Once I started reviewing the Garmin Forerunner 165, I used to be nervous that it could really feel an excessive amount of like a downgrade in comparison with my long-time Forerunner 965 watch. I instructed myself to not maintain any shortcomings towards it since Garmin designed it as a finances working watch.
As a substitute, I discovered that the Forerunner 165 outperforms its worth; it hardly feels low-cost in any respect.Â
Garmin’s first makes an attempt at sub-$300 watches with AMOLED shows — the Venu Sq 2 and Vivoactive 5 — put extra emphasis on a mainstream design that appealed to non-Garmin followers. The Garmin Forerunner 165 appears to be like cheaper, however it feels extra like a watch constructed for Garmin followers who wish to avoid wasting cash, and it is that distinction why it is already on our record of the most effective Garmin watches at this time.
That being mentioned, Garmin did disable a working characteristic on the Forerunner 165, almost certainly to make its $449 Forerunner 265 look extra interesting. Whether or not it can save you cash with the 165 or not will depend upon how a lot of a data-driven runner you’re.Â
Garmin Forerunner 165: Value, fashions, and bands
Launched on February 20, 2024, the Garmin Forerunner 165 prices $249.99, whereas the Forerunner 165 Music prices $299.99. The latter model contains 4GB of music space for storing and Wi-Fi help—the bottom 165 depends solely on Bluetooth—however has no different variations.Â
For context, the 165 Music has about 3.5GB of precise house to your Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music playlists — or your MP3 information. I might match about 500 songs from my private library by way of the Garmin Categorical desktop app. Nonetheless, it will differ primarily based on the dimensions and high quality of your music information. If you would like extra space, the Forerunner 265 Music has 8GB of storage, whereas the Forerunner 965 has 32GB for music and maps.
Each variations of the Forerunner 165 ship in Black or Mist Grey instances, with dual-tone Slate Grey or Whitestone silicone bands, respectively. Solely the Forerunner 165 Music has extra colourful choices: a Berry case with a Lilac strap or a Turquoise case with an Aqua strap.Â
Garmin makes use of 20mm Fast Launch bands for the Forerunner 165, which means they’re simply swapped out by pulling a tab. You should purchase substitute straps of any coloration in silicone ($39.99 every), nylon ($69.99), or leather-based ($69.99) from Garmin straight, or have a look at third-party choices.Â
Garmin Forerunner 165 specs
Garmin Forerunner 165: What you will love
Should you’ve owned a Garmin Forerunner watch prior to now, you typically know what to anticipate from the 165. It is simple to take Garmin’s algorithm with no consideration, however you continue to will not discover rival manufacturers that may suggest a personalized every day run that takes your present health and fatigue ranges into consideration.
In my case, I hardly ever choose every day instructed exercises just like the one above as a result of I like having just a little flexibility with out the Forerunner watch buzzing my wrist if I’m going off-pace. However it nearly at all times conjures up my selection of how onerous to run and whether or not to stay to my neighborhood, jog to the observe, or take an extended route loop.
To get this steering in a $250 working watch with no month-to-month subscription is especially particular, realizing that almost all Garmin watches have the sturdiness and post-launch software program help to make them final for a couple of years, no less than. Living proof, the 2015 Forerunner 235 and 2019 Forerunner 245 are nonetheless the preferred watches on Strava.
I predict that the Forerunner 165 might ultimately take that spot for quite a lot of causes — beginning, clearly, with the low worth in comparison with most Garmin watches.
Prioritizes consolation, however nonetheless long-lasting
The Forerunner 965 has been my every day look ahead to a couple of yr, and I’ve gotten used to its weight and thickness in trade for the 23-day battery life and a 1.4-inch show. As soon as I switched to the Forerunner 165, which is half an oz lighter and 1.6mm thinner, I all of the sudden remembered why I desire lighter watches throughout lengthy runs.Â
The Forerunner 165 design is not what I might name fashionable, however that is true of most Garmins, and I care extra that my wrist feels pleasantly mild sporting it. I turn out to be extra conscious of the 965 each time I maintain my wrist as much as test my tempo, however the 165 falls out of my notion extra shortly.
I am additionally a fan of its lug-heavy silicone band for a safe and breathable match that is not overly tight — even when I’ve seen that the 965’s silicone band appears barely softer and extra versatile. One might want that Garmin provided a nylon improve at checkout as a substitute of creating you pay an additional $70, however I’ve gotten used to this moisture-wicking possibility.
The Forerunner 165’s skinny dimension and AMOLED show do have an effect on its battery life, however I will level out that loads of previous Forerunners just like the 245 and 745 — which price the identical or extra — solely lasted per week per cost, regardless of the MIP shows. The Forerunner 165’s 11-day battery with a extra readable show is certainly an enchancment, throughout the typical vary for most inexpensive health trackers.
