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The Garmin Forerunner 9xx range is often viewed as a more affordable Fenix alternative, being more popular with multi-sports enthusiasts while the Fenix ticks the multi-sports boxes but appeals to the style market with its good looks.

The main differences between the two watches are generally the build with the Forerunner being a durable plastic build while the Fenix devices use stainless steel. For me, I think the Fenix series of watches are the best-looking smartwatches and multisport watches on the market. This does come at a cost though, the 47mm Fenix weighs in at 86g while the new FR945 is 50g. For some, including myself, they don’t mind the 36g difference, but I see a lot of runners complain about the additional weight of the Fenix compared to its lighter alternatives.

With the launch of the Forerunner 945 things are not quite as simple as one being a cheaper lightweight plastic built or one premium steel.

The Fenix series is always the most expensive mainstream multi-sports offering from Garmin and the RRP of the cheapest 47mm model is £599, and the Forerunner 945 is £519.99. However, with the Fenix 5 Plus being out for a year now, and the competitive nature of the internet, you can get either the Fenix 5S Plus or the regular Fenix 5 Plus for just £474.99 making the Fenix series around £45 cheaper.

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So at first glance, the Fenix 5 looks like a much better buy (if you don’t mind the added weight). But, it is not quite as simple as that. With the Forerunner 945 coming out a year later, Garmin has squeezed in some upgrades that the Fenix series lacks.

The FR945 upgrade brings all the features you get in the Fenix 5 Plus range such as NFC, Music, Wifi and takes things a little further by adding the new  Garmin ELEVATE optical HR sensor the watch can do things like pulse oximeter data which was previously only on the Fenix 5X Plus.

The FR945 has Garmin’s new Body Battery function. It aims to help people make better training, rest and sleep decisions. The feature uses a combination of stress, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep and activity data to give you an indication of your body’s energy levels.

Forerunner 945 also has some performance metrics you won’t find on the Fenix devices. This includes heat and altitude acclimation, Training Load Focus and Training Effect labels. It will also track your respiration rate during exercise with a compatible accessory. Oddly enough, the additional performance tracking features make the high-end Forerunner device more feature-packed on this measure than the Fenix devices.

Furthermore, FR945 offers incident detection and assistance. When an incident is detected the app will send an automated text message and email with your name and GPS location to your emergency contacts. The watch uses your paired compatible smartphone to do this.

For endurance athletes, the FR945 will be appealing with a superior battery life of up to 36 hours GPS without music, or 10 hours with. The Fenix has 18 hours / 8 hours.

The Fenix does have a few advantages, it has more sports profiles, especially outdoor related activities, and it has a much higher water rating at 10ATM vs 5ATM

Overall

For me, it is a tough call, if they were both at RRP I would definitely be recommending the FR945 with its superior functions at a lower price point.

However, as it stands you need to weight up if the additional features and lighter weights of the FR945 is worth it over the £50 better looking Fenix 5 Plus.

I like the idea of adding in respiration rate as another variable for fitness tracking, and the incident detection could be essential for many cyclists, though many bike computers feature this anyway.  

Buy the FR945 from Wiggle

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Fenix 5 PlusForerunner 945
Lens materialdomed chemically strengthened glass or sapphire crystalCorning® Gorilla® Glass DX
Bezel/case materialstainless steel or titaniumfiber-reinforced polymer
Strap materialsilicone, leather or titaniumsilicone
Physical size47 x 47 x 15.8 mm47 x 47 x 13.7 mm
Weight86 g50 g
Titanium version: 76 g
Battery lifeSmartwatch: Up to 12 daysSmartwatch Mode: Up to 2 weeks
GPS: Up to 18 hoursGPS mode with music: Up to 10 hours
GPS and Music: Up to 8 hoursGPS mode without music: Up to 36 hours
Water rating10 ATM5 ATM
Memory/History16GB200 hours of activity data
Pulse Ox sensoronly 5X Plus versionYes
ConnectivityBluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi®
Plays and controls watch musicYesYes
Music StorageUp to 1000 songsUp to 1000 songs
Garmin PayYesYes
Body BatteryYes
Incident detection and assistanceYes
Gym activity profilesStrength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and YogaStrength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing and Yoga
Heat and altitude acclimationYes
Training Load FocusYes
Training Effect labelsYes
Round-trip course creatorYesYes
Trendline Popularity RoutingYesYes
Respiration rate during exerciseYes (with compatible accessory)
Available run profilesRunning, Treadmill Running, Trail RunningRunning, Indoor Track Running, Treadmill Running, Trail Running
Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide, Auto CourseView updatesYesYes
Outdoor recreation profilesHiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, TacticalHiking, Climbing, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking
Around Me mode, ClimbPro Ascent Planner, Future elevation plot, Preloaded topographical maps, Downloadable cartography support, XERO LocationsYesYes
Cycling profilesBiking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, TriathlonBiking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking
Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map)YesYes
Advanced Vector supportYes
Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor)yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors)Yes
Swim profilesPool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/RunningPool Swimming, Open Water Swimming

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