GarminUnisex-Adult GPS Running Smartwatch, Black, One Size

Bought this watch after watching/reading countless reviews as it's a relatively big purchase at this price point, so wanted to get this right.. Previously I have been using a Galaxy watch active which has been great, but I wanted to take the next step with purchasing a forerunner. Initially was going to go for the 55 but the 245 was reduced in black Friday so went for this. Anyway, on to the watch itself...My first impressions are really positive (only had for 1 week) and I love this watch. Yes, the screen resolution isn't up there with the likes of apple/Samsung, however I didn't buy this watch for that. As a running watch, the display is clear, easy to ready and actually looks great with a traditional LCD display.The watch itself is light, comfortable and the battery life is amazing, really. It's lasted 5 days so far and still have over 60%!!!! Garmin have created a fantastic app (garmin connect) which is super easy to use and is nice to look at. What's really good is that you can see a snapshot of your daily stats (heart rate, stress, body battery) etc on the watch itself, or, you can access the app for a more detailed overview. The daily suggested workouts are a really nice touch and really mix up your running routine which makes it fun to use. What I didn't expect is how good this watch is as a day to day smart watch, as notifications are displayed really clearly and its quick and easy to respond to texts etc. So far, I have no complaints and if you are considering purchasing this watch, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended!!

Firstly I am not a member of any review programme and purchased this with my own cash. I have also waited 6 months to give a review after a decent amount of ownership.I moved from Fitbit to Garmin after a number of years of frustrating Fitbit ownership. Their software and hardware is so buggy. I had the app on both Android and iOS and it was awful. Not to mention devices that wouldn’t connect, GPS totally inaccurate, and numerous product replacements due to them dying and strap failures. In contrast my Garmin software has been completely stable and the device is built like a tank. Literally I have repaired the car whilst wearing my Forerunner 245 (covered it in oil and grease plus bashed about) with not a mark on it! Obviously I washed it down afterwards but it still looked like I had taken it out the box on day one. My Fitbit would have been scratched to pieces had I done the same, I once tapped it against a wooden door frame and it scratched the screen.So my 245 I use mainly for running and as a heart rate device while cycling. I say as a heart rate device because I put it into heart rate broadcast mode while cycling and it pairs with my Garmin Edge 830 bike GPS device (the Edge does the tracking/activity recording). The pairing works without fault every time and the battery lasts well too. I believe it is ANT+ in this mode so may well connect with other devices as a HR receiver.Modes on the 245 are: Run, walk, trail run, bike, breath work, pool swim, cardio, bike indoor, walk indoor, treadmill, row indoor, other, virtual run, track run, indoor track, strength, yoga, pilates, elliptical & stair stepper. You can also make your own activity if it is not one listed by default.The 245 does not have Garmin pay but don’t let that worry you as it is useless in the UK (just like Fitbit pay) with only Santander supporting it. If you really must pay by watch then Apple and Android watches are better for payments.iPhone notifications work brilliantly albeit with iPhone you can’t reply to messages. This is Apples restriction and not Garmin. You can however answer and end calls from the watch. I believe if paired to Android then you get pre defined text responses too. You can see all of a text message on the watch as well as clear the notification from your phone. My diary also syncs nicely to my watch with calendar and system notifications working just as well as texts, and stuff from all other phone apps. You can configure what notifications you receive and also put the watch into ‘do not disturb’ mode.As for health tracking it does loads of stuff: pulse oxygen, heart rate, stress, respiration, body battery, active minutes, sleep and more. They all seem to be pretty accurate with loads of metrics to play around with on the Connect phone app.The battery in the 245 comfortably lasts a week and that is with usually 3 x 5K runs, 1 x 10K run and a four hour bike ride in HR broadcast mode. Compare that to the Apple Watch that barely lasts a day! I never suffer battery anxiety and can easily go away for a few days minus the charging lead.GPS is fantastic and really accurate considering this is a watch. I have also used the Komoot app with it and the arrow direction guidance was very accurate meaning that I did not get lost at all on my run. You can also use the device to save your parking location and navigate back with an arrow. On the subject of finding things if you lose your phone you can make it play a sound at full volume. If your phone is on silent the 245 will show Bluetooth signal strength to guide you to where your phone is hiding. You can also do it in reverse from your phone if you have lost your 245.For offline music storage you need the 245M. The 245 will control playback from your phone only. It works very well with the following features: play/pause, skip forward/back, volume up/down, track title.Other features are available in the Garmin Connect App Store such as Starbucks card, watch faces, compass, data fields etc. There are loads of extra apps, widgets, watch faces and data fields.If you need a Garmin with on screen maps then you will need a Fenix device. If your primary focus is golf you need a Approach device. If you are a swimmer a Swim or Descent model. If you are a cyclist and runner like me then the Forerunner range is excellent.Don’t let the lack of touch screen put you off. It is so easy to use and I don’t miss a touch device at all. There are no accidental screen activations while exercising with this thing (especially in water), but if having a touch screen is important to you then you might like the Venu or Vevoactive range. The screen is backlit (configurable to work when raised, during darkness etc.) and the screen is very clear in full sun. It might not be as pixel perfect as an AMOLED screen but it is very clear, very battery friendly and always on.I could go on about the many features of this watch. I suppose it is important to add that the straps are watch industry standard so any of the correct width will fit (not stuck with Garmin only), it is waterproof to 5ATM, charges with a short proprietary to USB-A cable, and the Garmin standard UK warranty is 2 years from date of purchase.In summary I highly recommend Garmin products especially this Forerunner 245. All the Garmin stuff I have works a treat, is way more stable/accurate than Fitbit, and the battery life blows Apple Watch out of the water.

