Testing the Garmin Forerunner 245 im (2023)

The $349.99 Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is excellentfitness trackerFor runners who want to improve their performance. As the successor to the Forerunner 235, it packs a ton of new features, including a pulse oximeter sensor, event detection, and Garmin's latest Elevate heart rate monitor, to name a few. With built-in music storage, you can also load up to 500 songs and sync your watch to them.auriculares bluetoothfor a convenient, phone-free workout. Factor in highly accurate fitness metrics and comprehensive performance analytics, and Forerunner 245 Music is a great choice for runners looking to take their skills to the next level.

design and display

The Forerunner 245 has a 42mm case size, which fits any size wrist. At 1.35 ounces, it's super lightweight and comfortable to wear during workouts or in bed. The textured silicone strap gives it a chunky look, but quick-release lugs let you swap it out for any 20mm strap if you want to tone down your aesthetic. The watch is available in three different styles: a white case with a white silicone strap, a black case with a black strap, and an aquamarine case with an aquamarine strap. If you opt for the standard Forerunner 245, which comes without music storage for $50 less, you can choose a black case with a black or red strap.

The 1.2-inch color screen is surrounded by a black polymer frame. It features transflective pixel memory technology, which means it's visible in direct sunlight no matter how bright it is outside. With a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels, content looks crisp and clear.

Since the screen is not touch sensitive, the watch has two buttons on the right and three on the left for navigating menus and apps. The top left button turns on the backlight. Holding it takes you to the controls menu, where you can lock, sync, or turn off the watch. Here you can also access the stopwatch, alarm clock, do not disturb mode, Find My Phone and more. Press the center button once to scroll through widgets, including health stats, workout status, daily metrics, weather and notifications, and more. Touch and hold to view battery life, manage settings, set alarms and clock faces, and view activity history. The button in the bottom left corner cycles through the same widgets as the middle button, but in the opposite direction. Press and hold to access music from your music library.

On the right, the top button starts and stops activities and also acts as a selection control. At the bottom is the button to go back to the previous screen or record a lap during an activity. If you've never worn a Garmin watch, the controls can be a bit difficult to get used to, especially if you're used to touch screens. But with a little time and practice, it becomes much more intuitive.

features and battery life

Under the hood there is an accelerometer, a compass, GPS with the GLONASS and Galileo satellite systems, and an optical heart rate monitor. There is also a pulse ox sensor that measures the oxygen saturation of the blood. Contrary toFitbit VersaLite, it doesn't have an altimeter to track floors climbed or a gyroscope to count laps in the pool. But with a 5ATM water resistance rating, it's safe to wear while showering or swimming.

The watch runs Garmin OS and connects to your phone via the Garmin Connect app, which is compatible with Android and iOS. You can view text messages and app notifications, and accept or reject calls. Android owners can also send quick replies or create custom messages to send directly from the watch.

As mentioned, the watch stores up to 500 songs. To transfer your own music, connect your watch to your computer with the included USB cable and use the Garmin Express app. If you use Spotify or Deezer, you can download the apps from the Garmin Connect IQ Store and sync your playlists. I booted the Forerunner with a pairAirPods, but you can connect it with any bluetooth headset.

In addition to Spotify and Deezer, the 245 is also compatible with other third-party apps, including Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, and Strava. But unlike Apple's watchOS and Google's Wear OS, popular health and fitness apps like Runtastic, Google Fit, Nike+ Run Club, and Map My Run aren't available through the Garmin app store.

The watch is equipped with unique Garmin safety features, including Incident Detection and Assistance, which recognizes when you're struck while biking, running or walking and notifies your emergency contacts who can track your location. There's also LiveTrack, which allows your friends and family to follow your activity in real time. However, since the watch does not have a cellular connection, these features only work if you have your phone with you.

As for battery life, Garmin says the Forerunner 245 should last up to seven days, which is pretty accurate. With continuous heart rate monitoring, nightly sleep tracking, app notifications enabled, and a two-hour workout, the watch still had 16 percent battery on the afternoon of the sixth day I wore it. Although it didn't last the full seven days, I used it a lot more than normal. Still, I didn't have to worry about charging it every night, even after long workouts.

Fitness and precision features

The Forerunner automatically tracks your steps, calories, and heart rate. It also tracks more complex stats, including stress levels and your Body Battery, which calculates your body's energy levels based on factors like activity, sleep, stress, and your VO2 max. For women, the Forerunner also tracks menstrual cycles and fertile windows.

When it comes to workouts, the Forerunner 245 offers 16 different workout modes to choose from: Cardio, Elliptical, Indoor Bike, Indoor Row, Indoor Walk, Outdoor Row, Outdoor Run, Outdoor Bike, Outdoor Walk, Pool Swim, Running, Stepper, Strength. Trail running, treadmill, etc.Yoga. There is also an "Other" category that allows you to keep track of activities not listed.

In training mode, the watch displays statistics such as distance, time, pace, and heart rate. When using GPS, the screen also shows a real-time color map of your route. Once you've finished your workout, you can also see a summary of all your stats and your recovery time. Your workouts also sync to the mobile app where you can view more detailed metrics like speed, time, cadence, elevation, and calories burned. It also discusses the effects of aerobic and anaerobic training.

When it comes to precision, the Forerunner 245 Music excels in every way. During a one-mile walk on the treadmill, the watch recorded 2,331 steps versus 2,321 on a 3DTriMax pedometer, a negligible difference of just 10 steps. For a mile run on the treadmill, the watch recorded 2,151 steps at 2,349 on the pedometer and 1,941 steps for an outdoor run at 1,966 on the pedometer.

To measure the distance, I used a Stryd pedometer in addition to the Forerunner 245. When the clock read a mile while I was walking on the treadmill, the Stryd registered 1.27. The results were closest during a mile run, where the clock was 1.01 miles behind Stryd's 0.96. I also took the Forerunner out for a mile run outside where it stopped for a mile at Stryd's 1.03.

The Forerunner 245's heart rate monitor is also very accurate. i used oneCorrea pectoral Polar H10to compare the results, and during a one-mile walk, the watch registered 126 beats per minute versus the Polar's 128 beats per minute. After running a kilometer, the watch registered 165 beats per minute compared to 163 beats per minute for the H10. Results were just as accurate during a mile run outdoors, where the watch registered 165 bpm compared to 166 bpm for the chest strap.

Additionally, the heart rate monitor identifies heart rate zones during exercise. As your beats per minute increase, the display will indicate whether you are in Warm-up, Easy, Aerobic, Threshold, or Max mode. It also detects abnormal heart rhythms and triggers an alert if your beats per minute are abnormally high after being inactive for ten minutes or more.

Forerunner tracks also sleep well. Every night I recognized exactly when I fell asleep and woke up, even if I lay in bed with my phone for a while or woke up in the middle of the night to turn on the air conditioning. In the app, you can view your Pulse Ox, as well as your sleep stages throughout the night, including deep, light, and REM sleep.

conclusions

If you're a serious runner who trains daily, you can't go wrong with the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music. It offers excellent accuracy, long battery life, and many detailed readings that keep your body in check for peak performance. But without a barometric altimeter, it works best when tracking workouts on level ground. Trail runners or hikers are better off at $449.99musica forerunner 645for more accurate height measurements. If you're looking for a fitness tracker with less data, this is it.Fitbit Versa($199.99) will do. Not only is it cheaper, but your health and fitness tracking is much easier to digest. Or, for more smartwatch features, the $399Apple Series 4 railsit has automatic exercise recognition, the ability to capture EKG readings, and a much richer app ecosystem.