Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black Review: The Ultimate Value Test for Runners

I remember my first foray into the world of GPS running watches. It was a bulky, clunky device that took ages to find a satellite signal and offered only the most basic metrics: distance and pace. Fast forward a decade, and the market is saturated with sleek, powerful smartwatches that can track everything from your sleep quality to your VO2 max. The problem? The price tags on new flagship models can often rival that of a new smartphone. For runners who are just starting out, or for seasoned athletes who simply want reliable core metrics without the frills, this presents a significant barrier. This is the exact dilemma we sought to solve when we got our hands on the Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black. The promise is simple yet compelling: all the core functionality and reliability of a Garmin device, but at a price point that’s far more accessible. The question is, does the “renewed” experience compromise the quality, and can this watch truly keep pace with a runner’s needs?

What to Consider Before Buying a GPS Running Smartwatch

A GPS running smartwatch is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for transforming your running from a simple activity into a measured, intelligent training process. It solves the fundamental problem of “running blind” by providing real-time, accurate data on your pace, distance, heart rate, and location. This data empowers you to follow structured workouts, pace yourself for races, and track your fitness progression over time. The main benefits are profound: enhanced motivation through tangible progress, smarter training that helps prevent over-exertion and injury, and a deeper understanding of your body’s performance and recovery cycles. It becomes your silent coach, your data analyst, and your logbook, all conveniently strapped to your wrist.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone who is ready to take their running more seriously. This includes beginners looking for guidance and motivation, intermediate runners training for a 5K, 10K, or half-marathon, and even experienced runners who value simplicity and reliability over a dizzying array of advanced metrics they’ll never use. However, it might not be the right fit for elite athletes who require multi-band GPS, running power metrics, and advanced physiological analysis. Likewise, individuals who are completely tech-averse or those who absolutely must have the pristine, untouched experience of a brand-new product might prefer to invest in a factory-sealed model. For them, a higher-tier Forerunner or a multi-sport watch from a competing brand could be a better, albeit more expensive, alternative.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Size & Comfort: A running watch is something you’ll wear for hours, often in sweaty, challenging conditions. We found the 42mm case and feather-light 37-gram weight of the Forerunner 55 to be exceptionally comfortable. It’s crucial to consider how a watch will feel on your wrist; a bulky or heavy device can become a distraction during a long run or an annoyance when worn for 24/7 health tracking.
• Performance & Battery Life: The core of a GPS watch is its performance. How quickly does it acquire a satellite signal? Is the heart rate monitor accurate? For the Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black, we looked at its GPS reliability and wrist-based heart rate data, both of which are foundational to its function. Furthermore, its claimed two-week battery life is a massive performance feature, meaning less time tethered to a charger and more time tracking your activities.
• Materials & Durability: Runners face the elements. A watch needs to withstand rain, sweat, and the occasional knock. The Forerunner 55’s resin case and band are built for this purpose, providing a durable yet lightweight construction. Its 50-metre water resistance rating means you can run in a downpour or even take it for a pool swim without a second thought, a key durability metric for any serious fitness tracker.
• Ease of Use & Interface: A complicated interface can ruin the user experience, especially when you’re trying to start a workout quickly. The Forerunner 55 opts for a classic five-button physical interface, which we find superior to a touchscreen in wet or sweaty conditions. Consider whether you prefer the tactile certainty of buttons or the modern feel of a touchscreen, as this will heavily influence your day-to-day interaction with the device.

Choosing the right GPS unit is a critical decision for any outdoor enthusiast, whether you’re a runner, cyclist, or hiker.

While the Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black is an excellent choice for runners, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition in the broader GPS market. For a wider look at all the top models tailored for trail use and navigation, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Unboxing the Renewed Experience

The arrival of a “renewed” product always comes with a hint of trepidation. Would it look used? Would there be scratches? Our Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black arrived in a simple, non-retail box containing the watch itself, a standard Garmin charging/data cable, and a small documentation slip. The first thing we noticed was the condition. The “Excellent Condition” promise held up remarkably well. The screen was flawless, and the resin casing and band showed no discernible signs of wear. It looked, for all intents and purposes, like a new watch.

Holding it in hand, its 37-gram weight is immediately apparent—or rather, its lack of weight is. It feels incredibly light, a significant advantage for a device meant to be worn constantly. Powering it on, we were greeted with the familiar, crisp Garmin display and the standard setup process, which involves pairing it with the Garmin Connect app on a smartphone. The entire process was seamless. The five-button layout felt instantly familiar to anyone who has used a Garmin before, offering satisfyingly tactile clicks that confirm your inputs—a feature we vastly prefer over finicky touchscreens when our hands are sweaty or we’re wearing gloves.

