20 Best Watches For Marathon Training (2023 Updated)

I bought this watch specifically because I wanted a heart rate/foot step tracking watch and it was both highly rated by Consumer Reports and was less than $100. It does those features well. Using the smart phone app, I see that it also tracks my sleep between light and deep sleep which is interesting but it does not track REM sleep for some reason (there’s a spot for it in the app but it is always blank).

I think it would be more intersting to see how my sleep is divided amongst all three but nbd, really, since it was not a feature I was buying for. Also, I don’t currently do any cardio so I don’t use the run/walk feature, but I have noticed that the watch tracks “intensity minutes” whenever my heart rate is elevated above a certain level when working out.

This is interesting to me since it shows that I am above the threshhold throughout my entire workouts. The watch is setup by defualt to adjust your daily step goal based on the prior day. I thought it was a neat feature until the watch kept prompting me to move.

I guess it would be a nice feature if it was something I had been looking for, but I quickly found it annoying and turned it off in the app. The battery has been lasting about a week+. It would probably last longer but I always charge it when it is on its last bar andits usually charged in a few hours.

Don’t lose the charging cord since Garmin uses a proprietary cord and I am guessing that it would be expensive to replace.

Great value for money. Purchased on sale for $129+tax. Simple and easy to use. This watch has all the features I need, plus more. The GPS signal consistently picks up quickly, so no long waits before starting an activity.

There are several different built-in activity types that enable you to more accurately track metrics specific to each activity (e. g. outdoor run, indoor run, walk, bike, cardio). The watch automatically syncs to your smartphone when in Bluetooth range to upload your recent activities so you can view your results on the Garmin Connect app, and/or pair directly with the Strava app.

Be sure to set your preferred Units directly via the Garmin Connect app. The default is Imperial, and even if you switch to Metric on the watch itself, your distance will still revert back to Imperial when you start your activity.

So far, the average battery life, based on twice-daily workouts totaling roughly two hours, seems to be about 7 days. Overall, extremely happy and satisfied with this purchase. Highly recommend this watch.

I’ve had many running watches over the years, including various models of Garmin, Timex, and Suunto. It’s to be expected that each new watch will have improved functionality over its predecessors. However, that improvement usually comes with a hefty price increase.

The COROS Pace 2 has the best functionality I’ve ever experienced, but it’s also far less expensive than comparable current watches. I particularly like the wrist-based heart rate monitor, the first of its kind to provide really me consistent and accurate (as compared to my oximeter) results.

I will never return to chest strap HR monitoring, as the current straps, while they may still be a bit more accurate than the wrist, do not last very long (12 to 18 months), require constant maintenance, and are very expensive to replace.

For me, the POD is maybe not strictly a necessity, but it provides a whole lot more usable information about my form and fitness than I’ve ever had before. I will never run without it again. Even if you consider the POD an unneeded luxury, the total price of Pace 2 and POD is still way below the competitors’ comparable cost.

If that’s not enough, COROS has the best support organization I’ve ever dealt with. Many do not address your issues in any useful way; some don’t reply at all; none (except COROS) will actually admit that something needs to be fixed.

COROS has acknowledged that a) there is a problem with automatically exporting distance in metric units even when you’ve selected English and b) the reporting of power numbers needs to be improved. By the way, if you’re considering wearing the POD in front instead of in back (in order make certain you don’t lose it), don’t do it.

I asked COROS support about doing so. The COROS support guy did some experimenting on his own and also consulted the development team (have you ever gotten such help?). I also did some experiments and we all agree that your data will be completely messed up if you wear the POD in front.

Nothing is perfect. For example, I’d like to be able to export my POD data in. CSV format for easy insertion into my running spreadsheet. COROS doesn’t plan to do that, but they at least told me a way I can accomplish the same thing using.

FIT format. If you’re a world-class runner, you can probably find lots of fault with the Pace 2, particularly in the quality of those exotic power numbers. But if, like me, you’re just a person who loves to run and wants to be the best you can be, I think the Pace 2 might be just right for you.

I love my new Coros Pace 2 watch. So lightweight! and fun to use! I’m a recreational runner, doing 1-2 half-marathons and other fun events each year. I just did a half-marathon last weekend, after using this watch and the resulting data on my training runs.

Especially helpful to me during the training was the continuous monitoring of my mileage and pacing, the updated average/max heart rates during activity, average cadence and stride lengths, performance ratings, my fatigue level and suggested recovery times, my aerobic/anaerobic levels.

all of it helped me train better for this event, and run a PR. The graphs produced on the app are simple to read while providing good helpful information. Also, I usually wear reading glasses, as most things are difficult for me to read without them.

This watch face is easy to read, you can organize the info YOU want to see, in the order you want to see it, so that while you’re running you can take a quick glance down at your watch and the info is all readily available.

No reading glasses needed. And, the watch face is easy to read in direct sunlight with sunglasses on, no glare or weird colors due to the UV protection on your sunglasses. As I said, I’m a recreational runner, without professional guidance or a coach, and I feel like this watch with it’s capabilities helped me progress my running safely, maintaining injury free status while pushing my limits.

