I got the 955 Solar and I can compare it to my old Fenix 5x Plus. What I like: -Insane GPS performance -HRV (I got Oura ring and the data is very similar) -Training readiness / Body battery / Acute Training Load (All of these features make short and longterm training decissions easier) -Touch screen - love it that I can move on the map with fingers -Very light compared to my old Fenix (50g vs 90g) What I dislike: -Solar energy, it should be a positive thing but I find it quite useless, gimmick -Battery life is not bad but not better than the Fenix I had previously -SpO2 still useless, its an other gimmick -There is a bug, when you do workouts the lap alerts not what I set (I like to have previous lap pace + previous lap avg hr) -Running power should be a big like but Garmin is far behind Stryd on this one and now I cannot use my Stryd power on screen (I still can record it and check in Garmin connect and Stryd app) Conclusion: In general I love the watch but its far from perfect :) Still think there is no better watch for running on the market atm.
Great review Barry - and looking forward to the more detailed sub reviews. I have put my FR255 savings plan into action. A marathon training plan is an omission - but as you said, Garmin does offer a cracking selection of coaches for their 5K / 10K / half mara training plans. I find manually programmed Workouts to be my most used feature. HRV is the feature I miss most on my previous generation's FR245.
I have been keeping an eye on the watch to see what it suggests I should do as a workout...today it is suggesting a 34 minute workout at 7:45/km...there is no way this will get me to Berlin in any sort of condition...hence I m continuing with the Stryd. My plan is to do the 5k coaching some time after Berlin and see how it goes...I will at some stage start importing training plans...possibly via the Stryd...going to do a video on the Running Power and Vertical Oscillation bits first...in between shoe shoot outs for Berlin...which I am about to tackle again now...
@@OldManRunner my Tue morning BRS running group takes care of my weekly plan - otherwise I would be on Stryd plan too - love their classic and long distance workouts!
I am heading off now to put the Alphafly 2 up against the Metaspeed Sky+. Gutbusters and 2 x 5k thresholds....you will be able to see how they go in a few hours, and compare to Tuesday's set...then its Vanish Carbon v Endorphin Pro 3 then the two winners head to head.... winner takes all
Glad that I now know about your Chanel. Very informative, elaborative. Now, Apple Watch Ultra is here. Any plans to buy and review it from a runner’s perspective? Subscribed.
Hello Pavan. Thanks for the kind comments. Yes, the Apple Watch Ultra should be here by late October. I will need a week or so to do the testing and I will pop a video up as soon as I can after that.
Mark, it really was great that you pointed out the HRV. Matthew Van Der Poel had an HRV of 212 in the Tour De France, so I have some way to go...but I found it to be the most reliable indicator of my health/performance...
I keep meaning to do a test on what the booze does. Heading out for a night with some friends this evening...will see what effects it has...compared to our national standards and reputation I barely touch the stuff...but I do miss the bow wow...
Do you wear two watches all day? I tried doing this but too many people stopped and asked my why? I wore the Apple 7 and 955 also. I got tired of answering them. I like the Apple for keeping me organized and smart features. I love my 955 for the data.
Funnily enough I have never been stoped and asked anything when running except for this morning when I was asked about the ASICS Metaspeed Sky in the park… but I enjoyed that. I always wear the two for exactly the reasons you do. I’m just finished running and I was checking glucose levels on my Garmin while getting a message from UPS on the Apple and also reading your comment as it flashed up…I think the new Apple Watch might be able to function as a smart and data watch…but this works great for me…
It doesn't need to be one vs the other - I use the HRM and the Stryd concurrently - both connect to my FR245 - both give live metrics via the watch face on my runs. Those metrics also show up in Garmin Connect post run. Wind compensation is a great feature of Stryd. But additionally Stryd comes with a host of workouts which import to the FR245 (or any of the newer Garmin watches). @OldManRunner is right - it's hard not to become overwhelmed (while you're running) by the amount of data these devices generate : - )
Great question Randen, one I have been asking myself with no clear answer. I love the Stryd but I had to calibrate it for distance which left me feeling less certain about its accuracy. At the moment I am running with it paired to the Apple watch and using it for training for the marathon. The latest updated of the interface is really good, I might do a video on it. I will definetly be doing one on running power on the Garmin, Coros and possible Apple all compared to Stryd. Garmin use a wind calculation so I will enable and disable that and see what happens. I will certainly be also using the Stryd for the rest of the year...
