Garmin - Forerunner 55

Thanks for the reply. I bought a used FR55. Love the DSW. It's the first time I run on a frequent schedule. Unfortunately, the FR55 keeps freezing and shutting off / deleting data after 50 minutes of exercise. Really frustrating. Thinking of upgrading to a fr265, which would have the above mentioned feature, but there are rumors that the fr275 will be released in Q1 or Q2 this year. So I think I'm gonna wait

Garmin forerunner 55 does everything I need and the app is solid. The 55 is relatively inexpensive and the battery lasts about two weeks.

I have used garmin, fitbit, and polar and yeah, none of them are great tracking weight training. Of the three I prefer Garmin for the app and general usability.

I wear my Garmin in the shower and charge every couple weeks.

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.

You might still be better off buying the polar arm band that visible uses as a HR monitor (polar verity sense). I've found it to be much more accurate than my wrist watch sensor (Garmin forerunner 55, which i also like). Now I wear both so I can use the watch to quickly get an idea of my hr but I use the armband for more accurate numbers looking back at activities Also, if you are in an activity on the Garmin watch you can pair the armband to it and see the more accurate armband HR on the watch

“Cheap” is a relative term that is going to have different conotations to different people. If you have a price range or specific figure in mind, it is probably best to share it, so folks can help you accordingly. That being said, if you’re looking for an entry level device that can sync to NRC, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is where you would want to start looking. $150 USD seems to be the going rate. One thing that is important to note—NRC is very popular, especially among beginners, for its Guided Runs and Training Plans. Unfortunately, any device by Garmin (or COROS) is not going to support those features, as these devices only push data to NRC *after* the run. If you want to take advantage of Guided Runs and Training Plans, an Apple Watch (if you have an iPhone) or a watch that runs Wear OS (if you have an Android phone) are the *only* options for your wrist. I noticed you mentioned Apple Watch Series 6. A couple disclaimers about older used devices: * Nike has a history of dropping support for older technology. Recently, NRC discontinued the app for Apple Watch Series 3 and earlier (and by “discontinued,” I don’t mean you couldn’t upgrade the app; it stopped functioning all together). Granted, Series 3 was six years old at this point, but the device you’re considering is approaching five years old, so proceed with caution. * I would only consider an older Apple Watch if the battery has recently been replaced. The battery wears out after so many charge cycles, each time being able to hold less and less power. Once this “maximum capacity” is below 80%, Apple recommends a new battery. This is also the point where watchOS may start to limit resources for apps, which can really affect an app that is constantly using Location Services, like NRC. Note this is even when fully charged. Sure, you could always have the battery replaced yourself, but that is going to set you back about $99.

To add: the forerunner 55 is a really great entry level watch (that you can use pretty much at all levels). The gps is as good as the more expensive Garmin watches, just minus some fringe features.

My Forerunner 55 still does everything I need it to. 

I understand you said you’re on a budget but you should invest on yourself! As others stated, I recommend a Garmin Forerunner 55 or any other second hand Garmin.

Forerunner 55. I wanted a cheap entry watch and it’s been perfect. Route tracking, heart rate monitoring, pace, distance, timekeeping. does everything i need.

The Forerunner only supports pool swimming and doesn't have a native multisport mode. If that's not important to you, it's the best choice of the 3 you've listed.

It's waterproof, but GPS loses signal when it goes underwater. That line of watch isn't equipped to find/lock satellite signal in the few moments your hand is above water during recovery, so it won't track your swim unless you're able to keep it out of the water the whole time. Pool swimming uses the accelerometer and only counts lengths and multiplies it by pool size to give you distance, it won't pick that up on its own.

Same boat. I just got a base model FR 55. Mostly to keep my wife from experiencing sticker shock and avoid getting one for herself. I was blown away by the options. Yes all the running capabilities. There are coaching plans that use the GPS and many features I wasn’t expecting. I haven’t been outside much to use the GPS function yet, so I cannot speak to that. There is a golf (app) function that I’m excited to try out. The one caveat being that you need your phone on you for some things, but I’ve always got my phone on me. All in all I’m extremely satisfied with the 55 and would like someone to sell me on an upgraded model once I wear this one out. EDIT: I would also say this watch is extremely light but doesn’t feel cheap in the least.

