Garmin Forerunner watches have earned their reputation as fantastic options for runners, across multiple price ranges. Here's the rub: Garmin has launched five new models since 2022, from the impressive Forerunner 965 to the mid-range & high-quality Forerunner 255 and the newest Forerunner 165. Deciding which of these great watches to buy is a challenge.
On top of that, you'll find that Garmin still sells most of its last-gen or lower-end Forerunner watches, from the 55 to the 945 LTE. These, too, can be tempting, especially during deals events. But should you buy these and miss out on what the newer Forerunners have to offer?
Below, we've rounded up the best Garmin Forerunner models to help you decide which one is the right fit for all of your running needs.
Picking the best Garmin Forerunner watch for every type of runner
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The best running watch
Our current pick for the best running watch, the Forerunner 265 has two main perks over its predecessors: the AMOLED touchscreen for better overall visibility and usability, and Training Readiness, a widget that essentially tells you how ready you are to train. Comparing the Forerunner 265 vs. 255, the 255 Music has nearly all the same software, the same GPS accuracy, and much better battery life. On the other hand, paying $50 more for a better display seems like a reasonable choice.
Barely a downgrade
Garmin's 2022 mid-range Forerunner model strikes the best balance for serious runners who don't want to over-pay. The Forerunner 255 has all the core features you need — workout suggestions, health tracking with pulse ox, workout pacing, and cadence — along with fresh features like multi-band GPS, NFC, and new data widgets. It doubles the battery life and enlarges the display compared to its predecessor, the Forerunner 245. It comes in 1.3-inch and 1.1-inch sizes, plus a music storage upgrade.
Your ultra-cheap option
Aside from settling for just seven days or 13 GPS hours of battery life, the Forerunner 45 has all of the downsides of the newer Forerunner 55, while missing it successor's workout suggestions, Pacepro, recovery time, women's health tracking, and certain swimming modes. You do get Body Battery, stress tracking, and Garmin Coach, but not much else.
Balance of value and features
The latest model in the line, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is an affordable model that features many of the niceties you get with the more premium ones, including long battery life (up to 11 days), built-in GPS, and a stunning AMOLED display. Though it has Race Adaptive Training Plans and Training Effect, you'll unfortunately miss out on Training Status, Training Readiness, Training Load, and multisport activities. It's a versatile smartwatch for a reasonable price, but it's best suited for self-guided runners that don't need as much Garmin hand-holding.
Starting place
Casual runners who want to start tracking their runs and other workouts might prefer the 2021 Garmin Forerunner 55, the most affordable watch that's not outdated. You get key features such as built-in GPS, Pacepro, workout suggestions, and recovery time recs. It comes in a lightweight case and offers two weeks of battery life. Still, you miss out on key tools like training load, an altimeter, SpO2, and Performance Condition, so keep that in mind; it's best suited to beginners.
No compromises
This is my (the writer's) daily smartwatch and the one I recommend for serious runners who can afford it. The Forerunner 965 launched in 2023 with virtually every running, cycling, and multisport feature Garmin has, and it's received several feature updates in the months since to keep things fresh. It's arguably a bit large and heavy, but that gives it enough battery life to make up for the large AMOLED display.
High-end, long-lasting
Slightly pricier than the 255 Music, the Garmin Forerunner 955 gives you a touchscreen and only comes in one 1.3-inch variant. Along with all the same sensors and multi-band tracking as the 255, you get exclusive perks like full-color maps, real-time stamina, quadrupled music storage, and Endurance/ Hill scores. It has the exact same tech as the 965, with better GPS battery life, for $100 less — if you can stomach MIP over AMOLED.
Also available: 945
The Forerunner 945 LTE first shipped in mid-2021, but thanks to updates, it's nearly as tempting as the 955. Garmin added tools like training readiness/status, HRV status, race widget, daily suggested workouts, and running power after the fact. More importantly, it's the only Forerunner option with cellular data. You can't do much with it except enable safety features and live tracking if you leave your phone at home, but in theory, it could save your life. It does lack a touchscreen and all-systems GNSS tracking, however.
Middle of the road
We frequently see the Forerunner 745 on sale today for a low price during deal events. The only problem is that this watch is essentially a lesser 255 with no promises of future updates. You do get a week of battery life, training load and effect, suggested workouts, 4GB of music storage, and race predictions. But you don't get dual-frequency GPS, HRV status, a triathlon mode, nap tracking, enhanced Body Battery, or other modern perks.
An oldie but a goodie
Compared to the newer 255, the Forerunner 245 misses out on a few new features and will require more frequent recharges. Still, this model was one of our favorite running watches in the years since its 2019 release. It's decently lighter than the 255 and worth buying at a discount. It also has core tools like Garmin Coach, VO2 Max, Training Effect/Load, and Body Battery that any runner will appreciate. Just don't expect it to get any more feature updates.
