Garmin 935 vs 945 – Full Feature Differences and Comparison Chart

The Garmin Forerunner 935 and 945 are two of the most feature-rich multi-sport training watches on the market today. But if you’re an athlete in the market for a powerful new ally to help you reach your training goals, deciding between the Garmin 935 vs 945 can be a daunting task.

In this article, we help you simplify the process of choosing between two incredibly equipped watches by consolidating all of their features (and, more importantly, feature differences) into one place. Making your search for the perfect Garmin watch much more straightforward and painless.

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Garmin Forerunner 935 vs 945

The Garmin Forerunner 945 is the latest release to its predecessor, the Forerunner 935. While the new version comes packed with brand new unique features, the 935 is still a fantastic watch packed full to the brim with all the features every runner, swimmer, cycler, or mountain climber needs.

But if you’ve been going through the process of deciding which is best for you, you’ve likely become overwhelmed with trying to figure out which new features are only available on the Garmin 945 and which are also available on the Garmin 935. 

We’ve found that the easiest way to sort through the Forerunner’s extensive list of features to identify the key differences between the two models is to first look at the list of new features only included on the Garmin 945.

While, at first glance, it may seem like it is a long list of additional features on the Garmin 945 compared to the 935, but it’s important to remember that both watches share an impressive feature list spanning hundreds of different features. 

We’ll structure this comparison by first showing you a table of features only available on the Garmin 945 and then a complete feature list showing you all of the available features on both watches.

This will allow you to compare and contrast the specific requirements you’re looking for in a multi-sport Forerunner watch. And quickly recognize if there are features of the Garmin 945 that would be essential for your training or if you would be just as adequately equipped with the Garmin 935.

Garmin Forerunner 945 View on Amazon	Garmin Forerunner 935 View on Amazon

Features Only on the Garmin 945

Features Shared by Both the Garmin 945 and 935

General Features:

• 1.2″ Diameter Display
• Color Display
• 240 x 240 Pixels Resolution
• 5 Atmosphere Water Rating

Activity Tracking Features:

• Step Counter
• Move Reminder
• Automatic Goal Setting
• Calorie Tracking
• Floor Climbing
• Distance Traveled
• Intensity Minutes
• TrueUp Synch From Multiple Trackers
• Move IQ Exercise Patterns
• Garmin Connect Challenges App

Training Planning and Analysis Features:

• Heart Rate Zones
• Heart Rate Alerts
• Heart Rate Calories
• Percentage of Heart Rate Max
• Percentage of Heart Rate Reserve
• Recovery Time
• Automatic Max Heart Rate
• Heart Rate Variability Stress Test Compatible
• GPS Speed and Distance
• Customizable Data Pages
• Customizable Activity Profiles
• Auto Pause
• Interval Training
• Advanced Workouts
• Downloadable Training Plans
• Auto and Manual Lap
• Configurable Lap Alerts
• VO2 Max for Running
• Training Status, Load, and Effect
• Custom Alerts and Prompts
• Finish Time
• Virtual Partner
• Race an Activity
• Auto Multisport Activities
• Course Guidance
• Garmin and Strava Live Segments
• Activity History on Watch

Running Features:

• GPS-Based Distance, Time, and Pace
• Running Dynamics Compatible
• Vertical Oscillation Data Compatible
• Ground Contact Time Compatible
• Real-Time Stride Length Compatible
• Running Cadence
• Performance Condition
• Lactate Threshold Compatible
• Run Workouts
• Race Predictor
• Foot Pod Compatible

Cycling Features:

• Time, Distance, Heart Rate, and Calorie Alerts
• Courses
• Bike Lap and Lap Maximum Power (With Sensor)
• Race an Activity
• Functional Threshold Power Compatible
• Power Meter Compatible
• Varia Vision Head-Mounted Display Compatible
• Varia Rear-Facing Radar Compatible
• Varia Lights Compatible
• Speed and Cadence Sensor Compatible

Swimming Features:

• Open Water Swim Metrics
• Pool Swim Metrics
• Metrics Tracked: Distance, pace, stroke count, rate, stroke distance, SWOLF swimming efficiency score, calories, lengths (pool)
• Stroke Type Detection (pool)
• Drill Logging (pool)
• Basic Rest Timer (pool)
• Repeat Rest Timer (pool)
• Countdown Start (pool)
• Pool Swim Workouts
• Heartrate From External Heart Rate Monitor (HRM-Tri, HRM-Swim, HRM-Pro)

Outdoor Recreation Features:

• Point-to-Point Navigation
• Bread Crumb Trail in Real-Time
• Back to Start
• TracBack Mode
• Elevation Profile
• Distance to Destination
• Storm Alerts With Barometric Trend Indicator
• Trail Run Auto Climb
• Vertical Speed
• Total Ascent and Descent
• BaseCamp Compatibility
• GPS Coordinates
• Area Calculation
• Hunt and Fish Calendar
• Waypoint Projections
• Sun and Moon Information

Golfing Features:

• Yardage to Front, Middle, and Back of Green
• Yardage to Layups and Doglegs
• Measures Shot Distance
• Digital Scorecard
• Tracks Strokes, Putts Per Round, Greens and Fairways Hit
• Garmin AutoShot Records Detected Shots
• Green View With Manual Pin Position
• Hazards and Course Targets
• TruSwing Compatible
• Round Timer and Odometer

Health Monitoring:

• Wrist-Based Heart Rate Monitoring
• Daily Resting Heart Rate
• All-Day Stress Monitoring
• Relaxation Breathing Timer
• Sleep Tracking
• Women’s Health

Clockface Features:

• Time and Date
• GPS Time Synchronization
• Automatic Daylight Savings Time
• Alarm Clock
• Timer
• Stopwatch
• Sunrise and Sunset Times

Sensors:

• GPS
• GLONASS Satellite Network
• Galileo Satelite Network
• Garmin Elevate
• Barometric Altimeter
• Compass
• Gyroscope
• Accelerometer
• Thermometer

Smart Features:

• Bluetooth, ANT+, WiFi
• Connect IQ
• Smart Notifications
• Calendar
• Weather
• Smartphone Music Controls
• Find My Phone
• VIRB Remote
• Garmin Connect Mobile Compatible
• iPhone and Android Compatible

Safety and Tracking Features:

• LiveTrack
• Group LiveTrack

Tactical Features:

• Dual Grid Coordinates

How to Choose Between the Garmin Forerunner 935 and 945

As you can see from the lists above, both the Garmin 935 and 945 have nearly every feature you could possibly dream of as a runner, cycler, swimmer, or outdoor sports athlete.

But there are various improvements and additional features available only on the Garmin 945, many of which athletes requested to be included in new releases for years. Like the inclusion of pulse oximetry and thousands of pre-loaded maps.

At this point, it might start to make sense why we started this comparison out with the features exclusive to the Garmin 945 rather than the long list of characteristics shared by both.

As an athlete, you have a unique set of requirements for what you need to reach your training goals. Referencing the list of 945 exclusive features, you can quickly identify if the additional training tools would be critical to helping you reach your goals, and more importantly, worth the extra cost.

Garmin Forerunner 945 View on Amazon	Garmin Forerunner 935 View on Amazon

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