Garmin Forerunner 165, Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Black
Best for
Best value AMOLED
Amazon rating
Amazon aggregate, one input among many in the Verdict Score
Based on 1 trusted source
Current price
$190.99
Updated Jun 27, 2026 · 1 min read
Sources behind this verdict
10 reviewers weighted by source trust
The consensus
What reviewers found
Synthesized across the trust-weighted source mix below.
Across the reviewers we read, the Forerunner 165 is the recurring "best bang for the buck" recommendation for runners who want an AMOLED screen without paying 265 money. Several high-trust r/Garmin threads describe it as slim, light, and compact, with one noting it drops to a mere 22g with a third-party nylon band, and another calling the Music variant "a fantastic AMOLED watch with numerous features at a lower cost than the 265." Walmart verified-purchase reviewers praise accurate GPS and call out its beginner-friendly feature set. The honest tradeoffs cited by the same high-trust community sources are that the build "doesn't ooze quality" and that it omits some of the deeper metrics and configurability of the 265 and above.
What reviewers liked
- Multiple high-trust r/Garmin threads endorse it as the best-value AMOLED Forerunner
- Very light and compact, praised for all-day comfort
- Accurate GPS noted by Walmart verified reviewers; 4.7 Amazon average
Where it falls short
- High-trust community reviewers say the build quality feels merely adequate
- Lacks deeper metrics and configurability of the 265 and up
- Community comparisons flag strong competition from the Coros Pace 3
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Across the reviewers we read, the Forerunner 165 is the recurring "best bang for the buck" recommendation for runners who want an AMOLED screen without paying 265 money. Several high-trust r/Garmin threads describe it as slim, light, and compact, with one noting it drops to a mere 22g with a third-party nylon band, and another calling the Music variant "a fantastic AMOLED watch with numerous features at a lower cost than the 265." Walmart verified-purchase reviewers praise accurate GPS and call out its beginner-friendly feature set.
The honest tradeoffs cited by the same high-trust community sources are that the build "doesn't ooze quality" and that it omits some of the deeper metrics and configurability of the 265 and above. Community comparisons also note rivals like the Coros Pace 3 in this bracket. Still, the consensus is that for new-to-intermediate runners who want a modern display and core training guidance at a lower price, the 165 is the value pick.
- Easy-to-use running smartwatch with built-in GPS for pace/distance and wrist-based heart rate; brilliant AMOLED touchscreen display with traditional button controls; lightweight design in 43 mm size
- Up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours in GPS mode
- Reach your goals with personalized daily suggested workouts that adapt based on performance and recovery; use Garmin Coach and race adaptive training plans to get workout suggestions for specific events
- 25+ built-in activity profiles include running, cycling, HIIT, strength and more
- As soon as you wake up, get your morning report with an overview of your sleep, recovery and training outlook alongside weather and HRV status (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- With training effect and training effect labels, you’ll see how your workouts impact your fitness and understand the primary benefit achieved from your workout.; recovery time lets you know how long you need to recover before your next high-effort workout
- 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
- Never miss a call or text with smart notifications from your paired Android or Apple smartphone
The FR 165 is a nice and small package. It's slimmer and lighter than most other watches. With a third party nylon band it's a mere 22 g / 0.8 oz.
I'm happy with the watch. At the end of the day I don't think it mattered too much. Functions I'm mainly using are fitness, running and steps ...
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“Garmin Forerunner 165” · A Smartwatch That's Invested In YOU
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