Garmin Forerunner 165 review

The new Garmin Forerunner 165 is here. But is it worth the outlay?

One thing we’re not short of as triathletes is choice when it comes to Garmins. In recent years it seems they’ve been breeding like (small, very technical) rabbits and at a quick search on the brand’s website today there are now 18 versions to choose from in the Forerunner category alone. So where does the 165, fit in?

Putting it most simply, this is a trickle-down option and the main highlight is the AMOLED screen, which we’ve only previously enjoyed on higher-specced Forerunners as well as the top-end Epix and Marq editions (update: on 27th August Garmin also launched a version of the Fenix, the Fenix 8, with an AMOLED screen).

First impressions

Coming in around £180 less (£249.99/$249.99) than the next Forerunner with this tech (the 265) it’s an attractive option if the ultra-bright, clear screen and the ability to display things like photos on your screen matters to you.

And I’ll be honest – after being lucky enough to try out an Epix last year, I quickly found any other screen I went back to dull and more difficult to read clearly in low light or when swimming – so I count myself in the number seduced by the whizzy tech here!

That aside, the 165 has a nice feel out of the box. Slightly smaller than others in the range with a 43mm screen, it’s unobtrusive and ideal for daily wear, yet still clear enough to see at a glance while training.

Battery life and activity features

Like all the AMOLED versions, the battery life takes a hit. It’s 11 days in smartwatch mode (or 20 days in battery-saver smartwatch mode), and down to 17 hours in the all-singing all-dancing all-systems GNSS mode, which should (just!) squeeze you through most events in the endurance calendar, unless you’re planning an ultra-iron distance, of course.

Triathlon is where you hit a snag with the 165, though. The list of activity profiles here includes running, trail running and ultra
running, and you also get biking, indoor biking, pool swimming and open water swimming… But no multisport profiles.

So to use it for triathlon, you’d have to stop your activity after each leg and restart in a new profile.

Not a deal-breaker for training, perhaps, but this would likely rule the 165 out of contention for anyone who wants to record their multisport event stats.

• Best watches for triathlon
• Polar Grit X Pro watch review
• Garmin Forerunner 965 review

Garmin Forerunner 165 verdict

This is a shame, as other than that this is a good package – the GPS did well even on my test runs and swims around the remote Cornish coast, the health feedback and tracking was at a good and useful level, including heart rate and stress monitoring and morning reports giving feedback on training readiness, sleep and heart rate variability.

So would we buy it? Sadly, not as a triathlete. For us the Forerunner 265 (£429.99/$449.99) or non-AMOLED Fenix (from £519.99/$649.99) tick the triathlon boxes.

For more choice, take a look at our list of the best triathlon watches.

Garmin Forerunner 165 specs

Price:	£249.99 / $249.99
Display size:	30.4 mm, (1.2″) diameter
Weight:	39g
Battery life:	Up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, up to 17 hours GPS mode
Display type:	AMOLED