Looks like the 955 solar is in stock at The Dialed Cycling Lab: dialedcyclinglab.com/product/garmin-forerunner-955-solar-black/ Use discount code: matt_legrand Otherwise Amazon: amzn.to/3HwAKgF
It looks like it is out of stock right now. What is the discount? I've had bad luck with durability from my last Garmin watch. They just did not hold up very well, and I take very good care of my stuff.
@@jacksobe - I think it's about 8%. I'm seeing it on Amazon for 5% off: amzn.to/49eCAy3 Or a refurbished one for $150 off: amzn.to/4bfD6xp I guess that's US Amazon. I'm not sure if you're in the States or not. Feel free to email jake at dialedcyclinglab.com if you want to ask about stock on that watch from his store. Best of luck Jack!
Been a long time garmin user since 305. I've been using 955 for the past 4 months and so far i didn't encounter issues with it. been using it in ultra marathons and cycling. And it's a perfect watch.
Great feedback Warren! I also still have my 305 around here somewhere. I'm just going to randomly wear it in a video some time and see if anyone notices. That was a big watch! 😂
What about skin irritation with the silicone watch band? I had to switch to a nylon band, but still would prefer the silicone. Never had problems like this before, don't know if it's the strap, or just that it traps salt and sweat and if I cleaned it after every activity maybe I'd be able to avoid problems?
@@warrenevangelista2124 Your lucky, looking online it seems many people experience this problem. When I had the problem I'd only remove my watch to charge it, about once a fortnight, or if I was having a hot shower because I'm not sure what kind of temperatures the watch is built to withstand.
Wow, that is so nice of you to say Mario! I just picked up the 965 and I’ll be working over the next few weeks to put together that review. Thanks again for the kind words. 👍
Just picked up a brand new 955 non solar for $399. It was time to upgrade from 6x sapphire and I am so happy with this watch. Much lighter. Has training readiness and so far I am liking the touch screen. Going for first run tonight! This video confirms I made the correct choice. Great content!
Garmin 955 is the most balanced Garmin watch for spec and money. I wish they would create a Instinct Solar 2x and 955 hybrid. A 955 in a 2X solar case. Solar power is what's saving Garmin from Apple and Samsung. Lack of e-sim is what's saving Apple and Samsung from Garmin 😄. Nice review. 955 solar 👍
Great Review. I love this watch. I have had it for about the same time. I just love all the analytical data this watch gives. It has really improved my training as well. Thanks again for the video.
Glad it's been helpful for your training Pablo!!! That's great feedback. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Great overview and review. These long term ones are much more useful than the out-of-the-box reviews because of the added experience with them. Thank you. As a side note, I’ve been looking forward to your Apple Watch Ultra review because it provides your triathlete perspective, and I really respect your swim, bike and run perspective. Is that going to be a six-month review as well? It seems like other channels that do the Apple Watch Ultra review see those videos jump in view count quite considerably.
I only post about one video per week but my plan is to make a AWU review after 100 days. So that should be any week now. I also plan to make a video on AWU watch bands and I might make a video comparing it to a garmin watch 🤷♂️ Thanks for all the kind words!
I can say for sure, that the body is really scratch resistent, but for the display I use a screenprotector. I like the hrv status, I do always manage to keep my hrv high, it is a perfect indicator for health.
I do like to use a screen protector. Smart call. I had a big scratch on my 945 and a screen protector hid the scratch nicely. HRV is a great metric 👌🏻. Now I just need to find a way to work on my personal sleep. 🤔 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I just returned a 955 after a month. Main problem was that there would be significant gaps in the heart rate data while I was sleeping. I tried different straps and was careful to not let it be too loose. I suspect the watch is just too large for my wrists. My VivoActive 4S never has gaps in HR data. The gaps were a killer for me because my main reason to have the watch is features like Body Battery and HRV Status. I am disabled with chronic fatigue syndrome and use the watch to monitor my activity levels. A 2nd complaint was that the touch screen was a bit erratic. For example, many times I would swipe down and then it wouldn’t swipe back up.
Oh no. Sorry you had such bad luck with the 955 Burke. But it's still good feedback for people to hear when they're looking at this watch. So thank you. I'm glad the VivoActive is working better for you. Hopefully something in these watches will help with the ME/CFS!
@@ericdreier3198 that’s what I was thinking but now there are rumors of a 265S coming out this month. I’ll decide between the two once there is an announcement.
Watched a ton of your vids now and ordered a garmin 955, my first running watch and first smart watch. When I started running I never had the funds or the interest in tech for that matter to buy pricy-ish stuff like that, so feels good to just go ahead and buy one in a day. ;D Ty for the vids and helping me get informed on my purchase, if Ill hate the watch Ill come back and blame everything on you of course.
I was a 935 user and I really wanted a device with HRV tracking when it came on the 955/255. I settled on the Instinct 2 and I'm not disappointed. The 255 is an amazing watch and you're really only missing out on maps, touchscreen , stamina and training readiness. I think Garmin missed the mark by not offering a 955s. A lot of females I know went with a fenix 5s because of size, now they're probably going to go with a 255s.
Coming soon! I've been wearing the Enduro 2 a lot lately. I think I've had it for about 100 days so I'll try to make that mark before posting a review. It's such a nice option. 👌🏻
Got the 955 when it first came out. Very happy with it. Had Apple Watches prior and 3 of them died in a row during lap swims. Much prefer the data and organization from Garmin focused on being athletic, or at least my attempt to do so.
The 955 is a very nice watch. I'd guess you might miss a few things from Apple but the 955 is really good for those athletic types of activities. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
The 955 is my favorite. Great battery, accurate GPS & HR monitoring. I own the non-solar version after years of having worn an Apple Watch. It's unfortunate that this generation of the forerunner doesn't have ECG; I miss that about the apple watch and I'm certain the next generation of forerunners will have it now that Garmins ECG app is out on the venu 2 plus. The other thing I miss about the apple watch is how it handles app notifications - had to turn those notifications off on the Garmin because it was just too clunky. Not a problem if you usually keep your phone close by, but lots of room for improvement there. Got a 3rd party soft loop strap on mine which makes it bearable for sleep tracking.
to be fair, that's probably more on apple than it is on garmin - the app settings are way way WAY more granular if you're pairing your watch to an android phone, whilst the iphone only has Notifications-all-of-them-all-the-time On or Notificiations-all-of-them-all-the-time Off because apple doesn't want to let third party hardware play with their toys. (same as quick-responses to texts, you don't have that at all with an iphone, but you can set a few custom responses and send those off to answer texts if you have an android)
Yeah, I was hoping that the ECG functionality would come to the 955. I'm bummed that it won't happen. Glad you found a good watch strap. It probably dropped a bit of weight off the watch as well. 👌
@@mlegrand Thank you so much, you are amazing. Woohooo finally 1000 subscribers 😍😍🥳 Do appreciate for your support. Really liked your content Matt. Keep up the good work 👏👏
Yeah... I just reached Day Eight with the Forerunner 955 Solar and I really, really, really like it! Funny enough, I bought the Whitestone solar model. It is lighter, has great battery life, fast navigation, touch screen or five-button navigation, and yeah, it does pretty much everything that my EPIX 2.0 does for me. In fact, the only different I have seen thus far is that the EPIX has a fancier build quality and the Endurance Score.
For sure The 955 is a solid option for a lot of people. It’s a big jump in price to get the nicer material on the Epix although I think it’s been on sale lately. 🤔
Excellent video. This is quality content. Being a triathlete that loves gadgets in general, I'm on the fence between this one and the Instinct 2. The only difference between them that makes me lean towards the 955 is the stamina field. Only if Garmin could bring it to the Instinct series... One thing that bugs me about the Forerunner 9xx series is how quickly Garmin stops updating them. The Fenix series is constantly getting updates and new resources. And with the OLED 965 launch already leaked / imminent... The 955 will be obsolete waaaay too soon. 😢
I should have mentioned the stamina field. (so much stuff I should have talked about) It's not a field that I use too often. I did review the Instinct 2 on this channel and I really enjoyed that device. It's got a great battery life and HR and GPS were extremely accurate. But I'd still lean towards the 955. I've also seen those 965 rumors. How quickly do you need that new triathlon watch? 😂
@@mlegrand just sold my used 745 to a newcomer in my running club (very capable watch, but I wanted a larger watch). Will need it sooner than this will be released here im Brazil 🤡
@@mlegrand in the end, I settled for the 955 non solar. We all know that Garmin won't bring new features for it after they release the 965, but the fancy new screen and ECG will cost an extra USD 100. Shame on Garmin for releasing a new product in such a short cycle.
Hi Matt. Well it was interesting review. 6 months gives you the right to say what’s wrong what’s great about the stuff. I’m not Garmin user. Still faithful to COROS 😊 especially the VERTIX 2. Sometimes I miss Garmin’s maps but I love the robustness and the look. Regarding gps. Well, for my mountain trails vertix 2 is more than enough. But one day I would like to make a comparison in between VERTIX 2 and FR955. With the high trees, winding path, gorges. Yeah. It would be interesting to see. Anyway have a great year and enjoy your passions every step of the way. That’s the most important!
The Vertix 2 is a great watch! It's a big one but I agree that it looks really nice. But Garmin has been doing some really impressive work with GPS accuracy lately. It's not just Multi-band GPS. They've got some sort of magic secret sauce. I think you'd notice a difference. But keep using the Vertix 2 as much as possible. Make sure you get as much value as possible. And I'll keep enjoying my passion! Thank you Slawomir!!!
Really informative video, definitely gave me insight as I’m looking to purchase one! Do you think it would track steps when not being worn (for example being in a pocket)? Unfortunately for work, I’m unable to wear a watch but want to still track my steps
I wonder if Polar will release a Vantage V 3 at some point. I haven't heard anything recently but I'd love to see Polar catch up a little bit. Thanks so much Hans!!!
@@mlegrand Me too, I've just read speculations about a new high end sport watch, perhaps v3 och grit x pro 2. If polar want to catch up the competition they need to get watches with bigger and better displays, longer stand by battery time. I think their analyze plattform is the best already and the sleep analyze and nightly recharge are spot on, so are several fitness and performance tests. They just need to upgrade the hardware with better displays and longer battery in stand by time. Also to integrate ANT+ would be great. I think Polar is too small as a company to have off line music with spotify or FNC-payment.
