Today, we would like to compare Garmin Forerunner 745 vs 955 side by side and walk through the differences between the two in terms of specs, hardware, and features. If you are looking for a short answer, the Garmin Forerunner 955 is a premium watch and way better than the Forerunner 745. However, the Forerunner 745 is still good option with tons of features, if you are looking for a budged running watch.
The main differences between the Forerunner 955 and the Forerunner 745 are: The Forerunner 955 has full offline mappings and way longer battery-life than Forerunner 745. Also, it has a larger display size, huge memory for data recording and music storage, and touch screen (in addition to its 5-buttons). Due to its Multi-Frequency Positioning sensor, it has a better positioning accuracy. Lastly, Forerunner 955 can provide your stress level via HRV sensor. On the other hand, Forerunner 745 has none of these.
Here is the table we have put together to help you better understand Forerunner 745 vs 955 comparison:
| Comparison of# | Forerunner 745 | Forerunner 955 |
|---|---|---|
| Latest Price Tag | Rates on Amazon | Rates on Amazon 955 / 955 Solar |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX Power Glass Solar Charging Lens |
| QuickFit™ watch band compatible | yes (22 mm compatible) | yes (22 mm compatible) |
| Physical size | 43.8 x 43.8 x 13.3 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 126-216 mm | 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 (mm) Fits wrists with a circumference of 130-220 mm |
| Display resolution | 241 x 240 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 7 days GPS mode with music: Up to 6 hours GPS mode without music: Up to 16 hours UltraTrac mode: Up to 21 hours | Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days/20 days with solar* GPS-only mode without music: Up to 42 hours/49 hours with solar* All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours All Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band without music: Up to 20 hours/22 hours with solar* UltraTrac mode: Up to 80 hours/110 hours with solar* |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Smartphone Music Control | Yes | Yes |
| On-Device Music storage | Up to 500 songs | Up to 2000 Songs |
| Memory | Up to 200 hours of activity | 32 GB |
| Highlighted Sensors & Features | Barometric Altimeter Heart Rate Monitor GPS & GLONASS & GALILEO Accelerometer Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Compass Thermometer Gyroscope | Multi-Frequency Positioning Barometric Altimeter Heart Rate Monitor GPS & GLONASS & GALILEO Accelerometer Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Compass Thermometer Gyroscope HRV Status Touch Screen |
| LiveTrack & Incident Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Text response & Reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Training Load & Status | Yes | Yes |
| Point-to-point navigation Bread crumb trail in real time TracBack | Yes | Yes |
When you look at the table above, it is so clear that the Forerunner 955 is superior to the Forerunner 745. However, we have listed all the key points in the section below, in case you are wondering the details.
Before going any further; if you want to read more on Garmin running watches, here is the list of our articles that compares the Forerunner series:
Key Differences Between Forerunner 745 vs Forerunner 955
There are a couple of things that are on the Forerunner 955 that are not on the Forerunner 745. Here is the list of the key differences between Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 955:
- The first difference between the Forerunner 955 and the Forerunner 745 is the solar option that comes with only Forerunner 955. The Forerunner 955 Solar has an extended battery life due to solar power. Also, its glass is made of Power Glass Solar Charging Lens instead of Corning Gorilla DX. However, it is more pricey compared to the both Forerunner 745 and the Forerunner 955 (standard model).
- The second thing we notice between these two watches is obviously the size difference. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is 43 millimeters in diameter and the Forerunner 955 is 46.5 millimeters in diameter. So, this is a pretty big difference in the diameter of the watch. Also, The Forerunner 955 (14.4-mm) is thicker than the Forerunner 745 (13.3-mm).
- Both watches are almost the exact same weight the Forerunner 745 is 47 grams and the Forerunner 955 is 52 grams. So, there is 5 grams difference and you’re probably not going to feel that on your wrist.
- About the display; the Forerunner 955 is a larger watch, it has 260 x 260 pixels screen whereas Forerunner 745 has 240 x 240 pixels.
- Also, the new Forerunner 955 has a great memory. For the music storage, the Forerunner 955 can store up to 2000 songs whereas the Forerunner 745 can store up to 500 songs. Considering the data storing, Garmin incorporated 32 GB memory in the Forerunner 955, yet the Forerunner 745 has a capacity of data recording for only 200 hours.
