What's Missing From The Garmin Forerunner 55?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- Overall I love this watch but here are a few things missing from the Garmin Forerunner 55.
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I also commented a similar thing on a video from Chase the Summit. Why is no one mentioning the the missing barometer (especially compared to a Pace 2). I used the 245 for a while and the elevation gain in connect was totally out of place, even with or without correction (like 3/4/5 times the actually gain). This was probably due to running near an ascent or descent and GPS tracking me a few meters left or right and therefore producing spikes in the graph. Strava seems to be able to correct this, but connect wasn’t. When googling, a lot of people seemed to have this problem and no one could provide a fix.
Maybe it’s not a dealbreaker for lots of people, but for a device that does nothing but tracking, the values should be more or less accurate imo. So when recommending a watch, I think this should be mentioned.
Good call TS! I’ll pin this comment to the top so that others can find it easier. A barometer is important for getting valid elevation data and that info would have been perfect for this video.
As a basic runner’s watch, I like the F55. It would be nice to have ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) but you are not going to get that at this price point. The F55 has a good set of features for most runners and I feel that often we can focus on more data when in reality all we really need to know is distance, time & pace.
Very true. I think this is such a good option for so many people to consider. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
For that price with the abc … the instinct would be the winner but I don’t like the look…. But fonctionnality wise it’s the clear winner
That intro narrative sequence was nailed. As always of course, but still, every...time!
Thanks buddy! Hope you are fully recovered from your cross-Euro world tour. 🎸 I was following along via Instagram and living vicariously through you two. It looked amazing! 👍🏻
Matt is a cinematic genius.
A great value I think with all the main things most people would want. Battery life I think was improved which is great. That is one of the most important to me and I see myself recommending this to my sister as she might be wanting to get a GPS watch.
Yeah, 2x the battery life for everyday usage. That's a big plus. 👌 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
The toys in your videos make me so happy!
Do you think Garmin's line is too crowded with watches/options? Some of the other brands, maybe do not have the feature library Garmin has, but their line is so simple.
It’s interesting that the Apple Watch is only two skews and is significantly more popular.
I’d wonder if it might be easier on Garmin to solidify their product line but I honestly don’t know. 🤷🏻♂️
Thx for the review. I milked my previous Garmin for all it could provide, and now my 230 is on life support (yes, a 230!). As mostly a runner, the 55 is what I need, though I am looking at a Instinct 2 and 945 LTE (long story). I am a little surprised by the comments at the high expectations from a albeit powerful *entry level* watch. This functionality was NOT available before from the lower end of the product line up. These kids don’t know how good they have it! 😆. Great video.
Very true Henri! I was actually really impressed with this watch. I think you’d be satisfied with it for the basics. The Instinct 2 might be interesting. I haven’t reviewed that one yet but it has a lot of features for the price point. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I meant to watch this sooner, but I was busy making a video of my own! lol
Another awesome opening sequence! I'm digging the relocated spinning logo! Your cinematography is damned impressive, Matt.
Interesting review. I think this sounds more like the kind of watch that a newbie runner would do well with than a relatively seasoned triathlete. (Be sure not to confuse "seasoned" with "good. I think of myself as a seasoned triathlete, but I'm certainly not good at it! lol)
I think that's a good call. It could work for well for a budget triathlon watch but it's obviously not designed for that. Thanks as always for watching!
Yes his cinematography is absolutely on a professional level (perhaps he is a pro in a related field?).
I also watch his videos with awe.
@@thenerdymamil8557 - I am a professional in the software development field. I'm still working on all of this videography stuff. 👌
Really fantastic video an entry-level watch!
Thank you Dove!
Great review, I am new to your channel and watched both this and your earlier FR55 review. I’m a longtime Apple Watch user who has had enough of the battery challenges with AW (especially since the Series 7 will be no better). So I’ve paired my choices down to the Coros Pace 2 or the FR55. I think I will opt for the latter as $200 is a great price to get into the Garmin ecosystem. Plus it seems to have a few more smart watch features. But the Pace 2 is a strong contender. Thanks Matt!