GPS for cheap
Sometimes, you want the basics without having to break the bank. The Garmin Forerunner 35 gives you nine days of juice with this model, with onboard GPS, heart-rate monitoring, and activity tracking. You'll also have smartphone notifications on your wrist when your phone is connected. Unfortunately, that's about it. Again, it has all of the Forerunner 45's downsides, and lacks essentials like Body Battery, fitness age, and stress tracking. You're not going to see everything that Garmin has to offer with one of these.
Tons of functionality (for the time)
With a week of battery life, you could do a lot with the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music, beyond listening to music without your phone on hand. It had several built-in activity profiles when that was rare, along with an altimeter, gyroscope, and compass. It preceded tricks like Body Battery and suggested workouts that we're used to, but at least you got recovery time, training load, performance condition, and race predictions.
Garmin Forerunner sensors and features
Garmin watches have a ton of features, and it can be hard to keep track of what each watch can do. So we've poured over the specifications of every main Forerunner model still on the market, to show you what features you'll get (or miss out on) when you choose one!
To summarize, for the latest training features, you'll want to check out the Forerunner 255, 265, 955, or 965, though the 945 LTE has gotten a fair amount of new software sent back its way. You need a 9XX watch for proper maps, or an X65 watch for an AMOLED display and corresponding tricks like Red Shift mode. Generally speaking, the Forerunner 965 has everything on the list except cellular.
| Feature | Which Forerunner watches have it? |
|---|---|
| Heart rate tracking | All |
| Sleep score and insights | 165, 255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Nap detection | 165, 255, 265, 955, 965 |
| 5ATM water resistance | All |
| Built-in GPS | All |
| All-Systems GNSS/ dual-frequency GPS | 165 (All-systems only), 255, 265, 955, 965 |
| SatIQ (Auto-select) GPS mode | 265, 965 |
| Pulse Ox | 165, 245, 255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Altimeter | 165, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Gyroscope | 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Compass | 165, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| AMOLED | 165, 265, 965 |
| Touchscreen | 165, 265, 955, 965 |
| Music storage | 165 Music (~500 songs), 255 Music (500), 265 (1,000), 645 Music (500), 745 (500), 945 (1,000), 955 (2,000), 965 (2,000) |
| Garmin Pay | 165, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Body Battery | 45, 55, 165, 245, 255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Fitness Age | All except 35 |
| All-day stress tracking | All except 35 |
| Intensity minutes | All |
| VO2 Max | All |
| HRV Status | 165, 255, 265, 945, 955, 965 |
| Performance condition | 245, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Race predictor | 55, 165, 245, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Daily suggested workouts | 55, 165, 245, 255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Recovery time | 55, 165, 245, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Real-time stamina | 955, 965 |
| Multisport | 255, 265, 955, 965 |
| Pacepro | 55, 165, 245, 255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Training effect/ status / load | 165 (Training Effect only), 245, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Training load focus | 255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965 |
| Acute load | 255, 265, 955, 965 |
| Training Readiness | 265, 955, 965 |
| Endurance / Hill scores | 955, 965 |
| Wrist-based running dynamics/ power | 165, 255, 265, 945 LTE, 955, 965 |
| Full-color maps | 945, 955, 965 |
| Cellular support | 945 LTE |
Garmin Forerunner battery life compared
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Smartwatch mode | GPS-only | GPS with music | All-Systems GNSS | All + Multi-band |
| Garmin Forerunner 35 | 9 days | 13 hours | 🚫 (Not applicable) | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 45 | 7 days | 13 hours | 🚫 | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 55 | 14 days | 20 hours | 🚫 | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 | 11 days | 19 hours | 7 hours | 17 hours | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 245 | 7 days | 24 hours | 🚫 | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 255 | 14 days | 30 hours | 7 hours | 25 hours | 16 hours |
| Garmin Forerunner 265 | 13 days | 20 hours | 7 hours | 16 hours | 14 hours |
| Garmin Forerunner 645 | 7 days | 14 hours | 5 hours | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 745 | 7 days | 16 hours | 6 hours | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 945 | 14 days | 35 hours | 12 hours | 🚫 | 🚫 |
| Garmin Forerunner 955 | 15 days (20 with solar) | 42 hours (49 with solar) | 10.5 hours | 31 hours (34 with solar) | 22 hours |
| Garmin Forerunner 965 | 23 days | 31 hours | 10.5 hours | 22 hours | 19 hours |
Which Garmin Forerunner model should you buy?
As you can see, there's no shortage of Garmin Forerunner models from which to pick. Without a doubt, most would fall among the best running watches, with the Forerunner 265 and 965 arguably topping the list.
