Forerunner 255 Series

You can often find the 255 on sale for not much more than the 55. I’d pick up a 255 on sale and get better gps and metrics. Love mine.

Yes, 255 has multi-band gps! Even the best gps will have some issues in some areas with tall buildings, but definitely a step up from something like the 55.

For me a forerunner was 100% worth it but I never liked Apple Watch, never used mine (hand me down from a parent), and didn’t have the same concerns about Garmin that you have. I am not a smart watch person so the fact that my garmin (255) is basically not a smart watch is ideal for me. I don’t care about look. The training metrics are a plus and a big part of why I love it but nothing anyone needs and if the battery life/24/7 wear isn’t going to be THE factor for you then it sounds like Apple Watch is your watch and you don’t need to convince yourself you need Garmin!

I recently swapped my Apple Watch for a garmin forerunner 255 and it’s been great. It was between that and a coros pace 3, and after reading a bunch of reviews I went with garmin, but I probably would have been happy with either. It was a close call.

FR 165 may be missing some more advanced options, but it should match your needs and budget (barely). Personally I would go for second hand FR255. If you care a lot about HR, especially during intervals, buy arm monitor like Polar OH1+ in addition to a watch. It is quite cheap, easily pairs with all Garmins and tests prove it is more reliable than almost any watch on the market.

All true except advanced metrics. They are also present in Fenix (it has even more features for hiking) and Instinct. Forerunner is not more advanced. The rugedness is mostly about the bezel. In fenix and instinct it has a rim which gives extra protection to the screen. But that means rugged watches are more bulky what can be a problem in the gym. The real question is lightness of forerunner vs battery life of fenix /instinct

Nice choice! The 255 Music is solid and honestly perfect for getting into serious running. I've got the regular 255 (non-music) and it does everything you need - the pace/distance tracking is spot on and battery life is great. 255 euros sounds like a decent price too The 965 is nice but probably overkill if you're just getting started with outdoor running. You can always upgrade later if you get really into it, but the 255 will handle anything you throw at it for a good while