GarminForerunner 245 GPS Running Smartwatch, with running and training features, Berry Band

I am new to running and have never used a sports watch in the past, so this review will not be a comparison so much as a personal experience with this particular watch.Firstly I will say that I would prefer to have the music version of this watch, however I got this one on sale and I couldn't justify the extra cost. I would say to go for the music version if price is not an issue for you.I was going to purchase this watch after I had already completed my couch to 5k program, however I saw that it was on sale so I bought it very early in to the program. I ended up finishing my c25k program a few weeeks early and that is a hundred percent down to having the feedback on my wrist on how far I'd travelled. Having such a small and accessible device which gives you useful information like your heartrate, your time running, your pace and your distance really helps you to push yourself that extra bit at the end of your run to round off your distance. I also enjoy the mapping features that the phone app offers, it's lovely to go on a jog with your c25k buddy, take a nice picture, then use the garmin app to put your stats over the picture to commemorate hitting the milestones.I love the training programs inbuilt in to the garmin app, they don't just give you a running program, they also tell you useful information about running, fatigue, posture and mindset along the way. I have found this useful as a new runner. This all comes for free with the app (I say this because I jog with someone who uses a fitbit, and they have to subscribe to have access to the content on the fitbit.)I have even been walking more since I got this watch, it gives you a nice summary each day of your exercise, your condition, sleep patterns etc. If you are someone who likes feedback I do think a Garmin watch is a great bit of kit to help you to train up to be a runner.All in all, I really like it. I would not have run my 10k by now had I not gotten my Garmin watch. I would recommend this or something like it to new runners.

I love my Garmin 245, does everything I need it to for running and swimming and don't really need the music because I use Deezer on my phone. Unless you need to know power and have more programmes etc, it's fine for the average runner. I lost mine recently so I got this for a brilliant sale price of £169 (£80 less than first time buying). The moment I'd charged it up, I found the original (still going strong after 2.5 years), so I'll use it as a spare/eventual replacement. The Garmin app with it is great and I find the GPS very accurate, better than my old Fitbit charge. You really don't need a more expensive watch!

Bought this to replace both my Garmin Forerunner 35 (which is a great first running watch, but more basic, and blocky in appearance) and my Fibit Charge 4 (which looks smart, but I find useless for running due to the small text and touch screen).Really pleased with the appearance, and how comfortable it is to wear all day. (I even wear it all night without noticing it, which lets me use the sleep analysis function too.) Loving it for running, as I can easily see all the stats I want, and control everything with good sized buttons.Lots of extra functionality that I’m still learning more about (eg recovery time), but also more basic functions easily visible that the Forerunner 35 seemed to lack (eg viewing and monitoring Heartrate all day, even when not triggering exercise modes).I have it hooked up to my Polaris arm strap to monitor heartrate during exercise, for better accuracy - which was simple to do. It also paired very easily with my Garmin connect phone app using Bluetooth (which links to Strava, showing mapping of runs from the device’s GPS data), and seems to be getting software updates from Garmin directly from Garmin Connect. (Another plus point, as my older Forerunner needed hard wiring to my PC to get software updates.)So far, I’m very impressed by the battery life, which seems far better than either device it’s replacing - despite it monitoring more things.All in all, a great, robust, watch for everyday wear as well as for running/exercising. (And I’m enjoying no longer feeling I have to constantly switch between 2 watches!)

I wanted to wait a couple of days before I commented about the watch. I switched to Garmin after reading the comments. I had a cheap watch before that, which was not accurate at all. This watch is really light, and fits my small wrists so well. I was not sure about the size, but I'm quite happy with it. I couldn't see what it could track before I got this, so want to let you know that it can track your runs, rides, walks, swims, treadmills, indoor tracks, cardio, yoga + you can add your own specifications what to track while you're doing these exercises, it is amazing! And it seems to be accurate! The only thing I couldn't do is setting up a calorie target for everyday. I googled it but haven't found it yet. The battery lasts 5 days, which is really good for a smart watch. It syncs with Strava automatically after you save your exercise. I wish I had gotten it way before as I love exercising and tracking my work outs. A great buy!Edit: I've been using the watch for 11 months, the battery life has shortened significantly. Now it lasts only 3 days! It hasn't even been a year.

I can thoroughly recommend the Garmin Forerunner 245 for long distance running. My brief was a watch that is light weight, small, has a battery life over 6 hours and is easy to read. This watch is light weight only 38.5g, good for a narrow wrist and has a comfortable silicon strap with a secure closure. The battery life is excellent, 24hrs with GPS and one week as a regular watch. The set up is straight forward and I like the use of buttons to change the watch functions. I have worn the watch now for a month and it is really enjoyable to use. The screen is easy to read your time, pace and distance as well as to look at all the data from your run afterwards, like the level of effort you've made, amount of sleep and recovery guidance on the Garmin Connect platform.