It’s easy to use too!! and the battery life is awesome!! I’ve already recommended it to my friends and family.

I love this watch! Purchased it ~14 months ago and have had extensive time for use. Generally lasts me ~1 week before needing a recharge, and that includes about 3 hours of GPS tracking for running. It has a lot of features that are made simple and easy to understand.

Its a great running watch for someone who runs for fitness/hobby and likes the fitness data provided by coros. I purchased the nylon band from Coros’ website and I LOVE it for when I’m working out, as it gives a more snug, but comfortable fit which enhances the heartrate measurement feature.

There’s several different watch faces (I didn’t like the default setting, I found a more minimal one) and the interchangeability of the bands is really nice. My nylon band I only use for running, as it is dirty and yellow at this point (bleach and soap haven’t whitened it), the silicone is easier to clean so I use that one for daily wear.

I highly recommend! Great price relative to other brands/options out there, a lot of bang for your buck.

I work as a nurse and use this watch everyday. I replaced the band with a rubber silicone band I found on Amazon, so it would be easier to clean and sanitize at the end of my shift. This model has spring bars and drilled lugs, so strap changing was easy.

With a 16mm lug width, you might find a very limited selection of strap or bracelet replacement options. If you’re someone who likes to change watch bands, I suggest checking out what is available to you before committing to purchasing this watch.

The minute markers and numerals are very sharp making it easy to reference the time at a glance. It’s pretty accurate losing about a second a week from my observation. I didn’t use a time grapher or anything in that nature to check its accuracy.

Just went off www. time. gov. The calendar date window between the 4 and 5 o’clock position preserves the symmetry of the watch face and its aesthetic. The date is also easily readable. I have a 7. 25 wrist and I think the watch still remains proportional to my wrist.

On my wrist I’m about at the second to the last hole of the stock watch strap. The watch itself in my opinion is not too small nor too big, it’s a perfect size for everyday use. However, it does sit a little higher on wrist but that’s due to the additional space needed to accommodate the tritium tubes.

The tritium does glow well in the dark and can be easily referenced. If you’re used to the Seiko LumiBrite or the Swiss C3 Superluminova, this watch will not glow as bright when compared to them, but it will out glow them throughout the night.

Marc has a great Watch and Learn series on Youtube that explains this. I suggest watching that too prior to purchasing this watch. If you’re looking for a very simple time keeping solution that is robust and accurate, then I would highly recommend this watch.

If you’re looking for a larger version of a field watch, I would look into the fliegers as they have a very similar design concept and purposeful functionality but are relatively bigger such as the Laco’s or even the Islander pilot watches.

If you’re considering an alternate to this Marathon, consider checking out the Hamilton Khaki Field. If tritium is important, then look into the Traser, Bertucci or the Nite watch line up.

Finally I got my Marathon field watch. I love this brand. They make very reliable watches. You can see Marathon watch from mile away on somebody’s wrist. These watches are very unique you can’t mistaken them with other watches.

This General Purpose Hand Winding is my second Marathon watch. I have (medium)GSAR Automatic Military Diver. Both watches are very good. Tritium tubes are very cool, easy to see at night time. I wish this one General Purpose had 100m water resistant.

Beside this I’m very happy with it. Shape of the case is very unique. And of course hand winding makes this watch even cooler. It kind of engages you. You have to remember to wind it. Great watch. Thanks to Marc and all his team for fast and reliable service.

Excellent watch. I was concerned about spending $400 on a “beater” watch, but the second you pull it out of the cardboard box, you immediately see why it is swiss made, even for a quartz watch. The dial, tritium tubes, and the sapphire crystal elevate the watch to a truly swiss level.

It’s very light and comfortable to wear, not to mention very legible. The green is a great color. This is your watch for camping, yard work, playground, and even the pool. Mark and Island Watch are top notch and I love shopping with them.

I bought the watch in a boxing day sale so bought a much better watch than I had originally planned. Excellent display, very clear and the colours are great. Easy to use (although I did have to get used to it as everyone does with new tech).

The features are great and I particularly like the training status feature and the Garmin coach options. The GPS is very accurate and quick to connect unlike my previous (very basic) Garmin model. It’s light weight and attractive on my wrist.

Easy to personalise with different watch faces etc. All in all very pleased with the watch and would definitely recommend it.

I love this watch. I love to run and do 4-5 mile runs daily. It tells me my steps which is nice to know. It tracks my heart rate all day and night, and also tracks my stress levels. I don’t really pay attention to that too much but it’s nice to have the option.

The Forerunner is just streamlined in functionality. Five button; three on left and two on the right side of the face. So its easy to navigate, scroll and go back to ‘time face’. The only thing I miss is the elevation when I go hiking.

It could be there, but I havent been able to find it.

After reading some of the negative reviews posted online, I felt I had to post my own and provide some redemption for Garmin. I have now had the 645 Music for over 4 months, and it has been absolutely fantastic.

First off, battery life is great – I get a minimum of 3-4 days on it while constantly using it for biking/running/swimming (daily) with music use on my running activities. While connecting to Bluetooth headphones for music is likely the most battery consuming feature, it hasn’t failed me.