A Deep Dive into the Forerunner 55’s On-Road Performance

A running watch lives and dies by its performance in the real world. Over several weeks, we put the Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black through its paces on city streets, park trails, and the local running track. We tested its core functions, its coaching capabilities, and its reliability as a daily companion to see if the value proposition holds up under the strain of consistent training.

The Core Running Experience: Nailing the Fundamentals

First and foremost, the Forerunner 55 is a running watch, and we’re happy to report it excels at its primary job. Locking onto a GPS signal was consistently quick, usually taking less than 15 seconds from a cold start in an area with a clear view of the sky. This is a massive quality-of-life improvement over older or cheaper GPS units where you might spend minutes shivering on the pavement waiting for a signal. Once locked, the tracking was rock-solid. We compared its distance logging against a measured track and found it to be impressively accurate, with minimal deviation. The on-screen data fields are fully customizable through the Garmin Connect app, allowing us to display the metrics we care about most—current pace, average pace, heart rate, and distance—on a single, easy-to-read screen. The 1.04-inch display, while not the highest resolution on the market, is perfectly legible in direct sunlight thanks to its transflective memory-in-pixel technology. The wrist-based heart rate monitor also performed reliably for steady-state runs, providing data consistent with what we’d expect. While wrist-based sensors can sometimes struggle with high-intensity interval training, for the vast majority of runs, the data was more than sufficient to gauge effort levels and track fitness trends over time. It flawlessly delivers the essential data that forms the bedrock of any runner’s training regimen, a core function that makes it such a compelling option at this price point.

Beyond the Run: A 24/7 Wellness Companion

Where the Forerunner 55 truly punches above its weight class is in its comprehensive suite of all-day health and wellness tracking features. This device doesn’t just go into a drawer after your run; it becomes an integral part of monitoring your overall well-being. It diligently tracks your steps, calories burned, and “Intensity Minutes” throughout the day, providing a constant stream of motivation to stay active. But the tracking goes deeper than that. The sleep monitoring feature breaks down your night into light, deep, and REM sleep stages, offering a nightly score and insights into your recovery. We found this data surprisingly addictive and genuinely useful for identifying patterns, like how a late-night meal or evening screen time impacted our sleep quality. The watch also features all-day stress tracking, powered by heart rate variability. It provides a real-time stress score and can prompt you to use the built-in breathwork exercises to calm down during a hectic day. Perhaps the most useful feature in this category is Garmin’s “Body Battery,” which synthesizes your activity, stress, and sleep data into a single, intuitive score from 1-100, representing your energy reserves. Waking up to see your Body Battery at 95 feels like a green light to tackle a tough workout, while seeing it at 20 is a clear signal that a rest day is in order. This holistic approach elevates the Forerunner 55 from a simple run tracker to a genuine wellness tool.

Smart Coaching and Training Guidance

The Forerunner 55 isn’t just about tracking what you’ve done; it’s about guiding what you should do next. This is where features like Daily Suggested Workouts and Garmin Coach come into play. The Daily Suggested Workouts feature is brilliant for runners who want structure without committing to a rigid plan. Based on your recent training history, fitness level, and recovery status (factoring in your sleep and Body Battery), the watch will suggest a workout for the day—be it a long, slow run, a series of intervals, or a recovery session. We found these suggestions to be remarkably well-tuned and a great way to avoid junk miles. For those with a specific race goal, Garmin Coach offers free, adaptive training plans for 5K, 10K, and half-marathon distances created by real coaches. You select a coach, input your goal, and the plan syncs directly to your watch, guiding you through every workout. It’s like having a personal coach on your wrist. The watch also includes PacePro for race-day strategy, providing grade-adjusted pace guidance. However, it’s here we encountered a point of friction mentioned by one user. While the guided workouts are simple, creating a complex, custom interval session from scratch within the Garmin Connect app can indeed be unintuitive for a first-timer. The interface for building these “repeats” requires some exploration to master, confirming that while the watch is easy to use for its main features, diving into the deep end of customization can present a learning curve.

