Garmin Forerunner® 255S, GPS Running Smartwatch, 41mm, Powder Gray

I’ve been a Garmin user for over 10 years, and I upgraded from the Forerunner 745 to the Forerunner 255. This is an excellent upgrade and immediately feels like a more refined and capable watch. The 255 is lighter and more comfortable to wear all day, and the battery life is noticeably better than the 745. I’m also seeing improved GPS accuracy and more consistent tracking overall. The updated metrics, including HRV status and the newer training insights, provide more useful data to support training and recovery. Performance is smooth, reliable, and exactly what I expect from Garmin. It keeps everything I liked about the 745 while improving the areas that matter most, especially battery life, comfort, and tracking accuracy. If you’re coming from the 745, the Forerunner 255 is absolutely a worthwhile upgrade. Highly recommended.

I’ve been using the Garmin Forerunner 255 for a few months now, and I’m genuinely impressed. It strikes a great balance between advanced performance features and everyday usability. The GPS accuracy is top-notch, thanks to the dual-frequency support, and I’ve had no issues with tracking even in areas with spotty reception like wooded trails or city streets. Battery life is a huge plus—it easily lasts close to two weeks in smartwatch mode and over a day with continuous GPS. The design is lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear, including during sleep tracking, and the five-button interface is simple and responsive (though I do sometimes miss having a touchscreen). Training features are where this watch really shines. It supports multiple sports modes, heart rate variability, stress tracking, and Garmin’s “Body Battery” to gauge overall energy levels. The race predictor, morning report, and recovery time estimates are surprisingly useful. Sleep tracking is detailed and generally accurate, and syncing with the Garmin Connect app is smooth. My only minor complaint is that you need the Music version if you want onboard music storage; otherwise, you're just controlling your phone’s playback. Also, no touchscreen might be a con for some, but the physical buttons work great in sweaty or wet conditions.

I am not a runner but I have been considering a Garmin watch for a long time because I am usually an active hiker. I haven't been as active for a while and I feel like the wellness tracking this device offers is helping me back on track. This has been one of those purchases that I wish I had pulled the trigger on sooner now that I have it. Combined with the web app I really love the amount of detail that I can get and the variety of things I can easily track. I've found the GPS tracking on my longer walks to be very accurate so far. I also enjoy the variety of customization options both native to the watch and through Connect IQ score. I know that the sleep, stress, body battery, etc, are not the most accurate, but they are still a great tool for getting a rough idea of where I can improve. For me, being called out by something as neutral as data is very helpful and I appreciate being able to see trends and make note of things that I could change for the better. I do have to take some of the body measurements with a grain of salt because of medications that I take, like the HRV-based stress readings (always high for me), so you should take that into consideration if you are prescribed any kind of medication that either stimulates or sedates. I am so glad I went with the smaller model, I am a petite person and it feels like the perfect size for my wrist. I don't find it to be obtrusive at all. I don't love the silicone band and went with an alternative that looks better at the office and doesn't bother my skin as much.

As a fitness tracking watch this is an awesome introduction to the Garmin platform. We are a Garmin and Apple family with four Garmins and two Apple Watches. I use this Garmin for walking, running, cycling, stretching and general workouts. I’m very happy with this watch and the data it provides. As I said I can compare this watch to several others. Let’s start with battery life. Our Apples are on the charger every night. The Garmins all go at least a week, I average 9 days. We also have an Instinct, a 965, and a Golf. Biggest “complaint” is forgetting to charge them. My 255 connects to my Apple iPhone 15 without issue. It also connects seamlessly with my MacBook Pro, zero issues. I have and use separate HRM’s because for intense workouts I don’t think a wrist based HRM is the answer. My chest strap is much better than my watch for workouts. The 965 however is much more accurate during runs (compared against arm strap HRM) so Garmin maybe uses different HR sensors in different models? For walking and general use during the day my 255 works great! Value for $… I’d strongly recommend this watch without hesitation if you’re thinking about entering the fitness watch/smart watch world. I entered this fitness data world because of age. I have a friend who is alive because of data changes he noticed in his heart during exercise. A triple bypass later and this fit cyclist is still riding with me. At 60+ I thought this data was for younger more aggressive athletes. Not so. I am now a data nerd and train regularly partly because of it. Didn’t think it was important, in honesty didn’t know it was a thing but I now am aware of HRV, FTP, Training Status, Sleep tracking, and Watts. It’s addictive. But knowledge is power and knowledge can be healthy. I owe a 25 pound weight loss to this knowledge (and a lot of work). This watch alone won’t cause weight loss but for me it was a part of the puzzle. I really like my Garmin Forerunner 255. That said, my next one will probably be a 965, but at the price difference I’m not 100% sure the difference is justified, certainly not if this is your intro to the data! The reason I will likely “upgrade” is simply because my daughter has the 965 and I want to be able to share that (cool, we both have the same watch) with her 😉 Final thought as I wrap up this review, as I said I’m getting older and as such my near vision isn’t great without readers but I can actually see the time on this watch so.. there’s that.

