The Vivoactive 4 is a stylish all-rounder for casual fitness enthusiasts, offering basic health tracking and everyday smartwatch features at a more affordable price. The Forerunner 255 caters to serious athletes with its advanced training metrics, recovery insights, phone-free music, and extended battery life, but comes at a slightly higher cost.
Introduction
Smartwatches have become an indispensable part of many people’s lives, seamlessly blending fitness tracking with everyday convenience. But with so many options on the market, choosing the right one can be daunting.
If you’re an active individual seeking a smartwatch that complements your fitness goals, then you might be considering the Garmin Vivoactive 4 and the Garmin Forerunner 255.
Both are excellent choices from a leading fitness brand, but they cater to slightly different needs. This in-depth comparison will help you decide which one fits your wrist and your workout routine perfectly.
Target Audience
This comparison is geared towards individuals who prioritize fitness tracking and health monitoring alongside everyday smartwatch functionalities. Whether you’re a seasoned runner, a gym enthusiast, or someone looking to improve your overall well-being, both the Vivoactive 4 and the Forerunner 255 offer valuable tools to keep you on track.
Design and Build
Aesthetics and Materials
Vivoactive 4: The Vivoactive 4 boasts a sleek and stylish design with a classic round watch face. It comes in a variety of colors to suit your taste, and the bezel is constructed from a durable stainless steel material.
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 leans towards a more rugged and sporty aesthetic. It features a polymer bezel that’s lightweight yet tough, making it ideal for withstanding the demands of intense workouts.
Display
Vivoactive 4: The Vivoactive 4 features a 1.2-inch, 263 x 263 pixels resolution MIP (memory-in-pixel) display. While not the most vibrant, it offers good readability even in sunlight.
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 boasts a slightly larger 1.3 inches, 260 x 260 pixels resolution transflective display. This technology enhances visibility in direct sunlight, making it perfect for outdoor activities.
Comfort
Both watches come with comfortable silicone straps, but the Vivoactive 4’s overall weight (50 grams) makes it slightly lighter on your wrist.
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 (49 grams) feels equally comfortable, and its lighter polymer build might be preferable for long workouts or runs.
Table: Design and Build Specifications
| Feature | Vivoactive 4 | Forerunner 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Material | Stainless Steel Bezel | Polymer Bezel |
| Display Size | 1.2 inches | 1.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 263 x 263 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Display Type | MIP | Transflective |
| Weight | 50 grams | 49 grams |
Features
Health and Fitness
Built-in Sensors: Both watches boast an impressive array of sensors, including a heart rate monitor, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and barometric altimeter. However, the Forerunner 255 goes a step further by including a Pulse Ox sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation.
Fitness Tracking: Both watches offer comprehensive activity tracking, including steps, distance, calories burned, and sleep monitoring. However, the Forerunner 255 provides more advanced training features like VO2 Max estimation, training load analysis, and recovery time recommendations.
Unique Health Features: The Vivoactive 4 offers features like Body Battery energy monitoring and stress tracking, which can be helpful for overall well-being. The Forerunner 255, on the other hand, includes advanced running dynamics and race predictor tools.
Smartwatch Features
Notifications: Both watches display smartphone notifications and allow you to reject calls. However, only the Vivoactive 4 lets you respond to texts with pre-written messages.
Music Control: Both watches allow you to control music playback on your smartphone. The Forerunner 255 offers an additional advantage with built-in music storage on select models, allowing you to listen to music phone-free.
Phone Settings: Both provide basic phone controls like adjusting volume and finding your phone.
Built-in Apps: Both offer a variety of built-in apps for weather, calendar, and fitness activities. However, the Forerunner 255 caters more to runners with dedicated running apps and training plans.
Phone Compatibility: Both are compatible with a wide range of Android and iOS smartphones.
Other Features
Battery Life
Vivoactive 4: The Vivoactive 4 boasts an impressive battery life of up to 8 days in smartwatch mode
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 offers a battery life of up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to 30 hours in GPS mode. This extended battery life makes it ideal for long training sessions or multi-day adventures.
Water Resistance
Both watches boast a 5 ATM water resistance rating, meaning they can withstand submersion in up to 50 meters of water. This makes them suitable for swimming, showering, and other water activities.
Additional Features
Vivoactive 4: The Vivoactive 4 features built-in GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite support for accurate location tracking. It also offers contactless payments with Garmin Pay.
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 builds upon these features with advanced training metrics like PacePro pacing guidance and ClimbPro ascent planner. It also offers safety features like built-in incident detection and assistance.
Performance and User Experience
Responsiveness and User Interface
Vivoactive 4: The Vivoactive 4 features a user-friendly interface with a combination of button and touchscreen controls. While responsive, the MIP display might feel less vibrant compared to some other smartwatches.
