Comparison of Garmin Forerunner 745 and 945 sports watches
Garmin
Comparison of Garmin Forerunner 745 and 945 sports watches
Looking to improve your fitness and achieve your athletic goals? Are you in search of a reliable and multifunctional sports watch for runners and triathletes? Look no further than Garmin! The brand offers advanced multisport GPS watches, which will effectively support your daily workouts. Among them is the Forerunner series, but with so many models to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? To make the decision easier, we've done a side-by-side comparison of two popular models - the Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945. Check out their key differences!
Table of contents:
- Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945 - for whom?
- Technical specifications of Garmin Forerunner 745 and 945 - similarities and differences
- Battery life of the Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945
- Activity profiles and sports features of Forerunner watches - similarities
- Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945 - differences in sports features
- Garmin Forerunner sports watches - available variants
- Garmin Forerunner 745 or Forerunner 945 - which one to choose?
Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945 - for whom?
Before we dive into comparing these two models, let's start with a brief overview. The Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945 are both high-end multisport watches designed for running and triathlon enthusiasts. The Forerunner 745 was released in September 2020 as the successor to the entry-level Forerunner 735XT, while the Forerunner 945 is the successor to the Forerunner 935, which was a lighter alternative to the Garmin Fenix 5x Plus series and later the Garmin Fenix 6 PRO.
Garmin designed both the Forerunner 745 and 945 for professional athletes preparing for a competition. That's why both models come with advanced features and personalised multisport activity profiles. In terms of design and activity profiles, both watches are very similar to each other. Check out their similarities and differences below!
Technical specifications of Garmin Forerunner 745 and 945 - similarities and differences
First off, when deciding on a particular sports watch, one should read its specs and check whether it’s comfortable to wear. This matter needs careful consideration. The Forerunner 745 and 945 series differ little in this respect.
- Cases made of glass fibre reinforced polymer;
- Flexible silicone straps;
- Multicoloured, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP), display resolution: 240 x 240 pixels, display size: 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter;
- Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 DX;
- Water rating: 5 ATM;
- Garmin proprietary plug charger.
Both Garmin Forerunner 745 and 945 watches also share features such as:
- Compatible with iPhone® and Android™ smartphones;
- Built-in sensors: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo;
- Wi-Fi® connectivity (for updating apps and downloading music to the watch);
- Bluetooth® and ANT+® connectivity;
- Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor with a pulse oximeter;
- Built-in sensors: barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and thermometer;
- Built-in contactless payment sensor NFC Garmin Pay™.
So, how about the technical specs? The models differ slightly from each other, primarily in terms of their size, weight and available memory. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is a more compact device, measuring 43.8 x 43.8 x 13.3 mm, weighing 47 g and having 4 GB of memory. On the other hand, if you need more internal storage space, the Garmin Forerunner 945 with 16 GB of memory is a good choice. It’s slightly larger - it measures 47 x 47 x 13.7 mm and weighs 50 g.
Battery life of the Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945
For many users, the battery life is a crucial factor in deciding which Garmin Forerunner to choose. This is particularly true for those who are active and require their watch to last throughout their sporting activities. The battery life of the Forerunner 745 and 945 models differ significantly, but the duration of the battery life ultimately depends on the type and intensity of the activities it is used for.
To provide a comparison, the Forerunner 745 has a battery life of up to 7 days in watch mode, 6 hours in GPS mode with music, 16 hours in GPS mode without music, and up to 21 hours in UltraTrac™ mode.
On the other hand, the Forerunner 945 is recommended for runners and triathletes who require an extended battery life during long outdoor workouts. It offers significantly longer battery life, lasting up to 14 days in watch mode, 10 hours in GPS mode with music, 36 hours in GPS mode without music, and up to 60 hours in UltraTrac™ mode.
Activity profiles and sports features of Forerunner watches - similarities
As you surely already know, both the Garmin Forerunner 745 and the Garmin Forerunner 945 will work well for a variety of running and triathlon workouts, as well as in preparation for sports competitions. Both watches are designed to record almost any physical activity.
Garmin Forerunner watches also share similarity in terms of functionality and activity profiles. Thus, both Garmin watches feature:
- Daily phone features: smart notifications, text response with text (Android™ only), music control and storage, pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile;
- Sleep, breathing and hydration monitoring;
- BodyBattery™ energy monitor,
- Activity tracking features: step counter, calories burned, distance travelled, TrueUp™, Move IQ™;
- Features for fitness and gym classes: strength workouts, cardio workouts, gym activity profiles, yoga, pilates;
- HIIT workouts: interval training, advanced workouts, HRM running pace and distance, training effect, training load, etc;
- Running features: running, indoor track running, treadmill running, cross-country running;
- Cycling features: biking, indoor biking, mountain trail biking, compatible with Varia™ radar, speed and cadence sensor support;
- Swimming features: pool swimming, open water swimming, swimrun, pool swim workouts, underwater wrist-based heart rate;
- Outdoor recreation: hiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country classic skiing, stand up paddle boarding, rowing, kayaking;
- PacePro™ technology - route change analysis and pace guidance for control and training efficiency,
- ClimbPro - up-to-date information on the terrain during training: ascents, gradients, distances, heights, descents, etc.
Of course, this isn’t all. Garmin Forerunner 745 and Garmin Forerunner 945 watches offer much more!
Garmin Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 945 - differences in sports features
When comparing the Garmin Forerunner 745 and 945, you'll find that they share many of the same technologies and sports modes. However, there are a few key differences between them. Specifically, the Forerunner 945 boasts some additional features, including golfing features and pre-loaded maps. These include:
- On-screen workout animations;
- Measurement of breathing frequency during exercise, but only with a compatible accessory;
- Pairing with Garmin Golf app;
- Golfing features: preloaded with 43,000 courses worldwide, stroke and distance measurement, digital scorecard, stat tracking, TruSwing™ compatible;
- Preloaded topographical maps, preloaded road and trail maps;
- Downloadable cartography support;
- Outdoor recreation: “Around me” mode and Xero locations;
- Access to Garmin Cycle Map, a map for cyclists with route mapping.
Although the 745 version doesn't offer these modes, it doesn't mean that the Garmin Forerunner 745 can't navigate a pre-planned route from point A to point B. Keep in mind that on the return trip, the device will only display the direction from which we came during the activity, and it will only show it in a straight line. However, there's an option to access this module through various means, such as the Garmin Connect™ app or a GPX file.
Garmin Forerunner sports watches - available variants
It's worth noting the available variants of both Garmin models, as well as what comes included in the set with each sold model.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 offers four colour choices: black, mint, red and white, and is sold in its original packaging with a user manual and a USB charging cable included.
Meanwhile, the Garmin Forerunner 945 has only two variants to choose from. The user can go for:
- The black watch, which comes with the branded packaging, a user manual and a charging and user data sharing cable.
- The Triathlon Bundle in blue, which is perfect for beginners and professional athletes preparing for triathlon competitions. It includes an extra set of bands, HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™ monitors, a quick release kit, a charging and user data sharing cable, a user manual and the original box.
Garmin Forerunner 745 or Forerunner 945 - which one to choose?
To sum up, if you're new to the world of running and triathlon, the Garmin Forerunner 745 watch is an excellent choice. On the other hand, for more advanced athletes who spend long hours training in the gym or outdoors, having a long battery life and easy access to maps is crucial. In this case, the Garmin Forerunner 945 is the recommended choice.
Keep in mind that the choice ultimately depends on your individual preferences and expectations from a sports watch. You can explore the extensive selection of Garmin watches on our website.
Ceasuri Garmin Forerunner
