Garmin Forerunner 645 Music

18 reviews

Apr, 2025

Positive
design (6)
usability (5)
comfort (2)
portability (2)
screen (2)

Negative
price (4)
software (1)
performance (1)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 18 reviews of Garmin Forerunner 645 Music. The average rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average rating of 4.1/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. Reviewers really like the comfort and screen. The portability and usability are also appreciated. The software and performance get less positive views, while opinions are divided on the battery.

design, usability, portability, screen, comfort

price, performance, software

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 86/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 18 reviews)

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Showing 13 review(s)

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Showing 1 - 10 of 13 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (4)

Expert review by (engadget.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review: Better without the music

The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is a comprehensive fitness watch that also streams music to Bluetooth headsets so you can leave your phone at home. Its connection to earbuds is occasionally finicky, though. Unless playing music without bringing your...

Long-lasting battery ; Improved /more comfortable design than older models ; Legible screen ; Tracks wide variety of exercises

Finicky Bluetooth connection ; Limited music app compatibility

If you're willing to take a chance on a finicky music stream and phone-free tunes are very important to you, by all means spend the extra $50 on the Forerunner 645 Music. Otherwise, the regular Forerunner 645 is a capable all-day fitness companion.

Jul, 2018

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Expert review by : Rick Stella (digitaltrends.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review

Offline music playback ; Extensive fitness tracking capabilities ; Doesn’t require a tethered smartphone for its full features ; 5- to 7-day battery life

Expensive ; Buckle showed wear and tear after two weeks

The biggest draw of the Forerunner 645 Music lies in the name: It’s Garmin’s first wearable capable of storing music. That means musical motivation for days without the hassle of carrying a bulky smartphone. Meanwhile, Garmin’s strong heritage shines...

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Expert review by : Victoria Song (pcmag.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music Review

The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is an excellent standalone fitness tracker for outdoor exercise enthusiasts looking for a wealth of metrics.

Apr, 2018

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Expert review by : Nick Todorov (phonearena.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music Review

The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music isn't your typical smartwatch. It doesn't have a colorful touchscreen display, it doesn't have cellular connectivity, and it doesn't have a whole lot of apps to offer. What it does have is a battery that lasts a week,...

Very comfortable to wear ; Excellent outdoor visibility ; Lasts up to a week between charges with the screen always on ; 5ATM water resistance ; Compatible with standard bands ; Mobile payments support is nice having

Screen isn't particularly beautiful ; Doesn't work with the most popular music services ; Software can be confusing at first ; Expensive at $450

May, 2018

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Expert review by (zdnet.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review: Music, Garmin Pay, and comprehensive data capture motivate for success

Over the past few years, I have tested various Garmin GPS sports watches, including the Forerunner 225 , Forerunner 935 , and Fenix 3 HR . One feature missing from all of these that I find essential for my recreational running, offline music streaming...

Lightweight and very comfortable ; Multi-day battery life ; Music and payment support without a phone ; Accurate GPS and activity tracker ; Clear and crisp color display ; Easy to use interface ; Five button navigation with no touchscreen ; Outstanding...

Music setup is a bit clunky

Mar, 2018

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Expert review by : Valentina Palladino (arstechnica.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review: The high price of tunes on a runner’s tool

At $449, this wearable offers a lot, but runners will get the most from it.

Attractive, lightweight design. ; NFC for Garmin Pay. ; Good battery life. ; Garmin Express makes it easy to save music tracks to the device. ; Good heart-rate monitor and GPS. ; Extra run stats: training effect, training load, and anaerobic training...

No side swipe function. ; Sport profiles confusingly mixed with non-exercise apps. ; iHeartRadio Connect app isn't ready yet. ; Subpar on-watch organization of custom workouts.

There's no doubt that the Forerunner 645 Music is a powerful device and one that could intrigue all types of users—runners or not. It has all of the stellar features of the Vivoactive 3 along with additional run-tracking capabilities and music storage....

Mar, 2018

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Expert review by : DC Rainmaker (dcrainmaker.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music GPS Running Watch In-Depth Review

It's been almost two months since (aka FR645M), its first wearable with music onboard. Past Garmin watches could control music on your phone, but none could have music loaded on it and play directly to headphones. Of course, such a feature is (or was)...

Mar, 2018

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Expert review by : DC Rainmaker (dcrainmaker.com)

Hands-on: Garmin’s Forerunner 645 Music GPS Watch

(Update – March 5th, 2018 – )

Jan, 2018

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Expert review by : Gareth Beavis (techradar.com)

Garmin Forerunner 645 Music review

Is this the final missing piece of the running watch puzzle?

Lovely design ; Rapid GPS

No music streaming service ; Poor battery life

The Forerunner 645 Music is a watch that can track a huge variety of sports and look good while doing it. However, the headline music playback feature feels very half-baked and the battery life isn't as good as we've experienced on other Garmin watches.

Mar, 2018

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Expert review by : Chris Hall (pocket-lint.com)