Garmin makes some of the bestfitness-focused smartwatcheson the market. However, one issue with the company’s watches is the price. Most of Garmin’s runner-focused wearables will break the bank, but thenew Forerunner 165is affordable. In fact, it’s one of the more budget-friendly smartwatches Garmin offers, but it still has most of the features offered by the company’s more premium models.
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Best of all, the Forerunner 165 is available to order right now, so you won’t need to wait a long time to get your hands (and wrist) on the new wearable. If you’re about to embark on your first couch to 5K program, you’ll want to check this new Garmin out, as it just might be the one to buy.
What makes the Forerunner 165 stand out?
Garmin Forerunner 165
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is one of the company’s most reasonably-price running smartwatches ever released.
The biggest selling point of the Forerunner 165 is the extensive list of features Garmin is offering for $250 (the Music version is $50 more). Of course, there are some notable cuts made from the slightly more expensiveGarmin Forerunner 265. Still, they’re not deal-breakers, especially for budget-minded runners who want just enough information to improve their performance, but who don’t need every bell and whistle.
The two cuts are EKG support and dual-frequency GPS, but again, the $200 savings might make these tradeoffs worthwhile for some. The new Forerunner 165 is also $50 more than Garmin’s cheapest model in the line, the Forerunner 55. Compared to that model, the more expensive one adds a 1.2-inch OLED display instead of the transflective display, which makes a big difference in the visual quality of the screen. It also gets a longer estimated battery life, contactless payments, and additional running features over that model.
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Compared to the other two models, the Forerunner 165 seems to strike a smarter balance between price and features, with features like Wrist-Based Running Power and Dynamics, Pulse Ox,sleep monitoring(even nap detection is included), and more. Whether you’re looking to start competing in races or just want to run for exercise, you’ll get useful features with this entry-level runner’s watch.
For $300, you can buy the Forerunner 165 Music, which adds the ability to download songs from Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music. You can then listen to the downloaded music without your phone as long as you have a pair of wireless headphones linked to your Garmin smartwatch.
As is typically the case with Garmin smartwatches, it has the flexibility to work with either iPhone or Android smartphones, so you’re not forced to use one OS over the other.
Both the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Forerunner 165 Music are available to order now for $250 and $300, respectively.
