The Garmin Forerunner 955 arrived a few months ago and boasts high-end multisport fitness features. Garmin already offers a wide range of products, including the high-end Fenix 7, spoiling its fans with high-tech features every year. No matter if you are new to this brand or already an avid user, you might be thinking which one you should buy- the Garmin Forerunner 955 or the Garmin Fenix 7.
There are many similarities between these two watches but also have more than enough differences to make them appealing to different users. But, the question is, can Forerunner 955 be as prominent as the Fenix 7? Today, we will explore the possible answers to this question.
Design Features
When it comes to Garmin Smartwatches, you will find nothing but circular-shaped watches. The Forerunner 955 and Fenix 7 are no different. Both of them sport the same design as well as a touchscreen and five physical buttons.
However, the Fenix 7 has more premium materials than the Forerunner 955. The Fenix 7 comes with stainless steel and titanium chassis options, so you can pick whatever suits you. Whereas, the advantage of having a Forerunner 955 is its lightweight design and lower price tag, since it has a fiber-reinforced polymer case. In terms of size options, Forerunner 955 only comes in one size. On the other hand, you can pick between three different sizes of the Fenix 7.
Durability
Moreover, both watches are robust and can take quite a beating. Also, they come with outstanding water resistance. The Forerunner 955 has 5 ATM and Fenix 7 has 10 ATM, meaning Fenix 7 is highly suitable for surfing or diving. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take Forerunner 955 to swim.
Fitness Tracking and Features
Both Forerunner 955 and Fenix 7 are similarly powerful. However, Garmin introduced some new features with the Forerunner 955, which are Training Readiness, HRV Status, and Race widget. These new features arguably make the Garmin Forerunner 955 a more athlete-focused watch than the Fenix 7. However, Garmin might add these features to Fenix 7 sooner or later with a software update.
With HRV status, the Forerunner 955 can track your all-day heart rate even while sleeping. Otherwise, every other feature looks identical to Fenix 7. Moreover, both smartwatches come with the latest Gen 4 Elevate heart rate sensor, Pulse Ox, Thermometer, Compass, and many more.
Both watches come with a barometer altimeter to let you measure altitude by calculating the location’s air pressure. They have downloadable offline maps too, including Topoactive, Europe maps, and more. Besides, you can stream music on both smartwatches without having your smartphone nearby.
GPS System
When it is all about the Garmin smartwatch, GPS accuracy is an important thing. Both Forerunner 955 and Fenix 7 have built-in GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. But, Forerunner 955 has a multi-band GPS, which is now more accurate than before. Also, with this feature, you can get improved tracking, where obtaining a satellite signal is challenging. Though the sapphire edition of Fenix 7 has this feature, which is a bit expensive.
Battery Life
The Forerunner 955 can survive for up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and with the solar mode, it can be extended for up to 20 days. While using it in GPS mode, this watch can run for up to 42 hours. On the other hand, Fenix 7 can live for up to 18 days in smartwatch mode and with GPS on it can be alive for up to 57 hours.
Price
Now the most important thing is price, though it isn’t much of a concern for Garmin users. However, the Forerunner 955 is available at $499.99 and if you want a solar version then you have to pay $100 extra. Whereas, the standard edition of Fenix 7 will cost you $699.99 and the 51mm sapphire solar edition will cost you $999.99. With this price tag, you can buy two Forerunner 955.
Our Verdict
In short, both Forerunner 955 and Fenix 7 have almost similar features except for some that are introduced in Forerunner 955. You can get Training Readiness, HRV Status, and Race widget exclusively on Forerunner 955. However, the Fenix 7 is more premium and durable but also more expensive.
