It’s hard to enhance an excellent running watch. So the time Garmin unveiled the Forerunner 255, one had to assess what was new and also whether it was worthwhile. The short answer is a resounding yes. The Garmin Forerunner 255 offers a tonne of brand-new features.
By all accounts, the Garmin Forerunner 245 was a fantastic running watch. It was among the top picks for more than three years because of its great combination of size, affordability, and battery life. But in the world of wearable technology, 3 years is a lifetime. It was appropriate for this moderately priced watch to keep up with the times. This is because features that weren’t standard at the time of debut are now necessities.
What will you see here?
Design
Forerunner 255’s design hasn’t altered much. The Forerunner 255 is still operated by five buttons. 3 on the left and 2 on the right. Unlike the new Fenix 7 & Forerunner 955, which include a touchscreen. We would say that since the touchscreen is automatically switched off when you’re using the watch for exercise, its absence isn’t really a loss. Additionally, touchscreens are frequently not worth the price tag, as anybody who has ever attempted to touch with a sweaty finger on one will attest to.
Like previous Garmin watches, the whole data screen is customizable. Moreover, like newer Garmin watches, you can now make changes both on the watch and through the Garmin Connect app.
One will particularly value this upgrade from Garmin. As it makes it much easier to switch out as well as add data fields on the phone. Especially when one has to leave quickly for a training session.
The color MIP display on the Forerunner 255 is easy to see in all lighting conditions. It is visible even in bright sunshine. The watch on the Forerunner 255S, which is smaller, features a 1.1-inch display. While the Forerunner 255, which is larger, features a 1.3-inch diameter.
The Forerunner 255, is bigger than the Forerunner 245. Also, has a resolution of 260 × 260 pixels as opposed to 240 x 240 pixels, which has a greater resolution than the smaller watch. The screen on the newest watch clearly appears a touch brighter and more vivid. Though it’s not a change you’d really notice until comparing the two watches side by side.
Health Features
It starts to get interesting from here. Some of the more sophisticated health functions often seen on Garmin’s more costly running watches have been transferred to the Forerunner 255. The watch contains a Garmin Elevate V4 sensor. It observes blood oxygen levels and heart rate with green and red lights, respectively. Stress, HRV, & breathing rate are all calculated using this sensor.
The Forerunner 255 automatically monitors detailed sleep data, just like the Forerunner 245 before it. However, a new feature on the watch is the Morning Report function. It offers you an overview of how well you slept, how hard you’ve been exercising, and a peek at the climate for the day forward.
It’s critical to distinguish between Garmin’s Training Readiness score and the Morning Report. These can be seen on the line’s more costly watches like the Fenix 7 and the recently released Forerunner 955. The Body Battery score, which is accessible on the Forerunner 255, is a broad picture of your health. Whereas the Training Readiness score indicates how hard you should exercise that day.
In any case, you may choose what information you wish to view in the Morning Report. This is a pleasant addition.
The Garmin Health Snapshot function, which debuted on the Garmin Venu 2 Plus, is also available on the Forerunner 255. During this one-time, two-minute test, your heart rate, stress level, blood oxygen level, respiration rate, as well as heart rate variability are all monitored (HRV). You should record your health-related activities on a regular basis. Ideally at the same time of day, to get a sense of how things are changing for you. After two minutes, you receive a summary of your metrics that can be seen on the Garmin Connect app and exported as a PDF.
Smartwatch features
Nowadays, running watches are made to be worn all the time rather than just while jogging. Moreover the past several years, we’ve seen firms provide fitness watches with smartwatch functions. Similarly, the Forerunner 255 lets you view smartphone alerts from your smartphone on the watch. However, you can’t currently reply to them. Additionally, the Forerunner 255 supports contactless payments using Garmin Pay, allowing you to commute without taking out your phone.
Additionally, you can leave your phone at home while running with the Forerunner 255 Music model of the watch, which lets you download over 500 songs plus playlists from Deezer or Spotify.
GPS Accuracy
GPS precision is… acceptable. It starts slipping behind means buzzing after the two but normally being in the same range. When it came to GPS tracking, the Forerunner 955 behaved more similarly to the Fenix 7X than the Forerunner 255S.
Sports and Running Features
Of course, tracking sports is one of the major reasons you purchase a sports watch. There are several sports modes available on the Forerunner 255, which contains everything you’d anticipate from the Forerunner range. Run, Treadmill, Track Run, Bike, Bike Indoor, Swimming Pool, Swimming Open Water, Triathlon, Indoor Track, Trail Run, Multisport, Ultra Run, Virtual Run, eBike, MTB, eMTB, Row, Row Indoor, Health Snapshot, SUP, Walk, Strength, Cardio, Pilates Elliptical, Stair Stepper, HIIT, Yoga, Clocks, Floor Climb and Some other. On the watch and in the Garmin Connect app, you may customize the data panels for each sports profile.
The Forerunner 255 contains suggested workouts, a redesigned race calendar, as well as race countdown widgets that may help you get ready for a significant effort. A new race prediction widget is also available, which provides a projected finish time for something like the marathon, half-marathon, 10K, and 5K distances.
The ‘Up Ahead’ function, which lets you view pre-defined race markers like aid stations and climbs, as well as the race-day specific performance prediction, which lets you know if you’re moving faster or slower over time, have also been introduced by Garmin to the Forerunner 255.
The inclusion of triathlon & multisport activity profiles in the Forerunner 255 marks yet another significant departure from its forerunner predecessor. Brick sessions as well as triathlon track had previously only been available on more costly Forerunner watches.
The Forerunner 255 now incorporates Garmin’s brand-new Acute Load function. It updates more quickly than the seven-day load function, so if you run a challenging race 5 days ago, the load will likely decrease over time as you are more likely to be healing. This feature is designed to avoid the dreaded “Unproductive” Training Status a week after a challenging effort.
Price and Availability
The 42mm and 46mm versions of the Garmin Forerunner 255 cost the same and are available in two different sizes. The Forerunner 255 offers the choice of whether or not to save music, as was already indicated. Costs $349/£299 for the Forerunner 255 without music & $399/£349 for the Forerunner 255 with music. Although it costs $50 more than the Forerunner 245, which first debuted on the market for $299 without music & $349 with music, this watch has a few higher-end features that, in my opinion, make up for the price difference.
Relying on the watch size you select and if you decide to enable music storage on the wrist, the watch is offered in a variety of color schemes. The Forerunner 255 is available in the following colors: black, white, slate grey, tidal blue, light pink, and powder grey.
Similar to previous Forerunner watches, the watch’s strap may be changed with one of Garmin’s Quick Release bands to utilize a leather or metal strap.
Conclusion
The much-loved Forerunner 245 finally received the makeover it deserved with the Garmin Forerunner 255. It has a long battery life, precise GPS tracking, and stylish packaging. The mid-range running watch from Garmin has two case sizes and an additional music feature, making it more versatile than ever. Triathlon Mode broadens the Forerunner’s appeal beyond the typical running community, making it simple to suggest to both Android and iOS customers.
The best part is that Garmin’s battery life has significantly improved, and NFC integration for Garmin Pay allows you to free up some pocket space when running. Although the five-button navigation and the watch’s weight may require some getting used to, they shouldn’t be unfamiliar to Garmin enthusiasts. Whatever navigation method you pick, Garmin’s compatibility with iOS and Android is superb. The Connect app is simple to use and links with Strava for smooth exercise sharing, however, you may also use the app to keep your data private.