If you're going to buy one today, I'd strongly argue that you choose the 165, 255, 265, 955, or 965. They're the only Forerunner watches with the most accurate GPS tracking, and the only ones still receiving the latest software tricks trickling down from the Fenix and Epix models — especially the pricier 955 and 965. Otherwise, thrifty runners can probably make do with the Forerunner 55.
Still not sure where to start? These are the main factors to take into account:
1. Consider the size
When you're a runner, the size, weight, and thickness make a huge different for comfort, especially for marathoners and up who have to wear one for hours. Forerunners are certainly heavier than your typical fitness tracker, but that applies to some more than others.
The Forerunner 35, 45, 55, 165, 255S, and 265S all fall into the 36-39g weight class with a 1- or 1.1-inch display size (the 165 is a big larger at 1.2-inch). Many people with smaller wrists will prefer this size, even if it means the display text isn't quite as readable. If that's a concern, get the 265S: its 360x360 AMOLED is so much more readable than the 255S' 218x218 display.
Also, take a look at each Forerunner watch's thickness. The Forerunner 955 (14.4mm) is significantly beefier than the 255 (12.4mm), for instance. That could make even more difference than the weight gap.
2. AMOLED or MIP
Garmin used memory-in-pixel displays all these years because they save battery life and are more readable in direct sunlight than your typical AMOLED. But Garmin finally transitioned with the 265 and 965 because its battery tech has improved enough to support better visibility while still lasting a long chunk of time.
That said, the 255 does last significantly longer than the 265, which falls closer to a last-gen Forerunner with its mere 20 hours of GPS battery (same as the Forerunner 55). If that extra 10 GPS hours matters to you, you may want to forego the AMOLED upgrade.
As for the 965, it's also 11 GPS hours short of the 955, but 31 hours is nothing to sneeze at! And it actually lasts 8 days longer in smartwatch mode, proving it does better while idling. In that case, the only reason to downgrade for the 955 is because of the discount.
3. Think about the features
As the sensors and features table above shows, Garmin slowly added more and more tricks to its Forerunner watches over time. Even though the Forerunner 55 costs much less than, say, the 745, it shares many of the same tricks. The newer the watch, the more likely it is to have what you need as a runner.
If I had to pick the Forerunner "essentials" for my running training, this would be my list:
- Recovery time (55, 165, 245, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965)
- Training load ratio (255, 265, 745, 945, 955, 965)
- Elevation tracking (165, 255, 265, 645, 745, 945, 955, 965)
- Dual-frequency or all-systems GNSS tracking (165, 255, 265, 955, 965)
Aside from more accurate GPS, most of the Garmin Forerunners of the last five years have the "essentials." Other more modern tricks, like wrist-based running dynamics without the Pod, acute and chronic load, nap detection, HRV-based stress data, and Training Readiness are all nice to have, but maybe you can do without them.
If you actually need full-color maps on your wrist, or the ability to check nearby surroundings without having to download courses first, you'll specifically need the Forerunner 945, 955, or 965. The same goes for other high-end tricks like real-time stamina and Hill Scores for elevation training.
4. Battery life concerns
You mostly don't have to be too concerned about battery life when choosing a Garmin Forerunner model. The 55, 255, 265S, 945, 955, and 965 all offer at least two weeks of battery life — though that figure won't last if you use a lot of GPS battery. In that case, the 255, 945 LTE, 955, or 965 will do especially well.
You can technically buy the Forerunner 955 Solar to get a further battery life boost, but it's not nearly what you get from an Instinct 2X Solar with its "unlimited" battery life and 145 GPS hours. That watch's solar panel is very efficient, while the 955 Solar panel isn't really worth the $100 extra, in my mind.
On the lower end, the 245, 645 Music, and 745 all offer seven full days of battery life in smartwatch mode, while the older, budget-friendly Forerunner 35 will give you nine days of juice. Generally speaking, you can expect at least a week of battery life regardless of which model you pick.
Also, if you buy a watch intending to use the music storage feature, keep in mind that this trick burns through your battery life; expect to lose about two-thirds of your typical capacity, making a 945, 955, or 965 especially useful.
Garmin Forerunners for everyone
Choosing the best Garmin Forerunner model is only difficult because there are so many good watches to choose among. They're some of the best Garmin smartwatches you can buy. With an extensive catalog of options, it's easy to find a watch that is designed for your lifestyle. Of course, you can also check out all of the other watches the company has to offer to confirm you're making the right choice for your needs.
But in the end, if you want the best Garmin Forerunner for most runners, that's the Garmin Forerunner 265 for features and specs, the 55 for budget quality, or the 965 for everything and the kitchen sink. If you're looking for the newest model that balances features with affordability, the Forerunner 165 is worth considering as well.
