10 Best Garmin Forerunner Gps Watch 2025 in the United States

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is a strong choice for runners and fitness enthusiasts looking for a reliable GPS smartwatch. Its built-in GPS tracks your pace and distance accurately, which is essential for training outdoors. The wrist-based heart rate monitor offers consistent feedback during workouts, helping you stay in the right intensity zones. The AMOLED touchscreen is bright and colorful, making it easy to read stats even in sunlight, and the combination of touchscreen and physical buttons offers smooth control. Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 11 days in regular use and 19 hours with GPS active, so it can handle extended training sessions and daily wear without frequent charging.

It supports personalized workout plans and recovery insights, which can be motivating by adapting to your performance and helping you avoid overtraining. The option to store and play music directly from the watch, including popular streaming services, adds convenience for those who prefer running without carrying a phone. Smart features like notifications, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and safety tracking add extra value beyond fitness. The watch is lightweight and comfortable, suitable for wearing all day, and its water resistance means it can handle sweat and rain during runs.

Some safety features require a paired smartphone with network coverage to work properly. While it has many advanced metrics, beginners might find some of the data a bit overwhelming at first. This watch is well suited for runners who want detailed training support, music on the go, and smart capabilities in a compact, stylish design.

The Garmin Forerunner 265 stands out as a solid choice for runners looking for advanced training metrics and smart features. The brilliant 1.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display provides clear visuals, and traditional button controls ensure ease of use. The lightweight 46mm design makes it comfortable to wear, even during long training sessions.

Battery life is impressive, with up to 13 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours in GPS mode, reducing the need for frequent charging. GPS accuracy is enhanced by Multi-band GNSS and SatIQ technology, offering reliable positioning in various environments. Heart rate monitoring and a plethora of training and performance metrics, including HRV status, training readiness, and recovery insights, provide runners with detailed feedback to optimize their workouts.

The watch also includes over 30 built-in activity profiles, catering to diverse training needs like triathlons and open-water swimming. Smart features such as notifications, Garmin Pay, and safety tracking add convenience and security. However, some might find the reliance on smartphone connectivity for certain features, like incident detection, a drawback, especially in areas with limited network coverage. Additionally, users who prefer minimalistic designs might find the colorful AMOLED display a bit flashy. The Forerunner 265 is well-suited for dedicated runners and fitness enthusiasts looking for a comprehensive training tool combined with smart functionalities.

The Garmin Forerunner 265S is a lightweight GPS running watch designed especially for smaller wrists, featuring a sharp and colorful 1.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen with easy button controls. It offers strong GPS accuracy thanks to multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology, which also helps extend battery life. You can expect up to 15 days of use in smartwatch mode and about 24 hours with GPS active, which is quite good for long training sessions or races.

Heart rate monitoring is reliable and supports advanced training insights like HRV (heart rate variability) status, training readiness, and recovery scores to help you understand when to push harder or rest. The watch provides personalized daily workout suggestions and adapts plans based on your performance, making it useful for runners aiming to improve efficiently. There are over 30 built-in sports profiles, including triathlon and open-water swimming, and safety features like incident detection give peace of mind during outdoor activities.

Smart features include notifications for calls and texts when paired with your phone, though some functions require a smartphone with network coverage. The design balances comfort and durability, with good water resistance suitable for swimming. While some of the more advanced health metrics are estimates rather than precise medical data, and full use of safety features depends on phone connectivity, the Forerunner 265S remains an excellent option for runners and active users seeking a stylish, feature-rich GPS watch that supports detailed training and recovery insights.