The new Garmin Forerunner 55 is an affordable running watch with various helpful additional features. It addresses all of the primary concerns that are associated with beginning runners.
For a considerable time, the Forerunner watch was the best low-cost running watch you could get. Certainly, the situation at the time that the Forerunner 35 and the Forerunner 45 were originally made available to the public.
On the other hand, Forerunner 55 faces tough opposition from other products in its market. To put it in perspective, the superb Coros Pace 2 retails for approximately the same price. Garmin has included some essential elements from its more costly running watches into its more affordable 55 models so that it can compete with the challenge posed by Coros. Additionally, it extended the battery life to 20 hours, making it suitable for GPS use (from 13). However, even if you aren’t using the GPS, it won’t affect the battery life very much because it’s so efficient.
Are these enhancements, however, significant enough to place the Forerunner 55 at the pinnacle of the best-running watches for under one hundred dollars?
Additional Reading: Best Always-On Display Smartwatches
Garmin Forerunner 55 Features
In addition to the improved battery life, the Forerunner 55 provides users with race predictions and recommendations for post-workout recovery. Those features aren’t available on the Forerunner 45, but they were on the Forerunner 45 Plus, a curious device that falls somewhere between the two.
Suggested workouts
Garmin’s entry-level Forerunner 55 features a new function called “suggestion workouts,” which provides you with a daily recommended run based on the training you have completed in the past. On the other hand, you cannot check it in the same way you can on more expensive Garmin watches.
The suggested workouts and training regimens provided by Garmin Coach for 5K races, 10K races, and even half marathons can still be effective. Especially for those who are just starting. Even nicer is the fact that Garmin’s training plans can be loaded onto the watch, and the session recommendations can be of assistance if you are unclear about how to schedule your running. Following Garmin’s recommendations will help you maintain your fitness level and even improve your speed, even though the workout suggestions may be improved. In addition, you will quickly understand the many kinds of workouts that are appropriate for a runner to undertake.
The Track, as well as the Virtual Run
When running on a track, using the Garmin Forerunner 55’s Track Run sports mode will provide you with accurate distance and pace data. This is just one of the exciting new features of this model.
There is also a mode called Virtual Run, which enables you to use your watch to control an avatar in an application like Zwift while you are running on a treadmill. However, this feature is contingent on the watch’s accurate pace detection, which can vary significantly from the metrics displayed on the treadmill.
A holistic approach to physical activity
Become more in tune with your body with advanced features for wellbeings, such as fitness age, all-day respiration, and intensity minutes, amongst others.
A High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sports mode and a cadence gauge that you may personalize are also included to assist you in maintaining an accurate rhythm while you are running. Additionally, the watch now has two additional racing capabilities that were previously only available on more expensive Garmins. These capabilities were added recently.
PacePro is an application that allows you to precisely time the pace of your activity down to a split second. In most circumstances, it needs navigation on the watch; however, the Forerunner 55 will offer a “light” version of the feature that will allow you to construct your pace plan via Garmin Connect and then follow it on the watch.
The introduction of the predicted finish time tool has significantly simplified the racing process. Choosing how far you want to run and clicking the start button on the watch is all that is needed to get started. After that, a new data panel will appear. It will show the average pace, the remaining distance, and the projected completion time. These values will be updated based on how quickly or slowly you move.
Additional Reading: Best Apple Watch Band For Kids
How does the 55 compare to the 45 in terms of performance?
The Forerunner 55 retains the same appearance as its predecessor, which is not always negative. Because the streamlined and round face of the Forerunner 45 represented a significant design improvement for the Forerunner line, it is reasonable to assume that Garmin would prefer to avoid making too many modifications to the watch.
The Forerunner 55, on the other hand, is only offered in a single size, in contrast to its predecessor, the Forerunner 45, which was available in two casing sizes, 39mm and 42mm (42mm).
A 1.04-inch screen with 208 x 208 pixels and five buttons for navigating the menu is all that is included in this device. The display is more compact than that of the majority of other running watches made by Garmin, including the Coros Pace 2.
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a decent running watch for its price point of approximately $200 due to the additional capabilities. In spite of this, given that many of them are enhancements to the software, Garmin should have put these features on the Forerunner 45 as well. Given that the 45 is a watch designed specifically for running, it ought also to come equipped with a Track Run function.
The Forerunner 55 keeps the same characteristics as its predecessor, the Forerunner 45. Things include VO2 max forecasts, Garmin’s tracking of everyday activity and sleep, monitoring of stress, scheduled workouts, and Body Battery (which gives you a score out of 100 for your energy levels at any given time).
Navigation, enhanced training insights, a multisport mode, and other smart features such as NFC payments are all available on more expensive Garmins; however, these functions are not included here. Instead, the Forerunner 55 can be customized with several watch faces by downloading third-party applications from the Connect IQ store.
There is no debate regarding the significance of Garmin’s enhancements to the Forerunner 55 (even though some of them could have just as easily been incorporated into the Forerunner 45), nor regarding the fact that the Forerunner 55 is a great running watch that is ideal for novice runners but will also be of great use to more experienced runners.
Which is the best option for the Forerunner 55 or the brand new Coros Pace 2?
There is a significant concern on how it compares to the Coros Pace 2, which is priced in a close range. The Pace 2 features a battery life of thirty hours, a global positioning system (GPS), the ability to monitor running power from the wrist, a barometer, an altimeter, and it can track triathlons. In addition to more advanced training analysis made possible by the capabilities of Coros’ new EvoLab. Although it has a screen that is 1.2 inches in size, the Pace 2 is still rather small and comfortable to wear on the wrist.
The Pace 2 has various benefits, but the Forerunner 55 also offers some of its own benefits. The Coros does not include any recommended workouts, and the interface on the Garmin is easier to use than the spinning wheel that is included on the Coros. The Forerunner does not have a touchscreen display like other modern watches, such as the Fitbit Versa 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, and instead relies on these buttons to carry out the numerous functions that are available on the watch. The user experience on the device and in the app offered by Garmin is superior to that offered by its competitors.
Additional Reading: Which VO2 Max Watch Is Most Accurate?
Is it worthwhile to spend the money on a Garmin Forerunner 55?
Even if there are many other options available at an RRP that is comparable, Forerunner prices tend to go down after a few months have passed. While other companies, such as Coros and Fitbit, seem to be maintaining theirs. At $200, the Pace 2 comes out on top above the Forerunner 55. On the other hand, considering that the Forerunner 45 can typically be purchased for close to $150, there is an argument that can be made for selecting it rather than the Forerunner 55. Compared to the more recent watch, the 45 has a shorter battery life and less vital capabilities; yet, it is still a good value-for-money alternative that will satisfy the core requirements of the majority of runners.
