Whether you’re a professional athlete or a casual runner, it’s essential to find a smartwatch you can count on for all of your fitness tracking needs. We’ve been taking an up-close look at the new Garmin Forerunner 245 and 245 Music and we’re here to help you decide which one will suit you best.
Tracking, Wi-Fi, music
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
$350 at Amazon
Pros
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Music storage
- Garmin Coach
Cons
- No Garmin Pay
- Lacking altimeter
To make a long story short, the 245 Music does everything the 245 does while also offering Wi-FI connectivity and music storage. These are some pretty neat bonus features to have and you won’t even have to pay that much more to get them.
Reliable tracking and GPS
Garmin Forerunner 245
$300 at Amazon
Pros
- Controls smartphone music
- Garmin Coach
- Long battery life
Cons
- No Wi-Fi
- No music storage
- No Garmin Pay
- Lacking altimeter
This GPS running wearable is one for the books. You’ll have your hands full with actvity tracking, heart-rate monitoring, stress tracking, sleep monitoring, and more. There are some fun new features, too, like Body Battery and Incident Detection.
For the most part, these two models are practically identical. The good news is that there isn’t all that much to consider when deciding which one is going to work for you. The only real difference is the 245 Music offers the bonus of Wi-Fi connectivity and music storage. Once you’re connected to Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to sync audio content from third-party apps, like Spotfiy and Deezer, and store up to 500 songs.
Comparing the two
How do you decide between the two? If you’re less than thrilled with the idea of having to take your phone with you whenever you exercise, the 245 Music offers the convenience you’re looking for in a smartwatch. You’ll have all your music stored on your smartwatch anyway, so don’t let your phone burden you during your workout. All you have to do is pair your Bluetooth headphones with your watch, press play, and start running.
| Battery life: Smartwatch mode | 7 days | 7 days |
| Battery life: GPS mode | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Battery life: GPS mode with music | N/A | 6 hours |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m | Up to 50m |
| Built-in GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | No | No |
| Wi-Fi connectivity | No | Yes |
You might experience less battery life with the 245 Music if you’re consistently in GPS mode with music playing. However, six hours is still impressive. You could potentially complete a marathon while listening to music and still have some juice left in your battery. There aren’t many other distinctions to make since the only features that don’t overlap are the music storage and Wi-Fi connectivity. Regardless of which one you choose, many users will be disappointed that at this price point, there’s no altimeter or Garmin Pay.
The 245 Music offers the convenience you’re looking for in a smartwatch.
It’s important to note that one of the exciting new features Garmin rolled out, Incident Detection, relies heavily on your smartphone. The feature can be triggered automatically when an incident is detected, such as a fall during your workout. You can also trigger it manually if you’re in need of assistance. It will then share your location with your chosen emergency contacts. However, this will require your smartphone to be connected to the Garmin Connect app in order to work. That’s a bit of a bummer considering many users were probably getting pumped at the thought of not needing to have their phone with them.
Making a decision
At the end of the day, either decision is going to leave you with a top-notch GPS smartwatch that’s in the spotlight right now, and with good reason. The rollout of several new metrics are stealing the competitors’ thunder. You’ll now have access to Body Battery, which keeps you updated on your energy levels throughout the day so you can plan your next activity. There are also advanced training features that evaluate your current training status to let you know if you’re undertraining or overdoinng it.
All things considered, both of these models are going to be a worthwhile investment with all they have to offer. The Forerunner 245 may not have Wi-Fi but you can still control the music playing on your smartwatch right from your wrist, which isn’t a bad trade-off. However, if you desire the convenience of having both music storage and Wi-Fi connectivity, the answer is clear: go with the 245 Music.
Personally, I’d go with the 245 Music. For only $50 more you get that Wi-Fi connectivity, which is a huge plus.
Bonus features
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
All the tracking plus Wi-Fi and music
$350 at Amazon
Get ready for all the tracking features plus the added bonus of Wi-Fi connectivity and music storage. Leave your phone behind when you head out for a run while still having access to your favorite tunes.
Trusty GPS smartwatch
Garmin Forerunner 245
GPS and unlimited tracking
$300 at Amazon
You can count on this GPS smartwatch to deliver accuracy and unlimited tracking. You’ll still be able to control the music that plays from your smartphone via your watch, but you’ll need to have your phone with you.
