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Moving from Vivoactive 3 - Is 245 worth it?

First question would be I guess, i can't tell if the 245 will track elevation during my runs, am I correct? I feel like this should be on all of their watches.

I'm a fairly new runner. I have completed multiple 1/2 marathons, and would like to start training for some full(s) next year. I trail-run occasionally to break up the road running. I also ride my bike every week or so to get some different exercise and give the knees a break.

My main irritation is that the touchscreen causes me so many unnecessary frustrations, like if it's unusually hot and I sweat a little more, getting on the face, causes unexpected changes, like to my screen, etc.

Just looking for something that won't break the bank but still give me the running data that I need to continue to get better.

0 tmk2 over 4 years ago

3610500 said:
i can't tell if the 245 will track elevation during my runs,

The FR245 doesn't have a barometric altimeter, which means that elevation data will come from GPS. It is important to understand the difference, if elevation is essential for you. Moreover, once uploaded to Garmin Connect, elevation data from the watch's GPS will be replaced by elevation data from a DEM database by default (can be reverted manually, if desired).

0 Former Member over 4 years ago

I've had my FR245 a week after upgrading from a Vivoactive 3 that I'd used for 2.5 years and already prefer it! Tmk2 is correct that there is no barometric altimeter but TBH that hasn't worked properly for me since a firmware update some 18 months ago. Personally I'm happier with the way the FR245 records the elevation.

Outside of that I think it's definitely an upgrade. The screen, although the same size and resolution, uses the space much better. One annoyance of the touchscreen was that I always had to lock it to avoid accidentally activating it but the lock symbol would always block the time if I wanted the light on.

All the other features of the FR245 are much more running focused and give you a much better insight into your performance and trends. The battery life is great - mine is at 25% after 6 days and 3 hours worth of GPS activity. It will also track other activities including cycling.

I would recommend it if your primary activity is running and you want to use the stats to improve. Hope that helps.