Garmin Forerunner 245 Music vs. Forerunner 645 Music - The Comparison!

The Garmin Forerunner is one of the most popular running watches on the market. And rightly so, because Garmin offers a very good Smartwatch for running with the Forerunner series. New are the two Garmin Forerunner 645 Music and Forerunner 245 Music. That leads directly to the questions:
 

• What are the differences between Forerunner 245 and Forerunner 645?
• Which Garmin Forerunner is better?

Comparison table

Differences between Garmin Forerunner 245 and 645 Music

To start with, let me say directly: Both fitness watches have a lot in common. The differences lie in the details and in the material.

Optics, display, dimensions and weight

The Forerunner 645 stands out from the crowd with its stainless steel look. On the newer 245, the watch is completely made of plastic.

In size and weight, however, the two fitness watches are the same. There is only an extremely small difference. Dimensions and weight of the watches:
 

• Forerunner 245: 42.3 x 42.3 x 12.2 mm / 38.5 grams
• Forerunner 645: 42.5 x 42.5 x 13.5 mm / 40.2 grams

However, the display is really identical on both fitness watches. Both have a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with a diameter of 1.2 inches. The 30.4 millimeters.

In the resolution we still have no difference. Both offer 240x240 pixels.

GPS

The built-in GPS is one of the reasons why Garmin Forerunners are so popular. Of course both devices offer the possibility to use the internal GPS module.

Both Forerunner 245 and 645 also offer ANT+ and Bluetooth. This allows a pulse belt to be coupled to both watches. Especially for runners a practical thing. The measurement via pulse belt is still more accurate than via the wrist.

Battery life

There are no major differences in battery life. In normal mode both batteries last 7 days according to the manufacturer. As with any watch, the battery life decreases with higher usage. The GPS has a particularly intensive effect on the battery life.

Here, the battery life of the older Forerunner 645 drops to 5 hours. The newer Forerunner 245 can run up to 6 hours in a special mode.

This extreme battery consumption is also one reason why so many fitness trackers without internal GPS are on the market.

Waterproof & Swimming

Both Forerunner models are rated 5ATM. This makes both units waterproof up to 50 meters, unlimited in time and suitable for swimming. The Forerunner series of course also supports excellent tracking for swimming units. Thus no difference in this point.

Music with Forerunner

Both the Forerunner 645 and Forerunner 245 are available with and without music. The difference is quite clear. Without music, you simply can't hear music directly from the clock.

With the music versions, you have an internal memory for music on both devices. This allows you to store your own music directly on the clocks. Logically, you can also control and listen to your music directly from the clock.

Both models also support Spotify and Deezer streaming services. Here, too, control and playback is directly via the clock.

The GPS and the music make you completely self-sufficient from your smartphone. A big difference to other fitness trackers. But you don't have a map in your Forerunner. Just so there's no misunderstanding.

Features - Garmin Forerunner 645M vs 245M

The Model 645 has a few advantages over the Forerunner 245.
 

• Garmin Pay (Contactless Payment)
• More training modes (compared to 245)
• Barometric altimeter

The Forerunner 245 stands out with a pulse oximeter. The differences are not big.

Which Forerunner is better?

Let's come to the crucial question. Which of the two Forerunner models is better?

The added value of the 645 is relatively low and only applies to a few features. From my point of view, it's the visual taste and the price that are decisive. As a rule, the Forerunner 245 Music* is cheaper. One reason why I recommend this model. You pay less and get an excellent GPS watch. If you have even less budget, you can also choose the version without music*.

However, if you really want Garmin Pay, you'll need to grab the Garmin Forerunner 645*. Contactless payment is only possible with the larger version. The 645 also gives you a few more tracking functions for your training sessions. Like the 245, the Forerunner 645 is also available without music*. Here too, you save a little in price.