This isn’t the worst problem to have, but in a year of many new releases from Garmin, it feels tricky to get your head around which might be right for your training and wallet. Enter the Garmin Forerunner 265…
Garmin Forerunner 265 review
The basics
Coming in six size and colourway options, the Forerunner 265 is billed as the mid-range running watch sitting in between the top-end Garmin Forerunner 965 (£599.99/$599.99) and the entry-level 55 (£179.99/$199.99) at £429.99/$449.99.
Oddly for Garmin, the two size options (42mm and 46mm) come in at the same price – usually the larger ones attract a premium.
There are three colour options in each size, too – with a range of ice cream-type pastel pinks and aquas, and the more understated black/grey I had on test.
Size and display
I had the slightly larger 46mm size. Initially I found it felt a bit light and unsubstantial after my usual chunky metal Fenix (and the 965, which has a chunkier titanium case and only comes in 47mm), but if you like a barely-there feel and a watch that doesn’t make its presence known, it will suit you well.
Anecdotally, some swim friends prefer a lighter watch for swimming with, too (see our list of the best swimming watches for options for that).
The screen is also marginally smaller on the 46mm 265 versus the 47mm 965 and it’s worth noting that neither version is yet available with solar charging which, coupled with the AMOLED screen, will affect battery life – plus the resolution is lower on the 265.
There’s also 8GB of storage here, versus 32GB on the 965 (important if you like your music and maps!).
Battery life
The 265 is waterproof and has swim and multisport features, but crucially for triathletes training hard, the battery life is much lower here – up to 15 days in smartwatch mode vs 23 days in the 965, and 14 hours vs 19 hours with full multi- band GPS.
That may be enough for a full Ironman depending on how quick you swim, bike and run.
In use, I found that with one or two hours training per day on average, plus with the ‘shake to wake’ function on the screen to tell the time, I was charging about once per week.
Training features
In terms of running features both the 265 and 965 watches are similar. It’s elements like preloaded maps where they differ, so if you’re into exploring and trails, the 965 may be more fit for purpose.
The training and health monitoring functions are all you would expect from Garmin, with heart rate monitoring (including heart rate variability, resting and weekly average), stress and sleep monitoring, and training load combining to give useful feedback on training readiness.
In a busy work week with a step up in training, the watch warned me I was ‘overreaching’ and this felt accurate and was reflected in my swim times.
The morning reports are a handy and engaging feature (though we would always advise listening to your body too, rather than being a slave to tech!).
Suggested workouts and training plans are a nice feature too – though most triathletes will invariably have their own in mind.
This version includes multisport options (which you don’t get on some of the more entry-level models) as part of 30 activity profiles you can track, plus the option to build your own (handy if you are wanting to track brick sessions) so it will serve you well on race day.
In training I had no issues with the multi-band GPS and, even on my more remote runs or open-water swims, it gave me accurate readings.
Garmin Forerunner 265 verdict
Over the three months I used this watch it was reliable and a handy partner for my training.
While I missed the chunkiness of the Fenix I soon found I wouldn’t want to lose the AMOLED screen (if for visibility in open water alone).
We’re watching this space for a Fenix with this screen and/or a solar version to help with the battery life…
Verdict: Garmin quality, but for a little more spend the Forerunner 965 feels more developed.
Score: 85%
For more buying advice, see our lists of the best triathlon watches and the best Garmin watches for running.