I've open water swam, biked and run with it a good bit. I probably won't do a true triathlon race until this summer with the AWU but I have a few videos coming up about the watch. I'm going to post a "AWU Review after 100 days" and I'm going to talk about the watch band options. Thanks so much for checking this one out Tom!!!
I’ve a fr955 in addition to 7x. I’ve been disappointed in the software team’s execution for the Watch compared to the 7x. They do share code with the outdoor team as all wearable teams do at Garmin. However, fixing issues and avoiding regressions from spinning out of control has been annoying. Finally, it’s just not an attractive watch ( to me ) compared to the 7x or AWU, which I also own. Choice of materials is a big factor. Looks cheap but not cheap at all. So the sw quality is really the tipping point for me. Off to eBay it goes.
I'm sure it'll do well on EBay. I agree about material design. Maybe the rumored FR 965 will look different? Garmin's software team needs to start moving toward a more unified solution. Their entire software platform should be based off of one core system with branches for different hardware variants. Maps shouldn't work differently on the 955 vs Fenix. 🤦♂️ Thanks for watching this one Sean!
They are similar in a lot of ways. The biggest difference is going to be the nicer look and materials of the Fenix 7. The 955 is lighter weight. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I bought the 265 a week ago and the 955 is on sale for $319. I paid 419 for my 265. Do you think I should return it and buy the 955 and save some money or would I miss out on a lot of of the 265 aspects??
That's a tricky question. Now that you've had the 265 I think you'd miss the AMOLED screen and how sharp it is. Then again, if you need mapping or golf, this would be a great deal. 🤷♂️
I just got the polar pacer pro as this watch is out of my budget as an all around watch including triathlon. I got the 935 but wanted to try polar device and polar flow. So far so good
Polar's Flow app is actually very very good. I think you'll like the Pacer Pro. The problem for Polar is that the Pacer Pro does everything that their high end watches do. And it does somethings better than their high end watches. I think you'll really enjoy it. The 955 is an impressive device but it'll always be there if you ever want to switch over and try Garmin devices.
@2:13 A direct visual comparison of the display brightness between Garmin and AW would have been nice. Showing a photo of an AW Ultra isn’t all too helpful.
I don't think it's better necessarily. I think they're similar. The housing of the Fenix 7 looks a bit nicer and overall should be more durable. But the Fenix also weights more. 🤷🏻♂️
Love the review great job. Your “that bug should have been corrected by now” re open water swimming… are we talking about the same Garmin? They’re gonna let that bug ride until the 965 lol I like Garmin but buggiest software on the market and they are super slow to fix if they fix at all
@JB - I read that the Open Water bug was fixed. Is that not the case? Damn. I'm bringing this 955 with me to Hawaii and will do some testing in a few weeks. Come on Garmin . . . this seems like a "low hanging fruit" bug. It's just incorrectly adding the distance. 🤔
@@mlegrand If you read it then it's probably true. I was just commenting in general that they are so slow to correct bugs and release watches seemingly before they're fully ready and have us beta test for them, essentially :)
@learning2tri thanks for ur reply. And use GPS how many times in that week? I think that a solar watch pays for itself cuz it can harness solar energy but I never hear reviewers say that. I'm considering 255 or 955 for running.
Is there way to look back and see what battery precentage you had left AFTER an activity ?? Ive a 100k coming up. Im just not sure if the battery will last. I did 63km a few months ago, the battery lasted but not sure how much i had left. The 100km race will take about 15- 16hrs. Would it last that long on the 955???
I know, right? I did mention it at the end of this video. It's missing a few things but it nails the critical stuff and more. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Hello Matt, i will go for the 955 Solar and not the 965 (i got an Ultra for the Oled display). Did you got discolor on the white model? Best wishes from Germany
Great video. Has the issue with open water GPS measurement solved now in 2024? Is it solved via a software update so that anyone who bought it a year ago, gets a resolution to the issue?
Yes, it was solved via a software update. It’s crazy to me that a calculation error like that took a while to fix but it’s solved now. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have the Apple Watch ultra which I love for running but I am interested in the 955 for a few reasons. - HRV and training readiness score. Did you find this useful or did it not work because you change watches like you said? Is there an apple app that helps with this? Currently I look at strava fitness-fatigue-form score but I’m not sure if Garmin is better? - Recommend training session. Did you use this feature? It would be interesting to see what Garmin recommends for a workout based on your own data. - My friend has Garmin forerunner 245 and when we run a segment together strava always gives him the 👑 usually by 3-5 secs. Not sure if the Apple Watch ultra is more or less accurate GPS or just using a different algorithm. I use rungap to upload apple to strava. Thanks for another great review.
It might be worth checking out Athlytic: www.athlyticapp.com/ for Apple Watch recovery metrics. I just don’t like the subscription costs. 😬 I have used the recommended training workouts on Garmin watches. They’re good but most of the time I do my own thing. My guess is that his 245 is less accurate in a way that is giving him the 👑 😬 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand thanks that’s good advice. Athlytic is just what I was after, it looks really good. I’ve started a 7 day trial. It looks like something apple could have as part of the fitness/health app one day. Take care.
Yes, I think it's still a good option in 2024. Especially since it's been on sale lately. I'm in the process of reviewing the Suunto Race S. It's really good. I think it's comparable but different. The Garmin has a few more features and a longer battery life but the Suunto Race S has this nice bright AMOLED screen. I *think* I'd go with the 955 but of course, it depends on what you'll be using it for in your training.
I love the 955!! I used to be a fan of polar especially with their polar grit X but the wrist based heart monitor was wildly inaccurate the first 15 minutes of a run. Not so with Garmin at all, although I wish Garmin had a circuit training widget because I tend to run on the indoor track at my gym in between lifts.
Glad you're enjoying the 955 Keybearer! I have high hopes that Polar will release some big updates in the near future but we'll see. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand Right back at ya homie! Thanks for all your hard work and great content over the years! I would have stuck with polar but it's not that great for lap swimming in the pool using a side stroke
Same situation, V800, Grit X, now FR955 Solar. Never had issues with HR on Grit X, but usually I use H7. Polar has majority of things working as it should (except alt calibration from last update), while Garmin adds or fixes issues and introduces another ones because maybe due to a lot of features.
I think this is still a good watch and that price is pretty amazing. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have the 935 and it’s been an absolute champ so far. Only one complaint, I’d like maps. That’s really the only thing I’d like for trail running etc. The other sports modes on the 935 are great for what I use them for. This is why I’m looking to upgrade to the 955. However firmware bugs and niggles are my biggest concern as I want a product that is rock solid. My 935 has all of the kinks worked out since it’s a mature product. What's your view on the 955 ?
Each new watch from Garmin has bugs and issues that have to be worked out. It seems to take a half year or more. I *think the 955 is in a good place now and I would expect to continue to solidify. Let me know what you end up with and what you think. 👍
My FR955's Bluetooth stopped working after about 6 months. Tried to get help from Gramin but only get new sets of instructions that won't work. Feels like they´re trying to avoid a repair/replacement by exhausting me. Very disappointed, especially given the price....
Matt curious how do you suggest approaching using two devices for tracking one activity. Namely I have and love the screen on the Edge 1040 for riding, tons of real estate and not on my wrist. I also track the ride with my FR 955 as I want it's overall coaching and fitness tracking but on the wrist poor for navigation, etc. Is nice to have for simple HR screen and added details on the bike and that bit of capture. Do I simply delete the Edge at the end of the ride of the FR 955? If deleting the latter, will it still keep the detail for the daily activity as the activity was recorded if not uploaded to GR connect, Strave, Ride w GPS, etc. Quandary.
Yeah, you could easily delete or discard that edge data. Your 955 will have very good GPS accuracy and you'll want to make sure that it's also getting good heart rate and power data. What I typically do is collect all of it and then only publicly publish one set of data to Strava. So Strava ends up being my one good locations for how much I've been training. I tend to do it that way because I'm always mixing up brands.
@@mlegrand Thanks, I don't think I have the 955 paired w Cadence but that is easy enough as I would presume cadence is simply broadcasting so multiple devices can pick-up on that signal. Appreciate the insight, I had thought I would want to delete the FR as the Edge seems to have a lot more detail being single sport focused, but easy enough doing the other and wanted the body battery, etc of the FR 955....had just noted multiple group uploads, LOL.
I'm torn. Looking for my first fitness watch. I'ce considered the instinct 2x but also the 265, 255, 955. I'd be doing more mountain biking, swimming, workouts more than anything. Any recommendations
It all depends on what stuff you're into. If you need maps that'll slim down the list a bit. The 955 and 965 are amazing but you can save money by looking at the 255/265 and still have everything you need for triathlons. Those two are just missing mapping.
Hey Matt! I was pretty much sold on this watch until the rumours started swirling about the 965, which is now out. Does the 965 change your opinion at all?
I don't think it changes my thoughts on the 955 too much but I do want to spend some time with the 965 to review it and compare these two models. I also trust DesFit and DCRainmaker. Both of them gave this a positive review. So I think it comes down to if you want the AMOLED display, or the solar or save money by getting the one I show here in this video. 🤷♂️
@@mlegrand Appreciate the reply! I’ll check those videos out. I’m coming from a FR 245 so either one will be a massive update haha. I think you’re right though, is that fancy new display really worth the extra $$$. It’s really nice, not going to lie but it’s a couple hundred extra dollars and maybe there will be a sale on 955’s.
I'm looking at both the 955 and Fenix 6 but I can't decide. Is the new chipset and sensors worth the upgrade to the 955? I think having a touchscreen for the maps might be better as well.
I’m really enjoying the 955 but it does have a more plastic look to it. So I think that’d be the deciding factor. I’ve also seen rumors of a 965 but I’m not sure if or when that might be available. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Have you try this watch on a treadmil sir? Because we have the same watch and i have unaccurate numbers on my watch when on treadmil. Hope you can answers my questions. Thanks!
