The Vivoactive 4 is one of the most well-rounded activity trackers that Garmin has ever released. It effectively caters to runners, sports enthusiasts, and gym goers, without necessarily breaking the bank.
The Garmin Forerunner 255 music is built primarily for runners, but it is also very well suited to cyclists, swimmers, gym goers and people who enjoy snow sports activities.
Now let’s take a closer look at the Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Forerunner 255 Music, focusing on the key differences and the key similarities.
Key Differences - Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Forerunner 255
| PRODUCT NAME | VIVOACTIVE 4 | FORERUNNER 255 Music |
| BEZEL MATERIAL | stainless steel | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| QUICK RELEASE BANDS | yes (22 mm, Industry standard) | yes (22 mm, Industry standard) |
| PHYSICAL SIZE | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm | 45.6 x 45.6 x 12.9 (mm) |
| TOUCHSCREEN | Yes | No |
| WEIGHT | 50.5 g | 49 g |
| BATTERY LIFE | Smartwatch mode: Up to 8 days | Smartwatch mode: Up to 14 days |
| GPS-only GNSS mode | Up to 6 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| All-Systems GNSS mode with music | Up to 18 hours | Up to 6.5 hours |
| All-Systems GNSS mode | N/A | Up to 25 hours |
| All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band | N/A | Up to 16 hours |
| FITNESS AGE | yes (in app) | Yes |
| SLEEP SCORE AND INSIGHTS | No | Yes |
| HEALTH SNAPSHOT | No | Yes |
| THERMOMETER | Requires Tempe™ sensor | Yes |
| ON-DEVICE CONNECT IQ™ STORE | No | Yes |
| REALTIME SETTINGS SYNC WITH GARMIN CONNECT™ MOBILE | No | Yes |
| BATTERY SAVER (CUSTOMIZABLE LOW POWER WATCH) | No | Yes |
| VIRB® REMOTE | No | Yes |
| LIVE EVENT SHARING | No | Android™ Only |
| AVAILABLE GYM ACTIVITY PROFILES | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Breathwork, Pilates, Yoga | Strength, HIIT, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Pilates, Yoga |
| HIIT WORKOUTS | No | Yes |
| ON-SCREEN WORKOUT MUSCLE MAPS | No | Yes |
| % HRR | No | Yes |
| RECOVERY TIME | No | Yes |
| AUTO MAX HR | No | Yes |
| MORNING REPORT | No | Yes |
| RACE GLANCE/WIDGET | No | Yes |
| HRV STATUS | No | Yes |
| RESPIRATION RATE (DURING EXERCISE) | Yoga and Breathwork only | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| INTERVAL TRAINING | No | Yes |
| IMPROVED INTERVAL (INCLUDES OPEN REPEATS, INTERVALS DATA PAGE, REST SCREEN AND AUTO DETECTION) | No | Yes |
| REST TIMER | No | Yes |
| CONFIGURABLE LAP ALERTS | No | Yes |
| VO2 MAX (TRAIL RUN) | No | Yes |
| TRAINING STATUS | No | Yes |
| TRAINING LOAD | No | Yes |
| TRAINING LOAD FOCUS | No | Yes |
| TRAINING EFFECT | No | Yes |
| TRAINING EFFECT (ANAEROBIC) | No | Yes |
| PRIMARY BENEFIT (TRAINING EFFECT LABELS) | No | Yes |
| IMPROVED RECOVERY TIME | No | Yes |
| DAILY SUGGESTED WORKOUTS | No | Yes |
| CUSTOM ALERTS | No | Yes |
| AUDIO PROMPTS | No | Yes |
| FINISH TIME | No | Yes |
| VIRTUAL PARTNER | No | Yes |
| RACE AN ACTIVITY | No | Yes |
| AUTO MULTISPORT ACTIVITIES | No | Yes |
| MANUAL MULTISPORT ACTIVITIES | No | Yes |
| COURSE GUIDANCE | No | Yes |
| AVAILABLE RUN PROFILES | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running, Virtual Running, Ultra Running |
| RUNNING DYNAMICS | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| VERTICAL OSCILLATION AND RATIO | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| GROUND CONTACT TIME AND BALANCE | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| STRIDE LENGTH (REAL TIME) | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| RUNNING POWER | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| PERFORMANCE CONDITION | No | Yes |
| LACTATE THRESHOLD | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| PACEPRO™ PACING STRATEGIES | No | Yes |
