The high-end Garmin Forerunner is one of the superb Performance monitors for jogging and racing. In terms of connection, cameras, workout metrics, and energy metrics, it has quite much all I need. However, in 2019, the 945 was introduced, which has even more productivity analysis tools, capabilities, and sensors. This is a budget-friendly variant of the Fenix 6, with a smaller plastic shell and polyurethane straps. The 945 LTE, a mobile variant of the same, is currently available.
Design of the watches
At first glance, the three have very little in common in terms of appearance. The 945 is 0.2mm narrower but a tad heavy at 13.7mm. Garmin has been able to trim down the 945 LTE while maintaining its superb battery life, much to the astonishment of many. That one is 44.4 x 44.4 x 13.9 mm in size. Garmin, you did an excellent job. As a result, the 945 LTE is better suited to folks with narrower hands. Corning Gorilla Glass X is the lens element of the 945s. The 935’s touchscreen is protected by technologically toughened glass, which also protects it from accidents and abrasion.
There are no additional distinctions. All 3 of them have the very same button layout and have a 5-atm moisture rating.
Comparison in 2022
| Features | Forerunner 945 | Forerunner 935 |
|---|---|---|
| Lens material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX | Chemically strengthened glass |
| Strap material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | fiber-reinforced polymer | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Quick Release Bands | Yes (22 mm, Industry standard) | Yes (22 mm, Industry standard) |
| Physical size | 47 x 47 x 13.7 mm | 47 x 47 x 13.9 mm |
| Display size | 1.2″ (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.2″ (30.4 mm) diameter |
| Screen type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 240 x 240 pixels |
| Weight | 50 grams | 49 grams |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, heart rate monitor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, thermometer, SpO2 | Accelerometer, heart rate monitor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, thermometer |
| Satellite | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO |
| Battery life | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 2 weeks GPS mode with music: Up to 10 hours GPS mode without music: Up to 36 hours | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 2 weeks GPS/HR mode: Up to 24 hours UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 60 hours without wrist heart rate |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®, NFC | Bluetooth® Smart, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Memory | 200 hours of activity data | 64 MB |
| Colors | Black | Black |
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Storage for music
The main storage of the Forerunner 945 can now contain up to 1,000 tunes. When linked with Wireless earbuds, the capability offers video music without the use of a phone. It also includes Spotify, Deezer, and iHeartRadio, among other streaming apps. On the 935, there are not many features. It wouldn’t let you listen or regulate it. The 945 is the method to go if this is crucial to you.
Navigating usage
The 945, unlike the 935, includes full, routing protocol maps with Downtrend trend routing preinstalled. This tool is useful for navigating, monitoring your position, and constructing round-trip routes. A handy improvement for cyclists who enjoy running in new places.
Battery life
Given the substantial functionality, the battery life remains mostly the same. In wristwatch mode, users may obtain up to 2 weeks of battery life, 10 hours in GPS configuration with music, or 36 hrs with music. In GPS function, this provides the 945 an added 12 hours on a single charge over its forerunner.
Water resistance
Both the Garmin Forerunner 935 and the Garmin Forerunner 945 are watertight to a depth of 50 meters, so you may bathe or swim with them. It’s best not to immerse the clocks in water deeper than 50 meters because the mounting demand might harm them.
Maps in both of them
Maps are available on both the Garmin Forerunner 935 and the Garmin Forerunner 945. The Forerunner 945 is superior in every way thanks to the introduction of colorful maps that can be accessed via an area network link. With the Forerunner 945, you can also design and amend useful itineraries. The Forerunner 935’s map features aren’t as pleasing to the eye, and it merely allows for path monitoring and guidance.
Paying Garmin
All new Garmin gadgets, such as the 945, now support Garmin Pay. The device’s NFC chip stores credit card data, allowing you to abandon your phone at home. FitPay provides the feature, which accepts Visa or Mastercard payment cards from financial institutions. There is no such feature in the 935.
Performance differences
| Model | Forerunner945 | Forerunner935 |
| Material of the lens | Gorilla glass used | Chemical glass |
| Material of the strap | Silicone strap | Silicon strap |
| Material of bezel | Fiber polymer | Fiber polymer |
| Screen pixel | 250 x 250 | 250 x 250 |
| Weight | 55 g | 60 g |
The 935’s thorough evaluation process is one of its most appealing features. Labels for the number of physicals: The key advantage you may anticipate from an exercise is revealed by the exercise label. This indicates if it helped you improve your stamina, cardiovascular efficiency, or your capacity to do intense activities consistently. Improved VO2 max: now includes heat and elevation acclimation modifications. Environmental variables will no more have an impact on your key metrics. A Trail Run Vo2 Max version was released. Exercise load balancing indicates if the energies behind your exercises are diverse enough yet to excite your body’s complex elements adequately.