I have a lot going on connections wise. I have the 955 connected to the HRM Pro and the Stryd connected to the Apple Watch and then the iPhone connected to the Apple Watch...and then I have a sensor in my arm (more to follow) connected to the phone...I am planning to run a marathon later in the year with no devices showing (but recording) and see what happens...
I haven't tried the HRV TRAINING app...but I like the fact that the Garmin tracks my HRV without me needing to do anything and it is all available in the Garmin Connect App. My Apple Watch does the same and has a huge amount of data available in the Health app.
The Solar has a shiny ring at the edge of the screen which looks quite nice and is where the watch absorbs most of its the solar energy, I haven't seen the non-solar version.
Thanks I’m deciding between the Garmin forerunner 955 and the Garmin Fenix 7 solar sapphire (or the Garmin Fenix 7s solar sapphire) my use is similar to your with the exception than I a running and cycling to training for hiking and climbing high altitude mountains in Colombia. My question is regarding navigation in your opinion GFr955 is good as a navigation tool? Also regarding battery is there a big difference between gfr955 and gf7? Finally my wrist are small 160mm the weight and bouncing effect on any of these watches is a compromise? Thanks.
Hello Os. I have not found the Navigation on the 955 to be very user friendly. So much so that I intended to do a video on navigation but gave up because I could not figure it out and make it work to my satisfaction. I think it might be better on trails but in the city I missed a lot of turns. The graphics are okay, but not great. I did not think I could rely on it. It may be just me and I suggest you have a look around at other reviews, as I think other people found it okay. Having said that I would recommend you go for the 965 as the screen is a bigger with more resolution and an AMOLED display which will improve things considerably. Battery life is very dependent on usage and you can set the battery for minimal GPS etc. and lean it out, unless you are doing ultras I am not sure it will make a huge difference. I wear a 955 and Apple Watch Ultra on separate wrists. The 955 is lighter and the Ultra heavier than the Fenix 7. I am not bothered by the weight of either as long as they are attached securely. I tighten them before races. For me the Fenix 7 adds some weight and durability that I don't particularly need. You can see a statistic comparison on all of them on this link buy.garmin.com/en-IE/GB/catalog/product/compareResult.ep?compareProduct=777655&compareProduct=777730&compareProduct=886725&compareProduct=735520
Good review, I have the 745 for a long time and a month ago discovered that you can upload trainings.. This week I discovered that it can show me my performance condition while running... So I will wait for it to die and then get the 955.. Did I understand correctly that the 955 gives power and HV without the HR strap?
The 955 shows me running performance condition not long after heading off. It is marginally useful. I kind of know myself how I am feeling. I think you need the Garmin Pod or HRM Pro to get the running power. There is a good overview to the features here: www.garmin.com/en-IE/p/777655/pn/010-02638-31#overview
@@OldManRunner thanks.. In the morning 0520.. It gives me the first performance reading of - (minus) 6! But when I run in the evening the first performance reading is +3! Usually in the morning I can go up to minus 2 and in the evening it goes from +3 to +5 and then slowly down to 1..
I don't look at the watch much when I first head out as it's usually a warm up in a relatively urban area and I am looking at other things, so I have only noticed it a few times, will keep an eye on it...will certainly try to see if it improves over the day as yours does...
Hi Barry, how often do you find you are using the maps on the 955? I’m trying to decide between the 955 & 255 and the maps would be the main difference for me. If the maps are too small or hard to use I don’t think I’d spend the extra $150. I always run with my iPhone so could just use maps on it & the 255 has track back. Just wanted to see what you thought.
