Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Garmin Forerunner 55

Both are 42 mm Garmin watches with GPS, wrist heart rate, sleep tracking and 5 ATM water resistance, and both hold 4.6 stars from about 8,500 owners. The Vivoactive 5 is the better everyday watch: AMOLED touchscreen, aluminum bezel, Gorilla Glass 3, 11 days of battery, music storage, contactless payments and 30-plus sports profiles. The Forerunner 55 is the better training tool for runners: lighter plastic case, 14 days of battery, 20 hours in GPS mode, PacePro and suggested workouts. Owners of both praise battery life and ease of use; Vivoactive 5 complaints center on the small band and fit, Forerunner 55 complaints on the basic non-touch screen.

• Choose the Vivoactive 5 if you want a bright touchscreen watch for daily wear that also handles swimming, cycling, gym work and wheelchair activity tracking, with music and tap-to-pay on your wrist.
• Choose the Forerunner 55 if you run regularly and want pace guidance, suggested workouts and long GPS battery life in a light, simple watch.