Garmin - Forerunner 945 LTE

I got the Apple Watch Ultra 3 24 hours ago after being a long time Garmin user. I thought I'd mention my thoughts here in case anyone else was considering. My previous two watches were the Vivoactive 3 (purchased in 2017) and the Garmin 945 LTE (purchased in 2021). Pros: \* Smart features are cooler than I expected, it's awesome to have everything perfectly working with my iPhone, being able to reply to messages. Having everything in sync. There is a lot of features, but small things like it being in sync with your Focus. So when my phone is set to sleep, the apple watch goes dark (optional) and gets your ready for bed. Or the reminders app being able to be displayed on a watch face, and I can see how many reminders I have left on my iPhone. Or being able to remote start my car from the watch. Small things which are lovely. \* Data accuracy is great, no cadence lock while running this morning was impressive. \* "Closing rings" is actually quite cool. I thought it would be stupid, in Garmin I was just targeting amount of steps per day. I'm actually enjoying closing rings more than I thought. I think it will get me moving/standing more than Garmin. \* One of the worries I had was the flashlight, I loved the Garmin shortcut to open the flashlight. I didn't have the led flashlight, and didn't want to need to use touchscreen to turn on the flashlight. Turns out on the ultra you can just assign the "Action" button as the flashlight, and it works very well (brighter than my Garmin). I'm sure it's not as good as Garmin's led flashlight, but still very pleasant. \* Cellular on a run is lovely, I used Visible's promo, combined with other promos I was actually able to get an unlimited plan for entirely free for a year. \* I didn't know about "Raise to speak", really cool feature that if you get your watch next to your mouth, you can speak to siri with saying "Siri" or pressing a button. I use it to set timers, or add reminders. \* Touch screen actually works well. I was worried because I hated the touchscreen on my Vivoactive 3. Apple has actually implemented it quite well. Not as good as Garmin's buttons, but still works well. Cons: \* No workout suggestions by default :(. I loved Garmin's suggestions based on training load, and do intervals and such. There are alternative apps that offer it, but most of them are subscriptions. I still need to try those out. \* There are still several bugs, I've missed some Facebook Messenger notifications that didn't appear on the watch. I have a smart garage, which has an Apple Watch app. But the app just doesn't work, doesn't login. \* The data dashboard isn't as good as Garmin's, you need to look around to find your stuff. Some paid apps try to fix that. \* No animated workouts (I replace with an app with free workouts called "FitOn"). \* Watch is heavier than my previous one. (in theory it's lighter than a Fenix, but i never had a Fenix, so not sure how it feels). \* Didn't actually find a watch band I love. Ended up getting the expensive one, which is nice for all day wear, but not that good for running. I'll need to try the Nike bands.

"how does the weight/wrist-feel compared to the 945?" Felt pretty heavy but I'm getting used to it. I initially went to an Apple Store, and thought "no way I'm carrying this", and later still ordered after giving some thought. So far I feel the watch on my wrist. My 945 LTE I couldn't really feel it. But like I said I'm getting used to it and it doesn't bother me anymore. When ordering I initially checked that you can return it (you can, without restocking fees, over 14 days) because of the heaviness reason.

The issue is I have the Garmin 945 LTE, and got used to not having to take my phone on a run. I need a cellular upgrade, and having to jump to 1300$ after tax seems insane. An Apple Watch Ultra 3 that will be announced soon, will most likely be more reasonable.

I just got an Apple Watch Ultra, coming from a Garmin 945 LTE. My 945 LTE cost me $561, and I really wanted to keep cellular. The only cellular watch Garmin came up with would cost me $1300 after tax, so that's why I mainly moved to Garmin. There are many reasons why I love the Apple Watch more, for me sleep was very good too on Garmin, but there are a few things that I miss from Garmin: \* HRV & heart rate data aren't frequent enough. \* Training load and daily suggested workouts. I was never doing a plan. I liked waking up in the morning, Garmin was analyzing my training load, and suggesting either a regular run, either intervals, either sprint intervals. I absolutely loved that. And I miss that from Apple. There aren't any apps that are doing so :(.

It's a very old model, which Garmin priced way to high for it to ever become good value for money. I had an close eye on it and 946lte due to size. I ended up buying 955 when it was released and first long after that, did the 745 and 945lte, but now it was too late and they where outdated

If you can find a 945 LTE it’s the same inners are the 955 and has almost all the same features plus LTE.

All watches I tested do a very poor job on counting laps, so I do not use them for that purpose. I use only information on heart-rate and stroke counts (to get a lower bound). surprisingly open water distance measurements are far more reliable. Actually using garmin FR945lte

you do not need a smartphone at all for garmin watches. golden cheetah is open source an can be used under linux/windows doe not need any cloud. firmware updates + maps can be done via usb.

None of these subscriptions would apply to the FR165. It is a fully capable watch right out of the box. Garmin has only produced one LTE-capable watch so far (the FR945 LTE), and it currently seems like they will not be releasing another (or at least not anytime soon).

i've used my 945LTE for weightlifting and it does a pretty good job. Track reps and weight for each set, then go into the app to correct the lift. Some aren't on there; it's not perfect. I'm not training for anything other than picking up and putting down heavier stuff, so it works for me.

Ive had the 945lte, Fenix 7x and now the Fenix 8 and i have NEVER had any bugs or problems. I might be lucky or the people complaining might be unlucky... Just remember this: if you enjoy a product and it just works flawlessly you would maybe recommend the product to 1-2 people. But if you had a really bad experience people tell 10+ about it and complain on forums.. If i could do one thing over i would go for the Fenix 8 Solar and not amoled. If you love long battery life go for Fenix 8 Solar or enduro 2 or 3. Especially if you plan to log long activities like hiking.

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.

I think you are in a hard spot here! When someone is serious about something, it is difficult to gift them something about that something. In the same way that you cannot gift a mouse to a software engineer unless it's the Logitech Mx 3 or superior, you cannot gift apparel to a serious runner unless it's something really good. My point is, if you want to gift him a watch, it is difficult to recommend you something that is below $300 or $400. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of watches out there that cost less and may work. For example, you can buy the Garmin Vivoactive or Instinct for around $200, or the Amazfit T-Rex Pro for $150 (this is a really good watch for the price). However, if he is really serious about trail running, you may have to consider a Garmin Fenix 6 (between $350 and $400 on Amazon) or a Garmin Forerunner 945 (I just saw it at $319 on Amazon). If he is into both road and trail running, the Forerunner may be a good choice, but if he is getting more and more into trail running, the fenix is the best option. Note: You won't get navigation in budget-friendly watches, but I haven't meet a racer that needed it. Generally, the course is marked and people carry their phones (I have offline maps just in case). Note 2: You can save a lot by purchasing the previous-generation model (that's why I recommended fenix 6 and forerunner 945).

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.

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.

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.

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!)

I have the 945 and it’s also excellent. Might save you a few dollars whilst being nearly as good.

I have garmin forerunner 945. I really like it and it is great for running as well. I can also listen to music, podcasts etc. You can find deals sometimes so that it might fit in your budget.

How quickly does it charge? I've gotten used to popping my Garmin (FR645, FR945, Fenix 7s, then Fenix 7s Pro) on the charger for 10min or so while I shower and that is enough that I never have to worry about the battery. Think the same would be true of the Venu 4?

well, the 945 is now 3 generations old so I'm honestly surprised it's come up that often to even make the list. I have a 955 and i feel like it's dated being 2 generations behind now. I'm more surprised the 965 isn't on the list. Maybe 945 is there because it can be had for cheap if buying used?

