Please stop saying that the details you are showing are boring etc. Your expertise is much appreciated! On RUclips or full written pages. Athletes have a tendency to appreciate details. You have saved me many hours of searching for settings/comparison/... greetings from Belgium and keep up the excellent work!
I just bought the 945 because of your videos and it's my first Garmin watch. I'm in absolutely poor shape and have to monitor everything I do along my pathway to getting better. Couldn't be happier with my decision.
@@upping5 not dead yet! Going through physical therapy and indoor cycling and rowing. Feeling better every week and should be able to walk in the next couple of months (diabetic foot injury). Thanks for asking mate and hope you're well.
@@vincenovoa hey Vince! I love it and use it every day. To be honest, it was pretty expensive when I first got it a year ago because I wasn't doing many sports or anything. But now I use it religiously and it hasn't failed me once. Hope you find a good deal and I highly recommend it.
Ray, from a medical stand point, respiration rate has a far greater value in determining effort, fitness and even wellness at rest than any Pulse oximetry device. I could write paragraphs on this. Great video and product review and you are the best on RUclips for this. I wish they would add sapphire screen option to this range.
Thanks! Indeed - there's a ton of interesting potential there (I was digging through some of the studies yesterday). My challenge is how to make that useful to 99.99% of athletes that purchase the device. In some ways, it's not unlike SPO2, in the right hands/situations, it can be super valuable.
I'm surprised someone hasn't added a respiration rate sensor to HR straps. In theory it should be fairly easy (eg, tension or elongation of the strap as chest expands). And some new fields in the ANT+/BT profiles.
Just picked up the Forerunner 945 bundle. Super excited to see it in action. This video was a great reference and is now more useful that I have one in hand(on arm!)
@@Dcrainmaker should i buy watches from retailer that says NHO it says A newly overhauled (NHO) device is a device that was returned to Garmin to be factory refurbished?? i am just worried about the gps and the sensors will they be accurate or any other defects in the watch its like 100 buxs off the original price that i see most retailer selling it for or $150 buxs which is a lot....right now i see it going on sale from lots for 549 instead of 599....a few selling for 499 and this one was at 459 now increase slightly to $479...i checked amazon price watch and lowest amazon sold it for was 499 and that was last year around november...since then it never gone as low as like 539 but it was sold by retailers and not straight from amazon selling it??? also, do they have counterfeit versions of these watch? i find out for $499 but it says free shipping and it don't even charge you any tax. and new reviews on the seller web page but i google the entire site and they have a location in the US and find lots of reviews with 4 + stars just not review on the 945 watch and one person brought it so far and 2nd time this listing is being put up when i first saw it few days ago it had 11 left so this second time it went up when i check yesterday one person brought it and now there's 10 left...its a deal if its 499 and no tax and free shipping???
Disappointing to hear about the GPS accuracy decrease; loving the music features though. That's probably my favorite new thing on this gen of watches, especially supporting Spotify. Been wanting that for years. 👍
Thank you for the detailed text review! It had all the nerdy info about training load/effect I was looking for. I really like the overhaul of the training effect system. I'm pretty sure that's all software though, just fancier calculations, etc. Don't see why they couldn't have that on the 935, though it might be a little less accurate with the older sensor. All the new bells and whistles are neat, but that's the only thing that I really really want over the 935. :(
Thanks! I actually enjoy shooting the 'X new things' videos, because I can mentally get my head around them. And then they match up to the written reviews well.
Hi Ray, awesome work, thank you and good luck with the blisters on your fingers from writing and preparing all these reviews over the course of a week!
Great review Ray. Nice camera work in the intro. I'd suggest switching to 60 or 120 frames per second then slowing it down to 24 to get an even smoother slide. If your camera doesn't do 4k at 120 then upscale it. It'll still look
So what I hear is: Buy a RED. :) Yeah, it's a bit of a challenge as I max out at 4K/30 on my Nikon. I've been looking at the GH5, so I can go 4K/60 and then slow from there. Though realistically actually on these slider moves I was speeding things up (it's fully automated). I just need to figure out the sweet spot so I don't have to speed/slow down at all, but take the raw footage since it's fully automated anyway.
DC Rainmaker - Skip the GH5 and just wait for the Sony A7S 3 Or Red . . . Definitely Red 😉 I’m guessing you’ll always want to adjust frame rate in post even if it’s automated but 🤷🏻♂️. Keep cranking out all this great content!
Same GPS chip as Suunto... I look forward to seeing if the GPS consistently works better than on Suunto. My friend bought a Suunto 9. Consistently gets roughly 1/10th mile less for organized 5k's and roughly 1/5th mile less for organized 10k's. I am glad that you mentioned that thus far it operates better on the Garmin. I'll keep my Fenix 5x for a while. Lol this bad boy cost me $650. We wont go our separate ways yet. Lol thank you for your videos. Subscribed and liked!
After some time, when I have done activities like runs or walks that are recorded in the watch (and in my garmin account), they always appear as red line on the map and cover the actual map information. This is more than just annoying, it makes the map entirely useless as I just see red lines everywhere and not map any more. I do not see how to hide these red lines. I tried all map settings already. Any advice? To me this dumb behaviour is an entire show stopper.
