Latest news with #Forerunner265
Tom's Guide
03-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Forget the Apple Watch — my two favorite Garmin Forerunners just dropped in the early Prime Day sales
Whether you've signed up for your next race or you're looking to make the leap from Apple to Garmin, Prime Day is a good time of year to upgrade your tech. Yet this year, the sales have started early, and if you're looking for one of the best Garmins, you're in luck. I've reviewed running watches for the past decade, and right now, two of my favorite Garmin watches are on sale. The Forerunner 965 has been reduced to $549 at Amazon right now, and the Forerunner 265 is on sale for $399 at Amazon. The Garmin Forerunner 265 is Garmin's mid-tier Forerunner, and it's a fantastic watch. It's since been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 570, but don't let this put you off — in fact, if you're not bothered by a speaker and a microphone, the two watches are pretty similar. The Forerunner 265 comes in two different sizes — 42mm and 46mm and both are on sale right now on Amazon. The watch has a bright, brilliant AMOLED touchscreen, and has a battery life of 13 days in smartwatch mode for the larger Forerunner 265, and 15 days for the smaller watch. At $399, you're getting a high-spec watch for a great price. The Forerunner 965 is Garmin's top-of-the-range Forerunner, and it's packed with some of Garmin's most advanced training features. Again, it's recently been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 970, but it's still got an awful lot going for it, and if you're not bothered about a flashlight or making calls from your watch, this is arguably the better pick. It's got a bright AMOLED screen, 23 days of battery life, and some of Garmin's most advanced training features for hardcore athletes. It can even keep tabs on complex multisport activities, making it the best Garmin watch for triathlons. At $549, it's a fantastic price, and I'm not sure it'll get much cheaper. Not for you? Check out Tom's Guide's other early Prime Day deals here. It's unlikely that Garmin's new Forerunners will go on sale next week, but I'll be updating you as new Garmin deals drop.
Gizmodo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
This Is the Best-Rated Garmin Forerunner, And It's Just Hit a New All-Time Low on Amazon
Whether you're a casual athlete or a regular one, this Garmin suits all profiles. Among the best-rated running watches available today, the Garmin Forerunner series consistently earns top marks from runners and fitness enthusiasts. The Garmin Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 265S are no exception, boasting an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars across hundreds of Amazon reviews. These two models—the 265S in 42mm and the standard 265 in 46mm—have both dropped to an all-time low price of $349 since Monday morning, down from their original list price of $449. With a discount of $100, this is a great opportunity if you're looking to upgrade your running watch without waiting for Prime Day. See at Amazon Perfect For 5K or Marathon The Garmin Forerunner 265 and 265S are packed with features that cater to both serious athletes and everyday runners. The watch faces are equipped with vibrant, colorful AMOLED displays that make it easy to view your stats and notifications, even in direct sunlight. The AMOLED technology enhances visibility but also helps conserve battery life so that your watch stays powered for long training sessions or busy days. Under the hood, the Garmin Forerunner 265 and 265S are designed to deliver advanced training metrics and in-depth recovery insights: These watches track a wide range of data including heart rate, VO2 max, training load, and training status, and give you a comprehensive picture of your fitness progress. The recovery insights help you understand when your body is ready for another hard workout or when you might need a rest day which makes it easier to avoid overtraining and injury. Whether you're training for a marathon or simply trying to stay active, these features provide valuable feedback to help you reach your goals. Both watches offer built-in GPS so that you can track your runs, hikes, and bike rides with precision. You can also upload your favorite routes and follow turn-by-turn directions right on your wrist. The watches connect seamlessly with your smartphone, so you can receive notifications, control music, and even make contactless payments with Garmin Pay. The lightweight design and breathable silicone strap ensure a secure, comfortable fit even during long runs or intense workouts. The watches are also water-resistant so you don't have to worry about sweat, rain, or accidental splashes. With a battery life that lasts for days on a single charge, you can focus on your training without constantly worrying about recharging your device. The Garmin Forerunner 265 and 265S are among the best running watches you can buy right now, and the current Amazon deal makes them more accessible than ever. Don't wait for Prime Day: this deal is too good to pass up, and the stock won't last long. See at Amazon