I did a three day 26 mile backpacking trip on one charge. The watch is 3 years old. You’ll be fine. The best thing I once saw posted here about Apple vs Garmin. Apple Watches are extensions of your phone with health and fitness tracking as an afterthought. Garmin watches are designed to be health and fitness watches first and foremost with the phone connectivity as an add on.

I got a second hand forerunner 945 and it’s a great tool for running, cycling, mountain nav, sleep tracker and training readiness. It even tells the time

I love my 955. But I've had a 945 since 2020, I've used it an awful lot for swimming, cycling, walking, golf and the map function has got me out of the shit of couple of times. Recently (December 2024) the screen started to delaminate, Garmin sent me a 955 and it's fab. Touch screen is very good, the overnight report is really informative and it even gives you a weather report. I'd say it's a nice size, not crazy big. Well worth it

I’ve been a Garmin User since the 945 came out back in 2019, just ordered AWU3 on release. I constantly take my watch off to shower as I use a nylon band and don’t want a wet wrist for hours, so charging constraint are negligible. Garmin interface is kinda archaic, I’ll admit they have made some great strides over the past couple years. Nowadays having an actual smart watch seems more appealing over a fitness tracker, I will be keeping my Garmin for ultras though(Fenix 7x SS).

No, it's just two generations old. You're going to find it lacking a lot of the more recent derived metrics Garmin included that Even the 255 and 265 can provide(training readiness, sleep score, hrv status, body battery,hill score, etc...) at the same price, But without mapping. Just about what features are important to you.

My 945 tracks pretty well, the thing is you need to put the pool size in as gps isn't going to help you measure distance 3 floors beneath a building. Occasionally it misses a lap but generally consistent.

Yeah, in my case I actually stopped using the Fenix 8 MIP and reverted to the 945. I should revise my flair.

Garmin is good in the pool. Forerunner 945 and Fenix 7 Pro user here. Used for everything listed. But at some point after 6 months+, my experience is that the elevation tracking for running/swimming gets all messed up due to weird things that happen when water dries on the sensor, and you need to get a replacement. The other nice thing: Garmin replacement is great. And I know you’re not asking this, but I stopped using the watch in the pool for workouts due to the elevation stuff and after two replacements. I started using Form goggles. Form is even better than Garmin for lap detection, strokes, etc. And is a great aid for OWS with its compass when paired with my Garmin.

Hi, I own forerunner 970(before that multiple forerunner devices 945, 955 solar, 965) fenixes(6 pro, 7 solar, 7 pro, 8) and edge 1050(before 530 and 830), also im reviewer for suunto in my country. Based on cycling, its ok... i mean it never will be dedicated bike computerm but its ok, U can pair multiple sensors. Power sensor works ok, but U can't set avg power counting with 0 or not like in garmin. About app, its really nice, even it shows peak power and speed for 30sec, 1min, 3min, and 5min. I had it before launch to this day and it is pretty stable(also i never experienced losing training session on garmin). About indoor cycling, smart trainers are not supported and I hope this will change soon because garmin in top in this matter. For running its also great Now there are some diffrences between app and watch with recovery metrics at this moment

I always recommend getting a Garmin off fb market. I bought a new 945 in 2018 and they replaced it like 6 years later when the charging port started acting up. I sold it and both a used 955 solar. It had an issue and they replaced it even though i was the second user.

You can certainly use both. If you want all day health tracking though you'll want to stick with one platform. I prefer Garmin but it isn't a smart watch app platform. I use Garmin Connect, the Garmin heart strap, and the Garmin scale. If I take up cycling I would use the Garmin cycling products also. For me it's about my fitness training, not having an extension of my watch on my wrist. The Venu (which I have) does have some some nice capabilities to receive alerts, phone calls, as well as tracking an EKG. I also have a Garmin Forerunner 945 that I use for running. I have a high end Samsung watch (it was so cheap on sale I couldn't refuse) that I wear very occasionally when I want an app platform on my wrist. The battery life on the Garmins are just amazing and seal the deal.

After buying a few of the lower end models and having a lot of problems, I decided to pay the money and buy the 945. Now 4 years later, this thing still works as well as day one with only a smidge of less battery life.

Garmin is only a smart watch in terms of activity tracking, the true smart watch features are rudimentary and rely on your phone being close by. There is only one Garmin, the FR945 that can have cellular and it is not even a true cellular watch, it is only for emergencies and not regular use. I can unlock my doors, turn on my lights and leave my phone at home everyday. I can pay for things too - Garmin pay is not available in my country. Being able to have cellular on the watch can't be overstated. The true ability to go run or hike without your phone and still be connected is a huge safety feature and the find my app is far superior and easier to use than Garmin's live tracking. You can get all the data you would from Garmin with an Apple Watch with a couple apps, WorkOutDoors for all the mapping and your choice of what app you want to use to correlate you fitness data, some are subscriptions but some great ones are free.

The Forerunner but that is just my preference because I feel that the Instinct is the ugliest watch that Garmin makes. I see several have suggested the MIP solar version of the Instinct - I would say a huge no to that. Unless you are going to spend a huge amount of time outside the solar is useless and the MIP is dull and not great inside.

I have both Garmin 945 and Apple Watch and they both get really close. Have doublechecked them against a polar device on my temple and all three were comparable.

I swim with my 945. I don’t need a fancy screen.

Haven't had either model, but really happy with my 945 I bought at around the same time in the product lifecycle you're currently considering the 955. Not sure if the 255 you're looking at is a music model or not. Didn't think it'd be that important for me when shopping, but now that I have it it's been great to still have music on long runs without needing to bring my phone. That feature alone is worth a bit of $$ for me. The maps you get with 900 models are nice and I use them a bit while mountain biking, but I could be fine without it in all honesty.

I use a Forerunner 945 and it’s great. I train for triathlons and it’s perfect. I have used it for tennis, kayaking, strength, cardio and a few other activities

FR945 already had offline navigation

I upgraded from a 945 to an enduro 3 this year and the enduro 3 is awesome on the course. Its a bit bulky and expensive but I think its got all the golf features rolled in and crazy battery life. I've got a map on screen where i can move the target to get yardage to a hazard and such and its easy to track scores and the shot tracking works well. Love the fabric strap and am used to the larger size now. The 945 was nice too, front, middle, back distance helped a ton, the shot tracking never really worked. The enduro might be overkill but I run almost daily and frequently run ultras so its perfect for me.

I’m not the commenter you replied to - but my husband has a Garmin Forerunner 165, got it for $150, and it has been phenomenal for tracking swimming metrics. I have a hand-me-down Forerunner 945 which is a “fancier” watch (was like $500 new) and his watch does almost every single one of the same things, plus a couple mine doesn’t do. You can get a swim-ready Garmin for under $200 for sure.

Gps life not even close to 24 hours for anyone interested. Mine hasn't made it past 12ish hours

Oh damn maybe I got screwed

I have the 945 and love it. You can’t go wrong with any as long as it has the functions you’re looking for

I agree with all of this with a few notes: Garmin Connect, their app/ ecosystem is not very intuitive and downright frustrating at times. I have a forerunner 945, it's a 5-6 year old and will not get any updates, but it has been a very reliable watch. Even with that old of maps tech. Coros has caught up with some of the maps stuff, and in the short amount of time I've interacted with their newest watches, I think the maps functionality is better than Garmin, and for 100s less. Their app doesn't have as many features but is much easier to use and navigate, and has all the data I need as an amateur runner. For my money, a used or highly discounted old Garmin or new Coros are the best options if you wanna keep it under $500 usd.