Yeah, those are two great options Chris! I think the Forerunner 55 is the way to go unless you need more open water or triathlon options. Let me know if you have any questions or if you have any ideas for future videos. Thanks!
@@mlegrand So for those who just run you would recommend the Garmin Forerunner 55, right?
@@enricob.4141 - Yes, I do really like this watch for runners. It's a great option.
@@mlegrand Thank you for your prompt response.
Good stuff. Random question, but what drone are you using for your opening shot? Very cool. In any case, I’m always interested in a good multi-sport watch that looks good and functions well as an every day watch too. I have a Vivoactive 3 now, but in my opinion it suffers from some of the same limitations as the 55. My biggest issue is the inability to import power data into tracking apps like Strava, due to limitations in the IQ protocols. I imagine that may be partially by design. I was an old school Garmin guy, back from the Forerunner 305 (like wearing a gauntlet), and then the 910XT which while finally water friendly, was still brick-ish. These days I rely mostly on a Wahoo head unit and a simple running watch, but looking forward to trickledown tech one day getting it all in a slim wearable, yet budget friendly package. Keep up the great reviews!
Awesome Tom! Yeah, I also had a 305. I think I still have it somewhere. 🤔 The drone I use is the DJI Mavic Air 1. It’s old now but still functional. I actually use it a lot for sunrise photos over the lake. It’s super fun. 👌 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
the intro is on 🔥
Thank you Essa!
For around the same price I’d have to recommend a polar ignite 2 over this. Not having garmin’s updated sleep tracking on this is a real shame. Without that the body battery stats I believe Are wildly inaccurate as garmins regular sleeping tracking is known for being quite poor (numerous videos available on this). Polar includes their superior sleep tracking on all watches as well as their training load pro. It also has open water swimming mode (and just way more sports profiles in general). How many of them are really useful is another story but they are there.
That's a good recommendation. That Ignite has some good tracking features and tons of activity types. I'd argue that the 55 is more accurate tracking and has an always on display. It seems to do less better if that makes any sense. A comparison of the two might make for an interesting video. 🤔 Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
just the video i needed. have been using fr55 for almost a year now, and recently put my nike alphafly 1s on sale. might exchange the shoes with his fr745. and as i see it, open water swimming is definitely an update. tho battery life would lower. also there is no strenght training on fr55. every time i strenght train i pick up pilates. and last but not least, fr745 has altimeter, which strava likes when using the altitute.
The 745 is a very nice device. Tough call.
@@mlegrand i chose to use fr55. its basic and just for my thin waists. :)
Great review.
Thank you Gerrie! 👍🏻
I would probably get this if it had the Firstbeat sleep algorithms. Those seem much more accurate which probably affects a lot of the health/recovery metrics too. Hoping the next 255 or similar will have those. Agree that a dedicated triathlon mode really isn't that necessary for a "hobbyist".
Have you ever tried 3rd party Garmin apps for open water swimming, like Swimming App Professional? It seems like that one works okay and could make the 55 or 245 very suitable watches for people who do more OWS.
I haven’t tried it but I’m totally going to install that this morning. Thanks for the recommendation. 👌
I read that the pulse Ox sensor only measures you O2 levels in the middle of your sleep cycle. If I am hiking, running or skiing at altitude, I would love to have a constant 02 sensor. Anything below 90% is apparently dangerous.
Well, you have three options. Off, always on, or sleeping. It does use a lot of battery so by default I think it’s off. The other issue is accuracy. I think it works better if you’re really still. I see issues with my readings all the time but it might be a great flag for getting those lower numbers due to altitude. You should also be able to test it on a plane as they tend to increase cabin pressure but not enough to match full sea level pressure and it should affect your O2 levels. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
I own this watch and it works well for me!