I have read reviews of other individual’s issues with disconnecting headphones, and I am honestly unsure of what type of quality headphones they have. I have used both Beats Solo 2 wireless and also some Bose wireless headphones, and I have never had it cut out.

Mind you, these are both higher quality headphones, so that may be the underpinning issue. This watch provides a ton of data for both running and cycling. While lacking slightly in the swimming department (does not support open swimming – only lap swimming), it works exceptionally well for people who don’t mind the lack of open swim.

HR monitor seems to be as accurate as you can get for a wrist-based device, and if you’re looking for higher accuracy, it still supports chest HR straps. The device uses Garmin Connect, an app on your phone and computer, to install new applications/data fields/Spotify for music/etc.

I have read some negative reviews about “how difficult” this is. It took me all of 10-15 minutes to setup the watch and Spotify, etc. While I wouldn’t expect an 8 year old child to be able to do this, it should be well within the realm of any capable adult.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone seeking a good reliable fitness tracker with Bluetooth music streaming capability. If you enjoy having to charge your watch every night at bedtime, go buy an Apple watch or Samsung Galaxy watch.

If you prefer to have reliability for days and be able to charge the watch from 5% to 100% in 85 minutes (yes this is measured and accurate), then go with this. You won’t regret it.

I purchased my Garmin 255S about two week ago. The smaller size in gray is perfect for a small-framed person and the gray is nice. Initially in love with many of the sweet features (much faster GPS acquisition, improved sleep info, training guidance, HR based suggestions, etc), that love diminished when the watch started glitching.

At times, the originally blazing fast GPS acquisition takes significantly (seriously, almost 5 minutes) longer from my driveway and steps don’t show up for long periods of time BUT the kicker is heart rate zones.

The reason I use a watch with HR zones is to train effectively. Many of the features are based on those heart rate zones and time spent in them. Unfortunately, after attempting to customize my zones, they are now stuck on seemingly random numbers and cannot be altered (my zone 4 won’t budge from 140-145 bpm).

Garmin is aware of this problem as it appears many purchasers are dealing with the same issue. They are working on it but I’ve been told that it’ll be “a while” before engineers have the problem fixed.

Customer service, always stellar, can’t fix the problem as it seems to be a software issue. This watch has a ton of exceptional features that I expect runners ranging from weekend warriors to locally competitive racers will find very useful… once the software glitches are worked out – which I hope will be soon.

Until that time, its usefulness may be much more limited.

I came to Garmin after being a long-time Fitbit user. The latest Fitbits seem less focused on health and fitness and more on being ‘smart’. I am mostly happy with this model. I actually prefer the buttons to the touch screen – it is more reliable to use for me, between sweating on the summer runs and wearing gloves in the winter.

The GPS, HR and altimetry are very good. The UI is well thought out and a pleasure to use. The selection of watch faces is just enough for me – I strongly prefer the analog look and there is one that is very pleasing.

The only imperfection is that the sleep tracking is not as accurate as the previous fitbits were, mainly in the area of tracking time when I am awake but laying quietly. It consistently underestimates the awake time by up to an hour.

This is puzzling since the sensor suite is the same or better than the old fitbits. I can only guess it is the data analysis algorithms. Fitbit required a subscription to get the accurate analysis. I would be willing to pay for a similar subscription with the Garmin if I could get comparable accuracy.

As it is I have bought an Oura ring to get the sleep tracking accuracy. I’m looking forward to when I can give that up and get back to just one tracker!.

Still working to figure out the product. I’ve had at least 3 previous Forerunners and a bunch of other Garmin products for 20+ years. It appears they fixed the charging cord issues with this version, which is nice to see.

There’s a lot of capabilities that I’m working to figure out. Still, some of the reporting stuff is a pain and not relevant. I did a 5. 2 mile run/walk yesterday and the watch told me it was unproductive.

Pretty lame notification. I think I figured out how to shut off that. Hopefully, I can figure out how to turn on the stuff I want and turn off some of the lame biostatistics and feedback that are really not useful.

My chest heart monitor worked a little, but not very well. The good news is the wrist monitor seems to work great and is accurate. Shaving my wrist helped a lot. The font on the watch face is too small for normal older people that depend on reading glasses.

The run indicators work very well – they are large enough. This review request came from Garmin, I have no idea who Bazaarvoice is and it’s pretty lame that my information may be shared with an entity I do not know.

I can’t submit this review without agreeing to the Bazaarvoice privacy policy.

Great watch for the price. Chose this over Coros Pace 2 for two main reasons. First, it has physical start/stop and lap buttons and it has been extremely helpful for interval training and while running on track (compared to the single scroll button on the coros).

The other is of course, music through spotify (you can also sync local music to spotify and then download it to the watch, so even audiobooks work! No phone needed), which is usful for long runs. One thing I was a bit concerned about was navigation during running on trails, but after doing it many times, I can confidently say that it works great.

I highly recommend downloading Komoot through the ConnectIQ store, the local region is unlocked for free!! but you can also make routes in the Garmin app or through Strava. That being said, now with the release of Garmin 255 (for which no music version exists), the price of this one would likely go a bit lower and it still would be an excellent value for price compared to the more expensive 255 which doesn’t have too many benefits over this.

