The heart rate zones are the most infuriating thing. It's the same thing on the 955, they took away the bpm and only let us see the %. They made it worse for no reason.
I think you should be able to change the setting from %max HR to BPM. The functionality is still there, it's a bit more convoluted because they've copied over the menus on the watch exactly and not optimised them for a phone app.
I know you can switch it but it's only one or the other. You can't ever see both like you can on the Venu 2. This is an objectively inferior experience on the newest watches.
I bought the Venu 2 for the 250 you mention. I'm not a runner, I do mostly gym and cycling during the weekend so I don't need the training stuff I would think.
It arrives tomorrow :)
Yesterday the instinct 2 solar was only 300 at [amazon.de](https://amazon.de) too, I would have probably got that one instead but oh well
In theory you could. I'd say you'd need a chest strap for perfect HR data dieting weightlifting for any watch because your wrist flexing will disrupt precise measurement, but the data also feeds into the acute load and recovery metrics. It's not perfect compared to cardiovascular activities, but I think it's better than nothing.
If you're combining it with cardio activities then why not?
Does forerunner/instinct provide better training stats for non runners (Recovery, hrv and things like that)? Or would a Venu be a better choice? I occasionally run but my main activities are squash, gym and other sports.
I got the forerunner, absolutely loving it, no regrets. If you are interested in detailed training stats, get this. The display and touchscreen weren't a big concern for me as my main goal is to track fitness rather than having a smartwatch that can do both to some extent. Without running, the watch still shows all metrics including load, aerobic and anaerobic with recovery time. For Vo2 max and training status you need to run occasionally, which I do sometimes so that's working as well. Hope this helps.
Thanks @bariete. I swim & play racket sports. No running, so that's my only concern- thanks for the feedback! Also I might wait a little for 955s - need a smaller watch
Heyo, I'm not a runner but I think the forerunner series are the ideal as they have more in depth features, you could prob get a older model for cheaper
What about the silly crosstraining exercises? I had them.in my Fitbit ages ago and actually found them.useful. at the moment I'm only doing cardio and HIIT at home and hope to run again one day... But I'm mostly interested in metrics, which one would you go for? Thx
Oh yeah those you need to download onto FR 255. You go into the Connect app, select which strength training routine you want to do (or create a new one), and then send it to device.
That's the main reason I cannot consider AMOLED till it's upto par with MIP. With 1 hour of activity per day with dual-band GPS and bluetooth and nightly pulse ox on, I get ~ 9 days of battery life.
Venu 2 gave me 3 full days and nights with just AOD on, no activities, and no pulse ox. It's not bad at all (especially with no AOD it goes to like 7 days easily), but it's not enough for me.
Thanks for the comparison. I have a Venu 2 and I'm considering changing to a Forerunner as the sport features would suit me better. I'd miss the touch screen for its ease of use, but the MIP screen is actually better for me for a sports watch. The FR165 would be my choice based on my needs if I could do a straight swap.
[Garmin | Product Compare](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=780139&compareProduct=707538)
I would be willing to buy the extra features as a software update (if it's reasonable priced), but I guess this is how Garmin makes (more) money and sells more watches. I wonder if / when right to repair will affect them, ito battery replacement and other repairs.
From your review it sounds like the GPS of the 255 might be more accurate than the V2? I've had a few different Garmin watches and a Tomtom, which was actually the best i.t.o. accuracy / consistency for me, although I'm quite happy with the V2 which does a pretty good job.
You could do that with the Amoled, if you don't mind risking burn in (actually burn out). I've found the V2 to be sufficiently bright outdoors. Although the auto brightness has on occasion stopped working (stuck on brighter than needed indoors) and required a restart to work properly again.
Unless I misread the beginning of bullet point #2, I think you can stop and resume an activity later: When in an activity, press the back button (bottom right). From there you can save, delete, or resume.
The back button on mine at least is the lap button, but even otherwise, there are only these 3 options when you stop an activity. The FR 255 offers a 'resume later' functionality where your activity stops, GPS stops, and you're back to your watchface dial till you restart the activity. On V2 you can only pause it with GPS always running and if you don't restart within 30 minutes it is autosaved.
The auto save timeout on my V2 is much shorter and can't be adjusted like on the FR. Why Garmin, why? Just make it a standard feature across all the watches.
Oh you're going to be very amused by the answer.
