortable to wear and very happy with everything it can do
Recently bought the garmin 245 after using a Apple Watch for several years. I wasn’t sure I was going to take to the garmin being a huge Apple fan but wanted better battery life and stats on my running. I’m so glad I decided to go for a garmin watch the battery life is so much better than my previous watch and the added info about training and stats all seem accurate as I want to start taking my running into longer distance. The one issue I have is treadmill run is massively inaccurate and you need to change the run every time but I’m hoping it’s going to become more accurate when I start running outdoors and the longer I use it but I’m still impressed with the watch and I’m willing to change my distance on treadmill if I need to so it’s not a dealbreaker. The watch easily links with your smartphone and is quite easy to use once you have got used to it.
I moved from Fitbit to Garmin after a number of years of frustrating Fitbit ownership. Their software and hardware is so buggy. I had the app on both Android and iOS and it was awful. Not to mention devices that wouldn’t connect, GPS totally inaccurate, and numerous product replacements due to them dying and strap failures. In contrast my Garmin software has been completely stable and the device is built like a tank. Literally I have repaired the car whilst wearing my Forerunner 245 (covered it in oil and grease plus bashed about) with not a mark on it! Obviously I washed it down afterwards but it still looked like I had taken it out the box on day one. My Fitbit would have been scratched to pieces had I done the same, I once tapped it against a wooden door frame and it scratched the screen.
So my 245 I use mainly for running and as a heart rate device while cycling. I say as a heart rate device because I put it into heart rate broadcast mode while cycling and it pairs with my Garmin Edge 830 bike GPS device (the Edge does the tracking/activity recording). The pairing works without fault every time and the battery lasts well too. I believe it is ANT+ in this mode so may well connect with other devices as a HR receiver.
Modes on the 245 are: Run, walk, trail run, bike, breath work, pool swim, cardio, bike indoor, walk indoor, treadmill, row indoor, other, virtual run, track run, indoor track, strength, yoga, pilates, elliptical & stair stepper. You can also make your own activity if it is not one listed by default.
The 245 does not have Garmin pay but don’t let that worry you as it is useless in the UK (just like Fitbit pay) with only Santander supporting it. If you really must pay by watch then Apple and Android watches are better for payments.
iPhone notifications work brilliantly albeit with iPhone you can’t reply to messages. This is Apples restriction and not Garmin. You can however answer and end calls from the watch. I believe if paired to Android then you get pre defined text responses too. You can see all of a text message on the watch as well as clear the notification from your phone. My diary also syncs nicely to my watch with calendar and system notifications working just as well as texts, and stuff from all other phone apps. You can configure what notifications you receive and also put the watch into ‘do not disturb’ mode.
As for health tracking it does loads of stuff: pulse oxygen, heart rate, stress, respiration, body battery, active minutes, sleep and more. They all seem to be pretty accurate with loads of metrics to play around with on the Connect phone app.
The battery in the 245 comfortably lasts a week and that is with usually 3 x 5K runs, 1 x 10K run and a four hour bike ride in HR broadcast mode. Compare that to the Apple Watch that barely lasts a day! I never suffer battery anxiety and can easily go away for a few days minus the charging lead.
GPS is fantastic and really accurate considering this is a watch. I have also used the Komoot app with it and the arrow direction guidance was very accurate meaning that I did not get lost at all on my run. You can also use the device to save your parking location and navigate back with an arrow. On the subject of finding things if you lose your phone you can make it play a sound at full volume. If your phone is on silent the 245 will show Bluetooth signal strength to guide you to where your phone is hiding. You can also do it in reverse from your phone if you have lost your 245.
For offline music storage you need the 245M. The 245 will control playback from your phone only. It works very well with the following features: play/pause, skip forward/back, volume up/down, track title.
Other features are available in the Garmin Connect App Store such as Starbucks card, watch faces, compass, data fields etc. There are loads of extra apps, widgets, watch faces and data fields.
If you need a Garmin with on screen maps then you will need a Fenix device. If your primary focus is golf you need a Approach device. If you are a swimmer a Swim or Descent model. If you are a cyclist and runner like me then the Forerunner range is excellent.