Rob. I haven’t used the navigation since I bought the watch, other than to see how it works. Unless you really need navigation I’m not sure it is worth upgrading from the 255. I have to go on a long run in the morning and was wondering where to go. So I will set a course on the watch via the app, try to follow it and report back in more detail …
I went out for a 25km run this morning. The course was easy to set up on the Mac using Garmin Connect and I used a slightly modified version of Garmin suggestion because for some reason Garmin kept giving me an 18km route when I wanted 25km. I used the navigation the entire route. The map is very fiddly. It reminds me of the pre iPhone days of looking at the web on a phone. I could follow it but several times the directions conflicted with the map, but I deferred to the map. Occasionally I went off course and it gives you an alert and a confirmation when back on course. Garmin put me on a lot of roads without paths so I left the course once or twice where I could for safety reasons. I got back and played with a few settings on a walk just now as it was easier. You can zoom in and out and pan etc. But it is awkward and quite low resolution. It works and if you need it as opposed to want it, then it is worth getting. But if you run with the phone and pretty much know where you’re going so only occasionally need to stop and look for directions I would go with that… I will make a full video on the Navigation when I’ve got it completely understood…hope this helps, happy to answer any more detailed questions
Thanks! I have some questions: Having just reached the age that I need readingglasses...How easy is the screen to read? I did send back the garmin instinct II because the menu was to hard to read. (without glasses) And does the watch vibrate when the timer goes of? Thanks for the nice review!
Hello James. The screen is comparatively easy to read in most modes and I like it. It is not as bright as an Apple Watch but the trade off is that the battery life is longer. The fonts are very clear . Where it is difficult is reading the maps when in navigation modes.It is very hard to se the details and panning and zooming is awkward. It does have vibration alerts. Overall the watch is very customisable. I made a video about the audible sounds and they can help as it reads outs stats etc. and you can hear through headphones or a phone speaker. I will link the video here: ruclips.net/video/w-TK06QoG5A/видео.html I cannot see the watch without glasses, never mid reading anything that is displayed. The best thing I found in years was prescription running glasses. These have made more difference to me than anything else and have made the watch faces much more readable on the runs. Mine are by Rudy Project (there are no doubt others) and I made a review that I will link here: ruclips.net/video/0iS-AvcLPV0/видео.html Hope this helps!
Hello, what's your take on Coros Pace 2, I got it with greater expectations based on reviews but the outcome is very negative, I used all GPS mode and the track is way off the actual path, HR accuracy so off and slow to show the actual measurements, sleep track is broken and missing data in during sleep, just blank between hours. Do you think I got a bad unit or it's what it is. I am still in return period and would like to return and try something else, this is not really inviting me back to running after recovery from injury and pandemic 😂
1. Return it. 2. It’s a great watch. I returned my first COROS Pace 2 as the GPS didn’t track true. The second one was perfect. I only stopped using it recently as I wanted a watch with a few more features. All my sleep stuff worked… I think you just got a bad version
Hi. i want to purchase Fr955 today at rebel sports shop. i have watched alot of vidoes on youtube regarding Fr955 issues as list below. Please, could you confirm if these issues have been resloved. -Improvements to data screen drawing - Improvements to Audio Dialect selection - Addressed issues with Cycling VO2 Max values - Addressed issues with After Sunset backlight setting - Various other bug fixes and improvements
Hello Chimeluo. I can't confirm myself if these have been addressed by Garmin. There is s useful page here which lists some of the Firmware updates: forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-955-series/306502/forerunner-955-series-software-update-12-23---live I am currently on Software Version 12.27...they update the firmware regularly
How to you like the white color I recently purchased the black 955 non solar and pretty happy with it I think the perfect size and lighter than my Fenix 7 solar
I like the white and specifically wanted it in white. I wear the black Apple Watch on one wrist and the White 955 on the other and like the contrast. I did the same with the Coros Pace 2. If I was only wearing one watch I would likely go for the Black 955. I haven't tried the Fenix series, it is a bit heavier and more rugged than I need, with little added benefit
I got the 955 Solar and I can compare it to my old Fenix 5x Plus.
What I like:
-Insane GPS performance
-HRV (I got Oura ring and the data is very similar)
-Training readiness / Body battery / Acute Training Load (All of these features make short and longterm training decissions easier)
-Touch screen - love it that I can move on the map with fingers
-Very light compared to my old Fenix (50g vs 90g)
What I dislike:
-Solar energy, it should be a positive thing but I find it quite useless, gimmick
-Battery life is not bad but not better than the Fenix I had previously
-SpO2 still useless, its an other gimmick
-There is a bug, when you do workouts the lap alerts not what I set (I like to have previous lap pace + previous lap avg hr)
-Running power should be a big like but Garmin is far behind Stryd on this one and now I cannot use my Stryd power on screen (I still can record it and check in Garmin connect and Stryd app)
Conclusion:
In general I love the watch but its far from perfect :) Still think there is no better watch for running on the market atm.