So wondering - as a mountain biker would you be better off buying this and then just getting a basic head unit for the bike rather than going for the new Edge 530 as the head unit which obviously is only of use while riding but this can track all activities.
I hope Garmin is adding at least the safety features to the 935. Also I hope they figure out a way to get you a training status without a powermeter on the bike.
Finally, Garmin finally closing the loop. Out for your run, listening to your favourite music, both ears blocked with bluetooth headphones. Have your loved one being instantly notified when you are run over whilst you are totally unaware of your surroundings and pay for the hospital invoice right from your brand new watch. What can be better? For me, I am staying with my square faced 920XT and its sturdy charging mechanism. Quite glad that Garmin is no longer tempting me to invest in these expensive 'upgrades'.
The big bezel is a disappointment. I'd get the 245 (currently have the 230), but I like all the exercise metrics, esp those pillboxes. And the maps are nice. If I buy this in the US I'll have US maps if I understood correctly, can I download European maps if I travel there? Price is a bit steep though.
HR readings can be affected by a variety of factors such as position on wrist, density and colour of hair, density of muscle, skin tone, tightness/looseness of band, amount of light in surrounding area, activity being conducted etc. It's just the issues of using a light based WRHM. Every technology for HRM has flaws and factors that can affect the results. This is why particularly they struggle on their own with lots of wrist flexion - generally this is why for high intensity exercises or areas where HR is critical to you - pair the device with a chest strap HRM.
Can you plan and draw a route on Garmin Connect or Strava then import the route into a 945? Will the 945 then show the route on its map. Similar to how Garmin Edge cycling computers work?
This might seem like a silly question, but the wife wants a new tri-oriented watch with a wrist-based heart rate. She wants to upgrade to something with wrist-based HR monitoring. The thing that she mentioned also is a walking mode. The 920XT she uses right now does not have a mode called walking and it's something she is looking for. I told her it's a serious training watch, but she wears it ALL THE TIME and she wants to track her walks before and after training, and active recovery days. Additionally, is there any reason the 745 should NOT be on the table? She doesn't golf nor would she use any of the outdoor activities features of the 945 that is missing on the 745.
Really the first most important part of these watches is GPS accuracy. I'd love to see a test of 910 , 920 ,935 and 945 to see how things have progressed. Also try with 3 945 to see if their is variance with them. The real accuracy problems come when they show you running in the ocean or doing 2min miles. I think the Iconic might be the only one able to look at steps data and say the GPS is wrong. Garmin seems to ignore steps over dodgy GPS. Can you do testing with deliberate bad GPS to try how they handle conditions. A warning of bad GPS would be nice. Also would be good to compare a heap of strava data for a race and see how different watches compare. Cheers and thanks for another top video.
Yup - check out my written reviews for incredible depth on GPS accuracy. I've done a bit of it on RUclips, but it seems people get bored of it quickly. :-/
Yes, the big black bezels are disappointing. Doesn't seem like that on the new 245 - wonder if they are using the same screen, but the case on the 245 is just smaller?
Carry a phone. You dont need a bigger screen unless your blind. It's a watch not s tablet. Nobody wants to carry the extra weight of a bigger screen. That's why I like the 935 so much better than the fenix. So much lighter than that heavy case on the fenix.
I upgraded from a 245 to a 945 and this is the biggest let down. Theres the physical bezel and then another black circle around the actual screen. Theres room for atleast a 30% bigger screen and it looks ridiculous imo
@@jamesgaither8085 yea, but it really depends if you'll take advantage of the additional features. I got used to the larger size within a few days and the improved battery life + garmin golf is great. Overall the 245 is the best bang for the buck, 645 sucks (older components), 945 best if you're willing to spend the extra. Note that new models are rumored to be coming out really soon
Thanks for the great video. Would you still recommend the 945 if you want the topo maps? Or is there any other good Option on the market with a similar price? Is the 945 still up to date and gets updates for long time? I don't want a watch and don't get new updates after a few years of this invest.
Sometimes I forget to start my activity during a workout. It would be nice to be able to go into GC and insert a stop and start time and have Garmin at least record it and give me my basics that would be derived from my ongoing hrm
If you forget to start it during runs/walks/hikes you should be able to go into the settings of your device and effectively enable auto detection after a certain period of time... e.g. if you run for more than 5 minutes start recording.
So there's literally no reason to buy a Fenix 5+ anymore. Better battery life, maps, pulse ox, smaller and lighter... just needs a Sapphire option! Also I regret buying a Fenix 5+ now.
@@LacayoDe I love my 5+ but I wouldn't mind the battery life and smaller form factor of this new 945. I have to carry a power bank along with me for ultra marathons because the Fenix will die in a 15-16 hour effort. The 945 claims to last for 36 hours! That's huge! Plus the other new features look pretty neat!