Don’t let the lack of touch screen put you off. It is so easy to use and I don’t miss a touch device at all. There are no accidental screen activations while exercising with this thing (especially in water), but if having a touch screen is important to you then you might like the Venu or Vevoactive range. The screen is backlit (configurable to work when raised, during darkness etc.) and the screen is very clear in full sun. It might not be as pixel perfect as an AMOLED screen but it is very clear, very battery friendly and always on.
I could go on about the many features of this watch. I suppose it is important to add that the straps are watch industry standard so any of the correct width will fit (not stuck with Garmin only), it is waterproof to 5ATM, charges with a short proprietary to USB-A cable, and the Garmin standard UK warranty is 2 years from date of purchase.
In summary I highly recommend Garmin products especially this Forerunner 245. All the Garmin stuff I have works a treat, is way more stable/accurate than Fitbit, and the battery life blows Apple Watch out of the water.
I moved from Fitbit to Garmin after a number of years of frustrating Fitbit ownership. Their software and hardware is so buggy. I had the app on both Android and iOS and it was awful. Not to mention devices that wouldn’t connect, GPS totally inaccurate, and numerous product replacements due to them dying and strap failures. In contrast my Garmin software has been completely stable and the device is built like a tank. Literally I have repaired the car whilst wearing my Forerunner 245 (covered it in oil and grease plus bashed about) with not a mark on it! Obviously I washed it down afterwards but it still looked like I had taken it out the box on day one. My Fitbit would have been scratched to pieces had I done the same, I once tapped it against a wooden door frame and it scratched the screen.
So my 245 I use mainly for running and as a heart rate device while cycling. I say as a heart rate device because I put it into heart rate broadcast mode while cycling and it pairs with my Garmin Edge 830 bike GPS device (the Edge does the tracking/activity recording). The pairing works without fault every time and the battery lasts well too. I believe it is ANT+ in this mode so may well connect with other devices as a HR receiver.
Modes on the 245 are: Run, walk, trail run, bike, breath work, pool swim, cardio, bike indoor, walk indoor, treadmill, row indoor, other, virtual run, track run, indoor track, strength, yoga, pilates, elliptical & stair stepper. You can also make your own activity if it is not one listed by default.
The 245 does not have Garmin pay but don’t let that worry you as it is useless in the UK (just like Fitbit pay) with only Santander supporting it. If you really must pay by watch then Apple and Android watches are better for payments.
iPhone notifications work brilliantly albeit with iPhone you can’t reply to messages. This is Apples restriction and not Garmin. You can however answer and end calls from the watch. I believe if paired to Android then you get pre defined text responses too. You can see all of a text message on the watch as well as clear the notification from your phone. My diary also syncs nicely to my watch with calendar and system notifications working just as well as texts, and stuff from all other phone apps. You can configure what notifications you receive and also put the watch into ‘do not disturb’ mode.
As for health tracking it does loads of stuff: pulse oxygen, heart rate, stress, respiration, body battery, active minutes, sleep and more. They all seem to be pretty accurate with loads of metrics to play around with on the Connect phone app.
The battery in the 245 comfortably lasts a week and that is with usually 3 x 5K runs, 1 x 10K run and a four hour bike ride in HR broadcast mode. Compare that to the Apple Watch that barely lasts a day! I never suffer battery anxiety and can easily go away for a few days minus the charging lead.
GPS is fantastic and really accurate considering this is a watch. I have also used the Komoot app with it and the arrow direction guidance was very accurate meaning that I did not get lost at all on my run. You can also use the device to save your parking location and navigate back with an arrow. On the subject of finding things if you lose your phone you can make it play a sound at full volume. If your phone is on silent the 245 will show Bluetooth signal strength to guide you to where your phone is hiding. You can also do it in reverse from your phone if you have lost your 245.
For offline music storage you need the 245M. The 245 will control playback from your phone only. It works very well with the following features: play/pause, skip forward/back, volume up/down, track title.
Other features are available in the Garmin Connect App Store such as Starbucks card, watch faces, compass, data fields etc. There are loads of extra apps, widgets, watch faces and data fields.
If you need a Garmin with on screen maps then you will need a Fenix device. If your primary focus is golf you need a Approach device. If you are a swimmer a Swim or Descent model. If you are a cyclist and runner like me then the Forerunner range is excellent.
