So, recently in the Forerunner lineup, Garmin added two new running smartwatches, the Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 255. One is a high-range smartwatch, and another one is a mid-range smartwatch. These two smartwatches come with many new upgrades, including multi-band GPS, a race widget, and heart rate variation. However, as for the price, there are some differences between them, which might make you choose one over another.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Forerunner 255
In this article, we are going to help you make a decision regarding if you should spend a little extra for the extra features and go for the ForeRunner 955, or tone down a bit and rely on the 255. So, without further ado, let’s begin!
Hardware
Let’s start with the hardware first, the Forerunner 955 is more of a top-tier running watch, and it comes in only one size with a 46.5mm case. It also boasts a 1.3-inch always-on full-color touchscreen display. Whereas the Forerunner 255 is a midrange running watch and comes in two sizes. The standard one is 46mm, which has a 1.3-inch display, and the smaller one is 41mm, which has a 1.1-inch display. So, with the Forerunner 255, you can choose the size. Moreover, both watches have 5ATM of waterproof resistance.
Convenience
Another difference between the Forerunner 955 and 255 is the 955 features a touchscreen along with physical buttons, whereas the 255 only supports physical buttons to control the device. Physical buttons are a really useful thing when you have sweaty hands or wearing gloves. And when it comes to using the map, this is where you might struggle with the physical buttons. And only the touchscreen can help to navigate or zoom through the map effortlessly. Not only that, the touchscreen makes the watch more convenient. You can even turn off the touchscreen if you want to just use the physical buttons. It is worth mentioning that, the Forerunner 255 doesn’t feature any map with it, but still, you can track yourself while doing your outdoor activities.
Health Features
Both Forerunner 955 and 255 come with Garmin’s fourth-generation heart rate sensor to track your wellness more accurately. Also, they both can track your blood oxygen saturation and body’s energy levels so you can find the best times for activity and rest. With the health snapshot feature, these smartwatches can record key stats at once, including heart rate, pulse ox, respiration, and stress level. You can even gain a deeper understanding of your overall health, recovery, and training performance through HRV status. These smartwatches also support training readiness so you can get to know about your sleep quality, how well you recovered from your last training, and more. All new race widget features can help you with race prep information, race-day weather, countdown clock, and performance predictions. Overall, both Forerunner 955 and 255 have almost the same health features. However, the Forerunner 955 adds PacePro and ClimbPro, which can give you real-time guidance on your pace and elevation.
Different Modes
Plus, the 955 comes in two different options, one is a standard model, and another one is a solar version. With the solar version, you can have extended battery life. On the other side, the 255 also offers two variants, one is a regular one, and another one is a music version. And, for the music version, you have to pay $50 more. Though you can listen to your favorite music without having your smartphone with you, we think paying extra is not worth it.
Run Time
Coming to the 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, the Forerunner 255 can run for up to 14 days, and with GPS mode, you can use it for up to 30 hours.
GPS System
In terms of the GPS system, both smartwatches come with Multi-band GPS, which is now more accurate than before. With multiple satellite frequency support, both Forerunner 955 and 255 can provide better accuracy where it’s hard to get a good signal.
Our Takeaway
In short, both the Forerunner 955 and 255 has almost similar features. The only noticeable difference is the Forerunner 955 has a touchscreen, increased battery life, and some extra feature like PacePro, and ClimbPro. So, what do you think? Do you really want to spend more money to get the almost same feature?
