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If you're looking for a Garmin watch at a great price, the recent drops of the Forerunner 570 and 970 is excellent news—not because you should pick up those models (they're fine, I guess) but because the older generations of Forerunner, which remain excellent watches, are now going for ludicrously low prices.
The previous models, the 265 and 965, are great, but you can go back one more generation to the 255 and 955—released in 2022—and save hundreds of dollars without sacrificing any major functionality. I truly can't think of any fitness watch that is a better deal right now, given the prices we're seeing on these two: currently $247 for the Forerunner 255, and $373 for the Forerunner 955, which is the upgraded version with maps and a few extra training features.
Why am I recommending three-year-old watches? I'll get into the specs below, but the important context here is that Garmin's Forerunners have serious longevity. Running app Strava releases year-end trend reports that consistently show older Forerunners among the nation's and the world's most popular running watches. The most recent report, for example, had the Garmin Forerunner 245 in third place, after the Apple Watch and Apple Watch SE. That's a five-year-old watch. Not long ago, the Forerunner 235, then an eight-year-old watch, was the most popular worldwide. These things last!
What the 255 and 955 are missing compared to newer models (not much)
Left: 265S (the smaller, newer model). Right: 255 (the larger one with the MIP screen that's currently on sale). Credit: Beth Skwarecki
The numbered models can get confusing, but I promise you’ll be able to follow along. All the watches that start with a 9 are the top-of-the-line Forerunners (the 955 was replaced by the 965 and most recently the 970) and most of those came with a little sibling that starts with a 2 (respectively: the 255, 265, and in a break from tradition, 570).
The 9xx series have onboard maps that let you see exactly where you are and where you're going. The 2xx watches have breadcrumb navigation that shows you the general shape of the route you've already taken. If you need a map on your wrist, you probably want to go for a 9xx.
I wrote about the newest models here, so you can see what the 970 has over the 965 (and what the 570 has over the 265). The big feature is that the 570 and 970 support voice calling and voice texts, and the 970 has a built-in LED flashlight. If those features aren't must-haves for you, take a look at the next generation back.
The 265 and 965 are excellent watches with important functionality, like dual-band GPS. you can read my review of the 265 here:, and note that the 265 is my own personal running watch, the one that I bought with my own money because I love it. The 265 has a ton of great features for runners. Some are concrete and functional: physical buttons, lots of options for data screens, and a dual-band GPS for extra location accuracy. Others are more software-y but still arguably useful: training status, daily suggested workouts. The battery also lasts between one and two weeks, depending on how many workouts you do.
The 965 has all that, plus onboard maps, so you can see where you are relative to roads, bodies of water, and so on. It's also got a few extra training statistics, like an endurance score and a heat acclimation score.
The 255 and 955 have all of these same features. The only features that are meaningfully different between the x55 and x65 series are:
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The 255/955 have the older, always-on MIP screen, while the 265 has a smartphone-style AMOLED screen. I have more here on the difference between those screen types.
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The 255/955 don't have touchscreens. You’ll use the UP and DOWN buttons on the left side to scroll through options.
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The 255 can’t store music, unless you buy the 255 Music version. The 955 has music storage built in, just like the 265 and 965 do.
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The 255 doesn’t have Training Readiness, but it does have Training Status. (Personally, I never use Training Readiness, so this isn’t much of a loss. You can always look at your HRV trend, which the watch also reports, if you want a sense of how recovered you are each morning.) The 955, 265, and 965 all have Training Readiness.
For the detailed list of every minor feature that’s different between the two, you can check out this comparison page on Garmin’s site.
Which Forerunner 255 version you should get
There is only one Forerunner 955, but there are four versions of the 255, and two versions of the 265.
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The regular Forerunner 255 is the larger size (45.6 mm) and does not have music storage.
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The Forerunner 255S is the smaller size (41 mm) and also does not have music storage.
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The Forerunner 255 Music is the larger size (45.6 mm) and does have music storage, so you can play tunes from the watch while leaving your phone at home.
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The Forerunner 255S Music is the smaller size (41 mm) with music storage.
Personally, I always have my phone with me when I run, so I’ve never found the standalone music feature very helpful. If you think you might use it, though, it’s normally a $50 upgrade, but currently only a $20 upgrade on the larger size of the watch.
To help you decide, the photo above shows the difference in screens between the AMOLED 265S (left) and MIP 255 (right). It also shows the size difference between the smaller and larger models; the 265S on the left is 41.7 mm, very close to the 255S at 41 mm.
How old is the 255, anyway?
The 255 is only one year older than the 265. They were released in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Before that, Forerunner releases tended to be three to four years apart. The quick turnaround between the 255 and 265 makes sense when you realize they’re basically the same watch with a different display.
So I wouldn’t expect a 255 to feel outdated anytime soon. The main question you need to ask yourself is: How do I feel about a MIP screen? I’ve written more about the difference between MIP and AMOLED here. MIP screens don’t light up, although they have a backlight that can come on automatically when you raise your wrist. At rest, they are “always on,” in the sense that they’re always displaying something, so you’ll never look down at a blank screen. They’re also brightly reflective in sunlight.
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 energy. (You can enable an always-on setting, but it eats battery.) That said, the overall battery life on both watches is similar on default settings—14 days not counting activities for the 255, and 13 days for the 265.
Some people prefer the MIP screens, and if that includes you, this is a no-brainer: snag the 255 or 955. You can even get a refurbished version for $179.99, which makes this one of the cheapest Garmin watches in any line.
The bottom line (check prices)
Prices on Forerunners have been fluctuating lately, so I'm hesitant to give any dollar-for-dollar comparisons, but here's what I'm seeing at the moment I write this. Officially, Garmin is selling the 255 and 265 for the same price, $349.99. The 955 and 965 are going for the same price, $499.99. At those prices, you might as well get the -65 version of whichever watch you prefer.
But over on Amazon, I'm seeing prices as low as $247 for the 255 and $373 for the 955. That means a 255 is the same price as the anemic Forerunner 165 (it's OK as a budget watch, but it's missing a lot of features that the 255/265 have) and the 955 is the same price as a 265! Check prices to see if these deals are still live by the time you read this, and ultimately decide based on features.
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