Garmin
Forerunner 945

Garmin
Garmin

Garmin
Fenix 8 47mm Sapphire. I've had a range of Garmins (Forerunner range: 35, 235, 935, 945, 955) but the 970 didn't appeal to me (accent colour on side and domed glass) so I got my first Fenix and first AMOLED watch (solar was thicker than my 955 which was already a bit thick under clothing). Love the look of the Fenix a lot more, plus better battery life
I have the Forerunner 945. The battery is eternal, watch face isn’t too big (small female wrist here), and it doesn’t everything I could want a watch to do. It interacts with and displays my varia radar and power meter pedal data as well as with my Wahoo trainer without issues. It has pool and open water tracking and uploads workouts. The HR is pretty spot on even in the water. The only time it fails me is when I’m climbing out of the saddle and put a sharp bend in my wrist. Watches use a different algorithm to measure gain than the computers, so I believe my Edge between the two, but if you yse Strava you can have it elevation-correct after the fact.
This location seems like it would chafe like the dickens swimming and running. Jelenew makes a bra with an hrm hole to help keep it in place. I upgraded to the FR945 from my 2-series when I got into triathlon because it has openwater and triathlon activity tracking modes and a massive battery life to get me through an IM. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty darn good in open water. Also, Form 2 goggles use a HR sensor on your temple. They work best with an open water GPS-compatible watch for tracking, but the HRM is independent. I just got a pair so too soon for me to give my own review
My Garmin Forerunner 945 has really inaccurate (underreported) heart rate when skiing, especially skate, unless I use a chest strap. I'm not sure if the newer 9x5 models are better. But it does has activities for both.
I had the forerunner 945 for years. Loved it and it suited my lifestyle then. And I had gotten it in a pro deal from my old employer. I switched to the vicoactive 5 I didn’t use a lot of the features included in the forerunner, and it’s more esthetic. I made a few sacrifices but nothing I used enough to really care.
I used to be on an Apple Watch. It's super okay as a smart watch and also for tracking (okay nga din for Multisport, autodetect during transitions). I switched back to Garmin since deal breaker for me yung battery life. I was on an Apple Watch 9 and have to charge at least every day (I didn't let it go below 30% para hindi maabutan na low battery during activities). So I switched to the Instinct 2x since it can charge via solar and the battery life is waaaay longer. It works for my runs, but when I used it for multisport, I didn't read up the instructions. So hindi pala automatic yung pag detect ng transitions. So for sports tracking, yeah it's worth it for me. I also use the Garmin ecosystem with cycling so it's an easy decision for me. I can use my chest HRM with the watch for accuracy and since I use the stuff from the brand. I am unsure which model you're looking at so, I can only say if the smart features are a big deal, I'll stick with Apple. Heck, I miss replying to messages using the watch or even taking calls on it. But, ayun deal breaker lang yung battery life. Even my brother's AWU2, couldn't go head to head with the battery life on my Instinct. Btw old Garmin ko was a Forerunner 945 Music. I got this back in 2020 and initially that was my wife's watch. I used it from 2023-2024 and now my bro-in-law uses it. Parang 4 days nalang battery life niya. Still going solid...
I have a Garmin 945 that's going on 6 years, following a Garmin 910 that still worked when I retired it after 9 years. Right now the battery lasts ~6 days, down from ~2 weeks when I bought it. One button is starting to have intermittent contact issues. On the water front, these are triathlon watches and are designed for swimming. I have replaced each band once, and I use a quick-release leather band for daily wear and a quick-release silicon band for swimming. My next one will probably be either the 955 or 970, once the button gives out.
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