Price: $199.95 - $449.99
(as of Apr 23, 2025 08:51:06 UTC – Details)
Train brilliantly with the smaller-sized Forerunner® 265S GPS running smartwatch. Its colorful AMOLED touchscreen display stands out while the training readiness feature — which tells you when you’re primed for a productive session — helps you crush your goals. Wake up to your morning report with HRV status to see health insights alongside an overview of sleep, recovery and training outlook (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked). Plan your race strategy with the race widget, which enables personalized daily suggested workouts that adapt to performance, recovery, the race you’re running and its course. Get ready to make the most of every run with wrist-based running power and multi-band GPS. And when you want to switch it up with cross training, choose from more than 30 activity profiles, including triathlons, cycling, swimming and more. Get a more complete picture of your health, not just a glimpse, from your Forerunner 265S with up to 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.
Brilliant AMOLED touchscreen display with traditional button controls; lightweight design in 42 mm for smaller wrists
Up to 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 24 hours in GPS mode
As soon as you wake up, get your morning report with an overview of your sleep, recovery and training outlook alongside HRV status, training readiness and weather (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Plan race strategy with personalized daily suggested workouts based on the race and course that you input into the Garmin Connect app and then view the race widget on your watch; daily suggested workouts adapt after every run to match performance and recovery
Training readiness score is based on sleep quality, recovery, training load and HRV status to determine if you’re primed to go hard and get the most out of your workout (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
30 plus built-in activity profiles include running, triathlons, cycling, open-water swimming and more
Using indicators such as HRV status, recent exercise history and performance, get insight into overall effort with training status — and know whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Safety and tracking features, including incident detection (during select outdoor activities) and Assistance, send a message with your live location to emergency contacts when paired with your compatible smartphone; requires setup and your smartphone to be in an area with network coverage where data connectivity is available
Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology provides superior positioning accuracy in challenging environments while also optimizing the device’s battery life
Never miss a call or text from your paired Android or Apple smartphone with smart notifications
Customers say
Customers find this smartwatch to be a top-quality running device with great battery life that lasts up to 15 days, and they appreciate its reasonably accurate GPS and sleep tracking features. The watch functions well for running and provides advanced training metrics, with one customer highlighting its pace coaching for every mile. While customers love the looks, they disagree on the ease of use, with some finding it easy to use while others consider it complex to navigate.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
justin wikle –
Excellent running watch!
This is my first Garmin watch, and Iâm very, very happy with it. I had a first generation Apple Watch many years ago and didnât love it enough to repair or upgrade it when the crown malfunctioned. When I got a fitness tracker last year, it was a Fitbit which I really loved initially but eventually outgrew recently when I decided to focus a little bit more on running. I wanted better functionality for running, but I couldnât foresee being able to adjust to the battery life of Apple Watch. I read many online reviews for Garmin watches, Fitbits, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra. For my needs, I settled on the Forerunner 265S and have loved it.
Priorities for me: easy to use for running, reasonably accurate GPS and heart rate tracking, battery life adequate for sleep tracking, watch face size appropriate for smaller wrists
Pros:
– love the user interface. Makes starting a run so easy. Touch screen is easy to use and the buttons are really functional. The display during a run is easy to read and intuitive. It used to drive me bananas when I glanced down at my wrist during a run to check my pace on my Fitbit Charge 6 and it would give me meaningless arrows of some vague significance or a symbols for my heart rate category, and all I wanted to see was actual run data at a glance.
– love being able to choose or build workouts and have the watch give cues during the workout
– love the metrics and data it gives (VO2 max, body battery, etc). Although I take them with a grain or salt, itâs fun and motivating to see
– so easy to send my heart rate to my Peloton bike so I can see it on the screen. I set up one of the buttons on the watch to broadcast my heart rate, and it such a breeze now.
– Battery life is great for my lifestyle. I usually throw it on a charger while I shower, but I know it can last days.
– High quality materials. The watch feels substantial, and the silicone watch band is somehow better than other silicone watch bands Iâve worn.
Cons:
– Garmin doesnât integrate well with Peloton, other than being able to send the heart rate over via ANT+. I knew this ahead of time and was ok with the limitation before buying the watch. My Peloton workouts donât import into the Garmin Connect app. It seems like the options would be to add it manually as an activity or to use a 3rd party app. Itâs not important enough to me since Iâm focusing a bit more on outdoor running right now, but if my primary exercise regimen relied on the Peloton ecosystem on their workout machines, it would be probably a clunkier experience with Garmin.
– Limited aesthetic options. I chose the Forerunner 265S for the functionality it offered (GPS, heart rate tracking) and the smaller watch face size, although I initially wanted a metallic casing. It was hard to justify the super high end Garmin models that have stainless or titanium casings for my needs, and the Venu and Vivoactive lines skewed more smartwatch than I was looking for in functionality, so I settled on the 265S, knowing it will always look like a sporty watch rather than have the versatility of looking a little bit more dressed up.
– Doesnât seem to have an option for the alarm to adjust to your sleep stage. I used to set my Fitbit alarm to wake me up during non-deep sleep, and I liked the idea of it. I donât miss this feature though. Iâm not sure how effective it was before anyway.
