Garmin - Forerunner 245 Music
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 25, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
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"Oh, and the battery lasts days even when exercising a lot (weeks without excercise)."
"Battery lasts me about a week?"
"my battery lasts about a week while using the oxymeter all the time as well as using it for tracking my workouts for about 7-9 hours a week."
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38
"The HRV and stress is not gimmicky in fact it was the heads up for my sister in law being diagnosed with cancer …her stress was screaming with no other really identifiable reasons (in 2022) ... in my case my stress was exceedingly high … for months & months and I kept having warnings and then I completely crashed with full on burnout ... Post my hysterectomy I saw crazy stress again ( not as bad as when I burned out but pretty intense) for the first 6 weeks & then it improved a little but it’s only come back to a normal place post 12 weeks & energy levels too only back to normal at 5 months …I didn’t have keyhole. But all that data correlates with the recovery pattern for major surgery & the fatigue was chronic for weeks ... the stress marker was defo the alarm bell for my sister in law and was indicative for me."
"I've taken it on a 2 day 100km ultra marathon, with full GPS throughout, and it was fantastic at tracking everything and still had battery by the end!"
"What I love most are the customizable data screens. ... I’ve tailored the cardio profile specifically for my workouts. ... For example, in a “CrossFit Rounds” workout, I’ve set it up so I can track laps during an AMRAP and see if I’m going faster or slower than the previous round. ... The customization options are endless."
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"My forerunner 245 is still going strong 5 years in."
"I’ve had it 4+ years and works just as well as the day I got it!"
"My 245 music has lasted me since 2016 without issues."
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"If you listen to music the Garmin 245 MUSIC is awesome. ... you can download your music apps to the watch so you don't have to carry your phone."
"I have a 245 music and it is a game changer. So easy to grab watch, shoes, headphones and go."
"I can use Spotify in the Garmin and it hasn't glitched on me once."
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0
"I still miss how the 245was disappearing on my wrist in terms of weight, bulkiness and band size."
"Other than that it was perfect, and I still miss how it was disappearing on my wrist in terms of weight, bulkiness and band size."
"BUTTONS ... hated every minute of using it due to the touch screen for everything interface."
Disliked most:
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11
"I used to find that wrist HR sucked for rowing"
"when I’d swim in pools it would so often double count my lengths…"
"Garmin only adds load when you are tracking an activity, so it can miss a lot if it's not a planned workout."
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"wtf no time settings in a watch?"
"google's software features and fit-and-finish is lacking for their watch ... there is no option on a pixel watch to just automatically turn on the screen when a notification comes in to view the notification; you have to manually interact with it by either tapping the screen within a few seconds or lift-to-wake the watch, which is very unreliable ... that actually was a dealbreaker for me"
"it does not show new notifications as they come in without some sort of manual action ... unless you tap the screen or lift your wrist when you get the vibration, you don't get to see anything ... 75% of the time my pw2 wouldn't recognize a wrist-raise gesture, so I'd miss whatever the new notification was"
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"One big con for me: OPW3 doesn’t show training loads (low/high aerobic, anaerobic) — which is huge for me. I split my training into HIIT, Zone 2, sprints, and weight lifting based on those metrics. ... The watch doesn't give you training loads, which is basically how I scheduled my workouts."
"it is absolutely lacking Training metrics. ... not for the serious runner."
"Ability to send training courses or routes directly to the watch."
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"lack of altimeter is deal breaker for me."
"the deciding factor for me upgrading from the 245 (I know this is not the same watch you mention but still more or less the same) to the 965 was maps."
"missing barometer for elevation tracking."
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"as an owner of a 245, I wouldn't recommend it almost only because it suffers from a known dead-pixels issue (gone through multiple 245 watches with that problem)."
"Only reason I upgraded was screen size"
"Only reason I upgraded was screen size e possibility to have 5 fields on the screen."
bicycleroad 1.0Seconded. I have the music version so I don't have to carry my phone on short runs.
BlackMagic05 1.0I wear my Garmin 245 Music for working out and running, otherwise it’s my Explorer for everything else life has for me.
Garmin Forerunner 245M. Then I wear my Explorer for any other occasion. I used to use an Apple Watch to workout but I prefer having physical buttons for when I’m sweating and/or it’s raining out or something. Before I became interested in mechanical watches, I wore an Apple Watch exclusively, but I wanted to disconnect from constant notifications and such. We get enough of that on our phones as it is.
Capable_Tip7815 1.0I have a Forerunner 245 with Music. It does the job. I have it in aqua blue. It also doesn't cost a gazillion pounds to buy.
I use an old Forerunner 245 as I got it for running and I can listen to music without having to take my phone. It does the job for crossfit. I record it as either Strength or Cardio. Or if it's a running WOD, then Workout (tracks distance). It just depends on your budget and personal preferences with aesthetics and fit.
I have a FR 245 with Music. It does what I need it to do. It can be a bit judgemental if I have a rest day and/or go for a walk (I have been knocked down from Productive to Recovery - so audacious). I like not having to take my phone with me, especially if it's raining.
CheapRentalCar 1.0I use a 245 music for biking, running, weights and swimming. It's great. Has more than enough features, and only needs to be charged every week or two. GPs is fine. HR is fine, though I use a hr chest strap, as they are more accurate. Even without the strap, though, the watch did a good job.
ClassUnited 1.0I have a venu 3 and love it! Had the forerunner 245 music for several years prior to making the switch to my venu 3 this year. I workout everyday and it has tons of tracking options as well as being touch screen and having all the smart watch capabilities.
dbfowlersf 1.0Been very happy with my Forerunner 245 Music - though I rarely play music through the watch since I carry my iPhone for live tracking anyway. It’s only a few dollars more or less, but if you’re gonna carry another device, you could do without the music part of a 255 forerunner
Few_Aside5151 1.0I second this. I have a 245 music and it is a game changer. So easy to grab watch, shoes, headphones and go.
Gerties-Northrnlight 1.0I use a Garmin 245 music and it works good. The Garmin connect app links with my fitnesspal
I have a garmin 245 and am happy with it. If you want it for hiking I would get the one with an altimeter. When I upgrade I’m going to make sure it has it. To select, go through the versions and see what features you want, you don’t need the fanciest one. I do bring a battery to recharge on multi day hikes and don’t use my gps on them.
haldun989 1.0I switched 6 years ago, and since then I’ve used the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, Fenix 6X, and most recently, the Fenix 8. Garmin is really good at heart rate measurements, and its GPS accuracy is excellent — you never have any issues with it. And battery life was also the main reason I switched from the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is fine for walking, but for other workouts and sports, you’ll have to switch it. I’m sure you’ll be happy once you switch to Garmin. Kind regards,
irunand 1.0I’ve had a 245 music for 5 years now. Still working just fine. I’ll replace it when it stops working. I imagine the 255 will be just fine most people
Agree, I have a forerunner 245 and it does what I need it to do. All the different stats are fun to begin with, but imo there are so many unnecessary features on these watches. Maybe it’s just me
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