To celebrate Global Running Day, Garmin has announced the launch of the Garmin Forerunner 255 — one of the brand’s most popular running watches. The Forerunner 255 is now available in two different sizes and has a host of new features and training tools. Here’s everything you need to know about the new watches in the range.
The Garmin Forerunner 245 is one of the best Garmin watches on the market, and with the Forerunner 255, Garmin has made some small, but significant improvements. While we’re yet to get our hands on the new watch, here’s everything you need to about the stand-out features.
Garmin Forerunner 255: Price and availability
For the first time, the Garmin Forerunner 255 will come in two different sizes — the Forerunner 255S and the Forerunner 255S Music will have a 41mm case, and be available in a number of different colors, including tidal blue and light pink. Designed for smaller wrists, this is around the same face size as the Forerunner 245, which has a 42mm face.
The Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 255 Music will have a 46mm case, and come in black or whitestone. This is around the same size as the Fenix 7, which is 45mm, so definitely looks more of a statement on the wrist.
The Forerunner 255S and Forerunner 255 will retail at $349/£299. The Forerunner 255S Music and the Forerunner 255 Music will retail at $399/£349. This is a hundred dollars or so more expensive than the Forerunner 55 — Garmin’s entry-level running watch, but cheaper than the Forerunner 745, which has, until recently been one of the best running watches for triathletes, and the Garmin Venu 2, which is one of the best Garmin smartwatches.
Garmin Forerunner 255: Battery and features
The Forerunner 255 will improve the Forerunner 245’s battery life, which had seven days of battery life in smartwatch mode, or 24 hours in GPS mode. According to Garmin, the Forerunner 255 has 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 30 hours in GPS mode.
Unlike the likes of the Fenix 7, the Forerunner 255 doesn’t have a touchscreen, but we’d argue this isn’t that much of a loss. The watch still has five buttons to help you navigate around it, plus on watches like the Fenix 7 and Epix 2 the touchscreen is turned off when the watch is in exercise mode.
But what’s new on the watch? First up, the Forerunner 255 will get a host of features usually reserved for the more expensive watches in the Garmin range. This includes the morning reports, which includes information about your sleep and HRV status (as well as weather updates and a daily workout suggestion when paired to your smartphone). The Forerunner 255 will have triathlon support, allowing you to toggle between sports for brick sessions and races, Garmin Pay, allowing you to leave your phone at home, and still grab a coffee after your run and PacePro, which helps stop you sprinting off the startline at your next race.
The Forerunner 255 will also have all the other health and fitness features we’ve come to expect from Garmin — daily workout suggestions, the option to download training plans onto the watch via Garmin Coach, Pulse Ox monitors, HRV and sleep tracking.
Like the Forerunner 245, the music version of the Forerunner 255 has the ability to hold up to 500 songs, as well as connecting to Deezer, Spotify, and Amazon Music. We’re excited to get our hands on the new watch, and will be updating this page with a review link once we’ve clocked some miles.
Garmin Forerunner 955: Everything you need to know
As well as the Forerunner 255, Garmin has also announced the launch of the Forerunner 955 — the highest-spec watch in the Forerunner range. The Forerunner 955 has a color touchscreen that is made from solar charging Power Glass, giving you 20 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, and up to 49 hours in GPS mode.
The Forerunner 955 Solar will retail at $599/£549. There will also be a non-solar Forerunner 955 that will cost $499/£479.