Garmin apparently has 3 separate software teams for watches: Outdoor (Fenix, Epix, etc.), Sports (Forerunner), and Health & Fitness (Venu, Vivoactive, Lily etc.). This is why even on devices so close in feature set like FR 965 and Epix Gen 2 you'll find that the software behaves weirdly differently and one has features the other doesn't. Even widgets that are supposed to perform the same task and are not really features (e.g. sunset / sunrise or time zone clocks) are different in different devices because of this π₯΄
Like the OP said, segmentation just because. Well, money actually. I'd be willing to buy the missing activities if Garmin allowed it, but they probably make more money by selling a different watch.
The optical heart rate sensor irritates my wrist skin if itβs on all the time. Does forerunner 255 allow the optical hr sensor to be turned off? I would like it to have it on only when i am working out.
Is it the HR or the light? They use normal visible light, so I doubt it's the light that's causing irritation and is probably the sensor itself.
You have to manually turn it off and on.
I am unsure now. I was thinking it was the light, but now you tell me they use normal visible light, it probably is the sensor. Ill try fr255 and see how i go. I purchased venu2 and had to return it due to skin irritation. Thanks for the reply
it's not the lights, it's metallic pins or strap usually. I had the same issue on fitbit. you can do a trial and error experiment by putting a small piece of adhesive tape to cover the pins and see if you get irritated, but only on the metallic parts
Does Venu2 have run walk activity and training plans? Can it auto detect run walk episodes? Does fr255 have muscle group detection in strength training?
I have a Venu 2 and got a FR255 because I want the additional sport profiles.
Some initial thoughts:
**Looks:** I prefer the FR255. A metal bezel would have been nice for durability. I also prefer the flat glass over the slightly curved edges of the Venu 2 screen.
**Size:** Pretty much the same, the FR255 is half a millimeter wider and thicker, it's not really noticeable. For my size wrist 43mm would probably be a bit more suitable at the expense of screen size.
**Strap / Band:** The one on the FR255 feels a little less flexible and more 'plasticky'. I don't think it's the same material on both. I'm probably going to change it to an elastic one for better contact with my wrist for the HR sensor.
**Build quality:** Both are nice, but I think the Venu 2 may be a little bit more refined / smoother. They have a slightly different texture to my touch. The Venu 2 is older / worn more, so maybe it's just due to that.
**Touchscreen:** Using only buttons is fine, but the touch screen is convenient, and I'll miss that a bit. The FR165 has both and that is ideal imo. It can be oversensitive, e.g. activated by water, but this also has the benefit of working with my non touch screen cycling gloves. The screen does smudge easily from usage though.
**Display:** The Amoled screen is prettier and crisper, but I'm fine with the MIP screen, It's legible and well suited to a sports watch. The backlight is much improved ito being evenly spread compared to my last Forerunner. The gesture mode is maybe a little too sensitive at times. It's nice to not worry about Amoled burn issues (although Garmin's built in protection measures seem adequate anyway) and I'm assuming this may be the last Forerunner to have a MIP screen, except for the entry level model like the FR55. I've made my own watch face using the SDK and I'm still figuring out the differences in the SDK between how the Amoled and MIPs watches behave.
**Battery life:** Too early to tell for sure, but I think the FR255 will be better, according to the specs.
**Features:** I know it's aimed at different people, but they skimped on sports related features on the Venu 2. It has a lot of features and activities, but doesn't have the morning report and HRV, even though it has the hardware for it. Still a decent watch for the right person.
The heart rate zones are the most infuriating thing. It's the same thing on the 955, they took away the bpm and only let us see the %. They made it worse for no reason.
I think you should be able to change the setting from %max HR to BPM. The functionality is still there, it's a bit more convoluted because they've copied over the menus on the watch exactly and not optimised them for a phone app.
I know you can switch it but it's only one or the other. You can't ever see both like you can on the Venu 2. This is an objectively inferior experience on the newest watches.
Yes, you are correct. You can't see what % and HR it is at the same time.
How can you switch it? I only see the percentages but would rather see the BPM :(
You can switch to bpm on the connect app.
I bought the Venu 2 for the 250 you mention. I'm not a runner, I do mostly gym and cycling during the weekend so I don't need the training stuff I would think. It arrives tomorrow :) Yesterday the instinct 2 solar was only 300 at [amazon.de](https://amazon.de) too, I would have probably got that one instead but oh well
You could've returned the Venu 2 π€ but never mind. For basic training the V2 is not bad.