Ray - awesome work as usual, thanks. Couple of questions you might know.. 1. Is the 945 being offered with sapphire glass and if not is it the same as the 935? 2. Battery life - is it the same as the 935 in workout/smart watch mode (without music)? and 3. the buttons - do they feel exactly the same with less tactile feedback than the fenix 5? I know that some users found them sticky sometimes. Thanks!
If you are worried about the screen you can get very inexpensive glass screen protectors, I have had one on my 935 for a year and you cant even tell it is there. 2 he puts up a graphic during the video that lists the claimed run time for lots of different usage scenarios. It looks to be significantly longer battery life with GPS running than what I get on my 935.
Great video!! Thx. I liked the GPS map feature but I am mainly concerned abut the battery life. Have you done any reviews on Solar Powered GPS watches?
the battery is fine, i ran for four hours straight using gps + bluetooth + spotify and had 20% left With normal 1 hr workouts, I'll prob charge my watch once in 4 days
So I want one that does land navigation ( azimuth, direction,pace, distance) but has the normal functions of a smart watch( notifications, music, etc) is this the fit I'm looking for or is there another that meets my standard. I watched the video and may of missed the land navigation portion
Hey, I follow you a lot for advice on watches so thank you very much. I have just bought the 945 and was wondering if you recommend buying a screen protector for it or not? Thank you!
You just said you are in Colorado, the map on the watch told me otherwise, namely around the corner in de Pilotenstraat in Amsterdam. Or near the Grandcafe Mahler... :P
Not quite. I said "If you go from here, to say, Colorado. Where I'm right now at I think, 6 meters below sea level, and then go to Colorado where it's 5,000ft above sea level..." :)
Hi ! Just bought it and found 3 problems : 1) To choose the best watch faces, I wld like to know the meaning of some icons. Where can I find photos of the icons proposed and their meaning ? 2) At 2'40'', I see you have very nice colorful detailled map on your watch. Mine has only the shape of Hong Kong (where I live) WITHOUT ANY DETAILS, blue (water) around, and that's it ! Do you know why ?? Do I have to specially get some map from somewhere ?? 3) When creating a route, a trail, if it's a loop, no problem but if the trail goes from point A to B, then has to come back to A, the system doesn't work ! The blue line seem to go only 1 way and can't turn back on the same line !! Is there a way ? Tks a lot for yr tips
Hi Ray you put the most insightful videos. Could you please do a Garmin Connect vs Polar Flow review? In terms of data metrics etc. This would give folks an idea as to what platform they want to be on.
On garmin forum many people were not satisfied with gps accuracy of 945....can someone confirm that updates that garmin made, helped and improve gps...
I have a question that only you may be able to answer. Is it possible to setup my watch so that I can run a lap in run mode, stop and do pushups or pull-ups, and have the watch see that I stopped running and switch to workout mode, and then when I start running again it would repeat over and over. I know I can set Auto Pause in running mode. And I know I can set a "Brick" workout (still not entirely sure how that works) where I use the lap button to toggle between workout modes, but if I forget or accidentally hit the button it'll screw up the whole workout. Whereas if GPS could notice when I'm running and when I'm not and automatically switch to a workout mode when I'm not moving that would be awesome.
does the watch face clip off to become my bike computer whilst riding?? I currently have a 735, is there a face on the 735 that will show me pace/speed/time and heartrate all at the same time?? If not, does the 945 offer that?
Did a run test today. Garmin 935 on one wrist and 945 on the other. Sometimes the HR is 25 to 30 beats different. I had the 935 for 2 years and not really trusting the 945. Did I get a lemon.
Wonder if some of those new features will come to the fenix 5 Plus.. 7.1 FW just got released yesterday so need to wait few more months to see if it will happen
Hi, I can't find the answer of this question anywhere could you please help me? Are the training status, the load the Vo2max ecc... of a garmin clock (fenix or forerunner) syncing whit the status, load or Vo2max of a garmin edge (530, 830...)? And i mean not only on the garmin connect app but also on the device itself. Because I both run and cycle, now I have a forerunner 945 and I want to know if it's worth to buy a garmin edge for cycling. Thanks for helping.
Do any of these come with safety warning that listening to music whilst running in the dark means you lose a key sense, so you don't hear traffic or other dangers?
Depends on headphones you use. Bone conduction are the best for running since they don't block your ears so you can still maintain awareness. Also tbh most of this is down to common sense - don't run with your ears blocked anywhere where you are crossing roads and putting yourself at danger and are likely to not look left and right. Personal opinion obviously and not meant to be cruel - just realistic.
First of all, very nice review video. I currently have a Garmin Vivoactive HR but I'm looking to get a new device since I just recently got into Triathlon. Could you please try/compare the Forerunner 945 with the 935 and Fenix 5 in an open water swim to see what the GPS is like while swimming? Thank you and keep up the good work
Does anyone know if you can pick the map set when you buy it? Ex. upgrade from West-EU to full EU? Does, say, West-EU map set mean I get topo map coverage for the full area? Already asked Garmin but they are taking long to reply..
what im wondering is wouldnt the training load focus be different if you are training for a 1 mile race vs a marathon? maybe its just not that specific.