6 more hours of gps battery life better UI are the major ones in my opinion. Power metrics for Garmin watches around this price are still not there unlike Coros pace 2 (which is also available at a great price here, making it a very viable choice if you don’t mind the lack of physical buttons and the lack of a website to check your training data with a slightly more basic app).

For me, this is 4. 5 stars at the current price and would probably go higher if the price gets dropped more in the near future.

I normally use a Swiss Automatic to tell the time, so a sports watch with its myriad functions was a big change for me. I adapted rapidly. A week or two and I totally embraced it. It’s easy enough to set up and get to know straightaway.

I found the phone app easy and intuitive to use and full of useful information. Watch and app connect sweetly. The watch itself is very customizable so you can really tweek it to your own specific needs.

I use it manly for running, cycling and swimming, but I’ve set up yoga workouts and track long walks as well. It’s a bit hit-and-miss with outdoors swimming, for which I had to create a custom workout, but I find it quite accurate for running & rides.

Connecting to Strava was a breeze. It’s a great little motivator & I found the training programs useful too. I count to beat my 10k and half-marathon times with it. It charges really quickly and looks good on my wrist (not too big or bulky compared to the Swiss Automatic at least).

I liked the bendiness in the silicone strap, easy to wear snug but not tight. Overall, after 2 months, I am very happy.

This watch does a great job of tracking your exercise and providing *detailed* information about it. It’s honestly great if you’re looking for a very outdoors/exercise-oriented watch. Here are the reasons why I’m personally returning it for an Apple Watch: -For the price, I think it should do more and be more accurate overall.

Not just with exercise stuff, but with every other feature it offers -I found the watch and the Garmin app generally kinda buggy, and Garmin doesn’t seem very responsive about fixing these bugs. -The lifestyle measurements (e.

g. sleep tracking, high heartrate warning) were not always accurate. For example: I was awake for well over an hour the other night, but the app said I was awake for 7 minutes. The alarm also started going off a separate time telling me I was experiencing a dangerously high heartrate, but it was sitting on my bedside table and I wasn’t even wearing it -There’s no touchscreen on this, and the physical buttons are hard to intuitively figure out.

The medical assistance alarm was triggered when I naturally hopped off my bike, and I had no idea how to stop it as I randomly pressed any and all of the buttons in a panic -The screen brightness is also really dim because the watch is designed to be viewed outside.

There’s no option on the 245 to increase the brightness, which is useful for when you’re indoors in a dark room, for example -There’s a Garmin store (in addition to the Garmin Connect app that you have to download) where you can install new watchfaces and stuff, but the designs aren’t great and a lot of them you have to pay extra for.

The Garmin Connect app, and the store app, aren’t very intuitive but they do the job. It’s just a pain if you’re an apple user to download yet another 2 apps to your phone I could go on, but generally I’m personally looking for more balance of a lifestyle watch, so this wasn’t the one for me.

GREAT though if you’re looking for something very outdoorsy/workout oriented, without all the bells and whistles of other watches.

I have worn my first 235 24/7 for years and recorded thousands of miles running. Recently took a nasty fall on a tech trail and artfully ensured the watch face met the corner of a rock with my body atop it.

The watch continued to record all data but small pieces of the glass fractured out, compromising its waterproofing. I looked at many newer entries, including Coros Pace2 but my years of data on Garmin Connect kept me with Garmin and the price of this refurbished one simply couldn’t be beaten.

Perhaps those who do many other sports or who dramatically change elevation want or need other features but the 235 has a full range of data reporting and analysis. With about 100 miles on this new refurbished one from HRMUSA on one wrist and my original on the other, they track within 1% of each other.

As for confidence in this company, when I called to ensure the unique Garmin charging cord was included (Yes) the lady suggested that I wait until Tuesday when there would be a two day sale; a twenty dollar discount! I waited and ordered two, one for my son’s birthday.

It is a great watch especially for the price one can get it here now. I bought it refurbished for $99. 99, got an additional discount of 15% and a free delivery. I was thinking about the newer model 245 but for the price, this was an easy decision.

First first. I am an occasional runner. I run cca 2 times a week plus one time a week bicycle. I would not call myself a pro and this is my first GPS watch. BATTERY: The biggest power consumption goes to GPS, Bluetooth, and heart monitor, in that order.

My watch is refurbished yet the battery lasts cca 9-10 hours on GPS as advertised. Bluetooth is really only useful for downloads and when in close proximity to my IPhone. I found that useless most of the time.

I keep Bluetooth off. Watch without Bluetooth, and occasional use of lasts easily 10-14 days. EASY TO SEE: Compare to my IPhone, the display is actually easier to read with more sun. Direct sunlight makes the display the easiest to read which is great for running.

The display is also big enough. EASY TO USE: The navigation is simple enough without any manual. Many screens to choose from by downloading them through an app. Screens and units can be also modified directly on the watch.

Very good. HEART MONITOR. I find it accurate when I tighten my watch while running. Otherwise, it tends to show low (missing beats) CONS: My main wish is that the watch was showing GPS coordinates. Maybe there is a way to see them but I have not worked it out so far.

