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Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone and mint watch, front, watch face
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, front, watch face
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, front, watch face
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, front, data screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black watch, front, data screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, front, data screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, front, HRV status screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, front, HRV status screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, front, HRV status screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, workout suggestions screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black watch, workout suggestions screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, workout suggestions screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, Spotify screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, Spotify screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black watch, Spotify screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, back with sensor
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, back with sensor
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, back with sensor
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch and band, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch and band, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch and band, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone and mint watch, front, watch face
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, front, watch face
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, front, watch face
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, front, data screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black watch, front, data screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, front, data screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, front, HRV status screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, front, HRV status screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, front, HRV status screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, workout suggestions screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black watch, workout suggestions screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, workout suggestions screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, Spotify screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, Spotify screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black watch, Spotify screen
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, back with sensor
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, back with sensor
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, back with sensor
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, whitestone watch and band, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, black and yellow watch and band, side profile
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm, light pink watch and band, side profile

Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm Running Watch

by Garmin
$449.99 - $449.99
$449.99
$449.99 - $449.99
$449.99

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Forerunner 265S

Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm Running Watch

The Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm Running Watch is a running smartwatch sized for smaller wrists, weighing 39 g with a 41.7 mm case. Your intervals come with audio prompts, so you can keep your eyes up. Women's health tracking logs your cycle or a pregnancy beside your training. On the track, you get accurate laps even on a track you have never run. It comes in Whitestone with Neo Tropic, Black with Amp Yellow or Light Pink with Whitestone. A USB-C cable and documentation come in the box.

What if your next race was the performance of a lifetime, and Garmin Coach training plans helped you do something you've never done? With the Forerunner 265S smartwatch, you'll see every insight lit up on a colorful AMOLED touchscreen display. Get ready to be better for it.

The Garmin Forerunner 265S is a training partner built to help runners and multisport athletes train smarter and perform better. Featuring a bright AMOLED display, this smartwatch makes it easy to see every stat, day or night. With personalized features like Garmin Coach training plans, detailed running metrics, and VO2 max insights, it provides a tailored approach to reaching your fitness goals.

With up to 15 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 24 hours in GPS mode, the Forerunner 265S is built to last through intense training cycles and race days. Key features include Morning Report, HRV status, and Body Battery monitoring, giving you insights into your recovery and readiness each day. Plus, it has built-in music storage (subscription may be required) and Garmin Pay contactless payments for easy paying on the go.

DISPLAY
1.1 in.
360 x 360 AMOLED
WRIST FIT
115-178 mm
wrist circumference
MEMORY
8 GB
songs and training history
BANDS
18 mm
quick release
Buttons and touchscreen together Contactless payments with Garmin Pay Audio prompts during workouts
Garmin Forerunner 265S, HRV status shown on the 1.1-inch screen

Forerunner 265S recovery data

How it works

Readiness every morning
You wake to training readiness, a daily score built from your sleep, recovery and recent training load, which helps you decide between intervals and an easy run.
HRV status
The watch records HRV status, which tracks the variation in time between heartbeats while you sleep. It lands in the morning report, a summary of your sleep, recovery and planned training when you wake.
Sleep coach
Sleep coach turns each night into a score and coaching on how much sleep you need, with stages and naps logged beside it.
Body Battery
Body Battery, an estimate of your energy reserves through the day, rises with good sleep and drops with hard days.

Small case, full toolkit

Key features

Multi-band GPS
Built in, no add-on
SatIQ
Works with multi-band GPS
Stress tracking
Calm, balanced or stressful days at a glance
Track mode
Accurate laps even on an unfamiliar track
Multisport profiles
Triathlons, duathlons, brick workouts and swimruns
Race predictor
Likely pace for 5K, 10K, half and full marathon
Women's health tracking
Cycle or pregnancy logging with education
Built-in sports apps
30+ activities, from cycling to open water

Training day by day

How to use it

Garmin Forerunner 265S, the day's suggested workout on screen
Plans

A plan that follows your form

Pick a goal in the Garmin Connect app and Garmin Coach builds the plan, for running, cycling or strength. Suggested workouts arrive on the watch each day and shift after every run.

  • Recovery time counts down to your next high-effort session
  • Courses built in Garmin Connect or synced from third-party platforms
  • Audio prompts that guide you through a workout
Garmin Forerunner 265S, playlist controls on the wrist
Music

Leave the phone at home

Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music and YouTube Music accounts load songs and playlists straight to the watch (subscription may be required). The watch stores them in 8 GB of memory for runs without your phone.

  • Garmin Share swaps courses and workouts with nearby compatible devices
  • Connect IQ watch faces, data fields and apps
Garmin Forerunner 265S, heart rate sensor on the underside
Metrics

Form and effort on every run

Cadence and stride length come straight from the wrist. Running power shows the effort you put into the road or trail, and performance condition rates your current ability to perform from pace and heart rate as you run.