I will admit that 17 hours of all-systems GNSS monitoring is on the low facet for a Garmin watch, and it does require extra frequent charging than I’ve grown accustomed to with every day runs or walks. However it’s about context: it will nonetheless really feel game-changing to non-Garmin customers, there isn’t any doable means it will die on you throughout a race, and you may at all times pay for pricier Forerunners if the additional battery is a necessity.
Main upgrades over the Forerunner 55
Should you personal the Forerunner 55, Forerunner 745, or some other Forerunner various years outdated, then the Forerunner 165 will really feel correctly next-generation, with {hardware} upgrades that any runner would admire.
For starters, you turn from a memory-in-pixel (MIP) non-touch show to a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen with superior decision — 390 x 390 versus 208 x 208 with the Forerunner 55. Whereas this does minimize three days of battery, I discover that studying notifications and health charts with out squinting turns into considerably simpler, particularly indoors, the place MIP shows look dim except you crank the backlight.
Extra importantly, you get the Elevate v4 sensor, which is able to registering coronary heart charge variability (HRV) for stress and extra useful Physique Battery recharge information. Sure, it is not the newer v5 sensor of the Venu 3 with ECG and pores and skin temperature, however that is a tall ask for a less expensive watch. So far as I’ve seen in checks towards chest coronary heart charge straps, Garmin’s v4 and v5 tech are comparable for core coronary heart charge accuracy, and different (dearer) Forerunners just like the 965 use v4 as properly.Â
The AMOLED show, correct GNSS monitoring, and dependable coronary heart charge information make the Forerunner 165 really feel really next-gen in comparison with previous Forerunners.
Plus, in fact, Garmin gave the Forerunner 165 entry to an all-systems GNSS mode that pulls from GPS, GALILEO, and GLONASS concurrently. Having two satellite tv for pc alerts prevents inaccurate exercise information in most contexts, even when it could’t pinpoint fairly in addition to dual-frequency GPS on the pricier Forerunners. Should you’ve made do with GPS-only up till now, it is best to admire the improved outcomes (which I will focus on within the subsequent part).Â
The updates do not cease there: the Forerunner 165 has an altimeter for judging elevation achieve, one thing lacking from the Forerunner 55 and more moderen Vivoactive 5. It is a must-have for runners since inaccurate elevation information means your watch cannot attribute greater coronary heart charges to hills, skewing your VO2 Max outcomes.Â
As well as, should you wish to obtain GPX information for offline programs, solely the Forerunner 165 has a compass for breadcrumb navigation. There is not sufficient room for topographical maps just like the Forerunner 965 has, however Garmin treats that as a premium characteristic, so the 265 does not have this both.
On the software program facet, the Forerunner 165 is not that totally different from the 55; loads of my favourite Garmin coaching metrics require a 265 or 965 improve. You do, no less than, see post-run Coaching Impact information exhibiting its cardio or anaerobic impression, and you may cross-train with indoor exercises.Â
You even get wrist-based working energy and kind evaluation, which is not particularly useful for amateurs except you have got a working coach or professional group to contextualize the information. I am extra grateful that the Forerunner 165 added audio prompts, shouting out mile occasions so you are not consistently checking your wrist.
Garmin Forerunner 165: GPS/ HRM accuracy take a look at
Final month, I examined the Forerunner 165 towards COROS and Fitbit trackers for GPS, elevation, step, and coronary heart charge accuracy. I will summarize the outcomes right here, together with some supplemental information.Â
For step depend, it tracked 6,016 steps after 6,000 precise steps, tracked with a bodily pedometer. The subsequent closest was the COROS PACE 3 (91 steps above), with the Fitbit Cost 6 practically 200 steps quick of the particular whole. It proved that the Forerunner 165 does the most effective for primary monitoring should you’re captivated with getting 10,000 steps a day.
For GPS accuracy, I weighed its All-Programs GNSS mode towards the COROS PACE 3 dual-frequency mode, which (on paper) must be extra correct. My run maps above disabused this notion: my Garmin Forerunner 165 (pink) constantly stayed on the path more often than not, whereas the COROS PACE 3 (orange) often strayed off the trail. Their final distance end result — 5 miles for Garmin, 5.02 for COROS — wasn’t that totally different, nonetheless.
(The Fitbit Cost 6’s “Dynamic GPS,” which mixes outcomes from its built-in satellite tv for pc and my cellphone location information, was so erratic that I did not trouble cluttering my maps with the outcomes).