I don't think I've tried this watch on the treadmill. I'd suggest trying to calibrate it if you are using it on treadmills often: support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=zk9G4O5DkS4znMm9KSV2VA&productID=777655&tab=topics
Ended up getting the 955. Its nice. Not as comfortable as a coros pace 2. But still nice. My issue is with the screen. It seems very washed out compared to other mip screens. Not really a problem. Just weird. I wonder if Garmin does this washed out look with less color so people want the AMOLED screens. I wonder if Garmin can fix colors with an update. Hope they do. A splash of color is just what the 955needs.
I have a Polar H10 that I connect to my fr955, I also use an Apple Watch SE gen 2 simultaneously. In terms of heart rate monitoring, I have found that the SE and the H10 are almost always within 2 bpm of each other, however when I use compare the fr955 HRM directly with the SE they are often showing a greater margin, it's not rare to see a 10 bpm differential :/ So I have to say that I don't really trust my fr955 for heart rate monitoring. Although, when paired with an H10 for activity tracking, I think this pair is probably the best all-around bang for your buck, in terms of battery-life, GPS, biometrics and HRM. If my budget were smaller, I would opt for the apple with SE gen. 2, I get two days of battery life including 4 hours of GPS activity tracking before I have to charge mine (I have the thing set up more as a whoop strap then a smart-watch), it also has tremendous HRM, lots of 3rd party apps and topnotch sleep tracking!
Assuming you don't have drastic dropouts (or numbers showing roughly double) from the H10, I'd say the Polar chest strap would be your most accurate and best device to compare. This is exactly how I test HR accuracy. I've also found Apple's modern optical HRM to be one of the best on the market. 2 days is actually pretty good. I had to charge mine a little bit each day. If you're continuing to test, I'd just make sure you move the 955 watch up on your wrist a bit and tighten it down. Each skin tone will also test slightly differently depending on the optical HRM. Thanks so much for posting this feedback for us!!! 👍
I have the H10 and fr955. The H10 connects directly to my spin bike. My fr955 is snug fitted to my wrist when I do a session. The most difference I've seen in regards to BPM from one another is 3 BPM. Sometimes the fr955 lags about a few seconds (5 at most) when I start an interval. Because in essence the fr955 correlates so well to the H10 in my body, nowadays I just use the fr955.
@@nutri06 - I’d say stationary biking would be one of the easiest activities for a wrist based optical HRM. Hardest would be something like Handball. 😆
Yes, you can. In fact that's one of the quick menu options. So hold the light button to pull up that menu. Select save location. Wait for gps and lat long. Save, edit name if you want to. Thanks for the kind words about the review Aymen! 👍
I'm really missing in Garmin watches one feature from Coros - the ability to quickly set constant backlight during a workout. (it would be ideal to set it to cca.50% to spare some battery but that is not that important). I do roughly one more intensive session a week in night when I'd love to see the stats at glance (and turning light on gesture doesn't work that well - I like to subtly look on watch rather than bring the watch in front of my face so the geture would be recognized). As far as I know, the only place for that setting is somewhere pretty far down in setting menus. It is annoying to remember to switch it on before the workout and switch it off after it. Is it somehow better solved in the most recent watch interface? (which I suppose is on FR955 and FR255)
Try adding a HotKey to backlight brightness. See if that's at all helpful. I think I mention Hotkey's in this video somewhere. Good feedback Martin! Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Here’s what I’ve noticed consistently. I notice massive lags when the watch has been idle for a bit and then it seems to take a bit of time to spin up and become more responsive. I don’t notice that on Apple devices. My theory is that this is a way to save battery life. Maybe Garmin is slowing down the processor clock speed when it’s idle and then spinning it back up when it thinks a user is interacting with it. 🤷🏻♂️
Hi ! Thanks for the video. I have the 955 for 3 weeks and I have noticed issues with the buttons. The uppers right and left buttons seems to be "double-clicky", at least for the first click when I did not used it for à few minutes. Did you noticed this too ?
@@mlegrand thanks ! Yes I agree with you. The problem is that Garmin offered me freely the upgrade to the 955 after having exchanged 4 times a 255 with buttons issues.
My particular 955 has a somewhat annoying bug, I have activated touch screen for an activity (run) and while it works to scroll up and down the data screens, it will not work with a map screen to navigate your route - in order for that to work you have to have touch screen activated for whole watch not just an activity, and then you have to turn that off, cause it is annoying for general use purposes and back on for running, i hoped they would fix that bug bit alas (other users i later found out has similar problems)
Yeah, that's frustrating. Mapping for running actually seems better on some of the Fenix 7 series of watches (Fenix, Epix, Enduro 2, Tactics ) Maybe Garmin will address it with a firmware update? 🤷♂️
These lithium Ion batteries tend to start degrading after about 2 years of wear. I'm guessing you'd might want to switch it out after 3-4 years but it all depends on how it's used. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Yeah, that's actually a hard call. I'd say if you need mapping or longer battery life go with the 955 otherwise go with the 265. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
They have a way to build your own workouts and then sync them to the watch. Checkout connect.garmin.com/modern/workouts if you want to play around with it and see how it works.
Features are the same but the screen and watch body are different. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Nice review! I'm on a 955 for almost 3 months now and I like the features. I just noticed lately that my HRV readings are so low, maybe lowest. Suggestion read that I have to recover and that I'm fatigued. My recent workouts are not really that intense and I just feel relaxed. My heart rate is low (bradycardic at night). I really doubt if my hrv readings are accurate.
That's a good question. How accurate are these HRV reading? I have no idea. I've been thinking that my HRV is super low as well. I'm wondering if it's because of poor sleep or something. I'm working on it. Thanks for the kind words about this review Jerry!
I'm with Matt on this one. HRV can be dependent on the OHR accuracy (skin type and other factors are involved) I say you go by feel and see where that takes you
I guess it'd depend on how badly you needed the watch. Do you have anything that's functional for the new few months? And who knows if the rumors are true. It could be two years before the next iteration comes out. If it were me, and I had a working GPS watch, I'd probably wait and max out the value of whatever I have currently. 🤷🏻♂️
As I've gotten older (51 now), transflective displays are harder to read. Despite the smaller text, the screen of the Venu 2 plus or galaxy watch 5 pro is much easier to read at a glance. I think it is the sharp contrast...
Thank you!! So I have a question The 955 is a screen touch but has buttons at the same time? So if I don't wanna use the touchscreen, can I just use the buttons ?? Thanks
I get about 2 weeks. Solar might get you a full extra week depending on solar conditions. I'm a big fan of the non-solar 955 for $500. I haven't had the chance to test the 965 with the AMOLED screen yet.
This was a big issue for Apple a while back. Optical Heart Rate Monitors have a hard time with dark ink on the skin. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have been looking for a running watch for a while now and i am conflicted, on the one hand i offcourse want the forerunner 955 because it has everything in the latest version. On the other hand i am looking at the 945 which might have actually everything i need but for a lower price, my only concern is that it would get outdated very quickly and i can't seem to find a video or article about the 945 in 2023. Another option would then be to go for the 255 which has almost everything that the 955 has but then it does not have topographic maps which makes me a bit relucatant to go for this option. Does anyone have any tips for me? Matt if you are looking for a video idea, maybe 'Garmin forerunner 945 in 2023: the best bank for your buck?' ;)
TBH you’ll always be chasing the next model if you worry about obsolescence! Get what you think you’ll need for the next 5 years. By that time you’ll be ready for the next set of features (or not if you’re still happy with your choice). You should think of these watches as tools and do they do the job you need ? Do you honestly do Tri’s or just running ? Do you need Golf and Ski features (or will likely need them) ?
I have it 2 months (non solar version) . very laggy touch screen and it restarts 2-3 times in a week. its my 3rd unit after 2 replacements for same reasons... i sent them email for money back.
@mlegrand I purchased the 955 and already returned it..... Mine had serious batery issues. It lost 20% batery in 4 hours with no activities...I tried playing with the settings, it still keep losing batery fast... I returned it the same week. So I purchased another garmin instinct 2x. I just returned it today. ..it would not update and sync properly... So I've gone through 3 new garmins in less then 3 months...I'm seriously considering leaving garmin, but don't know where to start. .. I like the white instinct 2x. So I might buy another in hopes it was just a bad one... Idk what to do now.....
Yeah, it’s been getting regular updates. I’m sure there are still issues but I don’t tend to notice anything specific. Are you thinking about picking this one up?
I want to know for a cyclist who needs a watch for training and preparation purposes and don't need GPS map on his wrist (because of Edge 840), Does forerunner 955 have useful features (advanced training features) for adjusting personal trainings than instinct 2x? because we usually use garmin connect in browsers/phone/bike computer for measuring these data and sharing it with our coach.
@@SchnellHASE - I have quite a few pro friends and don't think you need a specific watch to achieve those goals. The Fenix 7 Pro is probably one of my top picks. It's a great device. I guess it depends on how much money you want to spend.
@@mlegrand it may give more insights like real-time stamina mode (I don't know how useful it can be) or ECG feature. I want to share as much information as possible to my coach.
This watch has doesn't have google pay. It has Garmin Pay which you'd need to check with your bank to see if it's an option. www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-pay/
Interesting review! After several weeks of using my 955 I noticed that even if the barometric pressure decrease, watchface barometer trend arrow does not change... For example, this morning (08/50) pressure was 1009.4 mbar. After about 5 hours (13/55) pressure decreased to 1005.2 mbar but barometer trend arrow is still flat... The barometer plot is set to 6-Hour option. Does anyone know how much amount of pressure is needed and in how much time for make the arrow change direction? Any info would be appreciated )
I don’t know the answer to that one. Might be a good question to kick over to Garmin directly or post to their forums. Let me know if you find an answer. My fear is the delay in reaction is indicative of it pulling that data from a third party connection but I really don’t know. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I use multiple watches and compare the GPX tracks with @dcrainmaker 's analytics tool. You can read more about it here: www.dcrainmaker.com/analyzer There are other free tools on the market if you're looking to do something similar.
Can someone tell me whats wrong please. I wore my fr 955 last week and did a 16km run. Then yesterday i did a 12km run, and right after that the watch said ""this is your longest run."" Even though its saved last weeks 16km run and all.. Anyone know why it did that ???
