Welcome to my Garmin Forerunner 955 review—one year later. After logging thousands of steps, countless miles, and a few sweaty race finishes, I’ve had plenty of time to figure out what this watch does brilliantly… and where it could use a tune-up. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth the investment, here’s my honest take.
The Love Story: What’s Still Awesome After a Year
Battery Life That Actually Delivers
I cannot overstate how freeing it is to not charge my watch every day. Even with GPS tracking my long runs, I only have to charge it about once a week—less in the summer when solar charging kicks in. One sunny trail run gave me three extra days of battery life. Take that, dead-Apple-Watch-halfway-through-a-run trauma.
GPS Accuracy That Makes Me Feel Like a Spy
Multi-band GPS is no joke. Whether I’m running on forested trails, weaving through neighborhoods, or looping around the lake, my routes map perfectly. No more awkward zigzag lines making it look like I ran through someone’s living room.
Training Readiness Is My New Coach
The “Training Readiness” and “Morning Report” features have been game changers. Some mornings the watch basically tells me, “Girl, go back to bed” — which, let’s be real, is the kind of honesty I need in my life. Other mornings, it gives me the green light to push harder, and I can actually see my progress stacking up.
The Annoyances (Because No Relationship Is Perfect)
Occasional Software Quirks
Every few months, a firmware update rolls out and… sometimes makes things better, sometimes not. I’ve had moments where my pace display lagged or my watch restarted mid-run (rude). They’re rare, but still annoying.
Not the Flashiest Smartwatch
If you want a screen that’s basically a mini TV, the 955’s MIP display won’t wow you. It’s perfectly readable outdoors (even in blinding sun), but it’s not going to make you gasp at its beauty. Personally, I’ll take battery life over flashy pixels any day.
Durability: The Watch That Survives Me
I’ve banged this thing into door frames, dropped it in gravel, and worn it in everything from rainstorms to sweaty summer speed workouts. The watch face still looks almost new, and the buttons feel as crisp as day one. If only my running shoes aged this well.
One Year Verdict
The Garmin Forerunner 955 has earned its place on my wrist. It’s more than just a GPS watch—it’s been my coach, my accountability buddy, and occasionally my guilt tripper when I haven’t moved enough.
If you want a running watch with serious battery life, reliable GPS, and training tools that actually help you improve, the 955 still delivers in 2025. Sure, it’s not perfect, but for me, the pros outweigh the quirks. I’d buy it again—especially if you can catch it on sale.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my watch says my “Body Battery” is full and I should go for a run. Who am I to argue?
Shop all my favorite running gear HERE or read how I fell in love with running HERE.