Don’t let the lack of touch screen put you off. It is so easy to use and I don’t miss a touch device at all. There are no accidental screen activations while exercising with this thing (especially in water), but if having a touch screen is important to you then you might like the Venu or Vevoactive range. The screen is backlit (configurable to work when raised, during darkness etc.) and the screen is very clear in full sun. It might not be as pixel perfect as an AMOLED screen but it is very clear, very battery friendly and always on.
I could go on about the many features of this watch. I suppose it is important to add that the straps are watch industry standard so any of the correct width will fit (not stuck with Garmin only), it is waterproof to 5ATM, charges with a short proprietary to USB-A cable, and the Garmin standard UK warranty is 2 years from date of purchase.
In summary I highly recommend Garmin products especially this Forerunner 245. All the Garmin stuff I have works a treat, is way more stable/accurate than Fitbit, and the battery life blows Apple Watch out of the water.
I moved from Fitbit to Garmin after a number of years of frustrating Fitbit ownership. Their software and hardware is so buggy. I had the app on both Android and iOS and it was awful. Not to mention devices that wouldn’t connect, GPS totally inaccurate, and numerous product replacements due to them dying and strap failures. In contrast my Garmin software has been completely stable and the device is built like a tank. Literally I have repaired the car whilst wearing my Forerunner 245 (covered it in oil and grease plus bashed about) with not a mark on it! Obviously I washed it down afterwards but it still looked like I had taken it out the box on day one. My Fitbit would have been scratched to pieces had I done the same, I once tapped it against a wooden door frame and it scratched the screen.
So my 245 I use mainly for running and as a heart rate device while cycling. I say as a heart rate device because I put it into heart rate broadcast mode while cycling and it pairs with my Garmin Edge 830 bike GPS device (the Edge does the tracking/activity recording). The pairing works without fault every time and the battery lasts well too. I believe it is ANT+ in this mode so may well connect with other devices as a HR receiver.
Modes on the 245 are: Run, walk, trail run, bike, breath work, pool swim, cardio, bike indoor, walk indoor, treadmill, row indoor, other, virtual run, track run, indoor track, strength, yoga, pilates, elliptical & stair stepper. You can also make your own activity if it is not one listed by default.
The 245 does not have Garmin pay but don’t let that worry you as it is useless in the UK (just like Fitbit pay) with only Santander supporting it. If you really must pay by watch then Apple and Android watches are better for payments.
iPhone notifications work brilliantly albeit with iPhone you can’t reply to messages. This is Apples restriction and not Garmin. You can however answer and end calls from the watch. I believe if paired to Android then you get pre defined text responses too. You can see all of a text message on the watch as well as clear the notification from your phone. My diary also syncs nicely to my watch with calendar and system notifications working just as well as texts, and stuff from all other phone apps. You can configure what notifications you receive and also put the watch into ‘do not disturb’ mode.
As for health tracking it does loads of stuff: pulse oxygen, heart rate, stress, respiration, body battery, active minutes, sleep and more. They all seem to be pretty accurate with loads of metrics to play around with on the Connect phone app.
The battery in the 245 comfortably lasts a week and that is with usually 3 x 5K runs, 1 x 10K run and a four hour bike ride in HR broadcast mode. Compare that to the Apple Watch that barely lasts a day! I never suffer battery anxiety and can easily go away for a few days minus the charging lead.
GPS is fantastic and really accurate considering this is a watch. I have also used the Komoot app with it and the arrow direction guidance was very accurate meaning that I did not get lost at all on my run. You can also use the device to save your parking location and navigate back with an arrow. On the subject of finding things if you lose your phone you can make it play a sound at full volume. If your phone is on silent the 245 will show Bluetooth signal strength to guide you to where your phone is hiding. You can also do it in reverse from your phone if you have lost your 245.
For offline music storage you need the 245M. The 245 will control playback from your phone only. It works very well with the following features: play/pause, skip forward/back, volume up/down, track title.
Other features are available in the Garmin Connect App Store such as Starbucks card, watch faces, compass, data fields etc. There are loads of extra apps, widgets, watch faces and data fields.
If you need a Garmin with on screen maps then you will need a Fenix device. If your primary focus is golf you need a Approach device. If you are a swimmer a Swim or Descent model. If you are a cyclist and runner like me then the Forerunner range is excellent.
