Garmin Forerunner 165 – Review

❓ QUESTION: Is the Forerunner 165 suitable for someone starting structured running training?

✅ ANSWER: Yes. It offers enough guidance for beginners, including heart rate tracking, workout suggestions, recovery time, and Garmin Coach support, while still scaling with the user as training becomes more advanced.

❓ QUESTION: How useful is the Pulse Ox sensor in actual training use?

✅ ANSWER: Pulse Ox is most useful as a supplemental wellness metric for sleep, altitude exposure, and general physiological context. It adds useful data, but it should not be treated as a medical-grade oxygen monitor.

❓ QUESTION: Can it track cross training sessions such as strength or HIIT?

✅ ANSWER: Yes. The watch includes multiple cross-training profiles such as strength training, HIIT, cardio, yoga, Pilates, rowing, and indoor cycling, with heart rate and duration logging across those modes.

❓ QUESTION: Does it provide accurate running pace and distance data?

✅ ANSWER: For most runners, yes. Garmin’s single-frequency GNSS implementation is generally strong in open environments, though very dense urban areas and heavy tree cover can still affect accuracy in ways common to watches in this class.

❓ QUESTION: Is it worth choosing over more expensive Forerunner models?

✅ ANSWER: Yes, if your core needs are running performance, wrist-based metrics, health tracking, and a high-quality display. Higher-end models add more advanced navigation, triathlon functionality, or deeper mapping, but the Forerunner 165 covers a very strong practical middle ground.