Can you comment on track running accuracy? In 12 years that I was using Garmin GPS watches I'd always measure time for my 400m and 800m runs and then manually calculate the pace. The pace calculated by Garmin was always faster by 3-5%. So my 4:42 min/km run would be reported as 4:30 min/km. Thank you
Is that using Track mode after calibration? Track mode should increase pace accuracy. But when I’m doing track workouts I typically rely on the clock and don’t look at pace as it’s often going to have delays.
@@mlegrand I don't think any of my Garmins had a track mode. I am talking 305, 310XT, 910XT and Fenix 5 that I am using now. When I run my tempo runs I'd like to see the proper lap pace for 1km. And this used to be always off so I had to pay attention to time. That's not easy to do when you run at 98% of your max heart rate. This track inaccuracy has been documented in multiple place on the web. I just assumed that the technology was not there yet. I am curious if it was fixed for FR955. Another thing I noticed with my Fenix5 is that I start my run at elevation 85m but end at 95m. But it's my house in both cases. The same place. I looked at some runs of my friends at my running club that have FR955 and I see the same problem. I am not sure what settings they use (Multi Band On, Multi-GNSS On etc.). Can you comment on that?
i have question if anybody could suggest, currently im using forerunner 245 and its amazing but im planning to add it with HRM PRO+ to make my heartrate measurement more accurate. is there any suggestion did i have just bought the HRM monitor or upgrade my watch to 955? thank you!
Hi Arif, will you be swimming with the chest strap? Garmin makes a swim specific heart rate monitor that's only ideal for swimming. Chest straps tend to be more accurate than wrist HRMs so the 245 and a chest strap would be an excellent combination. The 955 is great also but I'd only suggest it if you're interested in all of the other details that it provides. Best of luck and let me know what you end up doing and how you're liking it.
It's ok. It doesn't have drill mode where, if you do a kick set or drills, you can punch in the distance. Without that, often my total distances will be off.
I am seeing the same rumors. My theory is that the Epix was popular with it's AMOLED display and Garmin's going to put it everywhere. That and they need to switch the optical HRM on the back for the ECG stuff. But keep in mind that I'll never theorize if I actually know something. So I truly know nothing at this point. 🤷♂️
Sorry to lose you buddy. I talk about dumb stuff here on this channel all the time. (not that Apple is dumb) But I’m surprised I didn’t lose you earlier, and if you ever have a video idea or topic you’d like me to explore, I’d still love to hear it. Take care. 👍
I would recommend one. I’ve recently seen two scratches show up on mine. The screen protectors will fill in those scratches which is nice and they’re cheap: amzn.to/3L8WMan 👍
@@mlegrand That'd be nice! I'm finally up to distance for a super sprint and close to a sprint, so I'm looking at getting one. Definitely looks like the best option out there after watching this. Thank you!
i didn't like it. It's functional, but 700USD watch that looks so plastic and so cheap (solar). Nah, I've sold mine after 3 months. and get fenix for the almost the same price.
That's good feedback for people to hear. I agree. It's a cheaper looking watch than something like a Fenix. Some people don't mind but I think the way something looks is kind of important for something that you're wearing every day. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I'm not sure which GPS bug you're referring to but it seems solid to me. I ran with it today. Great device. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have Garmin 955 solar and there are two things that are very disturbing. 1, It is very annoying that when I press the light button there is a lock sign (when device is locked) for few seconds and only afterwords I can see the hour, I think that short press on the light button should only turn on the light without this big sign that is hiding the clock )even when the device is locked). 2. When entering activity the device is locking itself until I press start, it is a little bit frustrating, because I am entering activity and waiting to GPS and then when I start running and try to push the start button I am realizing that the device is locked, so I stop running back to the start unlock the device and press start. I had Garmin 735 and Fenix 6s with no problem at all, I think that entering activity without pressing start should unlock the device. My device is set 'not during activity') P.S. I can't get 2 weeks battery with my 955 solar, I don't know why...
I would say it is impossible. I have the solar, but usually charge between 20-80%. During the period there must be at least one day when the battery discharges faster than usual. BT off. Then you have to turn the watch off an on. Again now with 14.13 i think is "on"...again higher drain. I had it at about 6% /day, since update yesterday is a bit higher.
I'll often test one watch on one wrist and another watch on the other wrist. You have to be a bit careful about having watches right next to each because the optical heart rate sensor lights can pollute the other watches data.
I agree to a point, but for a triathlon/running watch, it is at least a decent rangefinder to the front and back of greens. But golf functionality is quite limited. This has to be strategic, otherwise people may not go for their golf centric “approach” series watches.
Looks like the 955 solar is in stock at The Dialed Cycling Lab: dialedcyclinglab.com/product/garmin-forerunner-955-solar-black/ Use discount code: matt_legrand Otherwise Amazon: amzn.to/3HwAKgF
It looks like it is out of stock right now. What is the discount?
I've had bad luck with durability from my last Garmin watch. They just did not hold up very well, and I take very good care of my stuff.
@@jacksobe - I think it's about 8%. I'm seeing it on Amazon for 5% off: amzn.to/49eCAy3 Or a refurbished one for $150 off: amzn.to/4bfD6xp I guess that's US Amazon. I'm not sure if you're in the States or not. Feel free to email jake at dialedcyclinglab.com if you want to ask about stock on that watch from his store. Best of luck Jack!
Been a long time garmin user since 305. I've been using 955 for the past 4 months and so far i didn't encounter issues with it. been using it in ultra marathons and cycling. And it's a perfect watch.
Great feedback Warren! I also still have my 305 around here somewhere. I'm just going to randomly wear it in a video some time and see if anyone notices. That was a big watch! 😂
ikr😂 the funny thing is it's still working! Talking about durability😁
What about skin irritation with the silicone watch band? I had to switch to a nylon band, but still would prefer the silicone. Never had problems like this before, don't know if it's the strap, or just that it traps salt and sweat and if I cleaned it after every activity maybe I'd be able to avoid problems?
@@Enoch-Root never experience that
@@warrenevangelista2124 Your lucky, looking online it seems many people experience this problem. When I had the problem I'd only remove my watch to charge it, about once a fortnight, or if I was having a hot shower because I'm not sure what kind of temperatures the watch is built to withstand.
Why I think your videos are the best?
-GREAT content.
-Well produced.
-Selected highlights.
-I understand your english! 😅
Saludos desde México amigo.
Wow, that is so nice of you to say Mario! I just picked up the 965 and I’ll be working over the next few weeks to put together that review. Thanks again for the kind words. 👍
Just picked up a brand new 955 non solar for $399. It was time to upgrade from 6x sapphire and I am so happy with this watch. Much lighter. Has training readiness and so far I am liking the touch screen. Going for first run tonight! This video confirms I made the correct choice. Great content!
Thank you! Hope you had a great first run with the watch. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Garmin 955 is the most balanced Garmin watch for spec and money. I wish they would create a Instinct Solar 2x and 955 hybrid. A 955 in a 2X solar case. Solar power is what's saving Garmin from Apple and Samsung. Lack of e-sim is what's saving Apple and Samsung from Garmin 😄. Nice review. 955 solar 👍
Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Great Review. I love this watch. I have had it for about the same time. I just love all the analytical data this watch gives. It has really improved my training as well. Thanks again for the video.
Glad it's been helpful for your training Pablo!!! That's great feedback. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Great overview and review. These long term ones are much more useful than the out-of-the-box reviews because of the added experience with them. Thank you. As a side note, I’ve been looking forward to your Apple Watch Ultra review because it provides your triathlete perspective, and I really respect your swim, bike and run perspective.
Is that going to be a six-month review as well? It seems like other channels that do the Apple Watch Ultra review see those videos jump in view count quite considerably.
I only post about one video per week but my plan is to make a AWU review after 100 days. So that should be any week now. I also plan to make a video on AWU watch bands and I might make a video comparing it to a garmin watch 🤷♂️ Thanks for all the kind words!
@@mlegrand Looking forward to your insights with a triathlon perspective! Again, great stuff and high quality vids Matt!
I can say for sure, that the body is really scratch resistent, but for the display I use a screenprotector. I like the hrv status, I do always manage to keep my hrv high, it is a perfect indicator for health.
I do like to use a screen protector. Smart call. I had a big scratch on my 945 and a screen protector hid the scratch nicely. HRV is a great metric 👌🏻. Now I just need to find a way to work on my personal sleep. 🤔 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I just returned a 955 after a month. Main problem was that there would be significant gaps in the heart rate data while I was sleeping. I tried different straps and was careful to not let it be too loose. I suspect the watch is just too large for my wrists. My VivoActive 4S never has gaps in HR data.
The gaps were a killer for me because my main reason to have the watch is features like Body Battery and HRV Status. I am disabled with chronic fatigue syndrome and use the watch to monitor my activity levels.
A 2nd complaint was that the touch screen was a bit erratic. For example, many times I would swipe down and then it wouldn’t swipe back up.
Oh no. Sorry you had such bad luck with the 955 Burke. But it's still good feedback for people to hear when they're looking at this watch. So thank you. I'm glad the VivoActive is working better for you. Hopefully something in these watches will help with the ME/CFS!
The 255s might be something to look at
@@ericdreier3198 that’s what I was thinking but now there are rumors of a 265S coming out this month. I’ll decide between the two once there is an announcement.
Watched a ton of your vids now and ordered a garmin 955, my first running watch and first smart watch.
When I started running I never had the funds or the interest in tech for that matter to buy pricy-ish stuff like that, so feels good to just go ahead and buy one in a day. ;D
Ty for the vids and helping me get informed on my purchase, if Ill hate the watch Ill come back and blame everything on you of course.
😆 - Absolutely!!! All my fault if it doesn’t work out. But I really do think you’ll love this one. Come back and let me know either way. 👍
I’m stuck between the instinct 2x solar tactical or 955 🫣 @mlegrand
I was a 935 user and I really wanted a device with HRV tracking when it came on the 955/255. I settled on the Instinct 2 and I'm not disappointed. The 255 is an amazing watch and you're really only missing out on maps, touchscreen , stamina and training readiness. I think Garmin missed the mark by not offering a 955s. A lot of females I know went with a fenix 5s because of size, now they're probably going to go with a 255s.
