The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music. All photos: iRunFar/Reese Ruland
Being an avid trail runner, I was a bit skeptical when I first put on the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music ($300). I’ve always prioritized finding the perfect watch, and this one is positioned at an entry-level price point. Heaven forbid it might not gather all the data that more expensive watches do. And what if it’s not as accurate? Having relied on the Garmin fēnix 7S for the past two years and absolutely loved it, I was curious to see if this new watch could match up to the level of performance I’d grown accustomed to. I must say, however, it completely surpassed my expectations in more ways than one.
This watch isn’t aimed solely at beginners or those looking to listen to music during a run without carrying a phone. While it is notable for having the memory to hold up to 500 songs, making it easy to curate a playlist for any run, it also has many other outstanding features, including a bright screen, strong battery life, and dependable GPS accuracy. It would be challenging to find a better watch at the $300 price point. You can also get this one in the non-music version for $250.
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Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Appearance
A face of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music.
The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is a small enough watch that it can be worn in casual settings without it being too out of place. The watch itself is comfortable and has a lightweight design that doesn’t feel cumbersome, even during longer runs. It is significantly lighter and thinner than the Garmin fēnix 7S and other GPS watches available today, making it easy to wear all day long. The 1.2-inch colorful AMOLED display is easy to navigate, combining touchscreen functionality with physical buttons for seamless operation. I appreciate the customizable watch faces and data screens, allowing me to prioritize the metrics that most matter to me. There are several different color options for the band.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music GPS Tracking and Heart Rate Monitoring
The back of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music.
While the name might lead you to believe otherwise, the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is much more than just a music player — it’s a full GPS watch with optical heart rate monitoring, fitness tracking, and built-in coaching suggestions. The multi-satellite-system-based GPS is top-notch for providing accurate distance, pace, and route mapping for every run. I was shocked at its accuracy when running through slot canyons in Arizona. Somehow, even with a very limited view of the sky, the watch could track me with exceptional accuracy. In my mind, this dispels the belief that you must buy an expensive watch to get the best location-determining capabilities.
The built-in heart rate monitor helps me monitor my exertion levels and ensures I get the most out of every workout. Admittedly, I’ve always been a bit leery about trusting wrist heart rate readings since they tend to be significantly less accurate than a chest strap or armband monitor. Factors such as where on the wrist you wear the watch, outside temperature, sweat, and arm swing while running can all affect the measurement. I found this watch to be accurate most of the time, but it did occasionally give me a reading of 220 beats per minute, which, unfortunately, is an impossibility at this stage of my life. If you’re looking to get the most accurate heart rate readings, you can pair this watch with a heart rate chest strap.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Battery Life
A close-up of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music’s face.
One of the standout features of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is its battery life. Given the size of the watch, the battery is exceptional. With up to 11 days of use in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours in GPS mode, you can track your runs and daily activities without constantly worrying about recharging. The 19 hours of tracking will get you through all but the longest ultras. Garmin claims the watch can run for up to six hours while playing music and using the GPS tracking.
While I didn’t attempt to run for 19 hours at once, I did leave the watch off the charger for several days while using it to track my runs and listen to music. The music does drain the battery quite a bit, so if you’re planning a super-long run, it might be a good idea to forego the music.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Additional Features
First and foremost, let’s talk about the music features of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music. As I loathe running with a phone, having the ability to leave it at home and still enjoy my favorite tunes while running is a game-changer. The watch can hold up to 500 songs, and the Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to pair with wireless headphones. I will note that the initial setup of pairing the headphones was not intuitive and a bit convoluted. However, once paired, they were easy to use each time.
Beyond music and GPS tracking, the watch offers a plethora of training metrics and recovery insights to help you optimize your workouts. From daily suggested workouts and Garmin Coach plans to race adaptive training, this watch provides all the tools you need to take your running to the next level. It also offers a number of fitness tracking features, including heart rate variability (HRV) measurement to help you understand your recovery, sleep tracking, energy monitoring, and stress levels. It can also estimate your VO2 max and measure your blood oxygen saturation level.
Additionally, it boasts connectivity features such as Garmin Pay contactless payments, smart notifications, and LiveTrack, allowing friends and family to follow your real-time location during runs. Safety features like incident detection and manual live location sharing can provide peace of mind during solo workouts, so long as you’ve brought along a paired phone and remain in cell service.
The Garmin Connect app makes it easy and fast to connect to apps like Strava and TrainingPeaks. However, one of the more frustrating aspects of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music isn’t necessarily even about the watch itself, but rather the Garmin ecosystem and apps, which can be a bit overwhelming if you haven’t used them before. There are tons of options, and navigating the many apps and drop-down menus can be annoying. Additionally, I could not manage to turn off the mile split announcement times for several runs. For some reason, even when I disabled the feature on the app and synced the watch, the settings just wouldn’t update.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Overall Impressions
The Run button on the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music.
Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music has become an appreciated part of my running routine. I often choose to wear this watch over my Garmin fēnix 7S, which is a bit of a surprise given my initial skepticism. The watch is unbelievably lightweight while having all of the features I want. Its combination of music playback ability, advanced GPS tracking, strong battery life, and comprehensive training features make it a standout choice for runners of all levels. Whether you’re training for a marathon or enjoy hitting the pavement for a leisurely jog, this watch can enhance your running experience.
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Call for Comments
- Have you had a chance to run with the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music? What did you think?
- What are the most important features of a GPS watch for you?
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