Really want to like it but can't get past the massive waste of space that is the bezel. The 935 was the same and I dunno why the Fenix 5 looks so much better and makes better use of the screen size when they're almost the same.
Agreed, that is one big black bezel .. looks better on the 245, wonder if they are the same screen on both models, but the case of the 245 is just smaller?
Technically speaking these days the FR945 has more features than the Fenix 5 series, mainly due to all the new Physio things outlined here. There are no plans to bring those features to the Fenix 5 Plus series (any variant). So from a 'better' standpoint, the FR945 actually wins. However, looks are a factor to many. Personally, when I'm not testing I'm wearing a FR945, since I like a much lighter watch. But it doesn't look as 'nice' for most people as the Fenix series does.
Just bought the Fenix 5 plus as an upgrade to the Fenix 5. Wondering if they will bring any of these features (software based ones) to the Fenix 5 Plus. Or will there be another Fenix model in the near future?
Yeah I am wondering this also. I bought a Fenix 5 Plus also about a month ago discounted on Amazon and so far we got the Safety features so hopefully more to come!
I wanted to ask: I have the 935 so does a friend of mine! But, in the languages, I have a variety of languages (English, Spanish, French, Russian & several others.) The one from my friend only has English, Malay, and 2 others that I think are Indonesian & other. My friend doesn't speak English, so we were looking to set it up in Spanish. But It doesn't have the option to change it to Spanish. We updated the software version thinking that it may be it, but it wasn't. Her watch still only have those 4 languages, being English the one that we have it set, but really want to check what's going on and why it doesn't have the Spanish option. Any ideas? Also, every time we change the settings from miles to km, it gets changed back again to miles on the first activity carried out. Any ideas on that too?
Please stop saying that the details you are showing are boring etc. Your expertise is much appreciated! On RUclips or full written pages. Athletes have a tendency to appreciate details. You have saved me many hours of searching for settings/comparison/... greetings from Belgium and keep up the excellent work!
I just bought the 945 because of your videos and it's my first Garmin watch. I'm in absolutely poor shape and have to monitor everything I do along my pathway to getting better. Couldn't be happier with my decision.
How you holding up?
@@upping5 not dead yet! Going through physical therapy and indoor cycling and rowing. Feeling better every week and should be able to walk in the next couple of months (diabetic foot injury). Thanks for asking mate and hope you're well.
@@mdtaylor2274 Love to hear that. I hope everything continues forward for you. And yeah, I am doing quite well. Merry Christmas!
Hey Mick how are you doing now with the watch? I'm considering this one now.
@@vincenovoa hey Vince! I love it and use it every day. To be honest, it was pretty expensive when I first got it a year ago because I wasn't doing many sports or anything. But now I use it religiously and it hasn't failed me once. Hope you find a good deal and I highly recommend it.
Ray, from a medical stand point, respiration rate has a far greater value in determining effort, fitness and even wellness at rest than any Pulse oximetry device. I could write paragraphs on this. Great video and product review and you are the best on RUclips for this. I wish they would add sapphire screen option to this range.
Thanks! Indeed - there's a ton of interesting potential there (I was digging through some of the studies yesterday). My challenge is how to make that useful to 99.99% of athletes that purchase the device. In some ways, it's not unlike SPO2, in the right hands/situations, it can be super valuable.
I'm surprised someone hasn't added a respiration rate sensor to HR straps. In theory it should be fairly easy (eg, tension or elongation of the strap as chest expands). And some new fields in the ANT+/BT profiles.
Had this for last 2yrs. Great for iopen water and 🏃♂️. Love it. ❤️
Just picked up the Forerunner 945 bundle. Super excited to see it in action. This video was a great reference and is now more useful that I have one in hand(on arm!)
Thanks!!! Enjoy!
What’s the bundle, what does it include?
I don't need it, but I need it. 😀
Ivan C. T. i dont regret it, thing is badass and exceeds my expectations.
Sam here, i'm a sucker for gadgets like this. Currently i'm selling it to myself
I don't need it, but I bought it and love it. ❤️👈🏼
SUCKA LA MINK
Guys like this post if you want to see a video of 945 vs fenix 5x plus!!! Pleasseeeee this would be a very much needed comparison video
Your comment has aged well...might even do such a video. :)
Yeah im looking for the same
that's exactly what i'm looking for
Running&Cycling DAD I have both watches, the Fenix 5x plus is more accurate
@@Dcrainmaker should i buy watches from retailer that says NHO it says A newly overhauled (NHO) device is a device that was returned to Garmin to be factory refurbished?? i am just worried about the gps and the sensors will they be accurate or any other defects in the watch its like 100 buxs off the original price that i see most retailer selling it for or $150 buxs which is a lot....right now i see it going on sale from lots for 549 instead of 599....a few selling for 499 and this one was at 459 now increase slightly to $479...i checked amazon price watch and lowest amazon sold it for was 499 and that was last year around november...since then it never gone as low as like 539 but it was sold by retailers and not straight from amazon selling it??? also, do they have counterfeit versions of these watch? i find out for $499 but it says free shipping and it don't even charge you any tax. and new reviews on the seller web page but i google the entire site and they have a location in the US and find lots of reviews with 4 + stars just not review on the 945 watch and one person brought it so far and 2nd time this listing is being put up when i first saw it few days ago it had 11 left so this second time it went up when i check yesterday one person brought it and now there's 10 left...its a deal if its 499 and no tax and free shipping???