SatIQ, which picks the GPS mode automatically, works with multi-band GPS, which receives more than one frequency from each satellite.

  • Acute load compared with your target range
  • Intensity minutes, moderate and vigorous
  • All-day stress tracking
  • Respiration rate during exercise (with compatible accessory)

See the 265S on the move

Videos

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How it compares

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Garmin Forerunner 255 Running Smartwatch
Running smartwatch in 41 mm and 46 mm sizes, with Music versions.
Up to 14 days smartwatch (46 mm) Multi-band GPS Garmin Pay
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Garmin Forerunner 265, 46 mm AMOLED running watch
Garmin Forerunner 265 46mm Running Watch
46 mm AMOLED running watch with training readiness.
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Shop the Forerunner 265
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Garmin Forerunner 265S, smaller AMOLED running watch
Garmin Forerunner 265S 42mm Running Watch
Smaller AMOLED running watch for wrists from 115 mm.
1.1" AMOLED touchscreen Up to 15 days smartwatch Up to 24 hours GPS
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Forerunner 265S

Frequently asked questions

The GPS running watch itself, a USB-C charging and data cable, and documentation.
Yes. It fits wrists from 115 to 178 mm around, and the 41.7 x 41.7 x 12.9 mm case weighs 39 g. Bands swap on 18 mm quick-release pins.
Up to 24 hours in GPS-only mode, or up to 7.5 hours with music playing as well.
Yes. The 1.1-inch screen is AMOLED, a display where each pixel makes its own light, and it takes swipes as well as button presses.
Yes. Contactless payments with Garmin Pay are built in, in supported countries.
Yes. Open-water swimming is one of its built-in sports apps, and the case carries a 5 ATM water rating.
During select activities, when paired with your compatible smartphone, it sends a message with your live location to your emergency contacts. You can also trigger it yourself if you feel unsafe.
Garmin backs it with a one-year limited warranty from the date of purchase against defects in materials or workmanship, and Garmin repairs or replaces defective components.
  • Display type: AMOLED (optional always-on mode)
  • Display size: 1.1 in. (28.1 mm) diameter
  • Display resolution: 360 x 360 pixels
  • Touchscreen: Yes
  • Color display: Yes
  • Large font option: Yes
  • Lens material: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Bezel material: Fiber-reinforced polymer
  • Strap material: Silicone
  • Quick release bands: Yes (18 mm, industry standard)
  • Physical size: 41.7 x 41.7 x 12.9 mm; fits wrists with a circumference of 115-178 mm
  • Weight: 39 g
  • Water rating: 5 ATM
  • Battery life: Smartwatch mode: up to 15 days; GPS-only: up to 24 hours; SatIQ (AutoSelect): up to 18 hours; All-Systems + Multi-Band: up to 15 hours; GPS-only with music: up to 7.5 hours; SatIQ with music: up to 7 hours; All-Systems + Multi-Band with music: up to 6 hours
  • Charging method: Garmin proprietary plug charger
  • Memory/history: 8 GB
  • Music storage: Yes
  • Garmin Pay: Yes
  • Multi-band GPS: Yes
  • Pulse Ox blood oxygen: Yes (spot-check, optional all-day acclimation and in sleep)
  • Sleep score and insights: Yes
  • Daily suggested workouts: Yes
  • Training readiness: Yes
  • Training status: Yes (improved)
  • Clock features: Time/date, GPS time sync, automatic daylight saving time, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, sunrise/sunset times
  • Sensors: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, SatIQ technology, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor, Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient light sensor
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi
  • Smartphone compatibility: iPhone, Android
  • Ground contact time and balance: Yes (with compatible accessory)
  • Respiration rate (during exercise): Yes (with compatible accessory)
  • Battery type: Lithium ion
  • Morning Report: Receive an overview of your sleep and training outlook as soon as you wake up, alongside HRV status and weather. You can even customize your report to show you what you want to see.
  • Garmin Coach: Train for an event, achieve a milestone, or improve your fitness with Garmin Coach training plans for runners. Just set it up in the Garmin Connect app, then let Garmin Coach create personalized daily workouts to help you reach your goals, from your first 5K to a full marathon. This includes Garmin Run Coach, which creates plans that adapt based on your performance, recovery, and health metrics.
  • Daily Suggested Workouts: Get workouts made for you. They adapt after every run to match your performance and recovery, and take into account the races coming up in your Garmin Connect calendar.
  • Training Readiness: From the moment you wake up, get a readiness score based on your sleep quality, recovery, training load, and more, so you can determine whether it's a good day to go hard or take it easy.
  • Training Status: Using indicators such as HRV status, your recent exercise history, and performance, get an easy insight into your overall effort, and see if you're training productively, peaking, or strained.
  • HRV Status: Gain a deeper understanding of your overall health, training, and recovery through heart rate variability while you sleep, based on Firstbeat Analytics technology.
  • Recovery Time: Know how long you need to recover before your next high-effort workout based on your latest training.
  • Courses: Create or find existing courses in the Garmin Connect app, or sync from your favorite third-party platforms.
  • Sleep Coach: Get a sleep score and personalized coaching for how much sleep you need and how you can improve. Keep track of different sleep stages and naps, and see key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health.
  • Body Battery Energy Monitoring: See your energy levels throughout the day so you'll know when your body is charged up and ready for activity or drained and needing to recharge with restful sleep. Get insights on how sleep, naps, daily activities, and high stress impact your energy.
  • Nap Detection: Automatically track or log your naps to see how they benefit your body and to check the recommended time and duration they should be.
  • Race Predictor: Get an estimate of what your pace could be for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon.
  • Women's Health Tracking: Track and log your menstrual cycle or pregnancy to get exercise and nutrition education. The menstrual cycle tracking feature should not be used in support of conception, contraception or birth control. This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition.
  • Wrist-Based Running Dynamics: This smartwatch measures running metrics such as cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and more.
  • Wrist-Based Heart Rate: The watch constantly samples your heart rate to help you gauge how hard you work during activities.
  • Acute Load: Compare your recent training load to the target range to help improve your fitness.
  • Training Effect: See how your workouts influence your endurance, speed, and power.
  • Performance Condition: While you run, get an analysis of your pace and heart rate for a real-time assessment of your current ability to perform.
  • VO2 Max: See your current fitness level and track changes over time to set goals, evaluate progress, and more.
  • Intensity Minutes: Track your moderate and vigorous activity minutes.
  • Health Snapshot: Log a 2-minute session to record key health stats, then generate a report to share with your healthcare provider.
  • Stress Tracking: Find out if you're having a calm, balanced, or stressful day.
  • Pulse Ox Sensor: Track your blood oxygen saturation while you're awake or asleep. This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition.
  • Audio Prompts: Get alerts to know how you're performing and even be guided through workouts.
  • Cross Training: Forerunner 265S is preloaded with free HIIT, strength, cardio, yoga, and Pilates workouts so you can switch up how you sweat.
  • Wrist-Based Running Power: See how much power you're applying to the trail or road so you can manage effort and fine-tune training.
  • SatIQ Technology and Multi-Band GPS: Get superior positioning accuracy and optimized battery life.
  • PacePro Feature: Plan race-day strategy with GPS-based pace guidance for a selected course or distance.
  • Built-In Sports Apps: Tap into 30+ built-in activities, including cycling, open-water swimming, strength training, and more.
  • Track Running: Record accurate lap distances and see your distances in meters, even on a track you've never run before.
  • Triathlon and Multisport Profiles: Switch between sports automatically by using built-in profiles for triathlons, duathlons, brick workouts, and swimruns.
  • Music: Download songs and playlists from your Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or YouTube Music accounts for phone-free listening (subscription may be required).
  • Safety and Tracking: If your watch senses that an incident occurred, it will send a message with your live location. Or if you feel unsafe, you can do it manually (when paired with your compatible smartphone).
  • Garmin Pay Contactless Payments: Breeze through store lines or transit systems with participating providers.
  • Smart Notifications: Receive emails, texts, and alerts on your watch when paired with your iPhone or Android smartphone.
  • LiveTrack: Friends and family can follow your real-time location and view preplanned courses (when paired with your compatible smartphone).
  • Garmin Connect App: See your health and fitness information, connect with friends, and more.
  • Connect IQ Store: Add watch faces, data fields, and apps to your paired watch.
  • Garmin Share: Easily follow the same course or workout with your friends. Share saved locations, courses, and workouts with other nearby Garmin Share compatible devices.
  • Forerunner 265S GPS running watch
  • USB-C charging/data cable
  • Documentation



Overall rating: 4.75 / 5 from 4 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: [watch].

Review highlights

Reviews

Easy Ordering and Fast Shipping

"Easy ordering process and fast shipping. Everything went smoothly from purchase to delivery. Very pleased with the experience."

— Elizabeth P. (5/5)

Love recovery for athletes!

"I was able to buy this watch through recovery for athletes and get it approved for FSA funds. I'll be back for more products!"

— Jill S. (5/5)

Frictionless shopping!

"This is just the lightweight, long life athletic watch I have been searching for! Fantastic shop too."

— Jordan M. (5/5)

One Month of Having My 265

"Not the most intuitive UI but it's manageable after doing some Googling. It's great for tracking my runs. It's a lot more data than an Apple Watch would provide, which can be a pro or a con depending on if data is your thing. I wish it would track my sleep more accurately. It does not automatically detect sleep for me (I hear for other people, it does). Unfortunately, this device isn't good for setting sleep modes for shift workers since it expects you to go to bed at the same time every day. Battery life is great. I don't have to charge it every day. The smaller watch face is great for my thin wrist but I wish the band came in a smaller size since I have a lot of excess at the end (minor details). Now, would I replace an Apple Watch for the Garmin? Hard to stay. Depends on what features you prioritize."

— Liana F. (4/5)

Q&A