
Garmin - Forerunner 55
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"if you have to take your phone anyway, there's a much better device on you for making calls. ... apple watches can have sim cards and place calls *without* having your cellphone on you. that's a real use case -- go for a run, leave the bulky phone at home."
I got a forerunner 55 and I love it. Does the basic fitness tracking, no extra stuff I don't need. Hell, it shows me my texts and calls, and I don't even need that lol
Correction: As a forerunner 55 user, it does get call alerts and texts alerts on the watch. You don't have to set that up though. I set mine up to get them when I configured the watch and was prompted to do so, and I'm a bit ambivalent on whether that's nice or not. I do like to see if a text is something I actually want to pull my phone out for, but I also get annoyed with it when people are texting me while I'm actually running.
Another vote for the Garmin Forerunner 55! I get all the stats I want with none of the features I don’t (I really don’t need my watch to tell me when my workout is “unproductive” or when I’m “detraining” 🙄).
My watch is a Forerunner 55. It has everything I need, and what’s important is that I actually use every feature it offers. The big question is are you really going to use all those fancy unnecessary features or not?
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.
Huawei fit 3 > Garmin 55. Been usung fit 3 for almost a year now and so far so good. may lil difference lang sa strava when it comes to distance, but very minimal lang. features are more updated than FR55.
I love how simple my Forerunner 55 is - very few distractions (I also dumped my apple watch). I just hate that it looks cheap, which is why I’m debating getting something else.
Probably should post price range, what you intend to do with the watch (besides just running, i.e. other sports you do) and what metrics you want it to measure. If you want to get an idea to help narrow your search, try looking at Garmin's Forerunner series. The 55 is their entry level and what I used to see if I liked the Garmin watches. I have a different Garmin watch now because I wanted features not included in the 55 but it made a great entry watch. You might want to do a search on the Garmin subreddit for advice since they get asked this question a lot since they have a whole series specifically for runners. Might help you figure out what features you might like to have.
I use a 55 and it’s perfect for everything except for swimming
I love my 55! I don’t feel like I need any more features than the ones it already offers!
My favorite is the running feature so I can accurately track my pace and mileage. It’s been helpful to see the data all laid out (steps, cadence, how long I walked vs run). I have a heart condition so I have also been relying on the heart monitor and zone feature to keep myself in a safe place while running. Practically, I also like I can see what texts I get on it instead of always having my phone glued to my side.
I have 2 kids, both under 3 years old so I don’t ever use it 😅
Garmin Forerunner 55 is great! I used to have a Fitbit, but I switched a few months ago and am honestly much happier and very impressed with the Garmin. I find it has more reliable everyday data (like heart rate, respiration, body battery), you can set custom ranges for abnormal heart rate alerts, and I personally like the app more than Fitbit's. The Garmin is also a million times better for exercise. Garmin watches are generally more expensive than Fitbits, but I was able to get a discount through my health insurance so that helps. Hope you find something that works for you!
I do! It only triggers the alert when you've been inactive for 10 minutes, so it doesnt always catch if you're moving around a lot. But, the regular hr monitor is very easy to access and look at on the watch, and I find it's usually spot-on to what it feels like. The alerts are customizable and you can also have a low heart rate alert if that helps you. It's a little annoying because the alert sound is LOUD lol and I've been embarrassed before when it happens in public, but that's its job I guess! I haven't looked into getting an alert for high heart rate while active, so that's the one part I can't attest to.
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