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Are you in the market looking for running smartwatches that have an excellent value proposition?You do not have that many options in that case.
Most of the watches that are out there in the affordable price segment will either come with gimmicky features or will not have that many features at all.
However, the Garmin Forerunner 45 does not fall in either of those categories.
With that being said, if you found the watch a bit intriguing, you must be looking for a Garmin forerunner 45. Well, you just stumbled upon the perfect source for that.
We are going to provide you an in-depth review of the watch, and alongside that, we will also let you know about the pros and cons of the watch.
Garmin Forerunner 45 Review in 2021
The fitness company Garmin has caught a lot of attention ever since they released the Vivoactive 3.
That watch had a lot to offer for the price tag it had slapped on its body. However, this watch is not a direct successor to that watch.
Instead, it is the successor of the Forerunner 30 and Forerunner 35 that they unveiled prior to this.
The Forerunner lineup is actually the lite version of the smartwatches that they are offering.
Now that you have a general idea about the Forerunner lineup, let us get right into the review of the fitness tracker:
Design
The fitness company Garmin released two different versions of the Forerunner 45. One of them is the standard one, and the other is the 45S.
Just like the name implies, the 45S is the smaller version of the watch. While the standard one has a 42 mm case, the 45S version has a 39 mm case.
Both of them come with the proprietary Garmin buttons, which is the five-button on the sides of the watch.
Unlike the Forerunner 35, both the versions of the 45 features a round body. This round body makes them blend in with the other smartwatches that are in the market.
Latest Guide: Garmin Vivoactive 3 Review
Screen
As the fitness device is very basic in comparison, the display that it comes with does not feature touchscreen navigation.
You will have to rely on the five buttons that it features for all the navigation.
Aside from that, you are getting a 1.04 inches display that has a resolution of 208 x 208.
Thankfully, the display is a color display, which is a massive upgrade over the monochrome display that the Forerunner 35 sports.
The display is adequately bright, and the colors are pretty vibrant. That means you will not have that much of a trouble in the case of reading your stats under direct sunlight.
User Interface
The UI that the Forerunner features is quite similar to the ones that their previous iterations featured.
It has one of the most intuitive interfaces and navigation features. You will have no trouble in the case of navigating through the functions that it offers.
And getting used to the button navigation will not take that much time as well.
Comfort
In comparison, the Forerunner 45 is one of the lightweight running watches that are out there.
It is around 32 to 36 grams in weight, which is mainly for the plastic frame that it comes with.
You will not feel a thing in the case of exercising while having this on your hand.
On the note of having this on your hand, the silicone strap that it comes along feels a bit cheap.
The strap slider is also not that well designed, which leaves the strap flapping around during running.
Apart from that, the comfort that you are going to get while wearing it is quite decent. You will be able to wear it 24/7 without any issues at all.
Features
The number of features that it comes packed in is quite a lot for the money that you are paying.
It comes with all the basics and some advanced ones. The watch is equipped with twelve different activity profiles.
However, the most polished one among them is the running one, which is pretty much expected from a running watch.
Other than that, it also comes with a treadmill, bike, indoor track, cardio, walking, and many other activity profiles.
All of these are customizable with the Garmin Connect app on the phone. However, the watch can only store six at a time because of the limited amount of built-in memory.
Apart from that, it also kept the other fitness factors in check. It comes with a VO2 max sensor that will track your overall progress and allow you to push your limits each day. It will also be able to monitor your sleep, stress level, and heart rate.
Lastly, the device has a built-in GPs that will allow you to save your current location and use it later for navigation purposes.
Battery Life
The battery that it comes with is up to par with the other smartwatches that are in the market.
With the watch being connected to your phone and the GPS turned on, you will be able to get about 13 hours of runtime.
On the other hand, in the regular smartwatch mode, it can last for up to 7 days.
PROS
CONS
Related Guide: Forerunner 230 vs. 630
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 45 waterproof?
Yes, the smartwatch is waterproof to up to 50 meters. However, it is a shame that it does not have any swimming mode built-in.
What are the differences between the Garmin Forerunner 45 and the 45s?
There are not many differences between the 45 and the 45s version of the Forerunner.
Both of them come packed with the same technology and features. The only difference that lies in between them is the size.
While the 45 has a 42 mm case, the 45s has a 39 mm case.
Will I be able to play music on Forerunner 45?
Unfortunately, you will not be able to play music directly on the Forerunner 45. It does not come with any music storage.
However, you will be able to control the music that is playing on your smartphone with the watch.
Does the Garmin Forerunner 45 track calories?
Yes, with the activity tracking apps, you will be able to track the overall calories that you have burnt while doing any sort of activity.
Will I be able to connect the Garmin Forerunner 45 to Spotify?
Yes, you will be able to connect the watch with Spotify.
You will have to utilize the Connect IQ app on your phone for that feature.
Final Verdict
Overall, the Forerunner 45 is an excellent option if you are looking for a running and fitness watch that comes at an affordable price point.
The features that it can offer for the price makes it an absolute bang for every buck.
With that being said, we would like to conclude our Garmin Forerunner 45 guide here by wishing you good luck.