Garmin forerunner
The Forerunner 245 uploads data to the Garmin Connect app we had no issues with it syncing. Heart-rate tracking (number of readings +/- 5 bpm from control) Coros Pace 2: 17 of 32įorerunner 245: Yes (available on Forerunner 245 Music)įorerunner 245: five (two for Forerunner 245 three for Forerunner 245 Music)įorerunner 45: five (two for 42 mm size three for 39 mm size) Median GPS acquisition time Coros Pace 2: 13.2 secondsĭistance tracking (percent off 1.42-mile measured run test) Coros Pace 2: 0.0%
Total weight Coros Pace 2: 1 ounce (nylon strap), 1.23 ounces (silicone strap) How our picks compare Display size Coros Pace 2: 1.2 inches The Forerunner 45 has most (but not all) of the run/activity-tracking and smartwatch features of its more expensive sibling, the Forerunner 245. Its heart-rate monitoring performed serviceably during steady-state efforts but jumped around significantly on run/walk intervals. The Forerunner 45’s median GPS acquisition time (18.9 seconds) was within the bottom half of other models’ GPS acquisition times, but it was speedier than the 245’s and slower (by about 5 seconds) than the Pace 2’s. The Forerunner 45 features activity tracking (including step count and automatic activity detection), but it has fewer activity modes than the Forerunner 245 and no swim tracking. It regularly costs around $100 less than the Forerunner 245 and is priced similarly to the Coros Pace 2 (which we think is a better choice for runners who value GPS performance and running metrics more than smartwatch features). We recommend the Garmin Forerunner 45 for runners who want a simpler watch to track workouts and all-day activity. The Forerunner 245 is available in a version that has onboard music capabilities (typically for about $50 more than the non-music version), which the Pace 2 does not offer. But we experienced several runs with less than a 1% deviation from the control or measured distance. This model’s GPS accuracy was prone to the mercurial ways of GPS signals, tracing routes accurately on some runs and bobbing and weaving on others. The 245’s median GPS acquisition time (44 seconds) was sometimes slower than that of many watches we tested, including our other picks. In our heart-rate tests, the Forerunner 245 performed slightly better than the Pace 2, though it struggled a bit to respond to peaks and valleys during run/walk intervals and steady-state efforts (a separate chest strap can help bolster precision). It uses a quintet of buttons (our other top pick, the Coros Pace 2, has a digital dial and one button), and its interface is easy to navigate. The Forerunner 245 is customizable, from its on-the-run data screens to watch faces. We like the Garmin Forerunner 245 for runners who want a trustworthy, traditional running watch with enhanced smartwatch features (notifications, the ability to sync to a calendar, local weather) that make all-day wear appealing. But if those extras aren’t critical for you, the Pace 2’s run-specific metrics-including power (which can help inform running efficiency and evaluate workout intensity) and a no-fuss function and feel-deliver lots of value. The Pace 2 shows notifications of your choice, but it doesn’t offer other smartphone features, like onboard music capabilities or the ability to sync to your calendar or local weather report. And it offers 15 activity modes, including indoor run and track run (though no trail option, which the Forerunner 245 has), as well as strength, swimming, and triathlon. The watch did a good job of tracking our daily step counts. The Pace 2 stumbled when it came to heart-rate tracking, performing just under the Forerunner 245 and struggling to match our control during periods of run and recovery (to improve accuracy, it can be paired with a heart-rate strap).
Instead of a suite of buttons (like on the Forerunner 245), a digital dial and a separate button steer the Pace 2’s navigation (the dial, used to scroll through menus and data screens, could take a beat to get used to). The robust battery life (20 days in standby mode, 30 hours of continuous GPS) outdoes that of our other top pick, the Garmin Forerunner 245, by days. Its speedy GPS acquisition time (about 13 seconds) launched us into our runs quickly, and its GPS distance and route-tracing precision were largely dependable (though not perfect). The lightest watch we’ve tested so far, the reasonably priced Pace 2 packs a raft of run-specific features to please a variety of runners, from casual joggers to triathletes. If you want a super-lightweight watch with a longer battery life than most-and you don’t care as much about extra smartwatch features-we think the Coros Pace 2 is your best option.