Just bought my FR935 and loving it. Then the FR945 comes out. Talk about timing hahahaha. Great review Ray. Thanks!
I know that feeling. I also just bough FR935 in end of Mar and then FR945 come out to market
Shouldn't come as a surprise since these watches tend to be renewed every two years or so.
Thank you very much indeed Ray!!!!! Awesome review as always. I have preordered mine already, lets see when does it come??? CAN´T HARDLY WAIT
Thanks!
Disappointing to hear about the GPS accuracy decrease; loving the music features though. That's probably my favorite new thing on this gen of watches, especially supporting Spotify. Been wanting that for years. 👍
Thank you for the detailed text review! It had all the nerdy info about training load/effect I was looking for. I really like the overhaul of the training effect system. I'm pretty sure that's all software though, just fancier calculations, etc. Don't see why they couldn't have that on the 935, though it might be a little less accurate with the older sensor. All the new bells and whistles are neat, but that's the only thing that I really really want over the 935. :(
Loving the x # of things we need to know approach. It helps those of us with previous models. You’re going to hit 1M subscribers in no time!
Great review! Especially the 1:46 Taylor Swift “delicate” moment.
Resp rate and pulse oximetry likely to be used when training at very high altitude to assess vitals
New format is much better than the old for easy video consumption. I still really enjoy your written reviews as well
Thanks! I actually enjoy shooting the 'X new things' videos, because I can mentally get my head around them. And then they match up to the written reviews well.
Love your hands on sessions! Thanks a lot for that!!!
Hi Ray, awesome work, thank you and good luck with the blisters on your fingers from writing and preparing all these reviews over the course of a week!
This week has been insane!
Time to change my perfectly working 920XT
Easy to assemble, good strong materials, feels good, looks good.
And finally screen protection! Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX
Thank you for that great review!
OMG! That is new member of Forerunner!
Your review and this video very detail, thank you very much!
thanks for this great review, Ray.
Can we expect real life battery comparison with 935?
PS. Great video as usual!!!
best Garmin watch reviews
Great review Ray. Nice camera work in the intro. I'd suggest switching to 60 or 120 frames per second then slowing it down to 24 to get an even smoother slide. If your camera doesn't do 4k at 120 then upscale it. It'll still look
So what I hear is: Buy a RED. :)
Yeah, it's a bit of a challenge as I max out at 4K/30 on my Nikon. I've been looking at the GH5, so I can go 4K/60 and then slow from there. Though realistically actually on these slider moves I was speeding things up (it's fully automated). I just need to figure out the sweet spot so I don't have to speed/slow down at all, but take the raw footage since it's fully automated anyway.
DC Rainmaker - Skip the GH5 and just wait for the Sony A7S 3 Or Red . . . Definitely Red 😉 I’m guessing you’ll always want to adjust frame rate in post even if it’s automated but 🤷🏻♂️. Keep cranking out all this great content!
Same GPS chip as Suunto... I look forward to seeing if the GPS consistently works better than on Suunto. My friend bought a Suunto 9. Consistently gets roughly 1/10th mile less for organized 5k's and roughly 1/5th mile less for organized 10k's. I am glad that you mentioned that thus far it operates better on the Garmin. I'll keep my Fenix 5x for a while. Lol this bad boy cost me $650. We wont go our separate ways yet. Lol thank you for your videos. Subscribed and liked!
Jojojjjojjjjjjjjojjoj
After some time, when I have done activities like runs or walks that are recorded in the watch (and in my garmin account), they always appear as red line on the map and cover the actual map information. This is more than just annoying, it makes the map entirely useless as I just see red lines everywhere and not map any more. I do not see how to hide these red lines. I tried all map settings already. Any advice? To me this dumb behaviour is an entire show stopper.
Love this watch. Battery lasts for days and days and days.
So wondering - as a mountain biker would you be better off buying this and then just getting a basic head unit for the bike rather than going for the new Edge 530 as the head unit which obviously is only of use while riding but this can track all activities.
I hope Garmin is adding at least the safety features to the 935.
Also I hope they figure out a way to get you a training status without a powermeter on the bike.
this or the polar vantage v. really tough choice...
This
Is there a difference to the Garmin Fenix 5X+? Would be great to see a size comparison.
Another great video! This beats the Apple iPhone launch back in the early days 🙌
Finally, Garmin finally closing the loop. Out for your run, listening to your favourite music, both ears blocked with bluetooth headphones. Have your loved one being instantly notified when you are run over whilst you are totally unaware of your surroundings and pay for the hospital invoice right from your brand new watch. What can be better? For me, I am staying with my square faced 920XT and its sturdy charging mechanism. Quite glad that Garmin is no longer tempting me to invest in these expensive 'upgrades'.
Aftershokz headphones. Listen to music without plugged up ears. Get with the times people!
