Garmin - Forerunner 945
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Jan 3, 2026 Scoring
Liked most:
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408
"The roborock I have kicked and smashed with my foot so many times out of anger when it doesn't collaborate, and still he rocks 4-5 yrs later and no broken parts"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"I've used them for 1500 miles of multi-day hiking with no issues!"
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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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"it’s sweet to be able to go for a run with just my watch and headphones."
"after YouTube Music was implemented I was happy that I got the Music version. ... It even auto updates all my playlists when it charges. ... And it connects to my AirPods flawless and when I do my run workouts it turns the music volume down and says the next step in the workout what pace and for how long."
"I had a 255 music and had no issues with playing music and battery. ... I played music on mine all the time. The music did not. ... Mostly used for running. Ran several marathons with it and it didn't drain my battery that much."
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"There's a "Climb Indoor" activity that I use for both indoor/outdoor roped climbing and there's a bouldering activity for bouldering."
"it works perfectly for what you want!"
"my Instinct 3 works perfectly for cycling."
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"Not even getting started on navigation in the mountains, which is really good — if you hike, camp, trail run, cycle, or generally enjoy being out, you will love your Epic or Fenix."
"*Superior GPS performance with SAT IQ."
"I really wanted maps on it without 3rd parry apps screwing around."
Disliked most:
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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"
There is Garmin Swim (IMHO essentially it is a ForeRunner, but swim has been put in focus; review here https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/garmin-openwater-review.html). However, modern Garmin watches are all able to track pool swim as well as gym workouts (you might have to set exercises later in the app if you want to track muscle groups affected). Essentially ForeRunner is for runners mostly, Forerunner 9xx is focused on triathlon, Fenix is mostly for outdoors - but again, all of them can do almost the same. I’d go with Fenix if budget allows.
r/GarminWatches • Recommendation for swimming and sleep tracking ->I have been a Whoop wearer for 4 years. I have had a Garmin 945 for 5. This is exactly my use case—run and strength (and whatever else) with the Garmin and whoop for the overall experience.
r/whoop • Running watch just to run ->>Its a Vivoactive by another name. ironically i've been looking at the FR series to upgrade my old vivoactive. lack of altimeter is deal breaker for me.
r/Garmin • The New Garmin Forerunner 570 ->Garmin Forerunner. I have the 945 and it still going strong. Does a great job with running, swimming and biking. Add in a Garmin Edge eventually for your bike. I do know several people that are quite happy with their Coros though. Not sure what they offer for cycling computers though.
r/triathlon • Which running watch to buy? ->Fenix/Epix are the same, Forerunner 9xx has 99% same functions but a bit lighter and not as tall, but only available in one size
r/Garmin • Forerunner 965 vs fenix 7 pro sapphire? ->Can't speak for the Instinct, but I got my Garmin Forerunner 945 in 2019 and it's still going strong. Passive battery life a week+, GPS battery is still close to 24h (I think, haven't done a race that long in a bit). No issues with connectivity, bluetooth, charging, nothing. Some of their newer models are a little bloated and they're adding a ton of features at the cost of battery life, which is the only disappointing part. For ultras the only thing I _really_ care about is battery, and their out of the box battery life says 26 hours or something now, instead of 32+. Either way though, they make really good devices.
r/trailrunning • I have to choose between the Suunto Race 2 and the Garmin Enduro 3. ->I use a Garmin Forerunner watch, and it displays heart rate while tracking activity. The reading is pretty visible to me even with slightly foggy goggles but ymmv. They have a lot of models with this capability, so maybe you can find one with a bigger screen. The default heart rate screen also has a colored Zone indicator, if that's easier to see & you're not looking for exact numbers https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=kbOXNev7NS4DQcc3IjAV49
r/OpenWaterSwimming • Device to monitor heart rate while swimming ->Yep, great watch. I've had mine 12 months now, and I ocean swim about 4 times a week, plus trail running and MTB. Does it all, very nicely integrated on Apple devices.
r/Garmin • Pool swimming killed my Apple Watch, now I want to switch to a Garmin ->This must depend on your model. I often use the buttons of my FR 945 while swimming (usually because I forgot to start the activity!)
r/Garmin • Pool swimming killed my Apple Watch, now I want to switch to a Garmin ->I got my first running watch (a clunky ass Tomtom that only worked for running and maybe biking) in 2015 and I replaced it in 2019 for an Apple Watch because of a heavy discount I got through work (it ended up costing me like $100). At this time, I was also foraying beyond running and I appreciated the multi-sport capabilities. It was great and got the job done through multiple marathon cycles but after a marathon where the GPS crapped out at miles 20-23 (literally the worst time possible) I decided it was time to get myself a proper sports watch and bought a Garmin Forerunner 955 (or 945, idk/idc). This was in 2022 and unless it betrays me late in a race or it breaks/battery dies, I don't anticipate replacing it until 2030. The battery life is outrageous compared to a regular Apple Watch, the material is durable, and I haven't had a single bad GPS incident. Are you happy with your current watch?
r/AdvancedRunning • How often do you replace your running watch? ->Many of us have been here. Just get the best Garmin you can afford and you’ll never look back. I bought the EPIX 2, and love it, but the Forerunner 9xx series are probably the best bang for buck if you’re into fitness training.
r/fitbit • I am never ever buying another Fitbit ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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