Garmin for the Forerunner 165: An ultra-low-cost, high-performance training watch for the casual user or the more tech-savvy

Normally, I’d launch into a TED Talk about why Garmin’s cluttered product lineup needs fewer watches. That said, the Forerunner 165 stands out because the price, feature set, and product design are all so well aligned. Garmin’s been missing a good training watch in the sub-$300 category, where most of its options are like the Venu Sq 2 or Vivomove Trend — they’re either geared toward casual users or people looking for a more stylish vibe. This is a watch that can be used as a training watch.

Three hundred smackeroos may not seem budget-friendly until you look at Garmin’s flagship watches. Those can go for a whopping $700 to well over $1,000. Even midrange watches, like the excellent Forerunner 265 series, retail for $450. I loved the Forerunner 265 series. The price was the only thing that I didn’t like. This watch is so appealing because of that. It is close to a clone of the smaller 265S but costs $150 to $200 less. You aren’t missing dual-frequencyGPS and EKGs for detection of a type of heart disease.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music: A Dual-Frequency Comparison of the Performance and Performance of a Cross-Fit Fitness System

Seriously. Side by side, it’s hard to tell my 165 Music and 265S apart. The buttons on the 265S are a bit fancier. Thankfully, my units are of different colors. I don’t think I’d be able to tell at a glance otherwise.

As for performance, in 95 percent of my daily use, I didn’t notice a difference. Even without dual-frequency GPS, you still get accurate outdoor activity tracking. I tested the 165 Music simultaneously with my phone and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 — both of which have dual-frequency GPS. The maps and distance reported all corresponded within a 10th of a mile. I would have seen a difference if I ran in Manhattan’s financial district. That said, I’ve done a lot of running with multisport watches with and without dual-frequency GPS. People who train in dead zones of the gps will benefit from dual-frequency gps. If that’s not you, you won’t likely notice.

Heart rate data was also on par with my Ultra 2 and a Polar H10 chest strap. Since I’m not someone with a high risk of AFib, I never even missed the EKG feature. (Even if I were, EKG-powered AFib features aren’t a diagnostic tool and still require you to see a doctor.) Unless it runs in your family or you know that you are at risk, you shouldn’t use EKGs since they are not a feature everyone needs.

There are only a few other things you get with a Garmin: long battery life, durability, and a lot of training data. The 165 Music lasted me nearly a week on a single charge with the always-on display, even though it needed more power than the one I had before. The 165 Music survived my cat chomping on it, and it’s more than capable of handling a dunk in the pool. You can still access Garmin Coach, adaptive training plans, nap detection, sleep tracking, and features like Body Battery and Morning Report. The redesign of the app has made it easier to see what’s going on.

Even the most advanced fitness trackers can’t catch everything. While testing the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music, I got a severe case of food poisoning and spent two days in bed. There’s nothing better than your fitness tracker telling you that you’ve got tons of sleep and your Body Battery is at 100 even though you’d rather not throw up water. It’s almost as irritating as your children shouting to ask if you’re still trapped in the bathroom.

When I finally got back to working out, the watch counseled me to build up my base with long, slow runs. This pace is insanely slow, particularly since I live next to a college campus full of long-legged teenagers, humiliating me with their vigorous strides, youthfulness, and hope. Nevertheless, I continue. My legs feel great. My heart rate is lower than it has been in years because of the ability the Forerunner has given me to graduate to tempo runs. Amazing!

The reason you get a Forerunner 165 over a Forerunner 55 is that in addition to a nicer display, you also get more sensors. In addition to the now-standard multiband GPS positioning systems—GPS, Glonass, and Galileo, which lets you position yourself precisely for accurate workout metrics—the Forerunner 165 has the pulse oximetry blood oxygen sensor, as well as a barometric altimeter, compass, and ambient light sensor.

Navigating on a Touchscreen: Do You Need to Hold The Up Button if You’re Unlucky Is Your O(N)

There are instances where I fail at navigating the button system that have decreased because it is a touchscreen. Same with times where I accidentally call my emergency contacts from holding the wrong button down for too long. On the left side there is a button called the Up button. Don’t hold it unless you’re in trouble.