The Garmin Forerunner 55, like earlier models, is a great option for anyone looking for a simple fitness tracker with some smartwatch features. It offers the essentials without the extra features that usually make other devices more expensive.
The Forerunner 55 may not have advanced features like music storage, contactless payments, or blood oxygen sensors. However, it includes new fitness features that used to be only in higher-end models. This smartwatch can help you start a running routine and improve your running skills, making it one of the best running watches available.
Price and release date
The Garmin Forerunner 55 came out globally on June 2, 2021, with a price tag of $199.99. This is about the same as the Forerunner 45, which also started at $199.99 when it launched in April 2019. It’s one of Garmin’s most affordable watches right now, Next to the Garmin Venu Sq is the version that doesn’t have music.
Design
The Forerunner 55 looks almost the same as the earlier Forerunner model, which is a good thing. The smooth, round design of the Forerunner 45 was a big improvement in Garmin’s lineup, That’s why they didn’t make many changes.
The Forerunner 55 now comes only in a 42mm size, unlike the Forerunner 45, which offered 39mm and 42mm options. Despite having smaller wrists, I found the 55’s size to be just right—it wasn’t too big or obvious. The 42mm size worked well for my runs because I could see my pace and distance easily without needing to twist my arm much. However, during push-ups, I often accidentally pressed the watch’s side buttons. My 40mm Apple Watch Series 5 doesn’t have this issue..
When it comes to navigating, the Forerunner 55 has five buttons. Unlike popular smartwatches such as the Fitbit Versa 3 or the Galaxy Watch 3, the Forerunner doesn’t use a touchscreen. Instead, it relies on these buttons for all its functions. At first, I didn’t think I’d like this feature.
I’m used to my Apple Watch, where I can easily begin or end a workout by swiping or tapping. But as I used the Forerunner 55 more, I found I liked starting and stopping workouts with a button instead. It was simpler and faster, especially after a long run. After those runs, I’m usually tired and prone to mistakes, like tapping the wrong thing on my Apple Watch too often.
The Forerunner 55, like the Forerunner 45, doesn’t come with changeable bands. The black bezel and silicone band of the 55 I tested worked fine with both workout clothes and casual outfits like jeans and blouses. I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it to a wedding or formal event. If you want a Garmin smartwatch that looks good with a bridesmaid’s dress or tux and also tracks steps and heart rate, Take a look at their Venu line.
Fitness tracking
To begin tracking your workout, tap the button on the top right and scroll down to pick the type of workout you want. You can customize which options show up and their order by scrolling down and tapping the green plus icon. This way, if you love spinning or swimming, Make sure this comes first.
A helpful new feature for beginners is training tips that show up on the watch before you start a workout. You can decide to follow these tips, which are based on your past activities, or ignore them and do your own routine.
This feature is different from Garmin Coach, which creates a training plan to achieve specific goals. Instead, these suggestions focus on diversifying your workouts, managing your energy levels, and adding variety to your routine, even if you’re not on a strict training schedule.
Garmin’s entry-level watches are notable for their excellent GPS capability, and the Forerunner 55 is no exception. In our tests, the watch quickly located itself, even in crowded places, and accurately tracked a three-mile run, coming within a few yards of the exact distance. This makes it perfect if you’re gearing up for your first 10k or half marathon.
Before you start using the watch for your first workout, take some time to set up its menus. Press the top right button to see the different types of workouts available. Scroll down to select which ones you want to appear at the top of the list for quick access. For instance, if you enjoy spinning, you can put indoor cycling at the top of your list.
By default, the watch shows limited data during workouts (like not displaying heart rate during a spin session). To fix this, open the Garmin Connect mobile app, sync your watch, go to its settings, and select ‘Activities, apps and more’. Choose ‘Data fields’ to add new faces that display more workout stats, such as heart rate zones and effort levels.
Here’s aIt’s great to find Garmin’s budget-friendly watch equipped with important safety features. It includes incident detection, which notifies an emergency contact if you fall, and Live Track, allowing a contact to see your location in real-time. These features aren’t new to Garmin but provide peace of mind and are rare in watches at this price. clearer version:
When an emergency alert is sent to your chosen contact, it includes your GPS location (which is really accurate). This gives them everything they need to find you. Make sure you create a profile for your friend or family member in the Garmin Connect app before you start your first workout together.
After you finish exercising, the watch will tell you how many hours you need to rest before your next workout. This is useful for people who are still figuring out their exercise schedule and aren’t sure how much time they need to recover properly.
Sleep Tracking
The Forerunner 55 tracks your sleep in a straightforward way. It helps if you want to improve your sleep. Similar to the Versa 3 and Apple Watch SE, it monitors your light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and awake times. You can see all this information clearly in the Connect App on a simple graph.
The information I saw was interesting, but I wasn’t sure how to interpret it. Is 2 hours of REM sleep enough? Too much? That’s where a general summary, like the Fitbit Versa 3’s Sleep Score, would be useful. This is particularly important since recovery is a major focus with the Forerunner 55.
The Forerunner 55’s sleep tracking wasn’t very accurate in our tests. One night, it thought I went to sleep at 9pm and woke up at 6am. I don’t usually get the luxury of 9 hours of sleep like it suggested—I haven’t since high school. Thankfully, the a
Health tracking
The Forerunner 55 keeps track of more than just your activity and sleep. It also counts your steps (and buzzes when you hit your daily step target), checks your breathing rate, measures stress levels, counts calories burned, and tracks menstrual cycles and pregnancy symptoms.
Garmin watches have a special feature called Body Battery. It gives you a score from 0 to 100 based on your heart rate variability, stress levels, and activity. This score estimates how much energy you have during the day. Restful sleep boosts your score, while stress and activity lower it. This helps you plan tough workout days and decide if you should stay up for another show or get more sleep.
Battery Life
Garmin claims that a fully charged Forerunner 55 can last up to 2 weeks in Smartwatch mode and 20 hours in GPS mode. This is a big improvement compared to the older model. It’s even better than the competition: the Versa 3 lasts 6 days (or 12 hours with continuous GPS), and the Samsung Galaxy Watch3 lasts 2 days.
After a week of continuous tracking, the Forerunner 55’s battery was only half drained. Even during long runs or workouts using GPS mode, the battery only dropped by about 2%. This is a big improvement compared to my Apple Watch Series 5, which needs to be charged every 12 hours to avoid dying during workouts.
Pros
- Easy-to-use controls
- Long battery life
- Easy-to-read statistics
- suggested workouts
Cons
- Available in only one size
- Lacks premium health stats
Verdict
We really like the Garmin Forerunner 55. It may not be as fancy as some pricier models, but it offers excellent value. It has a color screen, a heart-rate monitor,and it’s lightweight. It’s ideal for anyone new to GPS watches. This watch could be a good choice if you want something lightweight. It has the Garmin interface that’s on their best models, but it costs less and doesn’t have all the advanced health features or a very long battery life.