Yeah, I think you're right about the size. Maybe Garmin should just make each watch in each of their series have 2 size options.
I went for Fenix 7s because of a size and I'm not a female.
Forerunner 745 has the perfect size in my opinion but it's not new
Instinct 2 is enough for casual health and trainning.
@@hiepnguyentuan4576 - I’ve reviewed the Instinct 2 and it’s fantastic
Excellent review Matt. As an Enduro 2 user I’m keen to hear your review on it shortly. 👍🏻
Coming soon! I've been wearing the Enduro 2 a lot lately. I think I've had it for about 100 days so I'll try to make that mark before posting a review. It's such a nice option. 👌🏻
Got the 955 when it first came out. Very happy with it. Had Apple Watches prior and 3 of them died in a row during lap swims. Much prefer the data and organization from Garmin focused on being athletic, or at least my attempt to do so.
The 955 is a very nice watch. I'd guess you might miss a few things from Apple but the 955 is really good for those athletic types of activities. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
its a great watch, just update to the latest beta and not sure if is a glitch but battery life looks better. Great video Matt
Great feedback Juan Carlos! Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
The 955 is my favorite. Great battery, accurate GPS & HR monitoring. I own the non-solar version after years of having worn an Apple Watch. It's unfortunate that this generation of the forerunner doesn't have ECG; I miss that about the apple watch and I'm certain the next generation of forerunners will have it now that Garmins ECG app is out on the venu 2 plus. The other thing I miss about the apple watch is how it handles app notifications - had to turn those notifications off on the Garmin because it was just too clunky. Not a problem if you usually keep your phone close by, but lots of room for improvement there. Got a 3rd party soft loop strap on mine which makes it bearable for sleep tracking.
to be fair, that's probably more on apple than it is on garmin - the app settings are way way WAY more granular if you're pairing your watch to an android phone, whilst the iphone only has Notifications-all-of-them-all-the-time On or Notificiations-all-of-them-all-the-time Off because apple doesn't want to let third party hardware play with their toys. (same as quick-responses to texts, you don't have that at all with an iphone, but you can set a few custom responses and send those off to answer texts if you have an android)
I don't think Forerunners will get ECG because they are made of plastic only.
Except for the buttons...
@@highseastrader4190 yeah this generation won't, but I'll bet the next version they'll tweak the design or add the functionality via the metal buttons
@@nopahrefa4466 yeah the limitations are definitely on apple. Even with that issue I still prefer the Garmin to the apple watch.
Yeah, I was hoping that the ECG functionality would come to the 955. I'm bummed that it won't happen. Glad you found a good watch strap. It probably dropped a bit of weight off the watch as well. 👌
Such a great review. Thank you for the information
You are so welcome! 👍 Checked out your channel and laughed my ass off at the first short!!! BTW, I'm your 1000th subscriber. 🙌
@@mlegrand Thank you so much, you are amazing. Woohooo finally 1000 subscribers 😍😍🥳 Do appreciate for your support. Really liked your content Matt. Keep up the good work 👏👏
Yeah... I just reached Day Eight with the Forerunner 955 Solar and I really, really, really like it! Funny enough, I bought the Whitestone solar model. It is lighter, has great battery life, fast navigation, touch screen or five-button navigation, and yeah, it does pretty much everything that my EPIX 2.0 does for me. In fact, the only different I have seen thus far is that the EPIX has a fancier build quality and the Endurance Score.
For sure The 955 is a solid option for a lot of people. It’s a big jump in price to get the nicer material on the Epix although I think it’s been on sale lately. 🤔
Excellent video. This is quality content.
Being a triathlete that loves gadgets in general, I'm on the fence between this one and the Instinct 2. The only difference between them that makes me lean towards the 955 is the stamina field. Only if Garmin could bring it to the Instinct series...
One thing that bugs me about the Forerunner 9xx series is how quickly Garmin stops updating them. The Fenix series is constantly getting updates and new resources. And with the OLED 965 launch already leaked / imminent... The 955 will be obsolete waaaay too soon. 😢
I should have mentioned the stamina field. (so much stuff I should have talked about) It's not a field that I use too often. I did review the Instinct 2 on this channel and I really enjoyed that device. It's got a great battery life and HR and GPS were extremely accurate. But I'd still lean towards the 955.
I've also seen those 965 rumors. How quickly do you need that new triathlon watch? 😂
@@mlegrand just sold my used 745 to a newcomer in my running club (very capable watch, but I wanted a larger watch). Will need it sooner than this will be released here im Brazil 🤡
@@eamarozzn - Maybe pick something up that'll be easy to re-sell? 🤷♂ Keep me posted on what you pick up and how you end up liking it. 👍
@@mlegrand in the end, I settled for the 955 non solar. We all know that Garmin won't bring new features for it after they release the 965, but the fancy new screen and ECG will cost an extra USD 100.
Shame on Garmin for releasing a new product in such a short cycle.
@@eamarozzn - Yeah, but I think you’ll love the 955 non-solar. It’s currently one of my favorite watches.
Hi Matt. Well it was interesting review. 6 months gives you the right to say what’s wrong what’s great about the stuff.
I’m not Garmin user. Still faithful to COROS 😊 especially the VERTIX 2. Sometimes I miss Garmin’s maps but I love the robustness and the look. Regarding gps. Well, for my mountain trails vertix 2 is more than enough. But one day I would like to make a comparison in between VERTIX 2 and FR955. With the high trees, winding path, gorges. Yeah. It would be interesting to see.
Anyway have a great year and enjoy your passions every step of the way. That’s the most important!
The Vertix 2 is a great watch! It's a big one but I agree that it looks really nice. But Garmin has been doing some really impressive work with GPS accuracy lately. It's not just Multi-band GPS. They've got some sort of magic secret sauce. I think you'd notice a difference. But keep using the Vertix 2 as much as possible. Make sure you get as much value as possible. And I'll keep enjoying my passion! Thank you Slawomir!!!
@@mlegrand thank you Matt. It seems I will have to wait for sauce by COROS 😜
@@sawomirsowik872 - 😂
Great update review Matt. I’ve had a few problems with the 955 getting stuck in saving mode a few times. Other than that it’s been flawless
Oh that's no fun. Did you lose the data for that activity? That would drive me crazy.
@@mlegrand I should have been more clear… it happened in Power Save mode…just stayed in it. A hard reset sorted it.
Really informative video, definitely gave me insight as I’m looking to purchase one! Do you think it would track steps when not being worn (for example being in a pocket)? Unfortunately for work, I’m unable to wear a watch but want to still track my steps
Yes, I *think* it would but I don't know if it'd be perfect. I have a buddy who wears his on his ankle so he gets credit for cycling. 😂
Just picked up a 955 for 360€ new. I hope it will help me to get back into running as my good old samsung gear fit 2 can retire now
Wow, that's an amazing price. Keep me posted on how you like it.
Great watch for sure, I still hesitate with the Garmin Epic Gen 2. During my (long) hesitation I use my old Fenix 5x 😅🤣
Always on to hesitate. I’m sure Garmin will have new watches to consider at some point as well.
Maybe a Garmin forunner 265 (with OLED screen) could help me to choose.
Garmin 955 seems like a great watch. I am a Polar user and likes the polar plattform and nightly rechars. If I change brand I would go for a 955.
I wonder if Polar will release a Vantage V 3 at some point. I haven't heard anything recently but I'd love to see Polar catch up a little bit. Thanks so much Hans!!!
@@mlegrand Me too, I've just read speculations about a new high end sport watch, perhaps v3 och grit x pro 2. If polar want to catch up the competition they need to get watches with bigger and better displays, longer stand by battery time. I think their analyze plattform is the best already and the sleep analyze and nightly recharge are spot on, so are several fitness and performance tests. They just need to upgrade the hardware with better displays and longer battery in stand by time. Also to integrate ANT+ would be great. I think Polar is too small as a company to have off line music with spotify or FNC-payment.
@@hanstenberg - I've gotta think they're in the middle of making those changes now. We'll see. 🤞
Great review! Hopefully you can do the Apple Watch Ultra for triathlon soon!
I've open water swam, biked and run with it a good bit. I probably won't do a true triathlon race until this summer with the AWU but I have a few videos coming up about the watch. I'm going to post a "AWU Review after 100 days" and I'm going to talk about the watch band options. Thanks so much for checking this one out Tom!!!
@@mlegrand That’s great to hear. Love the content and production value, along with the triathlon emphasis
I’ve a fr955 in addition to 7x. I’ve been disappointed in the software team’s execution for the Watch compared to the 7x. They do share code with the outdoor team as all wearable teams do at Garmin. However, fixing issues and avoiding regressions from spinning out of control has been annoying. Finally, it’s just not an attractive watch ( to me ) compared to the 7x or AWU, which I also own. Choice of materials is a big factor. Looks cheap but not cheap at all. So the sw quality is really the tipping point for me. Off to eBay it goes.
I'm sure it'll do well on EBay. I agree about material design. Maybe the rumored FR 965 will look different? Garmin's software team needs to start moving toward a more unified solution. Their entire software platform should be based off of one core system with branches for different hardware variants. Maps shouldn't work differently on the 955 vs Fenix. 🤦♂️ Thanks for watching this one Sean!
Great review, I love your picturization!
How would you compare the 955 to the base Fenix 7?
They are similar in a lot of ways. The biggest difference is going to be the nicer look and materials of the Fenix 7. The 955 is lighter weight. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I bought the 265 a week ago and the 955 is on sale for $319. I paid 419 for my 265. Do you think I should return it and buy the 955 and save some money or would I miss out on a lot of of the 265 aspects??
That's a tricky question. Now that you've had the 265 I think you'd miss the AMOLED screen and how sharp it is. Then again, if you need mapping or golf, this would be a great deal. 🤷♂️
@@mlegrand keeping the 265 lol!
I just got the polar pacer pro as this watch is out of my budget as an all around watch including triathlon. I got the 935 but wanted to try polar device and polar flow. So far so good
Polar's Flow app is actually very very good. I think you'll like the Pacer Pro. The problem for Polar is that the Pacer Pro does everything that their high end watches do. And it does somethings better than their high end watches. I think you'll really enjoy it. The 955 is an impressive device but it'll always be there if you ever want to switch over and try Garmin devices.