BRILLIANT
Can I please import a gpx map into the maps? thank you for a response
The big bezel is a disappointment. I'd get the 245 (currently have the 230), but I like all the exercise metrics, esp those pillboxes. And the maps are nice. If I buy this in the US I'll have US maps if I understood correctly, can I download European maps if I travel there?
Price is a bit steep though.
thanks for the review. had a bad experience with basic HR tracking on the forerunner 35, but i can't imagine shelling out the money for this.
HR readings can be affected by a variety of factors such as position on wrist, density and colour of hair, density of muscle, skin tone, tightness/looseness of band, amount of light in surrounding area, activity being conducted etc.
It's just the issues of using a light based WRHM. Every technology for HRM has flaws and factors that can affect the results.
This is why particularly they struggle on their own with lots of wrist flexion - generally this is why for high intensity exercises or areas where HR is critical to you - pair the device with a chest strap HRM.
Can you plan and draw a route on Garmin Connect or Strava then import the route into a 945? Will the 945 then show the route on its map. Similar to how Garmin Edge cycling computers work?
Thanks for your work now i know that i buy this watch 😁👌
What's the name of the t-shirt your are wearing and where can I get hold of it? Thanks.
What is the charging time? How many hours until full charge?
This might seem like a silly question, but the wife wants a new tri-oriented watch with a wrist-based heart rate. She wants to upgrade to something with wrist-based HR monitoring. The thing that she mentioned also is a walking mode. The 920XT she uses right now does not have a mode called walking and it's something she is looking for. I told her it's a serious training watch, but she wears it ALL THE TIME and she wants to track her walks before and after training, and active recovery days.
Additionally, is there any reason the 745 should NOT be on the table? She doesn't golf nor would she use any of the outdoor activities features of the 945 that is missing on the 745.
Wiggle is already serving the watch. Any idea about Clevertraining delivery??? They just say “early may”. Cheers!!!
Really the first most important part of these watches is GPS accuracy. I'd love to see a test of 910 , 920 ,935 and 945 to see how things have progressed. Also try with 3 945 to see if their is variance with them.
The real accuracy problems come when they show you running in the ocean or doing 2min miles. I think the Iconic might be the only one able to look at steps data and say the GPS is wrong. Garmin seems to ignore steps over dodgy GPS. Can you do testing with deliberate bad GPS to try how they handle conditions. A warning of bad GPS would be nice.
Also would be good to compare a heap of strava data for a race and see how different watches compare.
Cheers and thanks for another top video.
Yup - check out my written reviews for incredible depth on GPS accuracy. I've done a bit of it on RUclips, but it seems people get bored of it quickly. :-/
How can anybody dislike this video???
Does this watch support Apple Music subscription?
Which watch is better now to buy: FR945 or FR255 Music?
What I really will love to se in a new garmin is a bigger screen. The case is big but the display is not.
Yes, the big black bezels are disappointing. Doesn't seem like that on the new 245 - wonder if they are using the same screen, but the case on the 245 is just smaller?
Carry a phone. You dont need a bigger screen unless your blind. It's a watch not s tablet. Nobody wants to carry the extra weight of a bigger screen. That's why I like the 935 so much better than the fenix. So much lighter than that heavy case on the fenix.
I upgraded from a 245 to a 945 and this is the biggest let down. Theres the physical bezel and then another black circle around the actual screen. Theres room for atleast a 30% bigger screen and it looks ridiculous imo
Dr R are you happy you made that upgrade? I’m deciding on upgrading myself from 245.
@@jamesgaither8085 yea, but it really depends if you'll take advantage of the additional features. I got used to the larger size within a few days and the improved battery life + garmin golf is great. Overall the 245 is the best bang for the buck, 645 sucks (older components), 945 best if you're willing to spend the extra. Note that new models are rumored to be coming out really soon
Thanks for the great video.
Would you still recommend the 945 if you want the topo maps? Or is there any other good Option on the market with a similar price? Is the 945 still up to date and gets updates for long time? I don't want a watch and don't get new updates after a few years of this invest.
Can you tell me how to get to the ABC of this 945? Altimeter, Barometer & Compass. Thanks.
Sometimes I forget to start my activity during a workout. It would be nice to be able to go into GC and insert a stop and start time and have Garmin at least record it and give me my basics that would be derived from my ongoing hrm
If you forget to start it during runs/walks/hikes you should be able to go into the settings of your device and effectively enable auto detection after a certain period of time... e.g. if you run for more than 5 minutes start recording.
Might be time to finally update my forerunner 225....
Would this be a good watch for a full IM, with an slow Ironman wearing it?
Hey! How many data fields can you have for an activity on the 945?
So there's literally no reason to buy a Fenix 5+ anymore. Better battery life, maps, pulse ox, smaller and lighter... just needs a Sapphire option! Also I regret buying a Fenix 5+ now.
Chase The Summit the titanium plus sapphire is just so so good
@@LacayoDe I love my 5+ but I wouldn't mind the battery life and smaller form factor of this new 945. I have to carry a power bank along with me for ultra marathons because the Fenix will die in a 15-16 hour effort. The 945 claims to last for 36 hours! That's huge! Plus the other new features look pretty neat!