Glass is not a gorilla glass. It is easier to scratch and the overall look of the watch is plastic, which I don’t really mind.

I’ve owned many Garmin heart rate monitor watches over the years. The Forerunner 235 is much like the 220, which I liked greatly. It is nice to have graphs of location, speed and heart rate together.

The 235 does not use a chest band monitor. I believe the heart rate data is not accurate as I’d like. There will be patches of a workout where no heart rate is recorded. There are completely erratic measurements.

A large spike in the heart rate can pop up at any time during the workout. I have also had it drop 10 or more beats per minute for the later part of the workout. I appreciated the reduced price. It does not make sense to me to pay over $1000 for an exercise watch.

Over the years I’ve seen reviews report that the data recorded from devices only using input from the wrist to be less valid and reliable. I’ve been running for sport and exercise for over 50 years. I do think monitoring workouts using the kind of reports that the Garmin watches provide is useful in maintaining appropriate level of exertion.

I bought this nearly a month ago and I have been very impressed. The many watch faces are a fantastic way to personalize this watch. I compared this to a previous item and it reads in a more accurate manner.

I wish there was an integration for Strength. It’s quite a bother to have to stop and press the pause/go button while working out. Fortunately, on the desktop, you can go and edit/add anything that is missing.

It is tedious work but I’m glad that that is an option. I have not been let down by the battery life, I was worried at first since the watch screen was always visible, regardless of if the back light was on or not.

I’m notoriously bad at charging any electronic I have, finally made it a habit to plug it in when I shower and it’s a fast charge for sure. The Bluetooth connection hasn’t been a letdown. The buttons and how-to are a bit clunky and I would say have somewhat of a learning curve/adjustment.

But once it’s figured out it’s nice to have on a run where I don’t need to take my phone. Once you move away connectivity becomes spotty if you’re not wearing the watch for whatever reason, and it’s expected of most Bluetooth-supported devices.

The widgets are hit-or-miss, that’s all. Overall, I’m really impressed with the features it has, I wish it had more integrations, but that’s personal want for some who regularly does weightlifting.

At first, this watch is great. You can use it underwater, music plays to Bluetooth earphones, I like seeing my texts pop up on the screen, but otherwise it really misses the mark, which sucks considering it’s an expensive device.

First of all, the heart rate monitor is not accurate at all. It often overestimates my heart rate at rest or light activity. When I’m working out hard and my heart is pumping at what I know has to be above 130 bpm, it just farts itself and sticks to around 110-120 bpm.

Doesn’t matter if the watch is snug, lower wrist or higher wrist, it never has an accurate reading. Which is unfortunate considering that was one of the main reasons I bought the watch for. Second of all, the user interface and software on the Garmin Connect app is not user friendly, often inaccurate and leaves something to be desired when compared to software from Fitbit.

Sometimes the watch won’t connect to the app and it requires a whole process to reconnect that can be frustrating. The guides online are also not clear and often unhelpful. This is a great smartwatch if what you’re looking for is basically a wrist extension of your phone, but fitness wise it is way to expensive to be worth it and is a bit of a joke.

Honestly thinking of selling it an upgrading to a newer Fitbit.

Upgraded from the Vivo 3. Considered the Forerunner 745 as well but for the price tag this Forerunner 245 with music was a better price; especially since I can have my music with me. The Vivo 3 had a touch screen, so navigating with the buttons on the ForeRunner took a little bit to get used to.

But the Forerunner 245 with music is easy to navigate. The face front is easy to read in all weather, including bright sunlight. Some claim the watch to be a bit chunky, but I have small wrists and I do not find it any bigger than my old Vivo3.

When connecting to the Garmin Connect app the process was fairly straightforward; however, about a week after adding the Forerunner as a new device, I had to get a new mobile. When syncing the watch for the first time I had some difficulty.

I needed to delete the device and re- install on the app. This isn’t well known so take note. The biggest selling point for me was how long the battery lasts. The Vivo 3 might last 3 days fully charged.

The Forerunner 245 with music 7 days!! The watch gives all the stats I want from a sportwatch, I use this watch mainly for running. And for my everyday watch. Very impressed and very pleased. 5 stars for me.

Purchased pacer pro to replace iwatch for running and workouts and I am not disappointed has many features and stats to help with fitness tracking. GPS tracking work good on outside runs heart rate monitor is good on runs needs to be tight little less responsive on weight training for quick up and down heart rates.

Works great and is comfortable to wear.

If you are looking for a watch to handle full distance 140. 6 triathlons, DO NOT BUY this watch. This watch went from 100% to DEAD in 11:35 during ironman Texas. I bought this watch has an upgrade over my beloved 945, which only used 45% battery for Ironman Florida.

Never had connectivity or battery problems. The LTE however, will just drain excessively. Even sitting on my nightstand it will drain 50% over night. I have to plug it in every night. Unlike the 945 I would plug in once a week.

Connecting to earbuds, iPhone and bike trainer are also an issue. I have a Tacx FLUX (Garmin) trainer, the watch will connect to the trainer and speed/cadence but have issues connecting to the power, so I have to connect manually.