Can def recommend the 945 or 955 the 965 is the upgrade . My favourite function is can save music on watch so can play with just earphones in gym , even had waterproof earphones used to swim with .

Apple Watch Ultra as 1 and Forerunner 945 as last has me questioning a lot.

Agree with the dated aspect of it. I have one myself and I’m hard pressed to replace it because it does literally everything I need it to up to 140.6 races. I guess the new fancy screens and more data points is cool but fuck I’m overwhelmed enough with the data my 945 gives me lol.

Yeah you can’t say no to that. I’ve been enticed by the new 970, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I’ve had my 945 for 2 years now and really don’t have a reason to get rid of it yet.

3rd. Not really much of an upgrade over the 945. But the colorful screens look great

I switched from Forerunner 945 to Suunto Race 2 and so far I love the race 2 much more (to be fair - it’s much newer 😅). From my feeling sleep tracking and Body Battery are much more realistic on Garmin. But the App, the watch quality and simplicity is outstanding 👌. I use a Garmin Edge for tracking rides and have HR Sensor, Powermeter and Radar connected. Using RunGap to transfer it to Suunto, Strava and so on. Friends use Wahoo instead of Edge which seems to be slightly better (especially hardware buttons). But both do a fantastic job.

Depends what you want. I have a garmin fenix 7S pro. Great watch. Bad for cycling honestly. I do a lot of other stuff though. I use the watch for heart rate and that is it. It can broadcast my heart rate to my bike computer. I did about 2500 miles purely with a watch and the day I got my garmin 1050 I was mad at myself for not buying it sooner! If you’re doing multiple sports, running, lifting, swimming, doing whatever, AND cycling, maybe get like a Garmin 945 AND a Garmin 850 this a good budget option. If you’re just riding your bike, you have the money or something, I’d say just buy a 1050 and a heart rate strap and call it a day.

Both my Garmin 945 (which I use as a dedicated swim watch after retiring from daily use), and my Garmin Epix Pro gen 2 seem to have believable heart rate data during swims as long as I wear the watch snug. I remember comparing it to an old HRM-Tri when they first enabled optical heart rate during swims and it seemed pretty close, which was good enough for me. If you want absolute accuracy, you’ll have to get a Garmin watch and an HRM-Swim. You won’t have to pour over an excel file, it will sync the HRM-Swim data with the Garmin watch swim activity.

It’s very good for both swimming laps in a pool as well as open water swimming. You can set pool length size, create pool swim workouts, do auto rest to detect when you’ve stopped and when you’ve started an interval. It detects what stroke your swimming, has good optical wrist heart rate, and some advanced swimming metrics like SWOLF. I actually use an older Garmin 945 as my dedicated swim watch, as it’s smaller than my Epix Pro Gen 2 which is my daily/running/hiking/other sports watch. The main downside I’ve experienced is it will occasionally miss a 25 yard lap if I’m doing sprint sets of 50s in a 25 yard pool. I’m decently fast for an older guy (multiple 50s at low 27 from a push is no problem) so it’s either the speed or my form breaks down and it didn’t detect my flip turn properly. One other downside I thought of, but is actually a benefit to me is it doesn’t detect drills or kicking. I’ve seen the Apple Watch supports kick detection. I don’t mind and actually like to put the watch in drill mode, then at the end of each interval you tell it how many yards/meters you’ve done.

Had a FR945 before and then my wife gave me AW8 for my birthday. Everything about the 945 is better - exercise, steps, battery, vo2max and all BUT Apple Pay just trump them all.. fcuk. I soo want to get the 965 or 970 but i don’t to invest in something i won’t be using daily.

My 945 is 5+ years old and it deserves a medal of honor for the good work it has done

I use both. Apple watch is on my wrist 24/7, Garmin forerunner 945 on the other wrist when I’m running or cycling. I record workouts on both.

I went from a Forerunner 45 to a 735, then to a 945. The latter two support golf course distances which sold me on the upgrade. If I didn't golf, I'd look at the 265.

I got a refurbished 945 for a little less than that (about a year ago) mainly because in addition to running, hiking, biking, and swimming I wanted golf course distance info. If I didn't need golf, the FR 165 sounds like a winner.

The Garmin 745 is available on Amazon for $230. For the running, swimming, and overall health metrics, it is a very capable watch. As pointed out by others, it probably isn't great navigation on the watch itself. I have the 945 only because it supports golf course distances, so its worth the extra $180 or so. The 965 with the newer touch screen probably is great, just pricy.

How are the Forerunner 265s and 255 in the top five but the FR 245 is near the bottom? You've got a similar problem for the 945 vs the 955. Any methodology that produces such disparate "rankings" for two watches with similar features, build quality, and price is pretty suspect.

I just picked up a Garmin Forerunner 945 on FB Marketplace for $325 CAD. It's an absolute gem. Buying good quality used can save so much money. I love the watch, it's super lightweight and it lasts days of non stop use on one charge and I hardly know I'm wearing it. I even wear it to sleep to track how well my sleep is. It also has a million great features. Strongly recommend.

I’ve got the updated 945s and they’re as fast as they’ve always been; the only thing to watch out for is battery life, which can be a big issue with used watches.

I just ordered the Venu 3 because my Forerunner 945 has the glass delaminating issue. I wanted something more elegant than my 945.

FR935/945/955/965 all have maps. No need for Fenix.

I had the 945 and then, thinking I left it in a hotel, upgraded to the 955. 18+ months later and its still a great watch. The biggest change from the 945 to the 955 is the way that running workouts were implemented. On the 945, if I was doing an interval, the interval pace used the average pace. For short & fast intervals, this wasn't very useful. The 955 fixed this problem and uses my instant pace for alerting me if I'm hitting the range (pace, HR, power...whatever). As for all of the other metrics...its fully compatible with all of Garmin's advanced metrics still and gives access to the new journaling feature. I honestly can't imagine what I would want off of a new watch that I don't get today

I don’t like wearing watches at home because the notifications get annoying. For me, 42 hours of battery life is more than enough unless I’m traveling to a mountain or somewhere without electricity for an extended period. I mainly stick to running and cycling, and, even the AWU1 handled those activities perfectly. Ended up selling my Garmin LTE version because longer battery is pointless for me.

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.

Forerunners are great even if you don't run. None of the watches are great for the gym btw. For hiking you basically want an altimeter (which all new watches have) and maybe maps (which only the most premium watches do). I think the main advantage the Instinct has over the Forerunner is that it comes with Garmin Explore integration (for offline realtime mapping with the companion app on the phone). Only the Forerunner 9xx series support this. I think an Instinct 2 or 3 will be a great choice for your use

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.

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.

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

Ive bought a 9 series forerunner. Id come from an apple watch too, after the initial excitement of talking to it I just found it limited in functionality for sports. I'm very happy with the forerunner, itis not the Apple watch at all. It's excellent. I dont need any more if that helps.

I've used either a Forerunner 9xx or a Fēnix for about 6 years. If you give it about 5 minutes before you swim to leatch onto as many satellites as possible after it says it has a GPS fix it's pretty good. If you dive in as soon as you get the tick, it's crap.

