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Garmin Forerunner 265: AMOLED Running Smartwatch

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9.6
Expert ScoreRead review

Original price was: $449.99.Current price is: $349.99.

Price: $449.99 - $349.99
(as of May 20, 2025 04:59:51 UTC – Details)

Train brilliantly with the Forerunner® 265 GPS running smartwatch. Its vibrant AMOLED touchscreen and lightweight design enhance every session. The training readiness feature and morning report with HRV status provide key health insights, helping you crush goals. Plan races with personalized daily suggested workouts adapting to your performance and recovery. With wrist-based running power, multi-band GPS, over 30 activity profiles including triathlon modes, and up to 13 days of battery life, it’s engineered to help you make the most of every run and understand your health more completely.

Product Details

  • Display: Brilliant AMOLED touchscreen with traditional button controls.
  • Size: Lightweight design in 46 mm.
  • Battery Life: Up to 13 days in smartwatch mode; up to 20 hours in GPS mode.
  • Key Reports/Features: Morning report (sleep, recovery, training outlook, HRV status, weather), Training Readiness score, Race Widget, Personalized Daily Suggested Workouts, Training Status.
  • Sensors/Tracking: Wrist-based running power, Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology.
  • Activity Profiles: 30+ built-in, including running, triathlons, cycling, open-water swimming.
  • Connectivity: Smart notifications (Android/Apple), Safety and tracking features (incident detection, Assistance) via paired smartphone.
  • Data Disclaimer: Data presented (HRV, sleep, recovery, training readiness, etc.) is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked.

Advantages

  • Optimized Training: Training readiness and morning reports offer actionable insights to guide when you’re primed for productive sessions.
  • Goal-Oriented Planning: Race widget and personalized daily suggested workouts adapt to your specific race, course, performance, and recovery, helping you strategize effectively.
  • Comprehensive Health Overview: Gain a more complete picture of your health with detailed metrics like HRV status, sleep quality, and recovery.
  • Versatile Activity Tracking: With over 30 activity profiles, it caters to various sports, including triathlons, cycling, and swimming, beyond just running.
  • Superior Accuracy & Reliability: Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ ensures precise positioning, while customers praise its overall tracking accuracy and reliability.
  • Enhanced User Experience: The bright AMOLED display is highly readable, and the watch offers excellent battery life.

Our Recommendations
The Forerunner® 265 is highly recommended for serious runners, triathletes, and multi-sport enthusiasts who are data-driven and looking to optimize their training, recovery, and race performance. If you value detailed health insights, adaptive training plans, and reliable GPS accuracy in a watch with a brilliant display and solid battery life, this is an excellent choice.

Conclusion
The Forerunner® 265 is a powerful and sophisticated GPS running and multisport smartwatch designed to help dedicated athletes train smarter and achieve their goals. Its brilliant AMOLED display, extensive suite of training and health metrics, and adaptive guidance make it a standout. While its data provides close estimations, the reliability, comprehensive features, and excellent battery life make it a top-tier choice for those serious about their performance and well-being.

9.6Expert Score
Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Whitestone and Tidal Blue
PROS
9.6
CONS
1.7
PROS
  • Stunning AMOLED Display: Colorful, bright, and highly readable touchscreen, even without glasses.
  • Comprehensive Training & Health Insights: Features like Training Readiness, Morning Report, and HRV status offer deep understanding.
  • Adaptive Race Preparation: Race widget and personalized daily suggested workouts provide tailored guidance.
  • Accurate Multi-Band GPS & Performance Metrics: Reliable tracking for runs, swims, and other activities, including wrist-based running power.
  • Excellent Battery Life: Up to 13 days in smartwatch mode is impressive for a device with these features.
CONS
  • Metric Estimations: The device explicitly states that data presented is a "close estimation," not medical-grade precision.
  • Feature Overload for Casual Users: The sheer number of advanced metrics and features might be overwhelming for beginners or those wanting a simpler device.
  • Smartphone Dependency for Safety: Safety and tracking features require a paired smartphone with network coverage.

13 reviews for Garmin Forerunner 265: AMOLED Running Smartwatch

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  1. Timmay

    From Vivoactive 3 to FR265!
    I upgraded from a VivoActive 3 Music. I like to space out my upgrades so I get that shock at how much better things have gotten. HR tracking is pretty good, but I still us a chest strap or arm strap while running as watch sensor will lag behind until I’m nearing the end of my run, or I’ve done a high intensity bit and then it seems to be in sync again.I love the screen, it looks amazing. Battery life is excellent. Navigation is straightforward, having come from another Garmin. Notifications are significantly upgraded over my Vivo. And the list of available workouts is stellar. Solid watch, Garmin!

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  2. Amazon Customer

    Great Garmin product!
    So far this Garmin watch is great! It performs as advertised. Garmin is constantly updating the software. The Garmin Connect web page provides the runner with a lot of performance info. Worth to buy!

