Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music, Beginner Running Smartwatch, 43mm, Black

I have had this watch for over a half a year now, and I gotta say, it’s it’s hard to beat for the price. Now, there is a new version of it, but it only has slightly updated software, and this one has gone down 50 bucks since the new one came out. Here’s what I’ve found out about this watch since I Baught it: #1 battery life & use durability I have been using this watch every day for the past 7 months, gps everyday for on average 45 minutes a day… and I got the music version which I use all the time (get the music edition if you listen to music it’s worth the extra 50 dollars) it’s been very convenient. So occasionally using music and gps everyday, I would charge it about every 5 days, without the always on display. Which is great, I’ll put it on the charger and it will be charged in less than an hour. And for the durability, I mean, it’s strong plastic, got a few scratches, but they are hard to see. Honestly, it would take a lot to break this. And mine has gone through a lot. Now for the screen, I can’t say much, because I do always have a screen protector on it, very easy thing to buy and put on. But I will say you don’t nessesarily need it. It is also water proof I always use it in water and have had no problems. #2 accuracy From what the user manual said, its accurate within 20 ft radius, and even in GPS Only mode, it generally is within 10 feet. Very reliable watch for pacing, great for race day, nice and light. And for the heart rate, well, it’s a watch. Usually the heart rate takes a minute to catch on at the start of the run, and sometimes it can lock on and get confused with your cadence, but that’s like any other watch, so nothing to bad. I would say it’s like 90% correct with HR. #3 software, connectivity, and perks Talking about software, this does have the older software of Garmin watches, but it still looks and feels great. You can add third party apps from connect IQ, there is 4 GB of storage, for apps and music (which is more than you think). It connects to your phone with Bluetooth, and you can see notifications on your watch when connected. Now, only the music version has Wi-Fi connection, which is used to sync playlists and update your music. Cons When we are talking about batterylife, if you like to listen to music on your watch during workouts with GPS, your battery is only going to last a few hours. Also, after finishing a bike ride, I had the screen freeze, and nothing worked (to fix: hold top left light botton for a good 20 seconds until you see it turn off) it still did save my bike ride though. Another thing which you probably already know is it has no triathlon option. Also, if you save an activity for later, you cannot start another activity till you save it. TIP: if you want to improve battery life, turn on GPS only mode during activity’s, turn always on display to gesture, and turn brightness down. That increases battery life by 20-50% depending on how you use it. The bottom line This watch is perfect for most athletes, at a small price point, and you get more than you need. If your an athlete just starting out, this is the perfect watch for you. You can upgrade after you get more into running, but for me, this has all I need, GPS, HR sensor, lightweight, recovery, Vo2 Max, etc.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music has been a solid upgrade from an older Garmin model. Battery life stands out immediately, especially considering how active the watch always feels in the background with tracking and smart features running continuously. The watch is used for both indoor and outdoor running, and the improvements in treadmill run tracking are especially noticeable. Distance and pace feel far more accurate than previous generations, making indoor workouts much more reliable. The music functionality is another highlight. Even without subscribing to most of the compatible music services, the ability to download a few Amazon Music playlists directly to the watch has been extremely useful. Being able to run without a phone while still having music available is a major plus. Customization is another strong point. The option to create and use a personal background image for the watch face adds a nice personal touch and makes the device feel more tailored to individual preferences. The only real drawback is the size of the watch head. On a smaller wrist, the larger face can feel bulky and occasionally cause some unexpected discomfort, especially during longer wear periods. Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music delivers excellent battery life, strong running metrics, and impressive music capabilities, with only minor comfort concerns. A great choice for runners looking for a reliable and feature‑rich smartwatch.

Love my Forerunner 165 Music so much. I wasn’t sure if I should splurge $50 more to get the Music model. But I am so glad I did! It connects to my Amazon Music easily and it can hold 100s of songs. I love the fact that I no longer need to carry my phone while I go for a run. My watch tracks my run, acts as my jukebox, a heart rate monitor, and my wallet (you can load your credit/debit card on it). It’s light weight and comfortable on my wrist. My Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 syncs easily to it. The battery life is way better than my Apple Watch (sitting in my drawer). I am very happy with my purchase! If you’re on the fence, do it! It’s worth it!

