The worst kept secret of 2019 has finally been confirmed. Garmin will be releasing new additions to their forerunner range in May 2019 and it will literally be music to your ears.
After successfully adding music capabilities to the Forerunner 645, Garmin are expanding the models that can store and play music. This will finally allow more of us to ditch the phone when out running. As well as music, there is enhanced functionality which will increase training options, so if you are someone who loves to analyse data points, you may want to check out the new offerings.
Technically, there are five new watches across three different Forerunner models which include:
- Forerunner 945
- Forerunner 245
- Forerunner 245 Music
- Forerunner 45
- Forerunner 45s
The new Garmin range can be found on Amazon
Forerunner 945
The headline upgrade is the Forerunner 945 which has taken the best bits of the Fenix and previous 935 and offered it in a sleeker package. The 945 has long been seen as a very capable multi-sport watch but Garmin has increased its functionality with the addition of a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen absorption, Garmin Pay for contactless purchases, and full-colour maps for navigating while out running.
Another major addition is the ability to store up to 1,000 songs locally (from Spotify or Deezer), and there’s a new tool for analysing past workout history to improve future training. Garmin states the 945 will have up to two weeks of battery life in smartwatch mode, 36 hours in GPS mode, and 10 hours with both GPS and music active.
The Garmin Forerunner 945 will set you back £519.99 and with the Tri bundle (with swim-friendly heart rate monitors) will be £649.99.
Forerunner 245 and 245 Music
For those not that interested in a multi-sport device and not wanting to re-mortgage their house to upgrade, the mid-range Garmin Forerunner 245 and Forerunner 245 Music are definitely worth a look. You won’t get the mapping capabilities of the 945, nor will it support ANT+ power meters, but let’s be honest here, if you are buying the Forerunner range you are likely to use it for running, and occasionally other sports like cycling.
The 245 uses the more advanced user interface from Garmin, which means the wrist-based heart rate monitor can track the oxygen levels in your blood, daily stress levels, sleep and give you feedback on how hard you’re training – taking environment temperature into consideration.
For £50 extra, you can get the music version of the 245, giving you the ability to store up to 500 songs offline, via Bluetooth. The battery life will give you 6 to 7 hours using GPS and music and 24 hours with just GPS from a single charge. The 245 will set you back £249 and the music version £299.
Forerunner 45
If you’re not bothered about enhanced monitoring functionality and the ability to store and play music via your device, then the Forerunner 45 is designed for those who want things simple. The 45 is the simplest and least expensive watch in the range but it still has plenty of bells and whistles. It may not have a fancy monitor like the 945 and 245 but it does offer all-day stress monitoring and the new Body Battery feature. This supposedly allows an understanding of how exercise can affect your daily productivity. The jury is out on this…..
Although primarily aimed at runners, it does have similar features found on fitness trackers and allows you to track a number of sports/activities including yoga, cycling and strength training.
Garmin have also released the Forerunner 45s which is smaller and designed for the smaller wrist. The 45 and the 45s cost from £169.99
The new Garmin range can be found on Amazon
Life Of Tri 