We would like to compare the Garmin Forerunner 255 vs 955 side-by-side and share the key differences between them. To begin with, the Forerunner 255 is an entry-level running watch of Garmin whereas the Forerunner 955 is the premium one. Therefore, there are some additional features and hardware that are only available in Forerunner 955 but not in Forerunner 255. So you might be wondering which one is better for you, the Forerunner 255 or the 955.
If you need a short answer, you can take a quick look at the list and the table below. Here is the list of the main differences between the Forerunner 255 and the Forerunner 955:
- Considering the case size options there are two variants of the Forerunner 255 but the Forerunner 955 has only one
- Yet, the Forerunner 255 has also a music edition, the Forerunner 255 Music, if you would like to play music off-line. The standard model of Forerunner 255 cannot store music but the Forerunner 955 can.
- The Forerunner 955 has two variants. The first model has standard Corning Gorilla Glass DX and the second model has Power Glass lens on it. As you will see, the Power Glass model of the Forerunner 955 can produce some electricity via its solar panels and therefore has an extended battery-life. Unfortunately, the Forerunner 255 has no solar variant.
- The Forerunner 955 has slightly more battery-life than the Forerunner 255. However, the Forerunner 955 Solar increases the gap since it offers extended battery-life.
- The Forerunner 955 has more memory for data recording in comparison to the 255.
- On Forerunner 955, you can navigate its menu via the touchscreen or buttons. However, the Forerunner 255 only has buttons, no touchscreen.
- The last thing is that the Forerunner 955 allows to preload the TOPO maps, but the Forerunner 255 does not.
- As expected, the Forerunner 955 looks better than the 255 in terms of overall performance and it is feature rich. However, its additional features and hardware add almost $100 to its price compared to the Forerunner 255.
Also, here is the table we have put together to help you compare the Forerunner 255 vs 955:
| Comparison of# | Forerunner 955 | Forerunner 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Our Selection for | Best Running Watch | Best Entry Level Running Watch |
| Latest Price Tag | Rates on Amazon Forerunner 955 / 955 Solar | Rates on Amazon Forerunner 255 / 255 Music |
| Bezel Material | Polymer-fiber reinforced | Polymer-fiber reinforced |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX Power Glass Solar Charging Lens | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| QuickFit™ watch band compatible | 22-mm | 22-mm for Case Size 45.6-mm 18-mm for Case Size 41-mm |
| Physical size | 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 (mm) | 41 x 41 x 12.4 (mm) 45.6 x 45.6 x 12.9 (mm) |
| Display resolution | 260 x 260 pixels | 218 x 218 pixels (41-mm diamater) 260 x 260 pixels (45.6-mm diameter) |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days/20 days with solar* GPS-only mode without music: Up to 42 hours/49 hours with solar* All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours All Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band without music: Up to 20 hours/22 hours with solar* Ultratrac mode: Up to 80 hours/110 hours with solar* | For Case Size 45.6 mm Smartwatch mode: Up to 14 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 30 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 25 hours All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band: Up to 16 hours |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Smartphone Music Control | Yes | Yes |
| Music storage | Up to 2000 Songs | On 255 Music Only (up to 500 songs) |
| Memory | 32 GB | 4 GB |
| Highlighted Sensors & Features | Multi-Frequency Positioning Barometric Altimeter Heart Rate Monitor GPS & GLONASS & GALILEO Accelerometer Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Compass Thermometer Gyroscope HRV Status Touch Screen Preloaded Topographical Maps | Muti-Frequncy Positioning Barometric Altimeter Heart Rate Monitor GPS & GLONASS & GALILEO Accelerometer Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Compass Thermometer Gyroscope HRV Status |
| LiveTrack & Incident Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Training Load & Status | Yes | Yes |
| Point-to-point navigation Bread crumb trail in real time Back to start | Yes | Yes |
Similar Article: Garmin Forerunner 255 vs 745: Key Differences
Key Differences Between Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955
We have listed the key differences between Forerunner 255 and 955 based on;
- Design, Size & Material
- Display Type and Resolution
- Battery-life
- Music Play and Storage
- Health, Tracking & Fitness Features
Let’s take a look at them one by one.
Design, Size & Material
Starting from the design both Forerunner 255 and the 955 have 5-buttons. But, the Forerunner 955 has also touch screen.