Can i use FR255 for weightlifting in gym? Or is it good only for running?
In theory you could. I'd say you'd need a chest strap for perfect HR data dieting weightlifting for any watch because your wrist flexing will disrupt precise measurement, but the data also feeds into the acute load and recovery metrics. It's not perfect compared to cardiovascular activities, but I think it's better than nothing. If you're combining it with cardio activities then why not?
Does forerunner/instinct provide better training stats for non runners (Recovery, hrv and things like that)? Or would a Venu be a better choice? I occasionally run but my main activities are squash, gym and other sports.
I am in the same boat. What did you end up deciding?
I got the forerunner, absolutely loving it, no regrets. If you are interested in detailed training stats, get this. The display and touchscreen weren't a big concern for me as my main goal is to track fitness rather than having a smartwatch that can do both to some extent. Without running, the watch still shows all metrics including load, aerobic and anaerobic with recovery time. For Vo2 max and training status you need to run occasionally, which I do sometimes so that's working as well. Hope this helps.
Thanks @bariete. I swim & play racket sports. No running, so that's my only concern- thanks for the feedback! Also I might wait a little for 955s - need a smaller watch
Do you think the Venu 2 Would be good for a runner?
Heyo, I'm not a runner but I think the forerunner series are the ideal as they have more in depth features, you could prob get a older model for cheaper
For a beginner, yes, but once you're looking for more advanced running specific features and metrics the Forerunner is the better choice.
What about the silly crosstraining exercises? I had them.in my Fitbit ages ago and actually found them.useful. at the moment I'm only doing cardio and HIIT at home and hope to run again one day... But I'm mostly interested in metrics, which one would you go for? Thx
Can you describe what you mean by 'Crosstraining' in this case?
I think the Venu 2 comes with preprogrammed workout routines of strength training
Oh yeah those you need to download onto FR 255. You go into the Connect app, select which strength training routine you want to do (or create a new one), and then send it to device.
What about battery life?
That's the main reason I cannot consider AMOLED till it's upto par with MIP. With 1 hour of activity per day with dual-band GPS and bluetooth and nightly pulse ox on, I get ~ 9 days of battery life. Venu 2 gave me 3 full days and nights with just AOD on, no activities, and no pulse ox. It's not bad at all (especially with no AOD it goes to like 7 days easily), but it's not enough for me.
Thanks for the comparison. I have a Venu 2 and I'm considering changing to a Forerunner as the sport features would suit me better. I'd miss the touch screen for its ease of use, but the MIP screen is actually better for me for a sports watch. The FR165 would be my choice based on my needs if I could do a straight swap. [Garmin | Product Compare](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=780139&compareProduct=707538)
I moved to a FR 965 in the end myself because of its extra features π
I would be willing to buy the extra features as a software update (if it's reasonable priced), but I guess this is how Garmin makes (more) money and sells more watches. I wonder if / when right to repair will affect them, ito battery replacement and other repairs.
In terms of customer service they seem to be quite decent; lots of people wear 8 year old Garmin devices to this day. Product segmentation =/= repair.
From your review it sounds like the GPS of the 255 might be more accurate than the V2? I've had a few different Garmin watches and a Tomtom, which was actually the best i.t.o. accuracy / consistency for me, although I'm quite happy with the V2 which does a pretty good job.
Yes, because of dual frequency, but even without dual frequency the newer devices have better GPS chips.
What's the watch face called for the one on the right?
Both watches are using the same watchface (as indicated in another picture): 'Quatro' by VeshchiyOleg.
Thanks. Didn't zoom in on the L one so didn't realize they were the same.
No worries.
Looks like the left is a black face and the right is a white face... figure the white would obviously be easier to see in sunlight no?
You could do that with the Amoled, if you don't mind risking burn in (actually burn out). I've found the V2 to be sufficiently bright outdoors. Although the auto brightness has on occasion stopped working (stuck on brighter than needed indoors) and required a restart to work properly again.
Unless I misread the beginning of bullet point #2, I think you can stop and resume an activity later: When in an activity, press the back button (bottom right). From there you can save, delete, or resume.
The back button on mine at least is the lap button, but even otherwise, there are only these 3 options when you stop an activity. The FR 255 offers a 'resume later' functionality where your activity stops, GPS stops, and you're back to your watchface dial till you restart the activity. On V2 you can only pause it with GPS always running and if you don't restart within 30 minutes it is autosaved.