V2 Form goggles will do all of that. On the plus side, they're cheaper than most watches that will do the same. On the minus side, they're expensive for goggles and they have no other uses. Edit: and I didn't read the land workout bit. Garmin Forerunner 9xx definitely meets your needs. I suspect the 2xx series will as well.

Here is my reason, have you noticed that the major reviewers even when they are testing Garmin or Suunto watches are always wearing the Apple Watch Ultra on their wrist? Here is why, as great as Garmin watches are and I back this statement up , I have owned 3 Fenix's and 2 forerunner 9 series over the years. Running and Cycling are in comparison small parts of my week, even though I run 30 K a week and cycle almost 200K a week. The rest of the week, I am an employee, check email, read and respond to texts, I am a husband, a father , a podcast / music listener , a walker ,a gym goer and the Apple Watch is just an all round everyday watch for me with all the smart features. Sorry for the long winded reply.... and with regards to your last comment, I totally agree , when I was a Garmin Wearer, 99% of the time I saw someone with a Garmin, it was easy to strike a conversation as they were a runner or a cyclist. With the apple watch.....not so much lol

For sports, always Garmin. No one else comes close for multisport watches, and I don't need a bunch of useless "smart watch" features that just waste battery.

The same I was big on the Apple ecosystem and felt like it was a cool watch just because it integrated so well, but I never even downloaded any apps for it. All I ever used it for was timers and reminders and stuff like that and basic fitness tracking, and my forerunner does all the same stuffbut way better. Should’ve switched sooner

All true except advanced metrics. They are also present in Fenix (it has even more features for hiking) and Instinct. Forerunner is not more advanced. The rugedness is mostly about the bezel. In fenix and instinct it has a rim which gives extra protection to the screen. But that means rugged watches are more bulky what can be a problem in the gym. The real question is lightness of forerunner vs battery life of fenix /instinct

I’ve had and loved garmin forerunners and a coros pace. Slight preference for coros over garmin for battery life. Slight preference for garmin for multi-app interoperability.  I’m actually planning to buy an Apple Watch because it’s fine as a fitness tracker and has better health tracking capabilities on top of the fitness stuff. 

I have both and just got the forerunner. I really enjoy the fitness data from garmin. AW is just a superior smart watch and I am coming to the conclusion that I don’t need it any more. At my age I just need to focus more on my health and fitness.

Not having a screen doesn't really seem like much of a selling point. It's nice to have the watch function and access to other data bits on the screen. I have an older Garmin Forerunner that I've used for about 8 years.

I would personally always take a Forerunner over the Venu series, as I am pretty serious about my fitness. I don't really care much about smart watch features, just need a bare minimum. And the venu series seems to take tradeoffs with fitness features to accommodate the increase in smart features.

Running is just what the Forerunner targets to be the best choice for. It is a lighter watch, with all the GPS accuracy you can get. It doesn't focus on Golf or diving or being "rugged". So yes, a Forerunner would still be a great option for your situation, and it will just be a plus if you ever decide to run.

Many of the Garmin lineup support multi sport, and personally I've been on the Fenix track for over a decade now, currently on Epix Gen2. Handles swimming and running spot on paired with HRM-Pro. I have an Edge 1040 for cycling. Wife has a Fenix 8, it's super nice. Weight not an issue for me, Forerunner is a lighter model but gets a plastic case if I'm not mistaken. And go for the Sapphire screen.

I second this. My Garmin Forerunner has been going strong 4 years now.

Yes, they’re great. Make sure to download the connect app, that’s we’re all the useful data will be much easier to read.

The only time that I had issues with a Garmin watch they replaced the watch well over the warrant. I got a forerunner that lasted a lot (6 years?) and then I gave it to a friend. I'm sporting an almost 5 year old fenix and I got it second hand. The watches they make are sturdy

Garmin Forerunners are a great fitness watch.

I think if you primarily want to track those workouts and your alternative is not getting an Apple Watch, then it might be overkill in terms of money spent. I was coming from a forerunner and knew I wanted an Apple Watch so was going between an S10 and ultra 2 and don’t regret getting the ultra 2. Like you, I wanted the extra battery life and preferred the more rugged look

You can get a Fenix 7 Pro for less than that from John Lewis at the moment. It depends what you want from the watch. If you want sturdy and looks good then go for a Fenix, if you want lighter then go Forerunner. You won't get a Fenix 8 in that budget but the 7 Pro is still very good for the money.

I've been an Apple Watch user for more than 7 years. Currently have Ultra 2. But I just got a Garmin Forerunner and love it. It's a refreshing change with superior data for me. On a practical note, I can use Spotify in the Garmin and it hasn't glitched on me once. Apple Watch is a disaster with playing music at the same time as running and this has held true for years over several different watches, watchOS versions and headphones. I like to row and the Garmin counts the strokes per minute whereas the Apple watch gives you no data. The built in training plans on Garmin are much better than having to pay for a subscription to Runna or Fitness+. The recovery insights through the day are better for me than Apple and don't require a third party app. The Find my iPhone equivalent feature on Garmin works better for me. Good luck with your AW but I'm enjoying the Garmin experience and I say that as a diehard Apple user.

So I train with both the AWU2 and my Forerunner, and I’m a fan of each for different reasons. Never have I heard anyone complain about the GPS accuracy of an Ultra 2 though. I generally find my two watches are very close if I use them together but, if anything, the Ultra is always a bit closer to the mark, especially in areas that challenge GPS. Very odd what you’re saying here.

Where??? I’m really curious. All the reputable reviewers rave about Apple for accuracy of GPS (especially the Ultra, with its dual-band) and HR. Now when it comes to all the other fitness functionality it sucks big time haha. But, on the other hand, the Garmin is far worse from a smartwatch perspective and my AWU2’s cellular connectivity is above and beyond the thing I care most about on long, remote runs.

If you really end up getting into running, I would not suggest Vivioactive 5. The pace shown on the watch is NOT the pace you are running. You won’t see your actual pace until after you run and sync to the app. I’ve learned a way to know “appropriately” what pace I’m running by setting up the watch with .25 mile laps so it will show me the .25 average. Also, I start a separate run activity for both slower warmup and another one for the slower cool down. For weight workouts in the gym, I just use the cardio activity but it’s really just to see approximately how much time and calories I’m supposed earning. Pool workouts are decent for counting laps, just one lap off. Maybe the low-level Forerunner would have been a better option for my running. I’ve only had mine a few months but it’s durable. I’ve worn it doing lots of hiking, over rocks etc. But I’m also a little bit careful.

Coros or garmin pace or forerunner, if you like music while running get the garmin, if your more minimalist (smaller screen, simpler interface) get the coros

I turn it off on my garmin forerunner as it drives me mad and once it’s off you never get notifications. Even after system updates and stuff. Easy peasy

I would suggest any Fenix or even any forerunner over any vivoactive or venu of you're serious about training. Sure you can get by with most basic stuff on those watches but if you get serious about training or want better features you'll have wanted at least a forerunner model

I think it very much depends on what you want from a watch. I’m a big data nerd too and I really do enjoy my Garmin. The other nice thing is that Garmin has a pretty wide array watches that can cater to a beginner or advanced runner. Me personally? I had a forerunner for many years before I upgraded to the Enduro line due to battery life during 100k+ distance races.

