vs
3.5Display4.9
4.8Battery life8.6
4.9Health tracking4.9
4.9Sports & outdoor6.5
2.7Build & durability8.2
Dimensions
Size comparison
Forerunner 255Race
| Forerunner 255 | Race | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 45.6 mm | 49 mm | −3.4 mm |
| Width | 45.6 mm | 49 mm | −3.4 mm |
| Thickness | 12.9 mm | 13.3 mm | −0.4 mm |
| Weight | 49 g | 83 g | −34 g |
Drawn to the same scale from the official dimensions (front and side).
Why is Forerunner 255 better than Race?
- Weight49 g vs 83 g+69%
- Thickness12.9 mm vs 13.3 mm+3%
Why is Race better than Forerunner 255?
- GPS battery life30 h vs 65 h2.2×
- Battery life (smartwatch mode)14 days vs 20.8 days+49%
- Water resistance5 ATM vs 10 ATM2×
- GPS battery life (dual-band)16 h vs 50 h3.1×
- Storage4 GB vs 32 GB8×
- Sapphire crystalNo · Forerunner 255: Yes
- Screen size1.3″ vs 1.43″+10%
- Resolution (width)260 px vs 466 px+79%
- Sport profiles58 vs 95+64%
- Pixel density200 ppi vs 326 ppi+63%
Specifications
Side by side
| Design & durability | ||
| Case size | 46 mm | 49 mm |
| Weight | 49 g | 83 g |
| Thickness | 12.9 mm | 13.3 mm |
| Height | 45.6 mm | 49 mm |
| Width | 45.6 mm | 49 mm |
| Case material | Plastic / polymer | Stainless steel |
| Sapphire crystal | No | Yes |
| Lens / cover glass | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | Saphirglas Saphirglas |
| Strap material | silicone | Silicone |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Water rating (maker) | 5 ATM | 100 m / 10 bar / 10 ATM |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 1.3″ | 1.43″ |
| Display technology | Memory-in-pixel (transflective) | AMOLED |
| Panel | Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel | Farbdisplay |
| AMOLED / OLED display | No | No |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | — | Yes |
| Resolution (width) | 260 px | 466 px |
| Resolution (height) | 260 px | 466 px |
| Pixel density | 200 ppi | 326 ppi |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | 14 days | 20.8 days |
| GPS battery life | 30 h | 65 h |
| GPS battery life (dual-band) | 16 h | 50 h |
| Battery life (hours) | — | 500 h |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | Li-Ion |
| Wireless charging | No | — |
| Charging | Garmin proprietary plug charger | — |
| Health sensors | ||
| Optical heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Blood oxygen (SpO2) | Yes | Yes |
| Temperature sensor | Yes | Yes |
| HRV tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Sensors | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, SatIQ technology, Elevate wrist heart rate monitor, Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor, Barometric altimeter, Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer | heart rate, barometer |
| Sports & navigation | ||
| Built-in GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Satellite systems | GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Offline maps | — | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Multisport / triathlon mode | Yes | Yes |
| Sport profiles | 58 | 95 |
| Dive mode | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | ||
| NFC payments | Yes | — |
| ANT+ sensors | Yes | — |
| Smart features | ||
| Storage | 4 GB | 32 GB |
| Third-party apps | Yes | — |
| Platform | ||
| Operating system | Garmin OS | Suunto OS |
| Platform | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Works with | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
