Garmin - Forerunner 255S

Never regretted buying my 255 (non-music).

Garmin Forerunner 255 is available at that price point if you look. It's a good watch, will easily do everything that's needed. 

Garmin Fēnix looks sharpish but costs $$$($?). But you can buy a midrange watch like a Forerunner 255/265 and wear a different watch when dressing up, or just leave it off altogether. Not having all your data for a few hours will be fine. 

255/265 are the lowest model with a full triathlon mode. I'd say the 965 doesn't have anything with the extra money if money's tight

Ehh, you pay a lot of money for extra features on the higher-end models that realistically just don't matter. My FR255 does everything I need it to. 

Garmin FR255, Wahoo Roam v2, spider power meter (Magene P505), intervals.icu The tech is nice but all you really need is a phone. Don't even need a source of heart rate, rpe is sufficient (and for best results on race day understanding your rpe is importantly so get started now).  If I had to start over, I'd get in order: 1. watch: sufficient for heart rate[1], sufficient to record power 2. power meter 3. bike computer[2] [1] this is contentious, but IME it's good enough. Out riding/running I don't need my exact heart rate because I'm going by feel, and back home I don't need my exact heart rate because I'm looking for trends: did I plateau my HR during intervals or was it still rising at the end? My current watch actually tracks against my chest strap very well but my previous watch didn't so much and I still got good data out of it. Plus it's really nice being able to go out with just the watch and not feel like I'm missing anything.  [2] for riding for fun I'd get this first because navigation 

Calories burned won't be accurate no matter what the watch. That said I've been happy with how my Garmin Forerunner 255 counts laps, it's currently on sale for $230

Forerunner 165, 255/265 if you think you're going to get a power meter. 

Don't know about Polar but I've got the Garmin Forerunner 255 (non music) and very happy with it. It's the lowest model that has full tri functionality. 

I've got the 255, the strength training stuff is not great. Rep counting frequently off, HR unreliable, and the analysis is crap. Better off using another app and a chest strap or biceps band if HR is important to your (I'd argue it shouldn't be).  Calorie counting on these things is universally off 

I just switched from an Apple Watch (3.5 years) to a 255. I run and was mostly using my aw as a running watch. As a running watch it was fine, but the battery life sucked and my gps/distance was always a bit off from my friends. I’d much rather a slightly better gps than a slightly better hr sensor. Also, big, physical buttons are also great when doing things when you are sweaty. I didn’t even bother getting a touch screen. From my perspective, I couldn’t find a good reason to buy another apple.

Forerunner 55 for the absolute basics. Forerunner 165 is the cheapest with a AMOLED screen. Forerunner 255, 265, 955 and 965 are just discontinued. In my opinion 955 is the most value for money as it includes mapping. 965 is the same watch as the 955, but with an AMOLED screen. If you don’t need mapping, then go for the 265. It is the same as the 965, but without maps. So if you can find a 955 that would be your best bet in my opinion. Forerunner 570 and 970 introduce unnecessary features, such as microphone & speaker, sapphire glass, shiny metal bezels all of which add nothing to running but do increase the price.

Their training readiness is unfortunately skewed for cardio like running or cycling. Garmin is not very good at measuring muscle load / fatigue. I would go 255 + Chest Strap. Optical sensors are not very good at detecting sudden changes in heart rate so without a chest strap you will notice a lot of lag and it may not properly detect peaks during lifting. Straining your wrist a lot is also known to interfere with HR measurements.

I have been using forerunners (245 and 255) for some years and they're pretty accurate. You still need to manually enable drill mode but it's almost perfect for the basic strokes. By the way, it's worth noting that how it detects styles depends also on your technique.

No. Buy 255. They're not much more expensive but so much better.

I recently got a 255, and love it.

I tried both 255 and 265, if you are okay not having the amoled screen, it is better to get a 255 and save around $180 (cad)

Garmin. I have both. Heart tracking on GW is a joke

Just get one of the garmin watches with heart rate tracking. Their most budget one with a heart rate tracker, is their vivoactive, and it'll set you back maybe 200 bucks. But I'd personally spend a bit more and get the Forerunner 255. I currently have a 255, and it's fantastic. Battery life is about a week, but I also do a good deal of running. I imagine it'd go up to 10-14 days if I didn't use the GPS function while tracking my runs. It works with the Garmin Connect app, and that doesn't require a subscription at all. It'll also sync your activity data with Strava for additional tracking if you wanted.

I think for lifting, there really isn't any watch that can track things accurately. Nor do the watches I recommend have a music feature. I much prefer to listen from my phone rather than my watch. I've found that the 255 is fairly accurate in terms of heart rate tracking on average, at least compared to by chest strap monitor. But it doesn't do HIIT or vigorous exercise very well. Running and even sprinting, it tracks fairly accurately. Barbell complexes and murphs, it's pretty bad. But on a day to day basis, it provides a lot of good data, at least for me.

This is historically not true. The 255 and 955 have been updated with major updates over the last few years that kept them relevant for users and a high quality option for second hand purchasing.

Honestly as a 27 year old that isn’t materialistic and didn’t realize how long my Garmin would live since I went through about 2/3 fit bits … I wish I would of spent the extra $50-$200 for the nicer 265. I got the 255s version and it does everything I need and want it to do. Occasionally it has brain farts but 99% of the issues are resolved by just restarting or refreshing the app. I’ve only had 1/2 runs out of 100s ever not record my distance properly. I’m looking forward to upgrading sooner then I probably would ever of thought because I wanna take my Garmin Forerunner account more seriously and improve on my stats.

It all comes down to the watch screen. MIP vs Amoled. If you haven't own a smartwatch before, then you won't miss what you don't have if you go via MIP route 255. I see my worker's fenix with MIP screen and I prefer the amoled's visibily. I have a 245 and I'm happy with the 265 jump. If budget is the issue I would just go with the 255.

I got a 255 for 250 euros. At the time of my purchase the 955 was at 390 euros. I think that's a good deal.

Forerunner 255 has absolutely everything you can possibly need to help you train.

If you want a good mid level then the 255 is where it’s at. AMOLED has worse battery life.

https://preview.redd.it/wg9d97ipi9if1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f84417b7afba6b5888afae05c3f7b1b9346c075 Im in the same situation, 1 week with the fr255 and i dont miss my AW at all

If you want it only for running, then look at forerunner 255/265 or 955/965 (these with 5 in the middle have MIP screens, these with 6 have AMOLED). I’m recommending these since they’re smaller and lighter, but if you like the looks of fenix 7 go for it. In terms of HR recording you’re gonna need chest strap for running if you want to get accurate measurements. Measuring the heart rate from wrist is good until it come down to trainings with variable intensity, for example the watch alone is very bad at recording hr during intervals. In terms of GPS, fr 955/965 have the best one (multiband gps). The difference is visible when recording next to high building or in the forest. The type of screen is something where you need to see comparison between these two, I’m personally in love with MIP for its visibility when being outside and way better battery life. But everyone prefers something different so this decision is up to you. I personally have fenix 7s which i bought mainly for everyday use and hiking/biking. But I started to run with it and it’s perfect for me. Everyday training suggestions are very nice, especially if you wear the watch all the time. It’s taking many factors into account (for example sleep, stress, training load, your performance and many more) so every training is adjusted to you, no need to think what you should do.

Get a Garmin 255 and just look at some plans / books online, build them in GC and send them to your watch. Loads out there like Pfitz, Daniel’s, Hal Higdon to name a few.

I use an Apple Watch, and a Garmin 255. I like the connectivity of the AW, but I love the analytics the Garmin provides.

I have that same color, love it

Love my Fr 255 💪 https://preview.redd.it/jay3274as8if1.jpeg?width=2007&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ae3a770116ca5c78db8ef5db5a5cf800ddb5726

None, go for the forerunner 255

Smart man! I love mine

I just went from the 255 from the 965 for this same reason

Forerunner 255 is the only answer

https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/s/rBDvRpkJHH I wrote a comment on why I downgraded from the 965 to the 255.

I like my Garmin forerunner 255

we do very similar activities. i’m mainly focused on running, but lift 2x and climb 3x per week with hikes when weather and time permit. i’ve had the garmin forerunner 255 for a few years now and get a lot of really good use from it. i opted for forerunner because of my running focus, but i think it works well for my other activities. as people will note, it’s not going to be perfect for all the things, but in my experience it works well for lifting and has both bouldering and high wall activity settings, as well as a generic “climb” activity that i use when i’m bouncing between both. honestly i have no complaints, but that might just be a me thing 🤷‍♀️. my only other note is that my particular watch is a little dated at this point as newer models have been released. i don’t know much about garmin models beyond the forerunner and venu and can’t say much about epix pro. best of luck on your search!!

The 255 doesn't have training readiness even though it has all the other metrics needed to get training readiness. Also doesn't have maps. If you want either of this features then go for the 955. It if you want a more watch looking watch (if that makes sense) do for the Fenix 7 Pro (although more money they are very good and almost on a par with the Fenix 8 of you don't mind a MIP screen). Any of the options will see you through a marathon, in fact they should see you through a week's worth of marathons!

You’re right, it’s essentially a few extra bells and whistles. I bought the 255s because it was a smaller watch and good enough for what I needed.

2 weeks ago I bought the 255 as training for 10km run. Coming from Apple Watch and so far the 255 are excellent, long battery, easy to set up own training plan or to use the Garmin training program for free. In my opinion for £190 they are better suited for running/ sports use then any Apple Watch.

Look for a certified waterproof refurbished Garmin, maybe in the Forerunner family. Personally I would go back as far as the \_55 models (255, 755, 955, etc.).

I swim with my 255 never take it off. Shower, bath, river, pool, sea. Still going strong.

I have one for about two years. Love the MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) screen, love the super accurate GPS and the battery life. If I were to buy another watch today, it would still be the 255. Very good value

Just had him for 2 weeks. Really amazing watch. Was on sale with Amazon prime. It still going amazing. I'm coming from a fitbit tracker (long ones, not round) and had hard discomfort at my wrist, but I would say that that's on me and what I'm used to. But in terms of what the watch performance, nothing to comment about. Of course 9xx versions are more advanced, but 255 is still rocking.

Hi! Has anyone experienced rashes with running watches? I got a Garmin Forerunner 255 a few weeks ago and I've been experiencing bad ones on my wrists, but only on the part of the watchface/sensor, not the strap. Before this I had a Samsung Gear and it wasn't that bad, I could get a bit of irritation sometimes because my skin is a bit sensitive overall, but that one I could wear for at least 48h straight while this one is literally drawing blood after 12 lmao. I'm still in the return window so I'm thiking of switching for another but I don't want to end up with the same proplem so idk if I should consider any "fiber reinforced polymer" ones, any recommendations of watches with a metal/glass backplate in a similar price range or a bit more?

I went for the Forerunner 255, it's 46 mm and is perfect for my wrists (I'm on the taller end). But something sleek like Vivosmart 5 sounds nice as well! I think the dealbreaker between Fitbit and Garmin (for me) is the app and the way data is presented to you. A more expensive Garmin watch is not going to give much better heart rate readings, step counts, etc. Just battery life. I think Vivo smart 5 sounds like a good pick!

I upgraded from the fr 55 to the 255 a few weeks back. Highly recommend as a great watch with all of the features of high end watch without the massive price hike. The 265 has touch screen the 255 doesn't but have had no issues just using the buttons.

Bought the 255 a couple of weeks ago for triathlon. In all honesty it's really good for the price. Has all the functionality that I want and at that price point how can you say no? I haven't had a touchscreen watch but imo you dont need it the buttons just work so well to go through the menus.

same lol bought mine 2 months ago and dont regret not waiting for the new lineup. Not a fan pf the Amoled as well, so I will be keeping my 255 fpr the next couple years thanks 

Garmin Forerunner 255S! I switched from an Apple Watch to this Garmin and I love it. the integrated running training plans and all of the fitness data is such a huge bonus for me. plus I really enjoy only needing to charge it once a week! I have really small wrists (and am just tiny in general, 5’0”) but it’s not bulky or big on me at all

Yup, what I use. Great battery life and plenty of features. I pair it with a cheap Coospo HRM for more accurate HR - does the job.

I was happy with my 55 and when it came to getting a new watch, I got the 255 rather than the 165. The 255 does have a few more features that make it worth it. I didn't get the 165 for the same reason. I don't want a touch screen and the 55 series has a better battery life.

As a female, I didn’t want anything bulky so I went for the Forerunner 255s. Perfect size. Defo not bulky and has so many sport modes. My first Garmin and I have not regretted it.

>More specifically I’m currently considering the Forerunner 570 because of it’s features. But, also the Forerunner 970 because of the ability to show maps instead of a breadcrub trail variant I don't know where you live, but if it's in the dense city this feature is absolutely golden. I run in the middle of major metropolis and the streets are REALLY tight together, with breadcrumb (I had a 255 for 3 months) I didn't know which one to take, same in the countryside. Never an issue with a 955 which I have right now. Same with Spotify integration - I leave my phone at home. Solved the bank payment issue by getting a Revolut account.

You can see [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/smartwatch/comments/1db9i4s/quick_minireview_of_huawei_watch_fit_3_vs_huawei/) and [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/smartwatch/comments/1e8kcg3/quick_minireview_of_the_garmin_venu_3_compared/) some of my previous mini-reviews. This time I was rather busy when the Huawei arrived so the review is actually after about 3 months of real use and in the meantime I also got some time to compare against the other models in the title. The features that are (still) most important to me: - very comfortable to wear and very clear to read, preferably nice-looking without being “too much” - reliable and preferably with long battery life - reasonably safe/private with my info/data - ideally not locked in a closed ecosystem - right now I find essential the ability to read notifications and answer calls from it - good data quality coming from watch and good presentation of it (on watch but even more so in the app); that has to include good sleep and nap detection - acceptable value for money - ideally some form of safe payment. Comfort – for me from the shortlist in the title the best is Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro (HWF4P), then Venu 3 and then around the same point FR255 and GW7 – but in fact the “normal” Huawei Watch Fit 4/3 is smaller (and more comfortable) and Watch Fit 2 even more so. Display – here things get more complex, on paper HWF4P should have the brightest display but even after the most recent firmware update (which mentioned things regarding max brightness) that does not seem to be the case, in super-sunny places it is somehow bright but Samsung GW7 sometimes looks the brightest and Venu 3 comes close 2nd - so for the moment HWF4P only gets 3rd place. Even that one is somehow debatable, since in fact under super-super-bright sunlight the most readable is by far the trans-reflective (MIP) display from the FR255. From all I still like most Venu 3 where I have a more reliable and fast power-up of the face from AoD (also I like the [face](https://imgur.com/G7HHIG8) itself the most). Here I must also mention that Huawei is the only one that does not have a way to have larger fonts and that IMHO most of the faces available for HWF4P are not designed too clean / elegant / highly visible. EDIT: one other thing that is worth mentioning is the general size vs display size vs "feel size" - the 3 round watches seem similar in size (as they somehow are) but feel a little different, GW7 "feels" the largest even if in fact is the smallest overall (44.6mm = 1.75in) yet has by far the largest display (38.1mm = 1.5in) while Venu 3 somehow feels much smaller even if it is larger (45mm = 1.78in) but with a smaller display (36mm = 1.4in). FR255 is even larger (46mm = 1.79in) yet the screen is even smaller (33mm = 1.3in). Huawei is rectangular 44.5mm x 40mm with an effective display around 35mm x 30mm. Usability on the beach or swimming in the pool in bright sunlight – FR255 is actually the best since on top of the MIP display it also has the 5-button navigation (and no touchscreen), on the other models you need first to lock the touchscreen or make it lock automatically when you start a workout. Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro now has a diving mode - but I did not personally test that – which would make it a competitor for Apple Watch Ultra and Fenix 8 models. I used HWF4P a lot for swimming and the new “Drain” function (similar to Apple Watch) was very handy. Battery life – FR255 is again the best but HWF4P now comes 2nd (and 1st from the AMOLED displays, I suspect that “wake to AoD” instead of “wake to full face” has some role in this) and the 3rd reasonably close is Venu 3, while GW7 is a very distant last (in the same level as Apple Watch models). Depending on how many workouts I do I can easily get 5-6 days from FR255 and about 4 with HWF4P, and Venu 3 is coming just a little behind (all with AoD, extra brightness from Venu 3 clearly takes a larger toll than the one in HWF4P). For me personally the Huawei models are still better for sleep detection, clearly better than the Garmin / Samsung / Apple – one reason is the comfort on wearing it and another is the fact that is not so crazy about fixed sleep hours as Garmin (and Apple) are. I still consider the Huawei ecosystem reasonably private, possibly at the same level as Garmin. Samsung is worse, Apple is for the moment a tad better and Google is probably the worst. For the moment my sleep data stays with Huawei, my workout data with Garmin (and partially Apple which gets some basic info on each workout in the Fitness app). From the shortlist in the title only the FR255 does not have a mic/speaker so it can’t take calls, all other can, but you can still reject/accept on FR255 and then talk on the phone – I mention this since it has the best way to do it using buttons while for the other depends on touchscreen (and for instance on Venu 3 it is sometimes weird/laggy) – probably models like Fenix / FR570 / FR970 are best for calls from Garmin. Initially Huawei modes were the loudest for calls but Venu 3 also got an update and is now almost as loud, Huawei and Samsung GW7 still seem to be better for calls when in a noisy environment. Data quality – GPS – in my tests it looks like FR255 is the best, GW7 most often 2nd, then Venu 3 and HWF4P almost equal – Huawei did a serious progress here from the poor GPS on Watch Fit 2 and only average on Fit 3. EDIT2: On the HWF4P you can load the region/country/continent maps on your watch and then start any GPS activity (like hiking or outdoor running or similar) and then you can scroll up from the main activity screen and get a map of where you are and you can "walk back" to the point where you started (or any other markers that you set), but is not clear if already possible to do full "turn by turn navigation" (as on FR9xx or Fenix/Epix and so on). Data quality – HR – my feeling is that Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is first, then Venu 3 and GW7 but with latest firmware FR255 does not seem far behind. Huawei has added NFC to Fit 4 Pro (and ONLY ONE other model of the rest of Fit4!) so all of the watches in the title now have it, however HWF4P only has payments in 2-3 countries in Europe at this point (I believe Germany, Austria and maybe 1-2 more). Samsung is probably best with Google Pay, main downside for Garmin seems to be that is locking the payment with PIN much too easy if you keep your watch a little bit less tight on your hand but is perfectly usable if you are left in the swimming pool even for the FR255 (which does not have touch, but in fact in the water the touchscreen is not a plus). Value for money – I got all of those on some very good deals so right now it might be a little hard if you want to pick just one – I find that I use the least GW7 (short battery life), I use the FR255 (by far the least expensive) for all workouts and pool/beach stuff and Venu 3 gets most used for daily wear while Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is most used for sleep. Alternatives at this point – not really many with better value for money, for rectangular watches Amazfit Bip 6 is probably one but is less comfortable and IMHO software is inferior to Huawei. In fact, for non-sports use Huawei Watch Fit 4 (or 3 if you find it half-price) could be an alternative for many people. On the other direction in value for money Garmin Venu X1 is almost certainly better than HWF4P but for at least 3x the price, and latest Apple Watch Ultra at 4x, and HWF4P is more comfortable than Venu X1 and much more comfortable than AWU. For round screens if money is not that much of an issue Garmin FR570 (42mm or 47mm) or FR970 have brighter screen and better GPS (plus sapphire screen with DLC bezel, advanced maps and separate flashlight on FR970).

