Garmin Forerunner 255
$$ Mid-range$237.40
tldr; Excellent runner's watch around $250. MIP display trades looks for battery life. Button-only interface loved by athletes.
$237.40 on AmazonSentiment Breakdown
34%Positive
Positive
34%Neutral
63%Negative
3%Based on 182 Reddit opinions
Strengths & Weaknesses
Each axis shows what % of Reddit comments are positive about that topic. Higher = more praise.
Key Features
- Built with a slim design and an always-on, full-color display that’s light on the wrist and easy to read even in direct sunlight — with available sizes of 46 mm and 41 mm
- Forerunner 255 provides up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 30 hours in GPS mode for a full picture of your health — from sleep to training
- Morning report summarizes your sleep, HRV status and daily workout suggestion in one place as soon as you wake up (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Get ready for your next race with training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts and completion time predictions based on course details, weather and performance
- View your entire week of daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run to match your performance and recovery
- HRV status tracks your heart rate variability while you sleep, giving you greater insight into your overall wellness, recovery and training performance (This device is intended to give an estimate of your activity and metrics)
- Get free adaptive training plans from Garmin Coach for a 5K, 10K and half-marathon, or create your own custom workouts in the Garmin Connect smartphone app
- Evaluates your current training status to indicate if you’re undertraining or overdoing it; offers additional performance monitoring features, including recovery time after your workouts
Sentiment Over Time
Historical Price Data
Garmin Forerunner 255
Garmin Forerunner 255
All-time low: $199.99(2025-07)
$113 below 90-day avg
What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Garmin Forerunner 255
Best Praise
+2 pts“Apart from swapping Amoled display (Apple) for MiPS on both Fenix 6 and FR255, i’d not purchase a watch (Fenix 6) which was released 6 years ago in 2019 versus the FR255 in 2022. One could surely assume that firmware/software updates for the Fenix 6 have already dried up. The FR255 is great value for money. In case Amoled: it’s successor the FR265 is the one which also comes with superior Training support metrics.”
r/Smartwatch
ViewTop Criticism
+1 pts“What type of activity tracking are you going to do if you have stopped running, cause if that is the case then the FR255 might be the wrong model for you and you may be way better off with the vivoactive 5 (amoled works better in the uk than MIP does especially as the FR255 doesn't include an ambient sensor for the MIP screen, plus the FR255 doesn't include touch screen) - VA5 also includes way more features in terms of recreational leisure activities. From a health and smarts perspective they are pretty much the same . VA5 can be bought for a cost between the FR255 and its music version.”
r/Smartwatch
View13 more quotes available below
Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 255 worth buying?
Excellent runner's watch around $250. MIP display trades looks for battery life. Button-only interface loved by athletes.
What do Redditors love about the Garmin Forerunner 255?
Redditors highlight: 🏃 Runner favorite. 🔋 Long battery life. 🎮 5-button navigation.
What are the downsides of the Garmin Forerunner 255?
Some criticisms include: "What type of activity tracking are you going to do if you have stopped running, cause if that is the case then the FR255 might be the wrong model for you and you may be way better off with the..."
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Products with more mentions (Garmin Forerunner 255 has 182) tend to have more reliable scores.
182 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/17/2026