Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch, Black

Hands down my new favorite watch! I love everything about it! I do a lot of running and other exercises, but wanted something reliable and cheap so that when it comes to inevitably replacing it I wont have to break the bank. I've tried several fitbits (charge 6, inspire 3, HR) and the google pixel watch 2 too, but none of those compare to this Garmin Forerunner 55. The GPS on this Forerunner 55 is ACCURATE. It's waaaaaay better than the built in GPS on any of the fitbit watches. This watch is so simple to use use and I think that's what I like the most about it. The interface on both the watch and the app tells you so much useful data and lets you organize it any way you want. You can even create your own watch faces and use whatever picture you want!!! I didn't realize that when I bought it, but I freakin love the customization on this watch. The watch is easy to read when it's super bright outside and it's waterproof up to 50m too! My only gripe is that there isn't a strength activity to track which makes sense because this is primarily a running watch. To fix this I just set it to track cardio and turn gps off when I'm tracking a strength workout so that I can still log time, calories, heart rate. Then I just rename the workout to "strength" or whatever.

Great

This Garmin 55 is perfect for the serious runner, at a somewhat advanced age, who is not looking for all kinds of bells and whistles. Certainly don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars more for some additional monitoring. I get plenty of data out of this watch.

I have owned this watch for a while so that I'm now familiar with many (but not all) of its functions. I originally used it for running. Now I use it for walking/hiking, cardio workouts, HIIT, and strength training. And that is just scratching surface of what it will do (please don't ask about other functions -- there are many I have not used). It holds a charge well and the time it takes to recharge is fast. The watch receives a GPS signal quickly when preparing to walk or run. When saving an exercise activity, it will sync to your smartphone. You can then upload the data to the Garmin online app. You can review the details of your activity when done with the phone app which provides a wealth of information. The heart rate data appears to be reasonably accurate when I have compared its measure of resting rate to that of other devices. Finally, if you get a text message to your phone and the phone is nearby (in your pocket, etc), the text will briefly appear on the watch. While it is not the top of the line Garmin watch, I am hard pressed to find any fault with it. Sure, some Garmin models play music. But on those occasions where I want music, I can either use my phone or my mp3 player.