Whatever model you pick for outdoor swimming (I have the very inexpensive now FR255) you should consider getting a biceps strap for it - GPS only works when the watch is out of the water and the more the watch stays above the water the better.

My Garmin run coach plan includes strength. I set it up on Garmin Connect website instead of on my phone today.  So far for the upcoming week it's given me 2 x total body strength workouts and 1 X core workout (pilates style). I can see a demo of each move on my watch (FR255s). The total body workout seems a bit basic if you're used to doing advanced strength work. I'm thinking of keeping the strength days but swapping it out for my own workouts because the strength workouts are stacked with my run days. 

Coming from an Apple watch 7, super happy with the look, feel and weight of this device. The MIP display is gorgeous. Already had a quick run with it, and was kind of disappointed with the HR tracking on the wrist (I was running in rainy conditions), maybe will consider a HR Strap. Battery life is absolutely insane, and the data screens for fitness are really good. I also love that we can preset workouts for the gym and then just play them and follow from the watch. I used to do it from the notes app. I only wish this were solar charging capable. Overall super happy with the switch!

255 can track my football (soccer) workouts.

Inwent for the 255 because I prefer MIP for outdoor visibility. The only thing missing is Training readiness, which is nice to have but not a dealbreaker. The only reason I would go for the 265 is if I knew it would stay supported for 2-3 more years as compared to the 255

Yes, FR255 or FR255s it is. Mid-Low price, great battery, many functions, no fancy bright display, optimized for runners.

Yes, FR255 or FR255s it is. Mid-Low price, great battery, many functions, no fancy bright display, optimized for runners.

FR 255

Then 165 is for you. One factor is the new bright, shiny display, while 255 has more of a functional display.

I would ask yourself what did you like and dislike about the AW9 and then compare that list to the features on different Garmin watches. I just got my first Garmin watch, forerunner 255 and I am happy with it. It was on sale on Amazon for ≈$200. I was looking for a watch that offered basic health metrics like sleep, HRV, pulse ox, etc.. I am a cyclist and I record my rides with the Garmin FR 255 but that is only so Garmin can calculate that into stress score/body battery/sleep needed. For training purposes I’m recording information with a polar heart rate monitor, power meter and a wahoo head unit which I feed into TrainingPeaks. All that to say, I am not demanding a lot of my watch, I would recommend DC rainmaker or GP llama if you want recommendations from users that really put their devices through the paces. To sum up, so far really impressed with the Garmin forerunner 255 especially for the price. I keep learning new things I can do with it thanks to some great threads here on Reddit and videos on YouTube.

+1 really happy with the FR255 too! Also OP, note that there are AMOLED garmins and there are MIP display Garmins...check according to your preference and buy, MIP will give you more battery life but an okish screen (i like it, but comes down to personal preference)

Was on Forerunner 255 and loved it, now on Quatix 7, love the maps and the bigger battery.

Fenix 7 is fine, even without dual band GPS it's still very accurate. I was using Forerunner 255 with dual band GPS but almost always use single band all systems mode and it's still accurate. Now I'm using Quatix 7 which based off Fenix 7 and doesn't miss the dual band.

Go for it. The 255 and 955 currently have the best value. Full of bells and whistles, good battery life because of their MIP screen, and priced right.

Congratulations! I had Forerunner 255 and it was my first Garmin. I love that watch and miss it from time to time. High value, have all the features you need, it has gpx navigation in breadcrumb line form, great battery life, and it's very light on the wrist. I have never experienced inaccurate HR, no cadence lock, and it keeps up with the HR changes. You might try to wear it higher on your wrist and tighten the strap. I also had Coros Apex, that one was all over the place. Often cadence lock, and often late to keep up with HR changes.

I had FR 255 and loved it dearly. Nothing wrong with it, works perfectly, light on the wrist, perfect for runs and my occassional hikes, and it suits my needs. But then I craved for something nicer with offline maps, which I found out pretty useful for hiking and trail runs session. Considered FR955 too but can't get a good price on it. If I hadn't found a Quatix 7 new for $400 in my area, I'd still rocking that Forerunner 255. FR255 is a great watch, better battery life than 265 that supersedes it, with features on par with 265.

Great review of Vivoactive 6! Garmin stepped up the Vivoactive to be more similar with Forerunners and that's a good thing.  Anyway, I always buy Garmins one generation late to avoid paying too much. When Forerunner 265 came out, I bought FR255 for $250 and had a blast with it. And when Fenix 8 becomes the flagship, I bought Fenix 7 based Quatix 7 for $400, and I am now having a great time with it. 

WTF?! 970 only just released. Why would you expect an other one any time soon? Also what does the 970 do that the 255 doesnt? If you struggle to answer that, just stick to the 255 which already works well. Maps are pretty poor and glacially slow on the 970.

Yes it is, especially as it is significantly cheaper than the 965 and 570 (and the 265, which should also be on your shortlist) With the MIPS display it has great battery life, it's a full triathlon/multisport watch, and it has multi-band GPS support. [Full review](https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/06/garmin-forerunner-multisport.html) [Complete beginners guide](https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/07/forerunner-255-complete-beginners-guide-tutorial.html)

I got the Garmin Forerunner 255 as my first improvement from my phone. It is a really solid change that also gives many stats from HR (although not as accurrate). I think the forerunner line is a really good start and will get you all you need for road running (and more), as its multiband gps gets closer than any other to the higher end tracking devices.

255 is perfect. You can get the music version if you want to not carry your phone (I would advise against this though). However be wary that if you want precise hr info on runs, you should get a hr monitor (off brand is cheaper and works wonders for me).

I’ve had multiple garmin watches that did a fine job in swim tracking. It used to be just the higher end watches that had that, but now you can get the lower end (something like forerunner 255) and that will do a great job too. However if you want something with training programs, the Form Goggles are great. I’ve been using them for a couple of years and they’ve been really great. And the number of workouts that you can choose from is excellent. All stokes, wide range of distances/duration. And having a display in your goggle to tell you things like stroke rate, lap speed, time elapsed, number of laps, rest time and your next set in your training is has been really useful. You can even get a compas when swimming outdoors to keep course.

To be honest sounds like you just need a basic Garmin- a 165 or 255 or even 55 would do the trick

I'm assuming HS/collegiate XC... I'd find a Forerunner 255 or 265. They're older models, but don't let that fool you as they both will do everything you're looking for (and more!) at a much lower price point than a 570/965/970.

I bought my 255 a month and a half ago, I am super happy. I took a test at 1:30 p.m. with maximum GPS precision, active backlighting in warnings from dusk (more than half of the test) + route navigation and consumed 75% (from 92% to 17%). I estimate it could have lasted +18 hours, which I suspected since Garmin is possibly lying on the 255's specs to praise the 955.

MIP is fine, even on my 255 with AOD it lasts 12 days, with wrist to wake and notifications.

i have the 255 and love it

I just got one a month ago because it still has a MIP Display, which I prefer for always on.

Get at least the 255. Anything below that and you'll likely miss out again.

probably coros pace 3 or Garmin FR255 you really want good heart rate for systematic training and the coros and garmin training system would give you tons of useful running information like cadence, gct, vertical ratio, elevation, and for your training status, HRV and ATL are very helpful guide to adjust your training plan accoridng to your readiness, seems a lot before you start but once you're in it, pretty straight forward to use

bought my 255 second-hand for $125, great investment

I have the 255 and really like it, has pretty much every feature you'd want and anything the better watches have that it doesn't is not a huge loss. If you really need touchscreen (even tho 55 isn't) get the 165

I respectfully disagree on your opinion of the 255. It may be old but has almost all the same data features as the 265. As far as I’m aware it doesn’t have a training readiness score or some additional native running dynamics (which is a moot point if you use a foot pod). So apart from that small difference and obviously the amoled display, I think it is still a very capable and relevant watch. And one might even argue better than the 265 when battery burn and screen is taken into consideration if you think MIP is better than amoled for outdoor activities 🙂

For weights none of them are great, you should not spend more money expecting better results. If you think you might get a little more serious about running in the future, get the FR165 (or even the 255/265 if you find a good deal). If not, Vivoactive is a good choice.

Edit: why not change the battery of your AW7? Shouldn’t be too expensive normally, and that may help you run the 15k distance without running out of battery. It should still be supported for a few years, so it won’t be obsolete immediately. The FR55,165 and 255 won’t receive any updates anymore, except maybe a bug fix, but don’t expect new features like Apple may still add to WatchOS. I won’t recommend you to get the FR55, it’s just too old and expensive for what it is. Try to look for a 165 or 255, they are more recent and/or have some extra features and better gps (255). https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/s/PoeYUQKgTm And between Garmin and Amazfit, ask yourself if you want a no nonsense running watch or a watch with lots of gadgets and features, which may not all work well or be useful? They’re just 2 different types of watches. Personally I’m still using my FR245 that I got in December 2021, and it’s still working great. I’d love to upgrade, but the most recent version of it, the 570, is just soooooooo overpriced. And I secretly also prefer MiP instead of OLED. 😀

255: Not touch-screen; buttons only

For me, yes. Coming from a touchscreen that was frustratingly over-sensitive (even with a screen protector), it’s much easier to press the button when I mean to. It got to the point that if I got caught in the rain, the watch was responding to raindrops. YMMV, but having now had both, I like big butt(on)s and I cannot lie. 🎶🎤

Fellow Forerunner 255 owner here. Welcome to the family!

Check out the forerunner 255 not too bulky and will do that you need from it. I recently upgraded to the 265 and love it. You can't go wrong with the forerunner range

I missed the touch screen as had it before the 255. The screen is better and more features.

FR255 is not touch screen. I went from VA 4 to FR 255 then to FR 265. The 265 is really good and has the touch screen.

Yes it is!!! I justo bought mine, but not looking forward to do triathlon. It is pretty much the GOAT of Garmin regarding its price. Very happy with the battery, buttons, and I personally love the mip display. I came from fr35 to Galaxy watch 4 classic and now fr255. And yes it is great! If I were you instead of the 965/570 I would go for 955 Solar or non-solar given I love mip( aod with no compromisse on the longevity of the device)... But if you dont need the small extra features go for the 255.

Got the 255 last month moving from Apple Watch and absolutely love it

I would second this, I swim often, both pool and open water, and have the 255 and love it. It is about $100 more but I think the screen is a bit bigger. I am not sure about other differences. I also prefer the MIP display to the AMOLED. To find it on Garmin's website I actually had to google "Forerunner 255" or "Garmin previous models". But it is still for sale last time I checked, along with some other models. From what I've read the 55 is a good watch and is easier on the wallet.

Bought one relatively recently, I wanted MIP but didn't like the Fenix weight/cost. This seemed like the best option, for ~€300. The 255 would have saved €100, I probably don't need all the 955 features but I didn't like the 255 styling. I'm not sure if it is any more "future proof" but maps is kinda neat. I want at least 5 years out of the tech I buy, and with MIP being less and less common I can't see why I would stop using this before it dies.

There are plenty of small differences between the 255 and 265, but the biggest and most obvious is the display. The 255 is a non-touch MIP display. It's basically a less laggy, more colorful Kindle display. The 265 is a touchscreen AMOLED. Will look and feel mostly similar to using an apple watch display. I'm personally an MIP fanboy. Always-on by design, great battery life, and easy on the eyes. But it's not gonna win any beauty contests sitting next to an AMOLED watch. If you can, I'd definitely check out the displays in person. My local best buy usually has a few running watches on display. They may not have the 255 specifically, but any MIP watch will give you an idea of what you're dealing with.

For price the Forerunner 255 is being cleared out, unless you need live segments or maps the 255 is a beauty for running features.

Dual band is great for odd coverage areas but wide open running you're fine. I have a 255 and it's been a fantastic watch. I have a smart watch (Galaxy Watch Ultra) I use as well and the metrics are fairly similar. I do use a chest strap if I'm caring deeply about how my heart rate is doing, but I run to keep healthy and every now and then some races. It'll do everything you need and you'll charge it far less than the big three (Pixel, Galaxy, Apple). But if you want true extension of your phone on your wrist, get the Pixel. At least it's repairable.

Garmin is better for health and fitness tracking. Samsung is better for smart functions.

Or 255 and no reason to upgrade in years

255 is great, only breadcrumb navigation, go see what that looks like. It is ok basic mapping.

255 is awesome and can be found on sales

Yes it is great!!

Foreruner 255 and you are good to go for years to come

255 955 mip second having maps, 965 amoled. You cannot miss with them, you dont need newer stuff

255 is better watch now, and will be in 2029.also, so go for it

Foreruner 255, no music one, on sales can be found very cheap, about 200dollars euros, but it is fantastic one

I use a Garmin 255 and Garmin Connect. That gives all the information I need. It has sleep score, body battery, hrv status, and more.

How? Where? I have a 255 and I don’t have TR.

I have 255 for ~2 years now. Bought it on sale. Love it. Long battery life, I still don’t use ALL the features it offers. Exceeded my expectation for just around $300. Have no plan to buy a new ones any time soon.

I've had a 255 for 4(? Maybe 3) years now. I turn phone Bluetooth off when I arrive at game sites so that im not getting message and email notifications while warming up and between games. Just connect and sync at end of the day. I dont use ref6 as ive already got enough to pay attention to during matches. Ol pen and paper writing still does the job well.

Garmin watch linked to Strava. I also had a good experience using Fitbit linked to Strava with a Pixel Watch 2, but I've found that Garmin just offers more data and more customisation to show the stats and metrics I care about the most. I have a Garmin Forerunner 255. It felt a bit weird and maybe 'backwards' going from a touchscreen Pixel Watch to a buttons-only Garmin Forerunner, but I actually prefer it now that I've learned how to use it. Fitbit would only show my average pace. I can make Garmin show whatever I want, in whichever format I like. The GPS tracking is a bit more accurate, the battery life is a lot better, and there are so many more stats to look at to make sense of my runs and fitness in general.