@2:13 A direct visual comparison of the display brightness between Garmin and AW would have been nice. Showing a photo of an AW Ultra isn’t all too helpful.
Thanks for the feedback Anza B.
@@mlegrand You’re welcome
Cool music 🎼 on this episode!
Thanks!
great review
i read about a new forerunner later this year... but we see
do you think this is better than fenix7?
I don't think it's better necessarily. I think they're similar. The housing of the Fenix 7 looks a bit nicer and overall should be more durable. But the Fenix also weights more. 🤷🏻♂️
@@mlegrand I notice that at a store holding then. It was 7X I think. Huge and this forerunner.
Happy training
Love the review great job. Your “that bug should have been corrected by now” re open water swimming… are we talking about the same Garmin? They’re gonna let that bug ride until the 965 lol I like Garmin but buggiest software on the market and they are super slow to fix if they fix at all
@JB - I read that the Open Water bug was fixed. Is that not the case? Damn. I'm bringing this 955 with me to Hawaii and will do some testing in a few weeks. Come on Garmin . . . this seems like a "low hanging fruit" bug. It's just incorrectly adding the distance. 🤔
@@mlegrand If you read it then it's probably true. I was just commenting in general that they are so slow to correct bugs and release watches seemingly before they're fully ready and have us beta test for them, essentially :)
@@JB-hq9yj - We make great beta testers. 😆
Love my 955 Solar
Yes! It's such a great watch. Glad you're enjoying it. Keep me posted on any issues or feedback. 🙏🏻
How much longer does the watch battery last?
@@interestingvideos4046 depends on the sunlight i have gotten close to 3 weeks without a recharge but it's summer here in Australia at the moment
@learning2tri thanks for ur reply. And use GPS how many times in that week? I think that a solar watch pays for itself cuz it can harness solar energy but I never hear reviewers say that. I'm considering 255 or 955 for running.
@@interestingvideos4046 use GPS about 4-5 times a week
Is there way to look back and see what battery precentage you had left AFTER an activity ?? Ive a 100k coming up. Im just not sure if the battery will last. I did 63km a few months ago, the battery lasted but not sure how much i had left. The 100km race will take about 15- 16hrs. Would it last that long on the 955???
That info is actually baked into the .fit file. It might be hard to find a program to see that data but it is recorded.
I still think the 255 is the best value over all watches, just love it!
I know, right? I did mention it at the end of this video. It's missing a few things but it nails the critical stuff and more. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Haha 😂 I realized it but couldn’t hold myself from commenting right away 😅
I‘d really say for 95% of the people the 255 is the watch to go.
@@mfu424 - 👌 - totally agree buddy!
Hello Matt, i will go for the 955 Solar and not the 965 (i got an Ultra for the Oled display). Did you got discolor on the white model? Best wishes from Germany
The white still looks pretty good to me. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Great video. Has the issue with open water GPS measurement solved now in 2024? Is it solved via a software update so that anyone who bought it a year ago, gets a resolution to the issue?
Yes, it was solved via a software update. It’s crazy to me that a calculation error like that took a while to fix but it’s solved now. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have the Apple Watch ultra which I love for running but I am interested in the 955 for a few reasons.
- HRV and training readiness score. Did you find this useful or did it not work because you change watches like you said? Is there an apple app that helps with this? Currently I look at strava fitness-fatigue-form score but I’m not sure if Garmin is better?
- Recommend training session. Did you use this feature? It would be interesting to see what Garmin recommends for a workout based on your own data.
- My friend has Garmin forerunner 245 and when we run a segment together strava always gives him the 👑 usually by 3-5 secs. Not sure if the Apple Watch ultra is more or less accurate GPS or just using a different algorithm. I use rungap to upload apple to strava.
Thanks for another great review.
It might be worth checking out Athlytic: www.athlyticapp.com/ for Apple Watch recovery metrics. I just don’t like the subscription costs. 😬
I have used the recommended training workouts on Garmin watches. They’re good but most of the time I do my own thing.
My guess is that his 245 is less accurate in a way that is giving him the 👑 😬
Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand thanks that’s good advice. Athlytic is just what I was after, it looks really good. I’ve started a 7 day trial. It looks like something apple could have as part of the fitness/health app one day. Take care.
@@J.e.f.f.r.e.y - I hope Apple buys them and implements this. We’ll see 🤞
hey , just a small question , is 955 worth in 2024? its the same price as Suunto Race s , how do you compare both?
Yes, I think it's still a good option in 2024. Especially since it's been on sale lately. I'm in the process of reviewing the Suunto Race S. It's really good. I think it's comparable but different. The Garmin has a few more features and a longer battery life but the Suunto Race S has this nice bright AMOLED screen. I *think* I'd go with the 955 but of course, it depends on what you'll be using it for in your training.
I love the 955!! I used to be a fan of polar especially with their polar grit X but the wrist based heart monitor was wildly inaccurate the first 15 minutes of a run. Not so with Garmin at all, although I wish Garmin had a circuit training widget because I tend to run on the indoor track at my gym in between lifts.
Glad you're enjoying the 955 Keybearer! I have high hopes that Polar will release some big updates in the near future but we'll see. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand Right back at ya homie! Thanks for all your hard work and great content over the years! I would have stuck with polar but it's not that great for lap swimming in the pool using a side stroke
Same situation, V800, Grit X, now FR955 Solar. Never had issues with HR on Grit X, but usually I use H7. Polar has majority of things working as it should (except alt calibration from last update), while Garmin adds or fixes issues and introduces another ones because maybe due to a lot of features.
Hi, I have a chance to buy this at 300€, is that still a great deal or would you consider another option?
I think this is still a good watch and that price is pretty amazing. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have the 935 and it’s been an absolute champ so far. Only one complaint, I’d like maps. That’s really the only thing I’d like for trail running etc. The other sports modes on the 935 are great for what I use them for. This is why I’m looking to upgrade to the 955. However firmware bugs and niggles are my biggest concern as I want a product that is rock solid. My 935 has all of the kinks worked out since it’s a mature product. What's your view on the 955 ?
Each new watch from Garmin has bugs and issues that have to be worked out. It seems to take a half year or more. I *think the 955 is in a good place now and I would expect to continue to solidify. Let me know what you end up with and what you think. 👍
My FR955's Bluetooth stopped working after about 6 months. Tried to get help from Gramin but only get new sets of instructions that won't work. Feels like they´re trying to avoid a repair/replacement by exhausting me. Very disappointed, especially given the price....
Keep pushing Garmin. Bluetooth should not stop working after 6 months.
Matt curious how do you suggest approaching using two devices for tracking one activity. Namely I have and love the screen on the Edge 1040 for riding, tons of real estate and not on my wrist. I also track the ride with my FR 955 as I want it's overall coaching and fitness tracking but on the wrist poor for navigation, etc. Is nice to have for simple HR screen and added details on the bike and that bit of capture. Do I simply delete the Edge at the end of the ride of the FR 955? If deleting the latter, will it still keep the detail for the daily activity as the activity was recorded if not uploaded to GR connect, Strave, Ride w GPS, etc. Quandary.
Yeah, you could easily delete or discard that edge data. Your 955 will have very good GPS accuracy and you'll want to make sure that it's also getting good heart rate and power data. What I typically do is collect all of it and then only publicly publish one set of data to Strava. So Strava ends up being my one good locations for how much I've been training. I tend to do it that way because I'm always mixing up brands.
@@mlegrand Thanks, I don't think I have the 955 paired w Cadence but that is easy enough as I would presume cadence is simply broadcasting so multiple devices can pick-up on that signal. Appreciate the insight, I had thought I would want to delete the FR as the Edge seems to have a lot more detail being single sport focused, but easy enough doing the other and wanted the body battery, etc of the FR 955....had just noted multiple group uploads, LOL.
I'm torn. Looking for my first fitness watch. I'ce considered the instinct 2x but also the 265, 255, 955. I'd be doing more mountain biking, swimming, workouts more than anything. Any recommendations
It all depends on what stuff you're into. If you need maps that'll slim down the list a bit. The 955 and 965 are amazing but you can save money by looking at the 255/265 and still have everything you need for triathlons. Those two are just missing mapping.
Hey Matt! I was pretty much sold on this watch until the rumours started swirling about the 965, which is now out. Does the 965 change your opinion at all?
I don't think it changes my thoughts on the 955 too much but I do want to spend some time with the 965 to review it and compare these two models. I also trust DesFit and DCRainmaker. Both of them gave this a positive review. So I think it comes down to if you want the AMOLED display, or the solar or save money by getting the one I show here in this video. 🤷♂️
@@mlegrand Appreciate the reply! I’ll check those videos out. I’m coming from a FR 245 so either one will be a massive update haha. I think you’re right though, is that fancy new display really worth the extra $$$. It’s really nice, not going to lie but it’s a couple hundred extra dollars and maybe there will be a sale on 955’s.
I'm looking at both the 955 and Fenix 6 but I can't decide. Is the new chipset and sensors worth the upgrade to the 955? I think having a touchscreen for the maps might be better as well.
I’m really enjoying the 955 but it does have a more plastic look to it. So I think that’d be the deciding factor. I’ve also seen rumors of a 965 but I’m not sure if or when that might be available. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Have you try this watch on a treadmil sir? Because we have the same watch and i have unaccurate numbers on my watch when on treadmil. Hope you can answers my questions. Thanks!
I don't think I've tried this watch on the treadmill. I'd suggest trying to calibrate it if you are using it on treadmills often: support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=zk9G4O5DkS4znMm9KSV2VA&productID=777655&tab=topics
Ended up getting the 955. Its nice. Not as comfortable as a coros pace 2. But still nice.
My issue is with the screen. It seems very washed out compared to other mip screens. Not really a problem. Just weird. I wonder if Garmin does this washed out look with less color so people want the AMOLED screens. I wonder if Garmin can fix colors with an update. Hope they do. A splash of color is just what the 955needs.