Love this watch! My first time switching from Apple to Garmin. I wanted longer battery, better analytics for running and health, because I began to increase my running. I’m not switching back. This durable, long lasting watch has the perfect sized screen and clean display, especially during a run. I’ve had the chance to build workouts, utilize the Race plan feature to prep, and me get PRs in 5k and 10k with PacePro during a race (plan/track splits). Looking forward to using with my first 1/2 marathon!

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is an absolutely outstanding running watch! The AMOLED display is stunning and incredibly easy to read in sunlight. The training metrics are detailed and accurate, and the music storage feature means I don't need to bring my phone on runs. Battery life is impressive and GPS locks on fast. It tracks everything I need for my workouts. A huge upgrade from my previous fitness tracker. Highly recommend for any runner!

LOVE IT !!!!!! Helpful for runs and training my heartbeat for longer runs

I chose this watch over the Apple Watch because I wanted a device that focused more on health and fitness while offering basic smartwatch features. It meets most of my expectations. Here are the features I love: - The sporty and clean design looks great, and the watch band feels comfortable on my wrist. - It's so lightweight that I barely notice it's there. - The battery life is fantastic! I can go a little over a week without needing to charge it. - The health and fitness features are highly detailed and work seamlessly with the Garmin Connect app. - Sleep tracking works surprisingly well, and the watch doesn’t bother me at night. Here are a few downsides: - I think the price for the music version is a bit steep. - The 43mm size fits well, but I wish there were larger options, like 45mm or 47mm, which I prefer. - Music playback is limited to just a few apps. I primarily use Apple Music, which isn’t supported, so I rely on Amazon Music as a backup, and it works fine. Overall, Garmin watches tend to be pricey, but this model offers the best features for a relatively lower cost. If you don’t plan on streaming music from the watch, I’d recommend getting the non-music version to save some money. I’m happy with my purchase and plan to use this watch long-term.

Love this watch for work outs. The feature set feels more comprehensive for activity tracking than my Apple Watch 6 series, and the interface is much easier to navigate than WatchOS. Be weary the only way to load music files (MP3/WAV) is through Garmin's proprietary desktop app, which is a bit cumbersome, but works as expected.

Me parece una gran opción para personas que buscan correr más que lo básico. Tiene muy buena batería, usándolo como Smart Watch, dura aproximadamente una semana con entrenamientos. Se siente fluido, te da gráficas que es algo muy bueno, y tiene muchas opciones de personalización que eso está muy padre, en comparación con uno de la marca de la manzana que cuesta muchísimo. Me gusta que tiene varias opciones de deportes; puedes agregar widget, personalizar el color, las alarmas son muy fáciles de poner, se siente ligero, pero confiable, además de qué detecta cuando te lo quitas y hace que no gastes batería con los sensores, lo cual no tiene otras marcas que había probado de menor precio. Ahora entiendo por qué Garmin es un estándar en los entrenamientos. Recomiendo mucho comprarle una amiga, porque se rayan muy fácil, las pantallas táctiles.

Buen reloj para correr, la opción de música es genial para poder correr sin teléfono móvil.

very good and accurate good battery life

Erfüllt meine Erwartungen komplett. Wollte sie primär als Laufuhr nutzen, trage sie mittlerweile jedoch kontinuierlich. Sehr leicht, fällt kaum auf am Handgelenk. Akkulaufzeit bei meiner Nutzung ca. 1 Woche (2-3x joggen pro Woche).

It was my princess' dream to have a Garmin, so when I started choosing which one to buy this model stood up. It's very affordable compared to other similar models and it has many great features. I've been taking my phone for my runnings for a long time, but it was bothering me to have the extra weight and volume to carry. This watch has GPS on it so you can leave your phone at home. You also can download music apps like Spotify and sync it with your earphones, it's great! I'm just an amateur runner, but the accuracy in my opinion is spot on, you can download your trainings to the watch and it'll tell you the intervals and keep your pace on range. The battery life will depend on your usage, but for me, who runs 4x a week with music on and monitors sleep every night, it lasts about 4 days. It's very intuitive, easy to use, the screen is nice and the touch works really good. One of my concerns when buying this was it size, I was afraid it would be too big for my almost 15cm wrist, but it's actually great! The band has a lot of room for adjusting to you wrist, and honestly, if I had gotten the 265s (the other one in the battle), I would've regretted sizewise If you're looking for an affordable, beautiful and yet very functional watch, this is the right one! I love it 💕