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Garmin Forerunner 245 vs Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Garmin Forerunner 245

Garmin Forerunner 245

214 reviews

View Product Details

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

80 reviews

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#3 most mentioned

Reddit · r/garmin

Wirecutter · The 4 Best GPS Running Watches 2021

#8 most mentioned

Reddit · r/garmin

#10 most mentioned

Reddit · r/smartwatch

#17 most mentioned

Reddit · r/smartwatch

Great GPS performance

Music storage and playback

Heart rate sensors that perform well for the most part

Enhanced smartwatch features

Reliable and traditional running watch

Great battery life

Accurate GPS tracking

Durable and can withstand various activities

User-friendly interface

Comes with various training aids and GPS integration

Not ideal for mountain biking, weight training, and rowing

Battery life may be shorter than expected due to certain features

Dead pixels may appear shortly after the warranty runs out

Not ideal for diving despite being water-resistant

Some users have reported issues with the HR sensor

European models may not have American maps

Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 245 is a great choice for runners who want a reliable and traditional running watch with enhanced smartwatch features. It has music storage and playback, GPS performance, and heart rate sensors that perform well for the most part. However, some users have experienced hiccups with mountain biking, weight training, and rowing. Additionally, the battery life may be shorter than expected due to certain features like Pulse Ox draining it faster. Finally, some users have reported dead pixels appearing shortly after the warranty ran out.

Verdict

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is a highly recommended smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts, with great battery life and accurate GPS tracking. The watch is durable and can withstand various activities such as running, hiking, golf, and swimming. The watch's interface is user-friendly, and it comes with various training aids and GPS integration. However, some users have reported issues with the HR sensor and American maps. Overall, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is a great investment for those who prioritize outdoor activities and want a reliable smartwatch.

Reviews by Topic

Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.

Fit

245 v 745 v Venu

The 245 and the 745 likely fit the bill best for your needs. I've got a 245 now and it's a great watch.

Positive

reddit.com/r/Garmin

Great watch overall, but awful process to get the correct one

Can other watches do these things? Probably… but so far I’m enjoying the improved life. I highly recommend a fitness watch generally speaking.

Activity Tracking

youtube

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music // The Fitness Review

Heart rate was also pretty good. You'Ll see some inconsistencies here, but for the most part it was pretty darn close to three other external heart ra...

Positive

From a watch enthusiast perspective, needs improvement

Had it worked, I would have kept the Instinct 2. As mentioned, if you want a gps enabled fitness watch, and don’t care about the shortcomings I’ve mentioned, either of these would work, but I think the real value is the Instinct 2. As it stands, both of these watches left me wondering, “Why not just purchase a handheld Garmin GPS with an inherently larger screen for times when I need Garmin gps features? Or why not buy an Apple Watch for the premier smart watch experience and add the Workoutdoors app to it? Ultimately I put All Trails on my phone, and a regular watch on my wrist.

Durability

some disappointments

I have not dropped, banged or otherwise mistreated this product. It has not been exposed to extreme weather nor conditions but a year and a half into use and this strange dot appeared on(in) the screen and today it just froze , can't turn it off - nothing. For the cost of this watch i expect better.

SEE BOTTOM FOR ONE YEAR UPDATE

Friends, there is still not one scratch on it. Nothing can break it. Everything is still perfect. I am tempted to run over it with my car to see if that would even do anything (although I won't)

Battery Life

Bad battery life

I think it may be that some features, like the Pulse Ox (which is fairly inaccurate), cause the battery to drain faster. Garmin's Connect app encourages you to wear this watch all the time, even when sleeping, to get better fitness data. That's another reason the battery drains so fast. Good thing is that it charges quickly

youtube

Too late for the party? // 2022 Garmin Fenix 6 pro in ... - YouTube

The claim battery life is 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to 36 hours of GPS recording time. You can turn on battery saver mode which will basically...