Can you give me advice on choosing?
Great review Barry - and looking forward to the more detailed sub reviews.
I have put my FR255 savings plan into action.
A marathon training plan is an omission - but as you said, Garmin does offer a cracking selection of coaches for their 5K / 10K / half mara training plans.
I find manually programmed Workouts to be my most used feature.
HRV is the feature I miss most on my previous generation's FR245.
I have been keeping an eye on the watch to see what it suggests I should do as a workout...today it is suggesting a 34 minute workout at 7:45/km...there is no way this will get me to Berlin in any sort of condition...hence I m continuing with the Stryd. My plan is to do the 5k coaching some time after Berlin and see how it goes...I will at some stage start importing training plans...possibly via the Stryd...going to do a video on the Running Power and Vertical Oscillation bits first...in between shoe shoot outs for Berlin...which I am about to tackle again now...
@@OldManRunner my FR245 often tells me to take a day off as I'm about to set out for a 1hr+ run : - )
@@OldManRunner, I'm looking forward to the future @OldManRunner RUclips programming!
@@OldManRunner my Tue morning BRS running group takes care of my weekly plan - otherwise I would be on Stryd plan too - love their classic and long distance workouts!
I am heading off now to put the Alphafly 2 up against the Metaspeed Sky+. Gutbusters and 2 x 5k thresholds....you will be able to see how they go in a few hours, and compare to Tuesday's set...then its Vanish Carbon v Endorphin Pro 3 then the two winners head to head.... winner takes all
Glad that I now know about your Chanel. Very informative, elaborative. Now, Apple Watch Ultra is here. Any plans to buy and review it from a runner’s perspective? Subscribed.
Hello Pavan. Thanks for the kind comments. Yes, the Apple Watch Ultra should be here by late October. I will need a week or so to do the testing and I will pop a video up as soon as I can after that.
Great review Barry ✅
Glad I helped get you into HRV ❤️
Mark
Mark, it really was great that you pointed out the HRV. Matthew Van Der Poel had an HRV of 212 in the Tour De France, so I have some way to go...but I found it to be the most reliable indicator of my health/performance...
@@OldManRunner it's a measure of all cause mortality.. my most significant changes have come from stopping the booze and having a pooch 🐕❤️
I keep meaning to do a test on what the booze does. Heading out for a night with some friends this evening...will see what effects it has...compared to our national standards and reputation I barely touch the stuff...but I do miss the bow wow...
Do you wear two watches all day? I tried doing this but too many people stopped and asked my why? I wore the Apple 7 and 955 also. I got tired of answering them. I like the Apple for keeping me organized and smart features. I love my 955 for the data.
Funnily enough I have never been stoped and asked anything when running except for this morning when I was asked about the ASICS Metaspeed Sky in the park… but I enjoyed that. I always wear the two for exactly the reasons you do. I’m just finished running and I was checking glucose levels on my Garmin while getting a message from UPS on the Apple and also reading your comment as it flashed up…I think the new Apple Watch might be able to function as a smart and data watch…but this works great for me…
are you going to stop using stryd? and other than wind detection, any negatives to using the hrm pro and 955 instead of the stryd?
It doesn't need to be one vs the other - I use the HRM and the Stryd concurrently - both connect to my FR245 - both give live metrics via the watch face on my runs.
Those metrics also show up in Garmin Connect post run.
Wind compensation is a great feature of Stryd. But additionally Stryd comes with a host of workouts which import to the FR245 (or any of the newer Garmin watches).
@OldManRunner is right - it's hard not to become overwhelmed (while you're running) by the amount of data these devices generate : - )
Great question Randen, one I have been asking myself with no clear answer. I love the Stryd but I had to calibrate it for distance which left me feeling less certain about its accuracy. At the moment I am running with it paired to the Apple watch and using it for training for the marathon. The latest updated of the interface is really good, I might do a video on it. I will definetly be doing one on running power on the Garmin, Coros and possible Apple all compared to Stryd. Garmin use a wind calculation so I will enable and disable that and see what happens. I will certainly be also using the Stryd for the rest of the year...