Came to say the same… I had an Apple Watch, replaced it with a garmin forerunner for 1 month it was the worst! So inaccurate and when I’d swim in pools it would so often double count my lengths… I went back to Apple Watch

None of the forerunners have a metal bezel. They’re all solid colours. The Venu just looks better period , imo

I’ve worn a lot of watches and trackers. For a beginning runner I would get a Garmin Forerunner. I’ve owned the entry level and the Epix Pro ($1100). Garmin is the most consistent running tool I’ve owned

Update I bought a forerunner and used it a couple times but ended up returning it for the Venu 3. I am happy with my choice!!!

I got the Venu 3s and couldn’t be happier! Tried out the forerunner but hated the way it looked and I feel like their running tools/stats are incredibly similar

I just switched from AWU it FR 970 and it’s really not even a question. I LOVE the forerunner so much more.

Just “downgraded” from a Fenix to a Forerunner (about a month ago) and love it. The battery life of the Forerunner isn’t as great but it’s still good, about 7 days on one charge (using GPS once a day). Forerunner is less bulky. I have zero regrets with the switch.

Go with a venu 3, all the important things is there, it has great accuracy comparable with forerunners, and it's adequate for your running needs, and also the design is more fitting for you.  But yeah, if I have to choose for myself I'd go with Forerunner because as a guy I like Forerunner better design wise, and I like to have all the features even though I might not need it. 

I have a Garmin Forerunner, hopefully soon to upgrade to Fenix. Anyway, it has the quickfit watch strap, so I have an orange band on it all the time, and for formal occasions I have the chestnut leather band, takes all of 30s to swap them over 👍🏻

I’d check Facebook Marketplace for a used Garmin Forerunner. They are good watches for running and biking, and they also have good sleep-tracking if you decide to wear it 24/7.

This was my experience, too-- went from Apple watch to Forerunner and I'm glad that I made the leap. The tipping point for me was that the Apple watch battery was draining so fast on my rides that I was losing data, and I was charging it twice a day.

The forerunner is the same internals and same 1.4" OLED screen as all the other high end garmin watches. The heart sensor is elevate 4 instead of elevate 5. Otherwise its the same watch with different styling. You can put whatever watch face on the watch you prefer. You want it to look like any other watch, just use that watch face. Just don't get the extremely outdated MIP screen that the zealots keep pretending is a good choice even though it doesn't save any battery anymore and is only offered on the obsolete watches. Some people can't afford the new OLED screens so they want to say they are inferior, when they are just poor and can't afford current tech that is obviously better. It really comes down to the styling of the watch case, if you want it to be super oversized 51mm or normally only slightly oversized 47mm or you want the colored accents or the flashlight or whatever. Its a personal styling decision at this point, get what makes you happy.

Definitely Garmin, specifically the Forerunner

I don’t know what you’re doing with your Ultra, but mine gets barely 2 days and I have the brightness on the lowest settings and no third party apps installed. My Garmin Forerunner gets 4-5 days on a single charge and if I turn off the AOD, that goes up to 15

Just about all the Garmin watches do what you're looking for. The only thing with the Instinct is that it's a pretty specific look. You're coming from an Apple watch, which is pretty much accepted as appropriate in any setting and with any attire. The Instinct definitely looks rugged and tough. The Forerunner is more generic looking.

Yes you can order plenty of bands online. I started with the Venu 2S and swapped to the Forerunner. They are the same size. Forerunner definitely has sportier bands. But I appreciate more activity modes, more training metrics and better battery life.

Forerunner or Enduro for all around "everything." Weights suck with any watch, but that's not specific to any model.

Don't underestimate the lightness of your watch. Especially 19 hours in, I just get tired of the heavy shit on my wrist. I'd go Forerunner or Enduro every time.

Garmin all the way if you are using android The tracking is really quite good and the features arent exactly advanced for a beginner, it walks you through basically everything Ive seen a few forerunners or vivoactive go on sale for slightly over 200. Abit higher than your budget but imo worth it, it will last you even when you are no longer a beginner

I would go Fenix personally if money isn't an issue. Better looking, better build, longer battery, and better (more waterproof) buttons. I really don't like the look of the forerunners so that may also be a big bias for me.

Funnily enough, a lot of people do more than just road running..... a forerunner is not great for swimming, cycling, heavy trail running etc. Ive run multiple half marathons in my fenix no issues as well as doing many other activities without the worry of cracking a plastic watch and having enough battery to do so. I also did say that I was bias towards the look.... but it still remains that I think forerunners look cheap.

Most of the training data is a gimmick anyway. Youll be fine with a venu 3. One of my friends is an ex Olympian Rower. Hè has a venu 3 I have a forerunner. He is in much better shape than I am. The Watch doesnt matter.

Brother gave me a used Garmin Forerunner a year ago as he upgraded. It's been awesome so I'd go second hand/refurbished from reputable source.

get a low digit garmin Forerunner, they do what you are looking for

I have the forerunner and I haven’t as it’s not rated for that kind of temp. However google searching has people going into the sauna with their Garmin without issue so it’s really a personal risk / reward scenario.

Basically any Garmin from the 255 and up. Fenix is the best but pricey so forerunner should be more than enough

I had a forerunner and only switched to an Apple Watch when I had to stop running. Garmin is a superior fitness watch. Especially if you are running every day. You can use both but it will screw your daily stats. You get a few more smart features (eg replying to texts)  in n the Garmin if you pair it to an Android phone as Apple deliberately don’t integrate well.  Oh, and the battery lasts days even when exercising a lot (weeks without excercise). 

For a long time, I only ran with my phone and used the Map My Run app, and then switched to Strava. I used live tracking on the apps as I ran, but I didn’t have a watch to see how it was going in real time. Both apps have voiceovers that tell you when you hit a mile and your pace.  I ran my first half marathon and had no clue what my heart rate was, which is what made me get a little more serious afterwards. I got a cheap Garmin forerunner to start with, and moved on from there! So you don’t necessarily need anything, but if you get more serious with it, a watch is nice to have! A running belt like Flipbelt or SPI belt is handy to carry your phone.

...and something good about the Forerunner is that there is one for every budget (unlike other Garmin watch ranges).

the cheaper forerunners and Fenixes are great for this, simple, cheap, reliable and near indestructible

I’ve had both fenix and forerunner. Even as a multi sport athlete ( although primarily a runner) I hands down love my forerunner way better.

Lots of options. Check out the Venu series, Vivofit, and Vivoactive. IMO the value-added aspects of the Forerunner are around running and other aerobic endurance sports. Are those relevant to you?

Forerunner can be a great alternative to Fenix if you're price conscious. Or just last generation Fenix. Do you care about maps?

Forerunner does that stuff too. In general, higher-end Garmins add, they don't take away. Are you serious about any of your sports? Like planning seasons, building for events, that kind of thing?

Changed my mind... I think without an explicit indoor rowing activity profile and VO2max, the extra analysis stuff on the Forerunner won't really work. Not sure if any of the watches have that. I know there are some accepted equations to estimate that stuff, though I think you'd also need a reasonably accurate power meter on your rowing machine. So yeah, Venu or whatever is fine.

My opinion, go with the Forerunner. Check out all the chatter from people moving on from their Apple Watches - I get that some of the newer ones have much better support for running but you say you have an older one. And you're not going to want to carry your phone either. How much running have you done up to now?

If you want a sports watch with superb training feature and battery runtime, get a Garmin (Forerunner). If you want a smartwatch with some sports features, get an Apple Watch.