| TRAIL RUN AUTO CLIMB | No | Yes |
| RACE PREDICTOR | No | Yes |
| COURSE- AND WEATHER-SPECIFIC RACE PREDICTOR | No | Yes |
| AVAILABLE OUTDOOR RECREATION PROFILES | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing | Hiking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing |
| POINT-TO-POINT NAVIGATION | No | Yes |
| BREAD CRUMB TRAIL IN REAL TIME | No | Yes |
| TRACBACK® | No | Yes |
| ULTRATRAC MODE | No | Yes |
| UP AHEAD | No | Yes |
| ELEVATION PROFILE | No | Yes |
| DISTANCE TO DESTINATION | No | Yes |
| BAROMETRIC TREND INDICATOR WITH STORM ALERT | No | Yes |
| VERTICAL SPEED | No | Yes |
| FUTURE ELEVATION PLOT | No | Yes |
| PROJECTED WAYPOINT | No | Yes |
| AVAILABLE CYCLING PROFILES | Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, eBiking, eMountain Biking |
| COURSES | No | Yes |
| BIKE LAP AND LAP MAXIMUM POWER (WITH POWER SENSOR) | No | Yes |
| RACE AN ACTIVITY | No | Yes |
| FTP (FUNCTIONAL THRESHOLD POWER) | No | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| COMPATIBLE WITH VECTOR™ AND RALLY™ (POWER METERS) | No | Yes |
| POWER METER COMPATIBLE | No | Yes |
| COMPATIBLE WITH VARIA VISION™ (HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY) | No | Yes |
| AVAILABLE SWIM PROFILES | Pool Swimming | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| OPEN-WATER SWIM METRICS (DISTANCE, PACE, STROKE COUNT/RATE, STROKE DISTANCE, SWIM EFFICIENCY (SWOLF), CALORIES) | No | Yes |
| DRILL LOGGING (POOL SWIM ONLY) | No | Yes |
| “REPEAT ON” REST TIMER (POOL SWIM ONLY) | No | Yes |
| AUTO REST (POOL SWIM ONLY) | No | Yes |
| PACING ALERTS (POOL SWIM ONLY) | No | Yes |
| COUNTDOWN START (POOL SWIM ONLY) | No | Yes |
| POOL SWIM WORKOUTS | No | Yes |
| CRITICAL SWIM SPEED | No | Yes |
Key Similarities - Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Forerunner 255
| PRODUCT NAME | VIVOACTIVE 4 | FORERUNNER 255 |
| LENS MATERIAL | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| QUICK RELEASE BANDS | yes (22 mm, Industry standard) | yes (22 mm, Industry standard) |
| COLOR DISPLAY | Yes | Yes |
| DISPLAY SIZE | 1.3″ (33 mm) diameter | 1.3″ (33 mm) diameter |
| DISPLAY RESOLUTION | 260 x 260 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| WATER RATING | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| WRIST-BASED HEART RATE (CONSTANT, EVERY SECOND) | Yes | Yes |
| DAILY RESTING HEART RATE | Yes | Yes |
| ABNORMAL HEART RATE ALERTS | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) |
| RESPIRATION RATE (24X7) | Yes | Yes |
| PULSE OX BLOOD OXYGEN SATURATION | Yes | Yes |
| FITNESS AGE | yes (in app) | Yes |
| BODY BATTERY™ ENERGY MONITOR | Yes | Yes |
| ALL-DAY STRESS | Yes | Yes |
| RELAXATION REMINDERS | Yes | Yes |
| RELAXATION BREATHING TIMER | Yes | Yes |
| SLEEP TRACKING (ADVANCED) | Yes | Yes |
| HYDRATION | Yes | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| WOMEN’S HEALTH | Yes | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| GALILEO | Yes | Yes |
| GARMIN ELEVATE™ WRIST HEART RATE MONITOR | Yes | Yes |
| BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER | Yes | Yes |
| COMPASS | Yes | Yes |
| GYROSCOPE | Yes | Yes |
| ACCELEROMETER | Yes | Yes |
| PULSE OX BLOOD OXYGEN SATURATION MONITOR | Yes | Yes |
| CONNECTIVITY | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| CONNECT IQ™ (DOWNLOADABLE WATCH FACES, DATA FIELDS, WIDGETS AND APPS) | Yes | Yes |
| SMART NOTIFICATIONS | Yes | Yes |
| TEXT RESPONSE/REJECT PHONE CALL WITH TEXT (ANDROID™ ONLY) | Yes | Yes |
| CALENDAR | Yes | Yes |
| WEATHER | Yes | Yes |
| CONTROLS SMARTPHONE MUSIC | Yes | Yes |
| PLAYS AND CONTROLS WATCH MUSIC | Yes | Yes |
| MUSIC STORAGE | up to 500 songs | up to 500 songs |
| FIND MY PHONE | Yes | Yes |
| FIND MY WATCH | Yes | Yes |
| VIRB® REMOTE | No | Yes |