More about them
| Parameters | Forerunner 945 | Forerunner 935 |
|---|---|---|
| Respiration rate (24×7) | Yes | - |
| Blood oxygen saturation | Yes | - |
| Body Battery | Yes | - |
| Relaxation reminders | - | - |
| Sleep Score and insights | Yes | - |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | - |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | - |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | - |
| Training load focus | Yes | - |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | Yes | - |
| Improved recovery time | - | - |
| Daily suggested workouts | - | - |
| Round-trip course creator (running/cycling) | Yes | - |
| Trendline™ Popularity Routing | Yes | - |
| Run profiles | Running, Indoor and Outdoor Track Running, Treadmill Running, Trail Running, Virtual Running | Running, Indoor Running, Trail Running |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | - | - |
| Golfing features (Preloaded with 42,000 courses worldwide, Auto CourseView updates) | Yes | - |
| Golfing features (PinPointer, Handicap scoring) | - | - |
| Outdoor recreation profiles | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking | Hiking, Climbing, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Jumpmaster, Tactical |
| Outdoor recreation (Around Me mode, ClimbPro™ Ascent Planner, Future elevation plot, Preloaded topographical maps, Preloaded road and trail maps, Downloadable cartography support, XERO™ Locations) | Yes | - |
| Sight ‘N Go | - | Yes |
| Cycling profiles | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Trail Biking | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking |
| Cycling features (Cycle Map, Advanced Vector support) | Yes | - |
| MTB Grit & Flow | - | - |
| Swim profiles | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimrun | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Swim features (Auto rest (pool swim only, Time and distance alerts, Pacing alerts (pool swim only), Critical swim speed, Underwater wrist-based heart rate) | Yes | - |
| Spectator messaging | - | - |
| Live Event sharing | Android only | - |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | - |
| Assistance | Yes | - |
| Assistance Plus | - | - |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | - |
| Plays and controls watch music | Yes | - |
| Storage for music | Up to 1000 songs | - |
| Garmin Pay | Yes | - |
However, while the exteriors may appear to be identical, the real distinctions are located under the hood. The internal components of the 935 have been completely redesigned for the 945, according to Garmin. There’s a new, quicker CPU, additional onboard memory, the latest Flagship GPS chip, and a slew of other enhancements. You effectively receive a new watch with the same appearance as your old one. There’s also the SpO2 sensor to consider.
The 945 LTE is an upgrade over the 945. The wristwatch’s battery performance is one of its best features. They’ll all be in wristwatch mode for around 2 weeks. When GPS is enabled, the discrepancies become apparent. The 935 will last 24 hours, the 945 36 hours, and the 945 LTE 35 hours with this. When you turn on the audio, the volume drops even more.
Obstacle detection
This capability has been included in Garmin’s cycle monitors and the LTE variant of Vivoactive 3 Music for quite some time. When an event is identified, the application will generate an automatic text and letter to your telephone numbers, including your identity and GPS position. This is done by the 945 using your associated suitable smartphones.
Choosing between 935 and 945
As you can see on the features listed above, the Garmin 935 and 945 include practically every capability a runner, cyclist, swim, or outdoor pursuits participant might want.
However, the Garmin 945 has several enhancements and extra functions that athletes have been requesting for years to be added in new models. Pulse oximetry and hundreds of which were before maps, for example. It’s getting a bit ridiculous why we launched our assessment with abilities even outside of the Garmin 945 rather than the vast list of functions similar to both devices. As an individual, you should get your own set of needs in terms of everything you need to achieve your training objectives.
Using the list of 945 extra characteristics, you can quickly determine if the continued education tools are needed to facilitate the achievement, and, more significantly, if the higher cost is justified. Don’t forget to sign up for the Movement Artist email if you like what we do here at Mobile Athlete! Here at Agility Soldier, you can get ideas and resources delivered straight to your mailbox and remain up to speed on the newest advancements.
With all of these parallels and variances in mind, you could conclude that the two watches are simply too similar to choose between. If you are a pro athlete or an expert swimmer, the Garmin Forerunner 945 is an excellent choice. Both watches include a fantastic GPS function with musical options that will make your workouts fun. Both are running and cycling watches with monitoring systems, tablet mode enhancements, temperature and humidity adaptation, and other functions.
Are they worth buying
The Forerunner 945 is a more costly GPS jogging watch in pricing. The 945 model, on the other hand, is a good option if you want a GPS jogging wristwatch that improves on the improvements seen in the Forerunner 935. The Forerunner 945 is all about building on previous versions in this famous Garmin series, all this in view, the Forerunner 945 is a wonderful purchase because it will most likely be the last Forerunner version you’ll need.
With that stated, the Forerunner 935 has a lot of qualities to respect and perhaps contemplate. For one thing, the Forerunner 935’s smaller number of GPS data makes it easier to operate than the Forerunner 945’s many GPS functions. The 935 versions are also marginally cheaper than the 945 models, making them the better option if you’re just getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buying them for triathlon training?
The Garmin Forerunner 945 is intended for consumers who want to ensure that their wristwatch can keep up with a large variety of production metrics throughout a triathlete if necessary.
Are they both compatible with Spotify?
You may now get connection sync through Wireless from your Spotify subscription to both the Garmin Forerunner 945 and the Forerunner 935 in the Garmin Application Installed. You can quickly listen to your favorite Spotify tracks on your wristwatch.
Considering the battery life and the size
The duration of the battery. The Forerunner 945 just does not perform well in terms of power consumption, especially in contrast to the Forerunner 935’s 7-day battery performance. This is to be anticipated, given the increasing number of various advantages included in the Forerunner 945.
Size. Both the Forerunner 935 and the Forerunner 945 have widely divergent band variants. The Forerunner 945 has a bigger band, which will certainly not appeal to runners with tiny wrists. Furthermore, the attaching band on the Forerunner 945 may be fussier than the straightforward one on the Forerunner 935. If the greater size isn’t an issue for you, the 945 model wins out.
