I ran into this question when I was looking for a Garmin watch. I was looking for a watch mainly to motivate myself to run, so the Forerunner 945 was a logical choice at first. But only some things are so simple. Therefore, I decided to share my comparisons and observations with you.
Short answer
The Garmin Fenix 6 is Garmin’s flagship, it may not be the latest model, but it has all the same features as the Forerunner 945, just with different build materials. The Garmin Fenix 6 series watches are slightly better. But it all depends on the desire and need.
General differences between Fenix 6 and Forerunner 945
I’ll review the main differences below and then cover why I chose the Garmin Fenix 6 X pro over the Forerunner 945. Below you will see a table comparing Garmin Fenix 6s, Fenix 6, Fenix 6x vs Garmin Forerunner 945.
| Garmin Fenix 6 | Forerunner 945 | |
| Screen Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX or Sapphire Crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX |
| Bezel Material | stainless steel, titanium or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | Fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Strap material | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon | silicone |
| Physical size | Fenix 6s – 42 x 42 x 13.8 mm Fenix 6 – 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm Fenix 6X – 51 x 51 x 14.9 mm | 47 x 47 x 13.7 mm |
| Display Size | Fenix 6s – 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter Fenix 6 – 1.3” (33.02 mm) diameter Fenix 6X – 1.40″ ( 35.56 mm) diameter | 1.2″ (30.4 mm) diameter |
| Display Resolution | Fenix 6s – 240 x 240 pixels Fenix 6 – 260 x 260 pixels Fenix 6X – 280 x 280 pixels | 240 x 240 pixels |
| Weight | Fenix 6s – Steel: 61 g – case with silicone band (case only: 44 g); Fenix 6 Steel: 83 g – case with silicone band (case only: 60 g); Titanium: 72 g – case with silicone band (case only: 49 g) Fenix 6X Steel: 93 g (case only: 66 g). | 50 g |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Battery life | Fenix 6s – Up to 9 days. Fenix 6 – Up to 14 days. Fenix 6X – Up to 21 days. | Up to 14 days. |
So which one is better?
It would be fairest to compare the Garmin Forerunner 945 with the Garmin Fenix 6 version, as they are the most similar in size and battery life.
The Garmin Fenix 6 is a more rugged watch than the Forerunner 945 and has sapphire and DLC coating. Fenix 6 also has a larger screen and double the memory. But these pluses come with their minuses, which would be – higher price and higher weight. And knowing how important the weight of the watch is for runners can be a deal breaker.
My recommendations
Garmin Forerunner 945
If the watch will only be used for running and you won’t use it for hiking or other environments that require a more rugged watch, then I would choose the Forerunner 945 watch. Because saving from 100 to 500 USD is quite a lot.
Garmin Fenix 6
But if you run in the most varied conditions, do the most extreme hikes, and you need Sapphire glass or DLC coating, in such a case, the choice is clear – Garmin Fenix 6.
Why did I choose Garmin Fenix 6X Pro?
I have quite a big wrist (180 +- mm). Which automatically makes the Fenix 6 and Forerunner 945 a little too small for my wrist. It’s not that I can’t wear it, but it’s not as comfortable as the Garmin Fenix 6x Pro.
Also, I wanted the largest possible battery that the Fenix 6 series could offer. I have run a lot of kilometers with Fenix 6x Pro, and it does not cause any discomfort due to the weight watch when running.
But maybe it is because of my larger wrist, but I always wear bigger watches which always weigh much more. Therefore, I’m just used to the rather considerable weight of the watch (Before I had Suunto 9 Baro).
Related articles:
- Garmin Acute Load: What you need to know.
- Garmin HRV: Everything you need to know.
- How accurate is Garmin body battery?
- Does Garmin Fenix (Non-Sapphire) need a screen protector?
Conclusion
If the weight of the watch is very important to you, choose the Garmin Forerunner 945, which has almost all the same functions as the Fenix 6.
But if you are looking for something other than the lightest watch, I recommend choosing the Garmin Fenix 6 watch, which is Garmin’s Flagman and has more rugged materials.
After all, both watches are very good, which I think will satisfy all your needs.