I tried a Garmin Forerunner but couldn't figure out how to customize it (and I'm pretty tech savvy). Sold it to a triathlete. I'm a Samsung gal and I love my Samsung Galaxy 6. I easily customized it so that getting to the swim app is just one face swipe and a click. It auto detects my strokes pretty reliably and even though I don't do flip turns it knows when I switch direction and gets the distance right.

Probably Forerunner. I did a whole video on picking your Garmin: https://youtu.be/UuSZG52uOrg

Current/recent Forerunners aren't clunky and are a fine everyday wellness watch.

Forerunner. Any model. Any model from last few years up to now. Great range of watches. Loads out there pre-loved as runners do live to upgrade. FR 745 is vastly underrated / undervalued as a device for the non-elite level runner.

I’ve been double wristing it for about a year and a half since I got into marathon training. Garmin Forerunner on the right, rotation of analog watches on the left. It has completely killed any desire for a digital watch on my “nice watch” arm, and I get a question about it occasionally, but otherwise I don’t really think about it

I tried to switch but in the end I came back to Apple watch (I missed it's smart capabilities, it's nice and polished apps and the way it integrates in the Apple ecosystem). I do wear my Garmin Forerunner on my runs though along with my the Apple Watch.

For someone who is new and cares mostly about sleep tracking and GPS activities it’s honestly all kind of the same. You can run with an Instinct and you can hike with a forerunner. Choose based off of look, price, battery life for your particular activities. A Fenix or Instinct pretty much does it all and with great battery life. Doesn’t really matter in the end unless you care about very specific advanced metrics. I personally think most of the Forerunners are ugly so I gravitate towards Instinct because I’m also not willing to overpay for a Fenix when there’s other brands that cover 90% of a Fenix for half the cost. If you want to research alternatives: If you’re looking at an Instinct, check out Coros Nomad. If you’re looking at a Fenix check out Suunto Race 2 or Vertical 2 or upcoming Coros Apex 4.

Dammit I loved my Forerunner, I pool swam, ran, trail ran, hiked, OWS, you name it, and the watch is awesome. It holds music so I can run with just the watch. Tracking was great. The numbers were big enough to read I had it for 3 years, and the plastic bracket that holds the wrist strap pin broke. I am using my sons Google watch and I curse every time I have to look at it. I keep thinking I'll get used to it and eventually love it. Nope I hate it every day. So now I run with 2 fitness trackers, the Garmin without a strap, in my pocket and my every day Google watch on my wrist. Buy the Garmin

Forerunners are much lighter weight and therefore much more comfortable to wear.

I have a Garmin forerunner and it’s great for fitness tracking and everything else, I wear it all day every day. It will give you yardages to front middle and back, and it’s pretty accurate. I mainly use my range finder though so I don’t often use the watch for golf. I was thinking about making the switch to a more golf forward version and the epix pro is the top of my list. It has unbelievable golf functionality but is also a great fitness watch. The only better “golf feature” garmin is the S62 or similar, but they aren’t as convenient for fitness tracking IMO. Garmin kicks ass though, I highly recommend it. The site DC rainmaker is a good resource, that dude has reviews on every damn garmin product I think

Garmin forerunner for sure. I got myself a Garmin venu 3 and it’s good but there’s a few features the forerunners have that I miss. I use that combined with Strava for community, Garmin connect app for stats, and Runna app for training plans. They all connect together. Runna automatically sends runs to my watch, then the watch sends the stats back to all three apps when I’m done 👍 Edit: it also all sends the data to my Apple health and my Lifesum dieting app which updates my daily calorie intake based on activity level

Fenix or Epix and yes they integrate with iPhones. Some fitness apps will connect to Garmin. If you want a slimmer watch you can also go for the new forerunner.

Apple Watch will do fine for a long time - only got a Garmin last year. However once you go to only having to charge your watch once every two weeks you just can’t go back to Apple. I have a Garmin Fenix (on the $$$ side) but I wear it every day as my normal watch too and have had zero issues making the switch. However there’s heaps in the range, I love accuracy, maps, long battery and lots and lots of data so I can overthink every run - so Fenix it is! The forerunners are great and the vivoactives are a good mid range model. There’s other brands like Suunto, Polar etc. For true accuracy on any wrist watch you may need a chest monitor. But if you really like your Apple Watch I found it pretty good unless you’re somewhere with not much reception

It does not sound like you do running or other outdoor activities, so I d recommend a vivoactive 5 or 6 mate. However, something like a basic Forerunner could also give you all plus some running support for a share of the vivo price. I started my first one with a vivomove HR which only gave me steps and basic gym rep counting (that was 8 years ago) then vivoactive 3 and now a FR965 because I do hike a lot and started running recently plus all the gym.

Go for the forerunner!!! No need for anything else

For running, the **Forerunners** win because they’re lighter, have better training tools (readiness, load, recovery, VO₂, etc.), and give you more run-specific metrics. The **Instinct/Fenix** are better for hiking/backpacking since they’re tougher, with longer battery and more rugged features. Animated workouts are more of a nice to have, useful if you like guided bodyweight or gym sessions, but most people don’t rely on them. Daily suggested workouts are hit or miss: they’re good for structure but not something to blindly follow. Maps are genuinely handy if you do trails or long hikes; on runs they’re mostly good for keeping you on a planned route. The 970 only records ECG if you start it manually, it doesn’t passively check like an Apple Watch. Smart features: you’ll see texts and calls, but RCS isn’t supported (just standard SMS/notifications). The mic/speaker are fine for quick replies or answering a call in a pinch, but not something you’d want to use all the time. Why Garmin? Mostly the depth of training metrics, reliability, and ecosystem, Coros and Suunto are good but Garmin still has the most polished data!!

They definitely do, especially Instinct 3 Tactical. If you have more spare cash, look into Tactix 8. Also, you most likely knew by now; stay away from running and lifestyle watches. Forerunner is not tough enough for sports like rock climbing.

I’d definitely take a look at the Forerunner line. It’s going to be thinner and lighter than the Fenix, and generally carries most of the same (if not all) features. 

Forerunner if you care about run-specific metrics, the vivoactive 5 lacks them, the vivoactive 6 has some, but forerunner would be the go-to

I had a 255, also a similarly slim wrist, and recently "upgraded" to a Vivoactive 6. Upgrade in quotes because I'm aware a lot of people don't consider that an upgrade, but it definitely was for me, for things I cared about, and ultimately it's only things you care about that matters. For me the biggest problem was how big and heavy the 255 was. I believe it's very similar size/weight to the 265, and the 955 is even larger/heavier (by a bit). I am also primarily a runner, but not a super serious one (one or two half marathons a year, a few weeks/months of half-assed training). The tracking and training features on the dirt cheap Vivoactive is more than enough for me, and I don't miss the more advanced features from the Forerunner at all. In fact, I still don't know what those are. I suspect very few people wearing Forerunners really benefit from the very specialized running features that the more "lifestyle" Garmin watches don't have, and I regretted falling into that trap and getting that Forerunner a few years ago. Either that or this sub is full of hardcore elite runners. On the Vivoactive, the OLED screen is much more beautiful than the MIP, and the new interface is so much more intuitive to use. The size also looks much less comical on my wrist. It's also much lighter, which I didn't really appreciate until getting this one. It "only" has 10 days battery life, but I just charge it when I notice it going below 20% when sat at my desk, and it really doesn't bother me at all. The 255 was purely a training tool. The Vivoactive gives me joy to wear and look at, in addition to being just as good a training tool for me. But that's a very subjective thing. If you don't like the Vivoactive aesthetic, there's also the new Venu 4/4S that looks more premium. So I think it mostly depends on whether you actually need the additional features. The map is the only feature I would care about in the 9xx, but I wasn't going to pay so much for that, when I never do long runs in unfamiliar places without my phone anyways.

