Since forums like this tend to be a place where people complain and post problems with their 945, I’d thought I’d mention some things that the watch does a really good job at:
1. LiveTrack! I absolutely love this feature. I also feel safe when I’m using the the 945 while running at night. Since I work the midnight shift, I often find myself running at very odd hours of the mornings. My wife gets an instant email as to where I am, and of course an alert if there’s an emergency. Outstanding!
2. Pacing- Since my Suunto 9 is still my primary device, my STRYD footpod is still paired with it; and I honestly plan to keep it that way. However the pacing from the 945 is spot on with the STRYD. I don’t know what anyone else’s experience has been, but the Forerunner 945 does a really good job with pacing and mile splits.
3. Wrist heart rate monitoring- like pacing, I’ve NEVER had a device actually track my heart rate from the wrist until I started using the 945. I mean it’s spot on with my chest strap that’s paired to my Suunto 9. I’m honestly blown away by the accuracy of 945’s OHRM. I heard the Suunto 9 Peak has good wrist based heart monitoring, but why buy that when the 945 works so well. Can we expect the same from the 955?????
4. Track mode- If you’re frustrated with your watches inability to capture GPS on a standard track, than you need a Garmin with track mode. It’s really that simple. I know COROS has something similar, but why buy a COROS after reading what I’ve already written above?
5. Zwift compatibility- A lot of people probably don’t care about this one, but this watch works well with Zwift if you’re using the OHRM. I’m not sure I’d use any watch for accurate pacing on a treadmill, but as I’ve already mentioned, the wrist heart rate monitor in the 945 is just as good as a chest strap.
6. Data- There’s so much data that you get from Garmin about your current level of fitness. Unlike other watches I’ve used, I actually sort of trust the data I’ve received from Garmin because it’s somewhat consistent with my knowledge of my current level of fitness. Now I wouldn’t fully trust any sports watch with fitness data, but if there was one, this would be the one.
Finally- size. I normally like big watches like the Suunto 9 Baro. However this watch is not to big or to small. It’s just right. At least for me.
Obviously the 945 has issues but at times they’re out weighed by the positives. I hope anyone considering this watch finds this helpful.
Anyone agree or disagree with anything here? Please share your thoughts.