Positive

Connectivity

However, now I feel like maybe the Garmin FR 245 Music would be a better choice for me. The most basic functions I need are GPS and the ability to download music from Spotify for phone-free runs.

Positive

reddit.com/r/running

youtube

Garmin Fenix 6 Review - YouTube

I think that's a good standard option for most athletes out there. So let's get into the benefits of this watch over others out there. You get built-i...

Positive

Comfort

With smartphones constantly getting larger, What are your current favorite smartphone holder products?

Or honestly you don't even need a watch if you're comfortable running without technology. There is definitely a freedom to running without anything on you.

Positive

reddit.com/r/running

youtube

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Review - YouTube

Now, it comes supplied on this really nice supple strap. That's the first thing. The strap is really nice quality. Nice buckle as well

Negative

Comfortability

The feedback of my Forerunner 245 Music

I don't know if this is just my watch issues. If I don't have to deal with this annoying process turn on and off of my watch every day, I will give five stars for this review. By the way, one thing I want to mention, the Garmin Express is not working well. Every time I use it, I have to plug-in and plug-out the connecting USB cable five to six times to make connect work

Works great when on my left arm, but I prefer it on my Right.

Comfort 10/10 Fit 10/10 Design 10/10 Accuracy 7/10 I would absolutely love to give it a 4.5, but that's just not an option. So I am a left handed person, also I am black, but I am light skin (this will all make sense soon). This was my 2nd fenix device, I mistakenly bought the 6S before not understanding it was for smaller arms/wrists

Price

AMAZON KEEPS SENDING ME SOUTH EAST ASIAN VERSION OF THE WATCH!!!!!!

Really this should be the same price as the vivoactive 3, and serious runners who don't want a touch screen, garmin pay, stairs climbed counting, and want extra running metrics would buy it. Most people still wouldn't. After using it I don't see why its 100 dollars more. Runners pay more money for watches?

Powerhouse Multi-Sport Watch

Got mine here on sale on Amazon for $799.99 (before tax) and couldn't be happier for the value. Cons: The solar is totally a gimmick and not worth the extra price if you can't find this watch on sale. I haven't seen it add 1% battery life yet in full sunlight while driving several hours

Design

INTERFACE: It's very fast and I like the new menu interface a lot. It's almost the exact same as the 945, excluding some Firstbeat analytics. My only annoyance is that it's missing Hotkeys, which I actually used on my other watches. I hope that it's just an oversight and not an intentionally-stripped feature

Excellent watch but a bit reflective

These watches do not have touch screen. The case: the image looks like the bezel is black but it's actually a mat silver and looks better (I think). I'm not a fan of the painted black bezels because they tend to scuff and scrape and look really bad. The silver isn't pronounced and looks more high-end to me

Notifications

Ok, Garmin. I love this watch!

This sends an email to whoever you’ve listed, or all of your connections, with a link to a tracker. I love this as a woman who often goes on runs alone early in the morning or at night. There is also a feature on this watch where if you press a button 3x it sends a text to your emergency contacts and it will also do this if it notices anything unusual (you stop suddenly, etc). Probably my favorite features

Never going back to an Apple Watch

I recently had an Apple Watch for a few years, a Garmin Instinct prior to that. This watch blows them away. The notifications are so clear and easy to read. I actually like the lack of touch screen personally

Software Updates

Happy with Garmin, had some issues with the watch

Also, Garmin customer support has been outstanding! Cons: I’ve had issues with the watch accurately tracking pace, mileage, and VO2 (hence the above interaction with Customer support). Seems like some updates from Garmin Express may have resolved these, but it’s annoying that I have to plug this watch into a computer every couple weeks to check for software updates when I sync it with the Garmin Connect app on my phone multiple times a day. Seems like software updates through the mobile app would be standard functionality…

Large and in charge!

I'm hoping the software issues can be improved with newer firmware, which would really enhance the usability.

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