Garmin Forerunner 265 smartwatch review - excellent for sports tracking, less so for mapping

The health tracking metrics and GPS accuracy are excellent, but you don't get full topographic mapping

Garmin Forerunner 265 smartwatch
(Image credit: Tom Couzens)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 265 left me seriously impressed. From the easy-to-navigate touchscreen design to the array of activities and widgets - the list goes on. The one thing I did find let me down was the inaccuracy of the heart rate monitor - but with the vibrations through the bars and the bulky cuffs of deep-winter jackets, I've yet to come across a wrist-based heart rate monitor which does provide accurcate date in these conditons, so I was content to overlook this.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Great GPS accuracy

  • +

    Intuitive to use

  • +

    Ability to record a host of different sporting activities

  • +

    Battery life was impressive, lasting over a week before the need to charge

  • +

    Can store music

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Inaccuracy of heart rate readings during cycling

  • -

    Accuracy of maps whilst out exercising

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The Garmin Forerunner 265 is an excellent sports watch, and is designed for so much more than just sports. So much so that over the testing period I haven't wanted to take it off thanks to all, thanks to all the features it offers. From sleeping patterns to stress levels and of course activity tracking, it really is a superbly well rounded smartwatch.  

Garmin Forerunner 265: construction

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