Tom's Guide
16-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
The best running watch I've tested for most people is $100 off — get the lowest price ever now
If I got a dollar every time someone asked me which Garmin watch to buy, I'd probably still need to work for Tom's Guide, but I'd be a lot richer. My recommendation, and one of my favorite Garmins ever, is the Garmin Forerunner 265, and it it's $100 off right now. The fantastic little watch just dropped to $349 from $449 on Amazon in both the 42mm and the 46mm versions. The watch has been replaced by the newly released Garmin Forerunner 570 as the brand's mid-tier Forerunner, but don't let this put you off — it's still a fantastic running watch to have on your wrist, whatever you're training for. The Forerunner 265 is on sale in both sizes right now on Amazon. In the larger 46mm watch, it looks like the deal is on the aqua and black color watch. In the 42mm version, the watch is on sale in black/yellow, white, and pink. Act fast, this deal won't be around forever. In Garmin Forerunner 265 review, I said it was the best Garmin running watch for most people, and I stand by my decision, even with newer, snazzier watches on the market two years later. The Forerunner 265 is extremely light and comfortable, with a stunning AMOLED screen, and it has a lot of the advanced training features usually reserved for Garmin's more premium watches. At the time I wrote, 'The Forerunner 265 feels like a more premium running watch and it's all thanks to its beautiful screen. I've loved having this watch on my wrist — it's slim, it's lightweight, and when next to my Garmin Fenix 7, it looks so much brighter, whether I'm in the gym, or out in direct sunlight.' Next to my Apple Watch, the Forerunner 265 is lighter and more comfortable. I wear the 42mm version, which has a 15-day battery life in smartwatch mode, and a 24-hour battery life in GPS mode. The larger 46mm 265 has 13 days in smartwatch mode, and 20 hours in GPS mode. Normally, it's the larger of the two watches that has the longer battery life, but it seems with the bigger and brighter screen, the larger 265 will need charging ever so slightly sooner. If you're training for your first race or just hoping to get faster and stronger, this watch has plenty of features to help you train better and recover faster. It's a fantastic gadget to have on your wrist, and at $349, it's a fantastic price right now.
Phone Arena
13-06-2025
- Phone Arena
Amazon knocks the Garmin Forerunner 265 back to its lowest price
Get the Forerunner 265 for $100 off $100 off (22%) The Garmin Forerunner 265 gives you the whole package: multiple health and workout features, long battery life, a beautiful OLED touchscreen, and multi-band GNSS support for better positioning accuracy. On top of that, you can buy it at its best price on Amazon, allowing you to save $100! Buy at Amazon Receive the latest mobile news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Conventional Apple and Galaxy watches may be perfect for most users, but hardcore athletes often find them to be less than ideal. What, then, fits their specific needs? A Garmin timepiece, of course! One of the brand's standout models, the Forerunner 265 , strikes a near-perfect balance between performance-focused features and everyday wearability. Plus, it's available at its best price on Amazon!For context, the Garmin watch is down by $100 from its original price of nearly $450, making it a more accessible pick for serious athletes. That said, the promo may not last for too long, so you might want to jump on it what makes it such a good choice for fitness-focused users? To begin with, the unit delivers super accurate heart rate and GPS tracking, and it packs a ton of dedicated features. Some of those include training status and readiness. Those help determine the effectiveness of your workouts and guide the intensity of your next a Forerunner unit, it naturally supports specialized extras for runners, such as track running, wrist-based running power, and Garmin Coach. On top of that, you get regular stress and HRV status insights, sleep tracking, and women's health insights—the whole package!Unlike the Garmin Venu 3 , this fella even supports multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology, providing excellent positioning accuracy in just about any environment. Add to this a 13-day battery life and a beautiful 1.3-inch OLED touchscreen, and you've got a serious workout buddy you'd be more than happy the Garmin OS may be a bit trickier to decipher than your average Wear OS watch, but it works just fine once you get used to it. Plus, if you've owned a Garmin unit in the past, you won't have any issues getting used to the Forerunner things considered, this workout-focused timepiece is indeed worth being on your radar. If you've been refraining from buying the Forerunner 265 for some time, now's your chance to save big. Get it at Amazon and save $100 while this deal lasts.