Chase The Summit if i was running ultras id sell that fenix and get a 945!
@@energeez yup... already did 👍
Chase The Summit how do you like it compared to the fenix
thanks for the video you seem to have missed on the most important issues can you swim in it for over an hour fully waterproof?
Ray - awesome work as usual, thanks. Couple of questions you might know.. 1. Is the 945 being offered with sapphire glass and if not is it the same as the 935? 2. Battery life - is it the same as the 935 in workout/smart watch mode (without music)? and 3. the buttons - do they feel exactly the same with less tactile feedback than the fenix 5? I know that some users found them sticky sometimes. Thanks!
If you are worried about the screen you can get very inexpensive glass screen protectors, I have had one on my 935 for a year and you cant even tell it is there. 2 he puts up a graphic during the video that lists the claimed run time for lots of different usage scenarios. It looks to be significantly longer battery life with GPS running than what I get on my 935.
no saphire, but has gorilla glass. gps mode - 935 - 24 hours, 945 - 36 hours. cant speak about buttons
@@energeez thanks, yeah looks to be the same casing, gorilla screen and poor sticky button design as the 935 just with upgraded internals
Chatlow i dont think 935 is gorilla
Good video. Thanks for talking about the mapping.
Does it only track 4 hours of your pulse ox during your sleep? This is something I encountered in my review of the vivosmart 4
Great video!! Thx. I liked the GPS map feature but I am mainly concerned abut the battery life. Have you done any reviews on Solar Powered GPS watches?
the battery is fine, i ran for four hours straight using gps + bluetooth + spotify and had 20% left
With normal 1 hr workouts, I'll prob charge my watch once in 4 days
So I want one that does land navigation ( azimuth, direction,pace, distance) but has the normal functions of a smart watch( notifications, music, etc) is this the fit I'm looking for or is there another that meets my standard. I watched the video and may of missed the land navigation portion
Can you pair Bluetooth headphones and the included heart rate monitor to the watch and use them at the same time?
Hey, I follow you a lot for advice on watches so thank you very much. I have just bought the 945 and was wondering if you recommend buying a screen protector for it or not? Thank you!
You just said you are in Colorado, the map on the watch told me otherwise, namely around the corner in de Pilotenstraat in Amsterdam. Or near the Grandcafe Mahler... :P
Not quite. I said "If you go from here, to say, Colorado. Where I'm right now at I think, 6 meters below sea level, and then go to Colorado where it's 5,000ft above sea level..." :)
@@Dcrainmaker ah! damn thought i had you there! :)
Hi ! Just bought it and found 3 problems :
1) To choose the best watch faces, I wld like to know the meaning of some icons. Where can I find photos of the icons proposed and their meaning ?
2) At 2'40'', I see you have very nice colorful detailled map on your watch. Mine has only the shape of Hong Kong (where I live) WITHOUT ANY DETAILS, blue (water) around, and that's it ! Do you know why ?? Do I have to specially get some map from somewhere ??
3) When creating a route, a trail, if it's a loop, no problem but if the trail goes from point A to B, then has to come back to A, the system doesn't work ! The blue line seem to go only 1 way and can't turn back on the same line !! Is there a way ?
Tks a lot for yr tips
Maybe a stupid question, but can anyone tell me if Apple Air Pods can be used with these Garmin watches?
Innocent Smith yes you can
Can we use it for regular workouts ?
Hi Ray you put the most insightful videos. Could you please do a Garmin Connect vs Polar Flow review? In terms of data metrics etc. This would give folks an idea as to what platform they want to be on.
If you could get one today would you do the 945 or 255? 945 is only $40 more (sale)
Whats the difference between glonass and galileo gps???
2 different gps systems that are being used world wide ...China has their own one too to compete GLONASS
On garmin forum many people were not satisfied with gps accuracy of 945....can someone confirm that updates that garmin made, helped and improve gps...
6:03 Does it work with Minecraft?
Note that this watch supports maps can you create a route and upload it to the watch?
I have a question that only you may be able to answer. Is it possible to setup my watch so that I can run a lap in run mode, stop and do pushups or pull-ups, and have the watch see that I stopped running and switch to workout mode, and then when I start running again it would repeat over and over. I know I can set Auto Pause in running mode. And I know I can set a "Brick" workout (still not entirely sure how that works) where I use the lap button to toggle between workout modes, but if I forget or accidentally hit the button it'll screw up the whole workout. Whereas if GPS could notice when I'm running and when I'm not and automatically switch to a workout mode when I'm not moving that would be awesome.
does the watch face clip off to become my bike computer whilst riding?? I currently have a 735, is there a face on the 735 that will show me pace/speed/time and heartrate all at the same time?? If not, does the 945 offer that?
Did a run test today. Garmin 935 on one wrist and 945 on the other. Sometimes the HR is 25 to 30 beats different. I had the 935 for 2 years and not really trusting the 945. Did I get a lemon.
Wonder if some of those new features will come to the fenix 5 Plus.. 7.1 FW just got released yesterday so need to wait few more months to see if it will happen
Wow I literally bought the 935 a month ago lol.