That’s a good question. There could be more information on the Garmin forums but I haven’t looked. Keep me posted on how you’re liking it. 👌
@@mlegrand will do. So far so good
I have a Polar H10 that I connect to my fr955, I also use an Apple Watch SE gen 2 simultaneously. In terms of heart rate monitoring, I have found that the SE and the H10 are almost always within 2 bpm of each other, however when I use compare the fr955 HRM directly with the SE they are often showing a greater margin, it's not rare to see a 10 bpm differential :/ So I have to say that I don't really trust my fr955 for heart rate monitoring. Although, when paired with an H10 for activity tracking, I think this pair is probably the best all-around bang for your buck, in terms of battery-life, GPS, biometrics and HRM. If my budget were smaller, I would opt for the apple with SE gen. 2, I get two days of battery life including 4 hours of GPS activity tracking before I have to charge mine (I have the thing set up more as a whoop strap then a smart-watch), it also has tremendous HRM, lots of 3rd party apps and topnotch sleep tracking!
Assuming you don't have drastic dropouts (or numbers showing roughly double) from the H10, I'd say the Polar chest strap would be your most accurate and best device to compare. This is exactly how I test HR accuracy. I've also found Apple's modern optical HRM to be one of the best on the market. 2 days is actually pretty good. I had to charge mine a little bit each day. If you're continuing to test, I'd just make sure you move the 955 watch up on your wrist a bit and tighten it down. Each skin tone will also test slightly differently depending on the optical HRM. Thanks so much for posting this feedback for us!!! 👍
I have the H10 and fr955. The H10 connects directly to my spin bike. My fr955 is snug fitted to my wrist when I do a session. The most difference I've seen in regards to BPM from one another is 3 BPM. Sometimes the fr955 lags about a few seconds (5 at most) when I start an interval. Because in essence the fr955 correlates so well to the H10 in my body, nowadays I just use the fr955.
@@nutri06 - I’d say stationary biking would be one of the easiest activities for a wrist based optical HRM. Hardest would be something like Handball. 😆
Hello
Nice review 👌🏼
Please can we save a locations without activitie?
Thanks
Yes, you can. In fact that's one of the quick menu options. So hold the light button to pull up that menu. Select save location. Wait for gps and lat long. Save, edit name if you want to. Thanks for the kind words about the review Aymen! 👍
@@mlegrand thanks for this nice explains 😊
I'm really missing in Garmin watches one feature from Coros - the ability to quickly set constant backlight during a workout. (it would be ideal to set it to cca.50% to spare some battery but that is not that important). I do roughly one more intensive session a week in night when I'd love to see the stats at glance (and turning light on gesture doesn't work that well - I like to subtly look on watch rather than bring the watch in front of my face so the geture would be recognized).
As far as I know, the only place for that setting is somewhere pretty far down in setting menus. It is annoying to remember to switch it on before the workout and switch it off after it. Is it somehow better solved in the most recent watch interface? (which I suppose is on FR955 and FR255)
Try adding a HotKey to backlight brightness. See if that's at all helpful. I think I mention Hotkey's in this video somewhere. Good feedback Martin! Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Hello from France !
Can you tell me if the bugs with touch screen lags, maps and GPS are solved now ?
Thanks. (sorry for my bad english).
Here’s what I’ve noticed consistently. I notice massive lags when the watch has been idle for a bit and then it seems to take a bit of time to spin up and become more responsive. I don’t notice that on Apple devices. My theory is that this is a way to save battery life. Maybe Garmin is slowing down the processor clock speed when it’s idle and then spinning it back up when it thinks a user is interacting with it. 🤷🏻♂️
@@mlegrandMany thanks 🙂
Hi ! Thanks for the video. I have the 955 for 3 weeks and I have noticed issues with the buttons. The uppers right and left buttons seems to be "double-clicky", at least for the first click when I did not used it for à few minutes. Did you noticed this too ?
I haven’t noticed this. I would reach out to Garmin. I’m wondering if some watches have issues with their buttons and some don’t.
@@mlegrand thanks ! Yes I agree with you. The problem is that Garmin offered me freely the upgrade to the 955 after having exchanged 4 times a 255 with buttons issues.
It is old issue since fr245 . I have changed 3 times for my Fr245
My particular 955 has a somewhat annoying bug, I have activated touch screen for an activity (run) and while it works to scroll up and down the data screens, it will not work with a map screen to navigate your route - in order for that to work you have to have touch screen activated for whole watch not just an activity, and then you have to turn that off, cause it is annoying for general use purposes and back on for running, i hoped they would fix that bug bit alas (other users i later found out has similar problems)
Yeah, that's frustrating. Mapping for running actually seems better on some of the Fenix 7 series of watches (Fenix, Epix, Enduro 2, Tactics ) Maybe Garmin will address it with a firmware update? 🤷♂️
How does the watch do if you get off track on a planned route? Does it alert you pretty quickly?
Yeah, it alerts you pretty quickly and can re-route you. 👌🏻
what is the lifetime of the battery that we need to renew the battery? my solar citizen need to renew the cap-battery after 11 years running.
These lithium Ion batteries tend to start degrading after about 2 years of wear. I'm guessing you'd might want to switch it out after 3-4 years but it all depends on how it's used. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Hi! Would You change 945 to 955? I have 945 and I don't see necessary to buy 955. there are no much new features compere to 945.
There are a lot of new features on the 955 compared to the 945 but I would probably wait and see what Garmin does next. Thanks Ivo!
I'm on the fence between the 265 and 955
Yeah, that's actually a hard call. I'd say if you need mapping or longer battery life go with the 955 otherwise go with the 265. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Open water swimming was defiantly an issue in summer, not sure if they have fixed it.. otherwise a great watch
I’ll try to test tomorrow
@@mlegrand let us know please, very interesting if they fixed it
Can I for example, put into the 955 that I want to run say, 2 miles in a certain time, and itll come up with suggested workouts, or a programe?
They have a way to build your own workouts and then sync them to the watch. Checkout connect.garmin.com/modern/workouts if you want to play around with it and see how it works.
Is this actually same watch with same functions as 965, except the screen (ofc)?
Features are the same but the screen and watch body are different. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
My watch out of no where is 6 minutes ahead compared to my other watches any idea why? I can't set the right time. I even set a Time zone.
That’s super odd. Is it syncing the time from your phone?
Nice review!
I'm on a 955 for almost 3 months now and I like the features. I just noticed lately that my HRV readings are so low, maybe lowest. Suggestion read that I have to recover and that I'm fatigued. My recent workouts are not really that intense and I just feel relaxed. My heart rate is low (bradycardic at night). I really doubt if my hrv readings are accurate.
That's a good question. How accurate are these HRV reading? I have no idea. I've been thinking that my HRV is super low as well. I'm wondering if it's because of poor sleep or something. I'm working on it. Thanks for the kind words about this review Jerry!
I'm with Matt on this one. HRV can be dependent on the OHR accuracy (skin type and other factors are involved)
I say you go by feel and see where that takes you
U gonna live long as a turtle...
Would you get this 955 or hold out for the new rumoured amoled version?
I guess it'd depend on how badly you needed the watch. Do you have anything that's functional for the new few months? And who knows if the rumors are true. It could be two years before the next iteration comes out. If it were me, and I had a working GPS watch, I'd probably wait and max out the value of whatever I have currently. 🤷🏻♂️
Can you put the Quick fit bracelet on it? Is it good?
Yes, this watch is compatible with the QuickFit watchbands. I do like them.
As I've gotten older (51 now), transflective displays are harder to read. Despite the smaller text, the screen of the Venu 2 plus or galaxy watch 5 pro is much easier to read at a glance. I think it is the sharp contrast...
AMOLED displays are much sharper. They're basically double the resolution of transflective liquid-crystal displays and they're often much brighter.
@@mlegrand Yes, I'm sure it's both that contribute to the readability.
I’m older than you and my MIP watch is really easy to read especially in direct sunlight on the trails).
Thank you!!
So I have a question
The 955 is a screen touch but has buttons at the same time?
So if I don't wanna use the touchscreen, can I just use the buttons ??
Thanks
Yes, exactly. You can do pretty much everything with buttons which I prefer but sometimes having a touchscreen is nice also.
@@mlegrand oh so I can do both at the same time. Right
@@LilianaMartinez-om2ij
Yes, they work simultaneously
Matt, what is the 955 (non solar) battery like??
I get about 2 weeks. Solar might get you a full extra week depending on solar conditions. I'm a big fan of the non-solar 955 for $500. I haven't had the chance to test the 965 with the AMOLED screen yet.
FYI the heart rate monitor definitely does not work on these watches with heavy black tattoos
This was a big issue for Apple a while back. Optical Heart Rate Monitors have a hard time with dark ink on the skin. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I have been looking for a running watch for a while now and i am conflicted, on the one hand i offcourse want the forerunner 955 because it has everything in the latest version. On the other hand i am looking at the 945 which might have actually everything i need but for a lower price, my only concern is that it would get outdated very quickly and i can't seem to find a video or article about the 945 in 2023. Another option would then be to go for the 255 which has almost everything that the 955 has but then it does not have topographic maps which makes me a bit relucatant to go for this option. Does anyone have any tips for me? Matt if you are looking for a video idea, maybe 'Garmin forerunner 945 in 2023: the best bank for your buck?' ;)
I think you're fears of it getting outdated are valid. The 255 doesn't have much in the way of maps but it is an amazing device.
TBH you’ll always be chasing the next model if you worry about obsolescence! Get what you think you’ll need for the next 5 years. By that time you’ll be ready for the next set of features (or not if you’re still happy with your choice). You should think of these watches as tools and do they do the job you need ? Do you honestly do Tri’s or just running ? Do you need Golf and Ski features (or will likely need them) ?
I have it 2 months (non solar version) . very laggy touch screen and it restarts 2-3 times in a week. its my 3rd unit after 2 replacements for same reasons... i sent them email for money back.
Oh man! That’s horrible. So sorry you’ve had such major issues. Either way, this is good feedback for people to read here. Thank you!
Since I returned my instinct 2x, once my refund goes though I'm going to get this 955.
Nice review.
You’ll have to let me know what you think of it!
@mlegrand I purchased the 955 and already returned it.....
Mine had serious batery issues. It lost 20% batery in 4 hours with no activities...I tried playing with the settings, it still keep losing batery fast...
