Garmin Forerunner 245 Music

I switched to this watch from an Apple Watch, and haven’t looked back. It does not have as many smart watch functions as the Apple Watch, but it is much better at tracking runs. It does still give text and call alerts, but you cannot answer from the watch. 

The built in run coaching makes training easy. The coaching programs offer 5k, 10k, and half marathon options. I enjoy seeing my estimated recovery time after a workout, and my performance indicator during the workout. Overall, this is a great running watch. I do use it to track cross training activities, but I don’t think it is very accurate for other sports (hiking, weightlifting, yoga). If you are looking for a multi-sport watch this may not be the one for you. 

The watch is compatible with the Garmin Connect app, which is a lot of fun for a numbers nerd. I love seeing my daily health stats, and whether or not my fitness is improving. 

The music upload feature isn’t as useful as I though it would be. It is time consuming to upload music, sometimes it doesn’t store properly, and there is limited storage space. I do not end up using this feature, and could have gone down one step to the regular Forerunner 245. 

I appreciate the size of this watch on my small wrist. It is much more compact than many of the other Garmin watches. This does mean that the battery life is shorter though. I run/hike about 5-6 days a week, and I usually charge my watch every 3-4 days. It charges quickly, so this isn’t a huge problem. I have had it die on almost any hike lasting longer than 8 hours. 

This watch has been extremely durable overall. I have worn it every day for 3 years, and I have put it through a beating (hitting rocks, falling, dropping the watch). There isn’t a single scratch on the face of the watch. I did wear the band out, but I was able to order a replacement on Amazon for about $10. 

Overall, I love this watch for my runs, but eventually I would like to upgrade to a better multi-sport watch.