- The battery-life of Forerunner 955 is way better than the Forerunner 745. You can check out the Battery-life comparison section to get a detailed picture.
- Another big difference is the offline mapping which comes with only Forerunner 955 but not with the Forerunner 745.
- Comparing the available sensors and features, the Garmin Forerunner 955 has touch screen (as well as 5-buttons), HRV Status, and Multi-Frequency Positioning sensor. Let’s start with the multi-Frequency Positioning. This sensor improves the accuracy of positioning and therefore provides more consistent track logs in challenging environments. The HRV which stands for heart rate variability provides a stress score based on its measurements in the last three minutes. In a nutshell, the Forerunner 745 lacks all these sensors and features.
Similar Article: Fitbit Sense vs Apple Watchc7
Garmin Forerunner 745 vs 955: Battery-life Comparison
Let’s talk about battery-life. The Garmin Forerunner 745 can last up to 7-days in smartwatch mode or 16-hours in GPS on mode. The Forerunner 955 can last about 15-days in smart watch mode and up to 42 hours of GPS on mode. That’s a lot more battery life on the Forerunner 955 in comparison to Forerunner 745. We got to be honest, we were hoping for more out of the Forerunner 745 when it came to battery-life. But, 16 hours of GPS on time isn’t that great for someone who runs a lot.
It’s not just about having long battery-life for really long activities like ultra-marathons. If you’re a heavy user, you use it every day for GPS tracking on a bike, or running, or something, then those hours add up and it means you’ll be charging your watch a lot more often.
Again, the solar option of Forerunner 955 offers a lot more battery life. Here is the table that summarizes the batter-life comparison of Forerunner 745 vs the 955 and the 955 Solar:
| Comparison of Battery Life# | Forerunner 955 Solar | Forerunner 955 | Forerunner 745 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch Mode | Up to 7 days | Up to 15 days | Up to 7 days |
| GPS Mode with Music | Up to 6 hours | Up to 10.5 hours | Up to 6 hours |
| GPS Mode without Music | Up to 42 hours | Up to 49 hours | Up to 16 hours |
| UltraTrac Mode | Up to 80 hours | Up to 110 hours | Up to 21 hours |
Offline Mapping Capabilities
The last thing we would like to talk about on Forerunner 745 vs 955 is what is exclusive to the Forerunner 955. The Garmin Forerunner 955 features full offline mapping capabilities. You can navigate courses and see what’s around you in terms of like restaurants and points of interest. You can design a round-trip course right on my wrist without using a computer at all. Based on how far you want to run and what direction you want to go in. All this stuff is super powerful and it’s only on the Forerunner 955 and Garmin Fenix line (see details on Garmin Fenix vs Epix) at this time. The Garmin Forerunner 745, however does have some navigation features. You can navigate a course on, but you won’t have full offline map.
Bottom-line for Garmin Forerunner 745 vs 955
So, which one is better to me, The Forerunner 745 or Forerunner 955?
Our Verdict for Garmin Forerunner 745 vs Forerunner 955: We recommend going with the Forerunner 955 every day, all day. The only reason we could see that the Forerunner 745 is a good option would be the price tag.
Here is the reason why we would pick Forerunner 955 over the 745:
The Forerunner 955 has full offline mappings and way longer battery-life. Also, it has a larger display size, huge memory for data recording and music storage, and touch screen (in addition to its 5-buttons). Due to its Multi-Frequency Positioning sensor, it has a better positioning accuracy. Last, it can provide your stress level via HRV sensor. On the other hand, The Forerunner 745 has none of these.
Here is the links you can check the latest rates and discounts on both Forerunner 745 and Forerunner 955:
If you already pick your running watch and looking for running shoes, we have prepared some articles which will help you to make an easy decision for Running Shoes Selection:
References
Garmin Forerunner 955 support and how to use video:
Introduction to Garmin Forerunner 955 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-9D99A9D4-467A-4F1A-A0EA-023184FEA3DD/EN-US/Forerunner_955_OM_shared_EN-US.pdf
Garmin Forerunner 745 support and how to use video:
Introduction to Garmin Forerunner 745 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-2492EDA1-1182-400B-8F43-D8B3211E4F3C/EN-US/Forerunner_745_OM_EN-US.pdf