Once I started reviewing the Garmin Forerunner 165, I used to be fearful that it will really feel an excessive amount of like a downgrade in comparison with my long-time Forerunner 965 watch. I informed myself to not maintain any shortcomings in opposition to it since Garmin designed it as a finances working watch.
As an alternative, I discovered that the Forerunner 165 outperforms its worth; it hardly feels low cost in any respect.
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 seems cheaper, nevertheless 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 checklist of the greatest Garmin watches in the present day.
That being stated, Garmin did disable a working function on the Forerunner 165, probably to make its $449 Forerunner 265 look extra interesting. Whether or not it can save you cash with the 165 or not will rely upon how a lot of a data-driven runner you’re.
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.
For context, the 165 Music has about 3.5GB of precise house on your Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music playlists — or your MP3 information. I might match about 500 songs from my private library through the Garmin Categorical desktop app. Nevertheless, it will range primarily based on the dimensions and high quality of your music information. If you would like more room, 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 circumstances, 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.
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 buy 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.
Garmin Forerunner 165 specs
| Class | Garmin Forerunner 165 |
|---|---|
| Show | 1.2-inch (390 x 390) AMOLED touchscreen |
| Supplies | Fiber-reinforced polymer, chemically strengthened glass |
| Strap | 20mm Fast Launch silicone |
| Water resistance | 5ATM |
| Sensors | Elevate v4 HRM, Pulse Ox, accelerometer, altimeter, ambient gentle, compass |
| GPS monitoring | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, All-systems GNSS |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+; Music version: Wi-Fi |
| Music storage | 4GB (Music version solely) |
| Battery life | 11 days; 19 hours (GPS); 17 hours (All-systems GNSS); 6.5 hours (All-Programs + music streaming) |
| Dimensions | 43 x 43 x 11.6mm, 39g/ 1.38oz |
| Sport modes | Operating (Out of doors Monitor, Path, Extremely, Treadmill, Indoor Monitor, Digital), Climbing, Biking, Indoor Biking, Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Strolling, Pilates, Yoga, Power, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Coaching, Stair Stepping, Ground Climbing, Tennis, Pickleball, Padel |
| Key options | Every day urged exercises, Garmin Coach, Pacepro, Monitor working, Race adaptive coaching, Coaching Impact, Morning Report, Physique Battery, Sleep monitoring, Nap detection, HRV Standing, Restoration time, wrist-based working dynamics, Depth Minutes, LiveTrack, Garmin Pay |
Garmin Forerunner 165: What you may love
In case you’ve owned a Garmin Forerunner watch prior to now, you usually know what to anticipate from the 165. It is easy to take Garmin’s algorithm with no consideration, however you continue to will not discover rival manufacturers that may advocate a custom-made every day run that takes your present health and fatigue ranges into consideration.
In my case, I hardly ever choose every day urged exercises just like the one above as a result of I like having somewhat flexibility with out the Forerunner watch buzzing my wrist if I am going off-pace. Nevertheless it virtually at all times conjures up my selection of how arduous 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, figuring out that almost all Garmin watches have the sturdiness and post-launch software program help to make them final for a couple of years, not less than. Working example, the 2015 Forerunner 235 and 2019 Forerunner 245 are nonetheless the hottest watches on Strava.
I predict that the Forerunner 165 might finally take that spot for quite a few 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 few yr, and I’ve gotten used to its weight and thickness in change 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 instantly remembered why I want lighter watches throughout lengthy runs.
The Forerunner 165 design is not what I might name trendy, however that is true of most Garmins, and I care extra that my wrist feels pleasantly gentle sporting it. I develop into extra conscious of the 965 every time I maintain my wrist as much as examine 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 supplied a nylon improve at checkout as an alternative of constructing you pay an additional $70, however I’ve gotten used to this moisture-wicking choice.
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 every week per cost, regardless of the MIP shows. The Forerunner 165’s 11-day battery with a extra readable show is unquestionably 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 aspect for a Garmin watch, and it does require extra frequent charging than I’ve grown accustomed to with every day runs or walks. Nevertheless it’s about context: it will nonetheless really feel game-changing to non-Garmin customers, there isn’t any potential approach 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
In case you personal the Forerunner 55, Forerunner 745, or another Forerunner various years outdated, then the Forerunner 165 will really feel correctly next-generation, with {hardware} upgrades that any runner would respect.
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 lower 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 until you crank the backlight.
Extra importantly, you get the Elevate v4 sensor, which is able to registering coronary heart price 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 exams in opposition to chest coronary heart price straps, Garmin’s v4 and v5 tech are comparable for core coronary heart price accuracy, and different (dearer) Forerunners just like the 965 use v4 as properly.
The AMOLED show, correct GNSS monitoring, and dependable coronary heart price 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 may possibly’t pinpoint fairly in addition to dual-frequency GPS on the pricier Forerunners. In case you’ve made do with GPS-only up till now, you need to respect the improved outcomes (which I will focus on within the subsequent part).
The updates do not cease there: the Forerunner 165 has an altimeter for judging elevation achieve, one thing lacking from the Forerunner 55 and newer 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.
As well as, for those who 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 function, so the 265 does not have this both.
On the software program aspect, 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, not less than, see post-run Coaching Impact information displaying its cardio or anaerobic impression, and you may cross-train with indoor exercises.
You even get wrist-based working energy and kind evaluation, which is not particularly useful for amateurs until you may have 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 continually checking your wrist.
