Garmin - Forerunner 255 Series
Models:
Forerunner 255S Music
Forerunner 255S
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 17, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
17
3
"Oh, and the battery lasts days even when exercising a lot (weeks without excercise)."
"Battery good enough to withstand long run in winter (AW tended to have problems in 30+ km runs in cold, not Garmin) ... Forerunner asks me if to go to power saving mode, when there are "just two days left" :)"
"I get close to a month from my forerunner on standby - about 2 weeks with daily workouts. ... the battery life lasts a really nice length of time ... As a fitness wearable Garmin... destroys Apple on battery life. ... There’s really no sensible person running Tris or Marathons using an Apple Watch. The battery life is too poor to last reliably. If you go to the starting like of a marathon you’re really only going to see actual fitness brands on wrists due to battery life alone."
Disliked most:
8
9
"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."
"I personally don’t like having a device with inconsistent heart rate readings. ... 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."
"It lags and gets cadence lock. ... Cadence lock is when you are running and the watch gets stuck tracking cadence (your steps) as heart rate instead of your actual heart rate. Garmin is the only brand I have experienced it on 3 different Garmin watches, I have never had it on Suunto or Apple."
0xF0z 1.0I 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.
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.
11b_Zac 0.1Garmin Venu 1, 2, or even one of the newer Vivoactives would be great. You can get a Venu 2 for probably about $100-$130 on Facebook Marketplace right now. You can also get one of the older Garmin Forerunners for about the same price as well, if not a little cheaper
1man1mind 0.1Use forerunner for swimming and it works great. So happy I no longer have to count my laps and I can just swim.
1_spamaccount_1 0.1if he is working a lot in the rain, get him something with more than 2 buttons so he would be able to use the watch using only the buttons (without the touchsreen) if he needs to, something like a forerunner, or instinct (doesnt have a touch screen) or a fenix (but a fenix is one of the more expensive ones)
2percentevil 1.0For 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!
673NoshMyBollocksAve 0.1The same I was big on the Apple ecosystem and felt like it was a cool watch just because it integrated so well, but I never even downloaded any apps for it. All I ever used it for was timers and reminders and stuff like that and basic fitness tracking, and my forerunner does all the same stuffbut way better. Should’ve switched sooner
6pt022x10tothe23 1.0I 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.
a1n3 0.1Dito. Venu will offer a tick “sexier” display due to oled, FR will most probably go longer. Might be a case for weekend hike ;)
A1naruth 1.0All 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
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.
Able-Department-1088 1.0Nice 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