Throughout a subsequent mile-long observe run within the third lane, the Garmin Forerunner 165 measured the proper 1,660-meter distance, whereas the precise GPS line had me drifting into left lanes earlier than turns, filling the protection hole. Once more, COROS appeared considerably worse on the map however had the same distance whole, whereas Fitbit’s wonky GPS-only information (blue) was each inconsistent and 35 meters quick.
Analyzing these outcomes, it is clear that Garmin’s mid-tier location tech is best than its rivals’ top-tier outcomes. I can not say whether or not Garmin’s GPS-only watches are as unreliable because the Fitbit Cost 6 was, however assuming they’re, your post-run tempo and distance is perhaps considerably off. The Forerunner 165 and its All-Programs GNSS might make an actual distinction in un-skewing your coaching information.
As for coronary heart charge accuracy, you may test how the Forerunner 165 outcomes in comparison with the Polar H10 chest strap throughout a five-mile run (above) and through a observe exercise (beneath).Â
For the standard run, the Forerunner 165 was constantly correct for practically all the run, with the identical common and minimal coronary heart charges and solely a 1 bpm distinction for max coronary heart charge. It saved up with the Polar H10 when my coronary heart charge rose shortly on hills however did lag barely at catching my falling coronary heart charge on downhills.
For the observe run, I alternated between sprints and jogs to see how properly the Forerunner 165 might deal with fast adjustments in coronary heart charge — an issue with wrist-based optical sensors.
The Forerunner 165 common bpm was just one bpm greater than the Polar H10, and the chest strap had a visual glitch with deflated outcomes early within the exercise, so I might say they have been very shut. That mentioned, you may undoubtedly see how the Forerunner 165 lagged behind the Polar H10 throughout these sudden adjustments, each for coronary heart charge will increase and reduces.
I will not embrace the opposite coronary heart charge charts right here, however the Fitbit Cost 6 stayed largely in lockstep with the chest strap throughout each runs, beating the Forerunner 165, whereas the COROS PACE 3 matched Garmin in the course of the five-mile run however lagged even worse in the course of the observe run.
General, you may’t fault these leads to a $250 watch, particularly the steps, elevation, and GPS distance.Â
Weeks of Forerunner 165 testing have me assured that it is as correct for coronary heart charge and GPS information as costlier working watches.
Solely Fitbit does higher on this worth vary for coronary heart charge, however the poor location monitoring offsets the advantages. I have never discovered that the pricier Forerunners are any extra correct for coronary heart charge, both, and although the Forerunner 165 lags a bit for fast coronary heart charge adjustments, it averages out to the proper end result ultimately. If you would like extra correct coronary heart charge outcomes than this, do not have a look at pricier working watches: Have a look at the Polar H10 or the COROS coronary heart charge monitor.Â
For additional context, I completed a 5K run of my neighborhood loop sporting the Forerunner 165 and 965 to test the hole in outcomes between the $250 and $600 fashions. As you may see, my coronary heart charge common was equivalent, a predictable however welcome end result on condition that each use the Elevate v4 sensor.Â
Location accuracy is the minor sticking level. The Forerunner 165 measured an additional 0.02 miles after 3.1 miles, which skewed my tempo by a second. It is truthful to imagine the Forerunner 965 is extra correct due to dual-frequency monitoring, however it’s additionally truthful to notice that this hole is minimal in comparison with GPS-only watches that’ll be off by half a minute per mile.
Except you often run close to tall buildings or below dense foliage — which might make dual-frequency GPS particularly useful — I might say you could most likely make do with the Forerunner 165’s all-systems GNSS.
Garmin Forerunner 165: What you will not like
If you cannot already inform, I actually just like the Garmin Forerunner 165, and I feel most runners will, too. That mentioned, it has loads of compromises in comparison with the pricier fashions, with Garmin tantalizing you with lacking options and cutbacks to improve to the 265.Â
On the design facet, its polymer supplies are rugged and light-weight, however you will not get an MIL-STD-810G score just like the Intuition 2X Photo voltaic, and its “chemically strengthened glass” is not as scratch-proof because the 265’s Gorilla Glass 3 therapy, nor as proof against reflections because the 965’s Gorilla Glass DX.Â
Extra importantly, its plastic, button-heavy look is not engaging; that additionally applies to different Forerunners, to be truthful, however I wish to make that clear for individuals who have not grown accustomed to the Garmin aesthetic and like aluminum or metal casing.
