Customer reviews from Garmin
Garmin - Forerunner 165 GPS Smartwatch 43 mm Fiber-Reinforced Polymer - Gray/Whitestone - (2024)
Average customer rating
4.5
(405 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 405 reviews
5 Stars
295
4 Stars
59
3 Stars
23
2 Stars
14
1 Star
14
Customer Reviews for Garmin - Forerunner 165 GPS Smartwatch 43 mm Fiber-Reinforced Polymer - Gray/Whitestone - (2024)
Customer Rating
5
Great features
on January 8, 2026
Posted by: Lattegirl
I wanted this specifically for pool swimming. I love the green circles around the timepiece when you hit start and the red when you hit stop. The total yardage displays easily. Easy for those over 60 to operate.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Better than expected
on January 8, 2026
Posted by: Greg in Fair Oaks
I wasn't expecting much from an entry level running watch, but compared to my last watch (Fenix 2) it's quite an upgrade. The main features I like is 1) a clear indicator of where I am relative to my target (pace, heartrate using a speedometer style animation) and 2) the pace indictor seems responsive to changes in my running speed without jumping around too much. I was surprised that the watch has a rudimentary mapping function. Upload a gpx route and the watch will buzz you when you need to make a turn and let you know when you are too far off course. My last watch required a chest strap to monitor heart rate; having a heart rate monitor integrated into the watch is nice, but I'm not yet sure how accurate it is while running. The sleep tracker is questionable. There are times where I'm awake for hours but the watch assures me I am getting deep sleep.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
Pretty Good ……..but
on January 8, 2026
Posted by: Lou Lou
A lot of different features on the 165.
I am having issues with it disconnecting and connecting when my phone is only a few feet away.
Have an easy fix?
I am having issues with it disconnecting and connecting when my phone is only a few feet away.
Have an easy fix?
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Great Upgrade from my Forerunner 55
on January 10, 2026
Posted by: Two2Fly
Love the watch. I was a little surprised it didn’t have a native HIIT selection on the start menu. It had to be selected and installed from the Garmin Connect app. Other than that the 165 is an option rich watch that will please any runner; for sure!
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Garmin Forefunner 165
on January 11, 2026
Posted by: Sophie E
I love this watch and would recommend it to anyone looking to switch away from Apple. The durability is wonderful, I have smacked it so hard on corners and it is still perfectly fine. Also, the battery life! 11days! Thats awesome. I can totally forget about the charge.
Written by a customer while visiting ExpertVoice.com
Customer Rating
5
Everything I want in a running watch!
on January 11, 2026
Posted by: Gabotrabo
I mean, it works great. I love the training feature, that makes my goals a lot easier to hit! Love it
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
3
Why is it so hard to save your run
on January 13, 2026
Posted by: DavidS123
Why is it so hard to save your run when you are done running?
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
All that you need
on January 15, 2026
Posted by: Tony R
This is a very affordable watch that provides you everything that you need in a GPS watch! I can set a walk back path when hiking/lost. I love that feature the most! I enjoy the rating of my workouts and also my sleep. It is amazingly accurate! The battery life is impressive.
Garmin has moved to the AMOLED display on all their watches. The older Garmin watches had a MIP display. The MIP display was displaying all the time. The AMOLED display comes on when you flick your wrist. Most of the time it comes on... I wish the screen was on all the time, but that would be detrimental to the battery life. This watch has features that can permit you to extend the battery life into weeks if needed.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin