# Garmin Forerunner 165: specs and price

**Price (US):** $249 at dcrainmaker.com (MSRP, non-music variant), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 18 smartwatches we track it is #3 cheapest of 18; category median $360.
**Brand:** Garmin
**Released:** 2024-02
**Deskmark:** Gold Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 65/100, #4 of 21 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $249 |
| Brand | Garmin |
| Released | 2024-02 |
| Case size (mm) | 43 |
| Display type | AMOLED |
| Battery hr | 264 |
| Gps | Yes |
| Lte option | No |
| Water resistance (m) | 50 |
| OS | Garmin OS |
| Ecg | No |
| Weight (g) | 39 |

## Where it stands

At $249, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is #2 cheapest of the 17 smartwatches we track, where the median is $349.99. On the spec sheet, its water resistance of 50 m is the lowest of the 23, its case size of 43 mm is above the median of the 23, and its battery hr of 264 is above the median of the 19.

## What reviewers say

Three whitelisted hands-on testers — DC Rainmaker, TechRadar, and Tom's Guide — all rate the Garmin Forerunner 165 an excellent budget/beginner running watch: a bright AMOLED touchscreen, GPS accuracy that rivals pricier multi-band Garmins, and premium training tools (Morning Report, Body Battery) trickled down to a lower price. All three note the omission of dual-band/multi-band GPS. DC Rainmaker and TechRadar additionally flag the missing Training Readiness score; only Tom's Guide measured a slow (~45s) GPS lock. Every quote and measured value was verified as present in the source text, and all three sources survived. (Based on 3 reviews, 3 lab-tested, 2024-02-20–2024-06-14.)

Praised: Bright, vibrant AMOLED touchscreen; Accurate GPS that rivals premium multi-band Garmins; Premium training/recovery tools (Morning Report, Body Battery, Garmin Coach) trickled down to a budget price; Multi-day battery life that meets Garmin's stated claims in real-world testing; Lightweight, comfortable design.
Flagged: No dual-band/multi-band GPS; Missing Training Readiness and advanced training-load/recovery scores found on pricier models; Fewer sport profiles than the Forerunner 265; no multisport/triathlon mode; Music storage costs $50 extra; TechRadar says it isn't cheap enough to fully replace the FR45/55; GPS can be slow to acquire a signal (~45s at workout start).
Disagreement: Testers split on value. TechRadar docked value to 3.5/5, calling it 'not cheap enough' and wishing it were under $200. Tom's Guide named it an Editor's Choice and judged the ~$250 price a solid deal. DC Rainmaker called the watch itself 'great in isolation,' but its main reservation was the crowded field of similarly priced Garmins rather than the price being too high.
Sources: DC Rainmaker (2024-02-20, dcrainmaker.com), TechRadar (2024-03-13, techradar.com), Tom's Guide (2024-06-14, tomsguide.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Garmin Forerunner 165?**

Three whitelisted hands-on testers — DC Rainmaker, TechRadar, and Tom's Guide — all rate the Garmin Forerunner 165 an excellent budget/beginner running watch: a bright AMOLED touchscreen, GPS accuracy that rivals pricier multi-band Garmins, and premium training tools (Morning Report, Body Battery) trickled down to a lower price. All three note the omission of dual-band/multi-band GPS. DC Rainmaker and TechRadar additionally flag the missing Training Readiness score; only Tom's Guide measured a slow (~45s) GPS lock. Every quote and measured value was verified as present in the source text, and all three sources survived. Praised: Bright, vibrant AMOLED touchscreen; Accurate GPS that rivals premium multi-band Garmins; Premium training/recovery tools (Morning Report, Body Battery, Garmin Coach) trickled down to a budget price; Multi-day battery life that meets Garmin's stated claims in real-world testing; Lightweight, comfortable design. Flagged: No dual-band/multi-band GPS; Missing Training Readiness and advanced training-load/recovery scores found on pricier models; Fewer sport profiles than the Forerunner 265; no multisport/triathlon mode; Music storage costs $50 extra; TechRadar says it isn't cheap enough to fully replace the FR45/55; GPS can be slow to acquire a signal (~45s at workout start). (From 3 tester reviews, 3 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Garmin Forerunner 165 cost?**

The Garmin Forerunner 165 has a US price of $249 (MSRP, non-music variant), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the Garmin Forerunner 165 compare on price?**

At $249, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is #2 cheapest of the 17 smartwatches we track, where the median is $349.99.

**When was the Garmin Forerunner 165 released?**

The Garmin Forerunner 165 was released 2024-02.

**What are the Garmin Forerunner 165's key specs?**

Garmin Forerunner 165 (Garmin): case size mm 43, display type AMOLED, battery hr 264, gps Yes, lte option No. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2024/02/garmin-forerunner-165-in-depth-review.html (dcrainmaker.com, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garmin_Forerunner (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/smartwatches/garmin-forerunner-165/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Garmin Forerunner 165 price of record was $249 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/smartwatches/garmin-forerunner-165/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl