Why I Think the Garmin Forerunner 255 Is an Incredible Deal
The Garmin Forerunner 255 is currently on sale for $229.99 , its lowest price ever. That’s about half the price of the current generation Forerunner 265 ( $449.99 ) (and my favorite running watch ). Both models have nearly identical specs (I’ll explain the differences below), making the 255 an incredible value buy.
Differences between Forerunner 255 and 265
The numbered models can be confusing, but I promise you can figure it out. Just remember that the 255 is the slightly older version that is currently on sale in large quantities, and the 265 is the newer version.
The new 265 is my favorite running watch. You can read my review here : It has a ton of great features for runners. Some are specific and functional: physical buttons, plenty of options for data screens, and dual-band GPS for added location accuracy. Others are more programmatic, but still perhaps useful: workout status, suggested daily workouts. The battery also lasts for one to two weeks, depending on the amount of training.
The 255 has all these features. The only features that differ significantly between the 255 and 265 are:
-
The 255 has the older always-on MIP screen , while the 265 has a smartphone-style AMOLED screen.
-
The 255 does not have a touch screen . You will use the UP and DOWN buttons on the left side to scroll through the options.
-
The 255 can’t store music unless you buy the 255 Music version.
-
The 255 is not training ready , but has training status. (Personally, I never use training readiness, so it’s not such a big loss. You can always look at the HRV trend, which is also reported by the watch, if you want to know how much recovery you have each morning.)
A detailed list of all the minor features that differ can be found on the comparison page on the Garmin website .
Which version of Forerunner 255 should you buy?
There are four versions of this watch, compared to two versions of the 265. Three of them are on sale.
-
The regular Forerunner 255 is larger (45.6mm) and doesn’t have music storage.
-
The Forerunner 255S is smaller (41mm) and doesn’t have music storage.
-
The Forerunner 255 Music is larger (45.6mm) and has music storage so you can play tunes from your watch while leaving your phone at home.
-
The Forerunner 255S Music is smaller at 41mm and has built-in music storage. I don’t see any discounts on this product, so it still costs $100 more than its non-musical counterpart—enough that you might want to look at the Forerunner 265S instead.
Personally, I always take my phone with me when I run, so the offline music feature has never been very useful to me. However, if you think you can use them, this upgrade is usually $50, but the upgrade for larger watches is currently only $20.
To help you decide, the photo above shows the difference between the AMOLED 265S (left) and MIP 255 (right) screens. It also shows the size difference between the smaller and larger models; the 265S on the left is 41.7 mm, which is very close to the 255S – 41 mm.
And anyway, how old is the 255?
The 255 is just a year older than the 265. They were released in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Prior to this, Forerunner releases were typically released three to four years apart. The quick jump from 255 to 265 makes sense when you realize that they are essentially the same watch with a different display.
So I wouldn’t expect the 255 to feel dated anytime soon. The main question you need to ask yourself is: How do I feel about the MIP screen? I wrote more about the difference between MIP and AMOLED here . MIP screens are not backlit, although they do have a backlight that can turn on automatically when you raise your wrist. At rest they are “always on” in the sense that they are always displaying something , so you’ll never be staring at a blank screen. They also reflect sunlight brightly.
AMOLED screens are more like a smartphone screen with glowing pixels, and watches typically turn off the display when you’re not using it to save power. (You can enable the always-on setting, but it eats up battery power.) However, the overall battery life of both watches is the same at the default settings—14 days without activity for the 255 and 13 days for the 265.
Some people prefer MIP screens, and if you’re one of them, it’s a no-brainer: buy the 255. You can even get a refurbished version for $179.99 , making this one of the cheapest Garmin watches in any line.