I have 55 does everything I need

I was a giga denier of smart watches, because I didn't like the style and loved my normal watches. Quickly realized, only really need to wear it while running if I wanted to. Bought it and I would never, never go back. Garmin Forerunner 55, pretty cheap and has everything I need. Sometimes I wear it at night, sometimes I wear it for the day, and the battery lasts forever. Having the control over music or the workout on your wrist makes tracking a hell of a lot less of a pain in the ass.

"Cheap" is pretty relative in the running watch world. Even an entry level GPS watch is fairly expensive. One of the more budget friendly ones that is pretty good is the Garmin Forerunner 55, but that's over $150.

Does it track your lifting too? I have the FR55 and there’s no weight training option, have to choose HIIT

I use the 55 and I'm your basic 5k runner. I love tracking my steps, the message notifications, finding my phone feature. Maybe one day I'll upgrade to a fancier version but this suits me fine.

Take a look at the Garmin Forerunner 55 or 165. Both entry-level running watches that have everything you are looking for in a fitness tracker and the Garmin Connect app is decent too.

Ive ran 2 marathons so not exactly newbie but still generally new to running compared to some others. I have a 55 and absolutely love it. Honestly, im not sure what features others use that i dont have on it besides maybe music capability beyond bluetooth to the phone. I get pace/route tracking, garmin coach, vo2 max, sleep tracking, body battery, etc. I feel like i get a complete picture of my training and health and its hundreds less than other models. Obviously i know there’s value in the higher models, but you wont feel like you “skimped out” going w the 55, esp if you primarily plan on using it for running

Garmin Forerunner 55 is a basic running watch with an older chip. It doesn’t offer other lifestyle tracking features or smart capabilities. If you care for purely running metrics, maybe worth to get it. But personally, other than having a Garmin on your arm, the 55 doesn’t really offer a lot. For a Garmin, I’d probably go for models 165 up. But if you’re looking to use not just for running but for other sports as well, and have some lifestyle and smart features, there are better options like Huawei Fit 3 and the other options you provided. Huawei GT5 also has premium features for a higher price point.

I use the FR 55 for walking, swimming, Pilates, cycle rides and running. But mainly for counting daily steps.

Well, what do you want to track during your workouts? Find a watch that does that. The Forerunner 55 is more than enough if all you want is to track your time and mileage. Bump up to the 265 for better GPS and more coaching options. Not sure why you'd go for the 965 unless you want maps, in which case, sure, that's a fine option. On the Apple Watch, btw, you don't have to look at the stand hours at all. You can turn off all the complications and notifications about your rings, and then you can pretend they don't exist. Not really a problem then, right?

I’ve had a garmin forerunner 55 for a few years. Bought it used on eBay for less than $100. It’s waterproof and has decent battery life when its in standby mode (GPS off).

Garmin Forerunner 55. Cheap but does the job, never missed a beat for me.

yeah :( as a comparison, with my old garmin FR55 i just start the guided workout, and basically don't need to look at my watch again because it will beep/vibrate at me to run faster/slower. it's especially useful with something like runna where it's built the workouts for you, so often the first time i'm seeing them is when i'm starting my workout, which is fine because the watch is telling me everything i need to know. with suunto, not so much :(

I have a Garmin Forerunner 55 that works with the Galloway method.

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.

Omg, I just read your post and I feel like it was me! I had the same Mi fitness tracker, and yes, my FR55 (couldn’t really afford much more) is amazing and really helped me stay motivated for running and other activities! So congrats! 👏🏼

Yup since nasa 6k na din naman yung isang nasa cart ni OP. Antay ka OP sa 5.5 baka makachempo ka. Nabili namin Garmin Forerunner 55 nung 4.4 sale P6.7k lang.

My IS is a black & white MIP screen, non-touch. Altimeter and barometer and compass (ABC). More butch design and more shock, cold, heat dust and dirt resistant. Feature set more for stuff INCLUDING running. More suited backpacking and hiking which I've used it for a fair bit. Great tool watch despite the side-eye from my G-Shocks... FR55 has a bright AMOLED screen, touch, designed with running features (I guess cadence, stride length, recovery etc.). ALSO, I guess more smartwatch-y. My take is that if you're primarily interested in getting to be a better runner then FR is absolutely the way to go. No sane person would call me a "runner"; hence the IS. Mothers' cover their children's eyes when I plod by...

