Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Forerunner 745

Forerunner 955 is a relatively newer model than the Forerunner 745. However, both watches bring a lot of value for the runners.

We evaluate Forerunner 955 and 745 to help you pick the right running watch.

Smartwatch features covered in this post

Main differences between Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 745

Forerunner 955 has multi-band GPS, a feature missing on Forerunner 745
The battery backup of the Forerunner 955 is almost double the backup offered by Forerunner 745.
Forerunner 955 uses DX coated Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for the display screen. Forerunner 745 uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
Forerunner 955 is compatible with Garmin Golf and has an in-built feature to play a game of Golf. Forerunner 745 does not support Golf.
Forerunner 955 supports spectator messaging safety features.
Forerunner 955 has touchscreen functionality.
Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 745 have the same list price of $499.99

We discuss these differences in detail below.

HRV status feature of Forerunner 955 smartwatch

Display

The display technology used by Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 745 is the same. However, the use of DX coated Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is an advancement on Forerunner 955.

The DX coating of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is a special anti-reflective coating of the display lens. It helps in improving the brightness and readability of the display screen, especially under sunlight.

Apart from the display glass, there are not too many differences in the display specifications. We have shared the main display features of both watches below.

Specifications	Forerunner 955	Forerunner 745
Display lens	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX
Display type	MIP (Memoery-in-pixel)	MIP (Memory-in-pixel)
Display resolution	260 x 260 pixels	240 x 240 pixels
Display diameter	1.3″ or 33 mm	1.2″ or 30.4 mm
Color display	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	Yes	No

The only major difference in display specifications is the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX glass of Forerunner 955.

Physical specifications

Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 745 differ in hardware specifications. Though the differences are not substantial, it still makes sense to know the physical characteristics of both watches.

Specifications	Forerunner 955	Forerunner 745
Watch size	46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 mm	43.8 x 43.8 x 13.3 mm
Display size	33 mm	30.4 mm
Thickness	14.4 mm	13.3 mm
Band size	22 mm	22 mm
Band material	Silicone	Fiber-enforced polymer
Recommended wrist circumference	130-220 mm	126-216 mm
Watch body	Fiber-enforced polymer	Fiber-enforced polymer
Bezel	Fiber-enforced polymerr	Fiber-enforced polymer
Water rating	5 ATM	5 ATM
Device storage	32 GB	4 GB

There are two points that are worthy of your attention in terms of physical specifications

The device storage of Forerunner 955 is 8 times the device storage offered by Forerunner 745.
Forerunner 955 is slightly thicker and broader than the Forerunner 745.

Battery

Forerunner 955 has a much better battery backup than the Forerunner 745. On various watch modes, the backup provided by Forerunner 955 is higher than that of Forerunner 745.

The table represents the battery backup of Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 745 in various modes.

Watch mode	Forerunner 955 Backup	Forerunner 745 Backup
Smartwatch mode	up to 15 days	up to 7 days
GPS mode	up to 42 hours	up to 16 hours
Multi-mode GPS with music	up to 8.5 hours	multi-mode GPS not available
GPS with music	up to 10.5 hours	up to 6 hours
Ultratrac mode	up to 80 hours	up to 21 hours
Multi-mode GPS without music	up to 20 hours	multi-mode GPS not available

The battery of the Forerunner 955 lasts significantly longer than the battery of the Forerunner 745.

GPS

For serious runners, Forerunner 955 has stepped up the GPS performance. This has been made possible by the addition of a multi-frequency positioning sensor on Forerunner 955.

The multi-frequency positioning sensor enables multi-mode GPS service offerings. Garmin Forerunner 955 can get GPS data from multiple satellites at the same time. This improves the quality of GPS data, especially in remote areas and it geographical areas with tall structures.

You can read more about multi-mode GPS technology on this page of Garmin’s website.

To offset the higher battery drain on the GPS mode, Garmin has also added the SatIQ technology. When you enable the SatIQ technology, your smartwatch with toggle on or off between multi-mode GPS or simple GPS mode.

If the quality of GPS data is good in simple GPS mode, SatIQ will not use the multi-mode GPS mode. If GPS signals are weak, SatIQ will automatically change from simple to multi-mode GPS.

Activity profiles

Forerunner 955 provides a higher number of activity profiles than Forerunner 745. The difference in terms of activity profiles are shared below.

Cyling profile – Forerunner 955 has additional profiles for Road Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Cyclocross

Outdoor recreation profiles – Forerunner 955 has additional profiles for Backcountry Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Mapping, Navigating, Tennis, Pickleball, Padel, Track Me, Project Waypoint, Disc Golf

Running profile – Forerunner 955 has an additional profile for Ultra running.

Gym profile – HIIT workouts, On-screen workout animations and On-screen workout muscle maps are available on Forerunner 955. Cardio workouts are only available on Forerunner 745.

Miscellaneous features

Forerunner 955 has a few miscellaneous feature additions or improvements. Some of these are mentioned below.

Forerunner 955 offers a spectator messaging safety feature. Live Track followers can send you messages through the spectator messaging feature. Your paired smartphone will need to have network coverage to receive audio or text messages.

VO2 Max and Realtime stamina are only available on Forerunner 955.

HRV (Heart Rate Variability) status and Training readiness features are only available on the Forerunner 955 smartwatch.

Final verdict

Given the fact that both Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 745 cost the same, my money would go to Forerunner 955. And, there are two very specific reasons for this decision.

Multi-mode GPS is a game changer for the Forerunner watches. So, Forerunner 955 gives you the accuracy of multi-mode GPS without any additional costs involved.
The battery backup of the Forerunner 955 is more than double the battery backup offered by Forerunner 745. It is too difficult to pass it or ignore it.

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