There's your average fitness tracker … and then there's the Garmin Forerunner 945 . With its long list of features and a slim, good-looking design, this thing is an absolute stunner. The Forerunner 945 looks great on paper, but how do these elements translate into real-world performance

Packs a ton of features into a compact watch; Onboard maps ensure you won't get lost; Pulse Oximeter aids in acclimation; 24/7 heart rate monitoring with stress mentoring; Music including Spotify and Deezer

Strap is difficult to remove; Limited ability to respond to notifications

After more than 10 days of use, I now refer to my Garmin 945 as the Garmin "Coach" because it is the closest thing to an actual coach. Although I've purchased many products on Amazon over the years, this is the first time I've felt compelled enough to write a review.

However, that's a very small complaint about a watch that otherwise delivers so emphatically. To be clear, The Forerunner 945 is currently the best sports watch in Garmin's brilliant line-up.

Unparalleled tracking and training feedback; Full-colour maps with on-the-go routing; Music storage and Spotify support

Expensive; Plastic casing not as smart as metal

The Forerunner 945 might be lighter and slimmer than Garmin’s top-end Fenix 5 Plus, but it certainly packs a comparable punch when it comes to a fitness feature set. In true Forerunner style, battery life is impressive and will see you literally running rings around your Apple Watch counterparts. It’s not the easiest smartwatch to get the hang of, but once you’ve mastered the manual operation set up, you’ll find it one of the best training buddies around. The only setback is the price. However, once you consider just how much tech is crammed into the Forerunner 945 for the money, and how much use you can get out of it in terms of both fitness tracking and smartwatch features, we think it’s worth every penny.

Impressive number of features; Lightweight; Super long battery life; Offline music support;

Same low-quality display; Hard to get the hang of; Pricey;

Editor’s note: The truly exceptional Garmin Forerunner 945 remains one of our favorite smartwatches, and our top pick for runners. Check out our favorite smartwatches of 2019 for more recommendations. There’s your average fitness tracker … and then there’s the Garmin Forerunner 945. With its long list of features and a slim, good-looking design, this thing is an absolute stunner. The Forerunner 945 looks great on paper, but how do these elements translate into real-world performance? We put the running-focused smartwatch through its paces to find out if it is indeed one of the best Garmin watches and the best smartwatches overall. The Garmin Forerunner 945 packs more features than its predecessor, the Forerunner 935, but manages to keep the same compact packaging. What’s impressive is how Garmin managed to cram so many sensors inside the Forerunner 945’s slim casing. There’s an optical heart rate monitor, barometric altimeter, pulse oximeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, as well ...

Packs a ton of features into a compact watch; Onboard maps ensure you won’t get lost; Pulse Oximeter aids in acclimation; 24/7 heart rate monitoring with stress mentoring; Music including Spotify and Deezer;

Strap is difficult to remove; Limited ability to respond to notifications;

Impressive number of features; Lightweight; Super long battery life; Offline music support;

Same low-quality display; Hard to get the hang of; Pricey;

Ahh yes, the moment you've all been waiting for has arrived: The plastic Fenix 5 Plus. Except, wait…not really. Yes, it has everything the Fenix 5 Plus does, but it actually has more. It's got special sauce both from a hardware and a software standpoint.

The Garmin Forerunner 945 offers everything a serious runner should need from a wearable and then some. You'll probably never use every feature, but if running is your focus and you're training at a high level, then this is the watch for you. Everyone else should probably look elsewhere.

Very accurate GPS and heart rate; Useful full-color maps; Superb battery life

Expensive; Iffy swim tracking; Rugged design

Garmin brings big features including music, payments and maps, all while still delivering big battery life and rich sports tracking to help make the 945 one of its best sports watches yet.

Slim and comfortable to wear; Packed with features; Now has mapping; Great battery life;

Heart-rate iffy for high-intensity training; Expensive; Connect IQ Store still flaky;