Garmin Forerunner 255 I had a Pixel Watch 2 before this one, and while it was okay for running, the Garmin is just superior in nearly every way. It was weird vetting used to button controls again after the Pixel's touch-screen, but in hindsight this is better. I had issues using my Pixel watch if my hands were sweaty or if it had been raining - common things when you're a runner. The instant 160-170HR is likely the optical HR sensor actually detecting your step cadence, rather than your heart rate. This is a common flaw of optical HR sensors like those used in running watches. Some are better than others due to how the software interprets the periodic signals and figures out which one is your heart rate - but none are immune to cadence-lock. A typical cadence for slower and experienced runners is 160-170, so this at least seems plausible. The only way to be sure to avoid this is to use an ECG chest-strap HR monitor, which detects the electrical signals that make your heart beat.

I've got the 255 and have no complaints. It does all I could want it to do for running. It's very customisable, battery life is great.

Same. It works great for swimming and cycling for me.

I bought the Forerunner 255 only for running. Great GPS, battery, all needed functions. However, I liked it so much I started wearing it full time.....lol

Guess it depends. I went from the fr255 to a fenix 7 pro and the difference was night and day. During certain workouts the fr255 just wasn’t accurate and when I now compare the elevate 5 to my chest strap they’re pretty damn close

Most of them are decent at hr without a strap but you’d want something with the elevate v5 sensor for the best data and unfortunately that’s fenix only. The 255 or 955 would be the best bet here but the 255 doesn’t have maps. Also the 965 is great if you want oled instead of MIP

I'd look at the FR 255 and 255s. The 255 is larger and has battery life comparable to the pace 3. The 255s is more in your size range but has a correspondingly worse battery life, although certainly enough for regular 5k‘s. I've heard a lot of people say they like the Coros app more than the Garmin app. One thing Garmin has is better music, Garmin pay, and an App Store. Other than that they're very similar, and the same price on Amazon in the US.

I’m upgrading from a forerunner 255 to a Venu 4. Do you all think is a great upgrade?

Just got mine two days ago!! Amazing. I just need to find the right watch face that doesn't drain the battery and hits the numbers I want to see.

Garmin is absolutely the right fit. Garmin Connect exports to Strava automatically. If you're just getting into running maybe the Forerunner 255 if you don't mind not having touchscreen, or 165 if touch screen is a must have, as they'll have 'Suggested workouts' for running and no features you don't need. If you don't mind not having your watch suggest running workouts to you and want a touchscreen then Vivoactive 5 is another suggestion. I'm sure someone will be along in a second to tell you to go wild and splash out on a 265 or a 970 or something like that, but if you're just starting it's complete overkill price and feature wise.

Based on name and stuff on profile I've guessed Indian Rupees, in which case the budget might scrape into a FR255.

255 is GOAT in terms of price/performance. You won’t regret it.

Forerunner 255 is probably where you get the most bang for your bucks. It’s a mid tier watch with MIP (which I think is the best display for these kind of watches). It even has animations of exercises if you decide to try one of the build in exercise programs for yoga. It can’t store music on it though unless you have the 255 Music so keep that in mind. I’ve had mine for a year now and if it suddenly stopped working tomorrow I’d be getting a 255 Music again right away.

I can’t tell the any difference between my heart rate from the 255 alone versus with a chest strap heart monitor.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 255s and it's not overly huge and clunky - and I've got small wrists.

FYI: the FR255, compared to the FR955, 265, 965 less training metrics, missing Training Readiness. FR255/955 Mips display versus Amoled others.

Guess so. Not wearing at night, no HRV. You cannot have the best of both worlds. Then perhaps the FR255 for you.

If the FR165 is an option then better go for the FR255 -top watch for running and less expensive as well.

In these parts the FR255 comes at 250$ equivalent. Not double your FR165 price.

There must be better deals around.

You are using already a good watch. Just so you're aware, what you're experiencing with the heart rate can happen with any watch. It's called "cadence lock". Instead of your heart rate, it's "registering" your walking, running and even cycling cadence. Happens to me with my Garmin Forerunner 255 as well. If you're worried about your heart rate precision, then you'll need a Heart Rate Monitor - one you use around your chest. So ideally your watch should be able to connect to such an external HR Monitor. It depends on your budget, but you can't go wrong with any Garmin, Coros, Suunto etc. especially as sport watches. If you're more inclined towards smartwatches, then they are all good but battery won't last long. Pixel, Apple, Samsung are all fine. Apple and Samsung are limited though as you need an iphone for the apple watch and some features won't be available with a Galaxy watch if you don't have a Galaxy S watch. Pixel should be fine.

I think Cadence lock shouldn't be a thing at all :-). But i got it with my old 245 and now with my 255 as well. Not that often, but can still happen. I use an HR Monitor anyway so that should be solved. Also it's interesting that wearing a nylon strap reduces issues with heart rate monitoring on the watch a lot compared to the silicon strap

If you're strapped for cash, go for the 255 (with the only major differences between it and the 265 being the AMOLED+touchscreen display - which not everyone prefers - and the Training Readiness metric). But if you're needing full mapping, then probably the 955 will be best. Also, the 975+275 will likely be here in Q2, so that might help push prices down, though it sounds like your Apple watch is needing a replacement pronto.

No watch is good at calories burned. Garmins are good at running but read the reviews regarding strength training. Training readiness is based on really questionable science. The sleep tracking is a shitshow - check DC Rainmaker's comparison with an actual sleep study, and numerous threads here. What were you hoping to spend? Lately I think the 255 is probably the best value for someone who runs. I can kind of see where the right watch would be an improvement over the traditional notebook, golf pencil, and maybe Timex for strength training, but I'm not sure if Garmin or anyone has implemented that.

Forerunner. 255 or fancier. It's worth mentioning that lifting weights quantifies pretty badly. I'm not sold you'll get useful data. The sleep functions on smart watches are also mostly for your entertainment only, and turn off training readiness if you want it to do daily suggested workouts and training plans that function in a robust and predictable way. The 900-series models can show you a map, which is pretty cool if you're experimenting with routes in an area you don't have memorized. You can build routes for any of them and following a disembodied route without a map isn't as bad as I expected, but not great either. Mostly GPS is used to record so you can see where you ran and get good pace, distance, and elevation data without having to run on measured tracks.

Garmin Forerunner. Borrowed my first one explicitly for Couch to 5k. I think pretty much all of them will work but I think the 255 is probably peak value at the moment. My current model is the 165 but it's crippled. The ones ending in 65 are close to the same as the ones ending in 55 but have a nicer and also more expensive screen. The ones starting in 9 add maps and some advanced training features for cyclists and triathletes and are more expensive.

Missing a bunch of analysis features and support for other sports. Meanwhile the 255 is still available and the 265 is getting cheaper.

I had a 610 years ago and a 700-series a different time. Might be getting it backwards. I think there's always been a 900-series? The intermediate models tend to wander, though I think they've usually had a 200-series as well. I had a 230 for a while and I know there was a 245, 255 and 265, so it was a reasonable assumption that there'd be a 270. DC Rainmaker kind of hated the 165 and 265. Like his reviews really read like he thought we should get Instincts instead. He's also been talking about how Garmin is maybe trying to rationalize their line. So maybe now it's Lifestyle watches -> Instinct -> FR 570 -> FR 970 -> Fenix -> higher-end Fenix variants. I dunno... I was really waiting for this because I wanted to at least wait a generation before replacing my 165. But the price hike in the 970 is kind of a shock. Maybe I'll do a 965 in a bit, now that there's something to make it last year's model. Now that I have AMOLED I don't really want to go back, especially if part of my deal is wanting maps.

Sounds like a good plan. I can't remember which Fenix was the first to be a dive watch but the only other is the much more expensive Descent. If you don't need the additional features from the Descent and the Fenix replaces a dive computer, it seems like you end up getting a really good value. It's worth comparing to some of the Forerunners if the dive aspect doesn't look that strong to you. I think the 255, 265 and 570 do everything you need for actual training functions. The 955, 965 and 970 add maps and the 970 adds a running tolerance function that might be helpful for marathon training. How much do you run now? Do you have a training plan picked out? While Garmin has all of Daily Suggested Workouts, adaptive training plans, and fully pre-set training plans, they all have their issues for a marathon. I actually quite like DSW but more for filling in the gaps and helping maintain balance. https://lifehacker.com/health/what-its-like-to-train-for-a-race-with-garmins-training-plans

FR 255. It has some cool features to help you ramp when you do a Half Marathon build. Still available but it's a couple models back and pre-AMOLED, so they're priced pretty competitively. There's a smaller 255S model.

FR 255. It has some cool features to help you ramp when you do a Half Marathon build. Still available but it's a couple models back and pre-AMOLED, so they're priced pretty competitively. There's a smaller 255S model.

DC Rainmaker has some pretty good reviews, including of Amazfit et al. Generally people who like smartwatches generally find Garmin just ok at being a smartwatch. I feel like they're good enough to find out I really dislike them in general without spending extra money, but my wife and daughter both wear smartwatches most of the time. As a sports watch, I think the bottom-tier Forerunner is pretty disappointing. The 200- and 500-series models give you a much broader feature set, though of course it comes at a price. I think the 255 is probably still peak value since the 265 got a nicer screen and price hike without a lot of new features and the 570 came out earlier this year and is the current model. The Instinct 2 could also be a good pick. There's a comparison tool on Garmin's website. DC Rainmaker too, I think, and he'll let you compare across brands. When I came back to running in like 2011 or so, I just wanted an interval timer. Since then I've really appreciated pace and heart rate feedback and tracking and lately training load/load focus and Daily Suggested Workouts. Also lactate threshold auto detection because that field test sucks!

265. If money is a concern, 255. Training Status/load/load focus is really cool, and missing on the 165.

I'm kind of confused by your post. Do you run and do triathlon? Are you training for Half Marathons and Ironmans? There's another comment here to this effect but for me, Garmin's watches are really good run computers and can be a bike computer replacement if you don't need mapping and they're honestly just-ok at other things. If you like smartwatches generally and your expectations have been set by the Apple Watch, you may be disappointed. So basically whether you like Garmin or not comes down to whether you are actually training in endurance sports and using the training and analysis features. There are a decent number of people who are interested in endurance sports and also like smartwatches who accept Garmin for being good at endurance sports even if they're not that happy with them as smartwatches. It's honestly a little hard for me to judge. I generally avoid Apple products and don't really like smartwatches. So if my Garmin is good at helping me make the most of the time I spend running, I'm satisfied. For that, I think the 255 is a kickass value and kinda wish I got that instead of the 165. (Which is arguably better at being a smartwatch.)

Paywall? My £200 or so forerunner 255 lasts 7-10 days and that’s with my doing 4 activities a week. If I don’t use it that can go up to 10-14 days.

Garmin Forerunner 255, affordable and can be used for other activities too

I Had the FR255 and switched to a FR265 lately only for the amoled. I have never used the Touch since... Most Times it annoyes me because i am pushing it accidentally... The Buttons are so intuitive, you wont need the Touch. I Just didn't Like the mips

I came from a Samsung Galaxy watch and was used to the amoled for years. The mips is ok but the amoled is more fancy and i just Like it more. But i got it on a Sale for 250€... I guess i would still use the 255 otherwise because for me the 140€ for Just the Display would be too much too.

Having used both, the 255 is the better watch, and the only time I'd go for the 165 is if you really must have the AMOLED screen and don't care about anything else. The 255 has dual band GPS (more accurate) and a bunch of other fun stuff. Here's a comparison: [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=780139&compareProduct=1055469](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=780139&compareProduct=1055469)

not sure which features I'm I missing using my 255 comparing to this

for 99% of the time, I use earphones, so I don't need mic and loudspeakers HRS I use a band so at least for me, not enough arguments

I just got one myself refurbished to try out coming from aw 6. Like you the heart rate seems off. Love the battery life though and the daily work outs. I also wear traditional watches so idk if the battery life really matters to me much since I’m just using it for running. My goal is to get a faster 5k and I don’t really want to have subscriptions even though the cost of the subscription would be 2 years worth of the price of the garmin. Overall I’m really enjoying it though. Might try to get a chest strap to help with the monitoring.

I currently have a 255 I’m trying out from my Apple Watch. I really do enjoy the stats after a run and the battery life. And the recommended workouts since I don’t like subscription base applications. Plus the circular design and being different from everybody else with Apple Watches. But I’m really wondering if I should keep it or not. I personally don’t like having a device with inconsistent heart rate readings. I can wear both devices and at rest they are the same, but when I start an exercise like a hitt workout, jump rope, or just the gym it doesn’t seem to match what I’m feeling. And I don’t want to wear a chest strap since I’m more a casual runner. Honestly just don’t have the time to commit to more runs with kids, work, etc so I’m mostly trying to get a quick 30 minute home workout. Plus I also like to wear traditional watches from time to time so the battery situation with both devices don’t affect me. Maybe I’ll try the new AirPods Pro that track heart rate and combine that with garmin to see if I like that combination.

I just recently got the FR255 - and aside from basic smartwatch functions, what I expected to use is just what you said. I've already found I'm using more of it's features than those though !

Garmin Forerunner 255 currently

You can get a Garmin Edge 530 for around that - few models old, but same as I use. Or if you prefer a watch (might want heart rate data?), then Garmin Forerunner 55/255/165. Let me know if you need more info on them, know the watch range pretty well these days.

Yea definitely Garmin for that. I’d add that Coros HAS HRV you just need to interpret and ignore the given recovery time.  The 255 has the best features if you don’t mind lack of touchscreen (that bothered me when I tried it as was fiddly - despite only using buttons on Pace 3 and not minding). Both 255 and Pace 3 are decent watches and pretty eauivalent in terms of training metrics. Would choose based on preferred ecosystem as they are very different. 

If you're very serious about fitness and working out, Garmin, no question. I like the GW for day to day, but I put a Garmin on my wrist for the gym and runs.

I’ve had my 255S for 2 and a half years and am training for my second marathon with it. It is running strong and does everything I want from it. I recently looked at the 570 and 965 to see what extra features they have and I didn’t see anything that I thought was worthwhile. Use a tiny bit of the money you save by not getting a more expensive watch to get a chest heart rate monitor and it will serve you nicely

So one always thinks they need a touchscreen on Garmin, and everyone really feels they need it, but after just one month, almost everyone I know, says they almost never touch the screen, the ui is so obviously made for the buttons and that also saves the battery. The exact same thing applies to amoled, everyone’s (except those with serious eye sight issues), I’ve heard say they would have loved mip cause it’s always on without consuming battery - so you can always keep experimenting with watches faces without fast battery consumption. Thus I don’t know whether you should get the 965 or not, but you could consider it on all these metrics. If you asked me which one, I’d say enduro 3, and if you can fork up more money Fenix 8 solar. 965 has the older 4th gen sensor and that’s the heart of the watch. If you’re on absolute budget, and are ok with older sensor then 255 and if you need a new sensor but don’t have the budget for enduro 3 then 570. But that’s cause I am very biased to forerunner.

If you need the better heart sensor then 570, else 165, but if you need 570’s features but 165 price and can live with mip (which is better battery wise imo) plus the older sensor (same in 165) then 255. Btw the evening report is total bs so 255 doesn’t miss anything in that way.

Get the 570, if not then 970, the new sensor itself Is worth it, if not the new sensor then get the 955 (or even 255) - there is no space for 965 imo

255 if you’re ok with 4th gen sensor, else 570. But you may not even need 255s features in which case 165

https://preview.redd.it/wg00wg5u3hif1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a067ad2ae2dfe602c75ed8dcd675a2f71be21129 Just grabbed the 255 and love it!! I didn’t upgrade from anything so it’s all new but did a ton of research and used AI to give me some options based on all I wanted to do. I run, Ruck and bike.. didn’t think I really needed a number of other bells and whistles that come with some of the others.

Curently i have an Apple Watch Ultra and a garmin 255. Used them both for more than a year but after 8 months I only took the garmin for runs. Now I don’t take it at all. It’s good at tracking runs and bike rides but pretty useless the rest of the day. Also kinda useless in strength training.

FR255 is great for this. I use a Walking activity without GPS turned on. Based on the step count, I adjust the distance approximately.

