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Following on from my Garmin Forerunner 955 post, the Forerunner 255 series has also gone live on the Garmin website.
Garmin Forerunner 255 Price and Availability
With these watches, you have two sizes then a music or standard option. There are two colourways per model with slightly different colours (rather than white/black on the FR955).
- Forerunner 255 Music
- Black or White
- £349.99
- Forerunner 255 Standard
- Grey or Blue
- £299.99
- Forerunner 255S Music
- Black or White
- £349.99
- Forerunner 255S Standard
- Pink or Powder/Light Grey
- £299.99
Most options are available in 1-2 weeks, but the Blue model is 5-8 weeks, and Black 255S with music is 2-3 weeks.
In comparison, the older Forerunner 245 is priced at £210 / £300. You can also get them cheaper on Amazon with the Forerunner 245 Music currently at £232 or the standard model being £180.
Garmin Forerunner 255 Features
Most of the features have already been leaked, and the Forerunner 955 shares all of these, which I have covered in a bit more detail here.
Significantly Better Battery
I hate charging things so battery improvements are always a big selling point, and it is significant on this watch.
The standard smartwatch longevity is 14 days, double the Forerunner 245.
GPS-Only GNSS mode is 30 hours which is 25% higher than the 24 hours of the Forerunner 245.
Multi-Band GNSS
This is the newer, more accurate GPS/GNSS that has been rolled out on other watches.
Garmin Pay
Garmin pay has been implemented on a lot of Garmin watches now, but it was not on the FR245
Morning Report
Receive an overview of your sleep, recovery and training outlook as soon as you wake up — alongside HRV status and weather. You can even customise your report to show you what you want to see.
HRV Status
Gain a deeper understanding of your overall health, recovery and training performance through heart rate variability while you sleep, based on technology developed by our Firstbeat Analytics™ team.
Running Power
When using a Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Pro monitor, get a continuous measurement on your wrist of how much power you’re applying to the road as you run, so you can manage your effort.
Training Status
While this one is not new, it does use the HRV features to improve the overall quality of data.
Using new indicators such as HRV status, your recent exercise history and performance, get an easy insight into your overall effort — and whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained.
Overall
The Garmin Forerunner 255 feels like a less impressive launch to me than the Forerunner 955. Primarily this is because the Forerunner 255 has had quite a significant price hike compared to the previous generation.
It is a well-featured watch, and if running is your primary activity, it is probably the best option you can buy.
For more serious athletes, it is hard to ignore the Garmin Forerunner 955, which only costs 37% more but is a significantly better watch.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