Yeah every forerunner I’ve owned has been great. Also touch screens on a running watch are really annoying if you sweat a lot

Apple watch is pretty useless by the time you're trying to add sensors to your workouts. Look at wahoo and coros. Garmin forerunner is awesome if you want to splurge.

As a long time garmin devotee…their current pricing is just inexcusable. I’ve been a forerunner guy forever and it’s honestly a joke.

Almost all of the current lineup. Check the specs section on their product pages. Do you need maps or basic breadcrumb navigation? If maps, then 955 / 965, Fenix / Enduro. Otherwise The Forerunner and Instinct series should be fine.

If you want a cheaper option the Forerunner is good. Had two in a row. Heart rate, could record rides pretty accurately.

My forerunner lasts like 3 days 🫠

Forerunner, and the version depends on your bidget

If you want to get healthy and get phone notifications and *maybe* do music or something, get a Garmin. Instinct 2 (gives music controls but requires a phone for the music itself) or a used Forerunner (I believe they're done of the cheapest models that do on-board music, Spotify, etc.) or what have you. If you want to do smartphone stuff on your wrist and *maybe* get healthy, go Samsung.

Garmin Forerunner + Playrun App from IQ is working for me pretty smoothly.

I had the same debate - bought the venu & ended up returning it for the forerunner & have been beyond happy with my decision. the extra battery life alone makes it so worth it for me, but I also really love the additional metrics & the daily suggested workouts

Get a garmin forerunner best investment I’ve ever made

I really love my Garmin. I use a forerunner which isnt the most stylish model, but battery life is really good and it has a lot of additional activity features I like (e.g. tracking outdoor swimming, biking , training plans etc). They have a paid subscription model but it is in no way necessarily, you get access to most features as part of the watch.

Well, it is not necessary, but definitely it helps. I’d recommend you to buy at least some basic Garmin Forerunner - it doesn’t cost much, has a decent battery life and is light. Regarding AW, for marathon, you should buy ultra, which is a lot of money. Whoops is more an add-on than running tracker. It’s not very comfortable to run with a phone and the watch shows live metrics, which is very useful. So yes, you should.

I have all phone notifications disabled on my Forerunner and on my Garmin Edge. So it works just as you expected - it records my activities and syncs them to Garmin Connect / Strava afterwards.

My wife has the vivoactive 5. She recently started running and finds it rather basic compared to the running metrics and functionalities I get from my forerunner. The things she would like to have the most, that are not on the Vivoactive, are Daily Suggested Workout and breadcrumb trails.

Had an Apple Watch and currently have Garmin Forerunner Battery life Battery life Battery life Garmin all day.

No smartwatch does swimming or lifting particularly well, imo. The development of swimming software has always been secondary to the watch’s software for biking and running. That said, i do use and find acceptable the swim function on my garmin (I’ve had a swim 2, forerunner, and fenix). I don’t pay attention to stroke detection so I can’t speak to that but it does everything else you’re asking for.  For lifting, paper and pen is still king. I track my lifting workouts on my watch so i get “credit” for them and the workouts help me reach some of the silly little “challenges” garmin has, but it’s too fiddly, prone to errors, and doesn’t provide me the same information I get by writing down my lifts & how I felt. 

if you're trying a lot of new hikes, loading up hikes on the watch is great and I've liked it on my forerunner.

Yeah, the nice thing about the PW is that its user serviceable. You can change out the screen and battery. I hope other manufacturers decide to follow this example. It also has LTE and satellite and okay battery life. On the other hand, the forerunner has buttons which I prefer.

The forerunner is made for runners, it's the obvious choice here.

I have a Whoop band that I really like for tracking activities. It’s not a watch - doesn’t have a face to it at all - but I think it does a good job tracking sleep/activities and horse riding is an option for activity on it. You don’t pay up front for it - it’s a $35/month service fee. So while not a big expense up front, it obviously adds up over time, which is not necessarily for everyone.  I wear a garmin forerunner on my other wrist too. I like that as well, but I have to say I prefer the app and the data provided by the whoop. I basically only use my forerunner for the actual watch face at this point.  Edit: I just checked whoops website and they do offer a $399 up front fee for 2 year membership. 

The forerunner line is geared towards running and triathlon. They are excellent watches. You can get them relatively cheap used.

The forerunner will meet and exceed all your needs except one. What type of integration are you requiring? Basic smart notifications?

I was a Fenix guy until I bought a forerunner. I can't tell the forerunner is on my wrist. I love it.

Fourth for Garmin!!!(I have a forerunner) I love it!

Switched 5 years ago. Echoing the comment here: this is **not** a smartwatch, but a **sports/adventure watch.**  You won’t be reading your emails, getting texts, or calling a Uber, and the screen is nowhere near as responsive as the AW. If you’re looking for a phone one your wrist, Garmin is not for you. But if you’re training for a sports race, anything from a 5k to an ultramarathon, or even just trying to stay generally fit, the load tracking and suggested workout feature alone is worth it. The battery of data signals you get to tailor and improve your training is worth the switch alone, to a Foretunner or Epix or Fenix. 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.

I’d also recommend going for a Forerunner. Forerunners are built for running and can be used for swimming. An Instinct 2 lacks for example Garmin Run Coach, which the Forerunners have.

IMHO Apple does fitness tracking better than Garmin. Esp. sleep tracking is more accurate, plus you get ECG on most Apple Watches. In the US, blood oxygen tracking is currently disabled for new Apple Watches. Btw. I am wearing both, Garmin and Apple (I like redundancy for marathons, plus my Apple Watch has LTE, while my Forerunner does not)

>It's actually not bad, it's just a compromise you MUST take I don't like compromises. So I wear an Apple Watch and a Garmin Forerunner.

I use both, Apple Watch and Garmin (one on each wrist). IMHO, Apple Watch does better health tracking and offers a wider range of devices to contribute data. As well as more apps. Apple really shines in sleep tracking and I have the feeling that Apple’s wrist based HR sensor is better than Garmin’s. I am using a Forerunner, so it’s not the newest Garmin tech, but my Apple Watch is a Series 8, so not the newest gen either). I really like Garmin for training. And the HRM Pro Plus is the best heart rate monitor I ever had.

Yes, serious overkill. Vivoactive is good for general health tracking and logging your runs or you could go for something more running specific like a Forerunner. For more all around fitness at a decent price, you can't beat the Vivoactive series.

Whoops focus during exercise is how much strain you are putting your body through.  I’d recommend getting a Garmin forerunner if you want a fully dedicated running watch! 

Garmin forerunner, Fenix, epix, Enduro. And nothing else matters

Basically any modern smartwatch will do this. Your axes of choice are ecosystem, battery life, and price. The basic Apple Watch will do what you want, but because you’re using the GPS, the battery will be dead mid-day. I do not recommend any Apple Watch but the Ultra for an athlete or active person because of the awful battery life. If you want something cheaper than the Ultra, I’d look at the Coros Pace and cheaper Garmin Forerunner options. They’ll both cost about half and are really good products with roughly 5-10x battery life vs the basic Apple Watch.

