At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Glorious brilliant touchscreen
- Nice GPS monitoring
- Light-weight construct
- Superior monitoring options
Cons
- Expensive
- No mapping software program
Our Verdict
Regardless of a excessive value, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is likely one of the finest operating watches you should purchase. It affords glorious monitoring and training options, a stunning brilliant OLED show and multi-day battery life.
Worth When Reviewed
$449.99
Greatest Costs Right now: Garmin Forerunner 265
$439.99
Just lately, Garmin has risen to the highest of the operating watch recreation, taking it above rivals corresponding to Polar, Suunto, and Apple. The Forerunner 265 cements its place there – it’s a superlative operating watch that nails each the fundamentals and extra superior on-wrist monitoring options.
It’s a tad costly, although, and it lacks some nice-to-have options for the value, together with corresponding to mapping. However all issues thought of, that is in all probability one of the best operating watch you should purchase for below $500/£500 (on the time of writing).
Design and construct
- Light-weight
- AMOLED touchscreen
- 5ATM ranking
I reviewed the bigger 46mm Forerunner 265, which is sort of comparable in design to the Forerunner 255. There’s additionally a smaller 42mm Forerunner 265S.
The primary distinction is the 255 sequence had a readable however extra primary, non-touch memory-in-pixel display screen (MIP), whereas the 265 watches have touchscreen AMOLED screens. That is partly why the 265 prices $449.99/£429.99, significantly greater than the $349.99/£299.99 255 that has very comparable specs and options.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Comparisons apart, the Foreunner 265 is a plain however fairly light-weight watch. Even the 46mm model isn’t gargantuan, and I discovered it comfy to put on all day and evening to trace exercises and sleep. In that regard, it’s higher than the comparatively cumbersome Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional.
I desire the silicone strap and conventional buckle right here than the pin and nubbin popularised by the Apple Watch, plus the straps are customary fast launch 22mm (18mm for the 265S) so that you can swap out with Garmin straps or in any other case.
Although there’s an ideal, vibrant touchscreen, the watch nonetheless has Garmin’s traditional 5 bodily buttons, too. I just like the protruding button on the highest proper that has ‘RUN’ embossed onto it in huge white lettering. Get on with it, the watch implores.
I discovered it comfy to put on all day and evening to trace exercises and sleep
That display screen is daring and brilliant and appears nice in color. It’s far more responsive than the laggy one on the Polar Ignite 3.
The underside homes the center price and blood oxygen sensors, subsequent to the proprietary charging port. And the watch is rated 5ATM for water resistance at as much as 50m depth.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Well being and health monitoring
- Designed for operating, biking and swimming
- Coronary heart price and blood oxygen sensors
- Very correct GPS
Some health watches unfold themselves too skinny with monitoring, or worse, fake they’ll observe particular area of interest exercises corresponding to fencing, badminton, or archery. Actually, that’s only a option to categorise your exercises, however the watches simply observe primary metrics corresponding to coronary heart price.
Garmin doesn’t mess you about with all that. The Forerunner 265 is so named as a result of it’s initially a operating watch, and that’s what it’s best at school at, but it surely does have particular modes for HIIT (excessive depth interval coaching), yoga and pilates.
Beginning a exercise is as straightforward as urgent that RUN button after which selecting run, observe run, treadmill, or hike (by default). Primarily based in your latest utilization and set health objectives, the watch provides you with a personalised exercise suggestion, corresponding to run 5.5km in half-hour.
You’ll be able to skip the suggestion, but it surely’s a part of why the 265 is so good – it’s devilishly easy however supplies clear and helpful teaching with out a software program subscription. Fitbit, Apple, Whoop, and others conceal options behind a paywall. Not Garmin.
I discovered GPS monitoring very correct, with the maps monitoring sticking to paths and roads extra always than the Apple Watch Sequence 8, Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional and Polar Ignite 3. You’ll be able to even select to color the route by completely different metrics corresponding to your tempo, coronary heart price and elevation. It’s granular and I find it irresistible.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
There’s a ton of neat software program options too. The well being snapshot is a two-minute check that captures your common coronary heart price, blood oxygen, respiration, stress ranking, and coronary heart price variability.
The morning report can also be useful – put on the watch at evening and while you wake, the very first thing it’ll take you thru is the way you slept, your calendar for the day, climate, a recommended exercise, and optionally cycle monitoring, amongst different metrics. It’s a considerate addition.
As soon as worn for just a few days straight, the superb Garmin Join app provides you a coaching readiness rating that can assist you determine whether or not to hit the highway or put your ft up.
The Forerunner 265 is so named as a result of it’s initially a operating watch, and that’s what it’s best at school at
This extends equally to efficiency situation outcomes in your wrist mid-run, that analyse your tempo and coronary heart price and let you know the way laborious you need to push. It reinforces how the watch could be a coach, not only a knowledge collector. It’s a disgrace at this value that there’s no mapping software program, although, so you possibly can’t see the place you’ve been.
