Garmin

Forerunner® 265

Garmin Forerunner® 265

Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.

Overall

#14 in

Fitness Trackers

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score79% positive
128
19
16

Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Jun 23, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Icongrammerenthusiast
6 months ago

My FR 255 has a classic ski option, and it looks like the 265 does too: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/886785/#specs I change my skate sessions to skate skiing in the Garmin app (edit activity).

Reddit Icon0creativeideas
about 1 month ago

This is exactly what I would say. What do you need, for me a refurbished Garmin 265 is perfect. But some people need and want more.

Reddit Icon1969_was_a_good_year
4 months ago

This is bad info. The 265 has the older hr sensor, Venu 4 has the elevate 5 sensor. Venu has all the training features the 265 has, including training readiness, and more. The 265 is a sweet spot as far as bang for the buck running watch IMO. I’m trying to decide between the Venu 4, 265 and 570 myself.

Reddit Icon45_Tomahawk
4 months ago

Sometimes I want to switch to another brand. Garmin have become such a behemoth in the industry it makes it less attractive to support their overpricing. The thing is the 265 is an absolute beast of a watch if you’re a runner. They nailed it. Oh and I want a web interface for data. I don’t think Suunto (which is where I’d go) have that? Also having so many years of data with garmin. But I can also see the pull of a fresh start.

Reddit IconAccomplished-Air-773
11 months ago

Forerunner 55 for the absolute basics. Forerunner 165 is the cheapest with a AMOLED screen. Forerunner 255, 265, 955 and 965 are just discontinued. In my opinion 955 is the most value for money as it includes mapping. 965 is the same watch as the 955, but with an AMOLED screen. If you don’t need mapping, then go for the 265. It is the same as the 965, but without maps. So if you can find a 955 that would be your best bet in my opinion. Forerunner 570 and 970 introduce unnecessary features, such as microphone & speaker, sapphire glass, shiny metal bezels all of which add nothing to running but do increase the price.

Reddit Iconadurianman
10 months ago

Most of these calorie counters are estimates and not even close to accurate for any sport with high amount of directional changes, they're more accurate for more straightforward sports like running cycling and swimming, but even then those are broad estimates. I use a relatively high end garmin, fenix 7 pro which I wouldn't recommend for badminton as it is heavy and sometimes will smack into your racket and your racket will lose the clash. If you want to try one I would recommend the Forerunner 265, or basically any sports watch thats not too big, garmin has significantly better optical sensors but aside from hr data don't trust the calorie estimates too much.

Top Fitness Trackers on Reddit

1
Garmin Forerunner 255 Series

Garmin

Forerunner 255 Series

86% positive of 471 users

Long battery; but wrist HR tracking is inconsistent.

$249 onwards Amazon
2
Garmin Forerunner 955 Series

Garmin

Forerunner 955 Series

78% positive of 355 users

Best value, clear MIP screen; limited smartwatch features.

$399 onwards Amazon
3
Garmin Fenix 7 Series

Garmin

Fenix 7 Series

72% positive of 697 users

Durable, multi-week battery, flashlight; high price, buggy software.

$539 onwards Amazon
4
Garmin Instinct 2 Series

Garmin

Instinct 2 Series

82% positive of 280 users

Rugged, solar multi-week battery; bulky, small screen readability issues.

$239 onwards Amazon
5
Garmin Enduro 3

Garmin

Enduro 3

83% positive of 244 users

Multi-week solar battery, lightweight; but bulky form factor.

$749 Amazon

Rankings by Use Case

Other Reddit Recommendations:

FAQs