I have a lot going on connections wise. I have the 955 connected to the HRM Pro and the Stryd connected to the Apple Watch and then the iPhone connected to the Apple Watch...and then I have a sensor in my arm (more to follow) connected to the phone...I am planning to run a marathon later in the year with no devices showing (but recording) and see what happens...
I'm getting mine tomorrow. I love HRV4 TRAINING but I hate the fact that I need to use multiple times each day.
I haven't tried the HRV TRAINING app...but I like the fact that the Garmin tracks my HRV without me needing to do anything and it is all available in the Garmin Connect App. My Apple Watch does the same and has a huge amount of data available in the Health app.
Nice watch but the bezel gap is too large and that makes the screen look ugly. I mean non-solar version.
The Solar has a shiny ring at the edge of the screen which looks quite nice and is where the watch absorbs most of its the solar energy, I haven't seen the non-solar version.
Thanks I’m deciding between the Garmin forerunner 955 and the Garmin Fenix 7 solar sapphire (or the Garmin Fenix 7s solar sapphire) my use is similar to your with the exception than I a running and cycling to training for hiking and climbing high altitude mountains in Colombia. My question is regarding navigation in your opinion GFr955 is good as a navigation tool? Also regarding battery is there a big difference between gfr955 and gf7? Finally my wrist are small 160mm the weight and bouncing effect on any of these watches is a compromise? Thanks.
Hello Os. I have not found the Navigation on the 955 to be very user friendly. So much so that I intended to do a video on navigation but gave up because I could not figure it out and make it work to my satisfaction. I think it might be better on trails but in the city I missed a lot of turns. The graphics are okay, but not great. I did not think I could rely on it. It may be just me and I suggest you have a look around at other reviews, as I think other people found it okay. Having said that I would recommend you go for the 965 as the screen is a bigger with more resolution and an AMOLED display which will improve things considerably. Battery life is very dependent on usage and you can set the battery for minimal GPS etc. and lean it out, unless you are doing ultras I am not sure it will make a huge difference. I wear a 955 and Apple Watch Ultra on separate wrists. The 955 is lighter and the Ultra heavier than the Fenix 7. I am not bothered by the weight of either as long as they are attached securely. I tighten them before races. For me the Fenix 7 adds some weight and durability that I don't particularly need. You can see a statistic comparison on all of them on this link
buy.garmin.com/en-IE/GB/catalog/product/compareResult.ep?compareProduct=777655&compareProduct=777730&compareProduct=886725&compareProduct=735520
Good review, I have the 745 for a long time and a month ago discovered that you can upload trainings.. This week I discovered that it can show me my performance condition while running... So I will wait for it to die and then get the 955.. Did I understand correctly that the 955 gives power and HV without the HR strap?
The 955 shows me running performance condition not long after heading off. It is marginally useful. I kind of know myself how I am feeling. I think you need the Garmin Pod or HRM Pro to get the running power. There is a good overview to the features here:
www.garmin.com/en-IE/p/777655/pn/010-02638-31#overview
@@OldManRunner thanks.. In the morning 0520.. It gives me the first performance reading of - (minus) 6! But when I run in the evening the first performance reading is +3! Usually in the morning I can go up to minus 2 and in the evening it goes from +3 to +5 and then slowly down to 1..
I don't look at the watch much when I first head out as it's usually a warm up in a relatively urban area and I am looking at other things, so I have only noticed it a few times, will keep an eye on it...will certainly try to see if it improves over the day as yours does...
Hi Barry, how often do you find you are using the maps on the 955? I’m trying to decide between the 955 & 255 and the maps would be the main difference for me. If the maps are too small or hard to use I don’t think I’d spend the extra $150. I always run with my iPhone so could just use maps on it & the 255 has track back. Just wanted to see what you thought.