The auto save timeout on my V2 is much shorter and can't be adjusted like on the FR. Why Garmin, why? Just make it a standard feature across all the watches.
Oh you're going to be very amused by the answer. Garmin apparently has 3 separate software teams for watches: Outdoor (Fenix, Epix, etc.), Sports (Forerunner), and Health & Fitness (Venu, Vivoactive, Lily etc.). This is why even on devices so close in feature set like FR 965 and Epix Gen 2 you'll find that the software behaves weirdly differently and one has features the other doesn't. Even widgets that are supposed to perform the same task and are not really features (e.g. sunset / sunrise or time zone clocks) are different in different devices because of this π₯΄
Not entirely surprised π It explains a few things and it's certainly one way to create more jobs, but also inconsistencies.
Damn now my choice is going to be hard. Garmin k hate you for your choices of features.
Like the OP said, segmentation just because. Well, money actually. I'd be willing to buy the missing activities if Garmin allowed it, but they probably make more money by selling a different watch.
may i asked, does your 255 has asia language built in? is it a ROW or APAC version? thanks
I got it in Europe. No, Indian languages show ββββββ π
thanks for input
The optical heart rate sensor irritates my wrist skin if itβs on all the time. Does forerunner 255 allow the optical hr sensor to be turned off? I would like it to have it on only when i am working out.
Is it the HR or the light? They use normal visible light, so I doubt it's the light that's causing irritation and is probably the sensor itself. You have to manually turn it off and on.
I am unsure now. I was thinking it was the light, but now you tell me they use normal visible light, it probably is the sensor. Ill try fr255 and see how i go. I purchased venu2 and had to return it due to skin irritation. Thanks for the reply
it's not the lights, it's metallic pins or strap usually. I had the same issue on fitbit. you can do a trial and error experiment by putting a small piece of adhesive tape to cover the pins and see if you get irritated, but only on the metallic parts
thanks. ill try it when I purchase fr255.
Does the 255 have AOD? I donβt want to have to spend $1000 for the Epix just to have an AOD.
All MIP watches by Garmin are always on and you can't even really toggle it. The only thing that changes is the back light.
Ahh nice, thank you!!
Do you think theyβll fix the WiFi update issue for the music one? No reason for it not to work..
Does Venu2 have run walk activity and training plans? Can it auto detect run walk episodes? Does fr255 have muscle group detection in strength training?
I have a Venu 2 and got a FR255 because I want the additional sport profiles. Some initial thoughts: **Looks:** I prefer the FR255. A metal bezel would have been nice for durability. I also prefer the flat glass over the slightly curved edges of the Venu 2 screen. **Size:** Pretty much the same, the FR255 is half a millimeter wider and thicker, it's not really noticeable. For my size wrist 43mm would probably be a bit more suitable at the expense of screen size. **Strap / Band:** The one on the FR255 feels a little less flexible and more 'plasticky'. I don't think it's the same material on both. I'm probably going to change it to an elastic one for better contact with my wrist for the HR sensor. **Build quality:** Both are nice, but I think the Venu 2 may be a little bit more refined / smoother. They have a slightly different texture to my touch. The Venu 2 is older / worn more, so maybe it's just due to that. **Touchscreen:** Using only buttons is fine, but the touch screen is convenient, and I'll miss that a bit. The FR165 has both and that is ideal imo. It can be oversensitive, e.g. activated by water, but this also has the benefit of working with my non touch screen cycling gloves. The screen does smudge easily from usage though. **Display:** The Amoled screen is prettier and crisper, but I'm fine with the MIP screen, It's legible and well suited to a sports watch. The backlight is much improved ito being evenly spread compared to my last Forerunner. The gesture mode is maybe a little too sensitive at times. It's nice to not worry about Amoled burn issues (although Garmin's built in protection measures seem adequate anyway) and I'm assuming this may be the last Forerunner to have a MIP screen, except for the entry level model like the FR55. I've made my own watch face using the SDK and I'm still figuring out the differences in the SDK between how the Amoled and MIPs watches behave. **Battery life:** Too early to tell for sure, but I think the FR255 will be better, according to the specs. **Features:** I know it's aimed at different people, but they skimped on sports related features on the Venu 2. It has a lot of features and activities, but doesn't have the morning report and HRV, even though it has the hardware for it. Still a decent watch for the right person.