Garmin is one of the leading brands in the world of fitness and sports smartwatches. The Garmin Forerunner 945 and Forerunner 935 are two of Garmin’s popular GPS running watches – it is hard to go wrong with either of the powerful GPS watches.
Since both watches offer a wide range of advanced features, it becomes difficult to choose between the two.
In this post, I’ll take a closer look at the Garmin Forerunner 935 vs 945 – comparing their design, features, technology, price and performance to help you decide which smartwatch is best for your needs.
Table of Contents
Garmin Forerunner 935 Vs 945: Side-by-Side Comparison
The main differences between the Forerunner 935 and the 945 can be summarized in the table below:
| Feature | Forerunner 935 | Forerunner 945 |
| Display | 1.2 inch | 1.2 inch |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Battery life (GPS mode) | Up to 24 hours | Up to 36 hours |
| GPS + GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| Music storage | No | Up to 500 songs |
| Pulse Ox sensor | No | Yes |
| Maps | No | Yes |
| Body battery energy monitor | No | Yes |
| Incident detection | No | Yes |
| Safety and tracking features | No | Yes |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 240 x 240 pixels |
| Weight | 49g | 50g |
| Memory | 64 MB | 16 GB |
| Garmin Pay | No | Yes |
| Size | 47 x 47 x 13.9 mm | 47 x 47 x 13.7 mm |
Related: Whoop vs Garmin
Physical design
Both GPS watches are similar when it comes to physical design. The watches are black in color and have a round clock face.
The watches’ casings are made of fiber-reinforced polymer while the straps are made of silicone.
Both GPS watches have a 1.2-inch (diameter) color display and a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels.
Both Garmin watches have feature transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays. The display technology makes them sunlight-visible. This means that you can comfortably use the watch in direct sunlight without the need for a backlight.
Both the Forerunner 935 and 945 models have five buttons on the side (two on the right and three on the left) and a touchscreen.
Since the two watch models are designed for sports (including water sports), they are water resistant up to 5 ATM (a depth of up to 50 meters). The watches are suitable for splashes, rain or snow, showering, swimming, diving into water, and snorkeling.
The Forerunner 935 and 945 weigh 49g and 50g respectively. This weight is perfect for a sports watch.
Related: Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs. Apple Watch Series 7
Performance tracking capabilities
Both the Garmin Forerunner 935 and 945 are equipped with performance tracking capabilities – allowing you to monitor your performance and progress.
The sports watches track calories burned, floors climbed, distance traveled and intensity minutes.
The Garmin Forerunner 945 has more advanced fitness and activity tracking features. The watch features a built-in Pulse Ox sensor to measure blood oxygen levels, as well as the ability to measure heat and altitude acclimation and advanced running dynamics.
The Forerunner 935 also has performance tracking capabilities, but with fewer features than the Forerunner 945. It can track performance metrics such as distance traveled, time, floors climbed, pace, and calories burned.
Related: Garmin Connect Mobile vs. Strava Running and Cycling
Garmin Forerunner 945 vs 935: Battery life
The Forerunner 935 has a 24-hour battery life in GPS mode while the 945 can stay up to 36 hours in GPS mode.
Both Garmin watch models have a battery that can last for up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode. To prolong battery life while in GPS mode, the watches come with the UltraTrac™ technology that reduces GPS updates to once a minute.
Storage capacity
The Forerunner 935 doesn’t come with music storage. The watch has an internal storage of 64 MB which is only enough for the watch’s memory. The Forerunner 945 on the other hand comes with an internal storage of 16 GB which is enough storage to hold your favorite songs.
935 vs 945: Connectivity options
The Garmin Forerunner 935 and 945 both come with an impressive selection of connectivity options.
Both watches feature Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ANT+ connectivity, allowing you to sync data and control music playback from compatible smartphones.
GPS accuracy
Both the Garmin Forerunner 945 and 935 are equipped with highly accurate GPS capabilities. In addition to GPS, the watches feature other navigation systems like GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and Galileo. The combined navigation systems give you better accuracy.
Contactless payment
The Garmin Forerunner 945 comes with the ability to make contactless payments using Garmin Pay. Garmin Pay lets you make quick effortless payments when you’re on the go.
The Forerunner 935 watch does not come with this functionality.
Music
The Garmin Forerunner 935 lets you control your smartphone’s music. In addition to controlling your smartphone’s music, the Forerunner 945 has internal storage which lets you save and control music from your watch.
Forerunner 935 vs 945: Price
The Forerunner 935 and 945 have different price points at $199.99 and $499.99 respectively on amazon.com. The higher price of the Forerunner 945 is justified since it has more advanced features than the 935.
FAQs
Is Garmin 935 better than 945?
No, the Garmin 935 is not better than the 945. The Forerunner 945 is a newer and more advanced Garmin watch than the 935. The 945 has additional features like contactless payments (Garmin Pay), music storage (16 GB storage), and detailed activity tracking (Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor, sleep score, hydration).
Is it worth upgrading from Garmin 935 to 945?
Even though whether to upgrade or not comes down to your needs and preferences, it is well worth it upgrading from Forerunner 935 to 945. The Forerunner 945 has added features like contactless payments (Garmin Pay), music storage (16 GB storage), and detailed activity tracking (Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor, sleep score, hydration).
Can Garmin Forerunner 945 make calls?
Even though you can respond to texts and reject calls with text (on Android) with your Forerunner 945, you cannot make calls using the watch. Garmin’s goal isn’t to replace your smartphone but complement it.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice between the two models should come down to the specific features that you need most.
Going by the above comparison, the Forerunner 945 is a clear winner in this battle. The watch is great for any outdoor enthusiast who wants to get the most out of their watch. It has a lot of great features that the 935 doesn’t.
If you’re looking for a reliable watch that can help you reach your fitness goals, or be your partner during your outdoor ventures, the Forerunner 945 is the way to go.
However, if you don’t need all of the bells and whistles, the Forerunner 935 is still a great option and will provide you with all the tracking metrics you need – at a lower price.