In the good old days, the Garmin Forerunner models with a "2" at the beginning were the intermediate running watches you bought for your first marathon. Now, in 2023, the latest model, the Garmin Forerunner 265, has the most beautiful, bright screen I've ever seen on a running watch, as does the Garmin Forerunner 955, the Garmin Fenix 7, and the Garmin Epix 2, It also has a touchscreen.

I spent the past week with the new Garmin Forerunner 265 on my wrist to see how it performed. My first run with the watch was a half-marathon race, where I was impressed by the GPS accuracy on a road along the Thames surrounded by other runners. Since then, I have used this watch for a few brief sessions and liked the bright screen, second only to my Fenix 7. But like all bright lights in a cost-of-living crisis, its beautiful glow jumped the price tag on this mid-level running watch. Is it worth it? How does it compare to the other best Garmin watches on the market? For more, read my Garmin Forerunner 265 hands-on review below.

The Garmin Forerunner 265 is available for purchase as of March 2, 2023; the Forerunner 265 is priced at $449 / £429. Unlike previous models, it no longer offers a music/non-music variant, but it can download and listen to music from Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music.

Like other versions of this watch, the Forerunner 265 comes in two different display sizes (more on this later); it costs about $100 more than the Forerunner 255, which was released in June 2022; the 255 is $349 non-music version /299 pounds, and the music version is $399 / 349 pounds.

The Forerunner 265 comes in three colorways: white, black, and teal; the Forerunner 265S also comes in white, black, and pink. As with all recent Garmin watches, the straps are interchangeable.

When not powered on, the Forerunner 265 looks almost identical to the Forerunner 255. The round display remains the same, and there are five buttons: three on the left side and two on the right. The start/stop button on the right side is labeled "RUN" and is slightly larger. This is a small change, but a useful reminder of which button to press when you want to pause the watch in the middle of a run.

But when the screen is turned on, the change is much more obvious: the Forerunner 265 has the same bright, beautiful AMOLED display used in the Garmin Epix 2. This is the same AMOLED screen found on the new Garmin Forerunner 965, which has a resolution of 416 x 416 pixels on the Forerunner 265 and 360 x 360 on the 265S. Comparing this to the Forerunner 255, the difference is huge: the resolution of the 255 is 260 x 260, while the resolution of the 255S is 218 x 218. [The Forerunner 265 is a 1.3" display and the Forerunner 265S is a 1.1" display.

Like all Garmin watches, the entire data screen is customizable, and like all new Garmin watches, everything can be tweaked not only on the watch but also from the Garmin Connect app.

Speaking of screens, the Forerunner 265 looks a little different; Garmin has changed the font on the watch and the screen that appears while waiting for the GPS to connect.

Despite the brighter display, battery life on the Forerunner 265 has changed little: the 265S has 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 24 hours in GPS mode; the 265 has 13 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours in GPS mode, 20 hours in GPS mode. Normally, the larger of the two watches has the longer battery life, but due to the larger and brighter screen, the larger 265 seems to require charging slightly sooner.

Here are the key battery life statistics:

The Forerunner 255 had a battery life of 14 days in smartwatch mode and 30 hours in GPS mode.

I have been testing the Forerunner 265 for a week and have yet to charge it for a half marathon, etc. The Forerunner 265 charges with the same 4-prong charger as the 255, but with a USB-C cable instead of USB.

The Forerunner265 has all the same health features as the 255, which received a major upgrade, and inherits many of the features normally reserved for Garmin's more expensive watches. This allows for a better understanding of one's overall health as well as one's training load.

The Forerunner 265 is equipped with Garmin's latest Elevate V4 sensor, with a green light recording heart rate and a red light recording blood oxygen levels (called Pulse Ox in the watch). This sensor is used to calculate respiration rate, HRV, and stress. The watch also includes Garmin's Morning Report feature, which tells you how much sleep you've had, how hard you've been training, and the day's weather. Additionally, unlike previous models, the Garmin "Training Readiness" score is now also displayed. The Training Readiness score gives an indication of how hard you should train that day, while the Body Battery score provides a general snapshot of your health. Previously, the Training Readiness score was only available on more expensive Garmin watches like the Fenix 7.

Like other Garmin watches, the Forerunner 265 can track menstruation and pregnancy. However, to view this information from your wrist, you must download the Women's Health Tracking app.

Of course, the main reason to buy a running watch is to track your workouts, and the Forerunner 265 excels in this regard. The multisport mode is alive and well, and it can track every sport under the sun. The latter is made even easier with the touchscreen.

As noted above, Garmin has also added a training readiness score. This score shows at a glance how ready you are for a challenging day of training, based on sleep, recovery time, HRV status, acute strain, and stress. Each item is weighted differently, so training readiness may increase during the day as the required recovery time decreases. I realized a few days after my half marathon that I still wasn't as recovered as I felt. I had been battling a cold, and therefore had not been getting enough sleep. Of course, you can ignore these tools, but if you are serious about your training, they can help you monitor your overall health, not just your sessions.

The Forerunner 265 also allows you to view metrics such as cadence, stride length, and ground contact time from your wrist without having to download an app or use another device. You can also download Garmin Coach Plans to your wrist and receive daily workout recommendations.

As a woman running alone, I also appreciate safety features such as accident detection, assist, and live track.

This is where the Garmin falls somewhat short when compared to the best smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 8. despite being designed to be worn 24/7, it lacks some of the smartwatch features when compared to other watches. However, I would argue that the reason to buy the Forerunner 265 is not to check WhatsApp from your wrist, but to improve your training. The touch screen on this watch is an improvement from a smartwatch perspective.

The 265 also allows you to see notifications from your smartphone on the watch, although you cannot reply to messages right now. It also offers contactless payments via Garmin Pay, allowing users to keep their phones in their pockets while commuting.

As mentioned above, the watch does not currently have a specific music version, but it can download songs from Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music, allowing you to leave your phone at home or in your gym locker when you run.

The Forerunner 265 feels more like a premium running watch, and it's all thanks to its beautiful screen. It's slim, lightweight, and when placed alongside the Garmin Fenix 7, it looks very bright, both in the gym and in direct sunlight. I wouldn't recommend upgrading if you already have the previous model, but this screen alone feels like a big step up from the 255.

One drawback is the price. At a time when everything is getting more expensive, $449/429 pounds seems high. I would argue that this watch is no longer considered a mid-level watch. It has almost all the features of an expensive running watch, and I would recommend this Garmin to most runners unless the mapping feature is absolutely necessary. That said, if you don't care for touchscreens and are looking for a less expensive option, this is a good time to check out the Garmin Forerunner 255 or the Garmin Forerunner 55.

For a review of the Garmin Forerunner 265, see.