The Garmin 225 and 955 Are Still the Best Value Fitness Watches, and They’re Always on Sale

If you are looking for a Garmin watch at an advantageous price, the recent decrees of the precursor 570 and 970 are excellent news – not because you should recover these models (they are fine, I suppose), but because the older generations of precursor, which remain excellent watches, now opt for ridiculously low prices.

The previous models, the 265 and 965, are excellent, but you can go back one more generation at 255 and 955 – made in 2022 – and save hundreds Dollars without sacrificing any major feature. I really cannot think of a fitness watch which is a better deal at the moment, taking into account the prices that we are seeing on these two: currently $ 247 for the 255 preclusion, and $ 373 for the precursor 955, which is the improved version with cards and some additional training features.

Why do I recommend three-year watches? I will enter the specifications below, but the important context here is that Garmin’s precursors have a long longevity. Running App Strava publishes end -of -year trend reports that constantly show older precursors among the most popular and popular race watches. The most recent report, for example, had the Garmin Forerunner 245 in third place, after the Apple Watch and the Apple Watch SE. It’s a five -year -old watch. Not long ago, the precursor 235, then a eight-Meary Watch, was the most popular world. These things last!

What the 255 and 955 are missing from the new models (not much)

Left: 265S (the smallest more recent model). Right: 255 (the largest with the MIP screen which is currently on sale).
Credit: Beth Skwarecki

The numbered models can become confusing, but I promise that you can follow. All the watches that start with a 9 are the high -end precursors (the 955 was replaced by the 965 and more recently the 970) and most of them came with a small brother who begins with a 2 (respectively: 255, 265, and in a break from tradition, 570).

The 9xx series has on -board cards that allow you to see exactly where you are and where you are going. 2xx watches have a navigation over the good one that shows you the general shape of the route you have already taken. If you need a card on your wrist, you probably want to opt for a 9xx.

I wrote on the new models here, so that you can see what 970 has on the 965 (and what 570 has on the 265). The great functionality is that the 570 and 970 support vocal texts and vocal texts, and the 970 has an integrated LED flashlight. If these features are not essential for you, take a look at the next generation.

The 265 and 965 are excellent watches with important features, such as double band GPs. you can Read my criticism of 265 here:, And note that the 265 is my own personal race watch, the one I bought with my own money because I love it. The 265 has a ton of large features for runners. Some are concrete and functional: physical buttons, many options for data screens and a double -band GPS for additional location accuracy. Others are more software but undoubtedly useful: training status, training suggested daily. The battery also lasts between one and two weeks, depending on the number of training you do.

The 965 has all this, more cards on board, you can therefore see where you are in relation to roads, water bodies, etc. He also has some additional training statistics, such as an endurance score and a heat acclimatization score.

The 255 and 955 have all these same features. The only characteristics that are significantly different between the X55 and X65 series are:

• The 255/955 have the old Mip screen always onWhile the 265 has a smartphone -style Amoled screen. I have more here on the difference between these types of screen.

• The 255 does not have a touch screen. You will use the buttons from top to bottom on the left side to scroll through the options. The 955 has a touch screen.

• The 255 cannot store musicUnless you buy the 255 musical version. The 955 has integrated music storage, as is the 265 and 965.

• The 255 has no preparation for trainingBut he has training status. (Personally, I never use training preparation, so it’s not really a loss. You can always look at your VRH trend, which the watch also reports, if you want an idea of ​​your recovery every morning.) The 955, 265 and 965 all have the preparation for training.

For the detailed list of each different minor functionality between the two, you can check This comparison page on the Garmin website.

Which version of Forerunner 255 that you should get

There is only one precursor 955, but there are four versions of the 255 and two versions of the 265.

• The regular Precursor 255 is the largest size (45.6 mm) and has no music storage.

• THE Precursor 255 is the smaller size (41 mm) and also has music storage.

• THE Forerunner 255 Music is the larger size (45.6 mm) and do Have music storage, so you can play the air from the watch while leaving your phone at home.

• 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 never found the function of autonomous music very useful. If you think you could use it, however, it is normally an upgrade of $ 50, but currently only an upgrade of $ 20 on the largest size of the watch.

To help you decide, the photo above shows the difference in screens between the 265 Amoled (left) and MIP 255 (right). It also shows the difference in size between smaller and larger models; The 265 on the left are 41.7 mm, very close to the 255S at 41 mm.

How old is 255 anyway?

The 255 was only one year older than the 265. They were released respectively in 2022 and 2023. Before that, the forecast outings tended to be separated from three to four years. The rapid turnaround between the 255 and 265 is logical when you realize that they are fundamentally the same watch with a different display.

I would therefore not expect a 255 to feel exceeded anytime soon. The main question you need to ask is: How can I feel a MIP screen? I wrote Learn more about the difference between Mip and Amoled here. MIP screens do not light up, although they have a backlight that can impose themselves automatically when you raise your wrist. At rest, they are “always on”, in the sense that they always display somethingSo you never look at a virgin screen. They are also brilliantly reflected in the sun.

AMOLED screens more like a smartphone screen, with shiny pixels, and watches generally turn off the display when you don’t use it to save energy. (You can activate an adjustment always on, but it eats battery.) That said, the overall battery life on the two watches is similar on the default settings – 14 days, not to mention the activities for the 255 and 13 days for the 265.

Some people prefer MIP screens, and if that includes you, it is obvious: hang on the 255 or 955. You can even get a Renovated version for $ 179.99which makes this cheapest garmin watches in any double.

The essential (price verification)

The prices on the precursors have fluctuated lately, so I hesitate to give dollar comparisons for a dollar, but here is what I see when I write this. Officially, Garmin sells 255 and 265 for the same price, $ 349.99. The 955 and 965 opt for the same price, $ 499.99. At these prices, you might as well get the -65 version of the watch you prefer.

But on Amazon, I see prices as low as $ 247 for the $ 255 and 373 for the 955. This means that a 255 is the same price as the anemic precursor 165 (it is OK as a budgetary watch, but there is a lot of features that the 255/265 have) and the 955 is the same price as 265! Check prices to see if these offers are still live when you read this and finally decide according to the features.

Correction, 20/05/2025: a previous version of this post said that the 955 and 255 do not have a touch screen. The 255 does not have a touch screen, but the 955 does it.