Garmin announces the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 Solar

After launching a successful slew of wearables earlier this year, today Garmin announced multiple new additions to the Forerunner lineup as well. Avid runners can now opt for solar charging, multi-band GPS, and a whole lot more.

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

For the first time, a Garmin running watch now features solar charging. The Forerunner 955 Solar equips a Power Glass solar charging lens (the same lens used on the Fenix 7 Solar and Instinct 2 Solar models), providing users with up to 49 hours of battery life in GPS mode, or 20 days of use in smartwatch mode. The Forerunner 955 also features an always-on, full-color touchscreen display. This touchscreen complements (rather than replaces) Garmin’s traditional five-button design.

On the inside, highlights include multi-band GPS, training readiness, and HRV status which allows users to track heart rate variability overnight for deeper insights into recovery. Leading up to race day, the Forerunner 955 also offers event prep in a new Race widget. This displays day-of weather, performance predictions, and a countdown to the start gun. It will also suggest daily workouts tailored to your training plan. Similarly, Garmin added a customizable morning report to the series which pushes out information about the user’s sleep, recovery, training, and HRV status, as well as the day’s weather and a workout suggestion.

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What about during your run? New real-time stamina insights on the device help athletes monitor and track their exertion mid-run (or ride). Plus, for athletes who pair their device with other accessories, the Forerunner 955 (as well as the Forerunner 255 below) boasts Native Running Power which allows users to receive real-time metrics of their power exertion right on their watch when using Garmin’s Running Dynamics Pod or HRM-Pro.

These features are in addition to the extensive health and wellness tools typically found on Garmin wearables including a pulse oximeter, Body Battery, menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking, smartphone notifications, and more. Shoppers can purchase the Forerunner 955 Solar now at Garmin.com for $599.99. If harnessing sunlight isn’t a priority, Garmin also offers a non-solar charging version for $100 less.

Garmin Forerunner 255

Luckily, Garmin’s most expensive model isn’t the only lineup to see an upgrade today. The company also announced a new family of Forerunner 255 devices. The series includes two size options and specialty models with extra room for music storage. The Forerunner 255 and 255 Music are available in 46mm cases, while the Forerunner 255S and 255S Music come in 41mm cases.

Among the improvements made to the line is a dramatic battery life increase. Garmin says the new models will run up to 14 days in smartwatch mode or up to 30 hours in GPS mode. Garmin also added multi-band GPS for more accurate running data, overnight HRV tracking, both the real-time stamina and running power metrics mentioned above, and Garmin Pay for contactless payments.

Overall, the new devices build on an already successful previous generation for a feature list that goes on and on. Triathletes will be pleased to see the Forerunner 255 now features comprehensive new triathlon and multisport activity modes. Now users can swap back and forth between activities throughout a multisport workout.

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Both the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 255S are available in a variety of colors for $349.99. In black or Whitestone, the Forerunner 255 Music and Forerunner 255S Music are available for $399.99. You can find these watches on sale at Garmin.com.