Rob. I haven’t used the navigation since I bought the watch, other than to see how it works. Unless you really need navigation I’m not sure it is worth upgrading from the 255. I have to go on a long run in the morning and was wondering where to go. So I will set a course on the watch via the app, try to follow it and report back in more detail …
I went out for a 25km run this morning. The course was easy to set up on the Mac using Garmin Connect and I used a slightly modified version of Garmin suggestion because for some reason Garmin kept giving me an 18km route when I wanted 25km. I used the navigation the entire route. The map is very fiddly. It reminds me of the pre iPhone days of looking at the web on a phone. I could follow it but several times the directions conflicted with the map, but I deferred to the map. Occasionally I went off course and it gives you an alert and a confirmation when back on course. Garmin put me on a lot of roads without paths so I left the course once or twice where I could for safety reasons. I got back and played with a few settings on a walk just now as it was easier. You can zoom in and out and pan etc. But it is awkward and quite low resolution. It works and if you need it as opposed to want it, then it is worth getting. But if you run with the phone and pretty much know where you’re going so only occasionally need to stop and look for directions I would go with that… I will make a full video on the Navigation when I’ve got it completely understood…hope this helps, happy to answer any more detailed questions
@@OldManRunner yes this definitely helps. I appreciate the reply and look forward to the video. I really enjoy your channel!
Thanks!
I have some questions:
Having just reached the age that I need readingglasses...How easy is the screen to read? I did send back the garmin instinct II because the menu was to hard to read. (without glasses)
And does the watch vibrate when the timer goes of?
Thanks for the nice review!
Hello James.
The screen is comparatively easy to read in most modes and I like it. It is not as bright as an Apple Watch but the trade off is that the battery life is longer. The fonts are very clear . Where it is difficult is reading the maps when in navigation modes.It is very hard to se the details and panning and zooming is awkward. It does have vibration alerts. Overall the watch is very customisable. I made a video about the audible sounds and they can help as it reads outs stats etc. and you can hear through headphones or a phone speaker. I will link the video here:
ruclips.net/video/w-TK06QoG5A/видео.html
I cannot see the watch without glasses, never mid reading anything that is displayed. The best thing I found in years was prescription running glasses. These have made more difference to me than anything else and have made the watch faces much more readable on the runs. Mine are by Rudy Project (there are no doubt others) and I made a review that I will link here:
ruclips.net/video/0iS-AvcLPV0/видео.html
Hope this helps!
@@OldManRunner Thanks! That helps a lot!
going to look at the videos that you mentioned.
Greetings from another old dude...
Hello, what's your take on Coros Pace 2, I got it with greater expectations based on reviews but the outcome is very negative, I used all GPS mode and the track is way off the actual path, HR accuracy so off and slow to show the actual measurements, sleep track is broken and missing data in during sleep, just blank between hours. Do you think I got a bad unit or it's what it is. I am still in return period and would like to return and try something else, this is not really inviting me back to running after recovery from injury and pandemic 😂
1. Return it. 2. It’s a great watch. I returned my first COROS Pace 2 as the GPS didn’t track true. The second one was perfect. I only stopped using it recently as I wanted a watch with a few more features. All my sleep stuff worked… I think you just got a bad version
Hi.
i want to purchase Fr955 today at rebel sports shop. i have watched alot of vidoes on youtube regarding Fr955 issues as list below. Please, could you confirm if these issues have been resloved.
-Improvements to data screen drawing
- Improvements to Audio Dialect selection
- Addressed issues with Cycling VO2 Max values
- Addressed issues with After Sunset backlight setting
- Various other bug fixes and improvements
Hello Chimeluo. I can't confirm myself if these have been addressed by Garmin. There is s useful page here which lists some of the Firmware updates:
forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-955-series/306502/forerunner-955-series-software-update-12-23---live
I am currently on Software Version 12.27...they update the firmware regularly
How to you like the white color I recently purchased the black 955 non solar and pretty happy with it I think the perfect size and lighter than my Fenix 7 solar
I like the white and specifically wanted it in white. I wear the black Apple Watch on one wrist and the White 955 on the other and like the contrast. I did the same with the Coros Pace 2. If I was only wearing one watch I would likely go for the Black 955. I haven't tried the Fenix series, it is a bit heavier and more rugged than I need, with little added benefit