The Garmin Forerunner 165 is a superb watch for runners and this Black Friday it is reduced by $50

Garmin Forerunner 165
(Image credit: Future/ Garmin)

The Garmin Forerunner 165 is simply the perfect entry-level watch for runners. While other, pricier, models may have more fancy features, the Forerunner 165 has everything a runner needs, at an affordable price and it's now reduced by $50 in the Black Friday sales at Amazon, Bestbuy and Walmart.

You can get the Garmin Forerunner 165 on sale right now at Amazon for $199.99.

Looking at all the many different Garmin models can be overwhelming, but if you are after a great value running watch that tracks all the important metrics, has a super colorful and bright AMOLED screen and tracks not only your activities but your recovery from them then look no further. The Garmin Forerunner 165 has everything you need and we've found it at the lowest price it's been since it was released early in 2024.

The Forerunner 165 is a fantastic value smartwatch for runners. Make no mistake, while the price may be 'entry-level' for a quality Garmin GPS watch, the features it offers are more than enough for even the most committed of runners.

If you are planning serious off-road adventures that require extended battery life and top-of-the-range route finding, then you might want to look at premium watches like the Garmin Fenix 7 — or check out our round-up of the best Garmin Watches. But if you want a watch to track your runs without spending a fortune, this is the watch for you.

Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Forerunner 165: was $249.99 now $199.99 at Amazon

Save $50 on the Garmin Forerunner 165. This brilliant basic model has everything the runner needs to track runs and recoveries — and plenty more besides

Featured in: The 15 best fitness tracker deals


Garmin Forerunner 165

The Garmin Forerunner 165 is one of the best running watches in its class (Image credit: Future/ Garmin)

When shopping for the best running watch, it can be tempting to opt for the model with the fanciest features — but how many of them will you actually use? The Garmin Forerunner 165 comes with everything that even the most committed amateur runner actually needs.

As you would expect, the Forerunner 165 has built-in GPS to track your pace and distance along with a wrist-based heart rate optical sensor. The bright and easy-to-read AMOLED touchscreen display is a popular feature, as are the built-in recovery metrics which track your sleep - and suggest how to adapt your training according to your recovery profile.

With Black Friday reductions of $50 off, it's hard to find a better smartwatch for runners, joggers or hikers. But if you are still confused, do check out our Garmin fitness watches guide.


Key features: 11 days battery life in smartwatch mode, 1.2-inch AMOLED display, built-in optical heart rate monitor, Sp02 sensor, water resistant to 50 meters

Product launched: February 2024.

Price history: Before the Black Friday deal, the only discounts on the Garmin Forerunner 165 were a few dollars off. Today's offer at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy is the lowest the watch - which only launched earlier this year - has ever been.

Price comparison: Amazon: $199.99 | Walmart: $199,99 | Best Buy: $199.99

Reviews consensus: Reviewers all agree that the Forerunner 165 offers fantastic value with all the training and tracking features you could want at a bargain price. Many comment on how it is slimmer and lighter than some of Garmin's models, and compliment the excellent touchscreen which is easy to see in all lights.

TechRadar: ★★★★½ | Toms Guide: ★★★★½

Featured in guides: The 15 best fitness tracker Black Friday deals

✅ Buy it if: You want a feature-rich touchscreen Garmin watch at a great value price. The Garmin Forerunner 165 is less than a year old and this is the lowest price it's ever been.

❌ Don't buy it if: You want all the fancy features of a premium Garmin watch - look instead at the top-of-the-range Garmin Fenix 7 or the Garmin Epix 2. But be aware, they come with a premium price tag too, although the Garmin Epix 2 currently has a huge $435 off on Amazon.

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Kate Carter

Kate Carter is an experienced journalist who worked for the Guardian for a decade before going freelance. She writes for the Guardian, Runners World, and World Athletics amongst many other publications, and presents for The Running Channel. She is also a sub three hour marathon runner and an England Athletics coach.