I returned it the same week.
So I purchased another garmin instinct 2x. I just returned it today. ..it would not update and sync properly...
So I've gone through 3 new garmins in less then 3 months...I'm seriously considering leaving garmin, but don't know where to start. ..
I like the white instinct 2x. So I might buy another in hopes it was just a bad one...
Idk what to do now.....
@@Jay-sd9ye - Sounds like some serious bad luck. Maybe one more try and then try a different brand? 🤷♂
@@mlegrand which brand would you recommend after Garmin. Iv had bad luck with coros too.
@@Jay-sd9ye - Yeah, Coros makes some great options.
Has the watch got any updates? I have seen many reviews saying it's buggy.
Yeah, it’s been getting regular updates. I’m sure there are still issues but I don’t tend to notice anything specific. Are you thinking about picking this one up?
Ok. Only concern was a review I watched with maps.
I want to know for a cyclist who needs a watch for training and preparation purposes and don't need GPS map on his wrist (because of Edge 840), Does forerunner 955 have useful features (advanced training features) for adjusting personal trainings than instinct 2x? because we usually use garmin connect in browsers/phone/bike computer for measuring these data and sharing it with our coach.
Instinct 2X probably has everything that you want in an advanced fitness and recovery tracker. You could also look at the FR 265. 👍
@@mlegrand that's exactly what I have thought. what about Fenix 7 pro? because pro-level preparation is my goal.
@@SchnellHASE - I have quite a few pro friends and don't think you need a specific watch to achieve those goals. The Fenix 7 Pro is probably one of my top picks. It's a great device. I guess it depends on how much money you want to spend.
@@mlegrand it may give more insights like real-time stamina mode (I don't know how useful it can be) or ECG feature. I want to share as much information as possible to my coach.
@@mlegrand I also want my watch to detect my activities by itself without starting an activity profile etc.
Does it have Google pay. If so do I need to also have my phone in the pocket
This watch has doesn't have google pay. It has Garmin Pay which you'd need to check with your bank to see if it's an option. www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-pay/
Interesting review! After several weeks of using my 955 I noticed that even if the barometric pressure decrease, watchface barometer trend arrow does not change... For example, this morning (08/50) pressure was 1009.4 mbar. After about 5 hours (13/55) pressure decreased to 1005.2 mbar but barometer trend arrow is still flat... The barometer plot is set to 6-Hour option. Does anyone know how much amount of pressure is needed and in how much time for make the arrow change direction? Any info would be appreciated )
I don’t know the answer to that one. Might be a good question to kick over to Garmin directly or post to their forums. Let me know if you find an answer. My fear is the delay in reaction is indicative of it pulling that data from a third party connection but I really don’t know. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
What site do/did you use to check GPS distance accuracy?
I use multiple watches and compare the GPX tracks with @dcrainmaker 's analytics tool. You can read more about it here:
www.dcrainmaker.com/analyzer
There are other free tools on the market if you're looking to do something similar.
Thanks, u tha man!
Can someone tell me whats wrong please.
I wore my fr 955 last week and did a 16km run.
Then yesterday i did a 12km run, and right after that the watch said ""this is your longest run.""
Even though its saved last weeks 16km run and all..
Anyone know why it did that ???
That's super odd. Are you sure you wore the same watch for both runs? Any resets or other oddities that might have happened?
@@mlegrand yes, I'm pretty sure coz I've only got one FR 955😅 maybe it's just a bug..
So do I need to carry my phone also on the run?
Depends on what you're trying to do. If you want to make calls, yes you'd need to carry your phone.
Can you comment on track running accuracy? In 12 years that I was using Garmin GPS watches I'd always measure time for my 400m and 800m runs and then manually calculate the pace. The pace calculated by Garmin was always faster by 3-5%. So my 4:42 min/km run would be reported as 4:30 min/km. Thank you
Is that using Track mode after calibration? Track mode should increase pace accuracy. But when I’m doing track workouts I typically rely on the clock and don’t look at pace as it’s often going to have delays.
@@mlegrand I don't think any of my Garmins had a track mode. I am talking 305, 310XT, 910XT and Fenix 5 that I am using now. When I run my tempo runs I'd like to see the proper lap pace for 1km. And this used to be always off so I had to pay attention to time. That's not easy to do when you run at 98% of your max heart rate. This track inaccuracy has been documented in multiple place on the web. I just assumed that the technology was not there yet. I am curious if it was fixed for FR955. Another thing I noticed with my Fenix5 is that I start my run at elevation 85m but end at 95m. But it's my house in both cases. The same place. I looked at some runs of my friends at my running club that have FR955 and I see the same problem. I am not sure what settings they use (Multi Band On, Multi-GNSS On etc.). Can you comment on that?
i have question if anybody could suggest, currently im using forerunner 245 and its amazing but im planning to add it with HRM PRO+ to make my heartrate measurement more accurate. is there any suggestion did i have just bought the HRM monitor or upgrade my watch to 955? thank you!
Hi Arif, will you be swimming with the chest strap? Garmin makes a swim specific heart rate monitor that's only ideal for swimming. Chest straps tend to be more accurate than wrist HRMs so the 245 and a chest strap would be an excellent combination. The 955 is great also but I'd only suggest it if you're interested in all of the other details that it provides. Best of luck and let me know what you end up doing and how you're liking it.
@@mlegrand thank you very much!
955 vs Suunto race vs 965 ? Top 965 ?
Yeah, I think the 965 is probably the top of the list. I did rank the current watches on the market a few weeks ago. 👌
Does it wear down over time from showering?
Not that I’ve noticed. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Whats polar pacer pro like for lap swimming?
It's ok. It doesn't have drill mode where, if you do a kick set or drills, you can punch in the distance. Without that, often my total distances will be off.
I keep seeing rumours of a 965 for Q2 2023. Surely not?
I am seeing the same rumors. My theory is that the Epix was popular with it's AMOLED display and Garmin's going to put it everywhere. That and they need to switch the optical HRM on the back for the ECG stuff. But keep in mind that I'll never theorize if I actually know something. So I truly know nothing at this point. 🤷♂️
@@mlegrand I appreciate the reply Matt
Wich onde do you prefer? 265 or 955?
It probably depends on if you need the battery life and maps. For me, I might just go with the 265. 🤷🏻♂️
The battery in my 955 solar is trash. Having the battery drop from 50%+ to zero in an hour or two.
Sounds like something going on here. Maybe you got a buggy device or lemon battery. What did Garmin say about it? Maybe you can return it? 🤷♂️
When he started to talking about Apple watches, ... he lost me forever :D
Sorry to lose you buddy. I talk about dumb stuff here on this channel all the time. (not that Apple is dumb) But I’m surprised I didn’t lose you earlier, and if you ever have a video idea or topic you’d like me to explore, I’d still love to hear it. Take care. 👍
This or a forerunner 265 ?
Do you need maps or do you ever golf? Otherwise the 265. 👌 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Does it need a screen protector
I would recommend one. I’ve recently seen two scratches show up on mine. The screen protectors will fill in those scratches which is nice and they’re cheap: amzn.to/3L8WMan
👍
So I can do triathlon with it ?
Indeed you can. The 255 and 955 have triathlon functionality. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Any update on the open water swim?
I’ll try to find some place warm to swim next week but it should be fixed according to the firmware updates 🤷🏻♂️
@@mlegrand That'd be nice! I'm finally up to distance for a super sprint and close to a sprint, so I'm looking at getting one. Definitely looks like the best option out there after watching this. Thank you!
@@spiritsavage - Yes, this is a fantastic option. Best of luck with training. I'm looking forward to hearing how it all goes!!! 👌
i didn't like it. It's functional, but 700USD watch that looks so plastic and so cheap (solar). Nah, I've sold mine after 3 months. and get fenix for the almost the same price.
That's good feedback for people to hear. I agree. It's a cheaper looking watch than something like a Fenix. Some people don't mind but I think the way something looks is kind of important for something that you're wearing every day. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Is it solar powered
I don’t own the solar edition. That is $100 more if I remember correctly.
Is the GPS bug fixed?
I'm not sure which GPS bug you're referring to but it seems solid to me. I ran with it today. Great device. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Thanks to you. Now I'm even more confused to get this one, 6s pro or the regular 7s. looking for a comfortable watch@@mlegrand
I have Garmin 955 solar and there are two things that are very disturbing.
1, It is very annoying that when I press the light button there is a lock sign (when device is locked) for few seconds and only afterwords I can see the hour, I think that short press on the light button should only turn on the light without this big sign that is hiding the clock )even when the device is locked).
2. When entering activity the device is locking itself until I press start, it is a little bit frustrating, because I am entering activity and waiting to GPS and then when I start running and try to push the start button I am realizing that the device is locked, so I stop running back to the start unlock the device and press start. I had Garmin 735 and Fenix 6s with no problem at all, I think that entering activity without pressing start should unlock the device. My device is set 'not during activity')
P.S.
I can't get 2 weeks battery with my 955 solar, I don't know why...
Check and see if Pulse Ox is on. That tends to drain the battery life. Great feedback on some of the issues you're seeing with the 955.
@@mlegrand Nope... my Pulse OX is off, I am always on 10 days between charges, of course I am charging before
I would say it is impossible. I have the solar, but usually charge between 20-80%. During the period there must be at least one day when the battery discharges faster than usual. BT off. Then you have to turn the watch off an on. Again now with 14.13 i think is "on"...again higher drain. I had it at about 6% /day, since update yesterday is a bit higher.
I wonder sometime, that all these SmartWatch reviewers, use all their rounded body parts to test out different brands of watches... 😆
I'll often test one watch on one wrist and another watch on the other wrist. You have to be a bit careful about having watches right next to each because the optical heart rate sensor lights can pollute the other watches data.
Rubbish golf feature. Not meeting what it says it can do. Step back from 935
Oh that's good to know Ahmed. What's worse about it for golfing compared to the 935? I just don't play golf and haven't tested it.
I agree to a point, but for a triathlon/running watch, it is at least a decent rangefinder to the front and back of greens. But golf functionality is quite limited.
This has to be strategic, otherwise people may not go for their golf centric “approach” series watches.