I've used this watch for about 2 weeks so far, and logged about 34 miles on it over several runs. Below are some initial impressions. THE GOOD: --light, easy to use, controls and menus are relatively intuitive to navigate once you get the hang of them --great battery life - have taken it on several runs so far, had it 2 weeks (wearing most of the day) and only used 70% battery, with GPS tracking on my runs - to be specific, using both GPS and GLONASS. --waterproof, and I actually prefer having physical buttons to push - makes navigating the various menus much easier when running in cold weather and wearing gloves. --heart rate monitoring is helpful and seems accurate. Have not used it for sleep tracking. THE BAD: --I wish it had a USB-C connector to charge and transfer data, rather than a proprietary connector. It's one more cable to manage, and more electronic waste. That said, if the only way to achieve its waterproof rating is with this proprietary port, I can live with that. --The auto-pause feature takes a few seconds, and tends to only trigger on quick starts/stops. If you slowly ramp up or down your pace, it won't trigger auto-pause. This tends to be a little annoying when I first start off from a stop - it will start, immediately pause half a second in, then resume a few seconds later when it realizes I've kept running. --GPS tracking is slightly off at best, and very inaccurate at worst. I've been trying to troubleshoot the issue with Garmin support (who have been responsive and helpful), but if my expectations are too high, that's disappointing. I have tried all the troubleshooting steps listed in Garmin's online support options. GPS tech has come a long way, and though I'm not a pro athlete by any stretch of the imagination, I expect reasonable accuracy, especially with the fact that I'm running on roads and marked trails in a suburban area near Chicago without tall buildings and without much dense foliage. Details are below; I measured my runs using onthegomap.com. All runs were taken early in the morning under cloud cover (the cloud cover may affect the measurements - we just can't get any sun here near Chicago lately). -----Run 1: Distance just over 5k (3.1 miles), error -0.08 miles, ~2.5%, not terrible but not great. -----Run 2: Distance just under 3 miles, error -0.50 miles, ~17.5%, not acceptable. -----Run 3: Distance about 7.2 miles, error -0.07 miles, ~1%, pretty good. -----Run 4: Distance about 3.5 miles, error -0.02 miles, ~0.5%, very good. -----Run 5: Distance about 4.4 miles, error -0.15 miles, ~3.4%, not terrible but not great. -----Run 6: Distance about 9.4 - 9.6 miles (indefinite trail markers), error -0.1 to -0.3 miles, ~1% - 3%, not terrible but not great. Tree coverage, while the branches were bare, were relatively dense on this run, so that's understandable. -----Run 7: Distance about 4 miles, error -0.01 miles, ~0.2%, very good. If my expectations are too high, I can live with it, but I do expect a lot from a multi-hundred-dollar product, especially from one with the Garmin name on it. Edit 1/23/23: After talking with Garmin support, who were polite and responsive, they didn't really have any other advice than the advice already listed in their support articles (which, I should add, were helpful). They did suggest considering a higher-tier option with a dual-band GPS transceiver for better accuracy, such as the one found on the Forerunner 255. The Forerunner 55 has a single-band transceiver. I've also gotten better results by standing completely still (not walking around or anything) for 1 - 2 minutes before beginning a run, after acquiring a GPS signal. I plan to keep the watch and may upgrade later, but half the reason I got it was so that I could just go run and not have to worry about figuring out distance after the fact, which is somewhat annoying. EDIT 4/6/26: this little guy gave me about 3 solid years of good service. It got down to about 5 days of battery life, when doing lots of GPS-heavy activities, and about 10 days when doing non-GPS activities. I took it through boxing workouts, a couple Tough Mudders, a triathlon, and lots of runs. It handled mud, water, rocks, small children chewing on it, and a bunch of other rough stuff like a champ. Very pleased with the durability. As others have noted, the Forerunner 55 doesn't have an AMOLED screen or support for weightlifting workouts, but if you're looking for a basic starter watch mainly for running, I would definitely recommend it. I should also note that accuracy improved over the life of the watch, so maybe Garmin updated the firmware. I upgraded to the Forerunner 165 about a month ago and am loving it.

It works and is accurate--no problems

Purchased this watch for son who is just getting into running. It's also a great first watch without all the distractions of a smart watch like the Apple Watch that can oftentimes be banded in some school for obvious reasons. This watch is great for a number of reasons. 1. Build quality 2. Packed with an abundance of features at this price point 3. Ease of use and simplicity 4. Good looking 5. Reasonably priced

Yes, it’s a “beginner-friendly” and affordable option. However, I recommend spending a bit more and getting a longer-lasting smartwatch. The FR55 has serious limitations in its supposedly incorporated functions like an inaccurate speed/pace monitor and frequently failing GPS sync. It also doesn’t support accurately other activities like weightlifting, which the older Polar H435 does.

Easy to use and very budget friendly watch. I bought it to record tracks so I can see them on the map later. Now I am using it to reach my sleep, body battery, and stress levels. There are of course a lot of better options out there but far more expensive. I am very happy. One thing is that the strap could be a little bit longer.