The Garmin Forerunner® 255S has truly become my absolute favorite smartwatch and has been a key tool through my fitness journey, here's why I love it: Adapting to My Workouts: Although labeled as a running smartwatch, it effortlessly fits into my diverse workout routine. Whether I'm hitting the gym, practicing yoga, or going for a nature walk, it tracks my progress with accuracy. Feels Like Nothing: The lightweight design is a game-changer. During workouts and even during sleep, I barely notice it's there, allowing me to focus solely on my routines. Accurate Insight: From heart rate monitoring to sleep tracking, it offers insights that help me tailor my workouts effectively and monitor my health data reliably and easily. Knowing I can rely on its data keeps me motivated. Part of My Day: Its sleek profile and customizable faces make it not just a workout companion, but an everyday accessory that reflects my style. No Worries About Charging: One thing I appreciate is its impressive battery life. It's a relief knowing I can wear it all day without needing to recharge constantly. For my use, it lasts 11 days before needing a charge. When It does need charging, it charges FAST! In short, the Garmin Forerunner® 255S is more than a gadget; it's a personal fitness partner. It adapts to my routine, offers accurate insights, and feels like a natural extension of my active lifestyle. Whether I'm lifting weights or running errands, it's a constant companion that helps me stay on track and motivated. I highly recommend this watch!

This watch is amazing at helping you set and keep pace let’s say you want a 8 minute mile you can set a fast timer and slow timer that will vibrate and let you know if you’re to fast or to slow and it gives you your vo2 max along with so much more 100% worth every penny. It also tells you your resting heart rate and your fitness age along with average heart rate during an activity. It can also help you on your cadence with cadence beeps to get your stride where you should be to be efficient as possible. Then throw on a bumper and a screen cover and it’s basically everything proof 👍🏻👍🏻

I really like this watch a lot, however, it is less than accurate in certain areas, but mostly accurate in the majority of cases. It’s also a really comfortable watch that I wear every night without it affecting my sleep. The biggest areas that this watch is not so accurate with are how many floors you have climbed while going up stares, and certain sleep metrics for sleep tracking. When climbing up flights of stairs, you need to move your wrist in a swinging motion. If you are holding something in your hands while climbing up flights of stairs, the watch might not count those floors accurately. When it comes to sleep tracking, sometimes it can be very spot on while other times it could be really off (most of the time it is accurate, though). I’m not sure if this has to do with the watch not being tight enough on my wrist and maybe slipping during the night. One area of sleep tracking that’s typically inaccurate, however, is recording naps that you take during the day. For some reason, this watch does not track a lot of the naps I have taken during the daytime (even though it’s supposed to). It will track maybe 1/3 of them. It’s really not that big of a deal though because I don’t take very many naps during the day. Even with those couple of shortcomings, this watch does offer a large amount of different metrics that track accurately and it’s definitely worth it for the price.

I really am enjoying this watch. I'll start off by saying it I used to have an Apple watch but no longer have an iPhone so I was looking for an alternative. I've used Fitbit and apple watches and feel they are accurate at tracking things like heart rate and GPS. This watch feels the most accurate out of both of those. The Garmin app isn't as pretty and easy to use as Fitbit but the quality and information is so much better. Also the customization of this watch is insane. From multiple backgrounds to the way you can set up what information you want to see during any given workout is awesome. As you can tell by my watch face there is a great amount of information just by looking at the first screen and more if you scroll around. This is the 46mm case size and I really think it's the perfect balance between being able to see the information and not being too bulky. Obviously the tranflective display is not as pleasing as an AMOLED display like and apple watch, galaxy watch, pixel watch, or Garmins own venu or epix watches but it honestly is not that bad. Also I've heard of bad backlight reviews on the Garmin watches where the screen looks washed out and blue when the backlight is on and I think I got a good one. It's almost been two weeks and I'm still at 67% battery life. I have yet to swim with the watch but it feels like good quality and the gps has been accurate on my runs. I was thinking of getting a Fenix 6 since they are much cheaper now but the features and less bulkiness of this Garmin Forerunner 255 sold me. The gray color is okay but I might end up going with a different band style and color in the future. The video taken with the backlight on is with the brightness at 20%. Take your fitness goals to the next level and get this watch!

used to own garmin 245 Music. switch to 255 as old one lost. bigger screen, and nice apps. turn on bluetooth, and hopefully it can last 9 days.

Que es un reloj super, me encanta y de momento va perfecto

Todo correcto, ha tardado en llegar 2 dias menos de lo previsto, el reloj perfecto, va como tiene que ir, gps, mapas, etc. muy bien

Si te quieres poner serio con tus entrenamientos necesitas uno si o sí, registrar todos tus entrenamientos es un paso importante para medir tu avance llevo ya 3 meses con el y junto con la aplicación Garmin Connect el producto se vuelve único, no sólo el reloj si no el ambiente completo, hice mi primer triatlón y quedé en noveno lugar, tiene todo lo necesario para marcar tu ritmo, tu paso, las transiciones etc. Te recomiendo comprar además la Banda HRM Pro+ para medir de mejor manera tus entrenamientos corriendo y nadando y si tu presupuesto te lo permite los pedales para bicicleta con potenciómetro. Tener un ambiente Garmin completo te permite medir absolutamente todo. Hablando de este reloj tiene todo lo que necesitas si quieres hacer triatlón, o solo correr, nadar o hacer ciclismo. Mide horas de sueño, estado de VFC, oxigenación en sangre, nivel de estrés, etc. Una vez que lo uses verás que las prestaciones de este reloj son todo lo que necesitas, por mi parte lo usaré un año más para después brincar un 965. Pero te juro que este reloj es perfecto.

Tenía el Garmin Forerunner 55, este fue un gran upgrade. Estoy maravillada con el reporte diario, con el seguimiento puntual al sueño y al estado de entrenamiento. Me gusta mucho los detalles. Gran compra, súper recomiendo.