To connect to the earbuds I have to turn the watch off and back on. Getting notifications from my iPhone is hit and miss, prolly receive about 70%. Again, all problems I didnt have with the 945. I worked with support, their answer was to remove any/all apps and turn off as many features as you can, so basically just use to tell time.

Support did swap out the watch but the new one has all the same problems as the previous one.

A great price for a Garmin watch. The 45 is light and not bulky like the older ones. This refurb, however, comes with GPS set to OFF so it relies on pedometer to track distance which may or may not be as accurate.

So make sure you know how to put that setting to auto when doing your exercises. Buttons take. getting used to. There are 5. Some stuff that the app comes with is nonsense, like body energy and stress measurement.

Otherwise as a run tracker, lap counter and all that it’s very nice. Power charging is about every 3 days I find if you actually use the GPS and HR for your runs. I turn that stuff off when done.

I got this back in July of 2021 for Ironman Florida. I have now had enough time to give this a review. TL;DR: This watch has everything you need for a run/bike/triathlon. 1. Look: I got the black version.

It is simple enough to be worn with non-athletic wear, where you don’t look like you’re wearing an astronauts watch, yet still has a sporty look. Not as bulky as some of the other Garmin watches *cough* Fenix so you don’t smash this watch on every door frame and table you pass.

Also, the band is awesome, I barely ever take it off. 2. GPS. It’s spot-on. Not really much to say here besides it tracks perfectly with/without your phone nearby. 3. Battery. Fantastic. Would last for weeks if you didn’t use the GPS/Heart rate function.

I would do 6-8 hours of GPS workouts every week and it would still last me the better part of 2 weeks before I needed to charge it again. I wore it the whole time I did an Ironman (16 hours of GPS, I know, I’m ashamed) and I still had 33% left.

4. Bike/Swim/Run. The bike feature is “good enough”. If you’re not trying to use a bike computer to get your watts and detailed info, this will suffice to tell you your heart rate, speed, and distance, which is good enough for most.

The swim feature is also “good enough”, it really only works in a pool. You’re going to have to get another app to do any sort of open water swim with any accuracy, but it’s “good enough” for training.

Run: GPS is spot on, pacing is helpful, heartrate is spot on. It was built for running (hence the name) Basically, if you’re looking to do something like a Marathon, Triathlon, and don’t want to spend $600 on a watch.

I would highly recommend this.

2 Week Review: I got this watch as I was looking to upgrade from my old 230 (which is still going strong). Overall very happy with this watch. Does everything that I need it to do, tracks my steps, runs, and bike rides.

I greatly apprechiate the Garmin coach feature (for no extra charge I have pre-planned training runs). I was originally worried about the look of the watch and feel as it is one of the cheaper end watches from Garmin, but once I had it in hand it was completely fine in the black color.

Looks similar to other offerings at a much higher price point. Thus far the 2 week battery life is a valid claim and I have not had to charge yet. The only negatives is that the sleep tracking is still a bit off at times, and I wish the buttons were more metal like the 245 music but for this price point it exceeds my expectations.

It has a ton of extra features like alerting you when your HR goes too high or low, stress evaluation, body battery and much more. I have had a few Fitbits (all had issues), and I do not want to charge an Apple Watch every day, so I am glad I stuck with Garmin.

I had the 945 for two years and whilst it’s a great watch I prefer the 745 for a couple reasons. First of all the battery is smaller so less EMF on my wrist 24/7. Maps on 945 were cool but I usually run the same routes once I find a good route and if I wanna explore the breadcrumb course sent from my phone to my 745 is easy to follow.

I love the watch exclusive watch face of the 745. It displays training load with a meter indicating whether you’re under or over. Way better than counting steps as it reflects you’re weekly training.

The watch is also a little smaller than the 945 which feels more comfortable to sleep with and wear. Feels like nothing on my wrist running. The GPS is also slightly more accurate. I love this watch.

I’ve been using this over 6 weeks everyday. I mainly use it for a lot of open water and pool swimming, as well as cycling. I absolutely love it. Having spent most of my life competitively swimming, I was very cautious about getting a sports watch, but I wanted a watch with great GPS accuracy for open water swimming, which wouldn’t interfere with my stroke (if this is possible) – the 745 fits that profile.

I like having an idea of my HR without having to wear a body strap and enjoy reviewing the intervals of pool sets after the session. I also like that now I can receive notifications when I am swimming, on the rare occasions, in the past I would have needed to miss the pool session altogether – although don’t be fooled into thinking you will necessarily feel the watch vibrate as you go up and down – you only really see them at rest intervals.

However, I’ve learnt that I have to keep the watch on airplane mode all the time, except when I do sporting activities, otherwise the battery is pretty pathetic. This is might only real disappointment with this watch.

I have got Garmin Forerunner 745 for less than a month now and I have loved it so much because of it’s good quality, high accuracy and resistance. All these functions to keep tracking of your body, monitoring feature are best of the best.

The only thing I have to complain about is about Chinese language support for notification message. I am living in US but I have connections with people in my hometown and receive message in Chinese on daily basis.

I did lots of research and found that the watch sold in US doesn’t support Chinese language by design while having Chinese version of Garmin Connect in mobile. Would you please consider the requirements of customers like me.