My bad, I think I grabbed info from a source that was wrong. I see it's MIP and non touch, which certainly explains the long battery life.

Just to clarify - the FR55 has a MIP screen and no touch. It’s the most basic of the running watches that Garmin sells, but is absolutely fine for what OP wants.

\+1 na kuha ko yung fr55 ko ng 6.7k with discount abang abang lang.

Depends on where you run. With the 55 you don't have the option to choose the best GPS mode. When you run in a city with tall buildings or between tall trees I would prefer to use the Gps multibande Option (to make your tracking more accurate ) but the 55 does not have multibande gps

I have the FR55 and use it for running and swimming. I also love sleep tracking function, and the ‘fitness age’ bit is actually pretty motivating! edit: my watch was discounted through my health insurance! But looks like Garmin’s covered that with a sale…

Garmin Forerunner 55. Really basic, not crazy expensive, and tracks the basic things.

Have the 55 and I really like it. Has everything you need for running without all the extra Mumbo jumbo

I would say, chest strap is not necessary for vast majority of runners — wrist-based sensors nowadays are good enough, unless you are super-serious or having real accuracy issues with wrist-based sensor (because of skin tone, tattoes, hair, wrist shape — all of which are quite rare). The additional hassle of not forgetting / wearing / washing the chest strap is not worth it. Experience: I’ve been using chest straps since 2014 or so (Garmin Forerunner 620), but switched to wrist-based a couple of years ago (Forerunner 55) and never looked back

The 255 supports multisport (Tri) and would probably be a better option than the 55, also the newer instinct would be a good option if you like the Gshock look.

Garmin Forerunner 55 I got for 150. Its one of the cheapest Garmin watches and I love it!

My partner bought me a Garmin Forerunner 55, they go for about $140-$160 I think. Also a complete beginner, my first watch and I love it. It has everything I need and the build quality is great - taken a few falls and still has zero scratches. It's not heavy/bulky and I find it very accurate in the distance and heart rate departments. The battery lasts about 4 days if I use the GPS tracking for a few hours a day on runs, if not it lasts 2 weeks without a charge. Brilliant little thing.

Yeah, I can second this. I bought myself a forerunner 55 on a deal for around £100 new. I'm currently training for my second marathon and ran almost 2000km last year - there's nothing running related that I feel like I'm missing on my watch.

it has pool swim

i got the forerunner 55. it's a cheaper model and not touch screen/limited capabilities besides tracking, but it's fine for me as a relative newbie (first marathon but have run a few halfs)

Thank you for your insight. I've posted this with my existing smartphone in mind when running but yeah thank you and right now mi waiting for my forerunner 55 because it was also on sale hehehhe

Ive got the forerunner 55 as per review it was closely accurate

The watch will record a "run" and you changed it to a trail run in whatever app you use. It's a very basic watch. No maps, trail runs, altimeter, open water swims, or other features for a dedicated outdoor sports. It still tracks GPS based altitude though.

Kung kaya mo istretch ng konti pa garmin fr55 pasok din

Sakin naman 6.5k sulit na sulit

For me it helps a lot to have insight into your performance and your progress. It also really motivates me to continue running because every run generates more data and your insight gets better and better. But whether it also motivates you is of course impossible for us to estimate. I started with an FR55 and because of all the insights I switched to the FR255 and then a Fenix ​​7 Pro. I can guarantee you that the FR255 is a very good watch that you will absolutely not regret.

If it's mostly for running I'd get a basic forerunner 55

I got the forerunner 55 2 years ago when i started training for a half marathon. I wanted something that could track my heart rate and distance and was easier than using my phone. It was 100% worth it in my opinion. It was maybe £150 but im sure you can find it cheaper now or get a second hand one somewhere. It does everything I needed, has some fun extra tracking stuff. Connects great to runna and strava. There aren't really any downsides to it for me. I dont need anything more than what it does and its lasted me a good amount of time. Hoping to get another year or two out of it before upgrading but would probably only upgrade to the 255 (or equivalent) when it dies

Garmin all the way! Sulit na ang fr 55 for the hr, gps and coaching

try the FR55, it works well in pool swimming

I’ve been very happy with my Garmin Forerunner 55. Heart rate, GPS, time, customizable data fields if you want. That’s it. It’ll estimate your paces after you track your exercise for a while and it’s not bad at accuracy. The Garmin connect app is also good enough at displaying fatigue with “body battery” metrics.