Business Insider
11-06-2025
- Business Insider
I've tested dozens of fitness watches and the Garmin Forerunner 265 is the one I keep wearing
Garmin is easily one of the most reputable brands making top-tier fitness watches. Its on-wrist heart rate sensor and GPS are arguably the most accurate on the market — two things crucial to accurate activity tracking. As a longtime health and fitness editor, I've tested a lot of fitness wearables across many brands. I've been testing the Garmin Forerunner 265 nearly every day — on high-altitude hikes, long ski days, strength workouts at the gym, and daily neighborhood walks. This model is billed as Garmin's mid-range running watch, ideal for folks whose main activity is running and racing but who don't need full triathlon capabilities. But after two months of testing this watch, I've come to a conclusion: The Forerunner 265 may be the best Garmin watch for active people who train regularly across almost any sport, not just runners. The Forerunner 265 hits the sweet spot between functionality and comfort without being bulky or overly techy. In my experience, it's a better option than the Vivioactive 3 for most (with a few caveats). So, if you're someone who just wants a running watch that nails the basics (and then some), is super easy to use, and has some smartwatch capabilities, the Forerunner 265 deserves a closer look. Just a note: the Forerunner 265 (46mm) is available in a smaller size (42mm), which has a different model number (Forerunner 265S). Other than size, they are functionally identical. I tested the 265S, as it was the best size for my wrist. What I like most You don't have to customize much — but you can A lot of Garmin watches come packed with data and widgets, which is great for the tech-heads. But most average people just want to be told their basic fitness data for the day — sleep score, step count, and recovery index. The Forerunner 265 nails the default setup. Out of the box, the pre-loaded stats, which you access with a simple swipe up, had almost everything I cared about on the main screen — steps, sleep, recovery, body battery, heart rate, and active minutes, along with a few nice to haves like weather, sunrise/sunset time, and altimeter (a must in the Colorado mountains where I live). I only tweaked a few things — like adding a moon phase tracker — but there's a long list of at-a-glance stats you can add, like text notifications, calendar info, sleep coach, stress levels, women's health info, and alternate time zones. I also found the interface intuitive to use; any basic info it displays, you simply tap to learn more, like training history details or how many miles your step count equates to. The workout screen is perfectly informative Whether I was doing a strength workout, going for a hike, or even just walking the dog, the Forerunner 265's default display was exactly the info I wanted to see in real time. On the Vivioactive 3, the watch Garmin often plugs for active generalists (e.g., people who aren't dominantly runners or swimmers, etc.), I found the mid-workout screen a bit unhelpfully simplistic — you can see which set you're on, your current heart rate, or the timer and total calories, but not all at once. On the Forerunner 265, during a workout, the screen shows your heart rate (with color-coded zones), total workout time, rep count, active calories, and the current time. On runs, it shows total time, pace, and distance. It's all the info you want at a glance mid-workout, but never feels like information overload. The Forerunner 265 has over 30 activity profiles to choose from (though they aren't automatically detected on this model — you'll have to manually select the workout type), including triathlons, skiing, and Pilates. It also has built-in music storage and GPS, so you can leave your phone at home. It really is great for runners While this is a great watch for any active lifestyle, it's pretty tricked out for runners. It has: A race widget that helps plan your training strategy and gives you an on-watch countdown every day till race day. A suggested daily workout every morning (e.g., tempo run 3x8:00 @ 7:55/mi) based on this week's previous activity, your past running pace, and your current recovery. Audio prompts that act as a real-time, in-ear coach, reporting your current running pace, whenever you've completed a full mile, and, on interval training, timing for your next sprint to start. A mid-run interface showing heart rate with color-coded zones, cadence, and ground contact time (GCT). A post-run report that covers time spent in different run power zones (i.e., how hard you're pushing), training effect (how this run will improve your anaerobic or aerobic fitness), and performance analysis to improve next time. The ability to find new running routes nearby on the Garmin Connect app. PacePro feature to plan race-day strategy using pace guidance for a selected course or distance. It has great recovery insight One thing that's really hard about training or being active is waking up feeling bleh and not knowing if you should push through or give your body a rest. When you wear your Garmin every day, the watch does a really good job taking into account all the different factors influencing your recovery — this week's stress levels, last night's sleep, the last few workouts you did, how much recovery time you got in between, early signs of getting sick — and suggests whether your body can handle hitting it hard or if you should ease up for a better tomorrow. Other recovery features include: Training Readiness: A 1-5 color-coded scale that reflects how well-recovered you are and how ready your body is to be used again. Training Effect: A measurement of the impact of your last workout on your aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Body Battery: A score of how ready your body is to perform, based largely on sleep quality, previous workouts, and overall stress. Sleep Score: Garmin's advanced sleep tracking records when you fall asleep and wake up, how much time you spend in each sleep stage, and your resting heart rate throughout the night. This culminates in a number score and a quality meter. It's also worth noting that I've worn the Forerunner 265 to sleep most nights alongside my Oura Ring, and the sleep score and Body Battery are more or less always aligned with similar metrics reported by my Oura Ring. That's all to say — Garmin's sleep and heart rate trackers are very accurate. The bright AMOLED display reads easy (with one caveat) While some Garmins use the older MIP screens, the Forerunner 265 has a vivid AMOLED display that looks super crisp and bright (like your phone). Some athletes prefer the traditional MIP