Don’t let the lack of touch screen put you off. It is so easy to use and I don’t miss a touch device at all. There are no accidental screen activations while exercising with this thing (especially in water), but if having a touch screen is important to you then you might like the Venu or Vevoactive range. The screen is backlit (configurable to work when raised, during darkness etc.) and the screen is very clear in full sun. It might not be as pixel perfect as an AMOLED screen but it is very clear, very battery friendly and always on.
I could go on about the many features of this watch. I suppose it is important to add that the straps are watch industry standard so any of the correct width will fit (not stuck with Garmin only), it is waterproof to 5ATM, charges with a short proprietary to USB-A cable, and the Garmin standard UK warranty is 2 years from date of purchase.
In summary I highly recommend Garmin products especially this Forerunner 245. All the Garmin stuff I have works a treat, is way more stable/accurate than Fitbit, and the battery life blows Apple Watch out of the water.
Love this watch, does everything I want it to do
Battery life definitely a lot better than the 235 (which had a life of about 7 hours GPS usage), the 245 is exceedingly better.
Other pros: very lightweight; smart looking; wider range of activities available; love the range of options already installed in the watch rather than having to download from Garmin Connect.
Cons: takes far longer for GPS to connect than any of my previous Garmins; annoyingly, buttons are not positive – have to visually double-check the selection has been made; button labels are illegible, far too small and font lacks contrast to the dark coloured bezel; display is frustratingly dark; sleep monitoring & stress levels are way off! (don’t find them accurate or useful so will just ignore them!!).
Overall, happy with the purchase & am sure I’ll get used to the buttons!
Battery life definitely a lot better than the 235 (which had a life of about 7 hours GPS usage), the 245 is exceedingly better.
Other pros: very lightweight; smart looking; wider range of activities available; love the range of options already installed in the watch rather than having to download from Garmin Connect.
Cons: takes far longer for GPS to connect than any of my previous Garmins; annoyingly, buttons are not positive – have to visually double-check the selection has been made; button labels are illegible, far too small and font lacks contrast to the dark coloured bezel; display is frustratingly dark; sleep monitoring & stress levels are way off! (don’t find them accurate or useful so will just ignore them!!).
Overall, happy with the purchase & am sure I’ll get used to the buttons!
Battery life definitely a lot better than the 235 (which had a life of about 7 hours GPS usage), the 245 is exceedingly better.
Other pros: very lightweight; smart looking; wider range of activities available; love the range of options already installed in the watch rather than having to download from Garmin Connect.
Cons: takes far longer for GPS to connect than any of my previous Garmins; annoyingly, buttons are not positive – have to visually double-check the selection has been made; button labels are illegible, far too small and font lacks contrast to the dark coloured bezel; display is frustratingly dark; sleep monitoring & stress levels are way off! (don’t find them accurate or useful so will just ignore them!!).
Overall, happy with the purchase & am sure I’ll get used to the buttons!
Had several fitbits that were completely useless as a watch as you couldnt see them in daylight at all and eventually the screens became completely invisible and unusable.
So far the the 245 colour screen quality and always on display beats the fitbit by miles. Like comparing an old tube tv to a modern 4k.
And its a good looking watch, not oversized or awkward. Today’s the 25th of june 21. Will it prove a good watch, I hope so. I’ll review again in a month.
This watch is just what I need for my marathon training
Firstly I will say that I would prefer to have the music version of this watch, however I got this one on sale and I couldn’t justify the extra cost. I would say to go for the music version if price is not an issue for you.
I was going to purchase this watch after I had already completed my couch to 5k program, however I saw that it was on sale so I bought it very early in to the program. I ended up finishing my c25k program a few weeeks early and that is a hundred percent down to having the feedback on my wrist on how far I’d travelled. Having such a small and accessible device which gives you useful information like your heartrate, your time running, your pace and your distance really helps you to push yourself that extra bit at the end of your run to round off your distance. I also enjoy the mapping features that the phone app offers, it’s lovely to go on a jog with your c25k buddy, take a nice picture, then use the garmin app to put your stats over the picture to commemorate hitting the milestones.
I love the training programs inbuilt in to the garmin app, they don’t just give you a running program, they also tell you useful information about running, fatigue, posture and mindset along the way. I have found this useful as a new runner. This all comes for free with the app (I say this because I jog with someone who uses a fitbit, and they have to subscribe to have access to the content on the fitbit.)