So that's what you look like DC Rainmaker
Are you able to start a run with a map and change playlists during the run with out having to end the workout or restart the course?
I have my FR935 still sealed, do I return it and upgrade to FR945 ? Accuracy wise is it the same/ better ?
Return it.
945 features is way better
@@KurogamiNoShanks_3768 yeah I got the 945 eventually, going strong for almost 2 years now.
According to Sony, the new GPS chip set is very low power and works better in harsh environments, like building canyons in NYC or Tokyo.
That's true, I've seen incredibly good results in NYC with it.
DC Rainmaker I need to replace my 935 soon (battery life flagging) so will try around Central Hong Kong, where GPS is terribly inaccurate.
Hi, I can't find the answer of this question anywhere could you please help me?
Are the training status, the load the Vo2max ecc... of a garmin clock (fenix or forerunner) syncing whit the status, load or Vo2max of a garmin edge (530, 830...)?
And i mean not only on the garmin connect app but also on the device itself.
Because I both run and cycle, now I have a forerunner 945 and I want to know if it's worth to buy a garmin edge for cycling.
Thanks for helping.
Do any of these come with safety warning that listening to music whilst running in the dark means you lose a key sense, so you don't hear traffic or other dangers?
Depends on headphones you use. Bone conduction are the best for running since they don't block your ears so you can still maintain awareness. Also tbh most of this is down to common sense - don't run with your ears blocked anywhere where you are crossing roads and putting yourself at danger and are likely to not look left and right.
Personal opinion obviously and not meant to be cruel - just realistic.
Use aftershokz headphones. I can listen to my music and still hear everything around me. Dont plug up your ears and there is no problem!
First of all, very nice review video. I currently have a Garmin Vivoactive HR but I'm looking to get a new device since I just recently got into Triathlon.
Could you please try/compare the Forerunner 945 with the 935 and Fenix 5 in an open water swim to see what the GPS is like while swimming? Thank you and keep up the good work
is the forerunner 955 coming out any soon should we wait on that one?? the price will drop some more if that watch comes out?
Does anyone know if you can pick the map set when you buy it? Ex. upgrade from West-EU to full EU? Does, say, West-EU map set mean I get topo map coverage for the full area?
Already asked Garmin but they are taking long to reply..
zianko yes, or buy in the EU but use in South Africa.
what im wondering is wouldnt the training load focus be different if you are training for a 1 mile race vs a marathon? maybe its just not that specific.
How does FR935 compared to the new watch ??? Besides the music, does the new features really worth buying it in your opinion ?
Totally depends on how much you value them. I was perfectly happy with my FR935 (which was my mainstay) until now.
how's the music bluetooth underwater performance?
Not specific enough. Which River are you in?
Really want to like it but can't get past the massive waste of space that is the bezel. The 935 was the same and I dunno why the Fenix 5 looks so much better and makes better use of the screen size when they're almost the same.
Agreed, that is one big black bezel .. looks better on the 245, wonder if they are the same screen on both models, but the case of the 245 is just smaller?
Ok, I'm either going to buy the Fenix 5x plus or the 945. I still haven't seen which one is better. Any help would be appreciated.
Technically speaking these days the FR945 has more features than the Fenix 5 series, mainly due to all the new Physio things outlined here. There are no plans to bring those features to the Fenix 5 Plus series (any variant). So from a 'better' standpoint, the FR945 actually wins. However, looks are a factor to many. Personally, when I'm not testing I'm wearing a FR945, since I like a much lighter watch. But it doesn't look as 'nice' for most people as the Fenix series does.
Just bought the Fenix 5 plus as an upgrade to the Fenix 5. Wondering if they will bring any of these features (software based ones) to the Fenix 5 Plus. Or will there be another Fenix model in the near future?
Yeah I am wondering this also. I bought a Fenix 5 Plus also about a month ago discounted on Amazon and so far we got the Safety features so hopefully more to come!
well you wont get the extra 6 firstbeat features on the 945 and marq
About the maps-how does the device prompt you to turn? Or do you actually have to constantly read the map?
I returned the original fenix 5 due to poor hr reading is this hr moniter better ?
Does it have Airplane mode to shut down all connectivities?
I wanted to ask: I have the 935 so does a friend of mine! But, in the languages, I have a variety of languages (English, Spanish, French, Russian & several others.) The one from my friend only has English, Malay, and 2 others that I think are Indonesian & other. My friend doesn't speak English, so we were looking to set it up in Spanish. But It doesn't have the option to change it to Spanish. We updated the software version thinking that it may be it, but it wasn't. Her watch still only have those 4 languages, being English the one that we have it set, but really want to check what's going on and why it doesn't have the Spanish option. Any ideas? Also, every time we change the settings from miles to km, it gets changed back again to miles on the first activity carried out. Any ideas on that too?
Thank you very much for this presentation. Could you give a short opinion comparing this to the vantage V? Thanks
Can you use RUclips Music as a streaming software? Love the video
No, unfortunately not. A RUclips limitation per se.