If you do regular sports, get the watch with 5 buttons, it is so much better in daily use for sports. As for features, the FR255 does Everything you need, its only incremental updates since then. If you want maps for running, to follow a course, there is the FR955. All other aspects are more about wants, taste, looks, preference, in terms of needs, FR255 fills all the needs for doing sports. Which is also ok. A watch is also a fashion statememt, something that you look at all day, so choosing something that you like is also a factor. ECG, PulseOx, etc. are not that useful in real life, in my experience.

FR255 Big fonts, easy to read. Big buttons, easy to press. I removed all the non used functions from everywhere on the menus.

M61 VO2Max 56. Delighted with my 1 yr old 255 that replaced my 245. Love the display on the 265 but I’m certain the Amoled display won’t help me run further or faster

I just had this argument. 255 was reduced to £200, bargain, the 265 wasn’t worth the price increase to £320. But I wanted the 255M so no need for a phone when running, that’s £240. My friend then introduced me to the offer of the Epix Pro Gen 2, reduced to £370 from £740. It has maps, music, all the 255-265 and Fénix options, whilst looking beautiful and more watch like. Had it for a few days now and so glad I did. Everything the 255-265-955 and Fénix can do, at a fantastic price point, with the luxury feel of a £900 watch

From what I read in beta thread on 255, it is going to have lactate threshold HR, pace, and power with optical HR ( means w/0 chest strap) . I am not in beta so can't say how accurate it is. But FYI. That said 255s has been a game changer for me, came from years of non-watch running ( used phone's gps to track runs). It is great for short bursts ( speed or v anerobic work) of runs. It's sleep tracking and overnight rhr and hrv give a good second opinion . The first is how you feel after waking up ... I didn't buy 265 because it is more expensive. I don't care for full color / touch screen Hope this helps

I got the 255 last week. I came from a broken Venu sq 2 that didn’t last 2 years. I’m very happy with it so far. Loads of features and data that you can enjoy or ignore. I don’t run much these days but am in the gym on their cardio machines and tracking sets on the watch for dumbbells and we bike in the summer outdoors. The screen is bigger but it hasn’t annoyed me. I’m still figuring out having music on it but that’s the only thing. https://preview.redd.it/1p5e327asdse1.jpeg?width=2735&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad4b219cd990b2a89893c3c78cba2f96b5bb5dbb

255. Right for your running and cycling. Good batt and price. Epic too.heavy. HR can be less accurate if excessive bounce from running or excessive bounce on bike from uneven roads.

255 aren't getting the newest features of Garmin but it is still getting updates. At least my still does. (See attached) If you are interested in features, perhaps you can get 165 as Garmin usually bring all its features down to the next series, aka 955 to 265 and 255 to 165 etc. Just that I am not a fan of the always on/off feature of the Amoled screen to save battery. Even with that, battery still takes a hit. https://preview.redd.it/y471qhmf3tnf1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bb215ffddf8b81511438350c30f58b58af3e003

Buttons are way easier than touchscreen. No worries about water. Also less batt drain.

If you are not going beyond 20k be it running, cycling or walking, map is not really a necessity. With that in mind, a 255, 165 or 265 would be more manageable without breaking your bank. You can check out their features.

Agree. 255 is a pretty solid watch without the always on/off nonsense and good battery.

Wait till 255 fails unless you have too much money to spend. I would rather go 955 or Enduro 3 rather than the always on/off Amoled 970. But as long as my 255 is working, I will not switch.

255 or 165 is good enough for an average runner, so definitely they are good.enough for beginners. Many people are just chasing features only to look at them without actually knowing how to maximise them. In fact, if you follow DC Rainmaker and Desfit, even they also do not know what is the real life application for some newer features except that watches with them cost more. No need to fall into the trap of FOMO and chase those, cause very soon, you will want that climb pro, and then stamina, and then... the list goes on. You cousin would have told you prices of Garmin watch is getting crazy this year. As for maps, you can definitely import from others or create your own or Garmin Connect Courses. By the way, 255 and 165 are able to help you follow the maps bread crumbs style. Enough for beginners. Curious about 'pass you map and stuff'. So what is the stuff? Usually we use the word, 'and stuff, and others' when we run out of things to add to the list. In conclusion, 255 and 165 are decent enough watches for beginners. However, if you think training readiness is something you really need and you are able to make use of it, plus you have the extra cash, go ahead and get that. Just remember that once you get into the ecosystem, there are many more features to entice you to upgrade. Like very soon, you will see ppl here recommending 900 series Forerunners for their full mapping features. Have fun training with your forerunner. p.s. I have trained with 1% training readiness countless times and I am still able to type the whole chunk of text and not drop dead. So there is no need to be too obsessed over an algorithm analysis, okay.

Between the two, 165. It has all essentials for running and would be able to meet your training needs. However, would always prefer 255 to the other two due to the MIP display which gives it better battery durability although it is older. Might not get the latest features but Garmin is still updating it. It is a solid running companion.

Just to give another point of perspective. I just decided to upgrade from my forerunner 255 to the race. Garmin touts with all their fancy metrics but in the end it really didn't matter for my actual day to day Training. Most of the time the metrics are already information you basically get while listening to your own body or they are not reliable enough to really matter in your training decisions. The only post workout metrics I somewhat care about are vo2 max, lactate threshold, overall training load, hr and race estimates. Most others competitors also deliver these metrics and in the end they all just estimate these values anyway with about the same accuracy. I also had a lot of issues with cadence lock on my forerunner so I got used to training with an HRM belt on any workout. What really gets me on my Garmin is the cluttered app and navigation/rout management. You can get all the information you want and customize but I really don't think the app is nice to use.

I would get a 255 and stick with Garmin coach / DSW and see how it works for you. Some people are more than happy whit that while some others prefer Runna. If I can, I always try alternatives rather than just relying on yet another expensive subscription these days.

The forerunner's will be fine. It comes down to preference, do you want LED or MIP screen? Do you need maps? Something like the 165 or the 255/265 will be more than fine. 955 if you want maps. 965 if you want maps+LED screen. Instinct 2 and 3 will work too, its just more rugged basically. All of them are solid, road and trail runner friendly.

Just got mine on Thursday! Im from South Africa and they go for about R8000 or $450. For some reason the coral blue one was on special for $280. Fastest buy of my life.

If body tracker and sleep tracking are the main points I would say Garmin. For me body battery has always been spot on. The recovery on Coros is not great. It only takes your exercise activity into account not your sleep or how stressful your day has been

If you want amoled then the 165 but 255 is pretty much 955 minus the maps.

I have the 255s forerunner. I would recommend a forerunner over the touch screen fitness trackers because they won’t mind if you have water or sleeves over them when the weather is murky, they can be controlled through buttons alone. They won’t activate NRC or Strava but if you sync your Garmin to push your workouts to them you won’t need to. Any forerunner should control music, some let you sync with Spotify or other services for even offline use as you are an android user (not available on iPhone and/or Apple Music).

I already got sick and tired of touch screens with my Apple Watch and I have disabled phone notifications on my Garmin. I got a forerunner 255s which doesn’t even have a touch screen. Most Garmins can be used with buttons only with a locked screen. Dripping sweat, rain and sleeves really screw with touch screens - plus where I live we have like 6 months worth of snow so needing to take off my gloves and disable a screen lock before being able to pause my workout is an annoying PITA. That, and I need to charge only every few days even with my small watch with a smaller battery and regular exercise. I was not even considering a pixel watch and will probably opt for a barebones forerunner or instinct in the future too.

255 is one of the greats.

To be honest I quite like the breadcrumb navigation from the 255. Still think it is the biggest bang for buck Garmin watch

Garmin Forerunner 255 is great for this! fairly expensive I suppose but not bank-breaking like some of the others

also I don't like AMOLED, too bright :D 255 great, only downside for me battery life for ultras

Forerunner 255 is a much better sports watch

I bought a forerunner 255 and there is comfortably waaay more information on there than I will ever need. The level of detail is insane.

FR255 is pretty old now + 2 years and thus is a very mature product. Its still getting the odd new feature, but those are generally ones that most garmin models are getting. It is still part of the beta program and is still getting quarterly updates but those will mainly feature around fixing bugs with potentially the odd improvement. Wouldn't expect new features. Run is very new so i would expect a decent level of support, etc for the next 2 years, though suunto drops are not as regulated as garmin. There are loads of reviews online - DesFit, DC Rainmaker, Chase the Summit etc that all generally base a review on +1 month's use. And loads of others you could also look at their reviews. Garmin has more built in training features (garmin coach, Daily Suggested workouts, Race glance, built in intervals, built in workout download/creation option), however both will happily pull from a variety of training platforms - garmin may have slighly more connectivity in this regard.

Which Forerunner do you have? I have the 255 and have been appalled by the open water activity they have.

Como GPS el 255 debe ser mejor, porque es multibanda. Se posiciona mejor en ciudad con edificios altos, o si nadas en el mar. Sobre si cuenta repeticiones, creo que el 255 lo puede hace (el Vivoactive no lo he tenido), pero puedes mirarlo en los manuales de cada uno.

Garmin 165 but you have to select each sport swim bike run as separate activities. Or get a 255 / 265

Previous Garmin broke. Bought a 255 last week for €235. The previous weekend I spend the same on dinner and drinks with my wife. Something taht costs the same as a night out and will keep me on track fitness wise for the next 2-4 years is an absolute bargain.

How far do you want to run, when you say XC do you mean defined courses or trail where mapping might be useful? If Mapping may be useful 955/965 these are bothe premium watches. The 955 comes with MIP display and I think is the best value watch out there. 965 same watch with amoled screen. If you may want mega distances (100km plus) maybe enduro 2/3 but that is lots more money. If you don’t want maps 255 or 265. Same as 9 series, the 255 is MIP

Bets bets I would say would be 255 or if you might want napping 955. Although recovery metrics are based on how you recover and you need Garmin to be on you measuring. That said a lot of people criticise Garmin’s algorithms for sleep and recovery. Personally I have 955 on all the time and love it.

If you Don’t need maps the 255 is great. I think the best value is the 955. I love having the maps and heading off to explore trails

Best part about this watch is the music part!!!

I have AirPods and have had zero issues. I use Spotify for my music. I’m sorry that’s happening for you. The music is one my favorite parts of owning this watch.

Garmin forerunner 255 does all the things u mention. It’s a sports watch and not a smart watch. I do get text messages and phone notifications but that’s about it 👍🏼

Same here, came from an Apple Watch SE 2 to a Forerunner 255. The battery life is genuinely insane… went from charging 2 times a day to 1 time every week.

I have and love the Forerunner 255s in pink. If I may, I would also highly recommend USB-C (or whatever her phone charger is) to Garmin adapters - you can get a 3-pack on Amazon for about $10. I keep one in my travel bag, one on my nightstand, one on my living room side table. I can just pop the adapter onto my phone charger cable and it becomes a watch charger! My sister in law gifted these to me and it's been sooo convenient to be able to use the longer USB-C cable and to charge watch easily in multiple rooms, even if I'm only needing to charge once or twice a week.

Yeah I have a forerunner 255 and it's so good too. I actually recently discovered too that the charging cable actually supports data transfer as well when you connect it to a PC. It shows as a removable device with about 4GB of memory. Haven't searched what it's for but I assumed to download local music ?

My understanding is this: Feature wise: Forerunners are fully equiped Rugged wise: Fenix = forerunner + rugged. Instinct = cheaper forerunner + rugged Lifestyle: Venu Simplest and cheapest forerunner that does all: Forerunner 55. Older model, cheap and pretty cool feature wise: forerunner 255 Full featured forerunner: 570 some cool new shit with training readiness and other stuff for data nerds Most expensive one: 970, 570 but with even more metrics I don't understand and coloured maps

I have the 255, but I doubt I would even miss much with a cheaper one.

Super super good. Have had mine for 2 years. Some friends and my dad have the 265 and the only noticeable difference to me is the better display

The Lily is not a place to start they are an insult and described by Garmin as a fashion watch it doesn't even have built in GPS unless you buy the Lily 2 Active, the Vivoactive series lack altimeters. Coming from an Ultra and running at a few marathons a year the Fr255/265/955/965 would all suit you at a reasonable price. Garmin has outdated software and the UI and UX is terrible but they track activities well. Any of these watches will give you a great deal of data that is fun to look at but around 80% of it is not needed. You can use the compare tool on the Garmin website to compare the features of 5 watches at a time. That is a good place to start. Are you set on a Garmin or would you be interested in another brand? Sunnto and Coros have great watches at far better price points and with better feature to price ratios. As for you U2 you can control what notifications you get (FYI you don't have to get any) and you would get a great deal more battery if you just bought a chest strap for your runs.

Understand that even though Garmin has introduce a strength trainer, strength training has always been and always be an afterthought for Garmin, you will need a third party app to get any decent data. People have suggested the FR970 - overkill wth features that most will never use, understand or take action on, are they fun to look at - yes but they certainly are not needed unless you are a professional runner and even then you don't need half of them. The Fr255/265/955/965 would all suit your needs.

I had a fr265 and sold it. The software is outdated and the smartwatch features are very basic and nothing like what Apple provides, you need your phone close by to get notifications and you can’t respond. The FR255 also has a MIP screen which is very dull and drab especially compared to the S10. The heart rate data is also off - you’ll need a chest strap to get accuracy for running with the FR255.

Buy the Garmin. Runna is not worth the cost and you will get far better use out of the watch.

I wouldn't buy the FR570, well overpriced for what you get, the FR265 is the better watch in this scenario. The FR255/955 would be good choices as well.

The MIP screen is something to get used to. Dull and drab. Garmin Connect is a disaster. The FR255 is essentially the MIP version of the FR265. It is a decent watch. You will need a chest strap to get accurate HR data while running. It lags and gets cadence lock.

I have the forerunner 255 and love it. It’s definitely made me more active in terms of tracking steps etc and getting back into running.

I have had a 255 and now have a 965. Love them both. 965 is a nice upgrade. 955 is currently on sale for $650 at rebel so it’s a good investment. The forerunner are for runners 😉 so you can’t go wrong. Just depends on your budget

The 255 music does

I had a fenix 5 for many years and recently replaced it with an Epix. I love my Epix, it looks great, does everything I need it to and is bullet proof (and would cover all your bases). The catch is, it's insanely expensive (I got mine in a big sale). Wife has a forerunner 255 and it is fantastic too - smaller, lighter but has all the real world capability my Epix has. I would absolutely buy a Forerunner (probably 265) if my Epix broke tomorrow. Forerunner 265 will have a great screen, mega battery, great HR / sleep tracking etc, all the activity recording you could ever dream of etc. The Epix does have mapping on the watch - personally I have never really used that because I have OS on my phone and have paper maps. I also disabled the touchscreen because the buttons are just as functional and neither are worth the extra several hundred quid IMO. Personally I don't like the look of the instinct but that's just me!

I have the forerunner 255. And I use it for training and 70.3’s. Works like a charm.

Agree... If you just want to track workouts get a cheap previous gen model e.gfr255. 965 would be overkill

Also this one but it only comes in MIP display right? Might feel like a step down from an Apple Watch

Forerunner 255 has worked great for me for swimming

I just got a Forerunner 255, and I love it, plus it was on sale. I had the 735xt previously

It's already outdated (but still do more than 165). That why you can buy it at that price so don't expect anymore new update (same as 165,265,955, 965, Epic Pro etc) but the good thing is it's more stable/less bugs.

At that price 255 if you can live without touch screen. BTW Epix Pro at 370 is a steal but if you don't need map, climbing features, rugged &heavy case, 255 is more than enough.

IDK. 955 is maybe Garmin's most bang for your buck. However, look-wise it isn't much different from 255 why pay another 120 more if you don't need map, music, touch screen and climbing features. On the contrary, Epix Pro (Gen 2) looks much nicer but that's another more 80.

If you can find 255 (more or less same price as 165) that would be better as 55/165 doesn't have gyroscope sensor, so it relies only on accelerometer to detect your stroke. 165 and 255 both have the same heart rate sensor but 55 uses older sensor.

For 300€ budget, you can still buy Swim 2 from Amazon for only 200€ or Forerunner 255 for around 240€. If you want a new model, maybe Vivoactive 6 for 290€. In pool swim mode after you set a pool lenghth, it only uses movement sensor (accelerometer or/and gyroscope) not GPS. From my experience, it's quite accurate.

I thought you're better with 955 instead of 265. Almost the same price but 955 has more feature for runners, hikers such as ClimbPro, Maps etc unless you really needs an vivid screen. 255 has almost everything from 265 except Training Readiness which some feel it's useful. So you can make a swim workout plan in Garmin app and upload to 255 or 265.