I have even been walking more since I got this watch, it gives you a nice summary each day of your exercise, your condition, sleep patterns etc. If you are someone who likes feedback I do think a Garmin watch is a great bit of kit to help you to train up to be a runner.
All in all, I really like it. I would not have run my 10k by now had I not gotten my Garmin watch. I would recommend this or something like it to new runners.
Firstly I will say that I would prefer to have the music version of this watch, however I got this one on sale and I couldn’t justify the extra cost. I would say to go for the music version if price is not an issue for you.
I was going to purchase this watch after I had already completed my couch to 5k program, however I saw that it was on sale so I bought it very early in to the program. I ended up finishing my c25k program a few weeeks early and that is a hundred percent down to having the feedback on my wrist on how far I’d travelled. Having such a small and accessible device which gives you useful information like your heartrate, your time running, your pace and your distance really helps you to push yourself that extra bit at the end of your run to round off your distance. I also enjoy the mapping features that the phone app offers, it’s lovely to go on a jog with your c25k buddy, take a nice picture, then use the garmin app to put your stats over the picture to commemorate hitting the milestones.
I love the training programs inbuilt in to the garmin app, they don’t just give you a running program, they also tell you useful information about running, fatigue, posture and mindset along the way. I have found this useful as a new runner. This all comes for free with the app (I say this because I jog with someone who uses a fitbit, and they have to subscribe to have access to the content on the fitbit.)
I have even been walking more since I got this watch, it gives you a nice summary each day of your exercise, your condition, sleep patterns etc. If you are someone who likes feedback I do think a Garmin watch is a great bit of kit to help you to train up to be a runner.
All in all, I really like it. I would not have run my 10k by now had I not gotten my Garmin watch. I would recommend this or something like it to new runners.
Firstly I will say that I would prefer to have the music version of this watch, however I got this one on sale and I couldn’t justify the extra cost. I would say to go for the music version if price is not an issue for you.
I was going to purchase this watch after I had already completed my couch to 5k program, however I saw that it was on sale so I bought it very early in to the program. I ended up finishing my c25k program a few weeeks early and that is a hundred percent down to having the feedback on my wrist on how far I’d travelled. Having such a small and accessible device which gives you useful information like your heartrate, your time running, your pace and your distance really helps you to push yourself that extra bit at the end of your run to round off your distance. I also enjoy the mapping features that the phone app offers, it’s lovely to go on a jog with your c25k buddy, take a nice picture, then use the garmin app to put your stats over the picture to commemorate hitting the milestones.
I love the training programs inbuilt in to the garmin app, they don’t just give you a running program, they also tell you useful information about running, fatigue, posture and mindset along the way. I have found this useful as a new runner. This all comes for free with the app (I say this because I jog with someone who uses a fitbit, and they have to subscribe to have access to the content on the fitbit.)
I have even been walking more since I got this watch, it gives you a nice summary each day of your exercise, your condition, sleep patterns etc. If you are someone who likes feedback I do think a Garmin watch is a great bit of kit to help you to train up to be a runner.
All in all, I really like it. I would not have run my 10k by now had I not gotten my Garmin watch. I would recommend this or something like it to new runners.
Good features: The app is excellent. Battery life pretty good. SpO2 measurement(it sometimes struggles to measure it though).
Not so good: Strap is a bit cheapish. Colours a bit dull. A simple lap timer should be there.
I had the 620 and I thought that was good. The 245 is an amazing piece of kit.
I love it gives me everything in a watch for my running and.more.Also don’t think I have found everything this watch does sleep.tiredness.training plans.the list just goes on.
I needed a replacement for my ageing forerunner 235, this new 245 watch has much more information it’s so easy to use. It has a nice strap too. I absolutely love this. Plus it was cheaper than a new 235. I’d recommend it.
Very pleased with my Garmin. Watch is great, Garmin Connect app is also very good.
I adore garmin just updated about 4 weeks ago to the garmin 245 best move I’ve made, gives you such much more than forerunner 35, which I had for 2 years but as I uped my training and running I wanted the stats and am only a novice so this is enough for me but I love i
I’ve been using my FR245 for a few months now and I love it. I run 4 times a week, around 2hs each day and the battery would last for a week roughly (I sleep with the watch as well) totally recommended!
This really is a great bit of kit if you are serious about getting fit but not obsessed by it.
