The Garmin Instinct and Forerunner 245 are two classic mid-range GPS watch options. They’re marketed towards pretty different groups, however, with the Instinct being better suited for rugged adventures, and the Forerunner 245 being best for—you guessed it—runners. In this post, I’ll go over reasons to choose one over the other.
As some context, I’m a GPS watch nerd who’s tried 11 of the most popular models over the last few years. I’m mainly a road runner [marathons and half marathons], but I’ve also dabbled in triathlons and trail running. I like to wear my watch all the time to track workouts and view my everyday fitness data.
For full disclosure, I have not actually tested the Instinct, but I have tested the Forerunner 245 for a month as a loaner. I personally only own the COROS APEX. This review will be based on my analysis of the specs, and sharing my experience where possible. Keep in mind that I will mainly be comparing the standard [non-solar] Garmin Instinct with the Forerunner 245, as their retail prices are most similar. I’ll include a couple notes about the other versions of the Instinct though!
This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links at the end, meaning that I earn a small commission on any purchases through those links, at no extra cost to you. Your support allows me to keep writing reviews like this one 🙂
Things in Common: Garmin Instinct and Forerunner 245
Before we get into their differences, here are some things that both watches have:
- Fitness tracking for common activities: running, trail running, indoor track running, biking indoors/outdoors, pool swim, strength, yoga, stair stepping, and yoga.
- Fitness stats: steps, heart rate, Body Battery [basically the amount of energy you have remaining], stress, sleep, and menstrual tracking.
- Basic smartwatch features: weather, calendar, messages, and find your phone/watch.
- Safety features: LiveTrack—allows your friends and family to follow your activity in real time.
This list is actually fairly short for two Garmin devices; the good thing is that the decision shouldn’t be too hard since the Instinct and Forerunner 245 are quite different.