255 is better as a sport watch if you can live without touch screen.

From forerunner 55 to 255 to 265 and currently apple watch ultra 2. With the ultra 2, you can leave your phone since it has lte and can receive calls and txt during your activity (can’t receive messenger calls). You can also listen to podcasts and audiobooks (via audible) without being connected to the phone. With Garmin you get to enjoy the Garmin coach and the daily suggested workout which is a big help para di na problem anong run gagawin mo. You just let the watch choose for you. You can get Runna app if you want a coach sa apple but it’s not free. All in all Im very satisfied with my ultra 2 for my use case. Maybe different from yours as you may want to bring you phone for taking photos which I see a lot of people do nowadays.

F255 is solid, lightweight and gives robust result with a pretty decent experience as a smart watch.

This depends on how you want to track your sessions. Some people prefer to start "strength training" when enter a gym and stop it at the end. I use my watch to follow my program like described here: [https://gelberhut.com/strength-training-with-a-garmin-in-a-gym/](https://gelberhut.com/strength-training-with-a-garmin-in-a-gym/) If you want to do the same - a watch which allows to adjust weight/rep number using the touch screen is handy. I know that venu3 and F8 support this, not sure about other models. PS: Not that long ago, Garmin released strength coach (https://gelberhut.com/garmin-strength-coach-what-is-it-and-what-can-it-do/), if you want it: check one of Garmin Venu 3, Garmin Fenix 8, Garmin Vivoactive 5, Forerunner 255, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 955, Forerunner 965.

A forerunner is a fitness product with lifestyle features. An Apple Watch is a lifestyle product with fitness features. Whilst it’s not overkill to have a Garmin if you’re a casual runner, it’s not going to do the day to day lifestyle stuff as well as the aw will. Conversely the aw won’t do the running stuff as well. Personally, if you’re interested in a garmin and not a super serious runner I’d look at a 255 before a 265 - largely the same watch barring a different screen and a much lower price tag.

Garmin forerunner is a sports product with some lifestyle features. Apple Watch is a lifestyle product with some sports features. I wear a 955 24/7, have done for years, works perfectly for what I want. My wife converted from Apple Watch to 255 because she got fed up of battery life and wanted something more suited for running and triathlon. My kids have a variety of hand me down Apple Watches and garmins and they get very frustrated at how bad the Apple Watch is for sports recording compared to the garmins.

The battery is voodoo in my 955 - I charge it for maybe 30 minutes a week, with the occasional longer charge to fill it up. It used 50% to record a full Ironman (13ish hours of HRM connection, full GPS, no battery saver turned on, connected to bike sensors). The 255 isn’t as good but is still incredible. Sleep tracking is good - duration and “quality” agree with my own observations so I trust it.

I use the 255 for running (did my first half a couple weeks ago) and it’s amazing. I don’t use it for anything else. Strength and CrossFit and stuff I just track it in a spreadsheet.

I went from charge 5 to a forerunner 255, much more capable watch then the fitbit, and it actually can be used as a watch with the aod. The battery life is amazing, roughly 2 weeks per charge. The only thing I miss is fitbits sleep tracker which I feel was much better.

Got mine last Friday as well, great choice!

Forerunner 255 or 265

FR255

I pointed them out as I have the 255 as well! Great toy

Forerunner 255 price just went down a few weeks ago. $200 usd for the normal one, 250 for the music version. I feel like it has every feature you need, maybe even more than you need. Definitely the best value right now

Happy with my first Garmin fr 255. Previously I had to make sure my Apple Watch is charged before going to bed so that I can last through a workout next morning. Now one less thing to worry about it. I also kind of like the MIP screen, even after Apple Watch. It simply shines outdoors. I’m happy it gives all the fitness metrics out of the box, including training plans and training status. There’s a lot to learn about for sure! The only feature I miss from my AW is full map support although breadcrumb navigation works pretty well, too. I’m considering 955 as a possible upgrade down the road but so far so good!

My impression is while there are newer forerunners, the improvements over 255/265 are quite modest. It really depends on your needs and type of screen you prefer.

Not sure, it does what I need and will continue to do so. It is still getting some updates. Also, I bought it on a good discount and I was sure I would be able to sell it in the worst case, so there was little risk.

I picked the 255 over the 955. Twice in the last year I wished I had maps. Battery life hasn’t been an issue and I’m not a fan of touch screens. I wish the hr tracking was better and that’s about it but all these use the same elevate hr module. Apart from my consumerist urges i can’t see any reason to upgrade the 255. For me 255 is the perfect Ironman triathlon watch.

165, has amoled and in general a better fitness watch when you want to take fitness more seriously. I chose the 255 over the 165, worth considering for you...really happy with it. I prefer mip over amoled for the visibility in direct sunlight and battery life.

Very good purchase, it is the best Garmin watch I have had to date!

I currently have a 970 and come from the 255. My advice is that you buy a 255. It's a great watch! 👍🏻

i'm with everyone.. not going to tell you it's overkill.. if having it encourages you to go for a run, it's worth it. but i will also echo u/aveChristusRexxx the 255 has got you covered

Cyclist here - FR 255 has been great general watch and for most activities. For athletes - you need a sports watch than a smart watch IMHO. I gave my pixel 2 watch to my wife and then later upgraded to pixel 3 for her. I won't get one myself even though I have enough Google credits to make it super cheap. Battery life is terrible on smart watches with fancy screens. I charge mine while I shower and that's it. Goes multiple days even with short events on gps recorded. There is always something better, faster, shinier but this was the best value choice for me

I love my forerunner 255!

IMHO, Forerunner 165 is not good enough (it lacks some firmware features like metronome). If I were you, I would look at Forerunner 265 (or 255, if you do not mind Garmin's MIPS screen). Pace 3 is quite good for running, however it may be not that accurate in HR and training load measurement when it comes to some other kinds of sports (like cycling). You wrote that you always carry your phone with you, which means that the biggest pros of Garmin watches (like Spotify and Garmin Pay) make no difference to you. In other aspects, there is no much difference between Pace 3 and Forerunner 255/265, only different ecosystem experience. You could download and check out both apps and decide which one is better for you.

I'm in the same boat. At the height of my running, I had a FR255 and I liked it for the metrics but I didn't like how it was frequently disconnecting from my phone and I would have to manually open the Connect app and re-sync it again. So I eventually got rid of it and got the AW 10 but apart from fitness, Apple Pay and occasionally setting a timer, I don't really use it for much else. I currently own the Series 10 and I'm growing tired of the constant buzzing and notifications on my wrist. I've been eyeing the Venu 4, FR970 or Fenix 8 but the Fenix is probably overkill. The 970 seems plenty for my needs although I heard the HR accuracy isn't as good as with the Apple Watch.

If you can swim one lap without a break in one style or a pause in it, it will count correctly. If you bump into someone mid lap and it makes you stop or brake the rhythm of your armstroke it will count it as two laps. Otherwise it's very correct and never had an issue. F255, F165, F265s Edit: omg I can't write. Sorry for my past and future mistakes lol

I have it and I love it. I mostly swim and works great for tracking distance, speed and swimming style

I don't think any watch is accurate under water measuring heart rate. I had a swim 2 and switched it for a forerunner 255 because the swim 2 is extremely basic if you want to do any other activities besides swimming. I love the 255, both work great tracking swimming.

I charge it once a week garmin 255 I have 5 days training and each one has at least 1 hour all system gps

Forerunner 255 has never done me wrong

I have a Garmin Forerunner 255 that I bought for running like 10 months ago, other than being able to record walks/runs and track sleep, it hasn't really impacted anything beyond what I already know about training and recovery. My HRV has been consistently low for months since I got back to normal bike training and I'm still getting good adaptations and racing well. Other than also confirming if I had a really bad night of sleep, it's really not necessary for training other than have secondary data.

I've got a bit fed up with my Garmin Forerunner 255, which was really struggling with some of my mapping so I've ordered a Suunto Race S after a lot of research. There didn't seem much between that and the Coros Pace Pro (used by Kylian Jornet on his training) but the Suunto is hardier. I'm a bit concerned about the future of Garmin to commit.

I had a 255, also a similarly slim wrist, and recently "upgraded" to a Vivoactive 6. Upgrade in quotes because I'm aware a lot of people don't consider that an upgrade, but it definitely was for me, for things I cared about, and ultimately it's only things you care about that matters. For me the biggest problem was how big and heavy the 255 was. I believe it's very similar size/weight to the 265, and the 955 is even larger/heavier (by a bit). I am also primarily a runner, but not a super serious one (one or two half marathons a year, a few weeks/months of half-assed training). The tracking and training features on the dirt cheap Vivoactive is more than enough for me, and I don't miss the more advanced features from the Forerunner at all. In fact, I still don't know what those are. I suspect very few people wearing Forerunners really benefit from the very specialized running features that the more "lifestyle" Garmin watches don't have, and I regretted falling into that trap and getting that Forerunner a few years ago. Either that or this sub is full of hardcore elite runners. On the Vivoactive, the OLED screen is much more beautiful than the MIP, and the new interface is so much more intuitive to use. The size also looks much less comical on my wrist. It's also much lighter, which I didn't really appreciate until getting this one. It "only" has 10 days battery life, but I just charge it when I notice it going below 20% when sat at my desk, and it really doesn't bother me at all. The 255 was purely a training tool. The Vivoactive gives me joy to wear and look at, in addition to being just as good a training tool for me. But that's a very subjective thing. If you don't like the Vivoactive aesthetic, there's also the new Venu 4/4S that looks more premium. So I think it mostly depends on whether you actually need the additional features. The map is the only feature I would care about in the 9xx, but I wasn't going to pay so much for that, when I never do long runs in unfamiliar places without my phone anyways.

Basically any Garmin watch can do all that, so you have to decide what other features you prefer. Vivoactive 6 is very cheap and pretty, with most functions you'll want in a smart watch (besides talking to it). Also nice and light. The only major limitation in exercise tracking is that it doesn't have triathlon mode. Otherwise it will have all the running metrics you care about. Forerunner 55 is probably the cheapest but very barebone. Forerunner 255 has a theoretically more accurate GPS (if you run in environments under a lot of tree cover or buildings), and some very advanced running features that you aren't going to need unless you take running extremely seriously. MIP screen which saves battery life and is marginally more readable under direct sunlight, but isn't pretty. Forerunner 265 is basically the same as 255 but has a pretty screen (and slightly worse battery life). Most of these, except for 55 and basic version of 255 (255 has a separate Music version) support music without phone. The forerunners are quite chunky if you have a small wrist, though some have a smaller version (255S, 265S). I switched from a 255 to a Vivoactive 6 and have been really happy about it.

Depends on which screen you like best. I love my 255.

I bought the FORERUNNER 255, its quite cheap and great :)

I would buy the 255 again and again.. perfect for running and i don‘t like touch and amoled display

I got the 255 this year.. should i upgrade to 970 or wait till 975/980 comes out?

I also go for 255 due to the MIP screen. I do cycling for hours but I don't want to activate the display all the time. After I almost lost my record on my smartphone, I decide to use Garmin for recording, which I regret not to use it earlier. I even think that there is more difference between 255/265 and 955/965. Unless you're into using Garmin with music (then 255 Music). BTW I bought 2mm x 22mm watch pin to fit the watch with quick fit.

I just made the switch from a Vivoactive 5 (touchscreen) to a Forerunner 255 about a month ago and zero regrets, I don't miss the touchscreen at all and that was the thing I was the most nervous about with the switch. I also have never had a smartwatch without a touchscreen and while it took a day to get used to it it's not so bad and now random things can't make the screen change (like my child swiping their hand across my wrist, my dog's nose booping it, etc). FR255 has been far and away my favorite watch so far!

Garmin Forerunner 255 here, very happy with climbing, hiking and lifting !

I can't speak to the 955 but I love my 255. It does everything I need and I wear it even when I'm not training for something. I used it for my first 70.3.  The battery was fine and in race data display was more than enough. I'm using it now to train for a full and don't feel the need to upgrade. If you are training in places that are unfamiliar, I can see the map feature on 955 being really useful. And people have a lot of opinions about 'training readiness' which the 955 has and the 255 does not. I find the morning report on the 255 to be sufficient. Most garmin watches hold their value very well so if you regret whatever choice you make you can sell it and buy the other one. Along those lines, buying a used 955 might close the price gap enough to risk the upgrade.  Good luck on your training whatever you choose!

There's an app called nav Garmin that does the same on my forerunner 255

I have a forerunner 255 which supports breadcrumb navigation. ( e.g. in 50m turn left) the higher models display the actual map with the route. So far i'm pretty happy with it. At first I was worried that i'd miss the touchscreen but I feel like you only need that if you want to reply to a text with a custom message without grabbing your phone.

Wife and I went cheap and did the 255 and 955 solar. Her choices in that price range were 255 or Vivoactive 5 and my other choice was a used Fenix 7 or an Instinct 3 Solar.. @OP, the 265 or 965 are the newer version of each of those and at the higher price the midrange Venue 3 starts to become another option for you then as well if 'general health tracking' without as much of an athletic focus is acceptable. I pushed wife to get into the Forerunner 255 to encourage her to take her athleticism just a little more seriously. Vivoactive 6 is dropping as well for the 'general health' watch at a slightly lower price point than Venue 3.

It's still coming from Amazon but I have no doubt it'll be a winner. Amazon seems to be clearing them out so try and catch a sale price somewhere if you can. Was 289CAD and we even did no fee interest free payments on our watches to spread it over 5 months.

She got it last night and it's pretty nice. First run this AM gave her extra run data that my Fenix 6 doesn't even give me. Pleasant screen and size. I'm impressed.

I love my 255. I don’t think I’d get much additional value out of paying for a more expensive Garmin

Try both on at a local store like REI. I went from Forerunner 255 to 970, and I wouldn't want to go to a bigger or thicker watch.

I run everyday and have been very happy with the Forerunner 255, bought it Nov 2022 for $370 (eek). It has worked out great. The GPS tracking for runs has been solid. I don't need any more fancier features, so once this watch bites the dust, I'll upgrade to whatever is the latest model. Hoping this watch lasts a bit longer.

I recently dealt with the same dilemma. I opted for the 255, also because I got it cheaper but despite being an older watch it is clearly still superior in training related features to the 165. What the 165 is missing compared to 255, at least based on information provided on the Garmin website (I do not have the 165 to confirm), are a multi-band GPS, training status, load ratio, training load, training load focus... But if these features are not something you would miss then the touch screen (the 255 is controlled by buttons only) and the fact that the Forerunner 165 is a much more recent watch compared to the 255 may be relevant. I am a man but with quite small wrists and the 46mm version does look bulky, it basically covers the whole width of my wrist, but at the same time feels quite light, although still heavier than the 165, so, I am not finding its size to be an issue.

You are gonna be fine, the 255 is still a good watch and it is often recommended here👍

Not really... however... my watch - forerunner 255 - is wildly inaccurate with heart rate readings as well. I haven't done the direct comparison during a single ride because during some rides - my chest based doesn't even read - it's like a flatline number. I've tried gels, spit, water, etc on the straps and they still flatline - always at the beginning of a ride for me. I guess my sweat is perfect since that's when it eventually starts working. So even at that - i really can just tell at this point that it's accurate i guess. i've used heart rate since 2008 (power since 2014), have i believe over 80k miles under my belt... the coospo has been absolutely great! The forerunner's optical is totally off, coospo is definitely more accurate - and i'm 99.99% sure lines up when my chest straps are "working" - no question about it. forerunner has told me my heart rate is in the 140's when i'm just going for a chill ride. lol. like dude i'd be breathing heavy - nothing crazy - but that's upper z2 for me. :-|

My forerunner 255 does HR zones automatically, pairs to pm5 to broadcast heartrate, detects SPM with =<1 accuracy using accelerometer, and has GPS pacing. Indoor and OTW rowing are listed as separate activities on the watch so no automatic erg rowing detection. That caveat doesn't really matter as the concept 2 logbook can link to your garmin connect app and automatically pushes logged indoor activities over to it. That being said, I am forced to use the logbook because pm5 refuses to broadcast all metrics to my watch, (SPM and time but no watts/pace, very frustrating)

I got the garmin 265, where I am it was going for $375. But I think the 255 is as good but cheaper than that. The only difference I remember is better screen and also touch screen functionality.

The Garmin Forerunner 255 works great for: Surfr (live jump height), Woo, running, swiming and biking. It’s not heavy at all and the screen has a decent size. Battery life about a week when doing gps activity’s. You can pick one up for about €200 second hand. I think Surfr did a comparison between this watch and de Apple Ultra and all jumps were in the same range.