I had always been the 'sporty' type in my youth, but work and lockdown changed everything. Post-covid recovery was very challenging, and I opted for a Fitbit with a friend so at least we get a friendly competition going. I really liked the group challenges on Fitbit, but even the cheap version only had the fun options with a premium subscription. It all seemed very 'childish' in the art design aspect, and the display was useless. All the straps I bought for it also irritated my wrist after a while, so one day, I just threw it away. But I also didn't want to turn my back on the regular walks, so I did some research after hearing all the good stuff Garmin watches have. The 245 has a decent-sized screen, you can read it in sunlight, good battery life and the promise of a coach to get you off your backside. That was the advert.Boy, did I get this and a lot more. Admittedly, the learning curve to set up the watch was a bit steep. Ultimately, that is my least favourite thing about it. But once you 'get it', it works.I started by signing up for one of the coach-led programmes but quickly found out I was far too unfit. It was a bit of an eye-opener that my fitness age was 64, and I'm nowhere near that yet in real life. After a few days, I decided to follow the 'daily recommendation' generated on my measured fitness level. This started from - what felt like at the time - ridiculously slow walks of 20 minutes or so, slowly building up to very fast-paced hour-long ones. Once I got to that stage, it was a watershed moment. To progress, I had no choice but to jog. Slow as it may seem, it was a jog, not a walk. I continued this at my availability next to work and other commitments.One day, I got a notification that I ran 5K! 5K! I had started the Couch to 5K programme twice and failed to complete it thanks to various injuries acquired through overtraining. With the daily recommendations, it just ... happened. It felt amazing. I built on my daily plans, and while I was not motivated to do a 10K, I started running 2x5Ks in a day in succession and felt terrific.The app gave nice and colourful stats and graphs. If you're even slightly nerdy, you'll enjoy the pace times and your improvement. I never thought I would be contemplating a goal time one day, let alone jogging at all. The most important things on the watch face are the HR zones and the timers. It is great that you can set up your alerts, especially when you train within certain HR zones. The buttons took a little while to get used to, but again, you get used to it, and it's a sturdy build. One year later, it's still going very, very strong. The strap is the same as it was in the box, and I have had no issues with it at all.The battery is good enough.Oh, and you don't have to pay for the app at all. Unlike with the Fitbit, everything else was extra money. The app looks very sleek and grown-up and treats the data it has with the seriousness it deserves for much less money.I also wanted to pay homage to the breathing exercises. These actually helped me a lot when I went through a particularly stressful time in my life and not only calmed me down during the day but helped me go to sleep as well. The downside: it eats the battery, so if I didn't check beforehand, my watch would have drained by the morning. However, it charges very quickly, which is a massive plus.I really love this watch, and after a year's use, it still works as good as new.

Tras un tiempo de usar un Garmin 35, deseaba mayor capacidad de programar los entrenos; ahora estoy explorando este Garmin y utilizandolo para uso diario.. lo recomiendo para entrenos no tan avanzados de un atleta premium..

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The built in step tracker is mostly accurate, but like all smartwatches not perfect. Built in heart rate monitor is super helpful, as well as garmin's body battery for keeping track of energy expenditure. Having Pulse ox built in has saved me a ton of anxiety during the recent wildfire smoke conditions, and on top of all of that it functions very well as an exercise tracker, with options for more than just running and cycling. I even managed to get an app for rock climbing. My only slight complaint is the piece that holds the excess strap to the watch tears easily which can cause the watch to fall off. This has led to me having to replace my watch once, but replacements of that piece can be found for cheap as well.

Muy buen Garmin, tiene todo lo indispensable, es para correr pero tiene un sinfín de actividades incluidas golf en nivel básico. Resistentes al agua , se puede escuchar música y descargar tu música en el Garmin

The media could not be loaded. La batería no le dura una semana, dura un poco menos y con GPS lo he usado por 5 horas sin problema y aun le queda batería, tiene muchísimas funciones, aun estoy tratando de entender, se conecta bien con los audífonos para escuchar la música guardada en el dispositivo