I bought this watch last year to use during my runs mostly, and for that purpose it’s great –> It has a lot of good settings and is easy to navigate with. However i you want a watch that you can use for other sports like swimming, strength training or biking, you should look somewhere else.

It does not take puls when you swim (it does support laps etc for pool swimming though) neither does it support any puls band that you can pair it with for swimming either. On bike it’s not always calculating the correct distances, also does not take your puls always.

The strength training setting is awful and won’t take your puls if you hold weights in your hands so after a 1-2h hard/heavy strength workout garmin will tell you that you haven’t done any training basically and goes like: hey you can work out again soon! and decreases your workload.

It’s not helpful. would actually not recommend to boy this watch :D.

It’s the version without music, which does not sell as much, but it’s 50 € cheaper and it’s perfect for those of us who listen to streaming music; So we do not have to pay for a feature we do not use.

The battery lasts 3 or 4 days connected 24h by bluetooth, with the heart rate monitor, receiving notifications, consulting it, with backlight, using time and training every day. The bracelet that comes standard is a little flexible, which goes well to fit comfortably to the wrist, but now in summer with the heat to some it causes a bit of stinging if we wear it day and night.

The only negative is that the optical heart rate monitor, despite being one of the best, is very delicate, because if it goes too tight it obviously does not mark well, and if it goes too tight it does not mark the pulsations well either.

It is a bit delayed (you start a series of training and it shows you that you have raised heartbeats at 20 seconds or so). Therefore it is necessary to find the point of tightening-loosening the wrist strap, so that we can mark the pulsations well.

It is clear that if you want accuracy and reliability: chest heart rate monitor, despite its contras to the optical.

I previously used the Garmin 235 and liked it (due to simplicity) for running + cardio, but the heart rate monitor was never consistently accurate. The 645 is very nice and seems better made for sure.

The heart rate monitor over the first week of use seems very accurate and consistent, which is great. I am still learning about all of the bells and whistles on the watch, and customizing it for what I’d like to see.

It’s a big upgrade and I’m sure once I get used to it and get it set up for my needs, I’ll appreciate it even more. I like that the watch face can be customized and change (colors, analog / digital, settings) for some variation.

The 645 is also a nice size for me compared to other fitness watches, as it’s a bit smaller for my petite frame. The metal band is a nice touch in making this watch look a bit more “everyday” than all gym / running all the time too.

I have had this watch for a month and have ran more than 100 miles with it. The watch is very light and comfortable. The heart rate monitor strap is also very comfortable and does not move at all during my runs.

As far as heart rate accuracy, I think it is very accurate. I have had other heart rate monitor straps from another manufacturer, and the HR has at times suddenly displayed a heart beat value that made no sense, which resulted with my applying a gel on the strap before I exercise instead of just water that I use with the strap for the 630.

In addition, I love that the 630 can monitor my requested heart rate, pace, and cadence zones at the same time during my runs. I have not been able to do this with the other heart rate monitors I’ve had.

Also, Garmin Connect contains all of the information necessary for me to understand the progress I’m making or losing with my running. It is also very convenient that the app can automatically sends my calories burned information to myfitnesspal.

com too. Lastly, I like how this is pure running watch. I don’t need or want features related to swimming or other sports like many other sport watches have. Oh, and I don’t miss the optical heart rate sensor.

To me that would be a distraction in my life. I only want to study my heart rate when I exercise. Lastly, to get the running dynamic information, that I feel is very valuable information, I need to where the heart rate monitor strap anyway.

I love Garmin products. Unfortunately I upgraded to the forerunner 630. The watch worked great for the first week or so. That’s when things went south. Once a week this watch will freeze and lose all of its data.

Also there are times it takes 5 minutes to get a satellite lock for a GPS run. Last but not least, my HRM RUN does not work with this forerunner. It’s off by at least 20 beats per minute. Naturally I bought this watch thinking I would be able to use it as a tool for better running with all the advanced dynamics, but with the heart rate monitor not working, i cannot get those dynamics.

And I’ve received new and refurbished watches from garmin to replace the defective ones and I still get the same problem. Garmin has refused to refund me which is unfortunate because they used to be understanding.

First thing first, the 630 locks to gps significantly faster than the 220 that I replaced. The touch screen is definitely something you either hate or love. I am still in the hate phase. Mainly because it’s the middle of the winter here, so hard to operate the watch with think gloves or mittens.

More data than you can handle. It’s good to have all the biomechanics data while paired with the HRM. However an average runner wouldn’t know what to do with these data. So this is definitely not a watch for avg casual runners.

Finally I do like the notification feature while sync to the phone, so you don’t always need to dig for your phone everytime it buzz. Over all, it’s a great value for the cost. I will recommend it to any advance runners that understand biomechanics of running and how to use the data to improve.

The unboxing experience was amazing. The built quality of the watch is incredible. Seriously it’s a really great looking watch and it’s confortable to wear. I’m very disapointed that yet they don’t have a walk mode.

Sport mode are very limited, and the data field you can add in the watch are also limited when comparing to any serious Garmin Watch. Also Coros is dependent to it’s app. You need the app to edit a lot of thing in the watch.