I think I have done about 60 kite sessions at sea with my current second hand 255. The watch literally has never let me down.

I have the 255 for almost 2 years now. Value wise it’s perfect if you use it only for sporting and don’t expect ‘more’ smartwatch features. As others have said, Garmin still releases software updates for the watch, and it has al the metrics you’ll need as a runner. The multiband GPS is very accurate. I also like the fact that it has no touch screen. Only thing I ‘miss’ would be maps when I’m biking. But the ‘breadcrumb only’ navigation still works out fine on the 255.

I would say all of them are pretty overkill, I started with 955 (got for $310) then bought an Enduro 3 cause FOMO. I didn't gain anything from the upgrade. I gifted the 955 to someone, the main reason I went ahead with the upgrade. If I didn't get the 955 for that price, I would have just bought a 255 for like low 200s, but that deal went away. If you plan to wear 24/7 and aren't financially stressed, I see no problem buying the fancier models. Fenix 8 with the 20% Blue Cross Blue shield seems like a killer price.

i just bought a refurbished garmin\_255 for $250!

Really depends on your budget but I can suggest the one I have, the forerunner 255. Was thinking about getting the swim 2 but I think the forerunner has all the features the swim has but also many more for about 50$ extra. Plus it got me into running because there are many many features for running.

FR265 / FR255 But personally I find the HIIT, cardio and strength activity tracking underwhelming with Garmin.

The 165 will be fine, but is limited as you can see in the comparison. With the 265 you get more functionality and a better size. I wouldn't buy the 165 or any watch that's 'not right for you' for being for instance too small and lacking features. The (older) venu 2 is a bigger size for a similar price, and the 265 is bigger but more expensive. Feature creep (wanting the options the other watch has, and yours doesn't) is a thing with Garmins, so in the worst case you will like your 165 so much you wish you bought the 265. That's in the Garmin ecosystem totally different thing than with apple watches, that all can run the same apps. If budget is a big thing, and you don't mind the lower brightness/resolution MIPS screens you could also opt-in for a 255. It offers almost everything the 265 does without the amoled screen.

I have both watches now and am testing them both out. I have found the heart rate tracking is the same on both on my treadmill today. Sleep stages a very close and sleep timing are both the same. Galaxy watch does stress tracking during the day but not at night like Garmin does. It's unfortunate because that is how I tell if what I ate, drank or late exercise affects my sleep. I don't need to answer the phone or messages on my wrist so I don't care much about that. The energy score does not change all day on the Galaxy but does on Garmin body battery which is nice. The sleep apnea function only uses 2 nights and the shuts itself off. It does not monitor every night. I didn't know this when I purchased the watch. I'm gonna try an outdoor walk and a strength training session this evening. The Garmin app is stronger in that you can get better coaching plans, find an event and have the watch suggest training for it as the event draws near. There are also suggested running plans each day based on your metrics.

I love my forerunner 255. I had the Apple Watch 3 and it was also good but the battery was really annoying.

I personally don’t get the hype with AMOLED display and touch screen for a Garmin. I would get 255 (MIP display and no touch screen) over the 265 even if the pricing was reversed. Touch screen feels completely pointless. I have had both an Apple Watch and a Galaxy Watch with touch screens and it is just annoying.

recommend the forerunner 255, it's my first watch too I got it a couple of days ago and I'm loving it. it only cost me 190 on Amazon

for me im happy that it's keeping me fit and making me push myself even more than when I was without my forerunner. before I had the watch I essentially exclusively did cycling but now I'm training for a 10k so yay! the other stuff is a bonus edit: I bought the forerunner 255 for £190 which I think is an absolute steal of a price when you bear in mind how long these watches last and all very useful features you get

I've got a 255S and it's brilliant. Why bother wasting lots of money on a watch that does barely anything different. It'll make no impact on your running. Keep the money until your watch breaks.

I have a 255, but I bought it after I knew I wanted to get more serious about running (I ran for a year without one). If we're talking best in terms of features, that's the 9xx series. If we're talking best value, the 265 is probably your best bet right now, maybe even a 965. If you're not too sure about this running business, the 165 is enough to get you started. PS: Be aware the 9xx series only comes in one size, whereas watches like the 265 and 570 come in two sizes. Perhaps this plays into your decision.

I can only get my 255 to 7 days, what's still pretty good over charging it every day.

The FR 255 internals are a bit more like the Instinct 3 AMOLED (and FR 265) with a faster CPU and more storage. But the software has the limitation you mentioned with some metrics left out. The FR 255 MIP screen is also larger and with more pixels, but not as much contrast as the Instinct's monochrome MIP. I think it is a very personal choice as to which is better in practice for readability etc.

Yeah, with all the people whining about how Fenix 7 and Epix software have been abandoned unfairly, I wonder if Garmin will decide to be fair by also killing support for FR 255/955. But if the current features satisfy, hopefully they will not degrade in some way and then suffer from lack of bugfix updates. I've been using my FR255 24/7 for 2 years and wonder how many years are left in its battery.

Yeah, I used my FR 255 on a 10 hour hike in Auto-Select (SatIQ) mode, and it used 50% of the battery. That was really 12 hours elapsed, but 10 hours of total tracked time due to pausing during long breaks.

I've forerunner 255 and it is excellent. You can create customized workouts and track that way or just start the activity and track under a single set. But yes, it is great for tracking timing, heart rate, training effect, nutrition and hydration, workout details (in case of multiple sets) body battery and charts.

I have a Garmin 255 and was hoping to get a Garmin 97X when it was released but it's just too much money and pair that with their subscription being pushed I am now waiting to see if Coros announces the Apex 3 in June... Edit: the 255 has been great for running and trail running

Garmin 255 Does everything I need and more. Plus the battery lasts for many days. I would love a new fancy watch but it's just not enough of an upgrade at this time

I'm currently using the same watch, I've paired mine with the Polar H10 HR strap, I pretty much do the daily suggested workouts and changed the target type to HR

Yeah there’s a limitation on how accurate HR can be read on a moving arm, Garmin has a correcting feature that takes account for your cadence to fix it up, but this process takes a few minutes, which means a few minutes of inaccurate HR, But saying that if your running without a strap at a steady pace over long distance, your HR shouldn’t be too far off

Like I mentioned before it takes a few minutes to adjust to your cadence, so when you go from running to walking it needs a few minutes to adjust again. It’s great you’ve experienced the limitations of the HR measurement on the watch, I guess you’ll be getting a HR chest strap soon haha Also it dosent have to be a Garmin brand HR chest strap, there are others that work just as well, e.g I’m using Polar h10

My Garmin forerunner 255 seems to track laps pretty well, even when I change stroke mid lap (e.g. freestyle to breast stroke if I catch up with slower swimmers). Could always just buy one off one of the big brands and return if you don’t like? I’ve found returns policies for most electronics stores are now no questions asked, presumably to keep up with Amazon etc.

Apple Watch user since 2017 here and Garmin “dabbler” for the past 3 years, Instinct, forerunner 255, forerunner 265. Avid runner, 20+ miles per week. It’s all really dependent on your needs. I like the metrics that Garmin provides although I do find it to be a bit harsh. Apple Watch is a bit more let’s say liberal with their metrics. I mainly use my Garmin for training blocks like when I have a race in mind to train for. If I’m not training I just run in my Apple Watch, I currently have a 1st gen Ultra. I keep coming back to Apple Watch simple because of the smart watch features and cellular connectivity. I like being able to reply to messages and leave the house without my phone. Personally I get more joy when I wear the Apple Watch, but I wouldn’t trust it with anything over marathon distance due to battery constraints. I do find gps and heart rate data to be close enough for me. All that to say it’s entirely subjective, I will say the Apple Watch has made a ton of overall improvements over the past 10 years with their health metrics, but the battery life is lacking in comparison to other brands. Hell even some of the newer garmins don’t have the battery life as some of the older ones. Like the 955 has about 28 days of battery vs 14 days on the new 970. I’m happy to answer any other questions.

hola! Actually, the Forerunner 255 (at that price!) offers stronger sensors and more supported sports. The 165 has an AMOLED display with touchscreen though. If you don't mind a MIP display without touch, I'd recommend the 255 for the price + tax situation you explained. Also, the 255 gives you more days of battery life, FWIW.

I'd go for the Forerunner 255 I could have honestly been ok with the Forerunner 55, but I thought I needed the extras the 255 came with. I've had the forerunner 255 for almost 3 years now. It has everything a runner would need IMO. From daily runs to community 5ks and even a half marathon it's been great for me. I even use it to log my hiit and weight training. It even did great in the mountains when I went hiking due to its dual GPS. I think the newer ones have OLED screen. But it has everything you listed. The Forerunner 255 music allows you to download music (including Spotify) The non music version will control music but not download it.

I'd go for the Forerunner 255 I've had the forerunner 255 for almost 3 years. It has everything a runner would need IMO. I wear it non-stop and just charge it when I'm driving. But I use it to track my daily runs, community 5ks and even a half marathon it's been great for me. I even use it to log my hit in and weight training and it did great in the mountains when I went hiking due to its dual GPS. It does have Garmin pay but I would make sure your bank supports it first. Mine does, but I don't really use it much. The most I used it was when I took my family to the water park. It was great for that specific scenario. It's not a touch screen though.but the newer 265 is touch screen. My wife has the vivioactive 5, she isn't as much of a runner as I am but does use it for running, hiking, biking, hit training, and weight training. It is a touch screen, seems to be a little smaller than mine. It has single band GPS and Garmin pay.

255 very good, with MIP, 265 the same but AMOLED. Both very good options.

For your needs, I think a Forerunner 255 or a Forerunner 55 should be fine. Forerunner 255 has better GPS and some more metrics; most notably sleep score and training status. If you’re not bothered about that, you should be able to pick up a 55 very cheaply and it will do the job.

yes. still use it daily. the transreflective display? the best. 100% worth it

There should be, but it isn’t. I have 255 and it’s great, capable, light watch, but it has weak display and no touch, changing straps is a hassle. So I waited long for 975, but I’ll go the Fenix way very, very soon :) Maps are definitely better on the 965 than on 255, navigation there is really rather basic.

I had it and I loved it, good choice!

Forerunner 255 (not sure about the podcasts there) as an entry point good enough for marathon training, Forerunner 970 as the best running watch available (all the bells and whistles except LTE you can imagine are there). All in between (265, 570, 965) is good option too :)

Great value for money, touch is not much needed (except putting PIN when using garmin pay), just the display is weak. Feature-wise, it’s a true runner’s workhorse. I loved that watch, when I had it.

If you can get the FR265 on a discount, might as well go for that. If not the 255 works perfectly also if you are not looking for anything too expensive. I currently have the 255s and it works perfect. Also has VERY accurate period tracking. If you want something less- runnery- and more everyday the Venu 3 is also a good choice though this has a more focus on overall mental health and well being than training and running.

So the Forerunner series has multiple options (255, 965, 970… and the list goes on). Each option has its own perks and abilities. The 255s is very good for small wrists. I believe it comes in at 32mm (someone will quote me if I am wrong). It is a great watch to start off with. But lacks the modern tech (not touch screen, doesn’t have the latest sensors). I have the 255s and my wrists are pretty small. It fits great, looks great also. It does very well at tracking my periods, and ‘predicts’ when ovulation occurs in my cycle. Though this is a very basic watch so will not have tech to accommodate that! The 965 is a great middle watch. Touch screen, better sensors and stats than the 255. Can also find some very good deals rn for that model since the launch of the 970. The 970 is the newest Garmin watch, now including better sensors, flashlight and all the rest of the new modern jazz… with a hefty price hike! In terms of ovulation tracking, the 970 is the only watch in the forerunner series that is able to track body temp when you sleep to help track ovulation etc. not sure on the accuracy of this, as I myself do not have the 970 and it is still relatively new, though I’m sure studies will come out soon enough. This all being said, the FR970 retails for over £600, whilst the FR965 retails for much cheaper. The FR965 might not have the Sapphire screens or body temp tracking, but you do have to ask yourself whether the £200 price hike is worth it. NOTE: the Fenix 8 also tracks body temp but is also a top end watch and retails for nearly £1,000. EDIT: the 970 ONLY comes in 47mm! The 965 comes in 43mm or 47mm. The 255 comes in 42mm and a bigger size also.

Side note the Forerunner 255 I love and use does lack Training Readiness (which is on e.g. 265), however other than that not much you are missing out on.

I like my 255

Great device for running and general health data. Almost useless for your gym training.

The Venu definitely has a more premium look and feel, especially if you change out the watch band. I think it’s a great bridge watch for someone coming from an Apple Watch. I currently have a Forerunner 255s, but have my eye on the new Venu 4 since they integrated more running insights.

The 255 is a great piece of kit, Lightweight, battery is great, not a bad smart watch with the MIP screen…. HR tracks well to AW, Fenix and Amazfit TR3. Couple of beats between them.

Yeah I've had mine for 6 months or so, it's a great watch and much better than the 645 I had previously. It gives heaps of running dynamics especially if you pair it with a chest strap. It's more than enough for most runners, assuming you don't need navigation/maps.

I have a 255 now as well. I used to have a fancier one but the novelty wears off pretty quickly. All I really wanted was GPS, distance, timer, and heart rate. I don't use the more 'advanced' features. I'm probably in the minority but I also prefer the old-school MIP screen to AMOLED. And it seems to be on sale onAmazon (in the US anyways) [https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/675B188D-FBE3-4FF4-9DD0-E48E4A2C888D/search?ingress=2&visitId=5f3bd459-5638-48ab-8f4b-a1d936161cd3&ref\_=ast\_bln&terms=255](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/675B188D-FBE3-4FF4-9DD0-E48E4A2C888D/search?ingress=2&visitId=5f3bd459-5638-48ab-8f4b-a1d936161cd3&ref_=ast_bln&terms=255)

I second the forerunner 255! I run marathons, hike, climb, surf, paddleboard with it! The only activity of mine it doesn’t support is freediving but I’m not about to drop $2k on the dive computer lol

Garmin! A 255 is enough, but feel free to treat yourself to more watch.

How do you use your watch during workouts? Do you turn it on at the start and then turn it off at the end, not touching it in between, or do you interact with the watch throughout? Do you like the touch AMOLED or the non-touch MIP screen more? The Forerunner 255 has multi-band GPS whereas vivoactive 5 does not - it has multi-GNSS (but not multi-band). If you plan to run or cycle in urban areas with lots of tall buildings you will get better accuracy out of the 255. In addition, depending on how you use your watch, physical buttons are far superior to touch or swipe gestures during workouts (think sweaty hands or gloves during the cold season). Pressing physical buttons can be done without even looking at the watch, whereas touch gestures require a high degree of dexterity. The big difference is the screen, GPS accuracy, and buttons vs touch. Sleep tracking, heart rate, HRV metrics will be the same because it's the same sensor that is used in both models. The Forerunner does not have as vibrant and beautiful of a screen as the Vivoactive, but as a result has a much longer battery life.

Changed the Fenix 5 plus for the Forerunner 255 and I can say that the GPS is much better, also the screen has more contrast and more vibrant colors, the battery lasts more than I would last in any activity (I do a reasonable amount of 1 day hiking), the analytics are comprehensive. And the weight advantage is fantastic, I can wear it all night and day without even noticing it. Coming from the older Fenix I don't need touchscreen or amoled. Overall it is a fantastic watch for almost everyone except maybe professional athletes.

Had mine for 5 months and I love it. Thought I might have regretted not splurging for the 955 but I still think the 255 was the right call.

Think hard if You’re gonna use the navigation. If You hike a lot, then take 955, it’s still a fantastic watch. If You only plan to use it for regular sport activities like running or gym, the 255 is exactly the same watch, just without navigation.

The 255 has the same double frequency GPS chip (metric precision), alti/barometer (very important for trail running) and SPO2 /Cardio meter as good as 955/265/965 EpixGen2. So you've got a very good battery life (thanks to Mips) and very good precision regarding your position your alti and your FC. What you lack is maps and fancy AMOLED touchscreen. and very long battery life ( 30h single frequency GPS, 13h double frequency) This watch is still updated by garmin even if last metrics of 570 won't go to 255 (but 265/955/965 won't got it neither)

Garmin forerunner 255 has been good for me so far in open water that’s not a pool. Just don’t use the polar pacer pro, it always loses gps signal in the water outside

Just got the forerunner 255 and it's pretty accurate, did a mile race today and it tracked just slightly over a mile.