| SMARTPHONE COMPATIBILITY | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone® and Android™ |
| PAIRS WITH GARMIN CONNECT™ MOBILE | Yes | Yes |
| GARMIN PAY™ | Yes | Yes |
| LIVETRACK | Yes | Yes |
| INCIDENT DETECTION DURING SELECT ACTIVITIES | Yes | Yes |
| ASSISTANCE | Yes | Yes |
| STEP COUNTER | Yes | Yes |
| MOVE BAR (DISPLAYS ON DEVICE AFTER A PERIOD OF INACTIVITY; WALK FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO RESET IT) | Yes | Yes |
| AUTO GOAL (LEARNS YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL AND ASSIGNS A DAILY STEP GOAL) | Yes | Yes |
| CALORIES BURNED | Yes | Yes |
| FLOORS CLIMBED | Yes | Yes |
| DISTANCE TRAVELED | Yes | Yes |
| INTENSITY MINUTES | Yes | Yes |
| TRUEUP™ | Yes | Yes |
| MOVE IQ™ | Yes | Yes |
| GARMIN CONNECT™ CHALLENGES APP | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | yes (optional Connect IQ app) |
| AVAILABLE GYM ACTIVITY PROFILES | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Breathwork, Pilates, Yoga | Strength, HIIT, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Pilates, Yoga |
| CARDIO WORKOUTS | Yes | Yes |
| STRENGTH WORKOUTS | Yes | Yes |
| YOGA WORKOUTS | Yes | Yes |
| PILATES WORKOUTS | Yes | Yes |
| ON-SCREEN WORKOUT ANIMATIONS | Yes | Yes |
| AUTOMATIC REP COUNTING | Yes | Yes |
| HR ZONES | Yes | Yes |
| HR ALERTS | Yes | Yes |
| HR CALORIES | Yes | Yes |
| % HR MAX | Yes | Yes |
| HR BROADCAST (BROADCASTS HR DATA OVER ANT+™ TO PAIRED DEVICES) | Yes | Yes |
| GPS SPEED AND DISTANCE | Yes | Yes |
| CUSTOMIZABLE DATA PAGES | Yes | Yes |
| CUSTOMIZABLE ACTIVITY PROFILES | Yes | Yes |
| AUTO PAUSE® | Yes | Yes |
| ADVANCED WORKOUTS | Yes | Yes |
| DOWNLOADABLE TRAINING PLANS | Yes | Yes |
| AUTO LAP® | Yes | Yes |
| MANUAL LAP | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 MAX (RUN) | Yes | Yes |
| TOUCH AND/OR BUTTON LOCK | Yes | Yes |
| AUTO SCROLL | Yes | Yes |
| ACTIVITY HISTORY ON WATCH | Yes | Yes |
| PHYSIO TRUEUP | Yes | Yes |
| AVAILABLE RUN PROFILES | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running, Virtual Running, Ultra Running |
| GPS-BASED DISTANCE, TIME AND PACE | Yes | Yes |
| CADENCE (PROVIDES REAL-TIME NUMBER OF STEPS PER MINUTE) | Yes | Yes |
| RUN WORKOUTS | Yes | Yes |
| FOOT POD CAPABLE | Yes | Yes |
| AVAILABLE OUTDOOR RECREATION PROFILES | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing | Hiking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing |
| BACK TO START | Yes | Yes |
| TOTAL ASCENT/DESCENT | Yes | Yes |
| SUN AND MOON INFORMATION | yes (via Connect IQ™) | Yes |
| AVAILABLE CYCLING PROFILES | Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, eBiking, eMountain Biking |
| ALERTS (TRIGGERS ALARM WHEN YOU REACH GOALS INCLUDING TIME, DISTANCE, HEART RATE OR CALORIES) | Yes | |
| COMPATIBLE WITH VARIA™ RADAR (REAR-FACING RADAR) | Yes | Yes |
| COMPATIBLE WITH VARIA™ LIGHTS | Yes | Yes |
| SPEED AND CADENCE SENSOR SUPPORT (W/SENSOR) | Yes | Yes |
| AVAILABLE SWIM PROFILES | Pool Swimming | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| POOL SWIM METRICS (LENGTHS, DISTANCE, PACE, STROKE COUNT, SWIM EFFICIENCY (SWOLF), CALORIES) | Yes | Yes |
| STROKE TYPE DETECTION (FREESTYLE, BACKSTROKE, BREASTSTROKE, BUTTERFLY) (POOL SWIM ONLY) | Yes | Yes |
| BASIC REST TIMER (UP FROM 0) (POOL SWIM ONLY) | Yes | Yes |
| TIME AND DISTANCE ALERTS | Yes | Yes |
| UNDERWATER WRIST-BASED HEART RATE | Yes | Yes |
Reasons To Choose the Vivoactive 4
1. Touchscreen Navigation
One of the primary reasons to choose the Vivoactive 4 rather than the FR255 is the touchscreen. The touchscreen enhances your ability to navigate through the user interface of the watch, making it seamless to transition between screens and read notifications from your phone. It effectively makes the Vivoactive 4 feel more like a smartwatch than a fitness watch.