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 offers a smooth and responsive user interface with button controls. The transflective display provides excellent visibility in all lighting conditions.
App Compatibility and Ease of Use
Both watches offer a good selection of downloadable apps from the Garmin Connect IQ store, catering to various fitness activities and interests.
Both are relatively easy to use, with intuitive menus and clear data presentation. The Forerunner 255 might have a steeper learning curve for its advanced training features.
Battery Life in Real-World Usage
Real-world battery life can vary depending on usage patterns. With frequent GPS usage and activity tracking, expect both watches to deliver slightly less than the advertised durations. However, both the Vivoactive 4 and Forerunner 255 offer exceptional battery life compared to many other smartwatches.
Price and Value
Vivoactive 4: The Vivoactive 4 typically falls in a more affordable price range. It offers a good balance of fitness tracking, everyday smartwatch features, and a stylish design.
Forerunner 255: The Forerunner 255 comes at a slightly higher price point. However, it justifies the cost with its advanced training metrics, longer battery life, and features specifically designed for runners and serious athletes.
Value Proposition
Vivoactive 4: If you’re looking for a stylish smartwatch that tracks your daily activities, offers basic health monitoring, and provides convenient notifications, the Vivoactive 4 delivers excellent value at its price point.
Forerunner 255: If you’re a dedicated runner or athlete seeking in-depth training analysis, recovery recommendations, and phone-free music listening, the Forerunner 255 offers superior value with its comprehensive training features and extended battery life.
Conclusion
Summary
Vivoactive 4: A stylish and versatile smartwatch for everyday fitness enthusiasts and those seeking a balance of health tracking and everyday convenience.
Forerunner 255: A feature-packed smartwatch specifically designed for runners and serious athletes, offering advanced training metrics, recovery insights, and phone-free music capabilities.
Who Wins?
The winner depends on your individual needs and priorities.
Choose the Vivoactive 4 if: You prioritize a stylish design, affordability, basic health tracking, and everyday smartwatch features.
Choose the Forerunner 255 if: You’re a dedicated runner or athlete seeking in-depth training analysis, recovery recommendations, phone-free music listening, and extended battery life.
Alternatives to Consider
Garmin Venu 2 Plus: Offers a similar feature set to the Vivoactive 4 with a brighter AMOLED display and the ability to make calls from your wrist.
Polar Vantage M2: A competitor offering advanced training features and recovery metrics targeted towards endurance athletes.
I hope this comprehensive comparison has helped you choose the right Garmin smartwatch to elevate your active lifestyle!
Additional Considerations
Here are some additional factors to consider when making your final decision:
Music Storage: If having music readily available on your wrist during workouts is important, the Forerunner 255 with built-in music storage might be the clear winner.
Display Preferences: The Vivoactive 4’s MIP display offers good readability outdoors but might appear less vibrant. If a brighter and more colorful display is a priority, consider the Garmin Venu 2 Plus mentioned as an alternative.
Advanced Training Needs: If you’re a highly dedicated athlete or someone training for a specific event, the Forerunner 255’s advanced training metrics like PacePro pacing and ClimbPro ascent planner can provide valuable insights.
Smartwatch Features: The Vivoactive 4 offers the ability to respond to texts with pre-written messages, which some users might find convenient. However, this functionality is currently not available on the Forerunner 255.
Aesthetics: Both watches offer a variety of color options, but their overall design language leans towards different styles. The Vivoactive 4 caters to those who prefer a classic and stylish look, while the Forerunner 255 has a more rugged and sporty aesthetic.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the best smartwatch for you comes down to your individual needs and preferences. Consider your activity level, the features you find most valuable, and your budget to make an informed decision. Both the Vivoactive 4 and the Forerunner 255 are excellent choices from Garmin, and whichever one you choose, you’re sure to get a feature-packed companion for your active lifestyle.
Here’s a quick recap table to help you visualize the key differences:
| Feature | Vivoactive 4 | Forerunner 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Target Audience | General Fitness Enthusiasts | Runners & Serious Athletes |
| Design | Stylish & Classic | Rugged & Sporty |
| Display | MIP (Less Vibrant) | Transflective (Excellent Visibility) |
| Built-in Sensors | Standard Set | Includes Pulse Ox Sensor |
| Fitness Tracking | Basic | Advanced with Training Metrics |
| Smartwatch Features | Basic with Text Reply | Music Control & Phone Settings |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 Days | Up to 14 Days (GPS: 30 hrs) |
| Price | More Affordable | Slightly Higher Price |
| Value Proposition | Stylish & Functional | Advanced Training Features |
I recommend checking out online reviews and user testimonials for both watches to get a more in-depth perspective from real-world users. Additionally, visiting your local Garmin retailer and trying on both watches can be a great way to experience the design and user interface firsthand.