The “Renewed” Proposition: Balancing Value and Risk

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the “renewed” aspect. The main appeal of the Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black is its price. You are getting access to Garmin’s proven hardware and powerful software ecosystem for significantly less than a new unit. These devices are professionally inspected, tested, and cleaned to function and appear in “Excellent Condition.” Our test unit was a testament to this, being functionally and cosmetically indistinguishable from new. This process makes premium technology accessible to a much wider audience. However, it’s important to acknowledge the risk, as highlighted by a user review we encountered where a non-functional unit was received. This is the inherent trade-off with any pre-owned or refurbished electronics. While quality control processes are in place, the possibility of receiving a lemon is slightly higher than with a factory-sealed product. The crucial mitigating factor is the warranty that accompanies these renewed products, providing a safety net. For a budget-conscious buyer, the substantial savings often outweigh this small, managed risk, making it a savvy and calculated choice for acquiring high-performance gear.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our experience with the device was overwhelmingly positive, but we always look to wider user feedback for a more complete picture. The sentiments we found were tellingly mixed, often hinging on user expectations and technical comfort levels. One user celebrated the device, calling it “really nice, very easy to use, [with] lots of functions,” which perfectly mirrors our experience with its day-to-day operation and core features for general running and health tracking.

Conversely, another user found it to be a “terrible product for runners,” citing that it was unintuitive and that they struggled for two days just to set up interval training. This feedback is valuable because it highlights a real friction point: the gap between basic use and advanced customization. While starting a run is a simple button press, diving into the Garmin Connect app to build a specific workout like “8 x 400m with 90-second recovery” does indeed have a learning curve. Finally, one of the most critical pieces of feedback concerned the renewed condition itself, with one user stating they received a non-working refurbished unit. This underscores the primary trade-off: while you can get a fantastic deal, there is a small but real risk of quality control issues that is less prevalent with brand-new items.

How Does the Forerunner 55 Compare to the Alternatives?

The Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black occupies a fantastic sweet spot in the market, but it’s important to understand what else is available. Depending on your specific needs and budget, one of these three alternatives might be a better fit.

1. Garmin Forerunner 255S GPS Running Smartwatch

The Forerunner 255S is the logical next step up from the 55. If you’re a more data-driven runner who has started to outgrow the 55’s feature set, this is your upgrade path. The 255S adds more advanced training metrics like Training Status, which tells you if you’re training productively, peaking, or overreaching, and Morning Report, which gives you a daily summary of your sleep, recovery, and workout suggestion. It also includes multi-band GPS for enhanced accuracy in challenging environments (like dense cities or deep canyons) and Garmin Pay for contactless payments. It’s a significant upgrade for serious runners who are willing to invest more for deeper performance insights and a brand-new device.

2. Garmin fēnix 7S Smartwatch Multisport

If the Forerunner series is for runners, the fēnix series is for adventurers who do it all. The fēnix 7S is a premium, rugged, multi-sport watch built with higher-end materials like stainless steel or titanium. It’s designed for triathletes, trail runners, hikers, and anyone who needs advanced outdoor navigation with built-in topographic maps—a feature the Forerunner 55 lacks entirely. It also boasts a touchscreen interface in addition to the classic buttons and a significantly longer battery life. This is overkill for someone who primarily runs on roads, but for the serious multi-sport athlete or mountain adventurer with a much larger budget, the fēnix 7S is in a class of its own.

3. Garmin Edge 530 GPS Cycling Computer

This is an important distinction: the Edge 530 is not a watch, but a dedicated cycling computer designed to be mounted on your bike’s handlebars. It is an alternative for an individual who is a cyclist first and foremost, not a runner. It offers cycling-specific metrics like VO2 max for cycling, FTP (Functional Threshold Power) tracking, and advanced performance mapping with features like ClimbPro. While the Forerunner 55 can track a bike ride, the Edge 530 provides a far more detailed and cycling-centric experience with a larger, map-optimised screen. If your primary sport involves two wheels, the Edge 530 is the correct tool for the job.

Final Verdict: An Unbeatable Value for the Aspiring Runner

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the Amazon Renewed Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch Black is a resounding success. It expertly packages Garmin’s reliable and motivating core features into a lightweight, easy-to-use device that performs flawlessly where it matters most: on the run. It strips away the costly, complex features that many runners don’t need, focusing instead on delivering accurate GPS, helpful training guidance, and a surprisingly deep suite of 24/7 wellness metrics that provide a holistic view of your fitness.

While the learning curve for advanced customization and the small inherent risk of a renewed product are valid considerations, they are massively outweighed by the incredible value on offer. We recommend it without hesitation to new runners looking for their first serious watch, intermediate runners training for their next big race, or anyone who wants a top-tier fitness tracking experience without the top-tier price tag. If you’re ready to start training smarter and unlock your running potential, this watch is one of the most intelligent investments you can make. You can check the latest price and see its full feature set right now to see if it’s the right fit for your fitness journey.