2. Golf Mode
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 includes almost all of Garmin’s best golf tracking features. This includes:
- Yardage to the whole
- Yardage to hazards
- Automatic measurement of shot distance
- Digital scorecard
- Round timer
In other words, the Vivoactive 4 has almost all the same features that you would expect in a dedicated GPS golf watch. The Forerunner 255 doesn’t have golf tracking capabilities.
3. It's More Affordable
The recommended selling price of the Vivoactive 4 is at least 50 dollars less than the Forerunner 255.
In addition, because the Vivoactive 4 is an older model now, there is a possibility that you will be able to find it on special, depending on how much product research you do. This could be a dealbreaker for people on a tight budget. The Vivoactive 4 is still a very good watch when you consider all the features that it boasts and the relatively affordable price tag.
Reasons To Choose the Forerunner 255
1. Better Watch For Runners
As you might expect, the Forerunner 255 is a more capable running watch than the Garmin Vivoactive 4.
Some of the standout extra running features include:
- Trail Running, Outdoor Track Running, Virtual Running & Ultra Running
- Advanced Running Dynamics (with accessory)
- Garmin Running Power (with accessory)
- Garmin PacePro Racing Strategies
- Race Time Predictor
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is good enough for casual runners, but it can’t compete with the amount of running data that the FR55 offers.
2. Better Watch For Cyclists
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 offers outdoor cycling and indoor cycling. The Forerunner 255 offers outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, mountain biking, eBiking, and eMountain biking. So, right off the bat there are 3 additional modes for cyclists to choose from.
In addition, the Forerunner 255 is also compatible with third party power meters, and the Garmin Vector and Garmin Rally power meters.
Cyclists can also unlock courses, bike and lap maximum power, and FTP (functional threshold power), provided they have the accessories required to do so.
All in all, the Forerunner 255 is a very solid choice for endurance sports enthusiasts that focus on running and cycling.
3. Better Watch For Swimmers
Once again it is clear that the Forerunner 255 is the better option for endurance athletes that incorporate swimming into their training.While both watches offer basic swimming metrics, the Forerunner 255 also unlocks:
- Open Water Swimming Mode
- Open Water Swimming Metrics
- Pool Swimming Workouts
- Pacing Alerts
- Critical Swim Speed
- Heart Rate from External HRM (HRM Swim or HRM Pro)
When it comes to swim tracking, the Vivoactive 4 can do the job, while the Forerunner 255 can do a significantly better job. If swimming is key to your training, it’s pretty much a no-brainer to opt for the FR255.
4. Easier Connect IQ Access
Both the Vivoactive 4 and the Forerunner 255 give you access to Garmin Connect IQ. This allows you to download a host of apps and widgets that aren’t necessarily included by default.
However, the Forerunner 255 takes Connect IQ access a step further, by allowing you to download the extra apps and widgets directly from the watch. This isn’t a dealbreaker necessarily, but it can make it easier to actually install your connect IQ downloads on your watch directly. Sometimes it is possible for the downloads to exist only on your phone, rather than on your watch. If you select the FR255, it is much easier to prevent this from happening.
5. Sleep Score & Insights + Health SnapShot
Your sleep score is a number (0-100) that summarizes the underlying data to reveal how you slept. A high sleep score means you are well-prepared for the challenges of the day ahead. You also get instant insight into significant factors that influenced your score.
The Garmin Health Snapshot feature helps you capture, save and even share a collection of key health-related insights recorded during a two-minute session. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), Pulse Ox, respiration, and stress are the metrics included in your report, which collectively provide you a glimpse of your overall cardiovascular status.
Both of these features are only available to users who choose the Forerunner 255. To be fair to the Vivoactive 4, you still get sleep tracking and Garmin’s Body Battery score in both watches, so you don’t necessarily lose out too much in this regard.