It's a great option. Thanks for the feedback Cliff!
The "Triathlon Mode" on my Garmin watch does not work for me anyway. In a race, I never manage to press the right buttons at the right time (I know, how hard can it be just to press "Lap"?- but it turns out, for me it is).
I wish my watch would have this automatic triathlon mode of the Wahoo watch. But I guess Wahoo probably has a patent on this feature.
They probably did patent that if possible and I’m right there with you. Just remember to press split, and I can’t do it. 😂
Hey brother.. my wife likes her watch so far. She got the aqua color and she agrees with you she needs to see her app to check on her data after a run workout, sleep etc.
Yeah, I really like this watch. It's not the biggest screen but it packs a lot of functionality into this small affordable package. Congrats to her on her first race. Can't wait to see what she takes on next 🙌
@@mlegrand oh something I forgot to say about the watch it’s after a workout the watch ask you how you felt during the workout. Oh and she is training for a half marathon 🙂 December 25th is the date for her race 😊
can you push custom swim workouts from the phone app to the fr55? thanks!
Hi Jose, it's not something I've tested but it *should* be available on the FR55. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
My FR 35 died two weeks ago and I'm about to go for a 255. The 35 fulfilled most of my needs, so at first glance, the 55 would be more than enough, but as I see it, the 255 comes with a newer generation heart rate device, multi band gps and do a better job at tracking sleep. I not convinced that I'll find the rest of the extra features that useful, but since I cannot wait for the 65 to released (which I believe should come with newer heart rate monitor), I'm inclined to pay the extra price for not to be stuck with an outdated watch for the following years.
Just too bad that Garmin watches are heavily taxed in my country, so even the 55 is already expensive as it is (a 55 is about 310 dollars, a 255 about 520 dollars).
Would you be able to find a used 255? Seems like that Garmin Tax is extreme.
@@mlegrand I still didn't see any used 255 for sale, but judging on the fact that every used "current model" Garmin I've seen had a higher asking price than the same model on the grey market, I don't see advantage in doing so, as the local 1 year warranty in non-transferable.
The prices I refered are the cheapest on authorized retailers (so I'm covered with the warranty) I could find. On Garmin store they're actually higher (right now a fr 55 costs 399 dollars and a fr 255 costs 675 dollars on Garmin store), but those who are willing to "take risks" could buy the 55 for 245 dollars and the 255 for US$ 450 on the grey market. Used 55s go higher than that usually.
As my first fr 35 malfunctioned on the second day of use and I had to to send it back, having warranty coverage is something I find worthwhile.
Great video.
Any potential news about any new Garmin devices?
I haven't heard anything in a while. I actually think that the chip shortages has hit Garmin hard recently. Still, you'd think they'd want to get something out before the holiday shopping season. 🤷🏻♂️
I've just bought this 5 days ago, I don't have any experience with sport watch, I actually like it, it's very light and it seems precise.
The screen is mediocre (bad resolution, colors, brightness) but it satisfied the basic needs of an unexperienced amateur.
The Garmin Connect app is absolutely amazing
I think that’s an excellent summary of the watch. The watch uses a MIPs display which isn’t as sharp as some watches that use AMOLED but it tends to provide better battery life and decent visibility in direct sunlight conditions. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand you are welcome, that was the first video of you I've watched (it was suggested by TH-cam), I like the way you talk and explained things, it's easy to understand even for non-native English speaker, I will watch other videos of your channel
I got the forerunner 55 and found it doesn’t have the high and low pace value alert settings even though their guidebook says it does. So that’s one missing from this watch
Oh that’s good to know. Thanks for posting about that here Opnog!
What’s the background music for this video? Sounds great
Olympos by Ooyy: Here's a link if you want to just listen: th-cam.com/video/Om6T3o5OZc4/w-d-xo.html
Matt, what kind of data field appear in the triathlon watch?