display to see better in sunlight, but I found this screen easy to read indoors and most of the time out in full sun, though sometimes I had to take polarized sunglasses off for better visibility. The AMOLED display also goes far in making the watch feel more modern and seamless and less like a traditional running watch. It's comfortable enough to sleep in The Forerunner 265 has that Goldilocks fit: not too sleek and fragile-feeling like the Venu or Vivoactive, but not too bulky and tactical like the Fenix or Enduro. The watch is super lightweight and doesn't trap sweat or water underneath, which is a small but important detail. I never had to take it off after a shower, or even while sleeping. The tracking is actually accurate I've tested enough smartwatches to know not to trust every heart rate reading or step count. But this one's been spot-on in every scenario — from high-altitude hikes to HIIT workouts. The GPS locks in fast, and tracking is consistent. The battery life is incredible One of Garmin's biggest chokeholds on the fitness watch industry is its batteries last for seemingly forever. The Forerunner 265 has up to 13 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 20 hours of battery life in straight GPS mode. I found in using my 265s watch everyday across my life, including running the GPS for about 1-2 hours, I have to charge it every 12 days or so — so basically, once every two weeks. This is incredibly convenient — or rather, incredibly not inconvenient like having to charge your watch every three to four days is. It's also nice to have a long battery life to leverage that sleep tracking rather than charging it at night. Other perks I love Multiple size options: The Forerunner 265 comes in two size options, 42mm (known as the 265S) and 46mm. I have the 42mm Forerunner 265S and it is the perfect size for a small, female wrist. Garmin's app and coaching features: I don't personally use the Garmin Connect app much — I have my training routine dialed — but if you're a new runner, training for your first race, or aren't sure where to begin with cross-training workouts, the app's ample features can be a super helpful tool. Garmin offers built-in training plans with adaptive coaching, plus you can join community challenges (like "365 miles in a year") that are great if you're motivated by goals or competition. Music storage: If you're a Spotify or Amazon Music user, you can download playlists directly to the watch and leave your phone behind on runs. (Note: Garmin doesn't support Apple music.) Garmin Pay: You can set up Garmin Pay and use contactless payments right from your wrist. Smart notifications: The Forerunner 265 has basic smart notifications when paired with your phone — you can receive emails, texts, and alerts on your wrist as you would on your phone. It doesn't have the advanced built-in microphone to answer calls or text messages from the watch; you'd have to upgrade to the Forerunner 965 or Fenix 8 for that. Where it falls short It's still a sports watch, aesthetically. While the Forerunner 265 looks cleaner than many, it's not something I'd wear to a wedding or out to a nice dinner. I live in Colorado, so this vibe is fine most of the time, but I always take it off for a night out. If aesthetics are a priority, the Garmin Venu 3, Vivoactive 3, or even an Apple Watch might be better. It doesn't have every bell and whistle for big athletic endeavors. The Forerunner 265 will carry most people through most activities, and I love that it has an internal altimeter and barometer for accurate outdoor adventures. That said, if you're a big triathlete, you probably want the Forerunner 965 with its longer battery life; full-color, built-in mapping for trails, road, and topography; and larger internal storage for maps and music. If you do a lot of backpacking or adventure racing, the Fenix 8 is a better pick with its offline maps, flashlight, longer battery life, and solar charging option. Sleep tracking and body battery are nice, but they're not that helpful. Garmin pushes both these features heavily as a pro to the watch, but I've found they just report facts to you rather than providing guidance and insight on how you can improve your habits. I know if I had a terrible night's sleep and I know when I need a rest day because my body doesn't feel recovered; I don't need data to tell me this. That said, I definitely know people who do two or three workouts a day and never rest and then wonder why they feel so exhausted, so perhaps there is a target audience for these Garmin features. But personally, I find the sell of a Garmin to be in recording how hard I'm pushing myself and how active I am over the course of a day. I think if you're most interested in your biometrics, a smart ring like the Oura would be more helpful to you than a fitness watch. Garmin's app experience is still… Garmin. It's functional, but not always intuitive or modern-feeling. How it compares to other Garmin and running watches Below are my experiences with other Garmin and fitness watches. For more options, check out our guides to the best Garmin watches, best fitness trackers, and best running watches. Garmin Forerunner 255: The 265 is basically a slightly upgraded version of the 255, namely with a full-color AMOLED display and touchscreen. If you're fine with a simpler display and want to save $100, the 255 is still a great pick. Garmin Venu 3: More lifestyle-forward than the 265 (think: Apple Watch competitor), the Venu also has features like a built-in mic and speaker for calls. But it doesn't feel as optimized for running and training as the 265. Read our full Garmin Venu 3 review. Garmin Fenix 8 or Epix: These watches are both for multi-day mountain missions or ultra training. They're much pricier and bulkier. That said, some people prefer the rugged aesthetic of these watches. Apple Watch Series 10 or Ultra: Best for iPhone users who want smartwatch features first and fitness second. But they don't match Garmin's training tools or battery life. The bottom line The Garmin Forerunner 265 isn't the flashiest running watch out there, but it's easily one of the best designed. It gives you all the data you actually care about both throughout the day and during a workout — without asking you to set up 20 widgets or navigate five submenus to find your resting heart rate. If you want a watch that's comfortable, accurate for fitness, and easy to use whether you're training for a half-marathon or lifting in the gym, this one checks every box. It's the running watch I'd recommend most for everyday athletes and most runners who want to track their performance and recovery and don't care about every smartwatch bell and whistle.