I love the fact that the watch can be wear upside down. I also love the fact that it got a sapphire crystal screen. But still at that price, I would get a Garmin Fenix, It will give more for about the same money.

COROS recently updated their firmware, and secretly changed how calories are calculated. This was a major change for me. There was no notification of change in the notes availble before updating firmware.

My device has essentially become no more than a very expensive watch for me, and has lost the majority of feature set I valued. I previously loved the device and the company, highly reccomending often.

I will not reccomend or purchase another device from COROS at this point. I feel upset and disenchanted with the company’s decision to drastically change the product, completely upend my user experience, and not provide any communication about the change until after the fact, with no ability to go back.

Disclaimer: I am a “daily workouts to stay fit” mid 30s female. I am not a serious athlete and bought refurbished to save some pennies. The watch is super easy to use and find your way around both the watch and the app.

It has such good features including sleep tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, heart rate, steps and all the usual Loads of workouts types to add and you can custom your own if they aren’t preloaded. So far, the battery has lasted 3 days with workouts tracked every day.

GPS seems accurate and it syncs with my strava account seemlessly It has an on the larger size watch face, which suits me and my bigger build, but I imagine a daintier arm might find it slightly big! Went snorkelling with it and it stood up well, except for one point where I managed to pause the activity tracking.

Overall I would definitely recommend this watch for anyone who works out in a variety of ways.

Multifunction watch which will suit the sports enthusiast. Most importantly it tracks you run/ride/swim with accuracy. The GPS lock is super quick normally less than 10 seconds. With my older GPS unit it could take sometimes a couple of minutes to lock on to the signal much to the annoyance of my fellow runners etc.

The indoor swimming is accurate, I have checked this by counting lengths and checking times. The indoor swimming pool length can be changed from yards to meters and for difference lengths. The heart rate monitor on the whole again is remarkably accurate for one that is worn on the wrist.

It has occasionally lost the pulse rate – normally when exercising hard and it seems that it can’t cope with a lot of sweat! It won’t measure you pulse when swimming but there is waterproof strap that can be bought.

There is also a heart rate monitor that also gives you extra data when you are running. There are widgets that allow you to communicate with you phone. It doesn’t play music. There are so many features that it can be hard to navigate through the various screens with the five buttons at times.

Even after six months I find it hard at times to find what I want. The battery life is excellent lasts for over a week without a charge if not using gps. When using the gps it still has long battery life.

This is the second device that I have owned, the first one had a charging problem but was very impressed with John Lewis’s no quibble attitude and the second one is fine so far.

Great watch for running and cycling. Many, many options to help with your training plans. The garmin connect app is very useful, and allows you to download new widgets and apps for your watch. I have not even scratched the surface of its features yet.

Not yet used for swimming, though I have read elsewhere that you have to be careful with it underwater. When chosing this I considered the Garmin Fenix 5, Forerunner 45 and Forerunner 245. Although this is an older model than those 3, it has many of the features of the other ones and relatively much cheaper that those newer models.

It also has a multisports mode which is useful if you do the occasional duathlon, triathlon, brick session. The other 2 FR I considered do not have this option. Unless you are looking for a professional triathlon watch, this is a bargain at the price.

Great for an amateur club athlete like myself. For a high end triathlon watch or for someone who runs mountain trails REGULARLY, spend the extra money and buy a FR945, or the Fenix 5. Bought this as a replacement for my tomtom multisports watch, which was a budget watch, and so far I am very happy with it.

Overall, it does what I need it to do — give me my pace and distance. It’s my first GPS watch, and I’ve been on about 5 runs with it. Display is very easy to read and the interface is very straightforward.

Retrospectively, I wish I had gone for a more expensive watch. I would really like to view pace, time, and distance on the same screen — it’s hard to pick two of the three. I currently use distance and lap pace on screen 1, with time and current pace on screen 2.

Wish there was a third screen for average pace. I had connection issues when I first bought the watch. It would connect and sync to my iPhone 6s, but the data/run would not transfer. I called in to customer service after 3 runs but still couldn’t get it to work.

For whatever reason, today’s run did transfer via bluetooth so hopefully it continues to work in the future. I like the band material, and I’m satisfied with the overall aesthetics and construction of the watch.

I just wish it had a bit more to offer, a bit more room for customization, and more display space.

I recently bought a Foreunner 25 to replace my old 405CX. I loved everything about this watch – except that it was really slow to pick up the GPS before a run. There were times when I left it outside for at least 20 minutes before a run and it still hadn’t located the satelite.

I had to resort to my old iphone4 which located it straight away. I did contact Garmin support who were very helpful and gave me a series of things to do (including deleting files and turning it on and off again).

It did resolve it for a short time but I got fed up of doing this so I returned the watch. I was so disappointed as everything else about it was great. I have a small wrist and found it really comfortable to wear – even in bed.

I’m still looking for an alternative.

For the price this GPS watch is good value as it enables speed and distance to be tracked accurately. However, you will always need to allow up to 3 – 5 minutes stood outside before starting your run in order for the watch to log on to the satellites.

Otherwise, it is the perfect watch for your basic running needs.