Garmin is an excellent choice for anyone serious about quality and who wants to put their fitness first and get accurate results. The Vivoactive 4 and the Forerunner 745 are both excellent choices, especially if sport is your main goal. We took a look at these two options to work out which one is the best to invest in. The Garmin Vivoactive vs Forerunner.
Which is Most Budget-Friendly – the Garmin Vivoactive or Forerunner?
If budget is key to your decision, you will find that the Vivoactive 4 is the cheaper of the two devices. It offers a mid-range price bracket that is great value for money. The Forerunner 745 is substantially more expensive and pushes into the higher price range. However, both watches are well worth the initial outlay for what you are getting.
Which is Designed Best?
The Vivoactive 4 is a circular watch that comes in a standard edition, a special edition, and two size options – 40mm or 45mm. So, there are many choices to ensure you get the right solution for your wrist. The watch strap is silicone and won’t rub when you exercise for the ultimate comfort solution.
The only issue with the design of the Vivoactive 4 is that it gets a little confused between being a smartwatch and a sports watch. The design does come off as trying hard to tick all the boxes but not managing to achieve it as effortlessly as you would expect.
The Forerunner 745 is also round but only comes in a 43mm option, suitable for medium to large wrist sizes. The case is made from silicone and polymer, and the strap is also silicone for total comfort when working out. The Forerunner 745 has been designed as a sports watch. It’s both durable and lightweight while looking the part when it is on the wrist.
Which is Best for Fitness Tracking – the Garmin Vivoactive or Forerunner?
If you are considering a Garmin, then the likelihood is that you want something that you can depend on to help you get fit! Both devices offer step counting, sleep tracking, menstrual tracking, and guided breathing so your overall health is properly catered for.
Both devices also offer GPS, heart rate monitoring, Sp02 tracking and have an ABC system to support you when you are out and about. The Forerunner 745 also provides several sports modes that include open water swimming. This capability is not provided with any other model. There is also a recovery mode, PacePro, and suggested workouts that come with the Forerunner 745, helping you perfect your exercise efforts.
The Vivoactive 4 is more generic in terms of tracking. It offers all the basics that you would expect to find on a smartwatch. It also provides the Back to Start feature to help you get home if you find you are lost when you head out on a run, but this is nothing in comparison to the Forerunner 745’s real-time breadcrumb trails.
Which is Best for Smart Features?
Out of the two devices, it is the Vivoactive 4 that is most like a smartwatch. It provides many great features for everyday life. For example, you can enjoy music from your wrist, Garmin Pay, phone notifications, and Connect IQ that gives you the ability to download as many apps as you like to personalize your experience.
However, when Garmin released the Forerunner 745, they decided to offer more smartwatch features than had been previously seen on the Forerunner series. This meant that all the smart features they put on the Vivoactive 4 could now be seen on the Forerunner 745. Both devices are compatible with iOS and Android. However, if you want to respond to notifications on your watch, you need to pair it with an Android phone.
How Good are the Battery lives?
One of the best things about Garmin watches is that they come with great battery lives, allowing you to focus on life rather than when you next need to plug in! However, the features you choose to use will impact the speed your battery drains. So it is worth considering how to optimize your battery for the best outcomes. Check out our table to get an idea of the battery life you can expect from each device:
| Garmin Vivoactive 4 | Garmin Forerunner 745 | |
| Smartwatch Mode | 8 days | 7 days |
| GPS Mode | 18 hours | 18 hours |
| GPS & Music Mode | 6 hours | 6 hours |
It is worth remembering that most users switch between modes during the day. You will find that your usage results in personalized battery life for your device.
Which Should I Buy – the Garmin Vivoactive vs Forerunner?
Choosing the right watch is not easy when you have two great options from Garmin! However, if you are more focused on fitness, want as much data as possible, and do not have an upper budget limit, then the Forerunner 745 is an excellent choice that will double up as a great smartwatch when you are not training. The Vivoactive 4 is also a great choice for anyone who wants access to great smart features and extensive fitness support that can help them become more active.
Ultimately, if you want in-depth training advice or love more specialized sports like triathlons, then we’d say choose the Forerunner 745. If you want something that looks more like a smartwatch and offers a great display and comes in mid-range pricing, then the Vivoactive 4 is an excellent option.
If you think the Forerunner is right for you, we compare the devices within this range in our Garmin Forerunner Comparison.
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Last Updated on December 16, 2022
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