Garmin Forerunner 945
Garmin’s sport watch may take the gold – in terms of both prizes and price.
Putting a premium price tag on a product is a bold move and, to justify it, brands really have to go the extra mile. But for our money – and yours – Garmin’s sports watch, the Forerunner 945, justifies it.
Sure, at an RRP of $999, it’s pricier than a Fitbit but this is a watch that will help you get really fit, not just count steps and track a few light workouts. Built for triathletes, the 945 is suitable for anyone who’s serious about fitness but wants something slim and stylish too.
Probably the Forerunner 945’s most notable upgrade is the increased battery life. Thanks to the new Sony GPS chip and firmware updates, it lasts for 60 hours in UltraTrac mode, which switches off the GPS when not in use. If you want the GPS on all the time, you will get 10 hours out of the battery. Put it in smartwatch mode, with GPS off, and it’s good for up to two weeks.
If you like listening to music while exercising but don’t want to take your phone, the watch’s Spotify support will make your heart skip a beat. You can store up to 1,000 songs (synced playlists or uploaded MP3s) on it. Just connect your running headphones and you’re good to go.
It also boasts full-colour maps, making navigation in both urban and trail environments way easier.
The optical sensors on the back of the watch can detect heart rate and pulse more precisely than before, helping it to track VO2Max metrics even better. More interesting still, the ‘Training Load Focus’ function sorts your recent training history into different categories based on activity structure and intensity – this could be a genuine step forward in training for races.
The watch is compatible with Garmin’s smart heart-rate strap for runners, and its waterproof one for swimmers, and can also pair with Garmin power meters to function as a surprisingly sophisticated, wrist-mounted bike computer.
However, it’s also able to track dozens of activities away from the track, road and pool. It’s great for weight training, interval tracking, treadmill running and anything else you can do at the gym. It really is the ultimate fitness watch with pro features that Apple Watch can’t currently match.