The best Garmin watch for running is the one that checks all the boxes on your wishlist. Health monitoring, training features, battery life, cost, versatility, and style are all factors to consider. More power, greater battery life, and more premium features usually add up to a bigger price tag. With Garmin watches, you can count on options at every price point, AND you can count on even the most basic Forerunner in the lineup having advanced features. Whether you're a beginner, a seasoned athlete, or somewhere in between—we're confident you'll find the best Garmin running watch and price point in this PlayBetter comparison guide.

You can also check out other Garmin watches that double as run trackers known for Garmin's proven health analytics features, accuracy of their GPS, and sleek designs, including the Garmin Venu lineup, the Garmin Fenix line, and even the Garmin Instinct Solar for trail and endurance runners who like to push it!

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The Forerunner 955 premium running watch is designed to help you chase down your most insane goals! And now the Forerunner 955 Solar lets you do that longer with solar-charging technology! We'd also call it the best training tool watch in the bunch!

Put your running shoes on, because the Forerunner 955 has a long list of features to run through and meet your specific needs as a competitive runner!

• Garmin Coach for free adaptive training plans
• Built-in sports apps, including cycling, pool swimming, track running, elliptical, stair-stepper and A LOT more!
• Wrist-based heart rate
• Multi-frequency: Great GPS plus GLONASS and Galileo to track in those challenging environments
• Running Dynamics (with a compatible accessory) to measure crucial running metrics like cadence, stride length, ground contact time and balance, and more
• VO2 MAX can tell you how you might expect to perform with heat or altitude factors
• The Pulse Ox sensor can help gauge how your body is absorbing oxygen—even while you sleep
• Performance Condition lets you analyze real-time pace, heart rate, and heart rate variability for in depth fitness analytics
• Training Status lets you know if you’re training productively, peaking, or overreaching
• Aerobic and anaerobic training effect feedback
• Training Load compares your most recent stats to your optimal and historical fitness stats
• Daily Workout Suggestions guides you with daily run and ride recommendations based on your current training load
• Recovery Time advises you on how long to rest be for your next big run, factoring in stress, sleep, and activity outside your workouts
• Responsive touchscreen in addition to trusted button operation.
• Daily training readiness score to know what kind of workout day it is.
• Customized morning report gives you an outlook on your training, recovery, the weather, and more.
• Race widget gives you personalized infromation you need while you train for your next race.
• New HRV status offers a deeper understanding of your overall wellbeing during training.
• Real-time stamina to track and manage your exertion.
• Improved Garmin 955/955 Solar battery life:
  • Smartwatch Mode: Up to 15 days / Up to 20 days with appropriate solar
  • GPS Mode: Up to 42 hours / Up to 49 hours with appropriate solar
  • All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours
  • All Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band without music: Up to 20 hours/22 hours with solar
  • In Ultratrac Mode: Up to 80 hours / Up to 110 hours with approapriate solar
• Get notifications from your smartphone, assistance, and incident detection features that send your location to your contacts.
• Garmin's full suite of health monitoring features.

Of all the Garmin Forerunner watches, the 255/255S running watch gives you high-end features for a midrange price. Get to know yourself as a runner and go next level with this fitness watch. And go even further with your most motivating tunes if you choose the Forerunner 255 with or without Music.

This super smart sports watch for runners is stuffed with performance-enhancing features, including:

• Garmin Forerunner 255/255S is now available in 2 sizes: 46 mm and 41 mm.
• Morning report summarizes your sleep, HRV status and daily workout suggestion in one place as soon as you wake up
• Get ready for your next race with training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts, and completion time predictions based on course details, weather, and performance
• View your entire week of daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run to match your performance and recovery.
• HRV status tracks your heart rate variability while you sleep, giving you greater insight into your overall wellness, recovery and training performance.
• Garmin Coach for free adaptive training plans.
• Built-in sports apps (cycling, pool swimming, track running, elliptical, stair-stepper, etc.)
• Wrist-based heart rate
• Built-in multi-band GPS for accurate location, distance, pace, and intervals
• Improved battery life of 12-14 days in watch mode; and up to 30 hours when using GPS tracking
• Running Dynamics (with a compatible accessory) for crucial running metrics like cadence, stride length, ground contact time and balance
• VO2 MAX can tell you how you might expect to perform with heat or altitude factors
• The Pulse Ox sensor can help gauge how your body is absorbing oxygen—even while you sleep
• Training Status let you know if you’re training productively, peaking, or overreaching
• Aerobic and anaerobic training effect feedback
• Training Load compares your most recent stats to your optimal and historical fitness stats
• Recovery Time advises you on how long to rest be for your next big run, factoring in stress, sleep, and activity outside your workouts
• Receive text messages and view social media updates, emails, and more from this best Garmin smartwatch
• Get built-in assistance and incident detection and manually or automatically send a message with your real-time location to emergency contacts
• With the Forerunner 255/255S Music, sync your playlists from select music streaming services right to your watch. Store up to 500 songs!

