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 lol
The 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
Garmin Forerunner 945, Premium GPS Running/Triathlon Smartwatch with Music, Black - 010-02063-00
4.6 | 2,225 ratings
Price: 299.99
Last update: 01-28-2025
About this item
Advanced GPS Running Watch: This premium smartwatch from Garmin is designed for runners and triathletes, featuring advanced GPS navigation and full-color on-board maps to guide you during your workouts.
Music and Connectivity: Download songs to the watch, including playlists from popular music streaming services, and stay connected with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.
Performance Monitoring: Track your training status, VO2 Max, aerobic and anaerobic effects, recovery time, and more, with adjustments for heat, altitude, and other factors.
Smart Features: Make contactless payments with Garmin Pay, access safety and incident detection features, and enjoy up to 2 weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode.
Music and Connectivity: Download songs to the watch, including playlists from popular music streaming services, and stay connected with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.
Performance Monitoring: Track your training status, VO2 Max, aerobic and anaerobic effects, recovery time, and more, with adjustments for heat, altitude, and other factors.
Smart Features: Make contactless payments with Garmin Pay, access safety and incident detection features, and enjoy up to 2 weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode.
Product information
| 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 |
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars
2,225 ratings
4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #52,898 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #1,241 in Smartwatches |
| OS | Android Wear |
| 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 |
Top reviews from the United States
D. Matusiak Jr.A paranoid schizophrenic's worst nightmare.
D. Matusiak Jr.
A paranoid schizophrenic's worst nightmare.
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2022
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 lol
The 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
Images in this review
Ironman&Ultrarunner