Our verdict
An uncomplicated, lightweight running watch with excellent battery life and useful coaching—best bought cheaply by runners who prefer buttons and basics.
What we like
- Simple five-button operation
- Light 37 g design
- Two-week smartwatch battery claim
- Garmin Coach and daily suggested workouts
- PacePro and recovery time
What to consider
- Small, low-resolution MIP display
- No touchscreen or AMOLED
- No music storage, payments or maps
- Limited recovery and training-load analysis
Image credit: Garmin (official product imagery, used for editorial review purposes).
Charles Summer’s review note: This is an independent editorial assessment based on Garmin’s published specifications, independent field reviews and attributed owner reports. Running Watches has not claimed a laboratory or long-term hands-on test.
Charles Summer’s take
The Forerunner 55 is the antidote to overcomplicated sports tech. Press a button, acquire GPS, run, save. For a beginner, walker or experienced runner who simply wants dependable pace and distance, that clarity has real value. Its age shows in the screen and analytics, so price is decisive.
Design and controls
At 37 g, the 42 mm watch virtually disappears on the wrist. The 1.04-inch memory-in-pixel display is always readable in sunlight and efficient, but its 208-by-208 resolution looks plain beside AMOLED models. There is no touchscreen; five buttons handle everything. That can be a benefit during rain, sweat or winter gloves.
Running tools
Built-in GPS, wrist heart rate, pace, distance, cadence alerts and a finish-time estimator cover the essentials. Daily suggested workouts adapt to training history and recovery, while Garmin Coach offers guided 5K, 10K and half-marathon plans. PacePro brings grade-adjusted pacing, unusually useful at this price, and recovery time suggests when to back off.
Battery and health tracking
Garmin quotes up to two weeks in smartwatch mode and 20 hours in GPS mode. The efficient display helps the 55 remain a low-maintenance device. Body Battery, stress, respiration, advanced sleep and all-day heart rate add wellness context, although analysis is far less sophisticated than on the 165 or 265.
Where its age shows
There are no offline maps, multi-band GPS, music storage, Garmin Pay, touchscreen or training readiness. The interface is functional rather than inviting. Garmin’s own announcement described it as presenting “informative and digestible data,” which is fair: simplicity is the product, not an accident.
Verdict
Buy the Forerunner 55 when it is clearly cheaper than the 165 and you prefer an always-on MIP display. If the price gap is modest, the 165’s AMOLED screen and richer metrics justify moving up. As a basic run logger with coaching and excellent battery life, the 55 still earns its place.
Sources
- Garmin Forerunner 55 product page and specifications
- Garmin Forerunner 55 launch announcement
- Garmin product comparison: battery, weight and display
Read our Editorial Policy and Affiliate Disclosure. Compare this model with the current best running watches in Australia guide.
