Forerunner 745

Look for a certified waterproof refurbished Garmin, maybe in the Forerunner family. Personally I would go back as far as the \_55 models (255, 755, 955, etc.).

I "upgraded" from a 745 to a 165 and don't regret it at all. While I lost a couple features it was never anything that I really used or care about. The only thing about the 165 is that you need to make sure you buy the music version not the standard version

Hi, I'm mainly a runner and occasional cyclist. I've owned many Garmins (310xt, 910xt, 645 and 745) plus a Suunto Ambit 2 and a Suunto trainer.. Last November I purchased a T Rex 3 (non-pro) on special offer for under $200 here in Mexico. I can tell you that this watch is the best watch I've ever owned, however it is not without its faults. First the good, really accurate and fast GPS (way better than the Garmin 745) Heart rate sensor is like every wrist based heart rate monitor I've used. I.e. it works fine at rest/walking daily activities etc, but when running is about 90% accurate. That's why I always stick to using a cheap chest HR strap (Coolspro) when running. The screen is great and even with my 63 year old eyes I can make out 6 data fields, and with the latest update you can now have up to 8 data fields on one page. On the subject of updates there have been loads, they added biocharge, podcast player, threshold pace test and auto update, offline maps and many other things in the time I've had it. As for the Zepp app I love it. Loads of info, everything you'd need as a runner. The only downside to the app is that it's not easy to compare past runs, but I sync to Strava and from there to Runalyze. You can also sync with [Invervals.icu](http://Invervals.icu) and Training peaks. Now the bad! There are some really dumb design decisions. First there is the always on display. When running you can enable AOD however, with AOD the screen still dims after a timeout (5-30 secs), and if you're in daylight you will not be able to see the dimmed screen so it's AOD that is completely useless. To make this worse Amazfit have take it upon themselves to lock the screen and the up and down buttons to change data screens. It's completely beyond me why they have done this. And to top it all when running the up and down jolt cause the screen to dim and lock before the timeout. This makes changing data pages when running completely hit and miss and it's very frustrating especially as it could be easily fixed. Of course everything I've said here only applies to the TRex 3 (non-pro). However, looking at their other models like the Active 3, Trex 3 pro, Ultra 2 they look like they are running pretty much the same software. In summary Amazfit seems to be on par or even superior to Garmin you just have to learn to live with the quirks and hope that one day they'll be fixed.

I use a four year old Garmin 745. This is the watch that dcrainmaker uses as his base for his watch reviews. It is never overly generous or stingy on my swims that I complete without stopping, fueling, resting, etc. I swim two specific routes (3k or 5k yds) and so far this summer, they are consistent within 2 yds per 1000 yds. When there is a greater difference, it's because of the GPS dance if I have to take a break for whatever reason.

Forerunner 745 and Edge 540 way to go

I just bought a forerunner 745. Battery life isn't amazing, maybe 2 or 3 days. But it does all the metrics and tracking I could need, not just running. For only £80 it'll last me until i'm wanting to spend more on a better watch.

**Do all Garmins do these things?** Most do. **Should I grab a second hand older model? Or did I need a specific newer model to do all of these things?** What you mentioned should work on second hand models. BUT I suggest you pick a model that has the latest heart rate sensor (V5) for better heart rate accuracy. And if you can afford a model that has multi band GPS if possible, this makes the GPS much more accurate. [https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=9NWiPDU4gM0JWMfdWFol7A](https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=9NWiPDU4gM0JWMfdWFol7A) Here is a list of new watches with Multi Band GPS (price starts at $400): [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/sports-fitness/running-smartwatches/?FILTER\_FEATURE\_SUBTRACKING\_CONNECTIVITY=multibandGPS¤tPage=1&sorter=price-asc](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/sports-fitness/running-smartwatches/?FILTER_FEATURE_SUBTRACKING_CONNECTIVITY=multibandGPS¤tPage=1&sorter=price-asc) To research watches, I do recommend you check out [https://www.dcrainmaker.com/](https://www.dcrainmaker.com/), he has wonderful reviews and videos, very in depth. **Watch recommendations** Since you mentioned you are running. I would suggest a watch that has "Training status". Basically it keeps track of your workouts, and suggest more workouts to you. As a runner I love it. Now it is a bit more expensive, the new watches that have this can be found here: [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/sports-fitness/running-smartwatches/?FILTER\_FEATURE\_SUBTRACKING\_RUNNING\_TRAINING=trainingstatus¤tPage=1&sorter=price-asc](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/sports-fitness/running-smartwatches/?FILTER_FEATURE_SUBTRACKING_RUNNING_TRAINING=trainingstatus¤tPage=1&sorter=price-asc) But you also have some older models if you buy used, such as Fenix 5 & up, Forerunner 245 & up, Forerunner 745, Forerunner 935 & up.