Oh wow I didn’t know the Ultra 2 also had that issue. Honestly after getting a garmin watch, I don’t think I can go back.

The Fenix is much heavier than the Forerunner. I had a Fenix and switched to Forerunner because of the weight.

Whichever forerunner is within your budget is usually best if running is the priority

Garmin forerunner, whichever one you want they’re all good

I have the Fenix 8 amoled which I use for running and hiking, the sapphire glass is great so it doesn’t scratch and I love having topo maps standard. Cons is the price. Forerunner is a good option if price is an issue.

The best deals are on Mercari and Yahoo Auctions. I bought my Garmin Forerunner 2 years ago(?) used on Yahoo Auctions and it is still working great!

I just got a forerunner garmin after my Apple Watch couldn’t last a day. if you can, I’d definitely recommend getting one, maybe even with the holidays coming up. It tracks my sleep, workouts, stress - a whole lot more than my old Apple Watch!

I have an AWU: it’s a smart watch w/ mostly useless rudimentary fitness tracking metrics that don’t match at all with what training peaks, intervals, Strava, or Garmin Connect give for metrics & stats. Also, battery lasts less than 24 hours if you actually use your watch for tracking rides. I had a Garmin Forerunner: It was a legit fitness tracker that has useful metrics that align w/ 3rd party training platforms and also has some basic useful smart watch features. Seamless integration w/ Garmin Edge bike computer stats as well. When I upgrade watches, I’m going back to Garmin because I prioritize the fitness features more than the often annoying & useless smart watch novelty features that Apple caters towards for the general public. What do you prioritize? Novelty smart watch features (Apple), or useful training metrics (Garmin).

Garmin has the best batteries, forerunner as others said

Vivoactive and Venu (non X1, that thing should have had a name of its own) don't have the advanced running metrics. So it's Forerunner , then check whether the features you want are in Instinct, Fenix, Enduro or Epix if you like one of those better.

Vote for garmin forerunner. I’ve had three models, came back after trying Coros. I use for running, strength and CrossFit. I love it. Works well, easy to use, I like the recovery and body battery aspect as someone who also had whoop but was sick of having two things

I used my Garmin Forerunner and it was perfect. Only charged once after 6 days.

Fenix 7. Skip the screen on the 8 and go with one that holds up better in bright sunlight. HOWEVER, if these are truly your only options I’d say forerunner. Slightly less rugged, but has everything you need for a little less than Fenix series. Doesn’t have a flashlight though

If price isn't an issue check the Garmin line. They have watches for runners, climbers, n daily life. I'm not a runner but I got the forerunner since it matched well with my life style. Just pick the one that u like the most based on its features. Battery life is from 7 days to 15 depending on the watch n use. If price is an issue get the lower end ones, less feats but still very nice battery life

I use Strava and the Whithings app, paired with one of their smart scales and a few add ons. Apple Health can pull from both, and while I don't care about my daily steps (for example) they automatically pull from my watch (forerunner) into the various apps as well.

The Forerunner would be a watch I’d recommend for sure. There are a number of different models, so make sure you do your research. It also depends on how much you want to spend.

Depending on how much you want to interact with your watch, the lack of buttons on a Venu might be frustrating. For that reason a Forerunner might be better as you can lock the touch screen during runs and use the buttons.

Can't go wrong with Garmin imho. I've had a fenix and a couple of forerunners, and they've all worked great.

Fenix or Forerunner. They have precise data especially if you ride a horse

If you move all day, whoop will track it. Whether or not you are doing an activity whoop will count any increase in heart rate towards your "strain", and will give you sleep recommendations and adjust recovery based on that. The automatic activity tracking and auto sleep tracking are great. It's the most hands off device out there. Garmin only adds load when you are tracking an activity, so it can miss a lot if it's not a planned workout. But when you do track activities, it gives you much more information. Whoop is not a good activity tracker. It's a health tracker. You can really only see your heart rate zones for the activity. You can't see progression over time or compare it to previous workouts. For that you need garmin or Strava or something else. From what I can tell, Garmin is amazing at activities and good enough with health, while whoop does great with health but is poor for activities. Not sure if this helps, but it seems like there is no perfect option - Im going to have to make this same decision once my subscription is up.

Get the forerunner it’s definitely more versatile and does the swim as well as the swim 2.. I have owned a Garmin for 20 yrs — have the Fenix 8 now

I have been trying to get going as a runner for a few years but kept getting injured... anyway I've had a Garmin Forerunner for a few years as well and I am happy with it. It's useful as an everyday watch but also has built in training programs. I'm going through one right now for a half marathon in May and it's going well. I did six miles yesterday (the farthest I've ever ran in my life) and I feel great today. It is durable, has great battery life, and for the money is a pretty good bargain imo. I would suggest it to anyone.

Three things to consider that comes to my mind. 1. If you are only looking to track runs(no use for daily health metrics) then you can just wear the running watch during the run, and then put the watch away after you are done. That is what I do with my Garmin Forerunner. I do my run with the watch and then after I come back home the Forerunner gets turned off and put away. 2. Alternative option is to just use your phone's GPS data to track run data. Personally I tried this method, and I wasn't a fan because the phone GPS would struggle to find me sometimes and I'd end up with a weird run distance and times. Non watch style fitness tracking device would likely also have this issue where the GPS function is either non-existent or not as accurate as the watch style running watches. 3. Lastly, I'd just run by time and effort without any tracking if you are just starting out. Time on feet will likely matter more for your progress than accurate distance or speed measures. Set a timer on your phone and run until the timer goes off, then turn around and run back to the starting point. Slowly increase the time on the timer over as you get better. This is more or less what I did when starting out, and I still use this method when going for an easy run.

If you don’t wanna get a dedicated computer like the Garmin edge. Then get a forerunner or fenix.

For concept 2 you can use the forerunner to broadcast HR to a PM5, and have Ergdata sync to Garmin Connect. The HR data works well even off the wrist (I used to find that wrist HR sucked for rowing). I also broadcast HR to my cycling computer.

Ive had a few Fenix versions, they are great/ top of the range. Last few years ive been using forerunners which have all the functionality - 9xx series is great, or 2xx for something easier on the pocket. My activities include trail running, hiking, triathlons (and running/swimming/riding only), golf/disc golf. Navigation and battery are good, and glass is strong. Lifestyle is great for sleep, general hr tracking, step counts, tap to pay. The 955 i have also has great multimedia (music). Cant go wrong with a forerunner (solar if you are doing ultra's or multiday). Fenix is a nice splurge

>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.

I second this. Exact same use case run 3x/week and weight train 3-4x/week. I found the epix pro gen 2 sapphire to be best utility and bang for buck. I tried the FR but was too run focused and I preferred the more tactical look. The fenix 8 was nice but at double the price with same sensor technology it didn’t felt worth it. You do forgo the mic and voice features but I didn’t need it and didn’t want a true smart watch but prioritized a fitness forward watch. 3 months in and I love my Epix pro gen 2 47mm

Garmin - They have a lot of watches at different price points. There is built-in GPS and the battery lasts for several days, unlike a smart watch that you typically need to charge every night. The Garmin app easily syncs with other fitness apps, if that's important to you. If you have a smaller wrist, go for the "S" models that will look and fit better.