So for swimming, I only pay attention to distance, stroke rate, and heart rate, as in I don't use all the features of my watch. The forerunner 255 technically has more features and is newer than the swim 2, but unless the forerunner is similarly priced as the swim 2, I'd just get the swim 2. I only got the forerunner because it was on sale for a lot during Amazon Day, like \~200 USD before tax so it was a no-brainer. Now I'm not seeing those deals and I wouldn't get it without the deal because I don't need most of the features personally.

This is exactly what I do, I went with the 255. If you want an AMOLED screen, try the 155

If she only wants to track runs, maybe just keep the watch in her gym kit and forget the style aspect, then just wear a normal but stylish watch during the day? I like the forerunner 255: long battery life. After 2 yrs of usage, I charge it about every 4-5 days even while tracking activities 5 times a week. Can’t comment on the style though because I don’t know her preferences but looks fine to me.

I have this same watch. Like the size and battery life. It was / is the only watch with tactile buttons vs a touch screen. Touch screen on small watch = problems.

You don't need predefined workouts. You need to just get going. Plan a run. Go to the gym. Stretch. You are expecting too much from a watch. Plan the plan, execute the plan. For hiking, get an app on your phone. and downlaod maps before a hike, expecially if cell service might be questionable in the area you are going. I mean, some gramins have maps on them but $$$$. They are the higher end models. Sounds like it's in your budget. But I'd rather just have maps on my phone for hiking. If I were you I'd reconsider the need for maps on your watch. For trail running it might make more sense because the watch can audible tell you when to turn. You are hiking though. You can just check your phone on occasion. I have the 255. It's the same as the 265 but you save money. has multi-band and a 4th gen HRM. It's all you likely need.

Well damn, I missed that one. Always thought it was 3rd gen. I got hte 255 (cheaper last years model) over the 265. Same thing, just different screen tech. The 265 also has a touch screen which honestly I could care les about. I'd just disable it.

Holy hot damn. I have a 255 I love but for that price .... The 955 isn't much different than the 255. The 955 gives you topo maps. The only thing I wish I had. My problem.... the screen resolution of the 955 is 260x260. The 965 has a 454x454 screen. I might need to wait a few years to upgrade my 255 to the 965 when that watch is cheaper. I think the 955 is a damn good watch. Depending on what your current watch is it's well worth an upgrade. If you have no watch and it is in budget I'd 100% go for it! Here ya go: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garmin\_Forerunner#Feature\_comparison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garmin_Forerunner#Feature_comparison)

255 if you can still actually find it and want to save some money. I don't buy all the 265 scrren is better thing. The 255 screen works fine.

255 is a good choice. The 265 has a betterment screen but I've had no issues with my 255 screen. Id just get the older model and save the bucks.

I am a runner who sometimes swims and my 255 does the job. You might want to save some money by getting one over a 265.

When I started this sport 5 yr ago, I was in the same spot. I picked the Garmin Forerunner 245 but found the screen to dim. I upgraded to the 255 and happy with that. I wouldn't get the version with the Spotify option as I ended up never using it. Never as I always had my phone and Shokz.

I remember after getting mine about couple years ago that I started to get real FOMO as I got deeper into the garmin ecosystem and learned more about the other watches and metrics they offered. But now that’s all gone, the 255 offers everything you need and nothing you don’t. Looking forward to keeping mine for another decade!

I’m using my wife’s 255 after my fenix 6 died on me. Garmin offers me 20% discount and my heart is tempted to buy the 970, but my brain says it won’t offer me anything but better looking watch. Yes, the 255 looks like cheap plastic watch you win from a vending machine. Other than that it is great.

255, unbeatable bang for buck imho

Maybe I am misunderstanding something but my 255 has both acute load and load ratio

Oh man 2 days is insane!! I have a Garmin forerunner 255 and charge it once a week

I did not realise the battery health wasn’t that great on those. I mostly got the Garmin for the sleep analysis and to help with fitness when I get round to it. It’s on 24/7 on the highest brightness my notifications are always pinging on it aswell and holds up well. Only had it 3/4 months and I’m pretty chuffed with it however, I’m new to the smart watch world but I can definitely comment on the battery life being better than expected

I have a Forerunner 255 S (s = smaller) and love it. Can use it to pay for things if out on a run etc and don’t want to bring phone, has an emergency function too in case don’t have a phone and something happens will text your specified contact your location.) I love the data and the garmin UI. I have all Apple products, and a polar heart rate strap and it integrates perfectly. Battery is excellent. Does open water, and almost any other activity you’ll need. It’s a little more expensive but can get a music version, I have this but never use it. The 265 is the newer version of this, both are still available. I think it’s worth going 255/265, the 55 is cheaper but it’s a bit “penny wise pound foolish” as for triathlon you’ll want to upgrade too soon from that.

255 is great if you can do without maps (at least it can show a track that you upload to it). 955 has full blown maps. Do you dislike straps in general, or just chest straps? Because Polar has really good arm straps. Like the Polar Verity Sense.

I also use both (Series 8 and Forerunner 255 Music in my case). IMHO, the Garmin is great for sports, esp. with the button operation. But Apple is the better smartwatch.

>Or the 255 if you like the dull screen and battery life.  The "dull screen" is actually pretty awesome in daylight. And it's an always-on-display.

>Afaik, battery life is the biggest concern for marathon training. Garmin beats Apple by days. Battery life of the newer Apple Watches is good enough for marathon training, and even a marathon. Especially if you combine it with a chest strap. I have a Series 8 and a Forerunner 255 (redundancy ftw!), and the Series 8 never died on me during training and races.

Sure, both can: [https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-676967A0-1B23-4384-9BC9-76F3D643F1C8/EN-US/GUID-AC68D94C-821E-4567-8705-F433CDEA5525.html](https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-676967A0-1B23-4384-9BC9-76F3D643F1C8/EN-US/GUID-AC68D94C-821E-4567-8705-F433CDEA5525.html) Personally, I prefer the 255 over the 265 due to the MIP display which is perfectly readable in bright sunlight.

Yeah, AMOLED is great. But I tried out a 965 from a friend during a summer race last year, and I if preferred the MIP of my 255. I think it's all about personal preference.

> and for workouts a HR strap was always required.  That's still the case with Apple. Wrist based HR can work well with the same precision as a HR strap, but often fails miserably (e.g. cadence lock). If you want to have precise HR under all conditions, a HR strap is the way to go. >I never found Garmin metrics accurate, sleep never was Yeah, sleep tracking isn't the best. But running metrics are extremely good with a Garmin setup (mine is a FR255 and a HRM Pro Plus). I wear both, an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and a Forerunner 255. Running metrics come primarily from the HRM Pro Plus, with I paired with both watches, so I have the exact same precision on the Ultra 2 as well. Where Garmin shines are the training features and the data display (not even Workoutdoors on Apple comes close to what Garmin has OOTB for my needs). Button operation is also a big plug for the Garmins. After pouring a few cups of water over your head, touch control of the Apple Watch doesn't work well anymore. I wish that Apple would add two more action buttons to the left side of the watch.

Dont, if you running and want running as core focus, look ate the Forerunner series from 55 (Cheapest) upwards. I started with 55 but upgraded to 255 as it has power, CGT etc, loads of running specific measurements that the venue 2 does not have

The 255 is still a great watch

The Forerunner 255 is a great watch and has a good price, around €200

Lost my epix pro 2, after my fenix 6s was stolen, and decided I was no longer allowed to have fancy watches. Bought a forerunner 255 used off for 150 and I’m loving it! Insane battery life. Super light. I can sleep with it now. Does pretty much everything I want it to. The only thing I miss is the flashlight. I used that all the time.

Garmin Forerunner 255s. The s was a slightly smaller version, but I think it’s been discontinued. The newer version Forerunner is a similar size, I believe. There are fancier versions of the Forerunner, but the features weren’t necessary for me.

I upgraded from a Fitbit to Garmin Forerunner 255, and I can't say enough good things about it.

I'm an ultra runner first and foremost and I'm currently using a Forerunner 255, which is great, but if money was no object I'd get an Enduro.

My 255 managed a 17 hour race this year with 30ish percent left. If you get your settings right, any of the newer Forerunners should manage 12 hours.

They definitely can be. You can play with the settings to maximize things. You don't get as much battery life with music, Bluetooth, maps, full backlight and multi-band GPS as you do if you turn some settings down or off. I had a 245 before this and the 255 is worlds better.

I have a 255 and it's amazing. Great value watch that does everything I need for ultra running. I can't comment on whether that's a good deal, but I will say that I would absolutely buy this watch again.

What's your budget? If you care only about swimming I would go with the Garming Swim 2, you can find it for approx. 200Euros on Amazon every now and then. Sometimes you can also find the Forerunner 255 for the same price (overall improvemment over the Garming Swim 2). If you want to save a bit, you can find the Forerunner 55 at approx. 100Euros. It lacks a few features that the Garming Swim 2 has (e.g., critical swim speed). However, if you are just starting you don't really need them. Average time x 50m, heart rate, and SWOLF is more than enough to track your progress.

+1 to the 255. Great Watch at a great price! No need to go higher in Garmin series unless you go multi sport or want full maps IMO

It also may be worth mentioning, if you’re new to smart watches, that you can change the strap quite easily. So, as you said it would be nice to wear outside of training, this should hopefully help with that. You can also change the watch face and there are a lot of faces to choose from, even in the preset options. I’ve changed my face on my fr255 to analogue for the same reason. 

>Once you start comparing and using both you will quickly realize that there isn’t a perfect watch and there is give and take with both Apple and Garmin. They can practically do the same things Although to be honest once you realise that, and that you can buy a 255 for £200 here (similar prices elsewhere I assume) and it'll last two weeks on a charge it's a bit harder to shrug at how similar it is to the watches that cost four (or more) times the price.

We're the same height and about the same weight as when I got my garmin. I don't think it really matters so much which watch you get, the software in all the new ones are all really motivational to get you out and gradually get you fitter :) Personally I chose the FR255 for the same reasons you've listed above i.e no phone AND music. When I got the watch the only thing I didn't like about it was the breadcrumb map but I so, so rarely use maps it's not an issue at all for me. The 255 doesn't have touch screen, which would have been nice but not a game changer. The 970 is AMOLED which, in my opinion is too bright and uses too much battery. The 255 has an MIP screen similar to a Kindle which is easy to read - day or night - and is less draining on the battery. If you like bright and bold maybe go with AMOLED if you prefer understated I'd consider MIP. They're fun watches to have and I found them to be great at getting you out there :)

I have the 255 and my wife has the 265. Other than the screen and some fun animations on the 265 they're more or less identical (for our needs anyway, mostly running, hiking, and walks). I actually find her screen way too bright. I also had a bit of buyer's remorse because I also got mine on sale but seeing both of them I'm happy with mine.

I just bought an open-box 255 for $200. Seems like the best value watch currently available. Similar or better than the Coros Pace 3, for less money.

I had a Vivoactive 4 for like 7ish months but decided it wasn't right for me and switched to a Forerunner 255. I didn't like the touchscreen, the GPS was inaccurate while trail running and overall the features for a runner seemed lacking... It was more of a smart lifestyle watch that could track you. The Forerunner is awesome though, I like the MIP screens, and the added features geared to running.

I got the 255 a month or so ago as my first proper watch, and I honestly haven’t had any complaints yet. Super solid

Of course. I use the 255 and wouldnt want anything more. Imo its perfect without being completely bloated.

Touchscreen is helpful with maps but otherwise it's nice to have for swiping through widegets but not absolutely necessary. Touchscreen is already default disabled during sports on the watches that have it though you can turn it on. The 255 is a super watch for what you get and outdoors it will be easy to read. The newer watches have the updated heart sensor but the Gen. 4 is still great.

I have a forerunner 255 and it works great as a general fitness watch and for rowing as well. Depending on when practice is, one of the fancier ones with a flashlight might be nice for moving spacers in the dark.

I decided on the Forerunner 255. Has everything I want. Slightly older model (which the 265 didn't really have any major improvements over) so I got it for pretty cheap used. I'm excited for it to get here!

I got a 255 secondhand and love it. The program is pretty well catered to me, and I like using the heartrate goals rather than pace goals. I think it keeps me at the right effort to progress without getting to worried about pace during training. I also have mine set to include workouts as part of my plan to build strength and avoid injury, and I really like the workouts! They're kicking my butt a little but they feel like they're geared towards runners, which I prefer since I'm just doing this to improve my running!

I would avoid 165, it seems to me so software crippled - doesnt even have so basic running watch feature as AutoScroll data screens during activities. Would recommend 255, 955 or 265 if amoled is a must. You dont need any subscription for any Garmin features.

It's the one I use after buying it when it was released. Still awesome

Pick up a fr255 when they go on sale. That’s more than you need and can be had at a reasonable price

Forerunner 55 or 255 are probably your best best

Was there any reason you were drawn to the 9 series watches? You mentioned not overspending and the things you seem to be looking for would be easily covered by the Forerunner 255 which is considerably cheaper. I was recently torn between the 255 and 265 but decided the amoled screen wasn’t worth the cost difference for my use case

I have a garmin forerunner 255, it’s made for running yes but it works for rowing, battery lasts forever, and I love it

At a reasonable budget and to start, I can recommend the Forerunner 255. It's not the most recent but the heart rate is precise, as is the GPS. I'm really happy with it! Afterwards, if your budget allows it, there are surely better!

Get the FR255. Easy decision.

To each their own. I’ve run for 38 years, about 7k runs and 44k miles. There was one time when I needed a ride because I stupidly twisted my ankle getting too close to a sewer drain. Other than that I’ve always made it home or wherever it was I started. I don’t ever carry a phone. It’s too heavy and I would probably drop it. I have had several polar watches but I like Garmin better. More intuitive and easier to learn. I currently use a 255 and it is a good runners watch.

I like the 255. It is primarily a running/cycling device and I spend a lot of time doing indoor rowing, especially when the summer comes around. Garmin isn't great about developing metrics for these other activities even if they are just a different level of endurance training. I live near a military base and their GPS can't stand up to that so having multi-band hasn't helped much in terms of course accuracy. It's not a huge difference but most of my courses are about 2% longer than the Garmin show which impacts pace. Not a big deal but if you are a stickler for accuracy it's at least something to consider.

I recently upgraded from a vivoactive 3 to a forerunner 255. It was a pretty good deal and blows the va3 away. I've been quite happy with it. I wouldn't recommend going any higher end.

I have just purchased this coming from a Pixel watch 2. Great watch great batter. Great options to keep you running etc

I found my Garmin helped me start running. Not sure about other activities. Decent battery life, good 'plans', accurate GPS, app has a good amount of data to look through. Ultimately, it is up to you to do the thing. A $1500 or a $200 watch will get you moving, you have to do it. Set a goal and research how to get to that goal. Your phone most likely has decent fitness tracker, can you use that? Fitbit works, Apple Watch works, writing down on a piece of paper works.

Forerunner 255. Has done the job for me but I am primarily running.

The DSWs of the higher end watches are quite a bit different and IMHO much better. The new version takes into account a few metrics, such as HRV during sleep, when suggesting workouts for the coming week, rather than for just one day, on the day. You can also better customise the DSWs to your goals (race with time or to just completion, or just generally to build up fitness), select workout/rest days, long run days etc. All in all, it's been worth the upgrade for me from a 245 to 255.

I would suggest you look into the features of 255, 265, 955 and 965. There have been quite a few upgrades in recent years. I'm not suggesting that any of the new features are 'must haves', just that they might inspire you to push yourself further in your fitness goals. Heck, you don't need any kind of device to workout - you could just go out and run for just the enjoyment as many runners do! You don't tell us much about what you're doing now nor about your future goals. Do you take part or want to take part in running races? What kind of races (road/trails/triathlon)?Do you want to get faster? Apart from running, do you do any other types of activities? I wear my watch 24/7 and only recently upgraded from 245 to 255. I take part in distance races throughout the year. I'm loving the newer features, which aren't vastly different and do what they did before, only better. I have a cheap chest HR monitor, did the watch guided lactate threshold test, got the watch/Connect to set my HR zones accordingly, dialled in my goals (usually upcoming races but doesn't have to be anything at all, just fitness), and just do the DSWs using HR rather than pace as target. Other new features that I'm finding useful include better GPS (I live in an area with tall buildings), Garmin pay (I never take my phone with me and would always worry about finding myself without any money in an emergency!). HRV and sleep scores are cool features to have but are not essential. I know how my body feels, and why it feels that way based on my recent meals, sleep, exercise, stress etc. I can make my own decisions to continue following my training plan or to adapt it according to how I'm feeling on a given day. That's quite enough I think but feel free to ask more questions!