Garmin Forerunner 165: GPS/ HRM accuracy take a look at
Final month, I examined the Forerunner 165 in opposition to COROS and Fitbit trackers for GPS, elevation, step, and coronary heart price accuracy. I’ll summarize the outcomes right here, together with some supplemental information.
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 perfect for primary monitoring for those who’re captivated with getting 10,000 steps a day.
For GPS accuracy, I weighed its All-Programs GNSS mode in opposition to the COROS PACE 3 dual-frequency mode, which (on paper) ought to be extra correct. My run maps above disabused this notion: my Garmin Forerunner 165 (pink) persistently stayed on the path more often than not, whereas the COROS PACE 3 (orange) regularly 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 hassle cluttering my maps with the outcomes).
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Throughout a subsequent mile-long observe run within the third lane, the Garmin Forerunner 165 measured the right 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 seemed considerably worse on the map however had an identical 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 healthier than its rivals’ top-tier outcomes. I am unable to 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 could be 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 price accuracy, you may examine 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).
For the standard run, the Forerunner 165 was persistently correct for practically the whole run, with the identical common and minimal coronary heart charges and solely a 1 bpm distinction for max coronary heart price. It saved up with the Polar H10 when my coronary heart price rose shortly on hills however did lag barely at catching my falling coronary heart price on downhills.
For the observe run, I alternated between sprints and jogs to see how properly the Forerunner 165 might deal with speedy modifications in coronary heart price — an issue with wrist-based optical sensors.
The Forerunner 165 common bpm was only 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 had been very shut. That stated, you may undoubtedly see how the Forerunner 165 lagged behind the Polar H10 throughout these sudden modifications, each for coronary heart price will increase and reduces.
I will not embrace the opposite coronary heart price 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 through the five-mile run however lagged even worse through the observe run.
Total, you may’t fault these ends in a $250 watch, particularly the steps, elevation, and GPS distance.
Weeks of Forerunner 165 testing have me assured that it is as correct for coronary heart price and GPS information as costlier working watches.
Solely Fitbit does higher on this worth vary for coronary heart price, however the poor location monitoring offsets the advantages. I have never discovered that the pricier Forerunners are any extra correct for coronary heart price, both, and although the Forerunner 165 lags a bit for speedy coronary heart price modifications, it averages out to the right end result ultimately. If you would like extra correct coronary heart price outcomes than this, do not have a look at pricier working watches: Take a look at the Polar H10 or the COROS coronary heart price monitor.
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For additional context, I completed a 5K run of my neighborhood loop sporting the Forerunner 165 and 965 to examine the hole in outcomes between the $250 and $600 fashions. As you may see, my coronary heart price common was an identical, a predictable however welcome end result on condition that each use the Elevate v4 sensor.
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 honest to imagine the Forerunner 965 is extra correct because of dual-frequency monitoring, nevertheless it’s additionally honest to notice that this hole is minimal in comparison with GPS-only watches that’ll be off by half a minute per mile.
Until you regularly run close to tall buildings or below dense foliage — which might make dual-frequency GPS particularly useful — I might say you can in all probability 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 stated, 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.
On the design aspect, 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.
Extra importantly, its plastic, button-heavy look is not engaging; that additionally applies to different Forerunners, to be honest, 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 vivid sufficient, and since Garmin’s UI does not do something sophisticated, the Forerunner 165’s thick bezel is extra of an aesthetic situation than a useful one.
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 provides you a full collection of apps, together with third-party working apps like Strava or Nike Run Membership.
Shifting away from basic downgrades to lacking Garmin options, the Garmin Forerunner 165 does not observe coaching load or load focus. Technically, it can register post-run load, however you may solely see it within the Garmin Join app for those who personal a pricier Forerunner just like the 265 with coaching load information.
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 function, purposefully excluded by Garmin, is the purpose why I am unable to change my Forerunner 965 with the 165.
With out Coaching Load and Standing, it is more durable to substantiate for those who’re enhancing or deteriorating as a runner. This information may 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 enhancing primarily based in your Coaching Load, and the corresponding VO2 Max chart displaying your altering rating in latest 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 for those who’re absolutely recovered out of your final run, you continue to may not be “prepared” on account of stress, poor sleep, or different elements.
I might proceed to checklist options like Efficiency Situation, a lactate threshold take a look at, multisport actions for triathletes, and others that solely include the Forerunner 265. Ultimately, you may need to resolve for those who want all of those ancillary options, which might imply upgrading to the Forerunner 265.
Garmin Forerunner 165: Competitors
As ought to be apparent from studying this assessment, different Garmin Forerunner watches are the perfect competitors to the Forerunner 165.
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 change, you need to settle for an MIP show. The Forerunner 265 has the identical options with Coaching Readiness added, plus a 13-day battery life.
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 an identical 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 should 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 on your coaching schedule.
- You’d somewhat 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 develop into extra of a solitary, data-driven runner. The Garmin Forerunner 165 checks most of my bins, primarily with its exercise solutions 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 develop into 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 checklist of the perfect working watches of 2024, however I might solely have the ability to use it if I took a distinct philosophical strategy to my working. Whether or not you purchase it’s going to rely upon the identical factor: In case you do not want Coaching Load, then do not upsell your self to a pricier Garmin, and purchase the superb Forerunner 165.
Finest finances choice
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is among the many model’s most reasonably priced choices, and whereas which means accepting some compromises, loads of runners will fortunately achieve this — 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 price accuracy and provides helpful new sensors like an altimeter and compass, whereas maintaining the identical core metrics and coaching instruments.
