Review on Garmin Forerunner 245 Berry: Advanced Dynamics GPS Running Smartwatch by Dominic Mayo

A little about me1. I had a Garmin Forerunner 235, Fenix 3 and Fenix 5X (alongside several older watches from Garmin and others)2. I run 25-35 miles per week (4 times outdoors + sometimes on a treadmill) and cycle indoors on Zwift3 1-2 times per week. I use Stryd Live footpod4. I sync all my data with StravaWhy did I buy this watch? I used a Garmin Fenix 5X last year and it was a great watch. It's definitely a huge watch (probably too big) with a lot of great features, some of which I've used and some I haven't. However, it doesn't have music, which is a feature I really wanted. I really don't like carrying my phone with me to listen to music while running, so the idea of having a watch with this feature was appealing. feature of the music. I had my eye on the Forerunner 645 Music, which was expensive, and the Vivoactive 3, which was reasonably priced but wasn't exactly a clean-running watch. like the 245 form factor. Lightweight and barely noticeable on my wrist. older Forerunner models) What I like about the 245 for running - Uses the same basic user interface as all Garmin running watches, so it's already intuitive to me (although beginners will have to get used to it) - The running metrics displayed in the Fenix 5X everything is available (e.g. pace, heart rate, cadence, training effect, VO2 max, etc.). You can download pre-made courses (for running instructions), workouts (for interval training, etc.) and training plans (5k/10k/half marathon plans) (3.6GB). - Music options include Spotify, Deezer, and manually downloading MP3 or AAC files from your computer - Music syncing over Wi-Fi What else I love about the 245 - Pairing with my Stryd foot sensor and Bluetooth headphones was quick and easy - Sleep tracking (deep sleep, light sleep, REM sleep, wakefulness) - New "Body Battery" feature that measures the amount of energy you have during the day - New blood oxygen sensor (Pulse Ox) will probably tell me something interesting (maybe? ) Say what I would have liked - I made a conscious decision to "move" from the extremely large ones. and heavy Fenix 5X (51mm) to this watch (42mm). While I don't regret my decision, I wish the Forerunners were a size somewhere in between (maybe 45mm). Battery life is decent for this watch when not using Ultra (about 6 hours for music + GPS), but I'd be willing to trade a bit of weight for a larger battery so the battery lasts longer between charges. Barometric altimeter - not necessary to have me in flat Florida, but allows you to measure elevation and climb stairs; Instead, the elevation is pulled using GPS data, which may be less accurate. Spotify and Deezer music services require a premium membership ($8-$10 per month). - Podcasts are not automatically synced via Spotify; requires manual syncing (or there is a paid app called Runcasts but it has mixed reviews so I haven't tried it). I haven't used them very often, but they have been useful from time to time. The price is quite steep at a retail price of $349 --> Garmin can get away with it now given their reputation and advanced features, but I'm not sure they can last much longer at this premium. Other possible problems. I've read that some people have trouble turning music on and off on their bluetooth headphones. I didn't feel it while running, but it came and went during my cooldown while walking. I suspect this is because the watch's antenna is too far from my ears when my arms are at my sides when walking (and no closer to my chest when running). It doesn't matter to me because 99% of the time I'll be running while listening to music. Possible solution: I read that one solution is to wear the watch on the same side of the body. B. as a headset antenna (usually on the right side). You can try this if you have the same problem. ********************** Update 2 months ago: I still like this watch so the rating hasn't changed. I found them incredibly accurate when running (like all modern Garmin watches) and the battery life remains great. I couldn't scratch it even though I've been wearing it every day since I bought it. Garmin also recently added Revain Music support to the watch, which is great if you're like most people and have a Prime membership (no premium music subscription required). I had an issue with inaccurate heart rate readings, but only while driving. my indoor bike (not while running). My heart rate readings will "plateau" well below my actual heart rate and will not move much thereafter. Obviously Garmin is aware of this issue so I hope they find a fix soon. As for the Bluetooth headphones, I was happy with the Mpow Flame2 (also available from Revain). They maintain a reliable connection during operation - the signal rarely disappears.