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  3. Kevin Shaw

    Incredible Watch!!
    I upgraded to this from the Garmin Forerunner 235, and the difference is amazing!! Not only does it give you your training load, but it differentiates between specific training types (high aerobic, low aerobic, etc.) I also love how it measures altitude and barometric pressure. The screen is beautiful as well, and I enjoy being able to visualize my HRV as well. At this point, I feel like I’m rambling on, but there’s just so many features that I love about this watch. I would definitely recommend investing in this baby!!

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  4. SHAY

    Best watch I’ve ever owned!!
    I never thought that I would feel like inspector gadget, but after buying this watch I was sold. This is definitely the best watch. I’ve ever bought tons of different options. The wallpaper option is amazing. The layout configurations are amazing. The tracking is amazing all this on a touchscreen watch and the battery last for two weeks chefs kiss, thank you Garmin for making such an amazing product. I am definitely sold. I have bought four watches from you guys and I will continue to support this company 100%.

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  5. Clem

    started running and this was the perfect watch
    tracked activities, it uploaded everything to strava automatically. Love the sleep analysis and heart rate, calorie burn, steps monitor. so useful. hope to get atleast 5 years out of this!

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  6. Tim

    Beautiful watch. Love it!
    Did tons of research on watches for big runs and music compatibility and kept returning to this one because of the awesome colors, run themes and features, I used my Amazon prime account on Amazon music to download a ton of music and it required wifi and took a couple days but I’m ready to do some big runs with this watch and super stoked on it. If you’re a runner searching for a watch with a longer lasting battery and caters to your running life’s style this is the one.

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  7. iSMAEL

    Super light and very easy for the eyes to read
    Wanted a garmin watch that could use to monitor my exercises (run bike swim) but also to use while sleeping to get my sleep monitored without waking up next day with my arm with pain because the heaviness of the watch, as well as a watch with good color display to be able to read the numbers without my glasses . THIS ONE ACCOMPLISHED ALL WHAT I WANTED!! Great choice!!

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  8. mba74566

    Love it!
    I received my Garmin Forerunner 265 a short time ago and I already love it! The setup was easy and was able to customize my preferred activities easily. The AMOLED display is beautiful and clear, easy to read. It tracks so many metrics and I’m excited to be able to see my HRV, pulse, and VO2 metrics right on the watch face. Do I run? I did years ago but not anymore. Will this watch meet all of my needs -tracking the activities that I DO do, such as walking, strength training. Yoga, and stair climbing – yes it does. It’s a complete package and I couldn’t be happier!

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  9. Faruk

    I have been an Apple user for years. I have an iphone for nearly two decades, I love using my airpods and I have an apple tv for a long time. I highly enjoy the IOS all long my devices. I enjoyed my apple watch too but since I have been exercising a lot (4-6 times/week) my watch became inadequate in terms of data and mostly battery life. I have more control over my exercises with the Garmin and huge loads of data before and after my exercises. Sleep tracking and daily HR, O2 tracking is also a bonus. And having these with a 7 days battery life with on-screen watch is a great difference compared to 1 day(-ish) battery life with Apple!

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  10. Emyko

    Todo bien , realmente es muy bueno, no tengan miedo en compar por Amazon es lo mismo

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  11. Nikhil

    Extremely useful addition to my running journey. The Garmin adaptive running training plan is very good and for the most part takes into account daily factors.The UI is not as intuitive, so may need a few days to get used to.

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  12. Jesus castellanos

    Excelente opción para correr, te ofrece datos que te vuelan la cabeza, batería de tu cuerpo, tiempo de recuperación, qué tan productivo es tu cuerpo en el entrenamiento, excelente opción para el deporte.

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  13. Danae

    Me encanta. Lo uso principalmente para nadar en el mar, correr y andar en bici y su precisión es bastante buena. Me encanta que al terminar una actividad te muestra varias gráficas, que puedes cambiar las pantallas de información que muestra durante las actividades, que puedes crear entrenamientos o te crea automáticos si pones una meta. En realidad es la razón por la que lo tengo. El poder crear entrenamientos específicos es lo que más me gusta de los Garmin (ej. correr 100m al 100% y después esperar a que tu ritmo cardiaco baje a 120bmp para correr los próximos 100m y que también te muestre la inclinación todo sin tener que revisar nada porque el reloj te va avisando; lo mismo con velocidad de nado, ritmo cardiaco y brazadas), y que después te recomiende cuánto tiempo esperar para recuperarte. Pero también sirve perfecto para contar pasos o pisos subidos, para revisar las estadísticas de sueño, para escuchar música directo en tus audífonos sin tener que llevar tu teléfono, etc. Y la pantalla es súper linda. No me lo quito para nada. Súper recomendable.

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