It looks good to and with Connect IQ you can change the watch face to your mood
Great watch.. 3months in and no issue.. If you’re having issues with battery life, turn off Bluetooth connection with phone and be weary which watch face you use (select one without seconds).. For those reviews whinging about issues with music.. I have no problems whatsoever… If youre connecting to your WiFi, make sure its set to 2.4ghz on your router and not 5.. Hope the above helps.. As I already stated, great watch.
Run approx 60k a week and only charge it twice a week at mos
Brilliant and so easy to use. The app is very good and straight forward for creating workouts
Does exactly what it meant to do. Accurate GPS, quick to catch GPS signal, excellent training modes, customisable through their app. Highly recommended for any runner.
I am not a totally fitty so in a way this watch does way more than I need but it’s fantastic. It just make me think and I now just improve everything a bit as it monitor loads of stuff. Plus the find our phone app is handy
Pros..
+ Good battery life – only needs charging once or twice a week
+ Mostly very quick to locate GPS signals
+ Light to wear and a comfortable strap
+ Nice choice of watch faces
+ Accurate at tracking activities and heart rates.
Cons..
– Sleep tracking is terrible. Not accurate at all. The other night I didn’t get to sleep until 2am and regularly pressed the light button on my watch to check the time. Next morning it said I had been asleep since midnight… must think I press the light button in my sleep!
– Had a couple of instances where it has stopped logging heart rate from the sensor on the back. Note that this is a logging problem, not a measuring problem. When this happens it still shows accurate current HR value (so it’s still measuring), it’s just that the plot showing HR values over the last four hours is empty. Turning the watch off and back on fixes this.
– Night time pulseox values seem very low, and there are a couple of other people posting about this on forums. Garmin says it might happen if you are laying on your arm (cutting off the blood supply).
– Personal records (e.g. 10k fastest time, longest run etc..) sometimes vanish or don’t get updated. To be fair I’m not sure if this is an issue with the watch or an issue with the Garmin Connect app.
Pros..
+ Good battery life – only needs charging once or twice a week
+ Mostly very quick to locate GPS signals
+ Light to wear and a comfortable strap
+ Nice choice of watch faces
+ Accurate at tracking activities and heart rates.
Cons..
– Sleep tracking is terrible. Not accurate at all. The other night I didn’t get to sleep until 2am and regularly pressed the light button on my watch to check the time. Next morning it said I had been asleep since midnight… must think I press the light button in my sleep!
– Had a couple of instances where it has stopped logging heart rate from the sensor on the back. Note that this is a logging problem, not a measuring problem. When this happens it still shows accurate current HR value (so it’s still measuring), it’s just that the plot showing HR values over the last four hours is empty. Turning the watch off and back on fixes this.
– Night time pulseox values seem very low, and there are a couple of other people posting about this on forums. Garmin says it might happen if you are laying on your arm (cutting off the blood supply).
– Personal records (e.g. 10k fastest time, longest run etc..) sometimes vanish or don’t get updated. To be fair I’m not sure if this is an issue with the watch or an issue with the Garmin Connect app.
Pros..
+ Good battery life – only needs charging once or twice a week
+ Mostly very quick to locate GPS signals
+ Light to wear and a comfortable strap
+ Nice choice of watch faces
+ Accurate at tracking activities and heart rates.
Cons..
– Sleep tracking is terrible. Not accurate at all. The other night I didn’t get to sleep until 2am and regularly pressed the light button on my watch to check the time. Next morning it said I had been asleep since midnight… must think I press the light button in my sleep!
– Had a couple of instances where it has stopped logging heart rate from the sensor on the back. Note that this is a logging problem, not a measuring problem. When this happens it still shows accurate current HR value (so it’s still measuring), it’s just that the plot showing HR values over the last four hours is empty. Turning the watch off and back on fixes this.
– Night time pulseox values seem very low, and there are a couple of other people posting about this on forums. Garmin says it might happen if you are laying on your arm (cutting off the blood supply).
– Personal records (e.g. 10k fastest time, longest run etc..) sometimes vanish or don’t get updated. To be fair I’m not sure if this is an issue with the watch or an issue with the Garmin Connect app.
Really solid GPS watch. Use it on every run. Would be nice for the GPS to sync a little faster though, sometimes takes up to a minute of standing around for it to get signal but all in all a great fitness watch for the price.
