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Garmin Forerunner 45 vs Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Garmin Forerunner 45

Garmin Forerunner 45

111 reviews

View Product Details

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

80 reviews

View Product Details

#15 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 for tracking workouts and all-day activity

Accurately records heart rate, step counts, and calories burned

Built-in calendar shows events and planned workouts

Power saving settings to extend battery life

Gamifies progress to make fitness fun

Great battery life

Accurate GPS tracking

Durable and can withstand various activities

User-friendly interface

Comes with various training aids and GPS integration

Not accurate for tracking sleep if you do a lot of weight training activity

Does not have a built-in altimeter

Cannot edit workouts without internet access

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 45 is a great choice for runners who want to track their workouts and all-day activity. It accurately records heart rate, step counts, and calories burned. It also has a built-in calendar that shows events and planned workouts. However, it does not have a built-in altimeter or the ability to edit workouts without internet access. Additionally, it may not be accurate for tracking sleep if you do a lot of weight training activity.

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.

Design

Garmin is top of the heap and I won’t switch for the foreseeable future…they also look good for everyday wear. You’ll never catch me with one of those god-awful looking Apple Watches on my wrist.

Positive

reddit.com/r/running

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

Price

Nice looking, adequate features

I had (actually still have) a Samsung Gear Sport that is almost 3 years old and I've loved it. Buying the Forerunner 45 has made me realize why. The reasons I chose the 45 were 1. The price - I didn't want to spend $300+ again, mostly just on principle

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

Battery Life

I tracked my route on my watch, which worked great but ate the battery. I hadn't adjusted any of the power-saving settings. I will next time, but I wonder if it will affect accuracy. It just gave basic distance speed, etc

Negative

reddit.com/r/Ultralight

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

Activity Tracking

youtube

Garmin Forerunner 45 GPS Running Sportswatch // New Style, New Features!

It comes with some of the most commonly used sport profiles like running outdoors running indoors. On a treadmill, cycling walking a generic cardio pr...

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.

Fit

> If you are primarily looking for a running watch, we recommend that you focus your search on that. If you’re a runner who’s interested in having the Apple ecosystem on your wrist, the Apple Watch will serve you fine, but there are some caveats.

Positive

reddit.com/r/running

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.

Connectivity

youtube

Garmin Forerunner 45 Fitness Sportswatch // In-Depth Review & Tutorial

And then next is your stress level, which takes about thirty Seconds to register and then, if we dive in, we can see your stress level over the last f...

Positive

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

What's your running budget?

Don't bother with fancy socks or anything like that. I wear free race t shirts. I recently indulged in a garmin forerunner 45 watch so nothing top end, before that I just used to record runs on strava on my phone. Don't bother with strava premium or any subscription apps or anything like that

Negative

reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning

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

Is a Garmin watch overkill for casual-ish runners?

I don't think it's overkill at all! Honestly I think it's worth it just for the convenience of being able to easily see your pace/time/distance during your run, alone. I think the Forerunner 45 would be fine for you, but if you think there is a chance that you might want to upgrade in the future, I would just go for the Forerunner 245 now!

Positive

reddit.com/r/running

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

Durability

Accurate tracker for bike rides

But with the forerunner 45, it's made for this and lasts a long time. I have not used it for daily tracking or sleeping as that was not my intent. So far super happy with my purchase. Only reason it's 4 stars is due to my limited use so far

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)

Notifications

Finally a Smaller Forerunner!

It was extremely frustrating downloading the firmware update when the watch wouldn't stay connected to my phone. But once I got the firmware updated, the watch has stayed connected without issue (iPhone Xs). It's the original firmware that's the problem, not the watch! The one thing that does really bug me (and that Garmin will likely fix in future updates) is that even when I turn notifications off, I still get ALL notifications sent to my phone! The 45s has a choice of all notifications, calls and texts, calls or off. Further, notifications have to be cleared individually

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

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