If you like the DSWs of the 55, you'll love the more advanced version of the 255, 265, 955 965 etc. If you don't need maps, then ignore the 9xx watches. 265 offers touchscreen AMOLED and training readiness, which I didn't think was worth double the price when I bought my 255 in the UK. Wrist based pulse measurements are not as accurate nor as responsive as (cheap) chest HRMs, regardless of the brand of watch, due to hardware limitations. I bought mine for £20 from Amazon but you can get the same for about half of that if you keep your eyes open for a deal. A chest HRM is required to do a watch guided lactate threshold test. The result is used to set your personalised heart rate zones, which are used by DSW to customise your workouts to match your current fitness level and future goals. When you do the workouts, set heart rate (instead of pace) as the 'Running Target Type' and you can just do as the watch/Connect tells you, and you're good to go!

Not a Venu if you are serious about running. There are running metrics the FRs have that the Venus don't But not wearing modern training watches 24/7 will not get you training related data, only single activity related data. So a 255 would be the most expensive I'd recommend.

Vivoactive or Forerunner would be my vote! As a runner I’ve used both, FR 255 to Vivoactive 5 then back to FR 955. I prefer the extra training and recovery metrics that FR provides, but both are great

Yeah. Got one in January and couldn't be more pleased with it. I know there are better watches but for (in my case) 250 € it really gives outstanding price/performance ratio for a garmin watch.

Try to see the 265Music more precise on the GPS with multi band, Before I had an AW series 9 and I really don't regret switching to Garmin I have the 255 MIP screen but it really doesn't bother me at all AW you recharge it 24/7 you're always distracted by notifications plus the touchscreen I find it not optimized for running And really what is data is a watch so it should be taken with a pinch of salt all the same.

Personally I have the 255 and in reality it has great connections to the GPS and the ultra-fast cardio belt No screen visibility problem even if it doesn't have AMOLED You can put training programs You have lots of data which are more or less useful and more or less reliable After all it depends on your budget too But it really does the job and especially the 14 day battery excluding active GPS is really good and especially the buttons at the beginning I think it's not going to be practical because I had an Apple Watch I was used to the touch and in the end it's really good and easy to use

I have the Forerunner 255. When I got it I wasn't really interested in a lot of features and just wanted cheap but decent. I settled on the 255 because it was the lowest model that had multiband gps because using Strava off my phone gps sucked and was really inaccurate. So I'd just shop for whatever Garmin fits your budget above the 255 model.

I have a Garmin 255, and even though it’s a little bit large, it’s wonderful. You can set up the display for your walking activity to display whatever you choose. I use total distance, pace, total elapsed time, and heart rate. At my age (72), I feel compelled to monitor what I’m doing. Of course, I was wearing a Garmin 12 years ago when I set about walking for exercise. You sync it with the Garmin Connect app, which gives you lots of data about what you just did. It also monitors your sleep, which I find fascinating. I also use Strava, which does not need the Garmin watch to keep track of my distance, time, and pace. It has lots of stuff you can buy to juice up the data it provides, but I have never used any of that. It’s a great little app and costs nothing to load and use.

Those models are so expensive. The middle of the road FR255 has all of those functions and swim workouts. Had it 2 years now, swim and shower with it on. Not drowned yet. I'm not sure your watch drowned. Did you try Garmin support? Can you send it it for repair?

Hey man, would recommend on of the 255 or 265 series for a good value/price. If u are more of a rougher person I would pick the instinct 3.

The 255 has been my first Garmin, so I can’t really comment on it vs other models. However the 255 has changed my life this year, down over two stone and looking at a 1:3x half marathon time soon.

255 and 265 have the same software hardware and functionalities… and they won’t get anything more. That being said they are great watches.

I've been wearing a 255 for about 2 weeks. It's my first Garmin, switching from years of being on Fitbit. I love it so far! I haven't gotten a chance to do an outdoor run, but the functionality otherwise has been perfect for me. While the lack of a touchscreen is a small downer, I've had no problems using the buttons. It feels more like a classic watch in that way.

Depending on your preference.. it may be the last great mid-range Garmin watch for runners with the MIP screen. I'm tempted myself as there is a retailer here that has them for the equivalent of under 300 US.. All signs seem to be MIP is gone from the Forerunner lineup now, and only a limited part of outdoor rec lines..

I have and use a coros pace3 and a Garmin forerunner 255. The coros has great post activity stats and data. The Garmin has the daily suggested workout and the better coaching options. As for battery life coros is highly configurable so if you turn it to minimal satellite updates and turn off the features you don't use it will last for ages. If you turn on dual band satellite GPS and drop the HR refresh rate then it will use more battery. With my setup I get about a week out of my pace 3 and 10 days from the Garmin.

I bought the Forerunner 255s in November of 2024 on sale for what I believe was $299 CAD. Some days I wish I would have bought the full-size for the same price to have the bigger screen. Working a physical job though I feel like it disappears on my rather large wrists and I don’t bang it into as much stuff as I might have with a larger screen so I guess it’s been a reasonable trade off. With that said the durability has been awesome as I was extremely worried in the beginning of shattering the display or really marking up the plastic case, neither of which has happened. Overall I’ve been extremely pleased with it as my first ‘smart’ watch with all phone notifications etc disabled. I’ve never had a day where I wished I had a touch screen as I find the 5 button system easy to navigate and never have accidental button presses. If anything it’s the full size screen and maybe the more vivid display I believe the new models have such as the 265 and possibly 165. Hope this helps, best of luck!

I have a FR255, I came from a touch screen Samsung watch, I much prefer the 255! It's accurate, battery lasts best part of a week using GPS. I never really take it off, tracks all my stats nicely.

I've had the Forerunner 255S for about two years and it's been fantastic. Originally just bought it for running, but am now doing triathlons, and it's great for multisport too. I had been tempted to shell out more money for something fancier, but this one has literally everything and more that I've needed. The small size is perfect for my wrists, too. I dithered on the size for ages, but a face any larger than this would have looked comical I think

The 2x5 line is much better for running than the 165, so I wouldn't recommend the 165. I find that Garmin watch are pretty bad at handling audio content (music, but especially podcasts and audiobooks). Coming from running only my Apple Watch, I switched to running with my 255 and my phone. So personally, I wouldn't recommend getting the music version. As for the 955, it does have maps and little more over the 255/265. It really comes down to how much you like to run in new places where maps are needed (and even then, the breadcrumbs map on the 255 can be handy).

I have it too and it’s a mess for me as well. I thought about a swim2 but do I really need 2 watches.

As someone who just rotates the same 4-5 locations for runs, I have exactly zero need for maps. 255 for the win

Garmin is still selling the 255, 955, 265, and 965. Those are much better value than the 570. The price of the 570 puts it in such a bad spot sandwiched between better options. The watch is fine but it should've been a 2xx level pricing. It's the 265 successor after all.

That joyous mix of no FOMO and an emptiness in your bank account! Edit - I have the 265 and while I love it, the 255 satisfies THAT need as well!

For most people the 'midrange ForeRunner' has always worked well, which had been the '200 series' for many years until the new released 570. Pricing is pretty wild, looking back: \- FR255 - bought in 2022 for $349. \- FR265 - bought in 2023 for $449 ... and now the FR570 is $549!

if you need maps buy 965, if not go for 265. If you even do not need OLED go 255. If you need battery go for the one with more battery capability. Don’t get fooled by fancy metrics you’ll never use. I have a 955. Very happy with it. I was happy also with my 245 without mapping and using the preloaded tracks. Only reason I upgraded was screen size e possibility to have 5 fields on the screen. Other than that it was perfect, and I still miss how it was disappearing on my wrist in terms of weight, bulkiness and band size. Consider used to try it out or go to a local shop to play with it and see how it feels at your wrist. Also consider a nylon band (ultrafit by garmin or a similar amazon one) since it is mor stretchy, secures better, breaths better then silicon.

if you need oled no maps go 265. If you need no oled no maps 255. If you need maps and oled 965, if you need maps no oled 955. Must say I was also happy with my 245 using preloaded tracks to follow (you just do not have tha background image only a track. I switche to 955 because I needed more fields on my screen (fr245 had only 4) and I do trail running. I am happy with my 955 but I dont really am a fun of maps, I still use my phone for that. I could have been ok with the slicker and lighter 255. I still miss how the 245was disappearing on my wrist in terms of weight, bulkiness and band size. Consider to buy used to try it out or go to a local shop to play with it and see how it feels at your wrist. Also consider a nylon band (ultrafit by garmin or a similar amazon one) since it is more stretchy, secures better, breaths better then silicon. Trust me, you dont need touch screen on a sport watch. Garmin one is also bad in my experience. Also dont get fooled by fancy metrics you will never use.

I also have a 255. 970 is a great leap forward, especially maps wise. Maps on 255 are so basic and if you get into trail running with gpx files you will feel the need for the upgrade. It was the 965 for me which i bought on sale.

I moved my Galaxy Watch 6 to the FR255 and have no regrets, having all features direct from the box is awesome. I'm loving the MIP screen.

Just moved from a Galaxy Watch 6 to a FR255, absolutely no regrets.

You can receive any phone notification on it, and you can answer them with some predefined texts. :)

I can’t speak to that particular Garmin but I have a forerunner 255 and it’s better at swimming than lifting. For swimming it detects the faster speed at push off to start a new length. It generally works well unless I move my hands too much on a rest (best to stop & resume) or adjust something during a length (goggles or cap go wonky etc.). It’s counting lengths so you set the pool length and get your distance that way. I’m not sure how accurate the HR and calorie estimations are, but I have them, along with time and pace. For lifting it won’t register isolated leg movements for obvious reasons, and can be spotty with squats/deadlifts. I’ve never had an accurate workout recorded and always need to go back after and edit the workout to add anything missed. That said you can edit everything after and track reps, weight, etc. I still think jotting it down and keeping a spreadsheet is easier because the user interface for edits isn’t great.

For the record the 265 also has chronic and acute load since I see them on my 255.

Another vote for the FR255. Take the money you save instead of buying a 9xx or a 265 and buy a HRM dual and/or another pair of running shoes.

I have a Garmin 735 XT and a Garmin 255. They are good. Of course there are other more advanced models now (935 Xt for example). However, I mentioned the two that I know.

I had both the AW Series 8 & a Garmin Venu. I ended up selling the AW and Garmin replaced my Venu (screen burn) with the FR255. The 255 is far better than the other two when it comes to running. The MiP screen is ideal and I much prefer it to AMOLED. If you want to run, get a Garmin.

Forerunner 255 or 265 if you prefer AMOLED screens Most bang for your buck

Yes, everything you need, both outdoors and pool swim. You can train to Half-ironman on this thing.

I use turn by turn directions all the time on my 255, i think its great.

Can confirm. Have FR255 and works great for both

Personally, I'd stretch to a 265 but the 255 is still great - I reckon the extra features are worth the price difference.

With your budget, I suspect you'd be a lot happier with the Forerunner 255 or 265. They're very similar but fuller featured. I just got a 165 as an upgrade from Vivoactive 4. I think the 165 is a good choice if you are budget-conscious (I am). But if you have the budget, 255 or 265 are worth the extra money. I don't find that watches add much value for lifting - I still track it, but the heart rate monitoring etc for various cardio activities is much more accurate and actionable. The 165 will make it's best guess at treadmill distance, then ask you what distance the treadmill said when you end the activity. I don't value GPS tracking very highly, but all my other indoor training has been tracked very well by the watch. You can edit activities in Garmin Connect easily; what you can edit on the watch itself varies.

Garmin forerunner 255 is around that price and is a beast for the price point

I have fr255 and can confirm

Forerunner 255. I really like it because I can program my route into it before I run so I don’t get lost. It beeps at me when I’m supposed to turn

I have the 255 with music and still a very simple watch and I love it! I too prefer the older display to the new LCD one, battery life 2 years in is still like 4-8 days depending on how many actives I’m logging and it’s sweet to be able to go for a run with just my watch and headphones. You can load a ton of different actives on it and with the gps things like snowboarding and rock climbing gives you some pretty cool data points. , there’s a breathwork and meditation activity that I do regularly as well.

How long does the battery last on the Pixel Watch? If it's anything like my wife's Apple watch I'd definitely choose the Garmin (I have the forerunner 255).

I have both, and my 55 is still going strong. You might be waiting a while. 😄 I got the 255 about a year after I got the 55 because I found the screen too small to see well while running.

Forerunner 255 or 256 have Triathlon mode (I have a 255). Or the Coros Pace 2 or 3.

The 255 and 955 are maybe the best Forerunners Garmin has ever made. I bought the 255 in 2022 and still love it.

I had the Garmin Forerunner 55, but upgraded to the 255 mostly just for the screen size. 😅 I find it pretty accurate, though I have to wear a sweatband or gaiter wrapped around my wrist for the HR to read properly throughout workouts. I really like it. Only regret was not getting the music version since I wasn’t really listening to music on runs before, and now I love to. I have to bring my phone for that, which I don’t love.

Couldn’t agree more, jumpin’ from FR55 to FR255 was a huge step up

255 performance and accuracy is amazing, with dual GPS, and won't break the bank.

Hi!! I have a 255, I lift about 3 times a week, run about 3 times a week. I’ve had my 255 since it came out 3 years ago and I haven’t had a single problem with it, it is the older version of the 265, but if you don’t want to pay for the 265, 255 is still amazing for me and battery still lasts over a week even though it’s 3 years old. I was overwhelmed too and worried I wouldn’t have enough features if I didn’t spend a million dollars on a top model one. And I have never wished for a feature I can’t use with this watch!! So I don’t think you need anything more than the 265. Also I’ve used mine in the shower, pools, lakes, and oceans, snowboarding and in the desert and it’s been perfect everywhere.

Forerunner 255s or 265s etc. S for small.

I've got the 255s (small wrist) with music. I'm planning on posting a rant about the music part.

Thanks. Yes it's been a bit rocky. I use YTM. [Posted about an issue earlier](https://www.reddit.com/r/GarminWatches/comments/1hz1vaa/remedy_for_those_with_youtube_music_on_their/). Couple of threads about the audio breaking up: [Music cutting out every second or two](https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-255-series/360897/music-cutting-out-every-second-or-two) [Headphone compatibility experience table](https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/sports-fitness/f/forerunner-645-645-m/165278/headphone-compatibility-experience-table) (6+ years old though)

garmin forerunner (255 or 265 are good choice )or instinct series both have solar models if you want even more battery, or garmin fenix 7 or 8 but they are bit more expensive. also coros pace 3 its a great price to performance sport watch with great battery life

I'd take advantage of a sale on the Epix 2 or Fenix 7. Garmin's last, and think of it more as an investment and not a purchase. I'm not sure what your long-term fitness goals are, but a Forerunner or Fenix/Epix model will be able to cover anything you throw at them long-term. The biggest thing I've been telling my friends is, if you ever have dreams of doing a triathlon, get a Forerunner 255/265 and above since that's when the multi-sport/triathlon mode starts.

For the things you described any would be good. Even a FR165 (or F255/265 slightly bigger screen) or a basic Vivoactive. With that budget you can buy even an Epic if you like it (though would be overkill in terms of features). I would go on a shop, try them and pickup what you like the most in terms of size, look and comfort on your wrist.

Ive had a few Fenix versions, they are great/ top of the range. Last few years ive been using forerunners which have all the functionality - 9xx series is great, or 2xx for something easier on the pocket. My activities include trail running, hiking, triathlons (and running/swimming/riding only), golf/disc golf. Navigation and battery are good, and glass is strong. Lifestyle is great for sleep, general hr tracking, step counts, tap to pay. The 955 i have also has great multimedia (music). Cant go wrong with a forerunner (solar if you are doing ultra's or multiday). Fenix is a nice splurge

>Its a Vivoactive by another name. ironically i've been looking at the FR series to upgrade my old vivoactive. lack of altimeter is deal breaker for me.

I second this. Exact same use case run 3x/week and weight train 3-4x/week. I found the epix pro gen 2 sapphire to be best utility and bang for buck. I tried the FR but was too run focused and I preferred the more tactical look. The fenix 8 was nice but at double the price with same sensor technology it didn’t felt worth it. You do forgo the mic and voice features but I didn’t need it and didn’t want a true smart watch but prioritized a fitness forward watch. 3 months in and I love my Epix pro gen 2 47mm

Garmin - They have a lot of watches at different price points. There is built-in GPS and the battery lasts for several days, unlike a smart watch that you typically need to charge every night. The Garmin app easily syncs with other fitness apps, if that's important to you. If you have a smaller wrist, go for the "S" models that will look and fit better.