Garmin Forerunner 955 review: A runner’s honest opinion
I love tracking data on myself. Whether it's how well I slept, what my stress levels are, or even how ready my body is for an activity. Yep, who needs intuition when I’ve got a watch to tell me how I actually feel.
With this level of interest in mundane tracking, you better believe that when it comes to my runs, I want the highest-quality data possible. Enter the Garmin Forerunner 955. It's not just a watch — it's my emotional support run coach.
Why I love the Garmin Forerunner 955
Let's break down the stats of this smartwatch. It includes advanced Garmin features such as training readiness, training load, HRV, and sleep monitoring. The battery options are available as solar or non-solar. I have the non-solar option, and this alone can last up to 15 days in smartwatch mode. I recently ran a marathon with the 955 and lost less than 20% battery, so yeah, it's that good. If you’re used to charging your watch more often than your phone, this feels like a small miracle.
It supports full GPS tracking and has a 5 ATM water resistance. This combined with the battery life makes this smartwatch ideal for triathlons and any kind of endurance sport.
The touchscreen is incredibly responsive, but the buttons are still a lifesaver mid-run, so the dual controls are truly a huge selling point. Like the purely button-controlled Garmin watches, this model has three on the left and two on the right.
Now, if you really care about an AMOLED display, this might not be right for you. However, in my opinion, the colors and brightness are more than efficient on this device, and the MIP screen appears much more colorful than previous watches (like the vivoactive 4).
My favorite features of the Garmin Forerunner 955
One of my favorite features is the Training Readiness score. It pulls together data from your sleep quality, recovery time, HRV status, and acute training load into an easy-to-understand number that helps you decide whether to go hard or take a rest day. Of course, feel matters too, and you should always listen to your body, but I've genuinely used this to direct my workout intensity and recovery times. Without it, I probably wouldn't rest as much as my body needs.
The Morning Report is another one I didn’t think I’d care about, but now look forward to checking each morning. Each day when I wake up, it gives me a quick snapshot of my sleep score, HRV trends, weather, and suggested training for the day ahead. It’s like having a mini coach check in before I wake up properly.
Navigation-wise, the 955 has full-color maps and turn-by-turn directions, a lifesaver when you’re on a new route or just really bad at directions. I've used it to program in new running routes and followed the map on my wrist as I go, big up that GPS tracking.
Finally, like all Garmin watches, the Forerunner 955 syncs with the Garmin Connect app. When upgrading to this model, I noticed the data presented to me in the app became much more advanced and detailed, so while the Connect app stats aren't exclusive to the Forerunner 955, they are definitely more advanced than some of the earlier released watches.
Where to buy the Garmin Forerunner 955
The Garmin Forerunner 955 is available to buy at Amazon. A renewed model will cost you $399.99 (but as of July 19, it's on sale for $314.99). It's also available at Best Buy for $399.99 and Walmart for $395.99 (right now it's on sale for $359.99).
Sales prices vary during major retail holidays, but in short: if you’re serious about your training, or just love micromanaging your rest days, the Forerunner 955 is worth every cent.
Lois Mackenzie is a freelance reporter at Mashable. Over the years she has written for many publications, covering everything from the local news to the best pair of running shoes. You can find bylines in publications including Fit&Well, Metro, and Coach magazine, usually covering deals on everything from earbuds to TVs, or guides on how to beat your half marathon time.
Lois also holds a Master's degree in Digital Journalism from Strathclyde University and obtained a Master of Arts in English Literature at the University of Aberdeen.