Luckily, or not, my old Garmin 310xt finally reached end of like, broken strap and lower charge retension. The FR245 seemed to have battery length and features required for hiking and biking. Also got good deal on Black Friday. Plus app says have fitness of a 20yr old!!
I do alot of running and pacing is very important, there is so much to this 245, one of the best presents ever. Runners you won’t be disappointed.
Purchasing this watch is helping me become fitter and healthier. I highly recommend it.
Purchasing this watch is helping me become fitter and healthier. I highly recommend it.
Purchasing this watch is helping me become fitter and healthier. I highly recommend it.
Battery life great. Syncs with the app easily and uploads automatically to Strava. GPS signal is quick to start… I love my new watch!
I ditched my Apple Watch for this and am not disappointed. It’s miles more accurate with regards to VO2 max, The Garmin server has crashed a couple of times though.
I have also used it for hikes and bike rides, both of which it has recorded accurately. The heart rate monitor matches that of the Vivoactive 3 and seems to be very accurate. I have checked my heart rate manually a few times and it has agreed perfectly with my calculations, so I am happy that it is accurate. The information after a ride or walk has been very accurate including the GPS map which was accurate enough even to show which side of the road I was walking on.
Looks-wise, I don’t think it is as nice as the Vivoactive 3 and I suspect the bezel will scratch fairly easily as it is plastic. I have a screen protector and a case on mine to protect it. My Vivoactive 3 just had a screen protector and survived well despite heavy use. I hope this will be as good.
The battery life seems to be good, though I haven’t noticed a big difference from the Vivoactive 3. I like the additional function of the body battery, which appears to be pretty accurate.
One thing that did surprise me though, was the need to plug it into a laptop when I received it, to get the latest software update. I couldn’t do this from my phone or Chrome book. I was also surprised that it had not come installed with a more up-to-date software version. However, once I realised what I needed to do, it was easy enough to follow the on-screen instructions and update it to version 5 rather than the version 2-point-something it had come with. Once that was done, I installed a few watch faces and chose one that I like.
The face is clear, even in low sunlight and without the backlit option. The strap is comfortable and fits without adjustment due to the number of holes running all the way around. There is plenty of adjustment so I cannot imagine that there are many people it would not fit.
All in all, it is a nice upgrade from the Vivoactive 3 which I have been very happy with. The added functions are great and I am pleased with it. At the price, I think it offers a good range of functions and is accurate.
I have also used it for hikes and bike rides, both of which it has recorded accurately. The heart rate monitor matches that of the Vivoactive 3 and seems to be very accurate. I have checked my heart rate manually a few times and it has agreed perfectly with my calculations, so I am happy that it is accurate. The information after a ride or walk has been very accurate including the GPS map which was accurate enough even to show which side of the road I was walking on.
Looks-wise, I don’t think it is as nice as the Vivoactive 3 and I suspect the bezel will scratch fairly easily as it is plastic. I have a screen protector and a case on mine to protect it. My Vivoactive 3 just had a screen protector and survived well despite heavy use. I hope this will be as good.
The battery life seems to be good, though I haven’t noticed a big difference from the Vivoactive 3. I like the additional function of the body battery, which appears to be pretty accurate.
One thing that did surprise me though, was the need to plug it into a laptop when I received it, to get the latest software update. I couldn’t do this from my phone or Chrome book. I was also surprised that it had not come installed with a more up-to-date software version. However, once I realised what I needed to do, it was easy enough to follow the on-screen instructions and update it to version 5 rather than the version 2-point-something it had come with. Once that was done, I installed a few watch faces and chose one that I like.
The face is clear, even in low sunlight and without the backlit option. The strap is comfortable and fits without adjustment due to the number of holes running all the way around. There is plenty of adjustment so I cannot imagine that there are many people it would not fit.
All in all, it is a nice upgrade from the Vivoactive 3 which I have been very happy with. The added functions are great and I am pleased with it. At the price, I think it offers a good range of functions and is accurate.
I have also used it for hikes and bike rides, both of which it has recorded accurately. The heart rate monitor matches that of the Vivoactive 3 and seems to be very accurate. I have checked my heart rate manually a few times and it has agreed perfectly with my calculations, so I am happy that it is accurate. The information after a ride or walk has been very accurate including the GPS map which was accurate enough even to show which side of the road I was walking on.
