Review on Garmin Forerunner 45: Easy-to-Use GPS Running Watch with Free Training Plan Support in Red by Ronald Reese

Update July 18: I started wearing 45's to sleep. That really shows REM. He does not offer an impulse bull. 45s works great with my Scosche Rhythm+ heart rate monitor. As usual with wrist heart rate monitors, I have to lift 45 kilograms higher on my arm and put some strain on them during the workout when swinging my arms. It's easier for me to use Rhythm+ during class because I already have it. The 2.60 firmware update did not fix the notification issue I reported in my original review, but Garmin Support is working on it and will notify me when a fix is released. I really wish there were more strap colors for the 45s. I'm increasing my rating from 4 to 5 stars. This is a great watch! First review: I'm not a runner. I'm a hiker with health issues, so I needed something to track activity, training runs, sleep, etc. I left Fitbit (having had almost every device since the original) as I was fed up with not being able to share your Fitbit data with Apple Health and other health and fitness apps. While Fitbit touts the ability to share data with Withings, One Drop, Cardiogram, and others, it doesn't import data consistently, accurately, or completely. Anyway, the Apple Watch Series 4 didn't work for me since I had to charge it every night. So I started looking for new Garmin devices. I had a Forerunner 235 a few years ago, but it was so big on my small wrist and too overpowered for my needs that I took it with me. I picked up the new Vivosmart 4 and it's a nice little device that tracks steps accurately, but it doesn't have GPS (or even connected GPS). It has awesome sleep tracking with an SpO2 sensor! Then I tried the Forerunner 45s. Unfortunately, it doesn't use an SpO2 sensor, so there's no heart-rate monitor. I've always preferred black or gray watches, so my choice of white or purple (pictured) but actually blue disappointed me. I debated going for the larger 45 but finally settled on the white one. It looks good and the white silicone strap cleans well in warm water and a mild facial cleanser. It has everything I need except for the SpO2 sensor found on the Vivosmart 4, Forerunner 245 and later. I currently wear Vivosmart 4 for sleeping and Forerunner 45 for everyday wear and training. I was hesitant to buy the 45 after reading about connection issues. I had these problems at first too. It was very frustrating to download the firmware update when the watch wouldn't stay connected to my phone. But as soon as I updated the firmware, the watch stayed connected with no issues (iPhone Xs). The problem is with the original firmware, not the clock! The only thing that really bothers me (and that Garmin will probably fix in future updates) is that even if I turn off notifications, I still get ALL the notifications sent to my phone! The 45s has the option to ring or turn off all notifications, calls and texts. Also, notifications should be cleared individually. I can't find the "Delete All" option. I finally got rid of the notifications by removing the notification widget. I really only want to receive calls and messages. I just updated to firmware 2.60 which installed quickly. Let's hope this fixes the notification issue! I went for a walk and the 45s worked great. I just hooked up my Rhythm+ heart rate monitor so I'll try it out on my next outing. I will expand this review as I use 45s.