The Forerunner 55 is an easy-to-use running watch designed for every level of runner. At an ultra attractive price, it's loaded with tools that will help you achieve your fitness goals, take your training to the next level, and keep you in tune with your health and wellness.

• Built-in tracking for how far, how fast, and where you run
• Wrist-based heart rate provides data all day and night
• All-day activity tracking counts steps, calories, sleep, and more
• Daily Suggested Workouts take the guesswork out of training by offering personalized run workouts tailored to your training history, fitness level, and recovery time
• Garmin Coach training plans offer on-screen guidance from expert coaches and free 5K, 10K, or half marathon training plans that adapt based on your goals
• Safety features let you send a message with your location to family and friends
• PacePro provides guidance to help you tailor your efforts to a selected course or distance
• The finish time estimator lets you select a run distance and get an estimated finish time right on your wrist
• Cadence alerts let you know when you’ve gone outside your target cadence range, helping to improve your running form
• Built-in activity profiles, including track or virtual running, pool swimming, Pilates, HIIT, and more
• Built-in recovery advisor lets you know how long to rest before your next big effort
• Track stress and set relaxation reminders to do short breathing exercises
• Use the Body Battery™ energy monitor to track energy levels to find the best times for activity and rest
• Women can track their menstrual cycle or pregnancy and log symptoms, receive exercise and nutrition education, and more through the free app
• Receive text messages and view social media updates, emails, and more
• Get built-in assistance and incident detection and manually or automatically send a message with your real-time location to emergency contacts
• Automatically upload activities to Garmin Connect (a free app and global community of Garmin users), and you can download custom watch faces, data fields, and apps from the Connect IQ™ Store.

The Forerunner 55 GPS running watch is the next generation of the Forerunner 45/45S—but very different.

Three things combine to make the Forerunner 55 perhaps one of the best running watches you can get in 2021:

• It's simple to use for people of all skill levels—but especially new runners
• The Forerunner 55 is LOADED with advanced features that can benefit every runner
• At just $199.99 on the PlayBetter.com Garmin Watch Collection—it's a steal!

New features in this lowest price point running watch in the Garmin Forerunner lineup include new running features such as PacePro, Daily Suggested Workouts, Track Mode, and Virtual Run Mode. Finish Time Estimator and Race Predictor offer new ways to time your runs. Recovery Time, the new women's health tracking widget, and Respiration Tracking help keep you tuned into your body. And customizable workouts and increased battery life let you workout when and how you prefer!

The Forerunner 255/255S Music fitness watch hits the sweet spot between robust running features and keeping you in touch with your tunes.

With storage room for up to 500 songs, you should never run out of motivation on a run. Upload songs from Spotify and listen phone-free during your run. But if you want to bring your phone, you can stream music from and control playback right from you wrist. Also, the Forerunner 245 Music lets you skip, pause, and adjust the volume directly from thew watch.

But just because Garmin gave you beats on this GPS running watch, don't think it's not packed with tools for tuning into your running performance as well!

Runner-specific features of the Forerunner 255 Music include Running Dynamics, ground contact time and balance, stride, cadence (all with Garmin running pod accessory), Daily Suggested Workouts, several running profiles, Performance Condition, PacePro, and Race Predictor.

This running watch is also gifted with some pretty sweet navigation for runners, such as point-to-point navigation, real-time bread crumb trail, and TracBack®. So go ahead, get lost in your run and your music—you've got this with your Forerunner 255/255S Music!

Don't need the music? Get the Garmin Forerunner 255/255S standard model for $50 less!

You need functionality, precision, and options in a triathlon watch, and the Forerunner 955/955 Solar has all this and more to help you analyze and optimize your performance. Here's why and how you're going to love this premium multisport watch as your new training partner:

• It's lightweight, doesn't feel bulky
• Made with premium, durable materials
• Stream your music and podcast to your bluetooth headphones; store up to 1,000 songs
• Stores up to 200 hours of activity data, allowing you to go back and analyze your past several workouts without needing an app
• Sensors galore for heart rate, temperature, elevation, weather, compass, and more
• Garmin Coach and built-in sports apps, running dynamics on your cadence, stride, contact time, balance, and more offers insight on your form so you can adjust and improve
• The most Firstbeat metrics (18), which are advanced performance analytics for stress, recovery, and exercise
• More navigation features like full color mapping, ClimbPro, Turn-By-Turn navigation, and roundtrip routing.
• Sports modes and training for running, biking, swimming, and much more!

If you're ready to do it all, give it all, and take it all ... get the watch that has it all! The Forerunner 955/955 Solar!