Any of the modern Garmins (Forerunner x55 series, Epix, Fenix 7 or above) - great 24/7 tracking

I have used the Garmin forerunner 55 and currently use the 265S

Is forerunner 55 also for swimming? I have one but not sure if to use it on swimming as I use it only for running so far

Go with the garmin! I personally love it more than the Fitbit and Apple Watch I’ve had.

Garming fr 55 naka 7k less discount pa

In my experience the forerunner 55 is often times incorrect. It gets the wrong amount of sleep

Garmin Forerunner 55. I have the instinct 2 and love their sleep tracking.

Only the high end Garmin will do what you need. Their low end eg forerunner 55 has terrible sleep monitoring capability. Best as a hr monitor.

sagad mo na sa garmin forerunner55

In the past there was no Garmin, no super trainers, no super race shoes, no Gu or Gatorade. People ran far, ran fast, trained like beasts. But now people run much further, faster, and train like aliens all due to these improvements. You don’t need these per se, but you’ll lag behind the pack on almost every aspect. Try to get a simple Forerunner 55 at a discount to get started, you won’t regret it.

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

This solely depends on Apple Watch gen. My gen 1 SE was and still is garbage at tracking anything. I bought a FR55 over the weekend and despite the app connectivity giving me slight issues, I don’t let it bug me because not having to charge my watch almost twice daily has been a very nice change, got my forerunner on Saturday and I still have yet to put it on the charger.

For $200, I’d say FR55 is arguably your best bang for the buck. It’s my daily right now until my 7 Pro SS is delivered. Been wearing it almost non-stop since getting in late October last year.

I don’t disagree, but the battery life was my main reasoning for purchase. All data scans have been much more accurate in comparison to my old AW too. Compared it all to my mothers nursing equipment such as bpm, HR, etc and all have only been like +/- 1 off which I found impressive. My fr55 on average lasts 12-13 days on a full charge. Also remember you aren’t just paying for a “smart watch” you’re paying for a fitness watch which smart watch tech. You’re paying for what the watch is able to do, whereas with Apple or Samsungs you’re paying purely for a smart watch with extra data.

For me personally, lack of touch screen, display size and Fenix 7 has like 2x the battery life. Also more fitness stuff and not just cardio specific.

I use Garmin forerunner watch, sync Strava with Garmin Connect and sync Komoot with Strava. It works like a charm.

I have a Garmin Edge bike computer and chest based heart rate because I like to see my speed on the handlebars rather than having to look at my watch. It also navigates for me on more adventurous rides and race courses I'm unfamiliar with. For local social rides I just track on my Garmin Forerunner watch.

Runs are the same concept as rides. Personally, I use purpose-built devices to record: Garmin Edge bike computer, Garmin Forerunner watch (they also both do navigation, connect to heart rate sensors, watch does music, etc.). When I stop an activity and hit save, it's uploaded to Strava before I can even get the garage door open. I don't want to carry my phone on a run, and I don't want to run down the battery on all-day rides.

People have to stop comparing these. These are for two different people. I would never wear an Apple Watch based on battery life alone. I specifically got the Garmin for a wrist based gps and mapping tool to track and orient myself. You buy an Apple Watch to use smart features and be connected to your phone. Garmin has never been in that market. It’s a whole company based on gps systems for outdoor activities . You buy an Apple Watch to have Apple ecosystem. you can’t use half the feature of the fenix on an iPhone bc they only want you to use their watch… Garmin are all specifically made for their audience even down the the model . Apple watches are just to keep you plugged into your phone and have no bearing on actual outdoor activities despite calling it ultra. The Millitary has been orienteering with Garmin wrist based gps systems forever. You’d never catch an Apple Watch on patrol in Afghanistan. 😂