Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus Review: A Complete Buyers Guide


garmin forerunner 45 plus review

The Garmin Forerunner 45 is a classic smartwatch in the making. This convenient and comfortable watch has a no-nonsense set of features that make outdoor fitness activities almost unimaginable without it. The GPS tracking system that Garmin is now primarily known for was first given its major branding with the Forerunner 45, and now the features are expanding. What makes the new Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus a necessary purchase over the previous model?

review of the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus

Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus Review

The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is the latest upgrade to the influential Garmin Forerunner 45. The new features include a race predicting feature that allows runners to gauge how long it will take to reach the finish line with the current output. A new recovery time advisor is also added. 

Overall Rating100/100
Ease of Use100/100
Ease of Assembly100/100
Affordability100/100
Comfort100/100

This sports and fitness watch scores high marks in all the important key points for rating a fitness watch. This article will explore everything that needs to be known about this product, including its pros and cons as well as if the watch is worth buying for your fitness needs. Read on to find out more.

[amazon box=”B07R2YWVW8″]

Pros of the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus:

  • Race Predictor. The most exciting new feature of the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is the addition of a race predictor. This nifty and helpful add-on now allows you to receive notifications or check to see how long it will take you to reach a finish line in a race. You can also use the feature to measure how long your current fitness output will take to run a certain amount of distance.
  • Recovery Time Advisor. As much as we try and tell ourselves that we won’t overdo it when it comes to fitness, the execution of those words is easier said than done. The Forerunner 45 Plus looks to remedy those situations with the new recovery time advisor. This feature allows you to receive notification or manually check to see how much output you have left before you overdo your exertion.
  • Wrist-monitoring heart rate technology. Many watches that are fashioned for runners and joggers promise technology that can monitor your heart rate, yet this can be an inconvenience in most models. With the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus, the smart technology keeps in sync with your heart rate through your wrist, which displays on the screen for easy monitoring.
  • Banded in silicone. Have you ever gone for a run only to return home with a sore and sensitive rash around your wrist? This is a common problem with runners due to the material that encloses the band of a wristwatch. The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus uses silicone in the makeup of the band to completely resist sweat and moisture build-up around and underneath the wrist during your run.
  • Equipped with GPS. One of the many things to appreciate about a treadmill is the convenience of your distance stats on a monitor right in front of you. With the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus, you can now have all of these great GPS features like pace, distance ran, and customizable intervals that light up with frequency during your run. Gone are the inconveniences of having to keep a mental note of your distance running.
  • Stellar battery life. One of the standout features of a Garmin watch is the great detail that is put into creating batteries that can last for long periods in-between charges. The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus can hold a successful charge for up to 7 days between charges, which allows you to worry less when it comes to waiting for battery charges when you are ready to get out and run.
  • Personalized workouts. For some of Garmin’s most select watch models, adaptive training plans through a Garmin coach of your choice are available to help guide you through your run. The Forerunner 45 Plus is one of the watches that includes this convenient coaching, which works well to help you reach your goals on those days when running or any fitness regime seems like a chore.

 Cons of the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus:

  • Only works well with running. One of the unfortunate missing features from the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is the swimming mode technology that is a feature of many other brands of fitness smartwatches. This model is only truly compatible with software that tracks and displays results with running and jogging.
  • Doesn’t work well with other apps. One of the convenient abilities that come with some smartwatches is the ability to customize the watch with other apps that track running or jogging in ways that you enjoy. With the Forerunner 45 Plus, you have to use its features exclusively.

garmin forerunner 45 plus key features

Key Features

The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus features a few new updates to its previous model. For one, the watch itself is completely changed in its design scheme from a more square-shaped design to a circular shape, which is more in line with traditional wristwatches.

What is also great about this model is the two available sizes that you can choose from, 42mm or 39mm. Not all runners wish to have a large and bulky wristwatch, even though the display screen is the same size.

Additionally, the Forerunner 45 Plus is based on silicone throughout the band, which prevents all of those sweaty rashes that can come with a leather band. The watch has pushable buttons, which eliminates the need to go through an app to change settings, you can now interchange settings and customizations through a simple push of a button.

With just five convenient button settings, you are able to navigate the menu and customize the watch with a few simple pushes to your desired settings. There are no complex patterns to figure out with this model, you will likely have the routine down pat after one running session.
Last but not least, the two standout features of the Forerunner 45 Plus are the accelerometer and the gyroscope.

The accelerometer effectively measures the force of your movements, and this is true for hard-hitting pavement grinding during fast runs, and if you are simply strolling yourself back home after a vigorous running session.

The gyroscope technology allows you to measure movements and velocity among a wide array of customizable inputs. The Forerunner 45 Plus can measure the movement in your arms, legs, thighs, or even your feet if you wish to know the workout potential of one body part in particular.

