Since 2012, I’ve run exclusively with a $275 Garmin Forerunner 955 Music. I’m using Garmin’s latest, highest-end Forerunner, the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar. At $600, this isn’t for morning joggers. It’s overkill for most people, unless they want to do triathlons or ultramarathons. It’s also more pricey than other Apple Watches save the Series 7.
Any running race’s starting corrals are full of gear. Shoes, shorts, sunglasses, and hats from dozens of brands. Runners find their optimal configuration after thousands of km. Garmin dominates wristwatches. Garmin is the finest smartwatch for runners because it provides the functionality, design, and reliable performance we need. More important races mean more Garmins.
Here’s what the new Garmin has to offer and my recommendations for runners.
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Weeks-long, mile-long testing
I’ve run 200 miles and walked, biked, and played golf with the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar in seven weeks. I use it as a daily iPhone-paired smartwatch when I’m not running.
I’ll run 1,000 miles in 2022. This watch arrived just in time for my fall marathon training after three half marathons. Nike invited me to train in NYC for Chicago. I’m choosy about running watches because I’m used to my Forerunner. My girlfriend has been jogging with the Forerunner 945, so I enlisted her help to compare the two watches.
Forerunner fundamentals
Let’s cover the essentials because I don’t need to go into detail. This won’t be your first running watch or Garmin. You probably have a Garmin and know what to expect.
This is Garmin’s top-end Forerunner model, aimed at runners. Only Garmin’s Fenix and Enduro multisport watches and models for divers and pilots cost more. This is top-notch.
For that price, you get a big Garmin watch with almost everything. Always-on 1.3-inch colour display, every GPS tracking mode and sensor you could desire (and more), waterproofing, a tough shell, 32GB of storage, a gigantic battery, and solar charging.
Serious runners wear Garmin Forerunner 955 .
Garmin’s smartwatches pair to an iPhone or Android using the Garmin Connect app for free fitness and wellness capabilities. This watch tracks training, performance, body condition, recovery, and health stats. Garmin turns your data into meaningful insights, whether you’re skimming through the main stream or going into the analytics.
Activity tracking takes up much of our time. Other Forerunner apps are utilitarian in nature. Everything you’d want to accomplish with a Garmin is probably pre-loaded and well-integrated. Home screen panels cover health and fitness, and you get alarms, timers, the weather, and phone notifications on top.
Display
Despite being thinner, the 1.3-inch display is larger than the 1.2-inch Forerunner 945’s. The resolution is now 260 by 260 pixels, but that’s the same as before. Improved screen. The 945 has deeper blacks and improved backlighting.
I expected the screen to be better than my Forerunner 245, but not this much. The 955 Solar’s bigger screen, enhanced resolution, and clarity make it a joy to use. Even in direct sunshine and at an angle, you can read the display while jogging. It’s a key difference between the 955 and an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch.
The display’s quality is especially visible when viewing rich and vivid content on the major home screens and when running with a mapped route. It’s not OLED-level clarity, but… These screens sacrifice battery life and glare.
Gorilla Glass DX, not synthetic sapphire, covers the screen. I wouldn’t count out Garmin based on the shatter resistance of the materials. I don’t protect my watch, so the glass is scratched. They’re only visible from certain angles and can’t be felt, so I can’t complain.
This generation’s screen is touch-enabled, unlike the Forerunner 945. Physical buttons aren’t sacrificed. You can still use the standard Garmin 5-button configuration, and the touch screen is disabled by default when monitoring activities. Unless you’re a runner, you don’t want a touchscreen when jogging. Rain, sweat, or a shirt brush accidentally pausing or lapping your run stinks.
With the 5-button Garmin interface, I often forgot it had a touchscreen. It’s smooth and snappy while browsing through notifications or settings lists. Garmin could have eliminated this option without losing consumers. I assume it’s there to appease touchscreen watch users who find the 5-button arrangement archaic. They’ll be buttons soon.