The data fields can be adjusted to whatever you'd like but typically when you're swimming and hit the split button the watch starts recording T1, then Bike, then T2, then run splits so you end up with times for all three sports and transitions. They also often have an open water swimming mode which has an algorithm for getting GPS location while frequently getting dipped underwater and loosing signal.
Hope this helps. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Would like to see a larger band option, for those with larger wrists.
There are third party options that are great. Probably the way to go if these aren’t going to work for you. Let me know if you need more help. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
Definitely an interesting device... I'm a little torn on understanding the target audience here... It's not a replacement for their vivo series as a fitness tracker+ and it's probably not the ideal activity tracker for your athletes with multisport interests... It definitely seems like a runner plus occasional cross training watch with a touch of activity tracking. It almost strikes me as a different version of the 2XX series with some enhancements. Interesting they didn't create a 255 with different tiers like the Fenix lineup. Or make it a 245 non-music variant? I like that Garmin is trying to make a device for everyone, even including niche sports, but I have to imagine it's a manufacturing nightmare right now to have all these watches, some with negligible differences in features and price. Would you not just combine some of them or use the same base body structure? I keep thinking back to the 245 non-music. This really defeats any need for thst watch at all. However it's branded... This video kind of exemplifies the redundancies in Garmin's wearables, especially at the entry level.
I've been thinking the exact same thing. Apple has two watch options. Everything runs the same basic OS. Seems so much easier from a manufacturing and management stand point but "you do you Garmin". I think the target audience here is beginning or budget runners who want a basic GPS watch. I think this watch over delivers to that target market but I'm not going to complain when it could *almost* work for a triathlon watch.
Thank you for checking this one out! Hope all is well and that you're feeling stronger on those Zwift workouts 🙌
hello brother, How's about the gps accuracy in forerunner 55???
I talked about that in my initial review but it’s good. It’s very accurate. There are other watches that are marginally better but I would trust it. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
does this pair with wahoo bolt and display heart rate?
I think you can set this to broadcast heart rate and then you’d be able to pair it to your Wahoo Bolt. 👌
Just sad that there isn't a 55S this time! Almost took the plunge.
I’m enjoying this watch! It does a lot at this price point. Thank you for watching Eric and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
it's charging port is open so won't it get affected by water or dust?
I haven’t yet seen that as an issue. There could always be issues when pressing buttons under water but it should be water proof. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand i bought garmin 55, and when i start record without moving it is still counting the distance, so what is this thing?
@@Aspiringpsychologist - Who knows. Probably the GPS signal establishing your location. I've actually turned on GPS watches and left them sitting for a while and seen wild fluctuations in the GPS map after 20 hours or so. None of these GPS watches are perfect.
Hi, I do cycling 3 or 4 days/week indoor and outdoor. What do you recommend "best budget Garmin watch" for recovery and body battery features like sleep, hydration. Garmin Venu sq or Forerunner 55?
I haven't really tested the Venu SQ but this Forerunner is a solid option. I'd say the Venu SQ is targeted for more smart watch usage and the Forerunner 55 is a bit more targeted at runners. The displays are really different also. The Venu is brighter but the forerunner series have always on displays made for viewing outdoor with longer battery life. This also might sound odd coming from me but I'd also take into consideration which watch looks the best to you. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍
@@mlegrand Thanks for the explanation. I appreciate it. 🙏Love your video!
@@hong_1712 - thank you!
OWS is a deal breaker for me, since i had it with fenix2 and my current fenix3
Yeah, I think you're right. I swim a fair amount of open water. I'd definitely miss that option. There are work-arounds for people who don't open water swim too often. 🤷🏻♂️
@@mlegrand agree looking forward to your next video
Garmin Forerunner 55 Check Sure Don't Not Cheat Your Garmin Policy Matt Legrand
Not 100% sure I know what you mean Aaron but the 55 is a solid option. 👍
Thank You Matt Legrand