An entry model from the Forerunner series of Garmin, it's already more than a year since I bought my watch. Apart from my Xiaomi Band that I've been using to count my steps before, this is my first proper sports watch. With only casual runs and hikes, let me share my review of the Garmin Forerunner 255s Music after a year of usage!
Brand: Garmin
Originally manufacturing GPS, the American company Garmin expanded its business into different industries such as aviation, marine, personal training, outdoor, and sports. Over the years, Garmin has engineered a wide range of smartwatches to cater to different sports and lifestyles.
Some of the famous lines for Sports & Adventure are the Forerunner (runners), Instinct (outdoors), Fenix (multi-sport), and Descent (diving). For those with active lifestyles, the famous lines are Venu and Vivo which are perfect for activity trackers.
To learn more about the full range of Garmin's products, click HERE!
Product: Forerunner 255s Music
Claimed to be a smaller-sized running watch with music storage, Garmin Forerunner 255s Music's selling point is its phone-free listening capabilities. Subscription is required though and supported apps are only Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or YouTube Music.
As part of the Forerunner series, the watch is mainly designed for road runners and tri-athletes. The watches could measure distance, speed, heart rate (optional), time, altitude, steps, and pace. With its multi-sport options, there's also a variety of metrics and training tools available to be utilized.
To learn more about its specs, read HERE!
Garmin Forerunner 255s Music Review:
As a casual runner and hiker, I've used my watch mainly during my indoor and outdoor runs, indoor cycling classes, strength training, a bit of yoga, and of course, hiking.
Design
Not a touchscreen, I find its design also 'just right'. Just enough screen for me to read everything I need. Enough buttons for me to navigate my way around it. And enough weight and size for my wrist even as worn every day.
But there's definitely room for improvement with the navigation. The number of buttons is enough to get me lost somewhere out there, especially in the Music section. Its way of moving is not consistent all the time.
Key Features & Training Tools
As a first-time user of a sports watch, I was surprised by how advanced the watches nowadays are. I wasn't sure if this is available for every watch out there, but I'm impressed with its notifications and suggestions based on my activities. It helps me become more aware of what my body needs as well as gives me a little push if needed.
Although I don't really follow them, especially the suggestions, it was still a nice touch as if I have a personal trainer right on my wrist.
Additionally, there are a few features (in different sports profiles) that I also liked:
- Running - Metronome (I used to rely on an app for an additional metronome on top of my music)
- Hiking - GPS tracking convertible into a GPX track
Again, I am not sure if this is unique to my watch or if every watch has it now, but I am only highlighting the features that I truly appreciate and relevant to my sports.
I'm a little unsure of its accuracy though especially the altitude, which is relevant to my hiking activities. The battery life seems true to its capabilities but over time, I noticed a decline in its performance both while using GPS and just as a watch (no notifications, Bluetooth, or anything).
Music Storage and Phone-Free Listening
The phone-free listening concept enticed me to buy without reading a lot of reviews. Unfortunately, it became the feature that I hated the most. My not-so-big patience in setting it up was really tested and it just couldn't live up to its name. Navigating is always confusing, it takes time to load, headphones take time to pair, and so on and on.
The time I usually consumed just to start listening was too much for me. I ended up carrying my phone and did not really use this feature, at all.
Final Verdict about Garmin Forerunner 255s Music:
Since I am not an athlete and I'm not very hard to please, Iโm fairly satisfied with my watch. It fulfills my basic needs without breaking the bank. I could also easily understand and navigate the metrics that I want to check after my workouts.
However, since I wasn't dreaming of becoming an athlete, I didnโt utilize the training tools enough on my own. I am wasting the watch's potential to help me grow in my sports. You know, the not-so-technical metrics out there. I didn't bother spending my energy there, at all.
Apart from my disappointment with its phone-free listening capabilities, it's a nice mid-range watch that performs well for different sports. Garmin Forerunner 255s Music is definitely not the best in the market. But if you're still learning your way into sports, its cost, weight, battery life, and features are something you may want to consider. It's a 'just right' watch.