Size, design, comfort
Garmin Forerunners are stylish. They’re functional and purposeful, not sleek. The 955 Solar’s hefty plastic body features a few subtle curves and trendy cuts, but mostly takes up as much room as it needed to fit the many components inside.
Wrist-worn Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar.
The shiny solar ring around the screen adds a lovely gloss and colour depending on the illumination. It’s also a “if you know, you know” nod to other Garmin wearers, showing off your high-end model.
The Forerunner 955 Solar is light and comfortable for daily wear, long runs, and sleeping. It looks funny on my girlfriend’s tiny wrist. If you’re small, you may wish to try on a 700-series model instead.
The band is light and breathable, but the whole product feels cheap. If you’re expecting a fashion-focused metal smartwatch, you’ll be disappointed.
Lifespan
The 955’s battery life is one reason Garmin purists won’t switch to an Apple Watch. Garmin promises 20 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 42 to 49 hours in GPS mode.
5 days longer in smartwatch mode and 7 hours longer in GPS tracking mode than the non-Solar 955.
Garmin 955 Solar battery life.
Garmin’s solar-boosted battery life is predicated on the watch spending time in the sun. The “20 days” measurement takes 3 hours each day in 50,000 lux sunlight, and the additional 7 hours in GPS mode requires continuous exposure. 50,000 lux is similar to a sunny day at midday or a clear morning or afternoon. I wouldn’t be shocked if the most active Garmin users found the Solar model useful.
My ancient Forerunner 245 can only track GPS for 6 hours or 7 days. It’s cheaper and has a smaller case and battery. I’m amazed by the 955 Solar’s battery life. This model’s increased longevity is its most notable feature.
Even with many multi-hour runs every week, the 955 Solar can go two weeks without charging. That’s appealing. Not worrying about charging even with 10% battery is refreshing. During two months of testing, I saw roughly 2% battery drain per hour of multi-band GPS tracking.
Standard Forerunner 955 without solar will certainly exceed most people’s expectations and suit all but the most extreme ultramarathoner’s tracking demands. I’m also aware of how easily Garmins recharge; topping them off once every few days is a breeze. I’d forego the $100 solar up-charge if buying for myself.
GPS precision
GPS accuracy is why we all run with Garmins. I’ve experienced some odd GPS tracking in New York City, especially with my Apple Watch but also with my Forerunner 245. The 955 outperforms my 245 in time to lock GPS before starting an activity and in tracking pace even when jogging on metropolitan streets and between tall skyscrapers.
The 955 has more GPS tracking modes than my 245 and 945. “All + Multi-Band” combines all GPS constellations. My 955 stayed dead on even in the default “smart” tracking mode instead of the more battery-intensive “every second” plotting.
I only experienced one incident where the GPS struggled to lock on, and it was when I started running before the watch indicated a complete lock. I tracked perfectly when I waited for a GPS lock (every other run).
Considerations
The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar exceeded my expectations. Unless you run a lot, you won’t understand why you’d pay $600 on a smartwatch with so few features. Anyone who reads this review will understand, and you’ll likely consider getting one.
Solar Garmin 955
Solar Garmin 955
$577 FROM AMAZON
Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar’s solar feature is my sole complaint. Because the non-solar variant costs $100 less and has the same features and battery life, it’s hard to suggest the higher-end device to anyone save the most serious long-distance runners. Garmins charge rapidly and have outstanding battery life.
If you have a lower-end (or earlier) Forerunner and want to upgrade as you take running more seriously, you’ll love the 955 Solar’s bigger screen, amazing battery life, and precise tracking. If you’re coming from an Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, or Wear OS watch, this may be overkill. Start with the Forerunner 245, and see if you’re prepared to make the trade-off.
I won’t be returning my Forerunner 245. The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar’s screen, battery life, and GPS accuracy convinced me to buy Garmin’s top model.
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