Written by Jason Lynn
This is an advertising feature for Very.co.uk Wearable Tech Campaign
Photos in this post are taken from my run around Straits Quay.
The travelling life is very different to life at home, but one constant is strapping on a pair of trainers and heading out for a run. Whether it’s an early morning session amongst the French alps or a gentle jog along the beach or corniche in Essaouira, running on holiday is a big part of my routine.
The other constant on each and every run is my trusty Garmin Forerunner watch, with each version lasting several years and hundreds of miles, faithfully tracking and recording each run. After seven years of running like clockwork, my Garmin Forerunner 235 was ready for an upgrade so I was delighted when Very.co.uk got in touch and offered us the chance to try out a new Smart Watch. Being a Garmin fan, the Garmin Forerunner 255 was a obvious choice.
Garmin Forerunner 255 as an everyday watch
When we’re travelling, we always try to pack as lightly as possible, so every item needs to earn its place. The Garmin Forerunner 255 not only excels as a running watch, it’s also does everything you’d need for an everyday travel watch, including alarms, timers, stopwatch, etc. Oh, and it tells the time too!
It looks stylish and attractive, meaning you don’t need to take it off as soon as the run is complete. Other features include health monitoring, sleep tracking, heart rate and stress levels (particularly applicable for a travelling parent).
Fitness tracking
I mainly use the Garmin for running when we’re travelling but, as the kids get older, we’re increasingly using it record our longer hikes, especially when we’re planning to include them on the blog. We can not only record the distance and elapsed time, it gives plenty of useful information about elevation gain, GPX points and heart rates. The GPX point tracking has been brilliant for plotting the recent Penang walk guides on our latest onpenang.com blog (there’s no equivalent of Ordnance Survey here in Malaysia, so the tracking on the Garmin really has been invaluable).
The Garmin 255 also excels as a multisport watch, so if you’re planning to swim or bike during your trip, you’re all set. The 255 has many of the top-end multisport features you only used to find on the more expensive models and it can withstand water pressure down to 50m, meaning you’ll be absolutely fine to wear it swimming or in the shower.
For even the most data-obsessed runner, the Garmin 255 is bursting with stats and figures relating to your run, all visible and analysable via the Garmin Connect app on your phone or laptop. I always enjoy uploading the runs and then seeing on a map where I’ve just been, especially if it’s in a new city or country.
Long battery life and quick charging
As a travelling family, we have an ever-growing collection of charging cables, so it was a relief to discover the Garmin 255 only needed a small USB charging cable with a custom charging interface. Once charged, the watch can last up to two weeks in non-activity mode, or up to 14 hours if you’re using it for an run, swim, cycle, etc.
Charging time is fast, meaning you’re never caught with low battery.
Safety features
Finding good running routes when travelling can be a challenge if you don’t know the local area and the terrain you might be dealing with. The Garmin 255 comes with a range of safety features including the following (although note that you need to carry a paired phone with you to take advantage of these):
- Emergency Contacts: set up a list of people to contact if needed.
- Request assistance: hold down a button and request assistance from your emergency contacts. They’ll be sent details of your location and other details.
- Incident detection: if the watch determines something has happened to you (e.g. you’ve not moved for several minutes), your contacts will be notified.
- Live event sharing: send your contacts real-time details of your run.
Different sizes and payment options
The watch comes in two different sizes: 42mm and 46mm. There’s also a choice of adding a music option to soundtrack your run.
Another super-useful feature is linking Garmin Pay with the watch, meaning you’re never caught short when you need a coffee or to pay for transport home.
Final thoughts on the Garmin Forerunner 255
The Garmin Forerunners are market-leading running smart watch that have been a companion on my runs for over fifteen years. Just because we’re travelling, that doesn’t stop me wanting to keep running and continue to track and record my runs. The Garmin Forerunner 255 is a stylish watch to wear all day even when the running has finished, and the multisport options mean you’ll be recording even more of your day, whether it’s an afternoon swim, bike ride to the nearest village, or how much sleep you’re having.
On top of all this, the built-in safety features help put my family’s minds at rest, and I know I can always buy a post-run coffee with Garmin Pay if I need one. All in all, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is the ideal watch to take with you travelling and will soon become an essential part of your packing list.
Our good friends over at Mini Travellers have also recently tried out the Garmin Forerunner 255. The twins are semi-professional young runners and you can read their review here.
You may also like to read:
Running on holiday: tips for keeping your training on track
Useful and thoughtful travel gifts for parents
How to become a digital nomad family: your ultimate guide