Considering the available size options, the Forerunner 255 has 41 x 41 x 12.4 (mm) and 45.6 x 45.6 x 12.9 (mm) case size options. On the other hand, the Forerunner 955 comes with a case size of 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 (mm). So, the Forerunner 955 has a slightly larger watch-face in comparison to the larger version of the Forerunner 255.
The bezel material of both watches is the fiber reinforced polymer. Therefore, they are not as sturdy as the watches which have stainless steel bezel.
Display Type & Resolution and Lens Material
Both the 255 and the 955 have transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display type which offers great readability under direct sunlight.
The larger option of Forerunner 255 has 260 x 260 pixels (45.6-mm diameter). However, the smaller option of it has 218 x 218 pixels (41-mm diameter). On the other hand, the Forerunner 955 has 260 x 260 pixels (46.5-mm diameter) and slightly larger watch-face.
When it comes to the lens material, the Forerunner 255 has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens which is older than the Corning Gorilla Glass DX lens being used in the Forerunner 955. However, both lens materials are expected to be scratch resistant up to a point. On the other hand, only the Forerunner 955 Solar edition has solar panels on it which offers extended battery-life.
Similar Article: Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7: Key Differences
Battery-life compared for Garmin Forerunner 255 vs 955
In some certain cases, the battery-life of Forerunner 955 last longer than the Forerunner 255. Apart from that both of them offers very similar battery-life expectations. In parentheses, the Forerunner 955 Solar is an exception.
Here is the table that we compared the battery-life of the Forerunner 255 with the Forerunner 955:
| Comparing the # | Forerunner 255 | Forerunner 955 & 955 Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | For Case Size 45.6 mm Smartwatch mode: Up to 14 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 30 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 25 hours All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band: Up to 16 hours | Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days/20 days with solar* GPS-only mode without music: Up to 42 hours/49 hours with solar* All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours All Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band without music: Up to 20 hours/22 hours with solar* Ultratrac mode: Up to 80 hours/110 hours with solar* |
Similar Article: Garmin Forerunner 255 vs Fenix 7: Key Differences
Music Play and Storage For Forerunner 255 vs 955
To begin with, both Forerunner 255 and 955 can control the smartphone music. However, if you would like to play off-line, you need either Forerunner 255 Music or Forerunner 955. The standard version of the 255 does not support music storage.
So that the Forerunner 255 Music can store up to 500 songs, whereas, the Forerunner 955 can store up to 2000.
It is good to note that the Forerunner 255 Music cost $50 more than the standard 255.
So, if you don’t like to bring your phone with you while running, you can still listen music with the Forerunner 255 Music or the 955.
Health, Tracking & Fitness Features
First off, there are tons of health, tracking and fitness features of these two watches. However, we would like to focus on what matters the most from our own perspective.
The Forerunner 255 does not support the pre-loaded topo maps, however, the 955 has it. The TOPO Maps are way better than the built-in maps that come with the GPS.
Also, the Forerunner 255 does not support Wi-Fi connectivity but Bluetooth and ANT+. However, the Forerunner 955 has all these three connectivity types.
The Forerunner 955 has some additional gym activity profiles such as Indoor Climbing and Bouldering which are not included in the Forerunner 255.
Bottom-line for Garmin Forerunner 255 vs 955 Comparison
Our verdict for Garmin Forerunner 255 vs 955 is that:
If you have enough budged and can afford the Forerunner 955, you should definitely pick it, since it is really a premium running watch and it has lots of pros. For instance, the extended battery-life in the Solar edition, larger watch face, preloaded topo maps, touch screen, 32-GB memory, storing 2000 songs for off-line playing are some of them.
But, if you are budged restricted, you don’t need to worry about that. Because none of the things that we listed about the 955 are essential, but nice to have in a running watch. On the other hand, the Forerunner 255 has lots of great features and sensors that are being expected from a premium watch. And it is surprisingly cost-effective.
Similar Article: Garmin Forerunner 55 vs 255: Key Differences
References
Garmin Forerunner 255 support and how to use video:
Introduction to Garmin Forerunner 255 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-676967A0-1B23-4384-9BC9-76F3D643F1C8/EN-US/Forerunner_255_OM_EN-US.pdf
Garmin Forerunner 955 support and how to use video:
Introduction to Garmin Forerunner 955 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-9D99A9D4-467A-4F1A-A0EA-023184FEA3DD/EN-US/Forerunner_955_OM_shared_EN-US.pdf