Garmin Forerunner 165
Running smartwatch
Newer model available: Garmin Forerunner 170 (since May 2026). This review covers the previous model.
The best-value entry into Garmin's training ecosystem — bright AMOLED, ~11-day battery, and the metrics that matter, without the €500 price.
How the score breaks down
Crowd Signal
9,244 reviews · 6 platforms
Sqwod Assessment
Value / Deal
Crowd & price figures from public sources, as of 17 Oct 2026. Live aggregation is rolling out — figures may change.
Pros
- Garmin's full training metrics at an entry price
- Bright AMOLED + ~11-day battery
- Accurate GPS + heart rate for the money
Cons
- No offline maps or multiband GPS
- Polymer build, not titanium
Who it's for
Buy it if…
You coach runners or endurance clients and want Garmin's training data without the €500 tier.
Skip it if…
You need offline maps, multiband GPS, or a premium metal build.
The Forerunner 165 is the value sweet spot of Garmin’s lineup: a bright AMOLED face, around 11 days of battery, and the training-load, recovery and VO2 metrics that actually inform programming — at roughly half the price of the 265/965.
For a coach kitting out clients or recommending a first “real” training watch, this is the easy pick. The trade-offs are the omissions — no offline maps, no multiband GPS — which only matter for trail and ultra use. For everyone else, it’s the most watch-per-euro Garmin makes.
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