I've had the Garmin Forerunner 55 for a little over 2 months at the time of writing this review. I purchased to replace a higher end smart device from a few years back (Huawei GT 2 PRO) which had compatibility issues with IOS and poor GPS tracking. I wanted something lightweight, comfortable and easy to use while running. Whether you're running on the road or hitting the trails, the watch provides reliable and precise tracking of your distance, pace, and route. This is essential for tracking your progress and analysing your runs. It includes a heart rate monitor, allowing you to keep an eye on your heart rate during your workouts. impressive battery stating up to two weeks in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS mode - I've not scientifically tested but I've been getting a good week and a half or so with regular 6-10k runs in. Sleep tracking also feels accurate when reviewing the data in the app vs how I feel that day. Its nice to be able to keep a track of hours slept/recovery. The Garmin connect app is also the best I've used with lots of insightful data from step tracking, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, body battery & setting running plans. You can also sign up to challenges and earn badges which adds a nice competitiveness if you have friends/family on the same platform. My personal favourite feature is having a physical start stop button - its a simple one but being able to hit start/stop when getting to a road junction and it working every time vs my old touch screen watch is really nice. Also helps with accuracy of running times. Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is an excellent GPS running watch for those who are looking for a reliable and affordable device to track their runs. With its accurate GPS tracking, heart rate monitoring, customizable display, and extensive training features, it provides all the essential tools to help you reach your running goals. While it may lack some advanced smartwatch features, its impressive battery life and user-friendly interface make it a solid choice for runners of all levels.

Para um relógio lançado em 2021, o preço atual parece meio salgado, mas isso talvez se deve ao fato da marca ser estrangeira e ser fabricado fora do Brasil. Com mais de dois meses de uso minha resenha breve seria: é um ótimo relógio, preciso e um ótimo custo-benefício a longo prazo. Em maiores detalhes, eu complemento: não é um relógio para quem é ultramaratonista profissional, tri-atleta ou faz muitas atividades específicas durante o dia, a bateria vai drenar legal usando o GPS com muita frequência. É um relógio pra quem pratica um esporte em específico, mesmo que seja diariamente, seja corrida, natação ou ciclismo (esses são os focos do FR 55). Atividades diárias de até 1h com GPS ligado no modo de maior precisão permite uma bateria entre 1 e 2 semanas, se não usar GPS ou usar o GPS em um modo mais econômico a bateria dura mais de 2 semanas. Eu escolhi a Garmin pois os relógios deles oferece uma precisão de dados bem legais comparados com relógios absurdamente caros e supostamente melhores, precisava monitorar melhor meus treinos de tiro (pratico corrida) e ter noção das minhas zonas de frequência cardíaca principalmente em dias que meu corpo estivesse mais fadigado e a escolha desse modelo em 2025 foi feita por conta da minha restrição de capital e por conta das minhas necessidades que ele poderia suprir, além de ter encontrado uma boa oferta no momento da compra. O FR 55 não oferece uma extensa análise ou interface de dados ótima no próprio relógio, mas os dados coletados durante a atividade e durante o dia podem ser analisados e são dispostos de uma maneira muito bacana no sistema deles (Garmin Connect, tipo um Strava da vida, mas é exclusivo para usuários Garmin) e você pode partir daí, mas ele sincroniza automaticamente com o Strava e você nem precisa fazer sincronização manual no Strava ou algo do tipo, você só precisa sincronizar com Bluetooth no app da própria Garmin que ele puxa os dados automaticamente. Se eu tivesse um capital entre 2k pra investir em um relógio eu certamente não escolheria este modelo, mas como encontrei este modelo muito barato usando a opção da "amazon quase novo" foi um achado perfeito para minha necessidade atual, com certeza vai me servir por uns dois anos até coisa nova ou diferente chegar no mercado com um preço melhor. Dicas para estender a duração da bateria: deixe o Bluetooth desativado, desative o GPS para atividades que não precisam disso, desative alertas ou monitorizações desnecessárias para você e evite carregamentos supercharge, carregue em uma porta USB no pc mesmo ou um carregador com uma saída bem padrão e "lenta" para não ter surpresas depois (vi relatos de pessoas que usou carregamento rápido e acabou queimando o relógio, eu só carrego pela porta USB do pc mesmo e tá tudo certo).

Lo uso da ormai 4 anni, inizialmente per la corsa, poi andando avanti mi sono orientato verso un modello instict per necessità, ora lo uso per il nuoto e va molto bene, preciso, un entry level perfetto, molto basico ma il suo compito lo fa egregiamente. Garmin una garanzia

Good product of Garmin forerunner series