Okay, so I’ve been meaning to upgrade my running watch for a while now. My old one was, well, let’s just say it was very basic. I wanted something with more features, better tracking, and honestly, just something that looked a bit nicer on my wrist. After doing a bunch of reading, I narrowed it down to the Garmin Forerunner 255 series. But then… the 255S showed up! Smaller size? Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
The Initial Research (aka Going Down the Rabbit Hole)
First thing I did was hit up the internet, of course. Started reading reviews, watching videos, comparing specs… the usual. I quickly realized both watches are pretty much identical feature-wise. We’re talking GPS, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, all that good stuff. They both have that fancy multi-band GPS for better accuracy, which is a big deal for me because I run in some areas with spotty coverage.
The big difference? You guessed it – the size. The 255S is designed for smaller wrists, with a 1.1-inch display compared to the 1.3-inch display on the regular 255.
The Wrist Dilemma (aka My Tiny Wrists)
See, I have pretty small wrists. Most regular-sized smartwatches look like I’ve strapped a dinner plate to my arm. So, the 255S was immediately appealing. But I was worried… would the smaller screen be too small? Would I be squinting at my stats mid-run?
The Store Visit (aka Trying Them On)
To solve this, I decided I had to try them on in person. I headed to my local sporting goods store. Thankfully, they had both models in stock. And you know what? The difference was pretty obvious.
- The Forerunner 255: Felt substantial. Good weight, nice big screen. But yeah, it definitely looked a little bulky on my wrist.
- The Forerunner 255S: Fit much better. It felt more comfortable, looked more proportional, and surprisingly, the screen didn’t feel cramped at all.
The Decision (aka No More Dinner Plate)
Honestly, the in-store try-on sealed the deal for me. The 255S was the clear winner. It had all the features I wanted, and it actually looked good on my wrist. No more giant smartwatch awkwardly sliding around!
Living with the 255S (aka Putting it Through its Paces)
I’ve been using the 255S for a few weeks now, and I’m loving it. The GPS is super accurate, even on my trail runs. The battery life is amazing – I only have to charge it like once a week. And the sleep tracking is actually pretty insightful (turns out I’m a restless sleeper!).
The smaller screen hasn’t been an issue at all. It’s perfectly readable, even in bright sunlight. And honestly, I appreciate that it’s not constantly flashing notifications in my face like some other smartwatches.
So, if you’re on the fence between the Garmin Forerunner 255 and 255S, my advice is this: if you have smaller wrists, definitely give the 255S a try. Don’t be afraid of the smaller screen! It might just be the perfect fit for you, like it was for me.