Looks-wise, I don’t think it is as nice as the Vivoactive 3 and I suspect the bezel will scratch fairly easily as it is plastic. I have a screen protector and a case on mine to protect it. My Vivoactive 3 just had a screen protector and survived well despite heavy use. I hope this will be as good.
The battery life seems to be good, though I haven’t noticed a big difference from the Vivoactive 3. I like the additional function of the body battery, which appears to be pretty accurate.
One thing that did surprise me though, was the need to plug it into a laptop when I received it, to get the latest software update. I couldn’t do this from my phone or Chrome book. I was also surprised that it had not come installed with a more up-to-date software version. However, once I realised what I needed to do, it was easy enough to follow the on-screen instructions and update it to version 5 rather than the version 2-point-something it had come with. Once that was done, I installed a few watch faces and chose one that I like.
The face is clear, even in low sunlight and without the backlit option. The strap is comfortable and fits without adjustment due to the number of holes running all the way around. There is plenty of adjustment so I cannot imagine that there are many people it would not fit.
All in all, it is a nice upgrade from the Vivoactive 3 which I have been very happy with. The added functions are great and I am pleased with it. At the price, I think it offers a good range of functions and is accurate.
I chose the non music model over the music version as I use amazon music streaming service and I was told by Garmin the watch only supports Deezer or Spotify.
The watch was lighter then expected, which is good.
Menu and terminology of apps, widgets, data screens can be a little confusing at first, but after a few days you get the hang of it.
After have my watch a little over a week, my battery is currently on 25% and have been on two 5k runs, four 4K rides and have been wearing it constantly.
The watch provides vast amounts of data that has kept me busy following and comparing.
On two occasions the connection between watch and phone has been lost and was unable to sync, but after restarting the Garmin connect app, the connection was restored. So this seems to suggest a bug with the current app and not the watch.
I chose the non music model over the music version as I use amazon music streaming service and I was told by Garmin the watch only supports Deezer or Spotify.
The watch was lighter then expected, which is good.
Menu and terminology of apps, widgets, data screens can be a little confusing at first, but after a few days you get the hang of it.
After have my watch a little over a week, my battery is currently on 25% and have been on two 5k runs, four 4K rides and have been wearing it constantly.
The watch provides vast amounts of data that has kept me busy following and comparing.
On two occasions the connection between watch and phone has been lost and was unable to sync, but after restarting the Garmin connect app, the connection was restored. So this seems to suggest a bug with the current app and not the watch.
I chose the non music model over the music version as I use amazon music streaming service and I was told by Garmin the watch only supports Deezer or Spotify.
The watch was lighter then expected, which is good.
Menu and terminology of apps, widgets, data screens can be a little confusing at first, but after a few days you get the hang of it.
After have my watch a little over a week, my battery is currently on 25% and have been on two 5k runs, four 4K rides and have been wearing it constantly.
The watch provides vast amounts of data that has kept me busy following and comparing.
On two occasions the connection between watch and phone has been lost and was unable to sync, but after restarting the Garmin connect app, the connection was restored. So this seems to suggest a bug with the current app and not the watch.
I chose the non music model over the music version as I use amazon music streaming service and I was told by Garmin the watch only supports Deezer or Spotify.
The watch was lighter then expected, which is good.
Menu and terminology of apps, widgets, data screens can be a little confusing at first, but after a few days you get the hang of it.
After have my watch a little over a week, my battery is currently on 25% and have been on two 5k runs, four 4K rides and have been wearing it constantly.
The watch provides vast amounts of data that has kept me busy following and comparing.
On two occasions the connection between watch and phone has been lost and was unable to sync, but after restarting the Garmin connect app, the connection was restored. So this seems to suggest a bug with the current app and not the watch.
I chose the non music model over the music version as I use amazon music streaming service and I was told by Garmin the watch only supports Deezer or Spotify.
The watch was lighter then expected, which is good.
Menu and terminology of apps, widgets, data screens can be a little confusing at first, but after a few days you get the hang of it.
After have my watch a little over a week, my battery is currently on 25% and have been on two 5k runs, four 4K rides and have been wearing it constantly.
The watch provides vast amounts of data that has kept me busy following and comparing.
On two occasions the connection between watch and phone has been lost and was unable to sync, but after restarting the Garmin connect app, the connection was restored. So this seems to suggest a bug with the current app and not the watch.