One of Garmin’s most popular running watches just got an upgrade. The Garmin Forerunner 245 is a step up from the Forerunner 235, bringing improved running metrics, full-color breadcrumb maps, music, and a stylish new design. I’ve been running with the Forerunner 245 to see if these upgrades are as remarkable in real life as they sound on paper, and the short answer is yes — this is yet another well-rounded, though a bit expensive, fitness watch from Garmin. Keep in mind, this is very much a watch for runners and not necessarily the best option for casual athletes — the Fitbit Charge 3 is a much more affordable option for people who don’t need all the bells and whistles, but just want a reliable tracker. Put the Forerunner 235 next to the new Forerunner 245, and you’ll be surprised to know they come from the same family. Garmin did away with with the plastic-y feel and replaced it with a sporty and tough fiber-reinforced polymer casing. It also shrunk down the 245, making it smaller at...

Easy to read screen, maps; Music support, can steam Spotify and Deezer; Helpful notification support; Accurate tracking; Sleek, modern design;

Missing barometric altimeter; No gyroscope; Expensive;

One of Garmin’s most popular running watches just got an upgrade. The Garmin Forerunner 245 is a step up from the Forerunner 235, bringing improved running metrics, full-color breadcrumb maps, music, and a stylish new design. I’ve been running with the Forerunner 245 to see if these upgrades are as remarkable in real life as they sound on paper, and the short answer is yes — this is yet another well-rounded, though a bit expensive, fitness watch from Garmin. Keep in mind, this is very much a watch for runners and not necessarily the best option for casual athletes — the Fitbit Charge 3 is a much more affordable option for people who don’t need all the bells and whistles, but just want a reliable tracker. Put the Forerunner 235 next to the new Forerunner 245, and you’ll be surprised to know they come from the same family. Garmin did away with with the plastic-y feel and replaced it with a sporty and tough fiber-reinforced polymer casing. It also shrunk down the 245, making it smaller at...

Easy to read screen, maps; Music support, can steam Spotify and Deezer; Helpful notification support; Accurate tracking; Sleek, modern design;

Missing barometric altimeter; No gyroscope; Expensive;

Replacing the Forerunner 235, this new running watch features a slick new design, an improved screen, lighter weight, and some of the company’s most advanced sensors for additional tracking features.

Highly accurate fitness tracking and heart monitoring; Long battery life; Onboard music storage

No Garmin Pay; No barometric altimeter or gyroscope.

If you are taking your running more seriously and you can’t stomach paying big money for a top-end Garmin, the Forerunner 245 should offer you all you need and give you a solid smartwatch experience too.

Slimmer and lighter design; New training insights; Easy to use music features

Battery drain with music streaming; Missing altimeter; No Garmin Pay

Larger than average screen, Syncs with music streaming services, Smart notification system, Wrist mounted heart sensor, Water resistant up to 30m

Expensive

Garmin GPS sports watches are now available across the spectrum of athletes, from casual walkers to professional athletes. Earlier today five new wearables were announced and for the past couple of weeks I have been running with the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music.

Lightweight; comfortable design; Vast amount of customization; Long battery life; Affordable price; Spotify and Deezer support

No barometer

There are a few notable omissions from the Forerunner 245. I get the feeling Garmin has left these out purely to encourage people to buy other pricier watches, but the Music variant still offers more than anything else in its price bracket.

Accurate and detailed sports tracking; Music playback and Spotify support; Breadcrumb navigation; 24 hours of GPS battery life

No native support for power meters; No triathlon mode

Garmin’s most popular running watch gets an impressive upgrade

The 245 Music has everything a runner needs and more; Along with accurate GPS and heart rate tracking, you get the ability to set workouts to follow, training plans synced to the watch and analysis of the effect of your workouts.

There is no triathlon or open-water swimming mode on the 245, with Garmin presumably trying to push multisport athletes towards the pricier Forerunner 945 , Fenix 5 Plus and Fenix 6 series; Garmin has not put a barometric altimeter in the watch.

The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music works well for those who need a fitness watch, which will also show all their notifications, etc. This is not for those who want a fancy smartwatch, but rather a dedicated fitness device with more comprehensive tracking than a simple band and one that is rugged enough...

Runners have a lot to be excited about when it comes to Garmin's revamped family of Forerunner smartwatches . Now starting at $199, the Forerunner family contains six devices that should serve all levels of runner-from novice to expert.

Lightweight design with interchangeable bands; Accurate heart-rate monitor and GPS; Great battery life; Free Garmin Coach training plans will help novice runners; Solid in-app menstrual-health tracking; Can connect to Apple Health

Limited advanced running stats in comparison to Forerunner 645 and higher-end devices; No NFC for Garmin Pay; Wi-Fi connectivity only available on the 245 Music; No barometric altimeter