There are tons of watch faces pre-loaded, and you may obtain extra from the Garmin Join IQ retailer. I additionally saved the always-on show turned on, and there’s a good quantity of knowledge proven relying on what watch face you select.
I’ve examined an ideal many health and monitoring watches, however the Forerunner 265 is my favorite of the lot in the way it collects knowledge and presents me with it later in helpful methods.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Smartwatch options and software program
- Notifications
- Music for offline listening
- Garmin Pay not nice in UK
I opted to show off most the smartwatch options of the 265 and use it solely as a health watch, however the likes of notifications out of your cellphone are there if you would like them. The 265 is absolutely appropriate with iPhone and Android – you simply have to obtain the Garmin Join app.
Extra helpful to me is having the ability to obtain Spotify songs onto the watch’s 8GB reminiscence for listening through Bluetooth headphones. It means you possibly can go away your cellphone at dwelling and nonetheless have tunes to work out with.
I’ve examined an ideal many health and monitoring watches, however the Forerunner 265 is my favorite of the lot
It’s fairly complicated to arrange, however as soon as full, it did work nicely. There’s additionally Deezer and Amazon Music help, however Apple Music and YouTube Music followers are out of luck.
Garmin Pay is in-built so you may make cell funds through NFC, but it surely helps so few frequent UK banks that I couldn’t check it. Should you use Revolut you’re golden, however Monzo and all main legacy banks aren’t on board but. See the complete record on the Garmin web site.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The software program right here is identical as on different Garmin watches, but it surely appears prettier because of the brilliant AMOLED display screen. You’ll be able to straightforward scroll by means of metrics corresponding to coaching readiness, coronary heart price, notifications, climate and music controls with buttons or through contact.
It’s very responsive and I got here throughout no lag in anyway. That is uncommon on any smartwatch, not to mention customized health watch software program. Color me impressed. It makes diving into knowledge a lot extra accessible, enjoyable and helpful.
Garmin charges battery life at 13 days in full smartwatch mode
Battery life and charging
- As much as 13 days battery life
- 20 hours of fixed GPS use
- Costs through USB-C cable
Garmin charges battery life at 13 days in full smartwatch mode, which I used more often than not. You’d solely hit this determine when you have been lounging on the seaside, although.
With GPS used, I recurrently received about 5 days of fixed use, which remains to be miles forward of the Apple Watch Extremely however a lot lower than the Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic. Should you’re planning on a marathon or triathlon, you’ll be OK too, with as much as 20 hours of fixed GPS use promised.
Funnily, the smaller 265S that I haven’t examined is definitely rated for 15 days and 24 hours respectively, as a result of the AMOLED display screen on the bigger mannequin makes use of extra energy. Often, bigger screens additionally imply bigger batteries and due to this fact battery life, however not right here.
If you’d like the identical options with higher battery life, search for a Garmin Forerunner 255 with out an MIP display screen.
There’s a USB-C cable within the field with Garmin’s proprietary charger on the opposite finish, and charging takes a few hours from useless. There’s no Qi wi-fi charging.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Worth and availability
The Garmin Forerunner 265 prices $449.99/£429.99 for the bigger 46mm model. That’s the identical value because the 42mm Forerunner 265S, which has the identical options.
You should purchase each direct from Garmin US and Garmin UK.
It’s far more costly than the Forerunner 255 and 255S (each $349.99/£299.99), which have many of the similar options however an MIP display screen slightly than OLED. Should you don’t want touchscreen, you’ll save some huge cash.
The Polar Pacer is a superb cheaper different at $199.95/£169.50, but it surely lacks the finesse and have set of the Forerunner 265. Should you really need your watch to even be an ideal smartwatch, you would go for the Apple Watch SE that begins at $249/£219, but it surely solely has round sooner or later of battery life and fewer superior health options.
Verdict
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is somewhat dear, but it surely’s my favorite operating watch but. It takes all one of the best, most important options from Garmin’s finest monitoring gadgets and distils them into a straightforward to make use of but superior watch that lasts a number of days on a cost and is comfy to put on 24/7.
The brand new, brighter AMOLED display screen is partly why it prices extra, and battery life isn’t nearly as good as older fashions, however except you’re on a two week expedition and may afford it, the trade-off is price it. The large, brilliant, always-on display screen is a pleasure to take a look at and provides contact controls alongside the acquainted buttons.
Add to that offline music playback, high tier GPS monitoring, and Garmin’s glorious Join app (that requires no subscription but can coach you right into a operating routine) and also you’ve among the finest operating watches available on the market.
Specs
- 1.1in (42mm) or 1.3mm (46mm) AMOLED display screen
- Gorilla Glass 3
- Fibre-reinforced polymer
- 8GB storage
- 18mm (42mm) or 22mm (46mm) replaceable straps
- 5ATM water ranking
- 41.7 x 41.7 x 12.9mm (42mm)
- 46.1 x 46.1 x 12.9mm (46mm)
- 39g (42mm) or 47g (46mm)