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Head to Head

Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

The same watch at its core, but the Solar version's $100 premium buys a Power Glass lens that stretches smartwatch battery life to up to 20 days.

Garmin Forerunner 955Garmin

Garmin Forerunner 955

4.6
Garmin Forerunner 955 SolarGarmin

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

4.8
$499
Lower price
MSRP
$599
Semi-Smart
Watch Type
Semi-Smart
Solid Training Data
Training Data
Solid Training Data
iOS & Android
Phone
iOS & Android
4.6
Rating
4.8
Higher rated
42 hrs
GPS Battery Life
42 hrs
Dual-Band
GPS
Dual-Band
52g
Lighter
Weight
53g
46mm
Case Size
46mm
No
Wrist Calls
No
Yes
Offline Maps
Yes
Spotify/Amazon Music
Offline Music
Spotify/Amazon Music
5 ATM
Water Resistance
5 ATM
—
Notable For
—
Best For
  • •You want to save $100 and don't mind charging more often
  • •Solar charging isn't a priority for your training
  • •You want longer battery life via solar charging
  • •$100 more is worth it for less frequent charging
The Full Story

The 955 was Garmin's flagship running and triathlon watch before the 965 took over, and it still holds up: touchscreen, full-color maps, Training Readiness, and 32GB of music storage. Superseded by newer hardware, but a genuinely capable watch wherever you can find one discounted.

Same touchscreen, full-color maps, and Training Readiness as the standard 955, plus Garmin's Power Glass solar lens for up to 20 days in smartwatch mode. Superseded by newer generations, but still a strong pick for long-distance and ultra runners who care about battery life over the newest chipset.

*Estimated — this model's exact GPS battery life isn't published by the manufacturer. All figures are standard GPS mode, midsize case, no solar boost.

†Estimated — this model launched too recently to have an established customer rating yet.

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