Etc: for my needs, it does notifications and smartwatch functions just fine. I donât need/want the watch to be a substitute for my phone (e.g., texting/calling). I donât use the music function (wasnât planning to) but could foresee the limitations in usability if I did since I mostly use Apple Music
Nicole –
Great watch: Everything you need for runners
Love the watch, perfect for everyday and for better track your runs. It was a big stepup from my previous Garmin Vivoactive watch
The battery life is great, it lasts around 15 days or even more if you need it by switching it to a low battery mode (in case you are traveling and forgot your charger).
I’ve had it for 6 months already and it’s still great 🙂
C. Haga –
This watch honestly took me from “runner” to “RUNNER”! 😀
There is so much I could say about this incredible watch!
I’m brand-new to the Garmin world; started on a TomTom many years ago, then to a Fitbit, bounced back and forth between Fitbit and Apple for a while, … and then I bought this Garmin.
I am IN LOVE.
Just a few of the pros:
Battery life – only have to charge this thing every two weeks or so, if that.
Lightweight
A better, fine-tunable strap
The peace that comes from not having my wrist buzz with every phone notification (didn’t realize how annoying that was, although I do have the option for notifications if I want, but I don’t).
All of the data that is available! I’m actually learning the mechanics behind why certain runs are different … I’m taking control of my health!
The Connect app is awesome, and it all still syncs between Apple Health and Strava.
The freaking suggested runs each day! Omg! I can’t even express how much this has helped my running.
LiveTrack so my kids can find me if they need me.
I highly recommend this watch. I like the music option but I haven’t used it yet. There is a LOT of data – you aren’t going to know what to do with it all at first, but join the Garmin site, the forum, and some Facebook groups. I have added the chest strap because I was never taught how to run, so I constantly ran too fast and trained too hard, but now I’m able to run a 10K WITH MY MOUTH CLOSED! and that’s a big deal in the Florida summer heat. IYKYK.
Happy running!
Customer –
Game changer!
I originally had the Garmin Forerunner 245 in the past and I just couldnât do it anymore because the screen just looked too dull for me. This new updated version of the forerunner is a game changer! They updated the metrics for the training status so that itâs better. The screen is updated instead of MIP itâs now AMOLED-giving it that beautiful look to it. My only complaint about the screen is that it doesnât get bright enough outside or look as nice outside compared to my Apple Watch. I also still wish it could do all the smart things my Apple Watch can do but itâs ok the other stuff it has is worth it. I love that there is a smaller version of the 265 and a bigger one. I have the smaller one and itâs so light weight. The other thing I wish this watch would do is give me an accurate heart rate while running. For some reason whenever I run the watch moves or something because I would be out of breath and it would say Iâm still in HR zone 3 when I know Iâm probably in a zone 4! I had to buy a separate HR monitor because an accurate HR is important to me. Thereâs a raised part where it measures the heart rate and itâs a little uncomfortable compared to my Apple Watch where it sits flush to your skin. I do wish the bands were a little more soft but you can always buy a different one off market. I do like that everything is pretty much customizable. The sleep tracking aspect of it is pretty inaccurate as well I think this is a Garmin issue. It will almost always say Iâm asleep when Iâm actually awake in bed watching something. I compared my Apple Watch and my Apple Watch does 3 things better smart watch, sleep tracking, and heart rate. So, I canât seem to get rid of my some watch totally. Therefore, I switch off between my Garmin and Apple. Garmin just has a wide range of fitness features and itâs a total game changer for me. Just wish they would improve on the few things I mentioned.
Cherie Smith –
Love this watch and get compliments.
I love the looks and functionality of this watch. I get tons of compliments, love the battery life and metrics. Well worth the money when getting on sale.
Matso –
I did a lot of research before buying this. I’ve been incredibly happy with it. The Garmin app is a bit tricky, but watch some videos about how to work it and spend some time and you’ll be fine. I do wish it had automatic fitness tracking, so it would be fine if forgot to press start, but it doesn’t seem to do that.
The workout sensors are only just okay at picking up reps for anything but the basics, but you can edit it at the time or afterwards in the app, so that okay.
But the running sensors are great! Fantastic mapping as expected. And it works so well in the water as well.
It works seamlessly for everyday tasks; notifications from phone, weather, sleep tracking, steps, etc. I’m going to get little screen protectors though, just in case.
I do sometimes look down and I’ve accidentally pressed on something on the screen or moved buttons around, etc. when my arms are crossed or someone or my dog and pressed up next to me. I’ll probably turn off the touchscreen in the future. Luckily there are a lot of options to customize how it all works, so there’s no real concerns there.
I love it and am so happy with the way that it works. Was a great investment for me.
Muy frágil, no lo recomiendo. –
Exelente y de fácil manejo
Amazon Customer –
I’m logging this review today 28/02/2024 in case this is an ongoing issue, and I need to return this product.
Rodolfoespinoza –
Cumple excelentemente lo que promete el reloj, gran precisión, facil
De usar, calidad.
Doby –
I bought this for my wife and she loves it.