The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is brimming with many additional features, and the improvements upon the design scheme of the watch are also great. Although you will not be able to change the band, the comfort of the silicone base will make it seem like the watch is not even weighing down on your wrist.

Should You Get The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus?

This model makes running a truly convenient process, and you can have all of the conveniences that you get indoors with a treadmill outside in the great wide open. The GPS sensors in the Forerunner 45 Plus are improved upon, with Glonass and Galileo now improving upon the bare GPS features on some of the previous models.

During your run, you can simply look down at your watch to see your pace, distance, and elapsed time. Simply press the lower buttons if you wish to see what your current heart rate is and to change different intervals to make note of any special laps or milestones you want to keep track of during your running session.

If you are seeking a more lightweight watch, then this model is certainly going to earn high points with you. It feels light as a feather on the wrist, and you do not have to worry about the watch degrading due to sweat or moisture or vigorous movements.

Signals and milestones are called out and alerted, which means that you do not have to constantly lift the watch to your face and press buttons to see the progress you are making. This convenience is one of the hallmarks of the Garmin Forerunner series, and the 45 Plus model aims to make the process of checking stats easy and comprehensive, therefore, you can focus on your fitness performance without many distractions.

With all of these convenient features in play, the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is certainly a watch worth getting if this is your first model. It also makes an attractive upgrade if you are looking to upgrade your Garmin watch.

Why the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus Is Worth It

Some smartwatches make the process of adjusting settings way too difficult, especially when you are running at a high pace and need to focus on what is ahead of you. With this watch, you can simply press one of five convenient buttons to see everything that you need to see during your fitness session.

Additionally, there are also some measures you can take to save on the battery life of the watch, such as leaving the backlight on automatic, which means all of the data you wish to see will highlight at timed intervals to save on battery drainage. With that in mind, the battery itself is supercharged and efficient, therefore, you will usually get a full seven days of use in-between charging the watch.

The technology is improved upon, which goes beyond simple velocity to even pinpoint performance targets in various areas of the body as opposed to just an overall assessment. The watch is comfortable and lightweight, therefore, you can rest assured that this model is definitely worth the purchase.

The Downsides

The negative attributes of Forerunner 45 Plus are few and far between, yet there may be some negatives that deserve a mention. For starters, the heart rate monitor must be switched to during your fitness routine, which would have been much more convenient to be on the automatic display with other performance intervals.

Another smaller downside is the absence of built-in music. The Forerunner 45 Plus does allow app-connectivity for imported music, but there is nothing worse than having to haul around a sensitive device when you are pounding the pavement during an intense run.
Also, this model is really only going to hold up well for running and jogging, a swimming mode would have been a great feature to add to this model.

Some users may not like the silicone-based band of the watch, which is also not interchangeable if you wish to port the watch to a different kind of band. It is great that the band is working against causing wrist irritation that can occur with long runs, yet this is a feature that not all users are going to appreciate, you are stuck with this band and have no other options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus do?

The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus can accurately keep track of performance data during a run or a jog with the convenience of easy to operate menus to track your performance through a range of categories.

Is my Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus waterproof?

The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is sweat proof with water-proof functionality of up to 50 meters. This means that you can swim with the Forerunner 45, although there is no swimming mode functionality that allows you to track your swimming performance.

Does Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus have golf?

Garmin is a brand that specializes in one model of golf tracking, yet the Forerunner 45 Plus does not have any of these features. You can track fitness performance while on the golf course with the Forerunner 45 Plus but this is primarily a running watch.

Can you play music on Garmin Forerunner Plus 45?

Unfortunately, the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus does not have music storage or compatible musical technology. You can use Forerunner 45 Plus to control the music that is on your phone or another device but this model does not have comprehensive music compatibility.

Does Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus have Bluetooth?

The Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is compatible with Bluetooth connectivity. You will have to pair your watch with the Garmin Connect Mobile App since the watch is unable to pair directly through phone or device outside of the company’s app.

What is the difference between Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus and 45s?

The main difference between the Forerunner 45 Plus and the other 45 Garmin models is found in the size of the watch; the 45 Plus is about 3mm larger than typical Garmin 45’s. The Forerunner 45 Plus has many new features such as enhancements in GPS technology and more personalized workouts.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a smartwatch that makes the process of checking your performance statistics easy to navigate, then the Garmin Forerunner 45 Plus is certainly a model worth considering. There are very few downsides to this watch, and the accelerometer and gyroscope technology are quite impressive. Additionally, the new recovery time advisor and race predictor make great new additions in terms of performance tracking.

Keep in mind that this watch is only for running or jogging, and not a viable option to use across the entire spectrum of sports and fitness activities.

Best GPS Tech

At Best GPS Tech we found it frustrating that there were limited websites available, willing to provide an honest opinion on the latest GPS technology to aid our interests. We enjoy creating content around GPS products from the industry leaders such as Garmin, FitBit and more. We hope you find the site informative in helping you make the right buying decisions.

Recent Posts