Garmin Forerunner 35 vs 45 vs 45S are three great running watches from the same family.
But which one of these should you buy if you are looking for a new running watch?
In this post, we will take a look at all the features and specifications of each of these watches to help you decide.
General Features: Garmin Forerunner
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Device Type | Sporty/Fitness smartwatch | Sporty/Fitness smartwatch | Sporty/Fitness smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex | Unisex |
| Predecessor | Garmin Forerunner 35 | Garmin Forerunner 35 | — |
| Successor | Garmin Forerunner 55 | Garmin Forerunner 55 | Garmin Forerunner 45 |
| Release Date | August 2019 | August 2019 | August 2016 |
| Box Items | Forerunner 45, USB, Straps Charging cable, Quick start guide | Garmin Forerunner 45S, Straps, USB charging cable, Quick start guide | Forerunner 35, Charging cable, Manual |
| Sensors | GPS, Garmin Elevate Wrist Heart Rate Monitor, Accelerometer | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, Garmin Elevate Wrist Heart Rate Monitor, Accelerometer | GPS, Garmin Elevate Wrist Heart Rate Monitor, Accelerometer |
Design:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Dimensions | 42 x 42 x 11.4 mm | 39.5 x 39.5 x 11.4 mm | 35.5 x 40.7 x 13.3 mm |
| Weight | Small: 32g Large: 36 g | Small: 32 g Large: 36 g | 37.3 g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular | Circular |
| Casing Material | Thermoplastic | Thermoplastic | Polymer |
| Strap Material | Silicone | silicone | silicone |
| Strap Size | 129-197 mm | 124-185 mm | 140-200 mm |
| Colors | Black, red | White, purple | Black, Blue, White, Limelight |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Display:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | |
| Screen Size | 1.04″ (26.3 mm) diameter | 1.04″ (26.3 mm) diameter | 0.93″ x 0.93″ (23.5 x 23.4 mm) |
| Screen technology | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Screen Resolution | 208 x 208 pixels | 208 x 208 pixels | 128 x 128 pixels |
| Screen Protection | chemically strengthened glass | chemically strengthened glass | chemically strengthened glass |
| Touchscreen | | | |
| Always on Display | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wake up | | | |
Smartwatch Features:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Operation System | Garmin Os | Garmin Os | Garmin Os |
| Companion App | Garmin Connect | Garmin Connect | Garmin Connect |
| Compatibility | iPhone, Android | iPhone, Android | iPhone, Android |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| Music | No | No | No |
| Contactless Payment: | No | No | No |
| App Stores: Garmin Connect IQ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SMS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Forecast | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Health & Safety Features:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Heart Rate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Resting Heart Rate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Abnormal Heart Rate Alerts | Yes | Yes | No |
| Respiration Rate (24×7) | No | No | No |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation | No | No | No |
| Fitness Age | Yes | Yes | No |
| Body Battery™ Energy Monitor | Yes | Yes | No |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes (advanced) | Yes (advanced) | Yes (advanced) |
| Sleep Score And Insights | No | No | No |
| Stress Tracking | No | No | No |
| All-Day Stress | Yes | Yes | No |
| Relaxation Reminders | No | No | No |
| Relaxation Breathing Timer | Yes | Yes | No |
| Menstrual Tracking | No | No | No |
| Fall Detection | No | No | No |
| Hydration | No | No | Yes (in Garmin Connect™) |
| Women’s Health | No | No | Yes (in Garmin Connect™) |
| Health Snapshot | No | No | No |
Activity Tracking:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Calories Intake Burned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Quality | No | No | No |
| Active Minutes | No | No | No |
| Move Bar (Displays On Device After A Period Of Inactivity; Walk For A Couple Of Minutes To Reset It) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Goal (Learns Your Activity Level And Assigns A Daily Step Goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors Climbed | No | No | No |
| Intensity Minutes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trueup™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Move Iq™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges App | No | No | No |
Sports Features:
Running:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Available Run Profiles | Running, Treadmill Running. Indoor Track Running may be added through the app | Running, Treadmill Running. Indoor Track Running may be added through the app | Running, Indoor Track Running, Treadmill Running |
| Gps-Based Distance, Time And Pace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cadence (Provides Real-Time Number Of Steps Per Minute) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Run Workouts | Yes | Yes | No |
| Foot Pod Capable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Swimming:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| AVAILABLE SWIM PROFILES | No | No | No |
| Pool Swim Metrics (Lengths, Distance, Pace, Stroke Count, Swim Efficiency (Swolf), Calories) | No | No | No |
| Stroke Type Detection (Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly) (Pool Swim Only) | No | No | No |
| Basic Rest Timer (Up From 0) (Pool Swim Only) | No | No | No |
| Time And Distance Alerts | No | No | No |
| Underwater Wrist-Based Heart Rate | No | No | No |
Cycling:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Alerts (Triggers Alarm When You Reach Goals Including Time, Distance, Heart Rate Or Calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Available Cycling Profiles | Biking. Indoor Biking may be added through the app | Biking. Indoor Biking may be added through the app | Biking, Indoor Biking |
| Compatible With Varia™ Radar (Rear-Facing Radar) | No | No | No |
| Compatible With Varia™ Lights | No | No | No |
| Speed And Cadence Sensor Support (W/Sensor) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Golfing Features:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Yardage To F/M/B (Distance To Front, Middle, And Back Of Green) | No | No | No |
| Yardage To Layups/Doglegs | No | No | No |
| Measures Shot Distance | No | No | No |
| Digital Scorecard | No | No | No |
| Stat Tracking (Strokes, Putts Per Round, Greens And Fairways Hit) | No | No | No |
| Garmin Autoshot™ | No | No | No |
| Green View With Manual Pin Position | No | No | No |
| Hazards And Course Targets | No | No | No |
| Pinpointer | No | No | No |
| Round Timer/Odometer | No | No | No |
| Automatic Club Tracking Compatible (Requires Accessory) | No | No | No |
Gym & Fitness Equipment:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Available Gym Activity Profiles | Cardio Training | Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Yoga may be added through the app | Cardio Training |
| Cardio Workouts | No | No | No |
| Strength Workouts | No | No | No |
| HIIT Workouts | No | No | No |
| Yoga Workouts | No | No | No |
| Pilates Workouts | No | No | No |
| On-Screen Workout Animations | No | No | No |
| On-Screen Workout Muscle Maps | No | No | No |
| Automatic Rep Counting | No | No | No |
Battery and Charging:
| Device Name | Garmin Forerunner 45 | Garmin Forerunner 45S | Garmin Forerunner 35 |
| Battery Life | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 7 daysGPS mode: Up to 13 hours | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 7 days,GPS mode: Up to 13 hours | Up to 9 daysGPS mode: Up to 13 hours |
| Battery Capacity | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Charging Type | Charging cradle | Charging cradle | Charging cradle |
| Charging Time | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours |
| Fast Charging Support | No | No | No |
Also check Apple series 7 watch vs Garmin Forerunner 945.