Visually, the 1.2-inch show is shiny sufficient, and since Garmin’s UI does not do something difficult, the Forerunner 165’s thick bezel is extra of an aesthetic challenge than a useful one.Â
With its focus solely on well being, sleep, and health monitoring, the Forerunner 165 will really feel substandard to anybody who likes highly effective smartwatches just like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, which prices $50 extra and offers you a full collection of apps, together with third-party working apps like Strava or Nike Run Membership.Â
Shifting away from common downgrades to lacking Garmin options, the Garmin Forerunner 165 does not observe coaching load or load focus. Technically, it could register post-run load, however you will solely see it within the Garmin Join app should you personal a pricier Forerunner just like the 265 with coaching load information.Â
Coaching load issues as a result of it helps me decide whether or not I am over- or undertraining in comparison with previous weeks and which kind of run (low cardio, excessive cardio, or anaerobic) I must do subsequent to enhance my VO2 Max over time. I wrote final month that this lacking characteristic, purposefully excluded by Garmin, is the explanation why I can not change my Forerunner 965 with the 165.
With out Coaching Load and Standing, it is tougher to verify should you’re bettering or deteriorating as a runner. This information will be enlightening or discouraging, and whereas data-driven runners will miss this, others will wish to keep away from the distraction.
Different absent options embrace Coaching Standing, which basically summarizes whether or not your health is bettering primarily based in your Coaching Load, and the corresponding VO2 Max chart exhibiting your altering rating in current weeks. You additionally lose Coaching Readiness, which works past your Physique Battery and estimated restoration time to guage your stamina stage earlier than a exercise. Even should you’re totally recovered out of your final run, you continue to may not be “prepared” as a result of stress, poor sleep, or different elements.
I might proceed to record options like Efficiency Situation, a lactate threshold take a look at, multisport actions for triathletes, and others that solely include the Forerunner 265. In the long run, you will must resolve should you want all of those ancillary options, which might imply upgrading to the Forerunner 265.Â
Garmin Forerunner 165: Competitors
As must be apparent from studying this assessment, different Garmin Forerunner watches are the most effective competitors to the Forerunner 165.Â
The Forerunner 255 and 265 price $100 and $200 extra, respectively. The Forerunner 255 provides you Coaching Standing and Load information, plus dual-band GPS monitoring and an additional three days of battery life; in trade, it’s a must to settle for an MIP show. The Forerunner 265 has the identical options with Coaching Readiness added, plus a 13-day battery life.Â
If you wish to look outdoors of Garmin watches, the COROS PACE 3 is the obvious rival. It prices $20 much less, with instruments like coaching plan calendars, post-run coaching impact, and restoration time that the Forerunner 165 has. Plus, it has the coaching standing and coaching load information that Garmin restricts, a 24-day battery life, and the same weight and dimension. Negatives embrace its low-cost look and boring MIP show, together with the truth that it misplaced to the Forerunner 165 in my accuracy take a look at.
Garmin Forerunner 165: Must you purchase?
You can purchase the Garmin Forerunner 165 if…
You are a runner who wants personalised exercise recs and correct post-run information.You are utilizing a last-gen Forerunner and need a {hardware} improve — however you are pleased with the software program.You may’t afford the pricier Forerunners.
You should not purchase the Garmin Forerunner 165 if…
You want Coaching Load information to your coaching schedule.You’d fairly prioritize battery life over an AMOLED show.
Since I moved away from New York Metropolis and its many working golf equipment — proper in time for a world pandemic — I’ve turn out to be extra of a solitary, data-driven runner. The Garmin Forerunner 165 checks most of my containers, primarily with its exercise strategies that take my fatigue, coaching load, and upcoming races into consideration.
As a result of I examined the Forerunner 265 and 965 first, I’ve turn out to be accustomed to seeing my coaching load information and VO2 Max graph for myself as a benchmark for whether or not I am staying on observe. But when I might by no means used these watches, I would not know what I used to be lacking. I might merely obtain a Garmin marathon coaching plan to my calendar or use Garmin Coach and belief in my effort without having an algorithm to show my progress.
The Garmin Forerunner 165 will prime my private record of the most effective working watches of 2024, however I might solely be capable to use it if I took a special philosophical strategy to my working. Whether or not you purchase it should depend upon the identical factor: Should you do not want Coaching Load, then do not upsell your self to a pricier Garmin, and purchase the wonderful Forerunner 165.
Greatest finances possibility
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is among the many model’s most reasonably priced choices, and whereas meaning accepting some compromises, loads of runners will fortunately accomplish that — particularly if they have been utilizing the Forerunner 55, 245, or different older fashions with last-gen software program. The 165 upgrades the GPS & coronary heart charge accuracy and provides helpful new sensors like an altimeter and compass, whereas maintaining the identical core metrics and coaching instruments.Â