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Garmin Forerunner 945 vs Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Garmin Forerunner 945

Garmin Forerunner 945

137 reviews

View Product Details

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

80 reviews

View Product Details

#1 most mentioned

Reddit · r/garmin

Feature-Rich Sports Watch for Endurance Athletes

Switchback Travel · Best Sports Watches of 2022

#8 most mentioned

Reddit · r/garmin

#10 most mentioned

Reddit · r/smartwatch

#17 most mentioned

Reddit · r/smartwatch

Great features such as music, an oximeter, and improved battery life compared to the 935

Journaling features are fantastic

Can charge it while it's on your wrist

Strap hog with plenty of options for straps

Compatible with other sports and activities

Great battery life

Accurate GPS tracking

Durable and can withstand various activities

User-friendly interface

Comes with various training aids and GPS integration

Not living up to its potential in terms of battery life

GPS accuracy is not reliable when running under trees

High price tag

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 945 is a feature-packed sports watch with a high price tag. It has great features such as music, an oximeter, and improved battery life compared to the 935. However, it does not live up to its potential in terms of battery life and GPS accuracy when running under trees.

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.

Durability

It happened to me and I ended up regretting my purchase big time. Anyone claiming that the FR series is of equal durable to the Fenix series is performing some serious mental gymnastics. Get your hands on both and you'll understand what I mean.

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

Forerunner 935 is better

5 of those were with music) over about 4 days and was down to 14% battery. When new, my 935 would have gotten probably about double that. I don’t know if I got a defective model or something but my commute to and from work via bicycle is about 50 mins each way. Without music, it would drain 8-10% battery

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

I haven’t used a sports watch before, and as well as using it for triathlon-specific training, I’d like to use it for the other sports which I usually partake in (football, tennis, weight training etc), and general day-to-day activities. Looking online, it appears the Garmin Forerunner 945 is my best bet.

Positive

reddit.com/r/triathlon

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.

Connectivity

For a $500 watch, I expected better.

to me. I decided to keep the Marq after experiencing both watches for over a month. First, the most annoying thing for me was the Forerunner often lagged a half second after each press of the buttons. It felt like it wasn’t responding so I would often press the buttons multiple times and then it caught up and jumped menus on me

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

Price

ALMOST as good as it gets... almost...

excellent watch with crummy buttons. If I hadn’t caught it on sale, I think I would’ve regretted the purchase, as I would’ve just gone straight for the 955 (which is current right now). However, if you find this watch for a nice price (like I did), it’s worth it… crummy buttons and all

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

Software Updates

**[Forerunner 945 New

Neutral

reddit.com/r/Garmin

Large and in charge!

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

Fit

I do like it though. I am glad I bought it. It talks to my cell phone which talk to my ear buds which is cool. i like having texts displayed

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.

Comfortability

Like it more than the Fenix 5s Plus

I had the Fenix 5s Plus, returned it and got this. It's much lighter, thinner, and the band is noticeably for comfortable (softer and more stretchy). The Fenix series are just bulky heavy and for some reason the bands are uncomfortable. That means the 945 is more comfortable to sleep with, run with, and wear throughout the day

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

Comfort

The Garmin Coach?

1 and anaerobic effect of 3.5. Translation? It was time to chill. Instead, I decided to go on a short 2

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

Notifications

Good, not eveything I wanted, but most of it

Getting addresses into it should be easy. Instead I'm using a third party app to read notifications for turn by turn directions in Google on my phone. Admittedly not a must have.

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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